Ex Libris
K. OGDEN
THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
Dr. ADAM CLARKE'S
COMMENTARY
ON
THE OLD TESTAMENT.
VOLUME I.
CONTAINING
GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS, AND NUMBERS.
-o"-^'
%-a^'
>>?
THE
HOLY BIBLE,
CONTAINING THE
OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.
THE TEXT
CAREFULLY PRINTED FROM THE MOST CORRECT COPIES OF THE PRESENT
INCLUDING THE
3JARGI1VAL READINGS AND PARALLEL TEXTS.
•WITH
A COMMENTARY AND CRITICAL NOTES,
DESIGNED AS A HELP TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
OF
THE SACRED WRITINGS.
BY ADAM CLARKE, LL.D., F.S.A., M.R.I. A., &c. &c.
Cl^e HDID Ce^tament.
VOLUME I.
CONTAINING THE BOOKS OF
GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS, AND NUxMBERS.
FOR WHATSOEVER THINGS WERE WRITTEN AFORETIME, WERE WRITTEN FOR OUR LEAUXISG; THAT WE, THROUGH
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR JOSEPH BUTTERWORTII AND SON, 43, FLEET-STREET.
1825.
J. ANDT. ClARKE, PRINTERS, ST. JOHN-SQUARE, LONDOM.
ADVERTISEMENT.
THROUGH many delays, occasioned by a variciy of hindrances, the detail of which would be useless to
the Reader, I have at length brought this part of my work to its conclusion ; and now send it to the Public, not
without a measure of anxiety; for though perfectly satisfied with ihe purii^ of my motives, and the siriiplkiii/ of
my intention, I am far from being pleased with the work itself. The ivise and the learned will no doubt find
many things defective, and perhaps, several incorrect. In my plan, defects are unavoidable : tlie perpetual study
to be as concise as possible, while endeavouring to go to the bottom of every thing, has, no doubt, in several cases
produced obscurity. \V'hatever errors may be observed, must be attributed to my scantiness of knowledge,
when compared with the learning and information necessary for tlic tolerable perfection of such a work.
To an undertaking of this kind, a man's whole time should be dedicated — to me this is impossible, having
a variety of other avocations, most of which have an equal claim on my time and attention. It is true, that
for many years past, I have been making collections for this work; but finding it necessary to alter my
plan, I have been obliged to begin the whole anew, without availing myself of a single page of what I had
already written. — I have re- transcribed the whole, and have made innumerable retrenchment* and additions
throughout.
I had at first designed to introduce a considerable portion of criticism on the sacred text, accompa-
nied with illustrations from ancient authors; but after having made many collections of this kind, on
some particular parts, I was induced to throw almost the whole of them aside, for two reasons, 1. Be-
cause a continuation of my original plan, through the whole work, would have necessarily taken up more
time than I could have well spared : And, 2. Because, having designed my Notes not tor the learned, but for
comparatively simple people, or those whose avocations prevent them from entering deeply into suljjects of
this kind, I thought it best to bring every thing as much as possible, within their reach, and thus study, rather
to be useful, than appear to be learned. The Criticism which may be found in the work, is of a very humble
description ; its chief merit consisting in pointing out the force and meaning of certain expressions which
no simple translation can reach ; and the doing this, in such a way, as to cause the subject to be the more
easily understood. By the standard therefore of sincere endeavour to be useful, I wish alone my work to be
tried ; and hope that none will look for more in it than the title will authorize him to expect I do not
pretend to write for the learned ; I look up to tliem myself for instruction ; all tlie jjretensions of my work are
included in the sentence that stands in the Title : it is designed as a help to a better understanding of the Sacred
Writings. Here its claims end. If there be but a few spots, such as may be fairly attributed to human
frailty, and comparatively ineflicient means, the candid will pass them by, in favour of the general j)rinciple.
What is now before the Reader is a fiur specimen of the whole; if he be pleased, and in any measure pro-
fited by it, should God spare him and the Author, he may expect farther improvement. In the mean time
let him remember, that though even Paul should plant, and Apollos water, it is GOD alone that gives the
increase.
A. C,
London, 8th September, J 810.
1104S01
GENERAL PREFACE.
A HE difTcrent Nations of the Earth which have received the Old and New Testaments as a
divine revelation, have not only had them carefully translated into their respective languages,
but have also agreed in the propriety and necessity of illustrating them by comma^ls. At firet,
the insertion of a word or se?iience in the margin, explaining some particular word in the text,
appear- to have constituted the whole of the comment. Afterwards, these were mingled with
the text, but with such marks as served to distinguish them from the words they were intended to
illustrate : sometimes the comment was interlined with the text ; and at other times it occupied a
space at the bottom of the page.
Ancient comments, wiitten in all these various ways, I have often seen ; and a Bible now
lies before me, written, probably, before the time of JVicliff', where the glosses are all incorporated
with the text, and only distinguished from it by a line underneath ; the line evidently added by a
later hand. As a matter of curiosity, I shall introduce a few specimens.
ann 0eiDc, Mlatf), or tocfe 31 am cbaufiD, 31 salcc tbc fifir. Isai. xl. 16.
rpc ectc fjage as an ore, anu ttiitfj lictoc of f)Ctien bis ftoop tuas informiD or DcfouUli, til W
ttm tneriocn into licnessc of cglig, anD i)i0 naplis a0 nagtig or ctccg of britiDis. Dan. iv. 33.
ii)e tfjat is best in htm is as a paipurc, t&at is a scbarp buscfje, or a tbistel or firgg>
Micah vii. 4.
^e sc|)al baptise or cbristcnp gou, toitf) tbe ijoolp goost anti fiir, tobos tofjgntoingc clot&e
or fan in bis bono. Matt. iii. ii, 12.
Who eticr scbal leeue bis tuiif, getie be to f)er a Ipbel, tbat is, a Igtil boofe of fctsafeinge»
Matt. v. 31.
T5!gnoe men seen, crohiD men toanOrcn, mcsels ben maab dene, beef men becren, DeeD
men rgsen agein, pore men ben taken to prccbpnge of tbe gospel, or ben maab fecpers of
tbe gospel. 2latt. xi. 5.
31 scbal boike out, or telle out tbingis Wo fro making of tbe toorlb. Matt. xili. 35.
3ee scrpentis frugtis of butrotongngis of ebbris tbat sleen ber mobris, boto scbuln ^ec
flee fro tbe bomc of beile. ]\Iatt. xxiii. 33.
^eroube tetraarcba, tbat js, prince of tbe fourtb parte. Luke iii. 1.
I0abi?ngc gour contietsacioun or liif goob amonge beitben men. ] Pet. ii. 12.
(&ec scbuln rcscegbe tbe un^ueletuable croton of glorie, or tbat scbal nebcr faabe. 1 Pet. v. 4.
anognt tbin eegen toitb colurgo, tbat is, mebicinal for eegen maaP of Diticrsc erbis,
tbat tbou sec, Hev. ill. la. ~ ~~
ii GENERAL PREFACE.
Comments written in this way, have given birth to multitudes of the various readings afforded
by ancient manuscripts : for, the notes of distinction being omitted o* neglected, the gloss was
often considered as an integral part of the text, and entered accordingly by succeeding copyists.
Tliis is particularly remarkable in the Vulgate, which abounds vnih explanatory words and
phrases, similar to those in the preceding quotations. In the Septuagint also traces of this custom
are easily discernible, and to this circumstance many of its various readings may be attributed.
In proportion to the distance of times from the period in which the sacred oracles were de.
livered, the necessity of comments became more apparent : for, the political state of the people
to whom the Scriptures were originally given, as well as that of the surrounding nations, being,
in the lapse of time, essentially changed ; hence was found the necessity of historical and ckrono.
logical notes, to illustrate the facts related in the Sacred Books.
Did the nature of this preface permit, it might be useful to enter into a detailed history of com-
mentators and their works, and shew by what gradations they proceeded from simple verbal
glosses, to those colossal accumulations, in Which, the icords of God He buried in the sayings of
men. But this, at present, is impracticable ; a short sketch must therefore suffice.
Perhaps the most ancient comments containing merely verbal glosses, were the Chaldee Para-
phrases, or Targums, particularly those of Onkelos on the Laxc, and Jonathan on the Prophets :
the former written a short time before the Christian ^ra, the latter about fifty years after the
Incarnation. These comments are rather glosses on xcords, than an exposition of thiiigs ; and the
former is little more than a verbal translation of the Hebrew text into pure Chaldee.
The Targum Yerushlemey is written in the manner of the two former, and contains a
Paraphrase, in very corrupt Chaldee, on select parts of the five books of Moses.
The Targum ascribed to Jonathan ben Uzziel embraces the whole of the Pentateuch ; but
is disgraced with the most ridiculous and incredible fables.
Among the Jexvs, several eminent commentators appeared at different times, besides the Tar-
oumists already mentioned, who endeavoured to illustrate different parts of the Law and the.
Prophets. Philo JudjEus may be reckoned among these j his works contain several curious
treatises in exphcation of different parts of the Hebrew Scriptures. He flourished about
A. D. 40.
JosEPHUs may be fairly ranked among commentators : the twelve first books of his Jewish An-
tiquities are a regular paraphrase and comment on the political and ecclesiastical history of the
Jews, as civen in the Bible, from the foundation of the world to the time of the Asmoneans, or
Maccabees. He flourished about A. D. 80.
It is well known that the Mishnah, or Oral Law of the Jews, is a pretended Comment on the
five books of Moses. This was compiled from innumerable traditions by Rabbi Judah Hakkodesh,
probably about the year of our Lord 150.
The Talmuds, both of Jerusalem and Babylon, are a Comment on the Mishnah. The former
was compiled about A. D. 300, the latter about 200 years after.
Chaldee Targums, or Paraphrases, have been written on all the books of the Old Testament ;
some parts of the book of Ezra, and the book of Daniel excepted : which being originally written
in Chaldee, did not require for the purpose of being read during the captivity, any fartlicr explana-
tion. When the London Polyglott was put to press, no Targum was found on the two books of
GENERAL PUEFACE. iii
Cluonicles ; but after that work was printed, a Targum on these two books was discovered in the
university of Cambridge, and printed at Amsterdam, witli a Latin translation, 4to. 1715, by
Mr. D. JVilldns. It is attributed to Rahbi Joseph the blindy who flourished about A. D. 400.
TIjc Mazoretes were the most extensive Jewish Commentators which that nation could ever
boast. The system of jmnctualio}!, probably invented by them, is a co7ilinual gloss on the L,a.vi
and Prophets: their voxceljmints, and prosaic and metrical accents^ &c. give every word, to which they
are affixed, a peculiar kind of meaning, which, in their simjile state, multitudes of them can by
no means bear. The vowel points alone, add whole co7ijugatio7is to the language. This system is
one of the most artificial, particular, and extensive comments ever written on the word of God ;
for there is not one word in the Bible that is not the subject of a particular gloss, through its
influence. Tliis school is supposed to have commenced about 450 years before our Lord, and to
have extended down to A. D. 1030.
Rabbi Saadias Gaon, about A. D. 930, wrote a Commentary upon Daniel, and some other
parts of Scripture; and translated, in a literal and very faithful manner, the whole of the Old
Testament into the Arabic language. The Pentateuch of this translation has been printed by
Ei-penius, Lugd. Bat. 1622, 4to.
Rabbi Solomon Jarchi or Isaaki, who flourished in A. D. 1140, wrote a Commentary on the
whole Bible so completely obscure in many places, as to require a veiy large Comment to make
it intelligible.
In 1160 Aben Ezra, a justly celebrated Spanish Rabbin, flourished; his Commentaries on
the Bible are deservedly esteemed, both by Jews and Gentiles.
Rabbi Moses beti Maymon, commonly called Malmottides, also ranks high among the Jewish
Commentators: his work entitled Moreh Nebochini, or Teacher of the perplexed, is a very excel-
lent illustration of some of the most difficult words and things in the sacred writings. He
flourished about A. D. 1160.
Rabbi David Kimchi, a Spanish Jew, wrote a very useful Comment on most Books of the
Old Testament: his Comment on the Prophet Isaiah, is peculiarly excellent. He flourished
about A. D. 1220.
Rabbi Jacob Baal Hatturim, flourished A. D. 1300, and wrote short Notes or Observations
on the Pentateuch, principally CabaUstical.
Rabbi Levi ben Gershom, a Spanish Jew and Physician, died A. D. 1370. He was a very
voluminous author, and wrote some esteemed Comments on different paits of Scripture, especially
the^re books of Moses.
Rabbi Isaac Abrabanel or Abarbanel, a Portuguese Jew, who was born A. D. 1437, died
A. D. 1508, wrote also extensive Commentaries on the Scriptures, which are highly esteemed by
the Jews.
Rabbinoo Isaiah wi'ote select Notes or Observations on the Books of Samuel.
For farther information on the subject of Je\vish and Rabbinical writers, I must refer my
Readers to the Bibliotheca Magna Rabbinica of Bartolocci, begun in 1675, and finished in
1 693, four vols, folio. In this work the Reader will find an ample and satisfactory account of
all Jewish writers and tlicir works from the giving of the law, A.M. 2513, B. C. 1491, con-
tinued down to A. D. 1681. This work is digested in alphabetical order, and contains an ac-
a 2
Iv GENERAL PREFACE.
count of upwards of 1300 Jewish autliors and their works, with a confutation of their principal
objections and blasphemies against the Christian rehgion ; together with frequent demonstrations
that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah, drawn not only from the sacred writings, but from
those also of the earher and most respectable Rabbins themselves : Each of the volumes is en-
riched \\-ith a great variety of dissertations on many important subjects in Biblical Literature.
This work, left unfinished by its author, was completed by Imbonati, his disciple, who added a
fifth vol. entitled Bibliotheca Latino-Hebraka, containing an ample alphabetical account of all
the Latin authors who have written either against the Jews, or on Jewish affairs. Roma}, 1 694.
These two works arc very usefirl, and the authors may be desei-vedly ranked among Biblical
Critics and Commejitators. Bartolocci was born at Naples in 1613, and died at Rome where he
was Hebrew professor, in 1687.
Most of the Jewish Comments being written in the corrupt Chaldee dialect, and in gene-
ral printed in the Rabbinical Character, which few, even among scholars, care to read ; hence they
are, comparatively, but little known. It must be however allowed, that they are of great service
in illustrating the rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic Law; and of great use to the Christians in
their controversies with the Jews.
As some of my Readers may wish to know where the chief of these Comments may be most easily
found ; it will give them pleasure to be informed, that the Targuvis or Chaldee Paraphrases of Onkelos
and Jonathan ; the Targiim Yerushlemey; the Masorah; the Comments of Radak, i. e. Rabbi
David Kimchi; Rasiii, i. e. Rabbi Solomon Jarchi ; Ralbag, i. e. Rabbi Levi be7i Gershon ;
Rameam, i. e. Rabbi Moses ben Maymon, or Maimonides ; Rashag, i. e. Rabbi Saadias Gaon ;
Aben Ezra, with the scanty observations of Rabbi Joseph Baal Haturim, on the five books
of ]\Ioses; and those of Rabbi Isaiah, on the two books of Samuel, are all printed in the Se-
cond Edition of Romberg's Great Bible, Venice, 1341, &c. 2 vol, foHo: the most useful, the
most correct, and the most valuable Hebrew Bible ever published. It may be just necessary to
say, that Radak, Rashi, Ralbag, &c. are teclmicai names, given to these Rabbins from the
//ziVirtfo of their proper names, with some interposed vowels ; as RaDaK, stands for Rabbi David
Kimchi; RaS/il, for Rabbi Salomon Jarchi ; RaLBeG, ihr Rabbi Levi Ben Gershon; and so of
the rest. The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan are printed also in the three first volumes of the
London Polj/glott, v/ith a generally correct literal Latin version. The Targum ascribed to Jona-
than ben Lizziel, and the Targum Yerusldemey on the Pentateuch, are printed, with a literal Latin
version, in the fourth volume of the above ^\ork. The Mishr.ah has been printed in a most ele-
■'KXYit xn3i.\mzi' hy Surrenhusiiis, Amsterdam, 1C'J8, 6 vol. folio, with a Latin trarislation, and an
abundance of Notes.
Christian Commentators, both ancient and modern, are vastly more numerous, more excellent
and better known, than those among the Jews. On this latter account I may be well excused
Jbr passing by many, which have aU their respective excellencies, and mentioning only a few out
of the vast multitude, which are either more eminent, more easy of access, or better known to myself.
These Comments may be divided into j^wr distinct classes: — 1. Those of the Primitive Fathers
and Doctors of the Church; 2. those written by Roman Catholics; 3. those written by Frotest4ints;
and 4. Compilations from both, and Collections of Biblical Critics,
GENERAL PREFACE. v
1. CLASS.— PRIMITIVE FATHERS and DOCTORS.
Tatian, ^vho flourished about A. D. 150, wrote a Harmomj oftlie four Gospels; perhaps the
first thin"' of the kind ever composed: the genuine work is probably lost; as that extant, under
his name, is justly suspected by the learned.
In this class Origen occupies a distinguished place: he was born A. D. 185, and wrote
much on the Scriptures: his principal works are unibrtunately lost ; many of his Homihes still
remain, but they are so replete with metaphorical and fanciiul interpretations of the sacred Text,
that there is much reason to believe they have been corrupted since his time. Specimens of his
mode of intei-preting the Scriptures may be seen in the ensuing Comment.— See on Exod. ii.
Hypolitus wrote many things on the Scriptures, most of which are lost; he flourislied about
A. D. 230.
CiiRYsosTOM is well known and justly celebrated for his learning, skill, and eloquence m his
HomiHes on the sacred Writings, particularly the Fsahns. He flourished A. D. 344.
Jehom is also well known: he is author of what is called the Vulgate, a Latin version from the
Hebrew and Greek of the whole Old and New Testaments: as also of a very valuable Comment
on all the Bible. He flourished A. D. 360.
Ephraim Svkus, who might be rather said to have mourned than to havcjomished, about A. D.
S60, has written some very valuable Expositions of particular parts of Scripture. They may be
found in his Works Syr. and Gr. pubHshed by Asseman, Roma-, 1737, &c. 6 vol. folio.
To AuGUSTiN, a laborious and voluminous writer, we are indebted for much valuable in-
formation on the sacred Writings. His exposirions of Scripture, however, have been the sub-
jects of many acrimonious controversies in the Christian Church. He has written upon a number
of abstruse and difficult points, and in several cases, not in a very lucid manner ; and hence it is
not to be wondered at, if many of his commentators have mistaken his meaning. Some strange things
drawn irom his writings, and several things in his creed, may be attributed to the tincture his mind re-
ceived from his Manichean sentiments : for it is well known that he had embraced, previously to
his conversion to Christianity, the doctrine of the two principles, one xdiolly evil, and the other
whollif good ; to whose energy and operation all the good and evil in the world were attributed.
These two opposite and conflicting beings, he seems, in some cases, unwarily to unite in one God:
and hence, he, and many of his followers, appear to liaA-e made the ever blessed God, the
fountain of all justice and holiness, the author, not only, of all the good that is in the worid, for
on this, there can be but one opinion, but of all the evil likewise ; having reduced it to a neces-
sity of existence, by a predetermining, unchangeable and eternal decree, by which, all the actions
of angels and men are appointed, and irrevocably established. St.. Augustin died A. D. 430.
(Jur.GORY the Great, who flourished about A. D. 60O, has written Commentaries which arc
greatly esteemed, especially among the Catholics.
Theophylact has written a valuable Comment on the Gospels, Acts and St. Paul's Epistles.
He flourished A. D. 700.
Venerable Bede flourished A. D. 780. and wrote Comments, (or rathci- collected those of
others) on the principal books of the Old and New Testaments, which arc still extant.
Rabakus Maurus, who flourished A. D. 800, was one of the most voluminous Commentators
since the days of Origen. Besides his numerous Comments published in his works, there is a.
glossary of his on the whole Bible, in MS. in the imperial library at Vienna..
Walfridus Strabus or Strabo, composed a work on the Old and New Testaments entitled
vi GENERAL PREFACE.
Glossd' Ordinance ; which is properly a Catena or collection of all Comments of the Greek and
Latin Fathers prior to his time. Strabo constantly endeavours to shew the literal, historical and
moral sense of the inspired writers. The best edition of this valuable Work, was printed at
Antwerp in 1634. Tlie author died in his forty-tliird year, A. D. 846.
It would be very easy to augment this list of Fathers and Doctors by the addition of many
respectable names, but my limits prevent me from entering into any detail. A few scanty addi-
tional notices of authors and their works must suffice. ^
Salonius, Bishop of Vienna, who flourished in 440, wrote a very curious piece entitled a
Mystical Explanation of the Provei-bs of Solomon, in a Dialogue between himself and his brother
Veranius : the latter asks questions on every important point contained in the book, and the former
answers and professes to solve all difficulties. He wrote also an Exposition of Ecclesiastes.
Philo, Bisho]) of the Carpathians, wrote also on Solomo7i's Song.
Justus, Bishop of Orgehtanum, or Urgel, wrote a mystical explanation of the same book. He
died A. D. 540.
And to Aponius, a writer of the seventh century, a pretty extensive and mystical exposition of
this book is attributed. It is a continued Allegory of the Marriage between Christ and his Church.
To Aponius, and the preceding writers, most modern expositors of Solomon's Song stand con-
siderably indebted, for those who have never seen these ancient authors, have generally borrowed
from others who have closely copied their mode of interpretation.
Among the opuscula of Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, is found an allegorical exposition of
the Jour gospels. Theophilus flourished about the middle of the second century.
Victor, Presbyter of Antioch, wrote a very extensive comment on St. Mark's Gospel, in
which many very judicious observations may be found.
Theodulus, a Presbyter of Calosyria, about A. D. 450. wrote a comment on the Epistle to the
Romans.
Remigius, Bishop of Auxerre, who flourished about the end of the 9th century, wrote a com-
ment on the twelve minor Frophets.
Sedulius Hybernicus, wrote Collectanea on all the Epistles of St. Patd, in which there are
many useful things. When he flourished is uncertain.
Primasius, Bishop of Utica, in Africa, and disciple of St. Augustin, wrote also a comment
on all St. Paid's Epistles, and one on the book of the Revelation. He flourished A. D. 550.
And to Andreas, Archbishop of Cassarea, in Cappadocia, we are indebted for a very exten-
sive comment on the Apocalypse, which is highly extolled by Catholic writers, and which con-
tains a sufficient (luantum of mystical intei'pretations.
AU these writers, witli others of minor note, may be found in the BibUoiheca Vetcrum Patriim,
^c. by Dc la Bigne, folio, Par. 1624, vol. i. Any person who is fond of ecclesiastical antiquity,
will find himself gratified even by a superficial reading of the preceding Authors; for they not only
give their own sentiments on the subjects they handle, but also those of accredited writers who have
flourished long before their times.
II. CLASS.— CATHOLIC COMMENTATORS.
Among the Catholic writers, many valuable Commentators are to be found : the chief of
whom arc the following: — Hngo de Sancta Clara, or Hugh de St. Cher, flourished in 1200.
He was a Dominican JMonk, and Cardinal, and wrote a Commentary on the whole Bible, and
GENERAL PREFACE.
Vll
composed a Concordance, probably the first regular Work of the kind, in which he is said to
have employed not less than 500 of his brethren to write for him !
NichoUius de Lyra, or Lyranus, Anglic^, Nicholas Harper, wrote short Comments on the whole
Bible, which are allowed to be very judicious, and in which he reprehends many reigning
abuses. It is supposed, that from these, Martin Luther borrowed much of that light which
brought about the Relormation. Hence it has been said :
•o'
Si Lyra nan lyrasset ;
Lutherus non sallasset.
*' If Lyra had not harp'd on Profanation,
" Luther had never pla7i7i'd the Reformation."
Lyra flourished in 1300, and was the first of the Christian Commentators since St. Jerom, who
brouo'iit Rabbinical learning to illustrate the sacred Writings.
John Menochius, who flourished in the sixteenth century, has published short Notes on all the
Scriptures — they are generally esteemed very judicious and satisfactory.
Isidore Clarius, Bishop of Fuligni in Umbria, in 1550 wrote some learned Notes on the Old
and New Testaments : he is celebrated for an eloquent speech delivered before the Council of
Trent, in favour of the Vulgate — His learned defence of it contributed, no doubt, to the ca-
nonization of that Version.
John JNIaldonat wrote Notes on particular parts of the Old and New Testaments, at present
little read.
Cornelius a Lapide is one of the most laborious and voluminous Commentators since the in-
vention of Printing. Though he has written nothing either on the Psalms or Job, yet his Com-
ment forms no less than 16 vols, foho; it was printed at Venice 1710. He was a very learned
man ; but cites as authentic, several spurious writings. He died in 1637.
In 1693 — 4, Father Quesnel, Priest of the Oratory, published in French, at Brussels, Moral
Reflections on the New Testament, in 8 vols. 1 2mo. The Author was a man of deep piety ; and
were it not for the rigid Jansenian predestinarianism which it contains, it would, as a spiritual
Comment, be invaluable. The Work was translated into English by the Rev. Richard Russel, and
pubhshed in 4 vols. 8vo. London 1719, &c. In this work the reader must not expect any eluci-
dation of the difficulties, or indeed of the text of the New Testament : the design of Father
Quesnel is to draw spiritual uses from his text, and apply them to moral purposes. His reflections
contain many strong reprehensions of reigning abuses in the church, and especially among the
clergy. It was against this Book that Pope Clement XI. issued his famous Constitution
Unigenitus, in which he condemned one hundred and one propositions taken out of the Moral
Reflections, as dangerous and damnable heresies. In my Notes on the New, Testament, I have
borrowed several excellent reflections from father Quesnel's "Work, The Author died at Amster-
dam, December 2, 1719, aged 86 years.
DoM AuGUSTiN Calmet, a Benedictine, published, what he terms Commentaire Literale, on
the whole of the Old and New Testaments'. It was first printed at Paris, in 26 vols. 4to. 1 707 —
1717. And afterwards, in 9 vols, folio, Paris, Emery, Saugrain and Martin, 1719 — 1726. It
viii GENERAL PREFACE.
contains the Latin Text of the Vulgate, and a French translation, in collateral columns; with the
Kotcs at the bottom of each page. It has a vast apparatus of Preflices and Dissertations, in
which, immense learning, good-sense, sound judgment and deep piety are invariably displayed.
Though the Vulgate is his Text, yet he notices all its variations fi-om the Hebrew and Greek ori-
ginals; and generally builds his Criticisms on these. He quotes all the ancient Commentators,
and most of the modern, whether Catholic or Protestant; and gives them due credit and praise. His
Illustrations of manj-- difficult Texts, referring to idolatrous Customs, Rites, Ceremonies, &c.
from the Greek and Roman Classics, are abundant, appropriate and successful. His Tables,
Maps, Plans, &c. are very judiciously constructed, and consequently, very useful. This is,
without exception, the best Comment ever published on the Sacred Writings, either by Catho-
lics or Protestants ; and has left little to be desired for the completion of such a Work. It is true,
its scarcity, voluminousness, high price, and the language in which it is written, must prevent its
ever coming into common use in our Country ; but it will ever form one of the most valuable
parts of the private library of every Biblical student and divine. From this judicious and pious
Commentator, I have often borrowed ; and his contributions form some of the best parts of
my Work,
In 1753, Father Houeigant, a Priest of the Oratory, published a Hebrew Bible, in 4 vols,
folio, with a Latin Version, and several critical Notes at the end of each chapter. He was a
consummate Hebraician and accurate critic : even his conjectural emendations of the Text, cast
much light on many obscure passages ; and not a few of tliem have been confirmed by the MS.
Collections of Kennicott and De Rossi. The Work is as invaluable in its matter as it is high in
price, and difficult to be obtained. To this Edition, the following Notes are often under con-
siderable obligation.
III. CLASS.— PROTESTANT COMMENTATORS.
Sebastian Munster, first a Cordelier, but aftei"wards a Protestant, published a Hebrew Bible,
with a Latin translation, and short critical Notes at the end of each chapter. His Bible has been
long neglected, but his Notes have been often republished in large Collections. He died in 1552.
The Bible in Latin, printed at Zurich, in 1543, and often afterwards, in folio, has a vast many
scholia or marginal notes, which have been much esteemed, (as also the Latin Version) by many
divines and critics. The Compilers of the Notes were Leo de Juda, Theodore Bibliander, Peter
ChoHn, Ralph Guatier and Conrad Pelicanus.
TuEMELLius, a converted Jew, with Junius or du Jon, published a very literal Latin Version
of the Hebrew Bible with short, critical Notes; folio, 1575. It has been often reprinted, and
was formerly in high esteem. Father Simon accuses him unjustly, oi' ])utting in pronour.s where
none exist in the Hebrew: had he examined more careflUly, he would have found tliat Tremellius
translates the emphatic article by the pronoun in Latin ; and it is well known, that it has this
power in the Hebrew language. Father Simon's censure is therefore not well founded.
John PiscATOR pui)lished a laborious and learned Comment on the Old and New Testaments,
in 24 vols. 8vo. Herborn, 1601 — 1616. Not highly estceiAed.
John Drusius was an able Commentator ; he penetrated the literal sense of Scripture ; and in
his Animadversions, Hebrew Questions, Explanations of Proverbs, Observations on the Rites
2
GENERAL PREFACE. ix.
anil Customs of the Jews, he has cast much light on many parts of the Sacred Wi-itings. He died
at Franekcr, in 1616, in the 66th year of his age.
Huo'o Grotius, or Hugh le Grool, has written Notes on the whole of the Ohl and New Tes-
taments. His learning was very extensive, his erudition profound, and his moderation on sub-
jects of controversy highly praise-worthy. No man possessed a more cxtensi\e and accurate
knowledge of the Greek and Latin writers ; and no man has more successfully applied them to
the illustration of the vSacred Writings. To give the literal and genuine sense of the
sacred writings is always the laudable study of this great man: and he has not only illustrated
them amply, but he has defended them strenuously, especially in his treatise On the Truth of
the Christian Religion, a truly classical performance that has never been answered, and never can
be refuted. He has also written a piece which has been highly esteemed by many, on the salis/acfio/i
of Christ. He died in 1645, aged 62 years.
Louis de Dieu wrote animadversions on the Old and New Testaments, in which arc many
valuable things. He was a profound scholar in Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee, Persian, and Syriac,
as his works sufficiently testily. He died at Lcyden in 1642.
Desidcrius Euasjius is well known, not only as an able JSf//7o/' of the Greek Testament; but also
as an excellent Commentator u])on it. The^rs^ Edition of this sacred Book was publishetl by
liim in Greek and Latin, folio, 1.516, for though the Complutensian Edition was printed in 1514,
it was not published till 1522. For many years, the Notes of Erasmus served for the foundation
of all the Comments that were written on the New Testament; and his Latin Version itself", was
deemed an excellent Comment on the Text, because of its faithfulness and simplicity. Erasmus
was one of the most correct Latin scholars since the Augustan age.. He died in 1536. I need
not state that in some cases, he appeared so indecisive in his religious creed, that he has been
both claimed and disavowed by Protestants and Cathohcs.
John Calvin wrote a Commentary on all the Prophets and the Evangelists, which has been in
high esteem among Protestants, and is allowed to be a very learned and jutlicious work. The
decided and active part which he took in the Reformation-is well known. To the doetiine of
human merit, indulgences, &c. he, with lAitlier, opposed the doctrine of justification by grace through
tiiith, for which they were strenuous and successfid advocates. The peculiar doctrines which go
under the name of Mr. Calvin, from the manner in which they have been defended by some, and
opposed by others, have been the cause of much disscntion among Protestants, of which the enemies
of true religion have often availed themsehes. Mr. Calvin is allowed by good judges to have wTiften
with great purity, both in Latin and French. He died in 1564.
Mr. David Martin of Utrecht, not only translated the whole of the Old and New Testaments
imo French, but also wrote short Notes on both, which contain nuich good-sense, learning anrJ
piety, Amsterdam, 1707, 2 vols, folio.
Dr. Henri/ Hajoioxd is celebrated over Europe as a very learned and judicious Divine. He
wrote an extensive Comment on the P.w//h.9 first published in 1659 and on the whole of the N(ra)
Testament m 1653. In this latter Work, he imagines he sees tlie Cr//o5/ic5 every where pointed
at; aiid he uses them as a universal menstruum to dissolve all the difficulties in the Text. He
was a man of great learning, and critical sagacity; and as a diyiue ranks high m the Church of
England. He died in 1660.
b
X GENERAL PREFACE.
Theodore Beza not only published the Greek Testament, but wrote many excellent Notes on
it. The best edition of lliis Work is that printed at Cambridge, folio, 1642.
Dr. Ed-xard Wells published a very useful Testament in Greek and English, in several parcels,
with Notes, from 1709, to 1719; in which, 1. The Greek Text is amended according to the
best and most ancient Readings. 2. The common English Translation rendered more agreeable
to the original. 3. A paraphrase explaining the difficult expressions, design of the sacred
AV'riter, &c. 4. Short Annotations. This is a judicious, usefld Work.
Of merely critical Comments, on the Greek Testament, the most valuable is that of./. James
Wetstein, 2 vols, folio, Amsterdam, 1751 — 2. Almost every peculiar form of speech in the
sacred Text, he has illustrated by quotations from the Jewish, Greek and Roman writers.
iNIr. Hardy published a Greek Testamentwith a great variety of usefjl Notes chiefly extracted
from Poole's Synopsis. The Work is in 2 vols. 8vo. Lond. 1768, and is a very useful compan.ion
to every biblical student. It has gone through two editions ; the first of which is the best, but
it must be acknowledged, that the Greek Text in both, is inexcusably incorrect.
Mr. Henry Ainsworth, one of that class of the ancient Pwitcms, called Brorvnisfs, made a
new Translation of the Pentateuch, Psalms, and Canticles, which he illustrated with notes, fol.
1639. He was an excellent Hebrew scholar, and made a very judicious use of his Rabbinical
learning in his Comment, especially on the five books of Moses. To his Notes on the Pentateuch,
I am often under obligation.
The notes of the Assembly of Divines, in 2 vols, folio, 1654, have been long in considerable
estimation. They contain many valuable elucidations of the sacred text.
Mr. J. Caryl's Exposition of the book of Job, in two immense vols, folio, 1676, another by
Albert Schidtens, and a tliird by Chapelon-e, on the same book, contain a vast deal of important
matter : delivered in general, by the two latter, in the dullest and most uninteresting form.
Mr. Matthew Poole, a Non-conformist divine, has published a Commentary on the Scrip,
tures, in two vols, folio. The notes, which are mingled with the text, are short, but abound
with good-sense and sound judgment. He died in Holland, in 1679.
Dr. John Lightfoot was a profound scholar, a sound divine, and pious man. He brought
all his immense learning to bear on the sacred volumes, and diffused light wherever he went.
His Historical, Chronological, and Topographical Remarks on the Old Testament, and his Tal-
mudical Exercitations on the New, are invaluable. His works were published in two large vols,
fbho, 1684. He died in 1675.
On the plan of Dr. Liglitfoot's Hor^ Hebraic.e, ov Talmiidical Exercitations, a work was under-
taken by Christian Schoctlgcnius, with the title Hora; Ilebraica' S^- Talmudica' in imiversiim Novum
Testamentum, quibus horn; Jo. Lightfooti in Libris historicis supplcfitur, Epistolce t^- Apocalypsis
eodem modo illustrantur, S^-c. Drosdae 1733, two vols. 4to. Tins is a learned and useful work,
and supplies and completes the work of Dr. Lightfoot. The Horac Hebraicas of Light/bot extend
no further than the First Epistle to the Corinthians ; the work of Schoettgen passes over the same
ground as a Supplement, without touching the things already produced in the English work ; and
then continues the work on the same plan to the end of the New Testament. It is both scarce
and dear.
GENERAL PREFACE, xi
Mr. Richard Baxter publislied the New Testument with Note?, 8vo. 169^. Tlic notes are
interspersed with the text, and are very short, but they contain much sound sense and piety.
Dr. Simon Patrick, Bishop of Ely, began a Comment on the Old Testament, which was finish-
ed by Dr. Lo-wih ; to which the New Testament, by Dr. Whitby, is generally added, to complete
the work. Dr. AVhitby's work was first published in 1703, and often since, with many emenda-
tions. This is a valuable collection, and is comprized in six vols, folio. Pc.trick and Lo-xih are
always judicious and solid; and Uliitbj is learned, arguinentative, and thoroughly orlhodox.
The best Comment on the New Testament, taken in all points of view, is certainly that
of Whitby. lie is said to have embraced Socinianism previously to his death, which took place
in 1726.
Mr. AxTiio.vY PuRVER, one of the people called Qiiakers, translated the whole Bible into
Eno-lish, illustrated with critical Notes, which was published at the expense of Dr. .1. Fothergill,
in \1G-i, two vols. Ibho. Tiiis work lias never been highly valued; and is much less literal, and
simple, than the habits of the man, and those of the religious community, to which he belonged,
might authorise one to expect.
The Rev. William Burkitt, Rector of Dedham, in Essex, has written a very usefiil Com-
mentary on tlie New Testament, which has often been republished. It is both pious and prac-
tical, but not distinguished either by depth of learning or judgment. The pious author died
in 1703.
The Rev. Matthew Hekry, a very eminent Dissenting Minister, is author of a very extensive
Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, five vols, folio, and one of the most popular
works of the kind ever published. It is always orthodox, generally judicious, and truly pious and
practical, and has contributed much to diffuse the knowledge of the iScriptures among the com-
mon people, for whose sakes it was chiefly written. A new edition of this work, by the Rev.
J. Hughes, of Battersea, and the Rev. G. Burder, of London, corrected frojn innumerable errors
which have been acc?umulating with every edition, is now in the course of publication.
As I apply the term oi'thodox to persons who differ considerably in their religious creed oh
certain points, I judge it necessary once for all to explain my meaning. He who holds the
doctrine of the fall of man, and tlirongh it, the universal corruption of human nature — the
godhead of our blessed Redeemer — the atonement made by his obedience unto death — justifi-
cation through faith alone in his blood — the inspiration of the Ploly Spirit, regenerating and
renewing the heart, is generally reputed orthodoa', Avhether in other parts of liis creed he be
Arminian or Calvinist. Whitby and Henry held and defended all these doctrines in their
respective Comments ; therefore I scruple not to say that both were orthodoT. With their
opinions in any of their other works I have no concern.
Dr. Joiix Gill, an eminent Divine of the Baptist persuasion, is aiuhor of a \-ery diffuse Com-
mentary on the Old and New Testaments, in nine vols, folio. He was a very learned and good
man; but has ofteai lost sight of his better judgment in spiritualizing his text.
Dr. PniLir Doddridge's Family Expositor, 4to. 1745, often republished, is (with the exception
of his Paraphrase) a very judicious work. It has been long highly esteemed, and is wortliy of
all the credit it has among religious people.
To Dr. Z. PearcEj Bishop of Rochester, we are indebted for an invaluable Commentary and
b 2
xii GENERAL PREFACE.
Notes on the Four Gospels, the Acts, and the First Epistle to the Corinthians, two vols. 4to. 1777.
The deep learning and judgment displayed in these notes, are really beyond all praise.
Dr. Campbell's Avork on the Evangelists is well known, and universally prized. So is also Dr.
Macknight's Translation of the Epistles, with Notes. Both these works, especially the ibrnicr,
abound in sound judgment, deep erudition, and a strong vein of correct critical acumen.
Mr. Locke and Dr. Benson are well known in the republic of letters : their respective works
on different parts of the New Testament abound with judgment and learning.
The Rev. J. Wesley pubH^hed a Selection of Notes ou the Old and New Testaments, in four
Tols. 4to. Bristol, 1765. Tiie notes on the Old Testament are allowed, on all liands, to be
niea"-re and unsatisfactory : this is owing to a circumstance with which few are acquainted. Mr.
Pine, the printer, having set up and printed off several siieets in a type much larger than was in-
tended, it was found impossible to get the work within the prescribed limits ofjhiir voltmes, with-
out retrenching the notes, or cancelling what was already printed. The former measure was
unfortunately adopted ; and the work fell far short of the expectation of tlic public. This ac-
count I had from the excellent author himself. The notes on the New Testament, whicli have
gone through several editions, are of a widely different description : though sliort, they are
always judicious, accurate, spiritual, terse, and impressive ; and possess the happy and rare pro-
perty of leading the reader immediately to God and his own heart. A New Edition of this work,
with considerable additions, has been lately announced by the Rev. Joseph Benson, irom whose
iearnino", piety, and theological knowledge, much may be expected, if the confined limits of his
plan (one vol. folio) do not prevent him from enriching the work with his own valuable criticisms
and observations.
The late unfortunate Dr. William Dodd published a Commentary on the Old and New Testa-
ments, in three vols, foho. Lond. 1770. Much of it is taken from the Comment of Fa liter Calmet,
already described; but he has enriched his work by many valuable notes, which he extracted from
tlie incdited papers of Lord Clarendon, Dr. Waterland, and Mr. Locke. He has also borrowed
many important notes from Father Houbigant. This work, as giving in general, the true sense of
the Scriptures, is by far the best Comment that has yet appeared in the English language.
A work, entitled A7i Illustration of the Sacred Writings, was published by Mr. Goadht/, at
Sherborne: it contains many judicious notes; has gone through several editions; and while it
seems to be orthodox, is written entirely on the Arian hypothesis.
The Rev. Thomas Coke, LL.D. lias lately published a Commentary on the Old and New
Testam.ents, in six vols. 4to. This is in the main, a reprint of tlic work of Dr. Dodd, with several
retrenchments, and some additional reflections. Tliough the major part of the notd^, and even the
dissertations of Dr. Dodd, are here republished; yet all the marginal readings and parallel texts
are entirely omitted. The absence of these would be inexcusable in any Bible beyond the size
of a duodecimo. Of their importance see p. xxvi. and xxvii. of this Preface. Dr. Coke's Edition
is. in general, well printed, has some good Maps, and has had a very extensive sale. The original
work of Dodd was both scarce and dear, and tlierefore a new Edition became necessary: and had
the whole of the original work, with the marginal readings^ parallel texts, &c. been preserved.
Dr. Coke's publication would have been much more useful. It is with pleasure I learn, and I
3
GENERAL PREFACE. xiu
embrace this opportunity to announce it, that the Doctor is about to republish tiiiswork, with all
the marginal readings, and parallel tea-ts.
The Rev. T. Scott, Rector of Aston Sandford, has recently published, and is now repul)lis]i-
ino-, a Connnentary.on (he Old and New Testaments, in live vols. 4to. The author's aim seems
to be, to speak plain truth to plain vien ; and for lliis purpose lie has interspersed a multitude of
practical observations all through the text, uhich cannot iliil, from the spirit oi'.sound piety which
they breathe, of being \cry useful. J am informed, that this work has been extensively circu-
lated, and has already done much good.
The late Dr. Priestly cominled a body of Notes on the Old and New Testaments, in 3 vols.
8vo. published at Northumberland, in America, 1804: thougii the Doctor keeps his own creed
(unitarianism) continually in view, especially Avhen considering those Texts which other refigioas
people adduce in tlivour of theirs, yet his Work contains many valuable Notes and Ol)serva-
tions, especially on the philosophy, natural history, geography, and chronology of the Scriptures:
and to these subjects, few men in Europe were better qualified to do justice.
Tn closing this part of the list, it would be unpardonable to omit a class of eminently learned
men, who, by their labours on select parts of the Scriptures, have rendered the highest services
both to religion and literature.
Samuel Bochart, Pastor of the Protestant church at Caen in Normandy, wrote a very learned and
accurate work on the geography of the sacred writings, entitled Phaleg and Canaan, and another
on the Natural History of the Bible, entitled Hierozoicon ; by both of which, as well as by several
valuable dissertations in his works, much light is thrown on many obscure places in the sacred
writings. The best collection of his works is that by Lcusdcn and VillemandTj, three vols, folio.
L. Bat. 1712.
Dr. I. James Scheuchzcr, professor of medicine and the mathematics, in the university of
Zurich, is author of a very elaborate work on the Natural History of the Bible, entitled PJii/sica
Sacra, which has been printed in Latin, German, and French, and forms a regular comment on
all the books of the Bible where any subject of natural history occurs.
The very learned author has availed Iiimself of all the researches of his predecessors on the same
subject, and has illustrated his work with 750 engravings of the different subjects in the animal,
vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, to which there is any reference in the Scriptures. The Ger-
man edition was published in 1731, in 15 vols, folio, the Latin edition in 1731, and the French
in 1732, 8 vols, folio, often bound in 4. The work is as rare as it is useful and elegant.
The late Rev. Mr. Thomas Plarmer published a very usefiil work, entitled " Observations on
various passages of Scripture," in wiiich he has cast nuicli light on many difficult Texts that relate to
the customs and manners, religious and civil, of the Asiatic nations, by quotations from the
works of ancient and modern travellers into different parts of the East, who have described those
customs, &c. as still subsisting. The best edition of this work was published in four vols. 8vo.
1808.
Campegius Vitringa wrote a learned and most excellent Comment on the book of the Prophet
Isaiah, in 2 vols. f()lio; the best edition of which was printed in 1724. He died in 1722.
Dr. R. LowTH Bishop of London, is author of an excellent Work, entitled li.viAn : a ?;<?»
xiv GENERAL PREFACE.
transhlion, rath a prcViminarij Disscrlaiion and Notes critical, jjJdlological and explanatory ; 4to.
Loud. 1779, first edition. Tiic preliminary Dissertation contains a fund of rare and judicious
criticism. The translation formed by the assistance of the ancient Versions, collated with the
best Mss. of the Hebrew Text, is clear, simple and yet dignified. The concluding Notes which
shew a profound knowledge of Hebrew criticism, are always judicious, and generally useful.
The late Archbishop of Armagh, Dr. Newcomb, has published a translation of the minor Pro-
phets with learned Notes: it is a good Work, but creeps slowly after its great predecessor. He
has also pubhshed a translation of the New Testament, with Notes: not much esteemed.
On the same plan, the Rev. Mr. Blaney translated and published the Prophet Jeremiah with
Notes, 1784.
John Albert Bexgei-, is author of an edition of the New Testament, with various readings,
and such a judicious division of it into paragraphs, as has never been equalled, and perhaps never
can be excelled- He wrote a very learned Comment on the Apocalypse, and short Notes on the
New Testament, which he entitled Gnomon Novi Testamenli, in quo ex nativa verhorum vi, simpli-
cilas, prqfunditas, concinnitas, salubritas sensuvm Cuslestium indicatiir. Li him were united two rare
<]ualincations — the deepest piety and the most extensive learning.
A Connnentary on the same plan, and with precisely tlie same title was published by Phil.
David Burkins, on the twelve minor Pi'ophets, 4to. Heilbronna?, 1753, which was followed by
bis Gnomon Psalmorum, 2 vols. 4to. Stutgardiae, 1760. These are, in many respects, valuable
^\'orks, written in a pure strain of piety, but rather too much in a technical form. They are
seldom to be met with in this country, and are generally high priced.
The late pious Bishop of Norwich, Dr. Home, published the Book of Psalms with Notes,
which breathe a spirit of the purest and most exalted piety.
Herman- Venema, is know only to me by a Comment on IVIalachi, some Dissertations on sacred
subjects, an ecclesiastical history, correct editions of some of Vitringa's Theological Tracts, and
a most excellent and extensive Commentary oti the Psalms, in 6 vols. 4to. printed LeovardiaD, 1762-7.
Through its great scarcity, the work is little knowTi in Great Britain. What was said by David of
Gohah's sword, has been said of Venema's Commentary on the Book of Psalms; " There is none
like it."
IV. CLASS.— COMPILATIONS and COLLECTIONS.
On the FOURTH CLASS, containing Compilations and critical Collections, a few words
must suffice. Among the Compilations may be ranked what are termed Catena of the Greek and
Latin Fathers: these consist of a connected scries of different writers on the same Text. The
Work of Ga/friflns, or JFal/'ridiis Straho, already described, is of this kind: it contains a Catena
■or connected scries of the Expositions of all the Fathers and Doctors prior to his time. A very
valuable Catena on the Octateuch, containing the Comments of about fifty Greek Fathers, has
been published at Leipsic, 1792, in 2 vols, folio:: it is all in Greek, and therefore of no use to
•common Readers. The Work of Venerable Bcde, already noticed, is professedly of the same kind.
Father De la ITayc, in what was called the Biblia Magna, 1643, 5 vols, folio, and afterwards
Biblia Maxima, 1660, 19 vols, folio, besides a -vast number of critical Dissertations, Prefaces, &c.
inserted tlie whole notes of Nicholas de Lyra, Menochius, Gagneus, Esiiui, and the Jesuit Tirin.
4
GENERAL PREFACE. xv
vScveral minor compilations of this nature have been made by needy writers who, wishing to
get a httle money, have, without scruple or ceremony, borrowed from those whose reputation
was well established with the public ; and, by taking a Httle from one, and a little fi-om another,
pretended to give the marro-w of all. These pretensions have been rarely justified : it often re-
quires the genius of a voluminous original wTiter to make a faithful abridgement of his work; but
in most of these compilations, tlie love of money is much more evident than tlie capacity to do
justice to the original Auihor ; or the ability to instruct and profit mankind. To what a vast
number of these minor compilations has the excellent work of Mr. Matthew Henry given birth !
everv one of which, while professing to lop off his redundancies, and supply his deficiencies, falls,
by a semi-diameter of the immense orb of literature and rehgion, short of the eminence of the
Author himself
The most important Collection of Bibhcal Critics e\'cr made, was tliat formed under the direc-
tion of Bishop Pearson, John Pearson, Anthony Scattergood, anil Francis Goiddman, printed by
Cornelius Bee, London, IGGO, in 9 vols, folio, under the title of Critici Sacri, intended as a
companion for the Polyglott Bible, published by Bishop Walton, in 1657. This great work
was repubHshed at Amsterdam, with additions, in 12 vols, folio, in 1698. Two volumes, called
Thesauri Dissertalionum Elegantiorum, S^x. were printed as a supplement to this work, at Frank-
fort on the Maine, in 1701-2. Of this supplement it may be said, it is of less consequence
and utility than is generally supposed, as the substance of several treatises in it, is to be found
in the preceding volumes. The work contains a vast variety of valuable materials for Critics,
Chronologists, &c.
The principal Critics on the Old Testament, contained in the foreign Edition of this great
Collection, which is by far the most complete, are the following : — Sebastian Munster, Paul
Fagius, Francis Vatablus, Claudius BadwcUus, Sebastian Castalio, Isidore Clarius, Lucas Bru-
gensis, Andrew Masius, John Drusius, Sextinus Amama, Simeon de Muis, Philip Codurcus,
Rodolph Baynus, Francis Forrerius, Edward Lively, David Hceschelius, Hugo Grotius, Chris-
topher Cartwright, and John Pricn?us.
Besides the aboA^e, who are regular Commentators on the Old Testament, there are various
important Dissertations and Tracts on the principal subjects in the Law and Prophets, by the
following Critics: — Jaseph Scaliger, Lewis Capellus, Martin Helvicus, Alberic Gentilis,
Moses bar Cepha, Christopher Helvicus, John Buteo, Matthew Hostus, Francis Moncaeus, Peter
Pithoeus, George Rittershusius, ]\Iichael Rothardus, Leo Allatius, Gasper Varrerius, William
Schickardus, Augustin Justinianus, Bened, Arias Montanus, Bon. Corn. Bertramus, Peter
Cunieus, Caspar Waser, and Edward Brerewood.
On the New Testament the following Commentators are included : — Sebastian Munster,. Lau-
rentius Valla, James Revius, Desiderius Erasmus, Francis Vatablus, Sebastian Castalio, Isidore
Clarius, Andrew Masius, Nicolas Zegerus, Lucas Brugensis, Henry Stephens, John Drusius,
Joseph Scaliger, Isaac Casaiihon, John Camera, James Capellus, Lewis Capellus, Otho Gualtpc--
rivs, Abraham Schultetus, Hugo Grotius, and John Pricfeus.
Dissertations on the most important subjects in the New Testament, inserted here, were writ-
ten by Lewis Capellus, Nicolas Faber, WilHam Klebilius Marquard Freherus, Archbishop Usher^
Matthew Hostus, I. A, Vander-Lindcn, Claudius Sahnasius under the feigned name of Johannes
xvi GENERAL PREFACE.
Smplic'ms, James Gothofridus, Philip Codurcus, Abraham Schultetus, JVilUam Ader, Jolm Drii-
sius, Jac. Lopez Stunlca, Desider. Erasmus, Afigelus Cavinius, Peter Pithceus, Nicephot^us Patri-
arch of Coiistantiuople, y4f//7fl»i Isagoge cum notis Dav. Hocschehi, B.C. Bertram, Antoji. Ne-
Iri-jsensis, Nicholas Fuller, Samuel Petit, John Gregorrj, Christ. Cartwriglit, John Cloppenlnirg,
and Pet. Dan, Hiiet. Those marked in Italics, are not inchided in the Critics on the Oki Testa-
ment. The Thesaurus Dissertationum Elcgantiorim, pubhs'lied as a Supplement to this Work,
by Tlicod. Hasceus and Conrad Ikenius, in two volumes, folio, contains upwards of one hundred
and fifty additional Writers. Such a constellation of learned men can scarcely be equalled in any
age or coimtry.
Mr. Matthew Poole, whose English Comment has been already noticed, conceiving that the
Critici Sacri might be made more useful, by being methodized; with immense labour, formed the
work well known among Divines, by the title of Synopsis Criticorum, a general view of the Critics,
viz. those in the nine volumes of the Crilici Sacri mentioned above. The printing of this work
began in 1669, and was finished in 1674, 5 vols, folio. Here, the Critics no longer occupy dis-
tinct places as they do in the Critici Sacri, but are all consohdated, one general Comment being-
made out of the whole ; the names of the Writers being referred to by their initials in the margin.
To the Critics above named, Mr. Poole has added several others of equal note, and he refers also
to the most important Versions, both ancient and modern. The learned Author spent ten years
in compiling this work. In point of size, the work of Mr. Poole has many advantages o^'cr the
Critici Siicri ; but no man, who is acquainted with both works, will ever prefer the Synopsis to
the original.
Perhaps no city in the world can boast of having produced, in so short a period, so many im-
portant works on the sacred writings as the city of London ; works, which tor difficulty, utility,
critical and tvpographical correctness, and expense, have never been excelled. These are, 1. The
Polyglott, 6 vol. folio ; begun in 16J3, and finished in 1657. 2. The Crilici Sacri, in 9 vols, foho,
16(>0. 3. CastelC s Heptaglott luCy.\con, compiled for the Polyglott Bible, 2 vols, folio, 1G69. And
4. The Synopsis Criticorum, 5 vols, folio; begun in 1669, and finished in 1674. These works,
printed in Hebrexc, Chaldee, Samaritan, Syriac, Arabic, Ethiopic, Persian, Greek, and Latin,
forming twenty-two vast volumes, folio, were begun and finished in this city by the industry and
at the expense of a few English Divines and Noblemen, in flic comparatively sliort compass of
about twenty years ! To complete its eminence in Biblical Literature, and to place itself at the
head of ail the cities in the universe, J^ondon has only to add a nexo and improved Edition of its
own Polyglott. I am happy to say that this measure, is at present, under consideration.
To the above list might be added those, who have illustrated the sacred writings by passages
drawn from Josephus and the Greek and Roman Classics ; among which the follo\\ing are worthy
of jiartieulai- regard : Jo. Tobicv Kkebsii Observationes in Nov. Testam. e Flav. Jo.seppio, 8vo.
Lips. 1 7.54. Geo. Dav. KvrKE Observationes in Novi Foederis Libros, ex auctorihiis, potissimum
Graxis, Lc. 2 vols. 8vo. Vratislaxdae, 1755. Georgii Rafhelii 7\.nnotationes in Sacram Scrip-
turam,&^c. Lugd. 1747, 2 vols. 8vo. Krebs ih.xQ\s?, much light' on ditfcrcnt facts and forms of
speech in the New Testament, by his quotations from Jose}ihus. Kypkc does the same, by an
appeal to the Greek Writers m general. And iifljsAcV/w.v give* historical elucidation of the Old,
. GENERAL PREFACE. XNai
and pliilological observations on the New Testament, dravsTi particularly fi-om Xenophon, Poli/bius,
Arrian, and Herodotus.
To these niiglit be added several excellent names who have rendered considerable services to
sacred Literature and Criticism by their learned labours : Sir Norton KnatchbulVs Observations,
Ilallett's Critical Notes, Boxvyer's Conjectures, Leigh's Annotations, &c. &c. to whom may be
added those who have illustrated innumerable passages, obscure and difficult, in Lexicons and
Dictionaries for the Hebrew Bible and Greek Testament, Buatorf, Cocceius, Mintert, Pasor,
Schoettgenius, Stockius, Krebs, Cahnet, Leusden, Robinson, Michaelis, Edward Leigh, Schulz, Dr.
Taylor, Schleicsner, and Parkhurst ; a particular account of which would far exceed the limits
of this Preface ; but Schletisner, as a Lexicographer for the New Testament, is far beyond my praise.
I have already apprized the reader that I did not design to g've a history of Commentators,
but only a shoj't sketch : this I have done, and am fldly aware that different readers will form
different opinions of its execution ; some will think that writers of comparatively little eminence
are inserted, while several of acknowledged worth are omitted. This may be very true, but the
judicious reader will recollect that it is a sketch, and not a complete history that is here presented
to his view; and that the important and noinmportant are terms which different persons will apply
in opposite senses, as they may be prejudiced in favour of different writers. I have given my
opinion as every honest man should, with perfect deference to the judgment of others ; and shall
be offended with no man for differing from me in any of the opinions I have expressed onany of the
preceding authors or their works. I could easily swell this list with xaxwy foreign critics ; but as far
as I know them, I do not in general like them — besides, they are not wthin the reach of common
readers, though many of them stand, no doubt, deservedly high in the judgment of learned men.
Having said thus much on Commentaries in general, it may be necessary to give some account
of that now offered to the public, the grounds on which it has been undertaken, and the manner
in which it has been compiled.
At an early age I took for my motto, Prov. xviii. 1. Through desire, a man, having separated
himself, seekelh and intermeddleth with all xvisdom. Being convinced that the Bible was the source
whence all tlie principles of true wisdom, wherever found in the world, had been derived ; my
desire to comprehend adequately its great design, and to penetrate the meaning of all its parts, led
me to separate myself 1n:om. every pursuit that did not lead at least indirectly to the accomplishment
of this end ; and while seeking and intenneddling with different branches of human knowledge, as
my limited means and capacity would permit, I put each study under contribution to the object of
my pursuit ; endeavouring to make every thing subservient to the information of my own mind, that,
as far as Divine Providence might think proper to employ me, I might be the better qualified to
instruct others. At first, I read and studied, scarcely committing any thing to paper, having my
own edification alone in view, as I could not then hope, that any thing I wrote could be of sufficient
importance to engage the attention, or promote the welfare of the pubhc. But as I proceeded, I
thought it best to note down the result of my studies, especially as far as they related to the
Septuagini, wliich about the year 1785 I began to read regularly, in order to acquaint myself more
fully with the phraseology of the New Testament ; as I found that this truly venerable Version was
tliat to which the EvangeUsts and Apostles a^ipear to have had constant recourse, and from which
in general, they make their quotations. The study of this Version served more to illuminate and
c
^viii GENERAL PllEFACE.
gxpand my mind, than all the theological works I had ever consulted. I had proceeded bat a
short way in it, before I was convinced that the prejudices against it were utterly unfounded j
find that it was of incalcuhible advantage toward a proper understanding of the literal sense of
Scripture, and am astonished that the study of it shoukl be so generally neglected. About nine
years after this, my health having been greatly impaired by the severity of my labours, and fearing
that I should soon be obliged to relinquish my public employment; I formed the purpose of
writing short notes on the New Testament, collating the common printed text with all tlie Versions,
and collections from mss. to which I could have access. Scarcely had I projected this work,
when 1 was convinced that another was previously necessary, viz. a careful perusal of the original
Test. I began this work ; and soon found that it was perfectly possible to 7'ead, and not under-
stand. Under this conviction, I sat down determining to translate the whole, before I attempted
any comment, that I might have the Sacred Text the more deeply impressed on my memory.
I accordingly began my translation ; collating the original Text with all the ancient and with
several of the modern Versions ; cai'efully weighing the value of the most important various read-
^igs found in those Versions, as well as those which I was able to collect from the most authen-
tic copies of the Greek Text. A worse state of health ensuing, I was obliged to remit almost all
application to study, and the work was thrown aside for nearly two years : — Having returned to
it when a state of comparative convalescence took place, I found I had not gone through the
vtlh.ole of my preliminary work. The New Testament I plainly saw was a Comment on the Old ;
and to understand such a comment, I knew, it was absolutely necessary to be well acquainted
with tlie original Text. I then formed the plan of reading, consecutively, a portion of the
Hebrew Bible daily. Accordingly I began to read tlic Old Testament, noting down on the
difterent books, chapters, and verses, such things as appeared to me of most importance ; in-
tejiding the work as an outline for one on a more extensive scale, should it please God to spare
my life, and give me hcaltli and leisure to' complete it. In this preliminary work I spent a little
more than one year and t-wo months ; in which time I translated every sentence, Hebrew and
Chaldee, in the Old Testament. In such a work, it would be absurd to pretend that I had not
met with many difficulties. I was attempting to illustrate the most ancient and most learned
Book in the universe, replete with allusions to arts that are lost, — to nations that are extinct, — ■
to customs that are no longer observed, — and aboimding in modes of speech and turns of phra-
seology, which can only ho,- traced out through the medium of the cognate Asiatic languages.
On these accounts I was often much perplexed ; but I could not proceed till I had done the utmost
in ray power to make every thing plain. The frequent occurrence of such difficulties led me closely
to examine and compare all the original Texts, Versions, and translations as they stand in the
London Polyglott, with some others not inserted in tiiat work ; and from these, especially the
Samaritan, Chaldee Targums, Septuagint, and Vulgate, I derived the most assistance ; though
all the rest contributed tiieir quota in cases of difficulty.
Almost as soon as this work was finished, I began my Comment on the four Gospels; and
notwithstanding the preparations already made, and my indefatigable application, early and late,
to the work, 1 did not reach the end of the fourth Evangelist, till eighteen months after its com-
inencemcnt. Previously to this, I had pui-jiosed to commit what I had already done to tlic press ;
but when I had all my arrangements made, a specimen actually set up and printed, and advertise-
2
GENERAL PREFACE. xix
meiits circulated; ^ sudden rise in the price of paper, which I fondly hoped would not be of long
continuance, prevented my procecdinc^. When this hope vanished, another work on the Scriptures,
by a friend, was extensively announced : As I could not bear the thought of even the most distant
appearance of opposition to any man, I gave place, being determined not to attempt to divide the
attention of the public mind, nor hinder the general spread of a work, v;hich for auglit I knew,
mi^lU supersede the necessity of mine. That work has been for some time completed, and the
numerous subscribers supplied with tlicir copies. My plan liowever is untouched ; and still find-
ing from the call of many judicious friends, and especially of my Brethren in the Ministry, who
have long been acquainted with my undertaking and its progress, that the religious public would
gladiv recciA c a work on the plan which I had previously announced ; I have, after much hesitation,
made up my mind, and in the name of God, \\'ith a simple desire to add my mite to the treasury,
having recommenced the rcvisal and improvement of my papers, now present them to the public.
I am glad that Divine Providence has so ordered it, that the publication has been hitherto
delayed; as the years, which have elapsed since my first intention of printing, have afforded me a
more ample opportunity to rc-consider and correct what I had before done, and to make many
improvements.
Should I be questioned as to my specific object in bringing this work before the religious world,
at a time when works of a similar nature abound ; I would simply answer, I wish to do a little
good also, and contribute wj/ quota to enable men the better to understand the records of their
salvation. That I am in hostility to no Work of this kind, the preceding pages will prove ; and
1 have deferred my own, as long as in prudence I can. My tide is turned ; life is fast ebbing
out, and what I do in this way, I must do now, or rehnquish the design for ever. Tliis I
would most gladly do ; but I have been too long, and too deeply pledged to the Public, to per-
mit me to indulge my own feelings in this respect. Others are doing much to elucidate the
Scriptures ; I wish them all, God's speed. I also will shew my opinion of these Divine Records,
and do a httle in the same way. I wish to assist my fellow-labourers in the vineyard, to
iead men to him who is the fountain of all excellence, goodness, truth, and happiuess, — to
magnify his law and make it honourable, — to shew the wonderful provision made in his gospel
for the recovery and salvation of a sinfbl world, — to prove that God's great design is to make
his creatures hap|)y ; and that such a salvation as it becomes God to give, and such as man
needs to receive, is mthin the grasp of every human soul.
He who carefully and conscientiously receives the truths of Divine Revelation, not merely as a
creed, but in reference to his practice, cannot fail of being an ornament to civil and religious so-
ciety. It is my endeavour therefore to set these truths fairly and fully before the eyes of those
who may be inclined to consult my Work. I do not say that the principles contained in viy
creed, and which, I certainly have not studied to conceal, are all essentially necessary to every
man's salvation \ and I should be sorry to unchristianize any person, Avho may think he has scrip-
tural evidence for a faith in several respects diflferent from mine ; I am sure that all sincere Chris-
tians are agreed on what are called the essential Truths of Di\dne Revelation ; and I feel no re-
luctance to acknowledge, that men eminent for wisdom, learning, piety and usefulness, have dif-
fered among themselves and from me, in many points whicli I deem of great iniportaucc. While
God bears with and does us good, wc may readily bear wiUi each otlier.
0 2
XX GENERAL PREFACE.
Of the COPY of the sacred text used for this work, it may be necessary to say a few words. It
is stated in the title, that the Text " is taken from the most correct copies of tlie present autho-
rized version." As several use this term, who do not know its meaning, for their sakes I shall
explain it. A resolution was formed, in consequence of a request made by Dr. Reynolds, head
of the Nonconformist party, to King James I. in the Co7iference held at Hamptoji-Court, 1603, that
a New Translation, or rather a revision of what was called the Bishop's Bible, printed in 1568,
should be made. Fifti/-four Translators, divided into six classes, were appointed for the accom-
plishment of tliis important work. Seven of these appear to have died before the work com-
menced, as only forty-seven are found in Fuller's List. The ncwies of the persons, the places
where employed, and the proportion of work allotted to each class, and the rules laid down
by King James for their direction, I give chiefly from Mr. Fuller's Church History, Book x.
p. 44, &c.
Before I insert this account, it may be necessary to state Dr. Reynolds's request in the Hamp-
ton-Court Conference, and King James's answer.
Dr. Reynolds. " May your Majesty be pleased that the Bible be new translated : such as are
extant not answering the original." \^Here he gave a few examples.']
Bishop of London. " If every man's humour might be followed, there would be no end of
translating.'*
The King. " I profess I could never yet see a Bible well translated in English ; but I think,
that of all, that of Geneva is the worst. I wish some special pains were taken for an uniform
translation, which should be done by the best learned in both Universities ; then reviewed by
the Bishops; presented to the Privy Council ; lastly, ratified by Royal authority, to be read in
tiie whole Church, and no other."
The Bishop of London in this, as in every other case, opposed Dr. Reynolds, till he saw that
the project pleased the King, and that he appeared determined to have it executed. In conse-
quence of this Resolution, the following learned and judicious men were chosen for the execu-
tion of the work.
WESTMINSTER. Doctor Andrezesy Fellow and Master of Pembroke Halt, in Cambridge; then Dean of
10. IVestmiiisUf, afterwards Bishop of tVinchester.
The Fentateiich: Dr. Overall, Fellow of Triiiiti/ Coll. Master of Kath. Hall, in Cambridge; then Dean
the Story from of 67. Paul's, afterwards Bishop of Norzcich.
Joshua, to the Dr. Saravia.
first Book of the Dr. Clarke, Fellov/ of Christ Coll. in Caznbridge, Preacher in Canterhury.
Chronicles ex- Dr. Laijield, Fellow of Tnn. in Cambridge, Parson of St. Clement Danes. Being
clusively. skilled in architecture, his judgment was much relied on for the fabric of the Ta-
bernacle and Temple.
Dr. I^eigh, Arciideacon of Middlesex, Parson of All-halloics, Barking.
Master Burglci/.
Mr. Kizig.
Mr. Thompson.
Mr. Bedaell, of Cumbridge, and (I think) of St. John's, Vicar of ToUenham, nigh
London.
GENERAL PREFACE.
xxl
CAMBRIDGE.
8.
From the First of
the Chiviiir/eSf with
the rest of the
Story, and the
Hdgiograp/ia,
viz. Job, Psalms,
Proverbs, Canticles,
Ecclesiastes.
OXFORD.
7.
The four greater
Prophets, v,'n\\ the
Lamentations, and
the twelve lesser
Prophets,
Master Edward Lively.
Mr. Richardson, Fellow of Emman. afterwards D. D. Master, first of Peter-house, thea
of Trill. Coll.
Mr. Chaderton, afterwards D. D. Fellow, first o{ Christ Coll. then Master of Emmanuel.
Mr. Dillingham, Fellow of Christ Coll. beneficed at in Bedfordshire, where he
died a single and a wealthy man.
Mr. yJndrcus, afterwards D. D. brother to the Bishop of Winchester, and Master of
JesHs Coll.
Mr. Harrison, the Rev. Vice-master of Trinity Coll.
Mr. Spalding, F'cUow of St. John's, in Cambridge, and Hebrew Professor therein.
Mr. Bing, Fellow of Peter-house, in Cambridge, and Hebrew Professor therein.
Dr. Harding, President of Magdalen Coll.
Dr. Reynolds, President of Corpus Christi Coll.
Dr. Holland, Rector of Exeter Coll. and King's Professor.
Dr. Kilby, Rector of Lincoln Coll. and Regius Professor.
Master Smith, afterwards D. D. and Bishop of Gloucester. He made the learned and
religious Preface to the Translation.
Mr. Brett, of a worshipful family, beneficed at Quainton, in Buckinghamshire.
Mr. Fairclowe.
CAMBRIDGE.
7.
The Prayer of
Mana seh, and
the rest of the
.dlpocrypha-f
OXFORD.
8,
Tl»€ Four Gospels,
jicts of the Apostles,
Jpocaiypse,
WESTMINSTER.
7.
The Epistles of
St. Paul, and the
Canonical Epistles.
Dr. Duport, Prebend of Ely, and Master of Jesus Coll.
Dr. Brainthttait, first, Fellow of Emmanuel, then Master of Gonvil and Caius Coll.
Dr. Radclifff'e, one of the Senior Fellows of Trin. Coll.
Master Ifard, Emman. afterwards D. D. Maste^• of Sidne]/ Coll. and Margaret
Professor.
Mr. Dotcjis, Fellow of 5^ John's Coll. and Greek Professor.
Mr. Boyce, Fellow of St. John's Coll. Prebend of Ely, Parson of Boxworth in
Cambridgeshire.
Mr. fVard, Regal, afterwards D. D. Prebend pf Chichester, Rector of Biihop-WaUhamf
in Hampshire.
Doctor Ravis, Dean of Christ-church, afterwards Bishop of London.
I)f. Abbot, Master of Universiti/ Coll. afterwards Archbp, of Canterbury,
Dr. Eedes.
Mr. Thomson,
Mr. Savill.
Dr. Peryti.
Dr. Ravens.
Mr. Harmer.
Doctor Burlowe, of Trinity Hall, in Cambridge, Dean of Chester, afterwards Bishop of
Lincolne.
Dr. Hutchenson.
Dr. Spencer.
Mr. Fenton.
Mr. Rabbet.
!Mr. Sanderson.
Mr. Dalcins.
Y^u GENERAL PREFACE.
" Now, for the better ordering of their proceedings, his Majesty recommended the following
i;iiles, by tlaem tobe^npgt carefully obser,v:(?d..
1. The ordinary Bible read in the Church, commonly called the Bishop's Bible, to be followed,
and as little altered as the original will permit.
2. The names of the Prophets, and tlie Holy writers, with their other names in the text, to
be retained as near as may be, accordingly as tlic}^ are \^ulgarly used.
3. The old ecclesiastical words to be kept, viz. as the word (Church) not to be translated
Co7igregatio7i, S^x.
4. Wlien any word hath divers significations, that to be kept which hath been most com-
monly used by the most eminent Fathers, being agreeable to the propriety of the place,
and the analogy of faith.
5. Tlie division of the Chapters to be altered either not at all, or as little as may be, if ne-
cessity so require.
6. No marginal notes at all to be affixed, but only for tlie explanation of the Hebrew or
Greek words, which cannot, without some circumlocution, so briefly and fitly be ex-
pressed in the text.
7. Such quotations of places to be marginally set down, as shall serve for the fit I'eference
of one Scripture to another.
8. Every particular man of each ccjmpariy to take the same chapter, or chapters; ^nd, having
translated, or aiT^qnded them severally by himself, where he thinks good, all to meet to-
gether, confer what they have done, and agree for their part what shall stand.
9. As any one company hatli dispatched any one book in this manner, they shall send it to
the rest, to be considered of seriously and judiciously; for his Majesty is very careful
in this point.
10. If any company, upon the review of the book so sent, shall doubt, or differ upon any
places, to sencl them word thereof, note the places, and therewithal send their reasons:
to which, if they consent not, the difference to be compounded at the general meeting,
which is to be of the chief persons of each company, at the end of the work.
1 1 . Wlien any place of special obscurity is doubted of, letters to be directed by authority, to
send to any learned in the land, for his judgment in such a, place.
12. Letters to be sent from every Bishop to the rest of his Clergy, admonishing them of this
Translation in hand; and to move and charge as many as, being skilful in the tongues,
have taken pains in that kind, to send his particular observations to the company, either
at Westminster, Cambridge, or Oxford.
13. The Directors in each company to be the Deans of Westminster and Chester for that place;
aiid the Iving's Professors in Hebrew and Greek in each University.
Tindal's,
14. These Translations to be used, when they agree better with the j '
text than the Bishop's Bible, viz. i .„., , ,
' ' i Witchurchf
V Crpnc-ifi.
Coverdale's,
•ch^
Geneva.
GFATERAL PRt^.FACE, ^xiii
« Besides the said directions before-mentioned, three or four of the Iridsi Attbieiit and grave Divines
in either of the UniversitieSj hot employed in translating^ to be assigiied bj'^ the Vice-chancellor
wpon conference with the rest of the heads, to be overseers of the Translations, as well Hebrew
as Greek, for the better observation of the fourth rule above specified. —
" And now after long expectation and great desire," says Air. Fuller, " came forth the new
translation of the Bible (most beautifully printed) by a select and competent number of Dkhies
appointed for tliat purpose ; not being too many, lest one should trouble anodier ; and yet many,
lest many tilings might haply escape them. Who neither coveting praise for expedition, nor
fearing reproach for slackness (seeing in a business of moment, none deserve blame for conveni-
ent slowness) had expended almost three years in the Work, not only examining the channeU by
the fountain, translations with the original, which was absolutely necessary, but also comparing
channels with channels, which was abundantly useful in the Spanish, Italian, French and Dutch
(German) languages. — These, with Jacob, rolled ax<cai) the stone from the mouth of the xcell of life:
so that now, even RacheVs weak women may freely come both to drink themselves, and xvatcr the
focks of their families at the same. —
" Leave we then, those worthy men now all gathered to their fathers, and gone to God, how-
ever they were requited on earth, well rewarded in heaven for their worthy Work. Of whom, as
also of that gracious KING that employed them, we may say, JJ'hcresoever the Bible shall be
preached or read in the xdtole ii-orld, there shall also this that they have done be told in memorial of
tlienn" Ibid. p. 57. &c.
The character of James the First h?^?, been greatly under rated. In the Hampton-Court Confer.
ence, he certainly shewed a clear and ready comprehension of every subject brought before him ;
together with extensive reading, and a remarkably sound judgment. For the best Translation into any
language, we are indebted under God to King James, who was called a hypocrite by those who had
no religion ; and a ^^er/^n/ by persons who had not half his learning. Both piety and justice re-
quire, that while we are thankful to God for the gift of his word, we should revere the memory
of the man, who was the instrument of conveying the water of life, through a channel by which
its purity has been so wonderfiilly preseiTcd.
Those who have compared most of the European Translations with the Original, have not
scrupled to say, that the English Translation of the Bible, made under the direction of King
James the first, is the most accurate and faithfid of the rvhole. Nor is this its only praise : the
Translators have seized the very spirit and sotil of the Original, and expressed this almost every
where, with pathos and energy. Besides, our Translators have not only made a standard Transla-
tion; but they have made their Translation the standard of our language: the Enghsh tongue in
their day was not equal to such a work—" but God enabled them to stand as upon mount Sinai,'*
to use the expression of a learned iriend, " and crane tip their country's language to the dignity
of the originals, so that after the lapse of 200 years, the Enghsh Bible is, with very few excep-
tions, the standard of the purity and excellence of the English tongue. The Original from which
it was taken, is, alone, superior to the Bible translated by the authority of King James." Tliis
is an opinion, in which my heart, my judgment, and my conscience coincidet.
t It IS not unknown that, at the Hampton-Court Conference, several alterations were proposed by Dr. lieynoUls and his
associates to be made in tUe Liturgy then in coaimon use, as- well as in tlji; Bible. These however were in general Objected
xxiv GENERAL PREFACE.
This Bible was begun In 1607, but was not completed and published till 1611 ; and there are
copies of it, which in their title pages, have the dates 1612 and 1613. This Translation was corrected.
to by the King, and only a few changes made, which shall be mentioned below. Whik on this part of the subject, it may
not be unacceptable to the Reader to hear how the present Liturgy was compiled; and who the persons were, to whom this
work was assigned ; a work almost universally esteemed by the devout and pious of every denomination, and the greatest effort
of the Refonnation, next to the translation of the Scriptures into the English language. The word LiTUKGY is derived,
according to some, from Xirti, prayer, and e^yov, luork, and signifies literally the work or labour of prayer or supplication ;
and he who labours not in his prayers, prays not at all ; or, more properly f^strov^yioi, from 7\eiTo; public or common, and t^yoif
work, denoting the common or public work of Prayer, Thanksgiving, S^-c. in which it is the duty of every person to engage : and
from ^lTa^£UB to supplicate, comes Ait«i Prayers, and hence, Ajraveia: LiTANY, supplication, a collection of prayers in the
Liturgy, or public Service of the Church. Previously to the reign of Henry VIII. the Liturgy was all said or sung in Latin ;
but the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, in 1536, were translated into English, for the use of the
common people, by the King's command. In 1545, the Liturgy v/an a\so permitted m English; as Fuller expresses it, "and
this was the farthest pace the reformation stept in the reign of Henry the Eighth."
In the first year of Edward VI. 1547, it was recommended to certain grave and learned Bishops and others, then assem-
bled by order of the King, at Windsor Castle, to draw up a Communion Service, and to revise and reform all other offices in
the Divine Service : this service was accordingly printed and published, and strongly recommended by special letters from
Seymour, Lord Protector, and the other Lords of the Council. The persons who compiled this work were the following:
1. Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury.
2. George Day, Bishop of Chichester.
3. Tfiomas Goodrick, Bishop of £/y.
4. John Skip, Bishop of Hereford.
5. Heniy Ilolbeack, Bishop of Lincoln.
6. Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of fioc/ies/er.
7. Thomas Thirlby, Bishop of Westminster.
8. Doctor May, Dean of St. Paul's.
9. John Taylor, then Dean, afterwards Bishop of
Lincoln.
10. Doctor Jfatwes, Dean of &e/<;r.
11. Doctor iJoimort, afterwards Dean of X)«r/(«m.
1 2. Doctor John Redman, Master of Trinity College,
Cambridge.
1 3. Doctor Richard Cox, then Almoner to the King,
and afterwards Bishop of Ely,
It is worthy of remark, that as the frst translators of the Scriptures into the English language, were several c f them, per-
gecuted tmto death by the Papists, so, some of the chief of those who translated the Book of Common Prayer, (Archbishop
Cranmer and Bishop Ridley,) were burnt alive by the same cruel faction.
This was what Mr. Fuller calls the first Edition of the Common Prayer. Some objections having been made to this work by
Mr. John Calvin abroad, and some learned men at home, particularly in reference to the Commemoration of the Dead, the
use of Chrism, and Extreme Unction, it was ordered by a Statute in Parliament (5 and 6 of Edward VI.) that it should be
faithfully and godly perused, explained, and made fully perfect. The chief alterations made in consequence of this order were
tliese : the General Confession and Absolution were added, and the Communion Service was made to begin with the Ten Com-
mandments ; the use of Oil in Confirmation and Extreme Unction was left out, also Prayers for the Dead ; and certain expressions
that had a tendency to countenance the doctrine of transubstantiation.
The same persons to whom the compiling of the Communion Service was entrusted, were employed in this revision, which
was completed and published in 1548. On the accession of Queen Mary, this Liturgy was abolished, and the Prayer Book
as it stood in the last year of Henry VIII. commanded to be used in its place. In the first year of the reign of Queen Eliza-
beth, 1559, the former Liturgy was restored, but it was subjected to a further revision, by which some i'ew passages were altered,
and the petition in the Litany for being delivered from the tyranny, and all the detestable enormities of the Bishop of Rome,
leflout, in order that conscientious Catholics might not be prevented from joining in the common service. This being done,
it was presented to Parliament, and by them received and established, and the Act for Uniformity, which is usually printed
with the Liturgy, published by the Queen's authority, and sent throughout the nation. The persons employed in this revision
were the following :
7
GENERAL PREFACE. xxv
and many parallel texts added, by Dr. Scattergood, in 1683; by Dr. Lloyd, Bishop of London,
in 1701 ;' and afterwards by Dr. Paris, at Cambridge ; but the most complete revision was made by
Dr. Bloipieij, in the year 1769, under the direction of the Vice-chancellor and Delegates of the
University of Oxford; in whicli, 1. tlie puncfiMiion was thorougldy revised; 2. the icords printed
in Italics examined, and corrected by the Hebrew and Greek originals; 3. the jn'oper names, to
the etymology of which, allmions are made in the text, translated, and entered in the margin ; 4. the
heads and running titles corrected ; 5. some material errors in the chro7wIoff7/ rectified; and, 6. the
margtJial references re-examined, corrected, and their number greatly increased. Copies of this
revision are those, which are termed abo\ e, the most correct copies of the present authorized version ;
and it is this revision, re-cullated, re-examined, and corrected from typographical inaccuracies, in a
oreat variety of jilaccs, tliat has been followed for the t€j;t, prefixed to these notes. But, besides
these corrections, I have found it necessary to re-examine all the Italics ; by those, I mean the
words interspersed through tlie text, avowedly not in the original, but thought necessary by our
Translators to complete the sense, and accommodate the idioms of the Hebrew and Greek to that of
1. Master Whitehead, once CbapUiu to Queen
Anna Bullcln.
2. Mat'.heio I'urlrr, afterwards ^Vrclibisbop of Can-
terbury.
3. Edmund Grindall, afterwards Bi>hop of London.
4. Richard Cox, afterwards Bishop of E/y.
5. James Pilkington, afterwards Bishop of Durham.
6. Doctor 3Tai/, Dean of St. Paul's and Master of
Trinity Colles^fe, Cambridge.,
7. Sir Thomas Sinitfi, Principal Secretary of State.
Of these Drs. Cox and 3Iay were employed on the first edition of tliis work, as appears by the preceding list.
In die first year of King James, I60'l-, another revision took place, and a few alterations were made, which consisted
principally in the addition of some prayers and thanhgivings, some alteration in the Rubrics relative to the Absolution, to the
Confinnution, and to the office of Private Baptism, with the addition of that part of the Catechism, whicli contains the Doctrine
of the Sacraments. The other additions were A Thanksgiving for diverse Benefits — A Thanksgiving for fair Weather — A Thanks-
giving for Plenty — A Thanksgiving for Peace and Victory, and A Thanksgiving for Deliverance from tltc Plague. See the
Instrument in liymer, vol. xvi. p. 565, &c. When the work was thus completed, a royal T*roclamation was issued, bearing
dale ?tlarch Ist, 1604, in which the King gave an account of the Hampton Court Conference, the alterations that had been
made by himself and his Clergy in the Book of Common Prayer, cunmianding it, and none othir, to be used throughout tke
Kingdom. See the Instrument, Rymer, vol. xvi..p. 515.
In this stale liie Book of Couunon Prayer continued till the reign of Charles II. who, the 'ioth of October, 1660, " granted
liis Commission under the Grieat Seal of England, to several Bishops and Divines, to review the Book of Common Prayer, and
to prcpai-r such alterations and additions as they thought fit to ofter." In the following year, the King assetnbled the convo-
cations of both the Provinces of C'u;Uoiwjr and York, and " authorized the Presidents of those Convocations, and otiier, the
Bishops and Clergy of the same, to review the said Book of Common Prayer," &c. requiring them, " after mature consider-
ation, to make such alterations and additions, as to tliera should seem meet and convenient." This was accordingly done,
several prayers and some whole services added, and the whole published with the Act of Uniformity in the lUh of Charles II.
1661: smre which time, it has undergone no farther revision. Tins is a short history of a work, which, all who are ac-
iiuainltd with it, deem superior to every thing of the kind, produced cither by ancient or modern times.
It would be disingenuous not to acknowledge, that the chief of those Prayers were in use in the Roman Catholic Church,
from which the Church of England is reformed : and it would betray a want of acquaintance w ith Ecclesiastical Antiquity,
to sup(>o3e that those Prayers and Services originated in that Church; as several of them were in use from the first ages of
Clu'istianity, and many of the best of them, before the name of Pope or I'npery was known in the earth.
xxvi GENERAL PREFACE.
the Englisii language. Sec the sixth rule, p. xxii. In tliese I found gross corruptions, particu-
larly -where they have been changed for Roman characters, ;vvhereby words have been attiibuted to
God which he never spoke.
The Punctuation, which is a matter of no small importance, to a proper understanding of the
sacred Text, I have examined with thegrea,test care to me possible: by the insertion of commas
where there were none before, putting semicolons for commas, the better to distinguish the
members of the sentences ; changing colons tor semicolons, and vice versa ; and full points for
colons, I have been, in many instances, enabled the better to preserve and distinguish the sense,
and ca;-ry on a narration to its close, without interrupting the reader's attention by the intervention
of improper «tops.
The References I have in many places considerably augmented, though I have taken care to
reprint all that Dr. Blayncy has inserted in his edition, of which 1 scruple not to say, that as fixr as they
go, they are tlie best collection ever edited ; and I hope their worth will suffer nothing by the
additions I have made.
After long and diligently weighing the different systems of Chronology, and hesitating which
to adopt, I ultimately fixed on the system commonly received ; as it appeared to me on the
whole, though encumbered with many difficulties, to be the least objectionable. In fixing the
dates of particular transactions, I have found much difficulty ; that this was never done in any
edition of the Bible hitlicrto offered to the PubHc, with any tolerable correctness, every person
acquainted with the subject, must acknowledge. I have endeavoured carefldly to fix the date o^
each transaction "where it occurs ; (and where it could be ascertained) shewing throughout the
whole of the Old Testament, the year of the World, and the year before Christ, Avhen it happened.
From the beginning of Joshua, I have introduced the years before the huUd'ing of Rome till the
seven hundred and fifty-third year before Christ, when the foundation of that city was laid, and
also introduced the Olympiads from the time of their commencement, as both these vEras are of
the utmost use to all who read the sacred Writings, connected with the histories of the times, and
nations, to which they frequently refer. And who that reads his Bible, will not be glad to find at
what time of the sacred History, those great events fell out, of which he has been accustomed to
read in the Greek and Roman historians ? This is a gratification, which the present Work will
afford f)-om a simple inspection of the margin, at least as far as those facts and dates have been
ascertained by the best Chronologists.
In the Pentateuch, I have not introduced either the years of Rome or the Olympiads : because
the transactions related in the Mosaic writings, are in general too remote from these ^ras, to be
at all affected by them ; and I judged it early enough to commence with them at the time when
Israel was governed by the Judges. But as the Exodus from Egypt forms a very remarkable aiM-a
in the Jewish history, and is frequently referred to, in the historical Books, I have entered this
also, beginning at the 12th of Exodus, A.M. 2513, and have carried it down to the building of
Solomon's Temple. This, I conceive, will be of considerable use to the Reader.
As to Marginal Readings, I could \vitli very little trouble, have added many hundreds, if not
thousands : but as I made it a point of conscience, strictly to adhere to the present authorized
Version in the Tea^t, I felt obliged, by the same principle, scrupulously to follow the Marginal
Readings, without adding or omitting a7iy. Had I inserted some of my own, then my Text
GENERAL PREFACE. xxvii
would be no longer the Tcj-t of the authorized Version, but an altered Translation, for the Marginal
Readings constitute an integral part, properly, speaking, of the authorized Version ; and to add
anv thing, would be to alter this Version, and to omit any thing, would be to render it imperfect.
wiien Dr. Blayney reused the present Version in 17G9, and proposed the insertion of the transla-
tions of some proper names, to the etymology of which, reforcnce is made in the Text, so scrupu-
lous was he of making any change in this respect, that he submitted all his proposed alterations to
a select Committee of the University of Oxford, the Vice-chancellor, and the Principal of Hert-
ford College, and Wr. Professor Wheeler; nor was even the slightest change made but by their
authority. All this part as well as the entire Text, I must, therefore, to be consistent with my Pro-
posals, leave conscientiously as I found them, typographical errors and false Italics excepted. AVhat-
evcr emendations I have proposed either from myself or otliers, I have included among the Notes.
Tliat the Marginal Readings, in our authorized Translation, are essential to the integrity of the
Version itself, I scruple not to assert ; and they are of so much importance, as to be in several
instances, preferable to the Textual Readings themselves. Our conscientious Translators, not
being able in several cases, to determine, which of two meanings borne by a word, or which of two
words found in different copies, should be admitted into the Text, adopted the measure of re-
ceiving both, placing one in the Margin, and the other in the Text ; thus leaving the Reader at
liberty to adopt either, both of which in their apprehension, stood nearly on the same autliority.
On this very account, the Marginal Readings are esseatial to our Version ; and I have found on
collating many of them with the Originals, that those in the Margin are to be preferred to those
iu the Text, in the proportion of at least eight to ten.
To the Geography of the sacred Writings I have also paid the utmost attention in my power.
I wished in every case to be able to ascertain the ancient and modern names of places, their situ-
ation, distances, &c. &c. but in several instances, I have not been able to satisfy myself. I
have given those opinions which appeared to me, to be best founded ; taking frequently the
liberty to express my own doubts or dissatisfaction. I must therefore bespeak the Reader's in-
dulgence not only in reference to the work in general, but in respect to several points both in
the Scripture Geography/ and Chronology in particular, which may appear to him not satisfactorily
ascertiiincd ; and have only to say that I have spared no pains, to make every thing as correct and
accurate as possible, and hope I may, without vanity, apply to myself on these subjects, with
a slight change of expression, what was said by a great man, of a great work : " For negligence
or dcficience, I have perhaps not need of more apology than the nature of the work will furnish :
I have left that inaccin-ate, which can never he made exact ; and that imperfect, which can never
he completed." — Johnson. For particulars under these heads, 1 must refer to Dr. Hales's elabo-
rate and useful work, entitled, A Nexo Analysis of Chronologij, 2 vols. 4to, 1809-10.
Tlie Summaries to each Chapter are entirely written for the purpose, and formed from a carefiil
examination of the Chapter, verse by verse, so as to make them a iaithfal Table of Contents, con-
stantly referring to the verses themselves. By this means, all the subjects of each Chapter may be
immediately seen, so, as in many cases, to preclude the necessity of consulting a Concordance.
In the Heads or Head-lines to each Page, I have endeavoured to introduce, as far as the roon)
would admit, the chief subject of the columns underneath ; so as immediately to catcli tlic cyo
of the Reader.
d 2
xxviii GENERAL PREFACE.
Quotations from tlic original Texts I have made as sparingly as possible : those whicli are in-
troduced, I have endeavoured to make plain by a literal translation, and by putting them iu
Eui-opeaii characters. Tlic Reader will observe, that though the Ilcbretv is here produced
Itithout tlie points, yet the reading given in European characters, is according to the points, with
very few exceptions. I have chosen this middle xcay to please, as far as possible, the opposers
and friends of the Masorctic system.
The Controversies among religious peo})le I have scarcely ever mentioned : having very seldom
referred to the Creed of any sect or party of Christians : nor produced any opinion, merely to con-
fute or establish it. I simply propose xvhat I believe to be the meaning of a passage; and maintain
'what I believe to he the truth, but scarcely ever in a controversial way. I think it quite possible, to
give my own views of the Doctrines of the Bible, without introducing a single sentence at
which any Christian might reasonably take otlence. And I hope that no provocation which I may
receive, shall induce me to depart from this line of conduct.
It may be expected by some, that I should enter at large into the proofs of the authenticity/
of Divine Revelation. — This has been done amply by others ; and their works have been pub-
lished in every form, and with a very laudable zeal, spread widely through the Public : on this
account, I tliink it unnecessary to enter professedly into the subject. The different portions of
the Sacred Writings, against which, the shafts of infidelity have been levelled, I have carefiilly
considered; and I hope, sufficiently defended, in the places Avhere they respectively occur.
For a considerable time I hesitated whether I should attach to each chapter what are com-
monly called Re^exio^is, as these do not properly belong to the province of the Commentator. It
is the business of the Preacher, who has the literal and obvious sense before him, to make Re-
flexions on select passages, providential occurrences, and particular histories ; and to apply the
Doctrines contained in them, to the hearts and practices of his hearers. The chief business of
the Commentator is critically to examine his Text, to give the' true meaning of every passag6 in
reference to the context, to explain words that are difficult or of dubious import ; illustrate local
and provincial customs, manners, idioms, laws, &c. and from the whole, to collect the great de-
sign of the inspired writer.
Many arc of opinion, that it is an easy thing to write Reflexions on the Scriptures. — My opi-
nion is the reverse : commonplace observations, which may arise on the surface of the letter, may
be easily made by any person, possessing a little common sense, and a measure of piety ; but
Reflexions, such as become the Oracles of God, are properly inductive reifsonings on the facts
stated, or the doctrines delivered, and require not only a clear head, and a sound heart, but such
compass and habit of philosophic thought, such a power to discern the end from the beginning,
the cause from its effect, (and where several causes are at work, to ascertain their respective results,
so that every effect may be attributed to its true cause,) falls to the lot of but few men.
Through the flimsy, futile, and false dealing of the immense herd of Spiritualizers, Metaphor-
men, and Allegorists pure religion has been often disgraced. Let a man put his reason in ward,
turn conscience out of its province, and throw the reins on tlie neck of his fancy, and he may
write — Reflexions without end. The former description of Reflexions I rarely attempt, for want
of adequate powers ; tlie latter, my reason and conscience prohibit — Let this be my excuse Avith
the intelligent and pious Reader. I have however, in this v/ay, done what I could. I have gene-
GENERAL PREFACE. xxix
rally, at tlic close of each chapter, siiinmcd up in a few particulars, t\vi facts or doctrines con-
tained in it ; and have endeavoured to point out to tiie Reader, the spiritual and practical use
he should make of them. To these inferences, improvements, or whatever else they may be called,
I have jfiven no specific name ; and of llieni, can only say, that he who reads them, thou'di he
may be sometimes disajipointed, will not always lose his labour. At the same time, I beo- leave
to inform him, that I luue not deferred spiritual uses of important Texts, to the end of the
chai)ter : where they should be noticed, in the occurring verse, I have rarely passed them by.
Bcibre I conclude, it may be necessary to give some account of the original Versions of the
Sacred Writings, which have been often consulted, and to which occasional references are made
in the ensuing ^\'orlv. These are the Samaritan, Chaldaic, Ethiopia, Septitaginf, with those of
ylquila, Sjjmmachus, and T/ieudution ; the Sj/riac, Vulgate, Arabic, Coptic, Persian, and J n<>-lo-
Saj:o7i.
The Samaritan Test must not be reckoned among the Versions. It is precisely the same \\dth
the Hebrew, only fuller ; having preserved many letters, words, and even whole sentences ; some-
times several verses, which are not extant in any Hebrew copy widi which we are acquainted. In
all other respects, it is the same as the Hebrew, only written in what is called the Samaritan cha-
racter, whicli was probably the ancient Hebrew, as that now called the Hebrew character, was
probably borrowed iiom the Chaldeans.
1. The Samaritan Version diflers widely from the Samaritan Text; the latter is pure Hebrew,
the former, is a literal version of the Hebreo-Samaritan Text, into the Chaldaico-Samaritan' Dia-
lect. JVhen this was done it is impossible to say, but it is allowed to be very ancient, consi-
derably prior to the Christian JEra. The language of this version is composed of pure Hebrew,
Syro-Chaidaic, aud Cuthite terms. It is almost needless to observe, that the Samaritan Text
and Samaritan Version, extend no farther than the five books of Moses : as the Samaritans re-
ceived no other parts of the Sacred Writings.
2. The Chaldaic Version or Targums have already been described among the Commentators.
Under this head are included the Targum of Onkelos upon the whole laxc; the Jerusalem Targum
on select parts of the five books of Moses; the Targum of Jonathan hen Uzziel, also upon" the
Pentateuch; the Targum of Jonathan upon the prophets; and the Targum of Rabbi Joseph on
the books of Chronicles ; but of all these, the Targums oi Onkelos on the law, and Jonathan on the
prophets, are the most ancient, the most literal, and the most valuable. See page ii. of this Preface.
3. Tlie Septuagint Translation, of all the Versions of the Sacred AVritings, has ever been
deemed of the greatest importance by covipetent ^]udges. I do not, however, design to enter into
the controversy concerning this venerable Version : the history of it by Aristaeus, I consider in
the main, to be a mere fiible, worthy to be classed Avith the tale of Bel and the Dragon, and the
stupid story of Tobit and his Dog. Nor do I believe, with many of the Fathers, that " Seventy
or Seventy-hvo Elders, six out of each of the twelve Tribes, were employed in the work : that each
of these, translated the whole of the Sacred Books from Hebrew into Greek, while confined in se-
parate cells in the Island of Pharos ;" or that they were so particularly inspired by God, that every
species of error was prevented, and that the seventy-two copies, when compared together, were
found to be precisely the same, verbatim et literatim. My own opinion, on the controversial part
of the subject, may be given in a few words. I believe that the five books of Moses, the -most
XXX GENERAL PREFACE.
correct and accurate part of tlie whole work, were translated from the Hebrew into Greek, in the
time of Ptolemy PMIadclplnis King of Egypt, about 2S5 years before the Christian ^Era : that this
v/as done, not by sevenf^-two, but probably hyjive learned and judicious men ; and that when com-
pleted, it was examined, approved, and allowed as a faithflil Version, by the seventy or seventy-two
Elders, who constituted the, Alexandrian Sanhedrbi: and that the other book's of the Old Testament,
were done at different times, by different hands, as the necessity of the case demanded, or the Pro-
vidence of God appointed. It is pretty certain, from the quotations of the Evangelists, the Apostles,
and the Primitive Fatliers, that a complete version into Greek, of tlie whole Old Testament, probably
called by the name of the Septuagint, was made, and in use before the Christian iEra : but it is
likely that some of the books of that ancient version are now lost ; and that some others, which
now go under the name of the Septuagint, were the production of times posterior to the Incar-
.nation.
4. The Greek Versions of Aquila, Sijmmaclms, and Theodotion are frequently referred to.
Aquila was first a Heathen, then a Christian, and lastly a Jeit\ He made a translation of the Old
Testament into Greek, so very literal, that St. Jerom said, it vras a good Dictionary to give the
genuine meaning of the Hebrew words. He finished and pubhshed this work, in the twelfth year
of the reign of the Emperor Adrian, A. D. 128.
5. Theodotion was a Christian of the Ebionite sect, and is reported to have begun his translation
©f the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, merely to serve his own party : but from what remains of
his Version, it appears to have been very literal, at least as far as the idioms of the two languages
would bear. His translation was made about the year of our Lord 180. All this Work is
lost, except his version of the book of the Prophet Daniel, and some Fragments.
6. Symmachus was originally a Samaritan, but became a convert to Christianity, as professed by
the Ebionites. In forming his translation, he appears to have aimed at giving the sense, rather than
a literal Version of the Sacred Text. His work v/as probably completed about A. D. 200.
These three Versions vv'cre published by Origen, in his famous work entitled Hexaph, of which
they formed the third, fonrth, and sixth columns. All the remaining fragments have been care-
fully collected by Father Montfaucon, and published in a Vv-ork entitled Hexapla Origenis quae
supersunt, S^-c. Paris, 1713, 2 vols, folio. Republished by C. F. Bahrdt, Leips. 1769, 2 vols. 8vo.
7. Tlie >'E////oj9?"c Version comprehends only the New Testament, the Psalms, some of the minor
Prophets, and a few fragments of other books. . It was probably made in the fourth Century.'-
8. The Co2}tic Version includes only the five Books of Moses, and the New Testament. It
is supposed to have been made in the ^^th Century.
9. The Syriac Version is very valuable and of great authoi'ity. It was probably made as early
as tlie second Century : and some think that a S^niac version of the Old Testament was in exist-
ence long before the Christian a^a.
10. A Latin version, known by the name of the Itai.a, Itxdic or Antehieronymian, is well known
among learned men : it exists in the Latin part of the Codex Beza? at Cambridge, and in several
other Mss. The Text of the four Gospels in this version, taken from four mss. more than a thou-
sand years old, was published by Blanchini, at Rome, 1749, four vols, folio ; and a larger collec-
tion by Sahathicr, Rheims, 1743, tbrce vols, folio. This ancient version, is allov.'cd to be of great
i'.se in biblical criticism.
3
GENERAL PREFACE. xxxl
1 1 . Tlie Vulgate or Latin Version, was formed by Saint Jerow, at the command of Pope Damasus,
A.D. 384. Previously to this, there were a great number of Latin Versions made by different hands,
some of \\\\ic\\ Jerom complains of, as being extremely corrupt, and scli-contiadictory. These
Versions, at present, go under the general name of the old J lata or Antehieroni'mian, al-
ready noticed. Jerom appears to have formed his Text in general, out of these ; collating
the whole with the Hebrew and Greek, from which he professes to have translated several books
entire. The New Testament, he is supposed to have taken wholly from the Original Greek : yet
tliere arc suflicient evidences, that he often regulated even this Textj by the ancient Latin Versions.
12. The Anglo-Sadon version df the Jour Gospels, is supposed to have been taken from the an-
cient Ifala, some time in the eighth century ; and that of the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, and Job,
from the Vulgate, by a Monk called iElfric, in the ninth century. The former was printed at
Dart in conjunction with the Gothic version, by F. Junius, 1665, 4to. the latter by EdxL'urd
Thwaitcs, Orford, 1 698, 8vo. but in this version many verses, and .even whplc chapters, arc left
out ; and the Book of Job is only a sort of abstract, consisting of about five pages.
13. The Jrabic, is not a very ancient Version ; but is of great use, in ascertaining the significa^
tion of several Hebrew words and forms of speech.
14. The Persian, includes only the five Books of Moses, and the four Gospels. The former, was
made from the Hebrew Text, by a Jew named Yacoub Toosee : the latter, by a Christian of the
Catholic persuasion, Simon Ibn Yusuf Ibn Ibraheeyn al Tuhreesee, about the year of our Lord 1341.
These are the principal Versions which are deemed of authority, in setthng controversies rela-
tive to the Text of the Original. There are some others, but of less importance, such as the
Slavonic, Gothic, Sahidic, and Armenian ; for detailed accounts of which, as also of the
preceding, as far as the New Testament is concerned, I beg leave tp refer the Reader to Mi-
cJiaelis's Lectures, in the Translation, and with the Notes of the Hev. Dr. Herbert Marsh :
and 'for farther information concerning Jewish and Christian Commentators, he is requested to
consult Bartoloccius's Billiotheca Rabbinnica, and the BibUotheca Theologica of Father Calmet.
In the preceding list of Commentators, I find I have omitted to insert in its proper place, a
work, with which I have been long acquainted, and which, for its piety and erudition I have
invariably admired, viz. " A plaine discoverij of the 'whole Revekttion of Saint John: set doxcne in tuo
Treatises: The one searching and proving. //^e true interpretation thereof- The other applying the
same paraphrastically and historically to the text. Set foorth by John Napeir L. of Mmxkestoun,
i/ou?ige7\ Whereunto are annexed certaine Oracles of Sibylla, agreeing with the Revelation and
other places of Scripture." Edinburgh, printed by Robert Walde-gravc, printer to the King's Ma-
jestic, 1593. Cum privilegio Regali, 8vo.
When the Reader learns that the author of this little work, was the famous Baron of Marches-
toun, the inventor of the Logarithms ; a discovery which has been of incalculable use in the
sciences of astronomy, practical geometry, and navigation, he will be prepared to receive with
'respect what so great a genius has written iipon a book, that above all others in the sacred code,
seems to require the head and hand of the soundest divine and mathematician. The work is dedi-
cated " to the right excellent, high and mighty Prince James VI. King of Scottes," afterwards
James I. King of England ; and in the Epistle Dedicatorie, the author strongly urges him to com-
plete the reformation begun in his own empire, that he might be a ready instrument iu the hand
xxxii GENERAL PREFACE.
of God in exccuthig judgment on the papal throne, which, he then supposed, to be near the time
of its final overthrow. The first treatise is laid down in tliirtij-siv Propositions relating to the
seals, trumpets, vials and thunders.
In the third, Jifth and sixth Propositions, he enilcavours to prove, that each trumpet or vial, con-
tains 245 years; that the ./r5/ begun A. D. 71. Tlic second A. D. 316. The tJiird A. D. 561. The
fourth A,h. SOG. The fjth A. B. 1051. The s?>A'/ A. D. 1296. The s<?t'(?;z/A A. D. 1541. See
Propos. vi. And in Propos. x. he shews, that as the last trumpet or \'ial began in 1541, conse-
quently, as it contains 245 years, it should extend to A. D. 1786. " Not that I mean," says the
noble writer, " that that age, or yet the world shall continew so long, because it is said, that for
the Elect's sake, the time shall be shortened ; but I mean, that if the world wer to indure, that
seventh age should continew untill the yeare of Christ, 1786." Taking up this subject again, iji
Propos. xiv. he endeavours to prove by a great variety of calculations formed on the 1335 days
mentioned by Daniel, chap. xii. 11. and the period of the three thundering angels. Rev. chaps,
viii. and ix. that, by the former it appears, the day of judgment will take place in A. D. 1700,
and by the latter, in 1688, whence it may be confidently expected that this awful day shall take
place between these two periods I
We who have lived to A. D. 1810, see the fallacy of these predictive calculations; and with
such an example before us, of the miscarriage of the first mathematician in Europe, in his endea-
vours to solve the prophetical i^eriods marked in this most obscure book, we should proceed in such
researches, with humility and caution ; nor presume to ascertain the times and the seasons which
the Father has reserved in his own power. I may venture to affirm, so very plausible were the rea-
sonings and calculations of Lord Napeir, that scarcel}^ a Protestant in Europe who read his work,
but was of the same opinion. And how deplorably has the event fiilsified the predictions of this
€mine7}t and pio7(S man ! And yet, unawed by his miscarriage. Calculators and Ready Reckoners, in
every succeeding age, on less specious pretences, with minor qualifications, and a less vigorous
pinion, have endeavoured to soar where Napeir sunk ! Their labours, however well intended,
only serve to increase the records of the weakness and folly of mankind. ^S'ecre^ things belong to
God: those that are revealed, to us and to our children. Writers, who have endeavoured to illus-
trate different prophecies in the Apocalypse by past events, and those that are wow occurring, are
not included in this censure. Some rcspecfcible names in the present day, have rendered con-
siderable services to the cause of Divine Revelation, by the careful and pious attention they have
paid to this part of the subject.
ADAM CLARKE.
LONDON, Juli/'Znd, 1810.
P.S. On Gen. ii. 4. 1 luivo liinted that our Saxon ancestors have translntcd the Domiiius of the Vulgate by
j3lapoj-,ti, lovep^, or lops. Tliis is not to he understood ot" t!ie tVagments of their translations of the Old and
NewTcstamcut whicii have reaehed our times; for in then Domiiins whvn {'onneeted with Deus is often omitted,
and the word Dos substituted for both: at otiicr times, tlieyuse bpihren, hotli for nri' Jehovah, and 'Jis adonai :
and in the New Testament, spiliten is generally used for xufioj lord, at other times, ]5lapn]-b. It seems to have
been applied as a title of respect to men; see Matt. xiii. 27. xxi. :W. Afterwards, it was applied to tlie Su-
preme Being also; and the title Lord, continues to be given to both indiU'erentlj', to the present day.
PREFACE TO THE BOOK
OF
GENESIS.
liVERY believer in Divine Revelation finds himself amply justified in taking for granted that
the Pentatench is the work of Moses. For more than 3000 years, this has been the invariable
opinion of those who were best qualified to form a correct judgment on this subject. Tlie
Jewish Church from its most remote antiquity, has ascribed the work to no other hand ; and the
Cliristian Church from its foundation, has attributed it to the Jewish Lawgiver alone. Hie most
respectable Heathens have concuiTcd in this testimony, and Jesus Christ and his Apostles have
completed the evidence, and have put the question beyond the possibihty of being doubted by
those who profess to beheve the di\ane authenticity of the New Testament. As to those, who,
in opposition to all these proofs, obstinately persist in their unbelief, they are worthy of Httle re-
gard, as argument is lost on their unprincipled prejudices, and demonstration on their minds, be-
cause ever wilfully closed against the Light. When they have proved that Moses is not the author
of this Work, the advocates of divine revelation will reconsider the grounds of their faith.
That there are a few things in the Pentateuch which seem to have been added by a later hand,
there can be little doubt ; among these, some have reckoned, perhaps, without reason, the follow-
ing passage. Gen. xii. 6. And the Canaanite xicas then in the land. But see the note on this place.
Num. xxi. 14. In the hook of the rears of the Lord, was probably a marginal note, which
in process of time got into the text : see the note on this passage also. To these may
be added the fve first verses of Deuteronomy, chap. i. the ixveljlh of chap. ii. and the
eight concluding verses of the last chapter, in wliich we have an account of the death of
Moses. These last words could not have been added by Moses himself, but are very probably
the work of Ezra, by whom, according to uninterrupted tradition among the Jews, the various
books, which constitute the canon of the Old Testament, were collected and arranged, and
such expository notes added, as were essential to connect the different parts : but as he acted
lander divine inspiration, the additions maybe considered of equal authority with the text. A few
other places might be added, but they are of little importance, and are mentioned in the Notes.
PREFACE TO GENESIS.
The Book of GENESIS, Tevs/rn, has its name from the title it bears in the Sepfuagint, BifiXoi
Tevia-eo)? (ch. ii. v. 4.) which signifies the book of tJte Generation, but it is called in Hebrew rru^sia
Bereshith, " In the beginning " from its initial word: it is the most ancient history in the world ;
and from the great variety of its singular details, and most interesting accounts, is as far superior
in its value and importance to all others, as it is in its antiquity. This book contains an account
of the creation of the world, and its first inhabitants ; the original innocence and fail of man j the
rise of religion; the invention of arts; the general corruption and degeneracy of mankind; the
universal deluge; the repeopling and division of the earth; the origin of nations and kingdoms;
and a particular history of the Patriarchs from Adam down to the death of Joseph, including a
space, at the lowest computation, of 2369 years.
It may be asked, how a detail so circumstantial and minute, could have been preserved, when
there was no mHting of any kind ; and when the earth, whose history is here given, had already
existed more tlian 2000 years ? To this enquiry a very satisfactory answer may be given. There J
arc only three ways in which these important records could have been preserved and brought
down to the time of Moses : viz. Writing, Tradition, and Divine Revelation. In the antediluvian
world, when the life of man was so protracted, there was, comparatively, little need for xcriting of
any kind ; and perhaps no alphabetical writing then existed. Tradition answered every purpose
to which writing in any kind of cliaracters could be subsement ; and the necessity of erecting
monuments to peqietuatc public events, could scarcely have suggested itself, as during those
times there could be little danger apprehended of any important fact becoming obsolete, as its
history had to pass through very few hands, and all these friends and relatives in the most proper
sense of the terms ; for they lived in an insulated state under a patriarchal government.
Thus it was easy for Moses to be satisfied of the truth of all he relates in the book of
Genesis, as the accounts came to him through the medium of very few persons. From Adam
to Noah, there was but one man necessary to the correct transmission of the history of tliis pe-
riod of 1656 years. Now this history was, without doubt, perfectly known to Methuselah who
lived to see them both. In like manner, Shem connected Noah and Abraham, having lived to j^
converse with both; as Isaac did with AbraJmm and Joseph, from whom these things might be ^
easily conveyed to Moses by Amram, who was contemporary with Joseph. See the Plate, ch. xi.
Supposing, then, all the curious facts recorded in the book of Genesis had no other authority than
the tradition already referred to, they would stand upon a foundation of credibility superior to any
that the most reputable of the ancient Greek and Latin historians can boast. Yet, to preclude
all possibility of mistake, the unerring Spirit of God directed Moses in the selection of his facts,
and the ascertaining of his dates. Indeed the narrative is so simple ; so much like truth ; so con-
sistent every where with itself; so correct in its dates ; so impartial in its biography ; so accurate
in its philosophical details ; so pure in its m.orality ; and so benevolent in its design, as amply to
demonstrate that it never could have had an earthly origin. In this case also, Moses construct-
ed every thing according to the pattern which God shewed him in the Mount.
7
1
THE
FIRST BOOK OF MOSES,
CALLED
GENESIS.
Year before the common Year of Clirist, 4004. — Julian Period, 710. — Cycle of tlie Sun, 10. — Dominical Letter, B.—
Cycle of the Moon, 7- — Indiction, 5. — Creation from Tisri or September, 1.
CHAP. I.
First day's work — Creation of the heavens and the earth, 1 , 2. Of the light and its separation from the dark-
ness, S — 5. Second day's work — The creation of the firmament, and the separation of the naters above the
firmament, from those beloic it, 6 — 8. Third day's \\ork — The ztalers are separated from the earth and formed
into seas, Scc. 9, 10. The earth rendered fruitful, and clothed zcilh trees, herbs, grass, &c. 11 — 13. Fourth
clay's work — Creation of the celestial luminaries intended for the measurement of time, the distinction of pe-
riods, seasons, Sec. 14. and to illuminate the earth, 15. distinct account of the formation of the sun, moon and
stars, 17 — IQ. Fifth day's work — The creation of fish, fouls, and reptiles in general, 20. Of great aquatic
unimals, 21. Theif arc blessed so as to make them tery prolific, 21 — 23. Sixth day's work — Wild and tame
cattle created, and all kinds of animals which derive their nourishment from the earth, 24, 25. The creation
of man in the image and likeness of God, with the dominion given him over the earth and all irferior animals^
26. Man or Jdam, a general name for human beings, including both male and female, 27. Their peculiar
blessing, 28. Vegetables appointed as the food of man and all otlter animals, 29, 30. The judgment zchich
Cod passed on his zcorks at the conclusion of his creative acts, 31.
A. M. 1.
B. C. iWi
IN tlie " beginning ^ God created the
heavens and the earth.
And the eartli was witliout form and void ;
CHAP. I. «l'r<>v 8. 2t!, 53, 24. Mnrk )3. 19. Jolin 1. 1, 2. Hebr. 1. 10.
""l Cliron. 10. •:& Nell. 9. 6. Ps. 8 .3. ic r^S. 6. & 8'->. 11, 12. & 96 .5
& 10-.'. 'J,i. & lO-l. 21. & 1 1.".. 15. & 121. 2. & 121. 8. 6c l*t. 3. 136. 5. &
HI). G. Prov, 3. 19. & 8. 26, 27, SiC. Kcclis. 12. 1. Isai, .S7. 16. & 42. 5.
& 41. 24. & 31. 16. & Cb. 17. Jer. 10. 12. & 32. J7. & 61. 15. Zecli. 12. 1.
NOTKS ON CHAP. I.
Verse 1 . pNH HNi o'Otrn ntt D'nV» ^n^ n'trina Bereskuh
hara Etohim elk haskamui/im vetk haarets. GOD in the be-
ginning creired the Heavens and the Earth.]
Many attempts liave been made to define the term GOD:
as to the word itself, it is pure Annlo-.saxon, and among our
ancestors signified not only the Divine Being;, now com-
and darkness was upon the face of
the deep. '^ And the Spirit of God
moved upon the face of the waters.
A. M. 1.
B. C. 4<K)4.
Acts 4. 24. k 14. 15. & 17. 24. Rom. 1. 20. Epli. 3. 9. Colos. 1. 16, 17.
Heb. 1. 2. «c 11. 3. 2 Pet. 3. 5. Kev. 1.8. & a. 14 &4. 11.& 10. 6. & 14. 7.
& 21. 6. & 22. 13. =lsai. 45. 18. Jer. 4. 23. » Psa. 104.30. Urn. 40.
13, 14.
monl y designated by the word, but also Good : as in their
apprehension it appears, that God and Good were correlative
terms; and when they tliought or spoke of iiini, tiiey were
doubtless led from the word itself, to consider hiin as ThE
Good Being, a fountain of infinite Benevolence and Be-
nelicence towards his creatures.
A general definition of this great First Cause, a far as
B 2
Creation of the light, and its
A. M. 1. 3 ^ > And God said, "^ Let there be
^l^l^t light: and there was Hght.
4 And God saw the hght, that it was good :
GENESIS. separation from the darkness.
and God ' divided " the hght from the ^- M- i-
darkness. kc^^
5 And God called the light ' Day, and the
»Psa. a-5. 6,9. & 118. 5. Mob 36. 30. k 38. 19. Psa. 97. 11. & 104. 2.
*: ll8. S!7. Isa. '16. 7. h CO. 19. .lohii 1. o, 9. & 3. 19. S! Cor. 4. 6.
lipli. 3. &. 1 Tiin. 6. 16. 1 John 1. S. & 'J. 8. "it Cor. 6. 14. << Heb. te-
human words dare attempt one, may be thus given. The
eternal, iiidejjendent, and self-exislent Beinp;: The Being
■whose purposes and actions spring from hinistlf, without lb-
reign motive or influence: He who is absoUile in dominion;
the most pure, most simple, and most spiritual of all Es-
sences: infinitely benevolent, beneficent, true and holy], the
Cause of all being, the upholder of all things: infinitely happy,
because infinitely perfect; and eternally self-sufficient, need-
ing nothing that he has made. Illimitable in his immensity,
inconceivable in his mode of existence, and indescribable in
his essence: known fully only to Himself, because an in-
finite mind can be fully apprehended only by itself. In a
word, a Being wlio, from his infinite wisdom, cannot err or
be deceived; and who, from his infinite goodness, can do
nothing' but what is eternally just, right, and kind. Reader,
such is the God of the Bible, hut how widely differ-
ent from the God of most human creeds and apprehen-
sions !
The original word DTlVx FJoIiim God, is certainly the plural
form of 7S (I, or rhu cloah, and has long been supposed, by the
most eniincntly learned and pious men, to imply a. plurality o[
Persons in the Divine nature. As this plurality appears in so
many parts of the sacred writings to be confined to three Per-
sons, hence the doctrine of the Trinitv, which has tbrmed a
part of the Creed of all those who have been deemed sound in
the faith from the earliest ages of Chri.itianity. Nor are the
CV(;7'si;((»s singular in receiving this Doctrine, and in deriving
it from the first words of Divine Revelation. An eminent
Jewish Rabbin, Simeon ben Joachi, in his comment on
the sixth section of Leviticus has these remarkable words :
" Come and see the mystery of the word Elohim; there
are three degrees, and each degree by itself «/o);e, and yet not-
withstanding ihey are all one, and joined together in one, and
are not divided from each other." See Ainsxvorth. He must
be strangely prejudiced indeed^ who cannot see that the doc-
trine of a Trinity, and of a Trinity in Unity, is ex-
pressed in the above words. The verb N"i3 bara, he created,
heing joined in the singular number with this plural noun,
has been considered as pointing out, and not obscurely, the
Unity of the divine Persons in this work of creation. In the
ever-blessed Trinity, from the infinite and indivisible unity of
the Persons, there can be but one will, one purpose, and one
infinite anrl uncontrolable energy.
" Let those who have any doubt whether DThn Elohim,
wlien meaning tlie true God, Jehovah, be plural or not, con-
sult the following passages, where they will find it joined
with adjectives, verbs, and pronouns plural.
Gen. i. 2f>. iii. 22. xi. 7. \k. K3. xxxi. 7, 33. xxxv. 7.
Dcut. iv. 7. V. 23. Josh. xxiv. 19. 1 Sam. iv. 8. 2 Sam.
vii 23. Ps. Iviii. 12. Isx vi. 8. Jcr. x. 10. xxiii. 3t".
See also Prov. ix, 10. xxx'. 3. Ps. cxlix. 2, I'^ccl. v. 7.
twenn the light ami betiiecn the darkness. ^^ Chap. B. 22. Psa. 19. 2. & 7i,
16. & lot. iO. Jer. 33. 20. 1 Cor. 3. 13. Eplies. o. 13. 1 Thcss. 5. 5.
xii. 1. Job T. 1. Isa. vi, 3. liv. 5. Ixii. 5. Hos. xi. 12. or xii. 1.
Mai. 1. 6. Dan. v. 18, 20. vii. 18, 22." PARI-LHURST.
As the word Eluhiin is ihe term by wliich the Divine
Being is most generally expressed in the Old Testament,
it may be necessary to consider it here, more at large.
It is a maxim that admits of no controversy, that every
noun in the Hebrew language is derived from a verb, which
is usually termed the radix or root from which, not only the
noun, but all the diilerent flections of the verb, spring. This
radix is the third person singular of the preterite or past
tense. The ideal meaning of this root expresses some essen-
tial property of the thing which it designates, or of which it
is an appellative. The root in Hebrew, and in its sister lan-
guage, the Arabic, generally consists of three letters, and
every word must be traced to its root in order to assertain its
genuine meaning, for there alone is this meaning to be found.
In Hebrew and Arabic this is essentially necessary, and no
man can safely criticise on any word in either of these lan«
guages, who does not carefully attend to this point.
I mention the Arabic with the Hebrew for two reasons.
1. Because the two languages evidently spring from the same
source, and hava. very nearly the same mode of construction.
2. Because the deficient roots in the Hebrew Bible are to be
sought for in the y\rabic language. The reason of this must
be obvious, when it is considered that the whole of the He-
brew language is lost except what is in the Bible, and even a
part of this is written in Chaldec. Now, as the English Bil)le
does not contain the \\\\o\e..o^ t\\s English lung^tage, so, the
Hebrew Bible does not contain the whole of the Hebrew.
If a man meet with an English word which he cannot find
in an ample concordance or dictionary to the Bible, he must
of course seek for that word in a general English dictionary.
hi like manner, if a particular form of a Hebrew word occur
(hat cannot be traced to a root in the Hebrew Bible, because
the word does not occur in the third person singular of the
past tense in the Bible, it is expedient, it is perfectly lawful,
and often indispensably necessary, to seek the deficient root in
the Arabic. For, as the Arabic is still a living language, and
perhaps the most copious in the universe; it may well be ex-
pected to furnish tho.se terms which are deficient in the He-
brew Bible. And the reasonableness of this is founded on
another maxim: viz. that either the Arabic was derived from
the Hebrew, or the Hebrew from the Arabic. 1 shall not
enter into this controversy; there are great names on both
sides, and the decision of the question in either way, will
have the same effect on my argument. For, if the Arabic
was derived from the Hebrew, it must have been when the
Hebrew was a liiing and complete language; because, such is
the Arabic now; and thcrctbre all its essential roots we may
reasonably expect to find there: but if, as Sir William Jones
supposed, the Htbrai; was derived from the Arabic; the same
Tlie creation
A. U. 1.
B.C. JO 11.
darJviicss lie called Night.
first day.
evening
and the
morning
CHAP. I. (>f tlie Jirmamoit.
* And the ! 6 f And God said, " Let there be a ^- '^'- '•
B C.4C04.
were the \\ "^ firmament in the mid.st of the waters,
■ Heb. and the evening was, and the marning ira,'. ^^ Job '26. 7. Sc 37. IS,
expectation is justifit-d, tlie deficient roots in Hebrew may be
soiii;hC for in the motlier toni,fiie. li', lor example, we meet
with a term in our ancient English language, the meaning of
which we find difTicult to ascertain ; coiiinion sense teaches us
that we sliou'ul seek for it in the Aiiglo-sa.ron, from whicli our
langiiaite springs, and if necessary, go up to the Teutonic,
from whiih the Anglo-saxon was derived. No nerson disputes
the legitimacy of this measure ; and we find it in constant
practice. 1 make these observations at the very threshold of
my work, because the necessity of i.cting on this princijile
(seeking deficient Hebrew roots in the Arabic) may often
iTccur ; and I wish to speak once fur all on the subject.
The first sentence tn the Scrijiture shews the propriety of
having recourse to this principle. We have seen that the
word D'H^N Elohim is plural ; we ha\c traced our term Cud
to its source, and have seen its signification ; and also a ge-
neral definition of the tluTi^; or being included under this term,
has been tremblingly attempted. V\'e should now trace the
original to its root ; but this root does not appear in the
Hebrew Bible. \\ ere the Hebrew a complete language, a
pious rea-on might be aiven for this omission : viz. " As God
is without beginning and without cause, as his being is in-
finite and itiiiterirecl, the Hebrew language consults strict
propriety in giving no root whence his name can be deduced."
Air. Parkluirst to whose pious and learned labours in He-
brew literature, most biblical students are indebted, thinks
lie has found the root in ihni alali, he sivore, bound himself by
oath: and hence he calls D'hSn* Elohim, the ever-blessed Tri-
nity, as being hound by a condttiunal oath to redeem man, ^-c.
iff. Most pious minds will revolt from such a definition, and
villi be glad with nic, to find both the noun and the root pre-
^t.ncii in .Arabic. Al.t-llI ^! is the common name for GOD
in the Arabic tongue, and often the emphatic ^^| is used.
Now both these words are derived from the root alfiha, he
■wonhippcd, adored, ivus struck u-'ith astonishment, fear or.
terror : and hence, he adored with sacred horror and venera-
tion, cum sacro horrore ac veneratione coluit, adoravit. ^\'ll.-
MET. Hence, ilahon fiar, veneration, and also the object of
religious fear, the Deiii/, the supreme God, the tremendous
Being. This is not a new idea ; God was considered in the
same light among the ancient Hebrews : and hence Jacob
s«ears by the fear of his father Isaac, Gen. xxxi. 53. To
complete the definition, Golius renders alaha; jitvit, libera-
Tit, et lutatus fuit, " he succoured, liberated, kept in safety
or defended." Thus, from the ideal meaning of this most ex-
pressive root, we acquire tlic mo.st correct notion of the divine
nature ; for we learn that God is the sole object of adoration,
that the perfections of his nature are such as must astonish
all those who piously contemplate them, and fill with horror
all who woidd dare to give his glory to another, or break
liis commandments: that consequently, he should be Xior-
and let it di\'ide the waters from the waters.
Psa 10,
eipansion
1. Sc lOi. 2. & 13d. 6. ic loO, 1. Jcr, 10. 12. & .51. Ij. ' Heb.
ti.
shipped with reverence and religious fear; and that cv^ry sin-
cere worshipper may expect from him help in all his weak-
nesses, trials, difficulties, temptations, &c. freedom from the
power, guilt, nature and consequences of sm ; and to be
supported, defended and saved to the uttermost and to the end.
Here, then, is one proof among multitudes which shall
be adduced in the course of this work, of the importance,
utility, and necessity of tracing up these sacred words to their
sources; and a proof also, that subjects which are supposed to
be out of the reach of the common people, may, with little
difficulty, be brought on a level with the most ordinary
caj):icity.
In the beginning] Before the creative acts mentioned in
this chapter, all was ETKIINITY. Time signifies Duration
measured by the revolutions of the heavenly bodies; but prior
to the creation of these bodies, there could be no measure-
ment of duration, and consequently no time; thereibre In the
beginning must necessarily mean the commencement of time
which lollowed, or rather was produced by God's creative
acts, as an cflTect follows, or is produced by a cause.
Created] Caused that to exist which, previously to this mo-
ment, had no being. The Rabbins, who are legitimate judges
in a case of verbal criticism on their own lan<'-ua<''e. are
unanimous in asserting, that, the word N"i3 bara expresses the
commencement of the existence of a thing ; or its egression
Irom nonentity to entity. It does not, in its primary mean-
ing, denote the preserving or new forming things that had
previously existed, as some imagine ; but Creation in the
proper sense of the term, though it has some other accepta-
tions in other places. The supposition that God f^irmed all
things out of a pre-existing eternal nature, is certainly absurd :
for, if tlieie was an eternal nature besides an eternal God,
there must have been two self- existing, independent, and eter-
nal beings, which is a most palpable contradiction.
COCn riN eth hnshamayim.] The word nN eth which is ge-
nerally considered as a. particle, simply denoting that the word
following is in the accusative or oblique case, is often understood
by the Rabbins in a much more extensive sense. " The par-
ticle riN eth," says Abcn Iszra, " signifies the substance of the
thing." The like definition is given by Kimchi in his Book
of Roots. "This particle," says Mr. Ainsworth, "having-
the first and la.it letters of the Ilebrew alphabet in it, is sup-
posed to comprize the stun and substance of all things."
" The particle ni^ eth," (says Buxtoi-f, Talmudic Lexicon
sub voce) " with the Cabalists, is often mystically ]jut for the
beginning and the end, as A alpha, and il omega are in the
Apocalypse." On this ground, tin >e words should be trans-
lated : " God in the beginning created the substance of the
heavens, and the substance of the earth :" i. e. the prima ma-
teria, or first elements, out of which the heavens and the earth
were successively formed. The Syriac translator understood
The separatioji of tJie waters below,
7 And God made the firmanent ;
* and divided the waters which were
A. M. 1.
B. C. 4004.
GENESIS- Jrom the waters above thefrmamcnt.
were " above the firmament : and it ^- ^^- '•
was so. ^■^■^"«*-
under the firmament, from the waters which
» Prov. 8. 23.
the word in this sense, and to e,\press this meaning, has used
the word J^yJ yoth which has this signification, and is very
properly translated in Walton's Polyglott, ESSE cocli et ESSE
terra, " the being or substance of the heaven, and the being
or substance of the earth." St. Ephraim Syrus in his com-
ment on this place, uses the same Syriac word, and appears
to understand it precisely in the same way. Though the
Hebrew word is certainly no more than the notation of a
case in most places; yet understood here in the sense above,
it argues a wonderful philosophic accuracy in the statement
of Moses, which brings before us not a finished heavens and
earth, as every other translation appears to do, though after-
wards the process of their formation is given in detail, but
merely the materials out of which God built the whole sys-
tem in the six following days.
The heavem and the earth.] As the word D'O'A' skamfiyim
is plural, we may rest assured that it means more than tiie
atmosphere, to express which some have endeavoured to restrict
its meanintr. Nor does it appear that the atmosphere is parti-
cularly intended here, as this is spoken of ver. 6. under
tiie term firmament. The word heavens must therefore com-
8 And God called the firmament Heaven.
I" Psa. 143. 4.
prebend the whole solar si/sttm ; as it is very likely the
whole of tliis was created in these six daj's : for, unless the
earth had been the centre of a system, the reverse of which
is sufficiently demonstrated, it would be unphilosophic to
suppose it was created independently of the other parts of
the system; as on this supposition, we must have recourse to the
almighty power of God, to suspend the influence of the
earth's gravitating power, till the fourth day, when (he Sun
was placed in the centre, round which the earth began then
to revolve. But as the design of the inspired pen-man
v.as to relate what especially belonged to our world and
its inhabitants, therefore he passes by the rest of the pla-
netary system, leaving it simply included in the plural
word heavens. In the word earth, every thing relative to the
terr-aque-aerial globe is included; that is, all that belongs to
the solid and fluid parts of our world, with its surrounding
atmosphere. As therefore I suppose the whole solar system
was created at this time, I think it perfectly in place to give
here a general view of all the planets with every thing curious
and important, hitherto known relative to their revolutions and
principal afiections.
A GENERAL VIEW OF THE WHOLE SOLAR SYSTEM.
TABLE
I. THE REVOLUTIONS, DISTANCES, &r. &c.
OF ALL THF
PRIMARY PLANETS.
Mean distance
Least distance
Greatest distancci Diameter
Periodical Revolution.
Sidereal Revolution.
from tlie Sun in
from the Earth in
from the Earth injin Enslish
English miles.
English miles.
English miles. miles.
Sun
Yrs. d. h. m. s.
Yrs. d. h. m. s.
. . .
93,908,984
97,118,538:886,473
Mercuiy
Venus
0 87 23 14. 33
0 87 23 15 40
36,973,282
58,540,512
132,487,077 3,191
0 224 16 41 27
0 224 16 49 11
69,088,240
20-,425,554
164,602,034 7,630
Earth
1 0 S 48 48
1 0 6 9 12
95,513,794
.
. . . 7,9.34
Moon
0 27 7 43 5
0 27 7 43 12
95,513,794
222,920
254,084 2,172
Mars
1 321 22 18 27
1 321 23 30 36
145,533,667
50,019,873
241,047,462 4,135
Jupiter
Saturn
11 315 14 39 2
11 317 14 27 11
496,765,289
401,251,495
592,279,083 86,396
29 1G4 7 21 50
29 176 14 36 43
911,141,442
815,627,647
1,006,655,236 79,405
Sat. Ring
HerscheT
29 164 7 21 50
29 176 14 36 43
911,141,442
815,525,205 11,006,757,678 185,280
83 294 8 39 0|84 29 0 29 0
1,822,575,228
1,727,061,434 11,918,089,022 34,457
Proportionate
Inclination ofl Attractive power
Hourly motion
Names.
bulk, the Earth
Time
of rbXation
their axis.
npon
the axis to the
or density, the
in theirorbirjn
being 1.
equator.
Earth being 1.
Engiibh miles.
Sun
1,084,462
25d.
Mh. 8m.
Os. ...
351,886
• • ■
Mercuiy
-jtth
unknown
unknown
^\ths
111,256
Venus
|ths
0
23 21
0 uncertain
^Vffths
81,398
Earth
1
0
23 56
4 23° 28' 0"
1
75,222
Moon
Ath
27
7 43
51 43 0
T^^oth^
2,335
Mars
ith
1
0 39
22 28 42 0
ith
56,212
Jupiter
1281 greater
0
9 55
33 1 3 22 0
3S0|
30,358
Saturn
995 greater
0
10 16
1 30 0 0
103-7,
22,.351
Sat. Ring
.
0
10 32
15 30 0 0
■ . . •
22,351
Herschel
SOi greater
unknown
1 unknown
m
15,846
lb —
A vieii) qftlic
CHAP. I.
solar system.
A GENERAL VIEW OF THE WHOLE SOLAR ^X^TYM— continued.
The following Celestial Podies, commonly calletl Planets, revolving between Jupiter and Mars, have been recently disco-
vered : all that is known of their Magnitude, Surface, Diameter, and Distance, I here subjoin.
Namesl
Mean distance
fronQ the Sun.
Ceres
50,000,0(X)
Least distancei Greatest dist.
from Earth, from Earth.
Diameter.
Proportiuual
bulk.
155,000,000 345,000,000 160
Pallas J27O,OOO,OOO'l75,OOO,OO(>[365,OOO,O0O 110
.In no 1285,000,900] 1 90,000,000 385,000,000 1 1 9
Vesta I unknown | unknown | unknown Junknown
r,th
TTT) CoTi^h
unknown
Proportional
surface.
755(1 th
unknown
TABLE n. SATELLITES OF JUPITER.
Periodic revolution.
Synodic revolution.
d.
h. m.
s.
I.
1
18 27
QQ 47 6
n.
3
13 13
4.1 92 9
III.
7
3 42
'i'i^U.
IV.
16
16 32
»tV.'.
d. h. ni. 8.
1 18 28 2.5~Ul?o
3 13 17 53/,*,%
7 3 59 2.5 ^iU^
16 18 51 Y^giT^
iJistance from
11. in semi-
diameters of
Jupiter.
Distanc.' from 1^ in
parts of the ecliptic,
at l^"s mean dis-
tance from Earth.
Diameter,
the Earth
being 1.
^ToiT
9
14,11
■'^.'t 0
15 3
1 51
2 57
4 42
8 16
1^
0-V-
Magnitude,
the Earth
being 1.
Oil
Distance from
Jupiter in
English miles.
245,000
389,000
621,000
1,093,000
1
tJreatest se-
mi-duration
of eclipse.
Greatest semi-diameter
of Jupiter'sshadow that
the satellite passes
through.
Least distance
from the Earth
in Eng'ish
miles.
Mean distance
from the Earth
in English
miles.
Greatest dist.
from the Earth
in English
miles.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
h. m. s.
1 7 55
1 25 40
1 47 0
2 23 0
O 1 II
9 35 37
6 1 33
3 43 58
2 8 2
401,006„;62
400,862,713
400,630,308
400,158,586
496,765,289
496,765,289
496,765,289
496,765,289
592,524,016
592,667,865
592,900,270
593,371,992
TABLE in. SATELLITES OF SATURN.
h
Dist. from
Tj in semi-
Dist. from ^
in semiiliame-
Distance from Saturn in
parts of the ecliptic at
Dist. froiu
Jp in Eng-
Nearest ap-
proach to the
^
Pel iodic rcrolntion.
Sj-nodic revolution.
diameters
ters of the ring
Saturn's mean distance
Earth in Eng-
^
of ^.
of 1^.
from the Earth.
lish miles.
d. h. m. s.
d. h. m. s.
VII.
0 22 37 23
0 22 37 30
3^'^«
ly^
6 28\
112,000
815,515,647
VI.
1 8 53 9
1 8 53 24
iT^I?.
0 37
140,000
815,487,647
I.
1 21 18 26ii^,v
1 21 18 54f!^,9
4,^.,^,,^,
2yUo
0 43i.
172,000
815,455,647
II.
2 17 4-1 51-,',?,^
2 17 45 51t,m7.t
6\lt,
Q.I 4 3
0 56
217,000
815,410,647
HI.
4 12 25 11 t'o
4 12 27 55f„',?,7
G37r
^,1 oil
0 <)4
^1 OT
1 18
315,000
815,312,647
IV.
15 22 41 13,;",;
15 23 15 20/J,f,y
20 ^,Vo
sm
3 0
709,000
814,918,647
V.
79 7 S3 42 |^,«
70 OO Q 1 <? 8 8 3
^Hh
25H-J
8 42i
2,126,000
813,.')01,647 •
TABLE
IV. SATELLITES OF
HERSCHEL, OR
THE GEORGIUM SIDUS.
CJ
P«jriodic revolu-
tion.
Sj-nodic revolu-
tion.
Distance from
Hcrschel in se-
midiameteriof
Distance from Herschel
in parts of the ecliptic,
at the mean distance of
Dist. from
Herschel in
Enalish
Least (listanre
from Karth in
Greatest distance
from Earlh in
iJcrschel.
Herschel from Earth.
miles.
English miles.
English miles.
d. h. m. s.
d. h. m. s.
' *
»
'
1.
5 21 23 22
5 21 25 0
TO 1443
6 "25i
226,450
1,726,834,984
1,918,315,472
li.
8 16 57 43
8 17 1 19
17_.'93^
0 33
293,053
1,726,768,381
1,918,382,075
111.
10 22 58 20
10 23 4 0
1 q^8 9 6 9^
0 ,38^
342,784
1,726,718,650
1,918,431,806
IV.
13 10 56 29
13 11 5 1
-"ToTio
0 421
392,514
1,726,668,920
1,918,481,.536
V.
S8- jO 39 4
38 1 49 0
1 28?-
785,028
1,726,276,406
1,918,874,050
VI.
107 7 35 10 1 107 16 40 0
2 564
1,570,057
1,725,491,377
1,919,659,079
The waters sepcra'ed GENESIS
the evening and the
-were the second day.
9 % And God said, * Let the waters under
A.M.]. And
B. (;. n'Oi.
morning
A. M. t.
B. C. 40O4.
'Job C6. 10. & 38. 8. Psa. 14. 2. & 33. 7. & 95. 5. & 104. 9. & 136. 5, 6.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE PRECEDING TABLES.
In Table I. the quantity of the periodic and sidereal
revolutions of the ])lanels is expressed in common years,
each containing 365 days; as e.g. the tropical revolution of j
Jupiter is by the table, 11 years 315 day.-^ 14 hours 39 mi- !
nutes 2 seconds ; i. e. the exact number of days is equal to
11 years multiplied by 365, and the extra 315 days added
to the product, which make in all 4330 days. The side-
real and periodic timts are also set down to the nearest se-
cond of time, from numbers used in the construction of the
tables in the third edition oi M. de la Lande's Astronoi;. y.
The columns containing the yiieim distance of the plant is
from the 8nn in English miles, and tlieir greatest and least
distance from the Earth, are such as result from the best ob-
servations of the two last transits of Venus, which save the
solar parallax to be equal to 8 three fifth seconds of a degree ;
and consequently the Earth's diameter, as seen from the Sun,
must be the double of 8? seconds, or ITi seconds. From
this last quantity, compared with the apparent diameters of
the planets, as seen at a distance equal to that of the Earth
at her mean distance from the Sun, the diameters of the pla-
7tets in English utiles, as contained in the seventh column, have
been carefully computed. In the column entitled " Propor-
tion of balk, tlie Earth being 1." the whole numbers ex-
press the number of times the other planet contains more
cubic miles, &c. than the Earth ; and if the number of cu-
bic miles in the Earth be given, the number of cubic miles
in any planet may be readily found by multiplying the cubic
miles contained in the Earth by the number in the coluum,
and the product m ill be the quantity required.
Tliis is a small though accurate sketch of the vast Solar
Sj'stem; but to describe it fully even in all its knoiin revolutions
and connexions, in all its astonishing energy and influence, in ;
its wonderful plan, structure, operations, and resuU.=, would
require more volumes than can be devoted to the commentary
itself.
As so little can be said here on a subject so vast, it
may appear to some improper to introduce it at all : but
to any observation of this kind I must be permitled to re-
ply, that T should deem it unpardonable not to give a general
view of the Solar System in the very place where its cre-
ation is first introduced. If these works be stupendous and
magnificent, what must HE be who formed, guides and sup-
ports them all by the tLord of his power I — Reader, stand in awe
of this God, and sin not. Make him thy friend through the
Son of his love ; and when these heavens and this earth are no
more, thy .soul shall exist in consummate and unutterable felicity.
See the remarks on the Sun, Moon, and Stars, after ver. 16.
Verse 2. The earth ivas without form and void^ The oritji-
ginal terms inn tohoo and ins bohoo, which we translate v:ith-
■out form and void, are of uncertain etymology : but m this
place, and wherever else they are used, they convey the idea
of confusion and disorder. From these terms, it is probable.
Jrom the earth.
the heaven be gathered together un-
to one place, and let the dry la7id
appear : and it was so.
Prov. 8. 29. Eccles. 1.7. Jonali1.9. 2 Pet. 3. 5.
that the ancient Syrians and Egyptians borrowed their gods,
Theiith and Baii, and the Greeks their Chaos. God seems
at hrst to have created the elementary principles of all things;
a\id this formed the grand mass of matter, which in this state
must be without arrangement, or any distinction of parts : a
vast collection of indescrib.ibly confused materials, of name-
less entities strangely mixed ; and wonderfully well expressed
by an ancient Heathen poet.
Atite mare et terras, et, quod tegit omnia, Ccfilum,
Unus erat toto naturae vultus ifi orbe,
Qviem dixere Chaos ; rudis indigestaque moles.
Nee quicqnam nisi pondus incrs; congestaque eodem
Non bene junctaruin discordia semina rerum.
OVID.
Before the seas, and this terrestrial ball.
And heaven's high canopy that covers all;
One was the face of nature ; if a face :
Rather, a rude and indigested mass :
A lifeless lump, unfashion'd and uufram'd
Of jarring seeds, and justly Chaos nam'd. DRYDEN.
The most ancient of the Greeks have spoken nearly in the
same way of this crude indigested state of the primitive cha-
otic mass.
When this congeries of elementary principles was brotight
together, God was pleased to spend six days in assimilating,
assorting and arranging the materials, out of which he built
up, not only the earth, but the whole of the solar system.
The Spirit of Gorf] This has been variously and sti'angely
understood. Some think a violent wind is meant, because
rrn mach often signifies wind as well as spirit ; as 'nviujj.a does
in Greek ; and the term God is connected with it, merely,
as they think, to express ^\t superlative degree. Others un-
derstand by it an elementary fire. Others the &in, pene-
trating and drying up the earth with his rays. Others, the
angels, \^ ho were supposed to have been employed as agents
in creation. Others, a certain occult principle, termed the
anima nncndi, or soul of the world. Others, a magnetic at-
traction, by which all things were caused to gravitate to a
common centre. But it is sufficiently evident from the use
of the word in other places, that the Holy Spirit of God is
intended ; which our blessed Lord represents under the no-
tion o{wind, John iii. 8. and which, as a mighti/ rusliing wind
on the day of Pentecost, filled the house where the disciples
were sitting. Acts ii. 2. which was immediately followed by
their speaking with other tongues, because they were filled
with the Holj^ Ghost, ver. 4. These Scriptures sufficiently
ascertain the sense in which the word is used by Moses.
jl/orcrf] nSrpiD merachepheth was brooding over, for the
word expresses that tremulous motion made by the hen while
eitlier /i«^cA/)!^ her eggs, or fostering her young. It here pro-
bably signifies, the communicating a vital or prolific principle
The earth rendered prolific, and CHAP. I. dollied xcith trees, herbs, g7'ass, S;c.
A. Ml. 10 And God called the * dry fenrf I " grass, the herb yieldint? seed, atid a. ai. li.
" ''•"<"■ Earth; aiul the gather! n^if together .' the truit-trec yielding ** fruit after his
of the waters called he Seas: and God Siiw that
it teas good.
1 1 And God said, Let the earth ^ bring forth
•8 Pet. 3.5. MUb.e. 7.
to the waters. As tlie idea of Incubation, or hatching an egg
is imphcd in the oriijinal word, hence prob.ibly tlie notion,
wh.cU prevailed among- the ancients, that the world was ge-
nerated from an fj,'^.
Verse 3. And God said, I^t there be //;'/;/] niX »n»1 1\V 'H'
Yflll AL'R, fu yehi aur. Nolhinij^ can be cunceivcd more
(li};nificd than lliis form of expression. It argues at once nii-
controlable aulliority, and oinnific power; and in human lan-
guage it is scarcely possible to conceive tliat God can speak
more like himself. This passage, in the Greek translation of
the Septnagmt, fell in the way of Dionysius Longinus, one
of the iiiosi judicious Greek critics that ever lived, and who is
highly cilclirated over the civdized world, for a treatise he-
wrote, entitled TTffi u-^ou;, concerning the SUBLIME, both in
prose and poetry ; of this passage, though a heathen, he speaks
in the following ttrms : raurn uai o rav lou^aiuv 9sa'fio9£Tvii {ovx "
TW^wv avrif) e'Tret^ri tuv tcu Oucu $uvauiv xara TJjy a^ixv ex^ontre,
xa^npuviv, ziitiui tv Tn n^QoM ypx-^x; ruv vo/j.iiv, EIIIEN O
0KOS, ip.13-1, ri; FENEIGXl 0)122 y.ai eysvsTO- TENE-
SQli rii' xs'.i £~/£viro. " So likewise the Jewish Lawgiver {who
was no ordinary man) having conceived a just idea of the divine
power, he expressed it in a dignified manner; for at th( be-
giniiingof his laws he thus speaks: GO D .SA I U— What ? LET
THL;-;K HK {\GWY\ and there uas n^ht. LKT THERE
Br\ V.\WYV\\andlhereii3usearth." Longin. Sect. ix. edit. fVfn-cc.
Many have a~ked, " How could light be produced on the
frst dt.i/, and the sun, the fuunla;n of it, not created till the
fourth day'" With the various and often unphilosophical
answers wlrcli have been given to this question 1 will not
meddle; but sliall observe that the original word "l^S aur, sig-
nifies not only light but ^fire, see Isai. xxxi. y. Eztk. v. 2.
]t is Used for the SU.N, .Job xxxi. 2f). And for thj electric
fuid or MGUTMSG, Job xxxvii. ,3. And it is worthy of
remaik, that it is used in Isai. xliv. 16, for the /(!.■«/, derived
from B'X esh, the Jire. He burnetii part thereof in the fire,
(IPX 123 benio esh.) — Yea he warmeth himself, and saith aha!
• — I liave seen the fire, -,1N »n'jn raiti aur, vvhich a modern
philosopher who understood the language, would not scruple to
translate, I have received caloric, or an additional porti n of
the mait'.-r of heat. I therefore conclude, that as God has
difl'u ed the matter of caloric or lattnt h^-at through every
part of nature, without which there could be neither vegeta-
tion nor animal lif< , that it is caloric or latent heat which is
principally intended by tiie original word.
That there is Intent light, which is probably the same
■with latent heat, may be easily demonstrated : take two
pieces of smooth rock crystal, agate, cornelian, or (lint,
and rub them together hri^kly in the dark, and the la-
tent light or matter of caloric will be immediately pro-
duced and become visible. The light or caloric, thus dis-
kind, whose seed /'a' in itself, upon the earth:
and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and
' Heb. tender i;rass. '' Luke 6. 44.
engaged, does not operate in the same powerful manner
as the heat or fire which is produced by striking with flint
and steel ; or that produced by electric friction. The ex-
istence of this caloric, latent or primitive light, may be as-
certained in various other bodies; it can he produced by the
flint and steel, by rubbing twq hard sticks together, by ham-
mering cold iron, which in a short time becomes red hot ;
and by the strong and sudden compression of atmospheric
air in a tube. I'riction in general produces both fire and
tight. God therefore created this universal agent on the first day,
because, without it, no operation of nature could be carried
on or perfected.
Light is one of the most astonishing productions of the
creative skill and power of God. It is the grand medium
by which all his other works are discovered, examined, and
understood, so far as they can be known. Its immense dif-
fusion and extreme velocity are alone sufficient to demon-
strate the being and wisdom of God. Light has been
proved, by many experiments, to travel at the astonishing
rate of 194,188 miles in one second of time! and comes
from the sun to the earth in eight minutes 11*^ seconds, a
distance of 95,513,794 English miles.
Verse 4. God divided the light, from the darkness, l(C.']
This does not imply that light and darkness are two distinct
substances, seeing darkness is only the privation of light;
but the words sim()ly refer us, by anticipation, to the rotation
of the Earth round its own axis once iii twentj/-lhree hours,
fifty-six minutes, and four seconds, which is the cause of the dis-
tinction between day and night, by bringing the ditferent parts
of the surface of the Earth successively into, and from under,
the solar rays; and it was probably, at this moment, that God
gave this rotation to the Earth, to produce this merciful provi-
sion of day and night. — Eor the manner in which light is sup-
posed to be produced, see verse \6, undcrthe word Sun.
Verse 6. And God said. Let there be a firmament\ Our
translators, by following the Firmumentum of the Vulgate,
which IS a translation of the <nts%aiJ.a, of the Septuagint, have
deprived this passage of all sense and meaning. The Hebrew
word ppi rakia, fruin I»p1 rakn, to spread nut as the curtains of
a tent or pavilion, simply signifies an expanse or space, and, con-
sequently, that circuinamliient space or expansion, separating^
the clouds, which are in the higher regions of it, from the
seas, &c. which are below it. This we call the atmosphere,
the orb of atoms, or inconceivably small particles; but the word
appears to have been used by 'JMosis In a more extensive
sense, and to include the whole of the planetary vortex, or
the space which is occupied by the whole solar system.
Verse 1 0. And God called the dry bud earth, ami the gather.-
ing together of the waters called he seas."] These two constitute
what is called tbe terraqueous globe, m which the earth and Ike
Creation of the GENESIS.
A. M. 1. i^pi-b yiekling seed after his kind, ^ and
• ' '*""^' the tree yit-'Wing truit, whose seed
tvas in itself, atitcr his kind: and God saw that
it was good.
*Luke 6. 44. i>Deut. }. 19. Ps. 74. Iti. i: 13d. 7.
celestial luminaries.
A. M. 1.
B. C. 4004.
water exist in a most judicious proportion to each oflier.
Dr. Long took the papers ^vhich cover the surface of a
seventeen inch terrestrial globe, and havint; carefully sepa-
rated the land from the sea, he weighed the two collections
of papers acciiratily, and fmnd that the sea papers weighed
tliree hundred and forty-nine grains, and tiie land-papers only
one hundred and twenty-four; by which experiment it ap-
pears, that nearly thne-fourths of the surface of our globe,
from the arctic to the antarctic polar circles, are covered
with water. The Doctor did not weigh the parts within the
polar circles, liecausc there is no certain measurement of the
proportion of land and water which they contain. This pro-
portion of three-fourths water may be considered as too great,
if not useless: but Mr. Ka}', by most accurate experiments
made on evaporation, has proved that it requires so much
aqueous surface to yield a sutliciency of vapours for the pur-
pose of cooling the atmosphere, and watering the earth. See
Hay's I'hj/sico-theolorrical Discourses.
An eminent chemist and philosopher, Dr. Priestley, has very
properly observed, that it seems plain that Moses considered
the whole terraqueous globe as being created in a fluid state,
the earthy and other particles of matter being mingled with
the water. The present form of the earth demonstrates the
truth of the Mosaic account; for it is well known, that, if a
soft or elastic globular body l)e rapidly whirled round on its
axis, the parts at the poles will be flattened, and the parts on
the equator, midway between the north and south poles, will
be raised up. This is precisely the shape of our earth; it has
the figure of an oblate spheroid, a figure pretty much re-
sembling the shape of an oraji!;e. It has been demonstrated by
admeasurement, that the earth is flatted at the poles, and raised
at the equator. This was first conjectured by Sir Isaac New-
ton, and afterwards confirmed by M. Cassini and others, who
measured several degrees of lalilude at the equator and near
the north-pole, anil found that the difl'erence perttctly justi-
fied Sir Isaac Newton's conjecture, and consequently eonhrmed
the Mosaic account. The result of the experiments instituted
to determine this point, proved, that the diameter of the
earth at the equator is greater by more than tweniy-three and a
tialfn\i\es than it is at the poles, allowing the polar diameter
to be xj"*''' part shorter than t\\^: equatoi-iul, according to the re-
cent admeasurements of several degrees of latitude made by
Messrs. Mechain and Delambre. — L'llistoire des JUatheni.
par M. de la Lande, torn. iv. part v. liv. 6.
And God saiv that it uas good."] This is the judgment
which God pronounced on his own works. They were beuii-
ti/ul and perfect in their kind, for .such is the import of
the word 3>t3 toblt. They were in weight and measure,
perfect and entire, lacking nothing. But the reader will
think it strange that this approbation should bt expressed,
once on the first, fourth, ffth, and sixth days; tiuice on the
(hind, and not at all on the tecond .' I suppose that the words.
1 3 And the evening and the morn-
ing were the third day.
14 % And God said, Let there be " h'ghts in
the firmament of the heaven, to divide " the day
'Hcb. bctuern the liaij and between the night.
And God savj that it txns ^ood, have been either lost from the
conclusion of the eighth ^erse, or that the clause in the tenth
verse originally belonged to the eighth. It appears from the
Stptuagint translation, that the words in question existed
originally at the close of the eighth verse, in the copies which
they used ; for in that version we still find nai Eihv o ©eo; ot«
xaXo'j, And God saiv that it ivas s;ood. This reading, how-
e\ er, IS not acknowledged by any of Kennicott's or De Rossi's
MSS. nor by any of the other Versions. If the account of the
second day stood originally as it does now, no satisfactory
reason can be given for the omission of this expression of the
Divine approbation of the work wrought by his wisdom and
power on that day.
Verse 11. J^t the earth bring forth grass — herbs — fruit-trees,
tVc] In these general expressions all kinds of vegetable pro-
ductions arc included. Fruit-trees are not to be understood
here in the restricted sense in which the term i.s used among
us ; it signifies all trees, not only those which bear fruit,
which may be applied to the use of men and cattle, but also
those which had the power of propagating themselves by
seeds, &c. Now as God delights to manifest himself in the
little as well as in the great, he has shewn his consummate wis-
dom in every part of the vegetable creation. ^Vho can ac-
count for, or comprehend the structure of a single tree or
plant .' The roots, the stem, the woody fibres, the bark, the
rind, the air-vessels, the sap-vessel.s, the leaves, the flowers,
and the fruits, are so many mysteries. All the skill, wisdom,
and power of men and angels, could not produce a single
grain of -^i-heat ! A serious and reflecting mind can see the
grandeur of God not only in the immense cedars on Leba-
non, but also in the endlessly varied /oreWi that appear through
the microscope in the mould ofchee.se, stale paste, &c. &c.
\'erse 12. Whose seed wdA in itself] Which has the power
of multiplying itself by seeds, slips, roots, &c. ad infinitum:
which contains in itself all the rudiments of the future plant
through its endless generations. This doctrine has been
abundantly confirmed by the mo.st accurate observations of
the best modern philosophers. The astonishing power with
whicli God lias endued the vegetable creation to multiply its
diflerent species, may be instanced in the seed of the elm.
Tins tree produces one thousand Jive hundred and eighly-four
millions of seeds; and each qf these seeds has the power of
producing the same number. How astonishing is this pro-
duce ! At first one seed is deposited in the earth; from this
one a tree s])rings, which in the course of its vegetative life
produces one thousand fte hundred and eighty four millions
of seeds. This is the frst generation. The second genera-
tion will amont to tivo trillions, five hundred and ten thou-
sand and jifty-six billions, ^rhe third generation will amount
to fourteen thousand six hundred and ffry-eight quadrillions,
seven hundred and twenty seven thousand and forty trillions .'
iVnd the fourth generation from tliese would amount to fifty-
Design and use of the
A. M 1,
15 C •fiOl.
CHAP. I.
swv, moon, a7id stars.
from the night ; and let them be for i of the heaven, to give light upon
signs, and " for seasons, and tor days,
and years :
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament
• rs.74. 17. & 104. 19.
one seTlillions, four hundred and ei!;/iti/-one thousand three
hundred and ei^htj/-one qtiintillions, one hundred und txiH-ntij-
three thousand one hundred and thirty-six qundrillions ! Sums
too immense for the litinian mind to conceive ; and when we
allow the most confined space in whioli a tree can "tow, it
appears that the seeds of the third g-eneration from one elm
would be many myriads of times more than sufficient to stock
the whole s\ipertkie> of all the planets in the solar system !
Verse 14. And God said, Let there be lights, ifc.] One
principal oflice of these was !o diviile between day and night.
When night is considered astate of com|)arative diiikncss, liow
cai» lights divide or distinguish it ? The answer is easy ; the
sun IS the aionarih of the day, the state of light ; the moon
of the night, the stale of darkne.ss. 7'lie rays of the sun fall-
ing on the atmosphere, are refracted and dilFused over the
whole of that heniispheie of the earth immediately under his
orb; while tliose rays of that vast luminary, which because
of the earth's smallness in com])arison of the sun, are dillused
on all sides beyond the earth, falling on the opake disc of
the moon, are reflected back upon what may be called the
lower hemisphere, or that part of the earth which is opposite
to tlic part whicii is illuminated by the sun : and as the
earth completes a revolution on its own a.vis in about twenty-
four hour.>, consequently each htmisphere has alternate day and
night. Hut as the solar light reflected from the face of the moon
is allowed to be 50000 times less in intensity and efiect than
the light of the sun, as it comes directly from himself to our
earth, for light decreases in its intensity, as the distance it
Iraiels from the sun incrcusex ; therefore a suflicient distinc-
tion is made between day and night, or light and darkness,
notwithstanding each is ruled and determined by one of these
ixio great lights. The moon ruling the night, i. e. reflecting
fi-oiu iier own surface, back on the earth, the rays of light
which she receives from the sun. Thus both hemispheres are
to a certain degree illuminated; the one on which the sun
shines, completely so; this is day: the other on which the
sun's light is reflected by the moon, pariially; t\ni 'n night.
It is true, that both the planets and fixed -.tars iifliird a con-
siderable portion of light during the night, yet they cannot
be said to rule or to predcuninale by their light, because their
rays are quite lost in the superior splendor of the moon's light.
And let them be for signs] ,nnsS le-othoth. T,et them ever
be considered as contitnial token^ of God's tender care for
man, and as standing prodfs of his conliiiual miraculous in-
tertirence ; for so the word nx* oth is often used. And is it
not the almighty energy of God that upliolds theni in being.?
T he sun and moon also serve as signs of the dillerent changes
which take place in the atmo.s])liere, and which are so essen-
tial for all jjurposes of agriculluie, commerce, &e.
l-'or seasoitii] D'lN'^O vioddicm, t"nr the determination of the
times on which the sacred festivals kIiouKI be h- Id. In tin;- .sense
the earth : and it Mas so
16 And God "made two great lights:
greater light
.\ M. 1.
B.C. 4001.
the
to rule the day, and " the lesser
' Ps. 136. 7, 8, 9. & 148. 3, ."J. ' Heb./or the ml: of the day. " Pi. 8. S.
the w ord frequently occurs ; and it was right that, at the very
opening of his revelation, God .should inform man that there
were certain festivals which should he annually celebrated to
his glory. Some think we should understand the origmal
word as signifying months, fur which purpose we know the
moon essentially serves, through all the revolutions of time.
For duy.-i] ]5oth the hours of the day and night, as well
as the dift'erent lengths of the days and nighl.s, are distin-
guished by the longer and .shorter s[)aces the sun is above or
below the horizon.
For year.\] Those grand divisions of time, by vhicli all
succession in the vast lapse of duration is distinguished. This
refers principally to a complete revolution of the earth round
the sun, which is accomplished in 36 5 days, 5 hours. 48 nil-
miles, and 4S seconds : for, though the revolution is that of the
earth, yd it CLiimnt be determined but by the heavenly bodies.
Verse 16. And God made tieo great lights] Moses speaks
of the sun and moon here, not according to their Imlk or solid
content.'!, but according to the propor ion of light they shed
on the earth. The expression has been cavilled at by some
who are as devoid of mental capacity as of candour. " The
moon," say they, " is not a great body ; on the contrary, it
is the very smallc-t in our system." ^\ ell, and has Mo?es said
the contraiy ? He has said it is a great LIGHT: had he said
otherwise, he had not spoken the truth. It is, in reference to
the earth, next to the sun himself, the greatest light in the
solar system : and, so true is it, that the moon is a great light,
that it affords more light to the earth than all the jilanets in
the solar system, and all the innumerable .stars in the vault of
hiaveii put together. Il is worthy of remark, that on the
fourth day of the rrealion the sun v as formed, and then " first
tried his beams athwart the glooin profound ;" and that at the
conclusion of the/uuj/A niillenaiy from the creation, accordin^-^
to the Hebrew, the -Sun of Kighteou.sne.ss shone upon the
world, as deeply sunk in that mental darkness produced by -sin,
as the ancient world was while teeming darkness held the domi-
nion, till the sun was created as the dispenser of light. \\'hat
would the iiiiluial wnrld be without the sun ? A howling waste,
in which ncillu r animal nor vigetable life could possibly exist.
And what would the moral world be without Jesus Christ, and
the light of hu word and spirit ? Just what those parts of it now
are, where his light has not yet .shone — " Dark places of the
earth, filled with the liatntatiuns of crueltv," where eiTor pre-
\ails without end ; and ^uper^tition, engendering false hopes
and (idse lear>, degrades and debases the mind of man.
Many have supposed that the days of the creation answer
to so many Ihou.sands of years; and that as God created all
in six days, and rested the seventh, so the world shall last
s/ e thousand yrars, and the .\cfenth .shall be the eternal rest
til, It remains for the people of God. To this conclusion thev
have been Ud by these words of the apostle, 2 Pot. iii. 8,
r 2
The creation offsh.
A. M. 1.
B c.^om.
lio-ht to rule the night : he made
GENESIS
'the
fowls and reptiles.
stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the
heaven, to give hglit upon the earth,
18 And to " rule over the day, and over the
night; and to divide tiie hght fiom the darkness:
and God saw that it zcas good.
'^Job 38. 7.-
-•> Jer. 31. 3j. = Or, creeping.-
ktj'owl fly.
-■I Heb. soul. = Heb.
One iltiv is luilh the Lord as a thousand years ; and a thousand
years us one day. i^ijcTet tliinijs belong to God : those that
are reveakd to us and our children.
He made the stars also] Or rather, he made the lesser light,
ii:ith the stars, to rule the night.
or THE SUN.
On the nature of the sun there have been various con-
jectures. It was long thought that he was a vast globe of
Jire, l,38-l,4G2 times larger than the earth ; and that he was
continually emittitiLf from his body innumerable millions of
ftery particles, which bcinc; extremely divided, answered for
the purpose of light and lieat, without occasioning; any igni-
tion or burning, except when collected in the focus of a
convex lens or burning glass. Against this opinion, how-
ever, many serious and weighty objections have been made ;
and it has been so pressed with difficulties, that philosophers
have been obliged to look for a theory less repugnant to nature
and probability. Dr. Herscliel's discoveries, by means of
liis immensely magnifying telescopes, have, by the general
consent of philosophers, added a nev; habitable xvorld to our
system, which is the SUN. WiUiout stopping to enter into
detail, which would be improper here, it is sufficient to saj',
that these discoveries tend to prove, that what we call the
itin is only the atmosphere of that luminary ; " that this at-
mosphere consists of various elastic Jlnids, that are more or
less lucid and transparent ; that as the clouds belonging to
our earth are jirobably decompositions of some of the elastic
fluids belonging to the atmosphere itself, so wc may suppose
that in the vast atmosphere of the sun, similar decompo-
sitions may take place, but with this difference, thai the de-
compositions of the elastic fluids of the sun are o{' a phosphoric
nature, and are attended by lucid appearances, by giving
out li'fht." The body of the sun he considers as- hidden
tjeneraliy from us, by means of this luminous atmosphere;
but what are called the macuhe or .'^pots on the sun, are real
openings in this atmosphere, through which the opaque body
of the sun becomes visible : that this atmosphere itself is not
fieri/ nor hot, but is the instrument which God designed to
act on the calorie or latent heat ; and that heat is ftnly pro-
duced by the solar light acting upon and combining with
Ihe caloric or matter of fire contained in the air, and other
6ubst.inccs which are heated by it. This ingenious theory
is supported by many plausible reasons and illustrations, which
may be seen in the paper he read before the Royal Society.- —
On this subject, see the note on verse 3.
OF THE MOON.
There is «carcely any doubt now remaining in the philo
5
19 And the evening and the morn-
A. M. 1.
B. C. 4no*.
ing were the fourth tUiy.
20 % And God said, Let the waters bring
forth abundantly the " moving creature that hath
" lite, and " fowl that may fly above the earth in
the ^ open firmament of heaven.
21 And ^ God created great whales, and every
' Iltb. face of the firmttmi-nl of heaven. —
•^ l'.i. UH. -26.
-B cli. 6. 20. & 7. 14. & a. 19.
sophical world, that the moon is a habitable globe. The
most accurate observations that have been made with the most
powerful telescopes, have confirmed the opinion. The moon
seems, in almost every respect, to he a body similar to our
earth, to have its surface diversified liy hill and dale, moun-
tains and vallies, ri\ers, lakes, and seas. And there is the
fullest evidence that our earth serves as a moon to the moon
herself, differing only in this, that as the earth's surface is thir-
teen times larger than the moon's, so the moon receives from the
earth a light thirteen limes greater in splendor than that which
she imparts to us : and by a very correct analogy we are led
to infer, that all the planets and their satellites, or attendant
moons, are inhabited ; for matter seems only to exist for the
sake of intelligent beings.
OF THE STARS.
The STARS, in general, are considered to be suns, similar
to that in our system ; each having an appropriate number of
planets moving round it : and that, as these stars are innu-
merable, consequently there are innumerable worlds, all de-
pendent on the power, protection, and providence of God.
Where the stars are in great abundance. Dr. Herschel sup-
poses they form primaries and secondaries ; i. e. suns re-
volving about suns, as planets revolve about the sun in our
system. He considers that this miist be the case in what is
called the niilky nay; the stars being there in prodigious
quantity. Of this he gives the following proof: On Au-
gust 22, 1792, he found that in 41 minutes of time, not
less than 258,000 stars had passed through tlie field of view
in his telescope. What must God be, who has made, go-
verns, and supports so many worlds ! — For the magnitudes, dis-
tances, revolutions, 5|-c. of the Sun, Moon, Planets and their Sa-
tellites, see the preceding TABLI.S.
Verse 20. Let the tcuten bring forth abundantly] There
is a meaning in these v\ ords which is seldom noticed. In-
numerable nnllions of animaleula are found in water. Emi-
nent naturalists have discovered not Ifss than 30,000 in a
single drop ! How inconceivably small must each be, and
yet each a perfect animal, fiimished with the whole apparatus of
hones, muscles, nerves, heart, arteries, veins, lungs, viscera in
general, animal spirits, &c. &c. What a proof is this of the
manifold wisdom of God ! But the fecundity of fishes is
another point intended in the text; no creatures are so pro-
lific as these. A TENCH lays 1000 eggs, a CARP 20,000,
and Leuwenhoek counted in a middling-sized COD, nine jnil-
lion 384,000 ! Thus, according to the purpose of God, the
waters brin<r forth abundantly. And what a merciful pro-
vision is this for the necessities of man ! Many hundred? of
Creallon of xcild CHAP. I. oml tame catlk, S^-c,
living creature that movcth, which | 24 ^ And God said. Let the earth a.m.i.
the waters broiigiit forth al)iin(hintly, ': bring forth tlie hving creature after
A. M t
B. c. -wot.
after their kind, and every winged fowl alter his
kind: and CJod saw that it uas good.
22 And God blessed ihcm, saying, "Be fruit-
ful, and multiply, and till the waters in the seas,
and let fowl nndtiply in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning were the
fifth day.
B. C. 400.1.
•Cli.8. 17.-
->■ ch. 5. 1. & 9. 6. Ps. 100. 3. Eecles. 7. ?9. Acts 17. 26.
thousamU of the earth's inhabitants live, for a great part of
the year, onjish only. Fish allbrtl not only a wiiolesome, but
a very nutritive diet : tliey are liable to few diseases, and
generally come in vast quantities to our shores, wlien in their
greatest perfection. In this also we may see tliat the kind
providence of God goes hand in hand with his crcaliiicr
energy. While he manifests his wisdom and his power, he
is making a permanent provision for liie sustenance of man
ihrouoh all his generations.
Verse 21. And God created /rrcat iihuks] CD'bijn :^3*:nn
ha-tiiiwcenim liii-a^edoleem. Though this is generally under-
stood by the diflerent versions as signifying vjhales, yet the
original must he undei-stf)od rather as a general than a particu-
lar term, comprising all the great aquatic animals, such
as the various species of whales, the porpoise, the dolphin,
the monoceros or narwal, and the shark. God delights to
shew himself in little as well as ^reat things: hence he forms
animals so minute, that 30,000 can be contained in one
drop of water; and others so great, that they seem to require
almost a whole sea to float in.
verse 22. Let fowl multipUj in the enrlli.] It is truly
astonishing witli what care, wisdom, and mniute skill God
lias formed the diflei-cnt genera and species of birds, whether
intended to live chiefly 'on land or in water. The structure
of a single feather aiVords a world of wonders; and as God
made the fowls that they might fy in the firmament of heaven,
ver. 20, so he has adapted the form of their bodies, and the
structure and disposition of their plumage, tor that very
purpose. The head and neek in flying, are drawn princi-
pally wiihin the breast-bone, so that the whole under-part
exhibits the appearance of a ship's hull. The wings are
made use of as sails, or rather oars, and the tail as a helm
or rudder. By means of these, the creature is not only able
to preserve the centre of gravity, but also to go with vast
speed through the air, either straight forward, circularly, in
any kind of angle, upwar<ls or downwards. In these also
God has shewn his skill and his power in the great and in
the liitlc — in the vast ostrich and cassoiuart/, and in the
beautiful humming-bird, which in plumage excels the splen-
dor of the peacock, and in size is almost on a level with the
Lee.
Verse 24. Let the earth bring forth the living creature, ^c]
H'n U'CJ ncphesh chaiyah, a general term to express all crea-
tures endued with animal life, in any of its inlinilely varied
gradations, from the half- reasoning elephant down, to the
his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast
of the earth after liis kind : and it was so.
2.5 And God made t^ie beast of the earth after
his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every
thing that crecpeth upon the earth alter his
kinti : and God .saw that it xcas good.
26 ^ And God said, "Let us malvc man in our
28, 29. 1 Cor. 11. 7. Epli. 4. 2*. Col. 3. 10. Jam. 3. 9;
stupid potto, or lower still, to the pohpe, which seems-
cf|ually to share the vegetable and animal life. The word
iri»n chaij/eto, in the latter part of the verse, seems to signify
all ivild animals, as lions, tigers, &c. and especially such as
are camiroroiis, or live on Jlesh, in contradistinction front
domestic animals, such as are graminivorous, or live otv
grass and other vegeiables ; and are capable of being tamed,
and ap])lied to domestic ])urposcs. These latter are pro-
bably meant by ncna hehemah, in the text, which we trans-
late cattle, such as horses, kinc, sheepj dogs, Ifc. Crecpin<r
thing, CD! re?ne.i, all the different genera of serpents, tvorms,
and such animals as have no feet. In beasts also God has
shewn his wondrous skdl and power; in the vast elephant, or
still more colossal mammoth, or mcgalonux, the whole race of
which apjjears to be extinct, a few skeletons only remaining.
This anmial, an astonishing effect of God's power. He seems
to have produced merely to shew what he could do ; and
after sufl'ering a few of them to propagate, he extinguished
the race by a merciful providence, that they might not:
destroy both man and beast. The mammoih, or mtgalonvx,
is a carniiorott.i animal, as the structure of the teeth proves:
and of an immense size : from a considerable part of a
skeleton which I have seen, it is computed that the animal
to which it belonged must have bee^n nearly twenty-Jive feet
high, and sixty in length ! The bones of one toe are entire;
the toe upwards of three feet in length, tew elephants have
ever been found to exceed eleven feet in height. How won-
drous are the works of God ! IJut his skill and power arc not
less seen in the beautiful chcvrotin, or tragutus, a creature or
the antelope kind, the smallest of all bifid or cloven-footed
animals, who.se delicate limbs are scarcely so large as
an ordinary "goose quill ; and also in the shnix ?nou3e, per-
haps the smallest of the many-toed qiiaiiruptds. In the:
repiile kind we see also the same skill and power, not only
in the imiiiense snake called Boa constrictor, the mortal foe
and conqueror of the royal tiger ; bi't also in the Cobra do.
Manille) a venemous serpent, only a little larger than a com-
mon sewing needle.
Verse 25. And God made the beast of the earth after his
kind, iic.'] Every thing both in the animal and vegetable
world was made so according to its kind, both in genus autl
species, as to produce its uivn kind through endlcsvs genera-
tions. Thus the several races of animaLs and plants have-
been kept distinct from the foundation of the world to the
present day. This is a \)rooi that uU future generations «£"
The creation of man in
A. M. 1.
H. C. 4001.
image, after our likeness
them liave dominion over the fish of
the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over
the cattle, and overall the earth, and over every
creeping tiling that creepeth upon the earth.
27 »So God created man in his oivn image, ''in
the image of God created he him ; " male and
tcmalc created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto
them, ■* Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish
•rii. 9. ?. I's. B. 6. "ICor. 11. 7. 'cti. 5. 2. Mai. 2. 15. Malt.
19. 4. Mark 10. G. * ch. 9. 1.7. Lev. 26. 9. Ps. 127. 3. t 128. 3. 4.
GENESIS. the image of God.
and Met lithe earth, and subdue it: and have
plants and animals, have been seininally included in those
whicli God formed in the befjinning.
Verse '26. .Ind God said, Let us make mnri] It is evi-
dent that God intends to impress the mind of man with a sense
of .something extraordinary in the formation of his body and
soul, when he introduces the account of his creation thus :
Lei US make man. The word OIX Adam, which we
translate vmn, is intended to designate the specks of animal,
as in'n chaieto marks the iL-itd beasts, that live in general a
solitary lite; r^CTO belietiuih, domestic or gregarious animals;
and trui retries, ail kinds of reptiles, from the largest snake
to the microscopic eel. Though the same kind of organ-
ization may be found in man, as appears in the lower ani-
mals, yet there is a variety and complication in the parts, a
delicacy of structure, a nice arrangement, a judicious adapta-
tion of the different members to their great offices and func-
tions, a dignity of mien, and a perfection of the whole, which
are sought for in vain in all other creature.*. See ch. iii. 22.
In our image, afer our likeness] What is said above re-
fers only to the body of man; what is here said refers to his
soul. This was made in the imct:;e and likeness of God.
Now, as the Divine Being is infinite, he is neither limited
by parts, nor definable by passions; therefore he can have
no corporeal image after which he made the body of man.
The image and likeness must necessarily be intellectual :
his mind, his soul, must have been formed after the nature
and perfections of his God. The human mind is still en-
dowed with mo.st extraordinary capacities : it was more so
when issuing out of the hands of its Creator. Cyod was now
producing a spirit, and a spirit too, formed after the per-
fections of his own nature, (jod is the fountain whence this
spirit issued ; hence the stream must re.semble the Spring
which produced it. God is holy, ju>t, wise, good, and per-
fect ; so must tlic so<il be that sprang from him : there could
be in it nothing impure, unjust, ignorant, evil, low, base,
mean or vile. It was created after the image of God; and
that linage, St. Paul tells us, consisted in rigliteousness, true
holiness, and knoxslcdtre, Kph. iv. 24. ("oloss. iii. 10. Hence
man was wise in his mind, lioly in his heart, and righteous
in his actions. Were even the word of God silent on this
subject, we could not infer less from the lights held out to us
by reason and common .sense. The text tells us, he was the
«ork of Eloiii.m, the Divine Plurality, marked here more
A. M. 1.
U. C. 4004.
dominion over the fi.sh of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air, and over every li\ing
thing that ' moveth upon the earth.
29 % And God said, Behold, I have given
you every herb 'bearing seed, which is upon
the face of all the earth, and eveiy tree, in the
which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed ; ^ to
you it shall be for meat.
30 And to " every beast of the earth, and to
' Hcl). creepeth —
14, 15. & XJ6. 25.
—' Heb. seeding seed. —
& 146. 7. Acts 14. 17.-
= cli. 9. 3. Job 36.31. Ps. 101
— " Ps. 145. 15, 16. tc 1 17. 9.
distinctly by the plural pronouns US and OUR; and to
shew that he was the master-piece of God's creation, all the
persons in the Godhead are represented as united in counsel
and eflbrt to produce this a.stonishing creature.
And let them haze dominion] Hence we see that the do-
minion was not the image. God created man capable of
governing the world; and when fitted for the office, he
fi.xed him in it. We see God's tender care and parental
solicitude for the comfort and well-being of this master-piece
of his workmanship, in creating the world previously to the
creation of man. He prepared every thing for his subsist-
ence, convenience, and pleasure, before he brought him into
being; so that, comparing little with great things, the house
was budded, furnished, and amply stored, by the time, the
destined tenant was ready to occupy it.
h has been supposed by .some, that God speaks here to
the Angels, when he says. Let us make man : but to make
this a likely interpretation, the.se persons must prove, I .
That Angels were then created. 2. That Angels could
assist in a work of creation. 3. That Angels were them-
selves made in the image and likeness of God. If they
were not, it could not be said in OUU image; and it does
not appear from any part in the sacred writings, that any
creature but man was made in the image of God. — Sec the
note on Psal. viii. 5.
Verse 28. And God blessed them] Marked them as being
under his especial protection, and gave them power to pro-
pagate and multiply their own kind on the earth. A large
volume would be insulTicieiit to contain what we know of the
excellence and p< rfection of man, even in his present de-
graded fallen state. Both his \>ody and soul are adapted
with astonishing wisdom to their residence and occupations ;
and also Xhc place of their residence, as well as the surround-
insT objects, in their diversity, colour, and mutual relatioRs,
to the mind and body of this lord of tin- creation. 'J he con-
trivance, arrangement, action, and re-action of the ditli rent
parts of the body, shew llie admirable skill of the v.ondrous
Creator; while the various powers and faculties of the mind
acting on, and by, the different organs of this body, pro-
claim the souCs divine origin, and demonstrate, that he who
was made in the image and likeness of Ciod, was a trans-
cript of his own excellency, destined to know, love, and
dwell with his Maker throughout etirnity.
The vegetables given to the
every ' fowl of the air, and to every
thinj? that crccpeth upon tlie earth,
wherein there is Mifc, J have given every green
lierb for meat: and it was so.
A M. 1.
B. C. 4004
CHAP. I.
31 And
» Job 38. •11. ^ Heb. a IhiHg soul.
Verse 2!". / hare girai every ?;•«« herb for meat.J It
seems from tliis, says an eminent pliilosopher, that man was
originally intended to live upon vegetables only: and as no
change was made in the structure of men's bodies after the
flood" it is not probable that any change was made in the
articles of their food. It may also be inferred from this
passage, that no animal whatever was originally designed to
prey on others ; tor nothing is here said to be given to any
beast of the earth besides green herbn. Dr. Priestley. — Before
sin entered into the world, there could be, at least, no violent
deaths, if any death at all.
Verse 31. And behold it ti-as very good.] nSO 3113 toUi
meod. Superlatnelj/, or onli/ good : as good as they could
be. The plan wise, the work Mell executed, the difterent
parts properly arranged, their nature, limits, mode of ex-
istence, manner of propagation, habits, mode of sustenance,
&c. &c. properly and permanently established and secured ;
for every thing was formed to the utmost perfection of its
nature, so that nothing could be added or diminished with-
out encumbering the operations of niatfer and spirit on the
one hand, or rendering them inellicient to the end proposed,
on the other ; and God has so done all tiiese marvellous works
as to be glorified in all, bi/ all, and through all.
And the evening and the morning nrre tlie sixth day.] The
word yyff ereb, which we translate evening, comes from the root
y^y drab, to iuini;le, and properly signifies that state in
which neither absolute darkness, nor full liglit, prevails. It
has nearly the same grammatical signification with our iiii-
light, tlie time that elapses from the setting of the sun till he
is eighteen degrees below the horizon, and eighteen degrees be-
fore he arises. Thus we have the morning and evening
twilight, or mixture of light and darkness, in which neither pre-
vails; because, while the sun is within eighteen degrees of
the horizon, either after his setting, or before his rising, the
atmosphere has power to refract the rays of liglit, and send
tliem back on the earth. The Hebrews extended the mean-
ing of lliis term to the whole duration of night, because it
was ever a mingled slate, the moon, the planets, or the stars,
tempering the darkness with some rays of light. From the
ereb of Moses came the EpiBo? Erehu.^ of Hesiod, Aristophanes,
and other heathens, which they deijled, and made with i\o.r,
or night, the parent of all things.
The morning] ip3 boquer, from ip3 buquar, he looked
out — di beautiful figure, which represents the morning as
iooking out at the East, and illuminating the whole of the
upper hemisphere.
Thrts ends a chapter containing the most extensive, most pro-
found, and most sublime truths, that can possibly come within
the reach of the human intellect. How unspeakably are we
indebted to God for giving us a revelation of his WILL and
o( bis WORKS ! Is it jwssible to know the mind of God but
etnimals for food.
God saw ever}' tiiinjr that ''^- ^^- ^•
he had made, and, hchokl, // icas very .^l,^'' !'""'!:
good. And the evening and the morning were
the sixth day.
■= Ps. 104. 24. LaHi. 3. 38. 1 Tim. 4. 4.
from himself? It is impossible. Can those things and ser-
vices which are worthy of, and pleasing to an infinitely pure,
perfect, and holy Spirit, be ever found out by reasomii'^ and
conjecture ? Never ! tor the .Spirit of God alone can know
the mind of God; and by this Spirit he has revealed him-
self to man ; and in this revelation has taught him not only
to know the glories and perfections of the Creator, but also
his own origin, duty, and interest. Thus far it was essen-
tially necessary that God should reveal his WILL : but if he
had not given a itveluti(jn of his WORKS, the origin, con-
stitution, and nature of the universe, could never have b'-en
adequately known. The ivorld by aisdoin knew not God :
this is demonstrated by the writings of the most learned and
intelligent heathens. 'Iliey had no just, no rational notion
of the orii^in and design of the universe. Moses alone, of
all ancient writers, gives a consistent and rational account of
the creation ; an account which has been confirmed by the
investigations of the most accurate philosophers. But where
did he learn this? " In Egypt." That is impossible: for the
Egyptians themselves were destitute of this knowledge. The
remains we have of their old historians, all jiosterior to the
time of Moses, are egregious for their contradictions and ab-
surdity ; and the most learned of the Greeks, who borrowed
from them, have not been able to make out, from their con-
joint stock, any consistent and credible account. Moses has
revealed the mystery that lay hid from all preceding ages,
because he was taught it by the inspiration of the Almighty.
Re.^DER, thou hast now before thee the most ancient and
most authentic history in the world, a history that contains
the first written discovery that God has made of himself to
mankind. A discovery of his own Being in his ii'isdom,
poitier, and goodness, in which thou and the whole human
race are so intimately concerned. How much thou art in-
debted to Him for this discovery, He alone can teach thee;
and cause thy heart to feel its obligations to his wisdom and
mercy. Rend so as to understand, for these things were
written for thy learning; therefore 7nark what thou readest,
and inwardly digest, deeply and seriously meditate on what
thou hast marked, and pray to the Father of lights that he
may open thy understanding, that thou mayest know these
Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation.
God made thee and the universe, and governs all things
according to the counsel of his will : that will is infinite
goodness, that counsel is unerring wisdom. While under
the direction of this counsel, thou canst not err; while under
the influence of this will, thou canst not be wretched. Give
thyself up to his teaching, and submit to his authority ; and
after "-uidinn- thee here by his counsel, he will at last bring
thee to his glory. Every object that meets thy eye, should
The appointment and
GENESIS.
sanctification of the salhath.
teach thee reverence, submission, and gratitucle. The earth
and its productions were made for thee; and the providence
of tby heavenly Father, infinitely diversified in its operations,
watches over and provides for thee. Behold the firmament
•f his power, the Sun, Moon, Planets, and Stars, which
he has formed, not for himself, for he needs none of these
Ihinsjs, but for his intelligent ofVspring. What endless gra-
tification has he designed thee, in placing within thy reach
these astonishing efti:cts of his wisdom and power, and in
rendering thee capable of searching out their wonderful re-
lations and connexions; and of knowing himself the source
of all perfection, by having made thee in his own image.
and in his own likeness! It is true, thou art fallen : but he
has found out a Ransom. God so loved ibee, in conjunction
with the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have ever-
lasting life. Bel eve on HIM: through bin ahne cometh
salvation; and the lair and holy image of God, in which tbou
wast created, shall be again restored; he will build thee up
as at the first, restore tliy judges and counsellors as at the
beginning, and in thy second creation, as in thy first, will
pronounce thee to be very irood, and tliou shalt shew forth the
virtues of Him by whom thou art created anew in Christ
Jesus. Amen.
CHAPTER II.
The spfenfh da>/ is consecrated for a sabbath, and the reasons assigned, 1 — 3. ^ recapitvlation of the six dtiys
tiork of creation, 4 — 7- The garden of Eden planted, 8. Its trees, 9- Its rivers, and the coun'iies icatered
by them, 10 — 14. Jldam placed in the garden and the command given not to eat of the tree of knoa ledge, on
pain of death, 15 — 17- God purposes to form a companion for the man, 18. The different animals brought
to Jdam that he might assign them their names, 19, 20. The creation of the xooman, 21, 22. The instil ution
of marriage, 23, 24. The puvitij and innocence of our first parents, 25.
A. M. I.
B. C. WM.
THUS the heavens and the earth
were finished, and " all the host
of them.
2 " And on the seventh day God ended his
»Ps. 33. 6. ' Eiod. 20. 11. &31. J7. Deut. 5. 14. Hcbi. 4. 4.
NOTES ON CHAP. II.
Verse 1. And all the host of them.l The word host signi-
fies literally an ariuy, composed of a number of companies
of soldiers under their respective leaders; and seems here ele-
gantly applied to the various celestial bodies in our system,
placed by the Divine Wisdom under the miluence ot the
sun. From the original word N3X Isuba, a host, some sup-
pose the Saheiins had their nauie, because of their paying
divine honours to the heavenly bodies. From the Se|)tua-
gint version of this place, wa; o KotT/jio; aurav, all their ornnnienls,
■we learn the true meaning of the v\ord kotuci couiinonly
translated -ioorld, which signifies a decorated or adorned
■whole or system. And this refers to the beautiful order,
harmony, and regularity, which subsist among the various
parts of creation. This translation must impress the reader
with a very favourable opinion of these ancient Greek trans-
lators: had thy not examined the works of God with a
philosophic eye, they never could have given this tuvn to
the original.
Vcree 2. On tin SEVENTH day God ended, ijc] It ii the
A. M. 1.
B C. 400t.
work which he had made ; and he
rested on the seventh day from all
his work which he had made.
3 And God " blessed the seventh dav, and sanc-
« Nell. 9. 14. Isiii. 58. 13.
general voice of Scripture, that God finished the whole of
the creation in SIX days, and rested the seventh! giving us an
example thai we might labour sn days, and rest t ;e seventh
Irom all manual exercises. It is worihy ot notice, that the
Sepliiagint, the .Syriac, and the Samaritan, read tlie sLilh day
instead of the scicnth ; and this should be considered the genuine
reading, which a)ipears from these ver-io:is, to have been origi-
nally, th.it of the Hebrew text. How the word sixth became
changed into seventh, may be easily conceived from this cir-
cumstance. It is very likely that, in ancient times, all the
numerals were signified by tellers, and not by words at full
lengih. I'his is the case in the most ancient Grctk and
I atin MSS. and in almost all the Rabbinical writings.
VV^ien tlie.se numeral letters became changed for words at
fiill lengih, two letters nearly similar, might be mistaken for
each other: ^ vau stands for six, 1 zain ibr seten: how easy
to mistake these letters for each other, when writing the
words at full lengtli, and so give birth to the reading in
question !
Verse 3. And God blessed tlte seventh du^] Tlie original
Plants created in a state of perfection.
■^•M->- titled it: because that in it he had
"■ ^ *"^- rested from all his work which God
* created and made.
4 ^ " These are the generations of the heavens
and of the earth when they were created, in the
day that the Lord God made the earth and the
heavens.
■ neb.
</i(£ii (o make. 'ch. 1. 1. Ps. 90. i, 'J. = cli. 1. 1'/.
word "pa haruc, winch is n:eneral1y rentlered to hUss, has a
very extensive meaning;. It is frequently used m Scripture
in llie sense of speaking good of or to a person ; and hence
literally and properly rendered by the Scptuafjinl iu'KDyriiTiv,
from £1/ good or xcdl, and Xsyw / speak. So God has spoken
■uiell of the sabhalli, and good to them who conscientiously
observe it Blessing, is applied both to God and man; but
when God is said to bless, we generally undir.stand by the
expression, that he communicates some good : but w hf n man
is said to bless God, we surely cannot imagine that he bc-
stoivs any gift, or confers any benefit on his Maker. The
truth is, that when God is said to bless, either in the Old or
New Testament, it signifies bis speaking good TO 7nan ; and
this comprizes the whole of his exceeding great and precious
promises: And when man is said to bless (Jod, il ever implies
that he speaks good OF him, for the giving and fulfilment of
his promises. Tliis observation will be of general use in
considering the Tarious places wliere the word occurs in the
sacred writings. Header, God blesses thee, when, by his pro-
mises, he speaks good to thee : and tliou dost ble.w Inm, when,
from a consciousness of his kindness to thy body and soul, thou
art thankful unto him, and speakcst ^ood OF his name.
Because that in il lie had rested] rou^ shebath, from shabath,
he rested ; and hence, sabbath, the n:ime of the seventh day,
signifying a day of rest — Rest to the body from labo\ir and
toll ; and rest to tlie soul from all worldly care and anxieties.
He who labours with his mind by worldly schemes and plans
on the sabbath-day, is as culpable as he who labours with his
hands in his accustomed calling. It is by the authority of
God that tlie sabbath is set apart for rest and religious pur-
pose.<, as tlte six days of ll>e week are appointed for lahour.
How wise is this provision ! it is essentially necessary, not
only to the body of man, but to all the animals employed
in his service: take this away, and the labour is too great;
both man and beast would fail under it. \\'ithout this con-
secrated day, religion itself would fail, and the human mind,
becoming sensualized, would soon forget Us origin and end.
Kven as a political regulation, it is one of the wisest and
most beneficent in its effects of any ever instituted. Those
who hahitually disregard its moral obligation, arc to a man, not
only good for nothiuig, but are wretched in themselves, a
curse to society, and often ent! their lives miserably. See
the Notes on Kxod. xx. 8. xxiii. 12. xxiv. 16. and xxxi. 13.
to which the reader is particularly desired to refer.
As God formed both the mind and body of man on princi-
ples o( activity, so he assigned him proper employment : and
it is his decree, that the mmd shall improve by exercise, and
A M.i.
B. C. 401)4.
CHAP. II. Of rain and dew
5 And every 'plant of the field before
it was in the earth, and every herb of
the field before it grew : for the Lord God had
not "^ caused it to rain upon the earth, and there
was not a man 1 to till the groiuul.
6 But "^ there went up a mist fioni the earth,
and watered the whole face of the around.
I's. 1(14. 14 '".lobja. M, 27, '28.-
vfcnt upjrom, t^-c .
-'ell. 3. 2;i.-
-*'Or, a mist which-
the body find increase of vigour and health in honest labour.
He who iillis away his time in the six days, is equallv cul-
pable in thi' sight of God, as lie who works on the serent/t.
The idle person is ordinarily clothed with rags; and the
sabbath-breakers frequently come to an ignominious death. —
Reader, beware !
Verse 4. In the day that the Lord God made, ifc] The
word niiT Ychotah, in for the first time ntentioned here.
Wliat It signifies, see on Exod. xxxiv. 5, 6. Wherever this
word occurs in the sacred writings we tra\islate it LORD,
which word is, through respect and reverence, alwaj-s printed
in capitals. Though our English term Lord does not give
the particular meaning of the original word, yet it conveys
a strong and noble sense. Lord is a contraction of the Anglo-
Saxon hlaponb Hlaford, afterward written Lovepa lorerd, and
lastly Lord ; from hlap hlaf, bread: hence our word loaf;
and popb Jbr(/, to supply, to give out. The word, therefore,
implies tlie giver of bread; i. e. he who deals out all the
necessaries of life. Our ancient English noblemen were
accustomed to keep a continual open house, where all their
vassals, and all strangers, had full liberty to enter, and eat
as much as lliiy would ; and hence those noblemen had the
honourable name of lords, i. e. the dispensers of bread.
There are about three of the ancient nobility who still keep
up this honourable custom, from which the very name of
their nobility is derived. M'^e have already seen, ch. i. 1.
with what judgment our Saxon ancestors expressed Deus, the
Supreme Being, by the term God ; and we see the same
judgment consulted by their use of the term Lord, to ck-
press the word Dominus, by which terms the Vulgate version,
which they used, expresses Elohim and Jehovah, which we
translate LonD GOD. GoD is ihe good Being, and LoilD,
is the dispenser of bread, the giver of every good and per-
fect gift, who liberally affords the bread that perishctli to
every man ; and has amply provided the bread that endures
unto eternal life for every human soul. With what pioprielv
then does this word apply to the Lord Jesus, who is em-
phatically called the bread of Life ; the bread of God, tuhick
conieth doixn from heaven, and xihich is given for tlie life of
the world? John vi. 13, 48. 51. What a pity that this
most impressive and instructive meaning of a word in such
general use, were not more extensively known, and more
particularly regarded !
Verse 6. Every plant of the field before it tvas in the earth]
It appears that God created every thing, not only perfect
as it respects its nature, but also in a state of maturity ; s»
that every vegetable production appeared at oace iit lull
D
Fonnafion of man.
GENESIS.
Garden of Eden*
A. i\i. 1. 7 And the Lord God formed man
^- '^- ^''^' ' of the ■" dust of the ground, and
* breathed into his " nostrils the breath of Hte ;
and ^ man became a living soul.
8 % And the Lord God planted ''a garden
* eastward in " Eden ; and there ' he put the man
whom he had formed.
'Ueh.duitofihc groiniil. '■cli. 3. 19, 23. Ps, 103. 14. Eccles. 12. 7.
Isa. 64. 8. 1 Cor. 15. 47. •" Job 33. 4. Acts 17. So. '^ ch. 7. 2?.
Isa. 2. S2.— =1 Cor. 15. 45. 'cli. 13. 10. Isa. 51. 3. Ezek. '-'8. 13.
growth : and this was necessary, that man, wlien he came Into
being-, might find every thing ready for his use.
Ver.<e 6. There ivent up a mi.it'] This passage appears
to have s^reatly embarrassed many commentators. The plain
meanino; seems to be this, that t!ic aqueous vapours ascending
from the earth, and becoming condensed in the colder regions
of the atmosphere, fell back upon the earth in the form o(dnL>s,
and by this means an equal portion of moi.sture was distributed
to the roots of plants, &c. As Moses had said, verse 5. that
the Lord had not caused it to rain upon the earth, he probably
designed to teach us, in verse 6. how rain is produced, viz. by
the condensation of the aqueous vapours, which are generally,
tlirough the lieat of the sun and other causes, raised to a con-
siderable height in the atmosphere, where, meeting with cold
air, the watery particles, which were beibre so small and light
that they could float in the air, becoming condensed; i. e. many
drops being driven into one, become too heavy to be any
longer sus|)f nded, and ihen, through their own gravity, fall
down in tiie form which we term rain.
Verse 7. God formed man of the dust'] In the most distinct
manner God shews us that man is a compound being, having a
body and a soul, distinctly and separately created : the body
out of the dust of the earth, the soul immediately breathed
from God hmiself Docs not this strongly mark that the
soul and body are not the same thing ? The body derives its
origin from the earth, or, as'lij; aphcr implies, the dust: hence,
because it is earthy, it is decomposable, and perishable. Of
the soul it is said, God breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life: D'T! DP ruuch chayim, the breath of LIVES ; i. e. animal
and intellectual. Winle this breath of God expanded the
lungs, and set them in play, his inspiration gave both spirit
and understanding.
Verse 8. A garden eastivard in Eden'] Thouirh the word
Jni? Eden signifies pleasure or delight, it is certainly the name
of a place. See ch. iv. 16. 2 Kings xix. 12. Isa. xxxvii. 12.
Ezdc. xxvii. 2.). Amos i. 5. And such places probably re-
ceived their name from their /f;7i7/(j/, pleasant situation, Ifc.
In this light the Septuagint have viewed it, as they render the
passage thus : ((purEV(riv o Qsog wapa^tiaov iv EJf/*, God planted
a Purudi^e in Eden. Hence the word I'aradisehas been intro-
ducfd liito the New Testament, and is generally used to
signify a place o'f 'exquisite pleasure and delight. From this
the ancient heathens borrowed their ideas of the gardens of
the llesperidcs, where the trees bore golden fruit ; the gardens
of Adonis, a word which is evidently derived from the Hebrew
ni? Aden; and hence the origin of sacred gardens, or cn-
closurcsj dedicated to purposes of dcvoUon, some comparatively
9 And out of the ground made the
Lord God to grow " every tree that
A.M. 1.
B.C.I'm.
is pleasant to the sight, and good for food ;
' the tree of life also in the midst of the
I garden,
and evil
10 ^ And a river went out of Eden to water
and the tree of knowledo;e of good
Joel. 2. 3. sch. 3. 24.
' ver. 15. '' Ezek. 31. B.-
& 2'.!. 2, 1'i. ■" ver. 17.
•K th. 4. 16. 2 Kings 19. 1?. Ezek. 27. 23.
— ' ch. 3. 22. Prov. 3. 18. & 11. 30. Rev. 2. 7.
innocent, others impure. The word Paradise is not Greek;
in Arabic and Persian, it signifies a garden, a vineyard, and
also the place of the blessed. The Mohammedans say, that
God created the
U^J'
-N;i!!
Jennet al Ferdoos, the garden
of Paradise, from light, and the prophets and wise men
ascend thither, ^^'"ihnet places it after the root ^ farada
to separate, especiall}' a person or place for the purposes of
devotion, but supposes it to be originally a Persian word, vox
originis Persiccc quam in sua lingua consenamnt Armeni. As
it is a word of doubtful origin, its etymology is uncertain.
Verse 9. Every tree that is pleasant to the sight, dfc] If we
take up these expressions literally, they may bear the follow-
ing interpretation : the tree pleasant to the sight, may mean
every beautiful tree or plant which for shape, colour, or
fragrance, delights the senses ; such as flowering shrubs. Sec.
The tree that is good for food] All fruit-bearing trees,
whether of the pulpy iruit.s, as apples, &c. or of the kernel or
nut kind, such as dates, and nuts of diflerent sorts, together
with all esculent vegetables.
The tree of life] D"n chaii/im, oi lives, or life-giving tree,
every medicinal tree, herb, and plant, whose healing virtues
are of great consequence to man in his present state, when,
through sin, di-eases of various kinds have seized on the
human frame, and have commenced that process of dissolution
which is to reduce them to their primitive dust. Yet, by the
use of these trees of life, those different vegetable medicines,
the health of the body may be preserved for a time, and
death kept at a distance. Though the exposition given here
may he a general meaning for these general terms, yet it i&
likely that this tree of life, which was placed in the midst of the '
garden, was intended as an emblem of that life which maa
should ever live, provided he couliniud in obedience to his
.Maker. And probably the u.-^e of this tree was intended as
the means of preserving the body of man in a state of
continual vital energy, and an antidote again.->t death. This
seems .strongly indicated from ch. iir. 22.
And the tree of kwjv.'ledge of good and erii] Considering
this also in a merely literal point of view, it may mean aoy
tree or plant which possessed the properly of increasing the
knowledge of what was in nature, as the esculent vegetables,
had of increasing bodily vigour; and that there are some
aliments which, from their physical influence, have a tendency
to strengthen the understanding and invigorate the rationai
family, more tljan others, has been supposed by the wisest
and best of men : yet here much more seems intended ; but
ichat, is very difhcult to be a" crtained. Some very eminent
men Lave contended, tiiut the passage should be understood
..t^
«
Hlvers of Paradise.
A. M. 1.
U. C. 40i)J.
the garden; and from thence it was
parted, and became into tour heads.
1 1 The name of the first is Pison : tiiat is it
ivhich compassctli ' the whole land of Havilah,
where there is gold ;
12 And the gold of that land is good; '' there
is bdellium and tiie onyx stone.
13 And the name of the second river 2,5 Gihon:
the same is it that compasseth the whole land
of ' Ethiopia.
CHAP. II. Man jylaced in Eden.
14 And the name of the third river a.m.
Cli.
S.I. 18. 1 S.im. 1.5. 7.-
Ciiih. ■^ Dju. 10. 4 -
-^ Nunilj 11. 7. Exod. 16. 31 ^Heb.
-' Or, easlwaril to Assyria, cli. 10. 22.
aUc^oricalli/ < and that the tree of (he knowledge of good
and evil, means simpiy that prudence, which is a mixture of
knowledge, care, caution, and judgment, wiiich was pre-
scribed to regulate the whole of man's conduct. And it is
certain, that to knoxn i^nod and eri/, in difll-rent parts of
Scripture, means such luiciwledgc and discretion as leads a
man to understand what is/jV and mijit, what is not proper to
be done, and what should be performed. But how could the
acquisition of such a faculty be a sin.' Or can we suppose
that such a faculty conld be wanting when man w'as in a state
«f perfection ? To this it may answered, the prohibition
was intended to exercise this faculty in man, that it sliuiild
con>tanily teach him this moral lesson, that there were smne
tilings fit and others unfit to be (lone; anil tliat, in reference
to this point, the tree itself should be both a constant teacher
and monitor. The eating of its fruit would not have in-
creased, this moral faculty, but the prohibition was intended
to exercise the faculty he already posses.sed. There is cer-
tainly nothing unreasonable in this explanation; and, viewed
in this light, the passage loses much of its ob.scurity. Vi-
tringa, in his Dissertation De urbore prudentia: in Paradiso,
fjustjiie mi/slerio, strongly contends for this interpretation. —
»?ee more on chap. iii. 3.
Verse 10. A river went out of Eden, ^-c] It would
a.stonish an ordinary reader who should ')e obliged to con-
sult difFerent commentators and critics on the situation of
the tej-restriul Paradise, to see the vast variety of opinions bv
which they are divided. Some place it in tlie third heaven;
otliers in the fourth; some within the orbit of the moon,
others in the moon itself; some in the middle regions of
the a;r, or beyond the earth's attraction; some on the earth,
others under the earth, and others within the earth ; some
liave fixed'it at the north-pole, others at the south; some in
Tartary, some in Chma; .some on the borders of the Ganges,
some in tlic island of Ceylon; some in Armenia, others in
Africa, under the equator; some in Mesopotaniiay others in
Syria, Persia, Arabia, Babylon, Assyria, anil in Palestine;
some have condescended to place it in Europe, and others
Imve contended, it either exists not, or is invisdde, or is
merely of a spiritual nature, and that the whole account is
to be spiritually understood ! That there was such a place
•nc<', there is no reason to doubt; the description given by
Jrlotes is too particular and circumstantial to be capable of
1.
is " Hiddekcl: that is it which gooth " ^■^''"^-
'toward the cast. of As.syria. And tlic fourth
river is ^ Euphrates,
15 ^ And the Lord God took ^ the man, and
" put him into the garden of Eden to dress it, and
to keep it.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man,
saying, Of CAery tree of the garden ' thou may-
es't freely eat:
f Deul. 1. 7. & 11. 21.
Rtv. 9. 14. 5 Or, .Worn..
eating thuit skull eat.
Mer. 8.-
'Heb.
being understood in any spiritual or alk^onral way. As
well might we contend, that the persons of Adam and Eve
were allegorical, as that the place of their residence was such.
The most probable accom>t of its situation is that given
by Hadrian Keland. He supposes it to have been in Ar-
menia, near the sources of the great rivers Euphrates. Ti/gris,
'Phasis, and Araxes. He thinks Pison was the Phasis, a
river of Cholchis, emptying itself into the Euxine Sea, where
there is a city called Ctiabalu, the pronunciation of which
is nearly the same with that of Havilah, or nS'lH C/uivilali,
according to the Hebrew, the fau 1 being changed in Greek
to beta (3. This country was famous for ^oW, whence the
fable of the Golden Fleece, attempted to he carried away from
that country by the heroes of Greece. The Gi/tun he thinks to
be the Araxes, which runs into the Ca-pian Sea, both the words
having the same signification, viz. a rapid motion. The land
of Cush, washed by the river, he supuoses to be the country
of the Cussxi of tlie ancients. The Hiddekel all agree to be
the Tit^ris ; and the other river, Phrut, or mS Faath, to be
tiie Euphrates. Ail these rivers rise in the same tract of
mountainous country, though they do not arise from one head.
Verse 12. There is bdellium {n";n3 bedolach) and the oni/x
stone, Dnirn p.vt Eben ha-shoham. Bochart tliinks that the
bedolach, or bdelliuiii, means i\\e pearl-oyster : and thohaiii
is generally understood to mean the onyx, a precious stone,
which has its name from ovi|, a man's nail, to the colour of
which it nearly approachj.s. — It is impossible to say what is
the precise nuaniiig of the original words; and at this dis-
tance of time and place it is of little consequence.
Verse 1 5. Put him into the garden — to dress it and to keep
it.] Horticulture, or gardening, is the first kind of employ-
ment on record; and that in which man waseng.iged, while in'a
state of perfection and innocence. Though the garden may
be supposed to jiroduce all things s})ontaneously, as tlie whole
vcgelalile surface of the earth certainly did at the creation ;
yet dressing and tillin^r ,vere afterwards necessary, .to main-
tain the dtfleient kinds of plants and vegetables in llilw per-
fection, and to repress Uixiiriance. Evcm in a state of inno-
cence, we cannot conceive it possible that man could haie
been happy if inactive. God gave him work to do, and liis
employment contributed to his happiness : for the structure
of his body, as well as of his min<l, plainly proves that he
was never intended for a merely contemplative lite.
D 2
Tree ofknoxdedgc GENESIS.
1 7 '' But of the tree of tlie know-
ledge of good and evil, '' tliou shalt
Adam ghxs ftcinies to the cattle,,
A. M. 1.
B. c. JOOt.
not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest
thereof "^ thou shalt surely die .
18 ^ And the Lord God said, It is not good
that tfic man should be alone-, ' I will make
him a help ^ meet for him.
19 ^ x\nd out of the ground the Lord God
formed every beast of the field, and every fowl
of the air; and " brought i/iem unto ' Adam to see
"Vor. 9. "011.3.1,3,11,17. 'cli. 3. 3, l'>. Rom. 6. 2.3. 1 Cor.
15. 56. Jam. 1. l.i. 1 Jolm 5. 56. * Heb. dii'uig lliou shult die.-
'ch. 3. 12. iCor. 11. 9. 1 Tim. 2. 13. ' Heb. as t(/oic him.
cb. 1.
^"^crse n. Of the tree cf hioiiledgc — iltoic shalt not ea<]
This is tlic first precept God gave to man; and it was given
as a test of obedience, and a proof of his being in a de-
pendent, probatiomiri/ state. It was necessary, that while con-
.stitiited lord of tliis lower world, he should know that he w as
only God's I'kegerent, and must be accountable to him for
the use of his mental and corporal powers, and for the use
he made of the ddllrent creature^ put under his care. The
man, from whose mind the strong impression of this de-
pendence and responsibility is erased, necessarily loses sight
of his origin and end, and is capable of any species of
wickedness. As God is sovereign, he has a right to give to
his creatures what commands he thinks proper. An intelli-
gent creature, without a taiv to regulate his conduct, is an
absurdit}'; this would destroy, at once, the idea of his de-
pendency and accountableness. Man must ever feel God as
his sovereign, and act under his authority, which he cannot
do, unless he have a rule of conduct. This rule God gives;
and it is no matter of what kind it is, as long as obedience
to it is not beyond the powers of the creature who is to
obey. God says, there is a certain fruit-bearing tree ; thou
shalt not eat of its fruit ; but of all the other fruits, and
they are all that 'are necessary for thee, thou mayest freely,
liberally eat. Had he not an absolute right to say so? And
was not man bound to obey ?
Thou shult surely die.'] mon mO moth tamuth, literally, a
death thou shalt die ; or, di/ing thou shalt die. Thou shalt not
only die spiritually liy losing the life of God, but from that
moment thou shalt become mortal, and shalt continue in a
dying stale till thou die. This we find literally accomplish-
ed : every moment of man's life may be considered as an
act of dying, till soul and body are separated. Other meanings
have been given of this passage, but they are in general
either fanciful or incorrect.
Verse 18. It is not good that the man should he alone} na*?
lebaddo, only himself. / will make him a HELP MEET for
Aim ' TUJ3 ItJ? ezer kenegedo, a help, a counterpart of him-
self, one formed from him, and a perfect resemblance of his
person. If the word be rendered scrupulously literal, it
signifies one like, or as himself, standing opposite to or before
him. And this implies, that the woman was to be a perfect
resemblance of the man, possessing neither inferiority nor
superiority, but being in all things like and eijual to himself.
A. M. 1.
B. C. 400i.
what he would call them: and what-
soever Adam called every living crea-
ture, that "d'as the name thereof!
20 And Adam " gave names to all cattle, and
to the fowl of the air, and to eveiy beast of the
field; but for Adam there was not found an
help meet for him.
21 ^ And the Lord God caused a 'deep sleep to
fill upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of
his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereofj
20, ?4. " Ps.
' ch. l.i. 1-'.
3. 6. See cli. 6. 20.-
1 Sam. '■16. IW.
Or, the man. ^ Hcb. culled.
As man was made a social creature, it was not proper that he
should be alone ; fof to be alone, i. e. without a matrimonial
companion was not good. Hence we find, that celibacy in
general is a thing that is not good, whether it be on the side
of the man or of the woman. Men may, in opposition to the
declaration of God, call this a state of excellence, and a state
of perfection ; but let them remember, that the word of God
says the reverse.
Verse 19. Out of the ground, iVc] Concerning the forma-
tion of the diflerent kinds of animals, see the preceding chapter.
Verse 20. And Adam gave names to all cattle] Tho
things God appears to have in view by causing man to name
all the cattle, &c. i. To shew h.im with what comprehensive
powers of mind his Maker had endued him; and 2d. to
shew him that no creature yet formed, could make him a
suitable companion. And that this twofold purpose was an-
swered, we shall shortly see : for,
1. Adam gave names, but how? From an intimate know-
ledge of the nature and properties of each creature. Here
we see the perfection of his knowledge; for it is well known,
that the names alTixed to the ditltrent animals in Scripture,
always express some prominent feature and essential cha-
racteristic of the creatures to which they are applied. Had
he not possessed an intuitive knowledge of the grand and dis-
tinguishing properties of those aninlals, he never could have
given them such names. This one circumstance is a strong
proof of the original perfection and excellence of man, while
in a state of innocence; nor need we wonder at the account.
Adam was the work of an infinitely wise and perliect Being,
and the effect must resemble the cause that produced it.
2. Adam was convinced, that none of these creatures
could be a suitable companion for him ; and that, therefore,
he must continue in the state that was not good, or be a fur-
ther debtor to the bounty of his Maker; for, among all the
animals which he had named, there was not found a help meet
for him. Hence we read.
Verse 21. The Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon
Adam, <?fc.] This was neither .swoon nor ecstasy, but what our
translation very properly terms a deep sleep.
And he took one of his ribs] It is immaterial whether
we render jhll tsela a rib, or a part of his side ; for it may
mean either: some part of man was to be used on the oc-
casion, whether boite or jlesh, it matters not, though it is
JVoman formed, and
22 And the rib, which the Loud
God had taken from man, * made he
a woman, and " brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam saici, This h now ' bone of my
CHAP. II. matTiage instituted.
bones, and flesh of my flesh : she shall
be called '' Woman, because she was
' taken out of '' Man.
24 ^ Therefore shall a man leave his father and
• Hcb huilded. " Prov. 18. '2^- Hebr. l.j. 1. ' ch. 29. U. Judg. 9. 2.
2 Sara. b. 1. & 19. IS. Kph.6. 30. " Hcb. hlia. = 1 Cnr. 11. 8.
liktlv, from verse 23. that a part of bolh was taken ; for
Adam, knovving; how the woman was formed, said, Thi.n is
Jlesit of ray jiesli, and bone of my bone. God could have
formed tiie woman out of the dust of the eartii, as he had
formed the man ; but had he done so, she must have ap-
peared in his tyes as a di.«linct beinj;, to whom he had no
naiural relation. But as God (brmed her out uf apart of the
man himself, he saw she was of the same nature, the same iden-
tical tle.Nli and blood, and of the same constitution, in all re-
spects, and consequently havinir equal powers, laculties, and
rights. — This at once ensured his aftection, and excited his
esteem.
Verse 23. Adam said. This is now bone of my bones, i!)c.]
There is a very delicate and expressive meaning in the ori-
ginal, which does not appear in our version. When the
difi'erent genera of creatures were brought to Adam, that he
might assio^ them their proper names, it is probable that
thfy passed in pairs before him, and as they passed, received
their names. To this circumstance the words in this place
seem to refer. Instead of this now is, Dyfin HXt zot hap-
pndm, we should render more literally tiiis turn, this creature
which now pa.<ses, or appears before me, is flesh of my
flesh, &c. The creatures that had passed already before him,
were not suitable to him, and therefore it was said. For
Adam (here ivas not a help meet found, verse 20. but when the
woman came, formed out of himself, he felt all that attraction
which consanguinity could pro<luce, and at the same time
saw that she was in her person and in her mind, every way
suitable to be his companion. — See Par/churst, sub voce.
S'le shall be called woman] A literal version of the He-
brew would appear strange, and yet a literal version is the
only proper one. IT'S* Ish, signifies man ; and the word
used to express what we tf-rm woman, is the same, with a
feminine termination, niTN* iihuh, and literally means she-
man. Most of the ancient versions Iiave felt the force of the
term, and have endeavoured lo express it as literally as pos-
sible. The intelligent reader will not regret to see some of them
here. The VulffUc Latin renders the Hebrew viru^^o, which
is a feminine form of vir, a man. Symmachus uses avhi^
andris, a female form of avvp aner, a man Our own
term is equally proper, when understood. MWa« has been
defined by many as compounded of woe and man, as if called
tnan's woe, because she tempted him to eat the forbidden
fruit : but this is no meaning of the original word, nor could
it be intended, as the transgression was not then committed.
The truth is, our term is a proper and literal translation of
the original ; and we may thank the discernment of our
,Anj,lo-Saxon ancestors for giving it. UJombman, of which wo-
\>uin is a contraction, means the man with the womb. A very
appropriate version of the Hebrew niTN ishah, rendered by
A. M. 1.
B. C HO*.
nieb. hh. ccl,. 31. 15. Pa. -15 lO. Maltli. 19. 5. Mark 10. ;
6. 16. tph. 3. SI .
1 Cor.
terms which signify, she-man in the versions already specified.
Hence we see the propriety of Adam's observation : This
creature is Jlesh of my fiesh and hone of my bone ; therefore
shall she be culled WOM B.MAN, or female-man, because she wax
taken out of man. — See Vcrstegan.
Verse 'Z\. Therefore shall a man leave his father and motherl
There shall be, by the order of God, a more intimate con-
nexion formed between the man and woman, than can subsist
even between parents and children.
And they shall be one Jiesh.] These words may be under-
stood in a twofold sense. 1. These two shall be one Jlesh,
shall be considered as one body, having no separate or inde-
pendent rights, privileges, cares, concerns, &c. each bein"
equally interested in all things that concern the marriaoe
state. 2. These two shall he for the production of one flesh;
from their union a posterity shall spring, as exactly resem-
bling themselves as they do each other. Our Lord quotes
these words, Matth. xix. 5. with some variation from this
text : they TWAIN shall be onefesh. So in Mark x. 8. St.
Paul quotes it in the same way, I Cor. vi. 16. and in Epii.
V. 31. The Vulgate Latin, the Septuagint, the Syriac, the
Arabic, and the Samaritan, all read the word 'JWo. That
this is the genuine reading. 1 have no doubt. The word
Dil'Jtr sheneyhem, they two, or both of them, was, I suppose,
omitted at first from the Hebrew text, by mistake, because it
occurs three words after in the following verse ; or more pro-
bably it originally occurred in the 24th verse, and not in the
25th ; and a copyist having found that he had written it
twice, in correcting his copy, struck out the word in the
2-Hh verse instead of the 26th. But of what consequence
is it .' In the controversy concerning Polygamy, it has been
made of very great consequence. IVithout the word, some
have contended, a man may have as many wives us he daises,
as the terms are indefinite, THEY shall be, h,c. but with the
word, marriage is restrieled. A man can have in legal wed-
lock but ONF wife at the same time.
We have here the first institution of marriage, and we see in
it, several particulars wordiy of our most serious regard. 1.
God pronounces the state of celibacy to be a bad state; or,
if the reader please, not a good one; and the Lord God said.
It is not good for man to be alone. This is GOD's judgment.
Councils, and father.s, and doctors, and synods, have "iveii a
diilerent judgment ; but on such a subject they are worthy
of no attention. The word of God abidetli lor ever. 2.
God nade the woman ,/br the man; and thus he has shewn
us that every son of Adam should be united to a daughter of
Eve to the end of the world. See on 1 Cor. vii. sf God
made the woman out of the man, to intimate, that the
closest union, and the most aflpctionate attachment, should
subsist in the matrimonial connexion, so that the man siiould
ever consider and treat the woman as a part of himself; and
Ilappij state GENESIS. of our Jtrst parents,
^- M- 1 his mother, and shall cleave unto 11 25 ' And they were both nakel, ■'^- ^^- *•
his wife : and they shall be one 1 the man and his wife, and were not
B.C. 4<>r4.
B.C. 4014.
flesh.
»CI.. 3. 7, 10,11.
as no one ever haled his own flesh, hut nourishes and sup-
port? it, so should a man deal with his wife : and, on the
other hand, the woman should consider, that the man was not
made for her, but that she was made for the titan, and de-
rived, under God. her being from him , therefore the wife
should see th:>t she reverence her husband. Eph. v. 33.
The 23d and C4lh verses contain the tery icords of the
marriage cereaionj- — This is flesh of viy fiesh — therefore shall
a man leave father and mother. Ilow hapjiy must such a
gtate be, where (iod's institutiim is ))ropcr]y regarded ; where
the parlies are married, as the apostle e.xpreses it, in the
Lord; where each, by acts of die tenderest kmdness, lives
only to prevent the wishes, and contribute in every poss ble
way to the comfort and happiness of the other! Marriage
mie;ht still be what it xoas in its original institution, pure and
suitable ; and in its first exercise, aftectiouate and happy :
but how few such marriages are there to be found ! Passion,
turbulent and irret;ular, nut Reti;;ion ; Custom, founded by
these iirtguUuiiie.s, not Reason; Worldly prof.pects, oriajinatinj
and ending in selfishness and earthly affections, not in Spi-
ritnal ends, are the grand producing causes of the great ma-
jority of matrimonial alliances. How then can such turbid
and bitter fountains send forth pure and sweet waters ? See
the ancient Allegory of Cupid and Psyche, by which n^arriage
is so happily illustrated, explained in the notes on Matth.
xix. 4 — 6.
Verse 25. They icere both naked, ^c] The weather was
perfectly temperate, and therefore they had no need of cloih-
jng, the circumambient air being of the same temperature
vith their bodies. And as sin had not yet entered into the
world, and no part of the human body had been put to any
improper use, therefore there was no shame, for shame can only
arise from a consciousness of sinful or irregular conduct.
Even in a state of innocence, when all was perfection and
excellence, when God was clearly discovered in all his works,
every place being his temple, every moment a time of worship,
and ew'iy^ object an incitement to religious reverence and
adoration — even then, God chose to consecrate a seventh part
of time to his more especial worship, and to hallow it unto
his own service by a perpetual decree. Who then shall
dare to reverse this order of God ! Had t4ie religious ob-
'' ashamed.
' Exod 32. '.'5. Isa. 47. 3.
servance of the sabbath been never proclaimed till the pro-
clamation of the law on Mount Sinai, then, it might have
been conjectured, this, like several other ordinances, was a
shadow which must pass away with that dispensation ; neither
c-xteuding to future ages, nor binding on any other people.
But this was not so. Gcd gave the sabbath liis first ordi-
nance to man, (see Xhi: first precept, v. 17.) while all the nations
of the woilel were seminally included in him, and while he
stood the father and representative of the whole human race :
therefore the sabbath is not for one nation, for one time, or
for one place. It is the fair type of Hea\;tn's eternal day — of
the state of endless blessedness and glory, where human souls,
having fully regained the divine image, and become united
to the Cenrc and Source of all ptrrfectiun and excellence,
shall rest in Ged unutterably ha|ipy through the immea>'
surable progress of duration ! Of ihis consummation, every
returning sabbath should at once be a type, a remembrancer,
and a foretaste to every i ious mind; and these it must be to
all who are taught of God.
Of this rest, the garden of EJen, that Paradise of God,
formed for man, appears also to have been a type and pledge;
and the institution of marriage, the cause, bond, and ce-
ment of the social state, was probably designed lo prefigure
that hajmony, order, and blessedness, which must reign in
the kingdom of God, of %vhich the condition of our first
parents in the garden of Paradise is justly supposed to have
been an expressive emblem. What a pity, that this hea-
venly institution should have ever been perverted ! that, in-
stead of becoming a sovereign help to all, it is now, through its
prostitution to animal and secular purposes, become the de-
stroyer of millions! Reader, every connexion thou formest
in life, will have a strong and sovereign influence on thy
future destiny. Beware I an unholy cause, which from its
peculiar nature must be ceaselessly active in every muscle,
nerve, and passion, cannot fail to produce incessant efl'ects
of sin, misery, death, and perdition, l^emeuiber, that thy
earthly connexions, no matter of what kind, are not formed
merely for time, whatsoever thou niaycst intend, but also for
etcrniy. With what caution, therefore, shouldcst thou take
fvery step in the path of life! On this ground, the obser-
vations made in the preceding notes are seriously recom-
mended to thy consieleration.
CHAF-^ER III.
Satan, by means of a creature, here called tlis Serpent^ deceivea Eve, 1 — 5. Both ifie and J dam transgress tlii
Divine command, and fall into sin and misery, 6, 7. TLey ore summoned before God, and judged, 8 — 13.
I'Ae creature called the Serpent is degraded and jtuuished, 14. T/ie promise of redemption ty the incarnatioa
Of the serpent. CHAP. III. The icoman tempted,
of Christ, 15. Eve sent{nceil, l6. Adam sentenced, 17- The ground cursed, and death threatened, \^, IfJ.
Why the KOtnan ztas called Eve, 20. Adam and Eve clothed with the skins of beasts, 21. The nretclied- state
of our first parents after their fall, and their eipulstonfrom the garden of Paradise, 22—24.
A. M. 1. "XTOW ' the serpent was " more sub-
^_*!^ iN til than any beast of the field
which the Lord God had made. And he said
unto the woman, ' Yea, hath God said. Ye shall
not eat of every tree of the garden ?
» Rev. t2. 9. & to. 2.^ — •■ Matt. 10. :6. 2 Cor. 1 1. 3.
NOTES ON CII.\P. III.
Verse 1. Noiu the serpciit was more suhlil] We have here-
one of the nio.st diffciilt, as well as the imi>t important nar-
ratives in the whi)le book of God. Tlie last cliapter ended
with a short but strikinif acxoiint of the perfection and felicity
of the first imman brings ; and this opens with an account of
l^'ir transgression, dctfr.idalion, and ruin. Tliat man is in a
f(.lk-n state, the history of ilu- world, with that of the li*e and
miseries of every human being, estabhsh beyond successful
contradiction. But Iiovj, and by what (I'^cncj/ was this brought
about? Here is a great mystery; and 1 may appeal to all
persons who have read the various comments that have been
written on the Mosaic account, whether they have ever yet
been sati>fied on tills part of the srbject, though convinced of
the fact itself. li ko was the serpent ? Of what Iciiid, in what
uay dill he seduce the fiivt happy pair .'' These are questions
which remain yet to he ansivered. 'The whole account is either
a simple narralion of facts, of it is an allegorj/. If it be a his-
torical relation, its literal meaning should be sought out : if
it be an allegorj/, no attempt should be made to explain it, as
it would rc{|uire a direct revelation to ascertain the sense in
which it shoulil be understood, ibr fanciful illustrations are
endless. Helieviiig it to be a simple relation of fiicts capal>le
of a satisfactory explanation, I shall take it up on this ground,
and liy a careful examination of the original text, endeavour
to fix the meaning, and shew the propriety and consistency of
the Mosaic account of the Fall of Man. The chief difficulty
in the account is found in the question. Who was the agent
employed in the seduction of our first parents ?
The word in the text, which we, following the Septuagint,
translate ser]!ent, is iiTIJ iiacliash, and according to Biixtorf and
others, has .'/oce meanings in Scripture. 1. It signifies to liVu-,
or oli.ierve atlentively, to divine or nse enchantmenis, because
in them the augurs viewed attentively the Jiight of birds, the
entrails .of beasts, the course of the clouds, Sec. and under
this head it signifies to acquire knowledge by erperience.
2. It signifies brass, brazen, and is translated in our Bible
not only brass, but chain.i, fetters, fellers of brass, and in
several places steel : see C Sam. xxii. 35. Job xx. i24. Psal.
xviii. 34. and in one place, at least, fdtliiness or fornication,
Ezik. xvi. 3n. 3. It signifies a serpent, but of what kind
is nut determined. In Job xxvi. 13. it seems to mean the
•w/iale or liyppopolmmis. By his spirit he hath garnished the
heavens, his luii^d UathforiMd the crooked serpent, n"i3 UTU na-
A. .V. 1.
13. C. 4004.
2 And the woman said inito the
serp^t, We may eat of the fruit of
the trees of the garden :
3 '' But of the fruit of the tree which is in the
midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall
• Heb. Yea, because, <^c. ' cli. 2. 17.
ckash bariach ; as fTi3 bnrach signifies to ]>ass on, or pass
through, and rT"i3 beriach is used for a bur of a gate or doop
ihut passed through riiigs, ifc. .the idea of slraightness, rather
than crookeduLss, should be attached to it here; and it is
likely that the liyppopoluinus or sea-horse is intended by it.
In Eccles. x. ii. the creature called nachash, of what-
soever sort, is compared to the bubbler ; surely the serpent,
iS*nj nachash, will bite witltout enchantment, and a babbler is no.
belter.
In Isai. xxvii. 1. the crocodile or alligator seems particu--
lar y meanl by the original. In that day tlie Lord shall pu-
niih Leviathan the piercing serpent, &c. x^nd in Isai. Ixv. 25.
the same creature is meant as in Gen. iii. 1. for in the vvords^
Atid dust shall be the serpent's meat, there is an evident allu-
sion to the text of Moses. In Amos ix. 3. the crocodile is
evidrnly intended. Though they be hid in the bottom of the
sea, thence will 1 command the serpent, liTUH ha-nachush, and
he shall bite them. No person can suppose that any of the
snake or scrp nt kind can be intended here; and we see from
the various acceptations of the word, and the diflerent senses
which it bears in various places in the sacred writings, that
it appears to be a sort of general term confined to no one
sense. Hence it will be necessary to examine the root accu-
rately, to see if its ideal meaning will enable us to ascertain
the animal intended in the text. We have already seen that
liTU nachash signifies to view attentively, to acijuire know-
ledge or experience by attentive observation : so 'nU'Hi nachushti.
Gen. xx>;. 27. 1 have learned by experience — and this seems
to be its most general meaning in the Bible. The original
word is, by the Septuagint, translated opif a serpent, not be-
cause this was its fixed determinate meaning in the sacred
writings, but because it was the best that occurred to the
translators ; and they do not seem to have given themselves
much trouble to understand the meaning of the original ; for
they have rendered the word as variously as our translators
have done ; or rather our translators have followed them, as
they give nearly the same significations found in the Septua-
gint : hence we find that cpi; is as frequently used by them,
as serpent, its supposed literal meaning, is used in our version.
And the New Testament writers, who seldom quote the.
Old Testament, but from the Septuagint translation, and ofiea
do not cliange even a word in their quotations, copy this
version in the use of this word. From the Septuagint there-
fore, we can expect no light, nor indeed from any other
The serpent promises exemption from
not eat of it, neither shall ye touch
it, lest ye die
A. xr.i.
B. C. 4)11).
4 ' And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye
shall not surely die :
GENESIS. death, and prompts Eve to disobedience.
5 For God doth know that in the ^ "•'■
day ye eat thereof, then "your eyes ^' ^" '^"''*-
ihall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, know.
* Yer. 13. <; Cor. 11.3. 1 Tim. 2. 14.
of the ancient versions «liicb are all mh^cqurnt to the Septua
gint, anrl some of tliein actually made tVoiii it. In ail this un
certainty, it is natural for a serious enquirer after trutli, to look
every where for information. And in such an enquiry, the Arabic
may be expected to aflbrd some help from its great similarity
to the Hebrew. A root in this languay,e very nearly similar
to that in the text, seems to cast considerable lig-ht on the
subject.
C"^^
cliaiias or kht
lignifies he departed,
dmu off, lay hid, seduced, slunk aisai/ : from this root come
,j»iii{ akiinas, Lma-J. khanasa, and if^ji^ klianoos, which
?.ll signify an ape. or saiyrus, or any creature of the simia or
ape genus. It is very remarkable also that from the same root
comes ii*,Uai khands, the DEVIL, which appellative he bears from
that meaning; of
(JMA
khanasa, he dreiu off, seduced, Sfc. be-
cause he draws men o^from righteousness, seduces them from
their obedience to God, &c. &;c. See Golius sub voce. Is it not
strange that the devil and the ape should have the same name,
derived from the same root, and that root so very similar to
the word in the text ? Bat let us return and consider what
is said of the creature in question. How the iiachash loas more
subtle, DPJ' arum more wise, cunning or prudent </((»(«// the beasts
of the field which the Lord God had made. In this account we
find, 1 . That whatever this nachash was, he stood at the head of
all inferior animals for wisdom and understanding. 2. That
he walked erect, for this is necessarily implied in his punish-
ment,— on thy belly (i. e. on all fours) shah thou go. 3. That he
was endued with the gift of speech, for a conversation is here
related between him and the woman. 4. That he was also en-
dued w ith the gift of reason, for we find him reasoning and dis-
puting witli Eve. a. That these things were common to this
creature, the woman no doubt having ol ten seen him walk' erect,
talk and reason, and therefore she testifies no kind of surprize
when he accosts her in the language related in the text ; and
indeed from the manner in which this is introduced, it appears
to be only a part of a conversation that had passed between
them on the occasion. 1 >a, hath God said, Ifc.
Had this creature never been knuun to speak before his
addressing the woman at this time, and on this subject, it
could not have failed to excite her surprize, and to have filled
her with caution, though from the purity and innocence of
her nature, she might have been incapable of being aflected
wilh^rtr. Now 1 apprehend that none of these things can
lie spoken of a serpent of any species. 1 . None of tlvem ever
did or ever can walk erect. The tales we have liad of two-
footed and four-footed fer()€nts, are justly exploded by every
judicious naturalist, and are utterly unworthy of credit. The
very name serpent comes from serpo to creep, and therefore,
to such It could be neither curse nor punishment to go on their
bellies, 1. e to creep on, as they had done from their creation
and must do while their race endures. 2. Tliey have no or-
ing good and evil.
■■Ver.?. Acts 2(5. 18.
guns for sj)ecch, or any kind of articulate sound; they can
only hiss. Ii is true, that an ass, by miraculous influence, may
speak ; but it is not to be supposed that there was any miracu-
lous interference here. GoD did not (jnali y this creature with
speech for the occasion, and it is not intimated that there was
any other agent, that did it: on the contrary, the text inti-
mates, that .''peech and reason were natural to the nachash ;
and is it not in reference to this, the inspired penman
says? The nachash was more subtle or intelligent than all the
beasts of the field that the Lord God had viade ! Nor can I
find, that the serpentine genus are remarkable for inlelligence. It
is true, the wisdom of the serpent, has passed into a proverb,
but I cannot see on what it is founded, except in reference to
the passage in question, wliere the nachash, which we translate
serpent, following the Septuagint, shews so much intelligence
and cunning : and it is very probable, that our Lord alludes
to this very place, when he exhorts his disciples to be wise,
prudent or intelligent as serpents, ^povt/j.ot a; oi o^eif ; and it
is worthy of remark, that he uses the same term employed by
the Septuagint, in the test in question, o^if >)v (^povi/xaiTaTOi
the serpent was more prudent or intelligent tlian all the beasts,
&c. All these things considered, we are obliged to seek for
some other word to designate the nachash, in the text, than
the word serpent; which on every view of the subject appear*
to me inefficient and inapplicable. We have seen above, that,
khanas, okhnas and khanoos, signify a creature of the ape or
satyrus kind. We Iwve seen that the meaning of the root is,
he lay hid, seduced, slunk avjay, Sfc. and that khanas means
the tlevil, as the itispirer of evil and seducer from God and
truth ; see Golius and Wilmet. It therefore appears to me,
that a creature of the ape or ouran outang kind, is here in-
tended ; and that Satan made use of this creature as the most
proper instrument for the accomplishment of his murderous
purposes against the life and soul of man. Under this crea-
ture he lay hid, and by this creature he sedtKed our first pa-
rents, and drew off or slunk away from every eye but the eye
of God. Such a creature answers to every part of the descrip-
tion in the te.xt : it is evident from the structure of its limbs
and their muscles, that it might have been originally designed
to walk erect, and that nothing less than a sovereign controling
power could induce thein to put dowa hands, in every respect
formed like those of man, and walk like those creatures whose
claw-armed paws, prove them to have been designed to walk
on all fours. " The subtlety, cunning, endlessly varied pranks-
and tricks of these creatures, sliew them, eten now, to be more
subtle and more intelligent than any other creature, man alone
excepted. Being obliged now to walk on all fours, and ga-
tlier their food from the ground, they are literally obliged to
eat the dust; and though exceedingly cunning, and careful in
a variety of instances, to separate that part which is wholesome
and proper for food, from that which is not so, in the article
A. M 1.
B.C. 4- en.
Adam and Eve eat the CHAP. III.
6 if And when the woman saw that
the tree "u'os good for food, and that
it xcas 'pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be
desired to make om wise, she took of the fruit
thereof, "and did eat, and ga\e also unto her
husband with her j ' and he did cat.
Jbrbiddefi fruit.
' Heb. « desire. "> Keel us. y5. 54.
: »cr. 1.;, 17. Hos. 6. 7. Rom. 5. I'i-
1 Tim.
-19.
2. It. l.Iuhu e. 16.-
I ver. r>. ?cli. 2. 23.-
of cleanliness, tliey are lost to all sense of propriety ; and
though they have r\'ery mean in their power, of cleansing
the ahmeiils they gather oil' the ground, and from among the
d«st, yet Ihey never, in tiieir savage state, make use of any.
Add to this, llieir utter aversion to tval/c ttpriu;ht; it requires
the utmost tliscipline to bring them to it, and scarcely any
thing oll'i mis or irritates tiiein more, than to be obliged to do
it. Long ob.iervaiion on some <jf these animals enables me
to stale these fact.'i.
Sho'ild any person who may read this note, object against
my conclusion.*, because apparently derived from an Arabic
word, which is not e.xaclly similar to the Hebrew, though to
those who understand both languages, t!ip similarity will be
striking: yet, as I do not insist on the /i^t«/?Vj/ of the terms,
though important conscquenres have been derived from less
likely etymologies, he is welcotne to throw the whole of this
out of the account. He may then take up the Hebrew
root only, which signifies to gaze, to vieiv utlattively, pry
into, enqiiirt nuriouly, &;c. and considtr tlie passage that ap-
pears to compare the ndduuli to the bubbler, Eccles. x. 11.
and lie will soon find, if he have any acquaintance with
creatures of this genus, that for enrnct, attentive, leatcliing,
looking, Sic and for chattering ov babbling they have no fellows
in die animal world. Indeed, the ability and propensity to
chatter is all they have left, according to the above hypothesis,
of their original gift of speech, of which I suppose them to have
hecn deprived at the fall, as a part of their punishment.
1 have spent the longer time on this subject, 1. because it
is exceedingly obscure; 2. because no interpretation hitherto
given of It, has allbrdid me the smallest satisfaction; 3. be-
cause I think the above mode of accounting for every part of
the whole transaction, is consistent and satisfactory ; and in
«iy opinion, removes many embarrassments, and solves the
chief difficulties. I think it can be no solid objection to the
above mode of solution, that Satan in difl'erent parts of the New
Testament, is called the serpent, the serpent that deceived Eve
by his subtlety, the old .serpent, &,€. for we have already seen
that the New Tcstanitnt ■\\riters have borrowed llie word
from the Scptuagint, and that the Scptuagint themselves use it
ill a mast variety and latitude of meaning ; and surely the ou-
ran outang is as likely to be the animal in question, as IITU
nuchush, and opif ophis, are likely to mean at once a snake, a
crocodile, a hippopotamus, fornication, a chain, a pair of fet-
ters, a piece of brass, a piece of steel, and a conjuror ; for we
have seen above, that all these are acceptations of the original
word. Besides, the New Testament writers seem to lose
sight of the animal or instrument used on tlie occasion, and
rpeak only of Satan himselt', as the cause of the transgression^
7 And ''the eyes of them both were ^- " '•
opened, "and they knew that they ^ ^ '" "'*'
•were naked ; and they sewed % leaves together,
and made themselves '^ aprons.
8 And they heard ^tlie ^^oice of the Lord God
walking iu the garden in the " cool of the day ;
^ Or, things tc gird ahaut.-
F>. 139. 1—12.
-5 Job S8. 1.-
• Ileb. wind. Job ii. SI, 2-'.
and the instrument of all evil. If, however, any person
should chuse to difter from the opinion stated above, he is at
perfect liberty so to do : I make it no article of faith, nor of
Christian communion ; I crave the same liberty to judge for
myself, that I give to olhtrs, to which every man has an in-
disputable right, and I hope no man will call me a heretic,
for departing in this respect from the common opinion, which
appears to me to be so embarrassed as to he altogether unin-
telligible. See farther on ver. 1 — 14, &c.
Yea hath God said^ This seems to be the continuation
of a discourse, of which the preceding part is not given,
and a proof that the cieatnie in question was endued with
the gift of reasun and speech, for no surprize is testified on
the part of Eve.
Verse 3. Neither shall ye touch it.} Did not tlie woman
add this to what God had before spoken ? Some of the
Jewish writers, who are only serious on comparative trifles,
state, that as soon as the woman had asserted this, the ser-
pent pushed her against the tree, and said, " See, lliou hast
touched it, and art still alive: thou maj'est therefore safely
eat of the fruit, for surely thou slialt not die."
Verse 4. i'e shall not surely dte.] Here the fa/her of lies
at once appears; and appears too, in flatly contiadiiting the
assertion of God. The tempter, through the nachash insinu-
ates tlie impossibility of her dying, as if he had said; God
has created thee immortal; thy death therefore is impossible;
and God knows this, for as thou livcst by the tree of Ufe, so
shalt thou get increase of wisdom by the tree of knowledge.
Verse 5. Your eyes shall be opened] Your understanding
shall be greatly enlightened and improved, and ye shall be as
■yods, O'n'jNO ke-elohim, like God, so the word should be
translated; for what idea could our first parents have of gods,
before idolatry could have had any being, because sin had
not yet entered into the world } The Syriac has the word in
the sirigtdar number, and is the only one of all the \ersion.«,
which has hit on the true mc.ining. As tlie originai word is
the same which is used to point out the supreme Being, ch. i.
1. so it has here the same signification : and the object of the
tempter appears to have been this; to persuade our first pa-
rents that they should, by eating of this fruit, become wise
and powerful as God, (for knowledge is power,) and l)c able to
exist for ever, indepeiulantly of him.
Verse 6. TAe tree was good for food] The fiuit appeared
to be v\holesome and nutritive. And that it was phui.'tant to
the eyes. Tlie beauty of the fruit tended to whet and increase
appetite. And a tree to be de-'iired to jnake one wise, which
was an additioiial motive to please the palate. From those
three sources, all natural and moral evil sprung ; they are ex-
They hide them^lves, GENESIS.
and Adam and his wife ' hid them-
selves, from the presence of the Lord
A M. 1.
God, amongst the trees of the garden.
*JobSl."3. Piov. 5. J. Je'r. SI 04. Amos 9. 3. Jon. 1.3, 10.
aclly wliat tlie apostle calls the desire of the Jiei/i ; the tree
■was good for food ; ilie desire of the ci/e, it was pleasant to
tlie sight; and t/ie pride of life, it was a tree to be desired to
make one v, ise. God had undoubtedly created our first pa-
rents not only very wise and intelligent, but also with a great
capacity and suitable propensity to increase in knowledge.
Those who think that Adam was created so perfect as to pre-
clude the possibility of his increase in knowledge, have taken
a very false view of the subject. We shall certainly be con-
vinced that owr first parents were in a state of sufficient per-
fection, when we consider, 1. That they were endowed with
a vast capacity to obtain knowledge. 2. That all the means
of information were within their reach. 3. That there was
no hindrance to th.e most direct conception of occurring
truth. 4. That all the objects of knowledge whether natural
cr moral were ever at hand. 5. That they had the strongest
propensity to know, and 6. The greatest pleasure in know-
ing. To have God and nature continually open to the view
of the soul ; and to have a soul capable of viewing both, and
fathoming endlessly, their unbounded glories and excellencies,
without hindrance or difficulty, what a state of perfection I
Ti hat a consummation of bliss ! This was undoubtedly the
state and condition of our first parents — even the present
ruins of the state are incontestible evidences of its primitive
excellence. We see at once how transgression came : it was
jinlural for them to desire to be increasingly wise. God had
implanted this desire in their minds; but he shewed them that
this desire should be gratified in a certain xvuy ; that prudence
and judgment should always regulate it : tliat they should
carefully examine what God opened to their view; and
should not pry into what he chose to conceal. He alone, who
knows all things, knows hoiu much knowledge the soul needs
to its perfection and increasing happiness; in vehat subjects
this may be kgilimately sought, and ixlierc the mind may
make excursions and discoveries to its prejudice and ruin.
There are doubtless many subjects which angels are capable
of knowing, and which God cliuses to conceal even from
them, because that knowledge would tend neither to their
jierfection nor happiness. Of every attainment and object
of pursuit, it may be said, in the words of an ancient poet,
who conceived correctly on the subject, and expressed his
thoughts with jjcrsiiicniiy and energy :
Juii modii.i in rebus: sunt ccrti dcniqiie fines,
'iiuos ultra citraque neipiit consistere rectum.
lloR. Sat. lib. 1. Sat. i. ver. 106.
" There is a rule for all things; there are in fine, fixed
aAd stated limits, on either side of which righteousness can-
not be ibund." On the line of duty alone, we must walk.
Such limils God certainly assig:ied from the beginning.
Thou slialt cume tip to thJF; thou shalt not puss it. And as
he assigned the limits, so he assigned the means. It is law-
God calls them to appear,
9 % And the Lord God called im-
to Adam, and said unto him, Where
art thou ?
A. M. 1.
B. C. 40 '4.
Heb. 4. 13. Cli. 4. V. Josh. 7. 17—19. Rev. -20. V2, 13.
ful for thee to acquire knowledge in this wai/ ; it is unlawful
to seek it in that. And had he not a right to do so? And
would his creation have been perfect without it }
Verse 7. The eyes of them both laere opened} They now
had a sufficient discovery of their sin and folly in disobeying
the command of God; they could discern between good and
evil : and what was the consequence ? Confusion and shame
were engendered, because innocence was lost and guilt con-
tracted.
Let us review the whole of this melancholy business, the
fall, and its efecls.
1. I'roin the New Testament we learn, that Satan associ-
ated himself with the creature which we term the serpent, and
the original the iiachash, in order to seduce and ruin man-
kind, 2 Cor, xi. 3. Kev. xii. 9, xx. 2. 2. That this crea-
ture was the most suitable to his purpose, a: being the most
subtle, the most inlelligcnl and cmining of all the beasts of the
field, endued with the gift of speech and reason, and conse-
quently one, in which he could best conceal himself. 3. As
he knew that while they depended on God, they could not be
ruined, he therefore endeavoured to seduce them from this de-
pendance. 4. He does this by working on that propensity of
the mind to desire an increase of knowledge, with which
God, for the most gracious purposes, had endued it. 5. In
order (o succeed, he insinuates, that God, through motives of
envy, had. given the prohibition — God dolh know that in the
da)/ ye cut of it, ye shall he like himsef, ^^c. 6. As their [ire-
sent slate of blessedness must be inexpres-sibly dear to them,
he endeavours to persuade them that they could not fall from
this state; ye shall not su7-ely die ; ye shall not only retain your
present blessedness, but it shall be greatly increased; a tempt-
ation by vihieli he has ever since fatally succeeded in the ruin
of multitudes of souls, whom he persuaded, that being once
right they could never finally go wrong. 1. As he kept the
unlawfulness of the means i)ruposed, out of sight, pcr.<uadeil
thein that they coulel not fiill from their stedf.istness, assureel
them that lliey should resemble God hiinseUi and conse-
quently be self-sufficient, and totally independant of iiim;
they listened, and fixing their eye only on the promised
good, ncalecting the positive command, anel determining to
become wise and independant at all events, they took of the
fruit and did eat.
Let us now examine the effects.
1. Their eyes iierc opened, and they saw they were naked.
They saw what they never saw before, that they were stripped
of their excellence; that they had lost their innocence; and.
that they had Ikllen into a stale of indigence and danger. 2.
Though their eyes were opened to see their nakcdne.-s, yet
their mind was clouded, and their judgment confused. They
•seem to have lost all just notions of honour and dishonour; of
what was shameful and what was praiseworthy. It was dis-
honourable and shameful to break the coiflmandinent of God;
1
Adam and Eve are
10 And he said, I lieard thy voice
in the garden, ' and I was al'raid, be-
A M.I.
u c. -laii.
A.M.I.
15. C lOOl,
cause I icas naked ; and I hid myself.
1 1 And lie said, Wlio told thee that thou rvast
naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof
CHAP. III. called into judgment,
I commanded thee tliat thou should-
est not cat ?
12 And the man said, " Tlie woman whom
thou gavest to L<; with me, she ga\c me of the
tree, and 1 did eat.
•Ch. 2. 25. Exod. S.6. Psa. 119. IvO. Ii«i. XJ. IK & 57. 11. IJohuS.SO.
but 'it was iieitlier, to go naked, when clotliinjj was not neces-
oary. 3. Thry seem in a moment not only to liave lost
•onnd jiiilijri'.tnt, but also rtflcctiun: a short tune before,
Adam was so wise that he could name all tlie crealurcs
broMuhl befuff liiin, accordins^ to tlieir respective natures and
qudhties: now, he does not know that first prineiple roncern-
insj the Divine Naiure, that it knaus all things ; and that it
isoinnii)rc.«iit, therefore he endeavours to hide himself among
the trees, fi oin the eye of the all seeing God ! How astonish-
ing is this ! When the creatures were brought to liim, he
could n/wie them, because he could discern their respective
natures .nnd properties: when Eve was brought to him, he
could iniuiediately tell a-hal she was, uJio she was, and for
ii-Iiat end made, though he was in a deep sleep when God
t'uiMied her : and this seem? to be particularly noted, merely
to shew the depth of his wisdom and the perfection of his
discernment. But alas! how are the mighty fallen! Com-
pare his prt-icnt v>'\\.h his past state ; his stale befnre the trans-
gression with his state after it ; and say, is this the .same
creature ? '1 lie creature, of whom God said, as he said of
all his Works, He is r-ery good — just what he should lie, a
living inia;.'e of the Living God ; but now lower than the
bea.<s of the field. 4. This account could never have bten
credited, had not the indisputable proofs and evitleiices of it
been continued by unintcrrupttd succession to the prestnt time.
All the descendants of this first guiliy pair, resemble their
degenerate ancestors, and copy their conduct. The original
mode of transgression is still Cdntlnued, and the original sin
in consiqiitnce Here are the proofs. 1. Kvery liuman
being is eniituvouring to obtain knowledge by unlawful means,
even while the lawful means and every available help are at
hand. 2. They are endeavouring to be independent, and to
live without God in the world: hence prayer, the language of
dependance on God's providence and grace, is neglected, I
might s;iy, detested by the groat miijority of men. Had I
no other jiroof than this, tint uum is a fiillen creature, my
soul would bow to this evidence. 3. Being dc stitute of the
true knowledge of God, they seek privacy for tlieu- crimes,
not considtrmg that the eje of God is upon them, being only
fiolicitous to hide them from the eye of man. The.se are all
proofs in point; but we shall soon meet with additionnl ones.
See on vcr. 10 and 12.
Vtr-e 8. The voice of the Lord) The voice is properly
used lure, fur as God is an infinite Spirit, and Ciinnot be con-
fined to auy form, so he can liave no personal appearance.
It is very hkely that God used to converge with them in tlie
parden, ami that the usual time was the decline of the day,
Ovn nr>3 Oe much haiyom, in the evening breeze ; and pro- '
fcably this was the time that our first parents cmi)loyed in tiie
more solemn acts ol' their religious worship, at wliich God I
'Cli. a. l!i, 20. Job SI. 33. Prov. 28. 13. Luke 10. 29. Jam. 1. lo— 15.
was ever present. The time for this solemn worship, is
again come, and God is in his place; but Adam and Eve
have sinned, and therefore, instead of being found in the
place of worship, are hidden among the trees ! Reader, how-
often has this been thy case ?
Verse 1 0. / teas afraid, becattst I was naked) See the
immediate consequences of sin. 1. SH.\ME, because of the
ingratitude marked in the rebellion ; and because, that in
aiming to be like God, they were now sunk into a state of the
greatest wretchedness. 2. FEAR, because they saw they had
been deceived by Satan, and were exposed to that death and
punishment from which he had promised them an exemption.
How worthy is it of remark, that this cause continues to prcw
duce the very same tflci ts I Shame and fear were the first
fruits of sin, and fruits, which it has invariably produced from
the fi.i-st transgression to the present time.
Verse 12. ^nd the man said, ^c.'] We have here some
farther proofs of the fallen state of man, and that the conse-
quences of that state extend to his remotest jwsterity. 1. On
the question. Hast thou eaten of the tree? Adam is obliged to
acknowledge his transgression, but he does this in such a way,
as to shift off" the blame fiom himself, and lay it upon God
and upon the woman ! This woman whom TilOU didst give
to be with me nOl? immadi, to be ray companion, (for so the
word is repeatedly used) she gave me, and I did eat. 1 have
no farther blame in this transgression ; / did not pluck tlie
Ihiit, she took it, and gave it to me.
2. \\'lien the woman is questioned, she lays the blame upoa
God and the serpent, {nachasli) the serpent begtuled me and I
did eat — Thou didst make him much wiser than thou didst
make me; and therefore, my simplicity and ignorance v.'efe
overcome by his superior wisdom and subtlety : / can have no
fault here, the fault is his, and his who made him so veise, and
me so ignorant. Thus we find, that while the eyes of their body-
were opened to see their degraded state; the eyes of ihcir on-
derstanding were closed so that thej' could nut see the sin-
fulness of sin ; and at the same lime their hearts were liard-
eneil through its deceitfulness. In this also their posterity
copy their example. How few ingenuously confess their own
sin ! They see not their guilt — Thej' are continually raakinj
excuses for their rriines : the strength and s-.;btlct\' of the
tempter, the natural weakness of their own miiids, tlie un-
favourable cirruinstances in which they were placed, &.c. Sec.
are all pleaeUel as excuses for their sins, and thus the posti-
bility of repentance is precluded: for till a man take his sin
to himself; till he acknowledge that he alone is guilty, he
cannot be humbled, and consequently cannot be saved.
Reader, till thou accuse thyself, and thyself only ; and feel
that thou alone art responiiible for all .thy inic^uuies, there is
no hope of thy salvation.
E 2
A.M. 1.
B.C.4<04.
The serpent and the 'woman GENESIS.
13 And the Lord God said unto
the woman, ^\^lat is this that thou
liast done ? And the woman said, "The serpent
beguiled me, and I did eat.
] -t % And the Lord God said ^ unto the ser-
pent. Because tliou hast done this, thou art curs-
ed above all cattle, and above every beast of the
field ; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and ' dust
shalt thou eat all the days of thy life :
»Vcr. 4. 2 Cor. 11.3. 1 Tim. a. It. •> Exod. 21.S9, 3'i. =Isai. 6.5. 'J5.
Wic. 7. 17 » MM. a 7. & 1.1. ;!8. & '.'3 .33. John 13. 44. Acts 13, 10.
1 .lohn S. 8. 'Ps. 132. 11. Isai. 7. 14. ]\Iic. .">. 3. Matt. 1. '-'.3, .25.
Luke 1. SI, 34, 35. Gal. 4. 4. fRoin. 16. 20. Col. !i. 15. Hebr. 2. 14.
Verse 14. And the Lord God said nnto the serpent] The terMptcr
is not asked w/iy he deceived the ivomun ? He cannot roll the
blame on any other: sdf-lempted he fell ; and it is natural for
liini, such is his enmity, to drceive and destroy all he can.
His fault admits of no excuse; and therefore God begins to
pronounce sentence on hi?ii first. And here we must consider
a twofold sentence, one on Satan, and the other on the ttgent
he employed. The nachash who I suppose to have been at the
head of all the inferior animals, and in a sort of society and
intimacy with man, is to be greatly degraded, entirely banished
from human society, and deprived of the gift ofsprech. Cnrscd
art thou above all cattle, and above everij beast of the field —
thou shalt be considered the most contemptible of animals —
vpon thy belly shalt thou go — thou shalt no longer walk erect,
but mark the ground equally with thy hands and feet — and
dust shall thou cat, though formerly possessed of the faculty
to distinguish, chuse and cleanse thy food, thou shalt feed
henceforth like the most stupid and abject quadruped, all
the days of thy life — through all the innumerable generations
of tliy species. God saw meet to manifest his displeasure
against the agent employed in this most melancholy business;
and perhaps this is founded on the part which the intelligent
and subtle nachash took in the seduction of our first parents.
M'e see that he was capable of it, and have some reason to
believe that he became a ivilling instrument.
Verse 15. I ivill put enmity between thee and the ivoman"]
Tliis has been generally supposed to apply to a certain enmity
subsisting between men and serpents : but this is rather a
fancy than a reality. It is yet to be discovered that the ser-
pentine race have any peculiar enmity against mankind ; nor
is there any proof that men hate serpents more than they do
other noxious animals. Men have much more enmity to the
common rat and magpie than they have to all the serpents in
the land, because the former destroy the grain, &c. and ser-
jients in general, far from .seeking to do men mischief, flee his
approach and g' nerally avoid his dwelling. If, however, we
lake the word nachash to mean any of the simia, or ape species,
we find a more consistent meaning, as there is scarcely an
animal in the univtrse so detested by most women as these are;
and indeed men look on them as continual caricatures of them-
selves. But we are not to look for merely literal meanings here:
it i.s evident, that Satan, who actuated this creature, is alone in-
tt'iided in this part of the prophetic declaration. God in his
receive their senfenae^
15 And I will put enmity between ^- ^^- *•
thee and the woman, and between J^_;^^-
" thy seed and 'her seed ; "^it shall bruise thy
head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16^ Unto the woman he said, I will greatly
multiply thy sorrow and thy conception j ^in sor-
row thou shalt bring forth children ; " and thy
desire shall be 'to thy husband, and he shall
"rule over thee.
1 John 5. 5. Rev. 1?. 7, 17. ePs 48. 6. I.^ni. 13. 8. & 21. 3. .Tohn 16. 21.
1 Tim. 2. to. " ch. 4. 7. ' Or, suhjcrt to thu husband. k 1 Cor. 1 1. 3.
& 14. 34. Epli. 5. 2'4 23, 2*. 1 Tini. 2. II, 12. Tit. 2. 5. 1 Pet. 3. 1,
5, 6.
endless mercy has put enmity between men and hitn : so that^
though all mankind love his service, yet all invariably hate/(2»i-
self. Were it otherwise, who could be saved ? A great point
gained towards the conversion of a sinner, is to convince
him that it is Satan he has been serving, that it is to him
he has been giving up his soul, body, goods, &c. he starts
with horror ^vlien this conviction fastens on his mind, and
shudders at the thought of being in league with the old mur-
derer. But there is a deeper meaning in the text than even
this, especiall}' ii» these words, it shall bniise thy head, or
rather, Nin hiia, HE, who? the seed of the wo!«an, the per-
son who is to come by the woman, and by her alone, without
the concurrence of man. Therefore the address is not to Adam
and Eve, but to Eve alone: and it was in consequence of
this purpose of God, that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin.-
thi.s and this alone, is what is implied in the promise of the
seed of the woman bruising tlie head of the serpent. Jesus
Christ died to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, and
to destroy him \\\\o had the power of death, that is the Devil.
— Thus he bruises his head, destroys his power and lordship .
over mankind, turning them from the power of Satan unto
God, Acts xxvi. 18. And Satan bruises his heel — God so
ordered it, that the salvation of man could only be brought
about bj' the death of Christ: and even the spiritual seed of
our blessed Lord, have the heel often bruised, as they suffer
persecution, temptation, &c. which may be all that is intended
by this part of the prophecy.
Verse 16. Unto the woman he said] She being second in
the ti-ansgression is brought up the second to receive her con-
demnation, and to hear her punishment. I will greatly mul-
tiply, or multiplying I ivill multiply ; i.e. I will multiply thy
sorrows, and multiply those sorrows by other sorrows; and
this during conception and pregnancy; and particularly so in
parturition or child-bearing. And this curse has fallen in a
heavier degree on the woman than on any other female. No-
thing is belter attested than this; and yet there is certainly no
natural reason why it should be so: it is a part of her
punishment, and a part, (iom which, even God's mercy will
not exempt her. It is added further, Thy desire shall be to
thy husband — Thou shalt not be able to shun the great pain
and peril of child-bearing, for thy desire, thy appetite, shall
be to thy husband ; — and he shall rule over thee ; though at
their creation toth were formed witli equal rights, and the
Adam senknced. CHAP.
A. M. 1. 17 And unto Adam he said, * Bc-
^ ^- '"^'^^- cause thou hast hearkened unto the
voice of thy wie, "■ anti hast eaten of the tree,
' of which I conunandcd tliee, saying. Thou
shalt )iot cat of it ; "cursed h the ground for
thy sake ; ' in sorrow shait thou cat of it all the
days of thy liic j
III.
The ffround cursed.
A. M. 1.
B. C. I0P4.
• 1 Sam. l.i. 23. " vcr. 6. ' rli. S. 17. " Ecclcs. 1. 2, 3. Isai. 24.
6, 6. Rom 8. 20. « Job 3. 7. Kiclos. 2. 23. 'Job 31. 40. e Heb.
cause to bud. " Ps. 104. 14. Job 1. 21. Vs. yo. 3. f< 104. 2. ' Eccles.
woman had probably as much right to ntle as the man ; but
subjection to the will oF her hu.^haud, is one part of her curse ;
and so very capricious is this u;// often, that a sorer punish-
ment no human being can well have, to be at all in a .state of
liberty, and under the protection of wise and equal laws.
Verse 17. And unto Adam he said] The man being the
last in the transgression is brought up last to receive his sen-
tence. Because lliou liasl hiurkencd unto the voice of tliy '.vifc —
" thou wast not deceived, she only gave and counselled thee to
eat — this thou shouldest have resisted;" and that he did not, is
the reason of his condemnation. Cursed is ilie ground for thy
take, from hencefordi its fertility shall be greatly impaired;
ill sorrow shalt thou eat of it ; be in continual perplexity con-
cerning the seed time and the harvest, the cold and the heat,
the wet and the dry. How often are all the fruits of man's
toil destroyed by blasting, by nnldew, by insects, wet weather,
land floods, &c. &c. Anxiety anil carefulness are the labour-
ing man's portion.
Ver.se 18. Thorns alxo, and thistles, Sfc] Instead of pro-
ducing nourishing grain and useful vegetables, noxious weeds
shall be peculiarly prolific, injure the ground, choke the good
seed, and mock the hopes of the husbandman. And thou
shalt eat the herb of the field — Tliou shalt no longer have the
privilege of this garden of delights, but must go to the com-
mon champaign country, and fted on such herbs as thou canst
find, till by labour and industry thou hast raised others, more
suitable to thee and more comfortable.
In the curse pronounced on the ground, there is much more
implied than generally appears. The amazing fertility of
some of the most common thistles and thorns, renders them
the most proper instruments for the fulfilment of this sentence
against man. Thistles multiply enormously : a species called
the Carolina sj/lvestris bears ordinarily i'rom twenty to forty
heads, each containing from one hundred to one hundred and
fifty seeds.
Another specie.", called the Acanthum ■culgare, produces above
100 heads, earh containing from 3 to 400 seeds. Suppose
we say that these thistles produce at a medium only 80 heads,
and that ea<;h contains only 300 seeds; the first crop from
these would amount to 1^4,000. Let these be sown, and their
crop will amount to 576 millions. Sow these, and their pro-
duce will be 13,8-' 4,000,000,000, or thirteen billions, eight
hundred and twenty-four thousand 7nillions ; and a single crop
from these, which is on!y the third year's growth, would
amount to 33 l,77t;,O(J0,OOO,0O0,00O, or three hundred and
tkiriy-one thou&and, seven hundred and aevciity-six billions ; and
18 '^ Tliorns also and thistles shall
it ^ bring ibrth to thee; and "thou
shalt eat the herb of the field ;
19 ' In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat
bread, till thou return unto the ground ; for out
of it wast thou taken : for " dust thou art, and
' unto dust shalt thou return.
1.13. oThcss. 3. 10. >=cli. 2. 7. Dan. 12. 2. 'Job 21. 2f,. & St. 15,
Ps. ICt. i9. Eccles. 3. 20. & 12. 7. Daii. 12. 2. Rora.o. 12. Uebr. y.27.
the fourth year's growth will amount to 7962,624,000,000,
000,000,000, or seten thousa7id vine hundred and sixly.ttio
j trillions, six hundred and tivcnty-four thousand billions. A pro-
I geny more than sufficient to stock not only the surface of the
[ whole world, but of all the planets in the solar system, .so that
no other plant or vegetable could po.ssibly grow, allowing but
the space of one square foot for each plant.
The Carduuszulgutissirnusviarum, or common hedge-thistle,
besides the almost infimte swarms of winged seeds it sends
forth, s]ireads its roots around many yards, and llirows up
suckers every where, which not only produce seeds in their
, turn, but extend their roots, propagate like the parent plant,
and stifle and destroy all vegetation but their own.
As to THORNS, the bramble, which occurs so commonly,
and is so mischievous, is a sufficient proof how well the means
are calculated to secure the end. The genista, or spinosa vul-
garis, called by some furze, by others xvhins, is allowed to be
one of the most mischievous shrubs on the face of the earth.
Scarcely any thing can grow near it ; and it is so thick set
with prickles, that it is almost impossible to touch it without-
being wounded. It is very prolific; almost half the year it is
covered with flowers, which produce pods filled with seeds.
Besides, it shoots out roots far and wide, from which suckers
and j'oung plants are continually springing up, which produce
others in their turn. Where it is perantted to grow, it soon:
overspreads whole tracts of ground, and it is extremely diffi-
cult to clear the ground of its roots where once it has got
proper footing. Such provision has the just God made tO'
fulfil the curse which he has pronounced on the earth, because
of the crimes of its inhabitants. — Sec Hale's Vegetable Statics.
Vtrse 19. In the sweat of thy face] Though the whole body
may be thrown into a profiise sweat, if bard labour be Ion"
continued,, yet \.\\e face or forehead is the first part whence the
sweat begins to issue : this is occasioned by the blood bcini'
strongly propelled to the biain, partly through stooping, ancl
principally by the strong action of the muscles : in consequence
of this the blood-vessels about the head become turgid tlirou<rli
the great flux of blood, the fibres are relaxed, the pores en-
larged, and the sweat or serum poured out. Thus, then, the
very commencement of every man's labour, may put htm in
mind of his sin and its consequences.
Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.] God had
said that, in the day they ate of the forbidden fruit, dyin^
they should die; they should then become mortal, and con-
tinue under the influence of a great variety of untriendly
agencies in the atmosphere, and in thenoselves, from heat*,.
A. M. I.
B.C.4:Ji)4
Adam and Eve are GENESIS.
20 And Adam called his wife's
name ' Eve ^ : because she was the
mother of all living. ,
21 ^ Unto Adam also and to his wife did the
Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed
them.
dotlied ii.ith skin
»IIeb. Chuvah, That is, Um:ig
-•■ Acts 17. 2C.
colds, drou^^ht, and dainps in the one, and morbid increased
and dccreascil action in tlie solids and fluids of tlie ollitr, till
the epir;t, finding; its earth!}' house no lunger tenable, should
rtturn to God who gave it ; and the body, being decom-
posed, should be reduced to its primitive dust. It is evident
from this, that man would have been immortal, had he never
transi^ressed ; and that this state of continual life and health
depended on his obedience to his IMaker. The tree of life,
as we have already seen, was intended to be the means of
continual preservation. For as no being but God can exist
independently of any supporting agency, so man cnuld not
have continued to live without a particular supporting agent;
and this supporting agent, under God, appears to have been
the lire of tife.
Verse 20. And Adam called his icife's name Eve, because
she ti'as the mother of all living.] A man wlio does not un-
derstand the original, cannot possibly comprehend the reason
of what is said here. \\'l)at has the word Eve to do with
being the mother of all living? Our translators often follow
the Sep/iins;int : it is a pity they had not dune so here, as the
Septuaginl translation is literal and correct. Kai EKa'KEo-sv
A^a/i TO 0)/o/A.a rn; yvvamoi aurou "Ziiin, on /^htd^ Travrt^jv
Ti'V ^uvruv. " And Adam called his wife's n;ime Life, be-
cause she was the mother of all the livinc;" This is a pro-
per and faithful representation of the Hebrew text; for the
nin chavah, of the original, which we have corrupted into
Eve, a word destitute of all meaning, answers exactly to the
Zaiw of the Septuagint, both signifying tife ; as does also the
Hebrew 'H c//«;, to the Greek ^urvm, both of which signify
the living. It is probable that God designed !)y this name to
teach our first parents these two ini])ortant truths : 1. That
though ihey had merited immediate death, yet they should
be resj)ited, and the acconijilishnK^nt of the sentence be long
delayed ; ihcy should be spared to propagate a numerous
progeny ot> the earth. 2. That though much misery would
be tntailtd on (his posterity, and death should have a long
and universal empire, yet One should, in the fulness o''
time, si)ring- from the woman, who should destroy death, and
bring life and imiuortalily to light. 2 lim. i. 10. Therefore
Adam caPed Ins wife's name Life, because she wa« to be the
mother of all human beings, and because she was to be the
mother of HIM who was to give life to a world, dead m
trespasses, and dead m sins, Ephes. ii. 1, &c.
Verse 21. God made coa!s of skins] It is very likely
that the skins out of which their clothing was triade, were
taken off an mals whose blood had bci n poured out as z.sin-
offerinn to God : for as we find Cam and Abel ullering- sacri-
fices to God, we may fairly presume, that God had ijiven them
instructions on this head ; nor is it likely, that the notion of a
A, M. 1.
B. C. 4 104.
22 % And the Lord God said, ' Be-
hold, the man is become as one of
us, to know good and evil : and now, lest he put
fortli his hand, " and take also of the tree of lite,
and eat, and live for ever :
23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth
' Ver. 5. Like laai. 19. 12. & 47. 12, 13. Jer. t'2. 23. ''cli. 2. 9.
sacrifice could have ever occurred to the mind of man without
an express revelation from God. Hence we niav safely infer,
1. That as Adam and Eve needed tliis clothing as soon as they
fell, and death had not as yet made any ravages in the animal
world, it is most likely that the skins were taken off victims
offered under the direction of God himself, and in faith of
HIM, who, in the fulness of time, was to make an atonement
by his death. And 2<ily, it seems reasonable also, that this
matter should be brought about in such a way, that Satan and
Death should have no tnumph, when the very first death that
took place in the world, was an emblem and type of that
death which should conquer Satan, destroy his empire, re-
concile God to man, convert man to God, sanctify human
nature, and prepare it for heaven.
Verse 22. Behold, the man is become as one of us] On
all hands, this text is allowed to be difficult; and the diffi-
culty is iiidcaseil by our translation, which is opposed to the
original Hebrew, and the most authentic versions. The
Hebrew has tVn huyah, which is the third person preterite
tense, and signifies xeus, not is. The Samaritan text, the
Samaritan version, the Syriac, and the Septuagint, have the
same tense. These lead us to a very different sense, and
indicate that there is an ellipsis of some words, which must
be supplied, in order to make the sense complete. A very
learned man has VfUtured the following paraphra^^e, which
should not be lightly regarded : " And the Lord God said,
the man "who WAS like one of us in purity and wisdom, is
now fallen, and robbed of his excellence : he ha.s added
n;!17 ludadt, to the knowledge of the good, by his transgres-
sion, the knowledge cf the evil : and noiu lest he put forth
his hand, and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live
for ever in this miserable state, I will remove him, and
guard the place, lest he should re-enter. Therefore the Lord
God sent him forth from the garden of Eaen," iic. This
seems to be the most natural sense of the place. Some sup-
pose that his removal from the tree of life was in mercy to
prevent a second lemptation. He, btfore, imagined that he
could uain an increase of wisdom by eating of the ti-ee of
knowledge, and Satan would be disposed lo tempt him to en-
deavour to elude the sentence of deuiii, by eating ot tlie tree of
life. Others imagine that the words aie spoken ironically, and
that the Most High intenCtd by a cut(ing taunt to upbraid the
poor culprit tor his offence; because be broke the Divine com-
mand, in the expectation of being like God, to know good and
evil ; and now he had lost all the good that God had designed
for him, and got nothing but evil in its place ; and therefore
CJod taunts him for tlx total miscarriage of his project. Rut
Cjod is ever consistent v.ith himself; and surely his infinite
pity prohibited the use of either sarcasm or irony, in speaking
They ere expclhd
CHAP. III.
Jrom the garden.
y\. M. I. fi-om the garden of Eden, ' to till ij" at the east of the garden of Eden jf J",,,'^
i^CjnLM. ^|j^ ground from whence he was
taken.
24 So he drove out the. man ^ and he placed
• C!i. Si j. ic -1. ••'. i y. ■-•I). Eccl. 5. 9. ^^cli. a. 8.
uf so <lrcaJfiil a catnstropl-.c, t'lat was in the end lo occasion
lliL- ngov.y and bloody s\vi;:i(, tiie cross and passion, tlie death
anfl burial, of bin;, in whom dwelt all the fiilncss of tlie God-
head bodily, Col. ii. 9.
In chap. i. 26, 27. we have seen man in the perfection of
his nature, the dignity of his oflFicc, and the plenitude of his
happiness. TIcre we find the same creature, but strijiped of
his glories and happiness, so that the word man no longer
conveys the same ideas it did before. Blan and intdlectiiul
txcellcnce, were before so intimately connected as to appear
hiseparable; viitn and inhcry are now equally so. In our
nervous mother ton;rue, the Anglo-Saxon, we have found liie
word Iruo (iod, signifying notonlj'lhe Supreme Being, but also
iiood or goodness: and it is worthy of especial note, that the word
COan man, in the same language, is used to express not only
ihe litiman being so called, bo'.h male and female, but also
.iiiischicf, wickeJiiesf, fraud, deceit, and villuny. Thus a sim-
ple mono-iyilable, slill in use among us in its first sense, con-
Mved ^l once to the minds of our ancestors the two following
particulars: — 1. The human being in his excellence, capable
of knowing, loving, and glorifying his Maker. 2. The hu-
man bein<^ in his fallen stale, cajiable of, and committing all
kinds of wickedness. " Obiter hie notandum," says old Mr.
Somner, in his Saxon Dictionary, " venit, Eos Saxonibus,
et DeUM sign^ficasse et BUN'U.M : uti (COan) Man, et Iiominem
el nequiliain. Here it is to be noted, that among' the Saxons,
tlic term GoP, signified both the D.-ciue B^ing ^nA goodness, as
the word Man, signified both the Human Being and luickedness."
This is an additional proof that our Saxon ancestors both
thought and spoke at the same time, which, strange as it may
appear, is not a common case: their words in general are not
arl'itrary signs; but, as far as sounds can convey the ideal
meaning of things, their words do it. And they are so formed
and used, as necessarily to bring to view the nature and pro-
perties of those things of wliith they are the signs. In this sense
the Anglo-Saxon is inferior only to the Hebrew.
Verse 24. So he drove out the man"] Three things are
noted here: 1. God's displeasure against sinful man, evi-
denced by his expelling him from this pla-e of blessedness.
2. Man's unftlneis for the place, of which he had rendered
lumself uiiworlliy by his ingratitude and transgression. And
3. his reluctance to leave this place of ha])])iness. He was,
as we may naturally conclude, unwilling to depart, and God
droie him out.
He pieced at the east] onpo mikkedem, or before the garden
of Eden, before what may be conceived its gale or entn.rce;
cherubims. D3"13n ha-kerubim, TIIE cherubim. Hebrew
liKuals in the ma^Luline, end in general in im : to add an s
to this when we introduce such words into English, is very
iiujiroper; therefore the word should be written clierubim,
not cherubims. But what wcr« these .' llicy are utterly un-
ChcruV)inis, and a flamin2; sword
which turned every way, to keep the way. of tlic
tree of life.
' Kxcd. 25. 'i, 20. 1 Kin. 6. 25—23. Jo=li. 5. 13. Ps. 104. 4. Hcbr. 1.7.
known. Conjectures and guesses relative to their nature and
properties are endlcs.s. Several think them to have been
emblematical representations of the sacred Trinity, and bring
reasons and sciij'tures in support of their opinion: but as I
am not satisfied that this opinion is correct, I will not trouble
the reader with it. From the description in Exod. xxvi. 1.
31. 1 Kings vi. 29. .32. 2 Chron. iii. 14. il appears that
the cherubs were sometimes represented witli two faces,-
namely, those of a lion and of a man; but from Ezek. i. 5, &c.
X. — 20, 21. we find that they had four faces and four wings:
the faces were those of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle:
but it seems there was but one body to these heads. The
tivofaced cherubs were such as w:ere represented on the
curtains and vail of the tabernacle, and on the wall, doors-
and vail of the temple : those with four faces appear';d only
in the Holy of Ilulies.
The word 313 or 2113 kerub, never appears as a verb in
the Hel;rew 15il)|e, and therefore is justly s'lpposed to be a
word compounded of 3 ke, a particle of resemblance, like- to,
like as, and y^ rab, he was great, powerful, Sfc. Hence it
is very likely, that the cherubs, to whatever order of beings
they belonged, were emblems of tiie AlL-MIGUTY, and
were those creatures by whom he produced the great eflects
of his power. The word 31 rab is a character of the Most
High, Prov. xxvi. 10. The great God who formed all ; and
again in Psal. xlviii. 2. where he is called the Great King,
31 iSo melee rab. But though this is rarely applied as a
character of the Supreme Being in the Hebrew Bible, yet
it is a common appellative of the Deity in the Arabic lan-
guage. i_>. 7-ab, and aJIjJI »_> rab'uladlaineen. Lord of
both worlds, or. Lord of I he universe, are expressions re-
peale<lly used to ])oint out the almighty energy and supremacy
of God. On this ground, I suppose, the cherubim were
eaililematical representations of the eternal power and God-
head of the Almighty. These angelic beings were for a
time employed in guarding the entrance to Paradise, and
keeping the way of, or road to, the tree of liT-. This, I
is.y, for a time; for it is vcrj' probable that God soon re-
moved the tree of lite, and abolished the garden, so that its
situation could never after be positively ascertained.
By the flaming sword turning eveiy way, or flame folding
back upon itself, we may understand the Ibrnndable appear-
ances which these cherubim assumed, in order to render the
passage to tlie tree of life inaccessible.
Thus terminates this most awful tragedy, a tragedy in
which all the actors are slain ! in which the most awful mur-
ders are committed, and the whole universe ruined ! 'J'he
serpent, so called, is degraded — the woman cursed with
pains, miseries, and a subjection to the will of her husband,
which was never originally designed — the man, the lord of
this loiver world, doomed to incessant labour and tbil-^aiul
Observations on the state
GENESIS.
of our first parents.
the cnnh itself cursed with comparative barrenness ! To
complete all, the garden of pleasure is interdicted, and this
man, who was made after the image of God, and who would
be like him, shamefully expelled from a place where pure
spirits alone could dwell. Yet, in the midst of wrath, God
rememhers merty, and a promise of redemption from this de-
graded and curbed state is made to them, through HIM who,
in the fulness of time, is to he made flesh, and who, by dymt:
for tlie sin of the world, shall destroy the power of Satan, and
deliver all who trust in the merit of Ivs sacrifice, from the
power, guilt, and nature of sin, and thus prepare them for
the celestial Paradise at the right-hand of God.- — Reader, hast
thou repented of thy sin ? for, often hast thou sinned after the
similitude of thy ancestor's transgression. Hast thou sougiit
and found redemption in the blood of the Lanib? Art thou
saved from the disposition which led thy first parents to trans-
gress ? Art thou living a life of depcndance on thy Creator, and of
faith and loving obedience to him who died for thee ? Wilt
thou live under the curse, and die eternally ? God forbid !
Return to him with all thy soul, and receive this exhortation as
a call from his mercy.
- To what has already been said on the awful contents of
this chapter, 1 can add little that can either set it in a clearer
light, or make its solemn subject more impressive. We see
here that by the subtlety and envy of the Devil, sin entered
into the world, and death by sin; and we find that death
reigned not only from Adam to Moses, but from Moses to the
present day. How abominable must ein be in the sight of
God, when it has not only defaced his oxvn image li-om the
soul of man, but has also become a source of natural and
moral evil throughout every part of the globe. Disruption
and violence ap|iear in every part of nature; vice, profligacy,
and misery through all tlie tribes of men, and orders of so-
ciety. It is true, that where sin hath abounded, there grace
doth much more abound; but men shut tlieir eyes against
the light, and harden their hearts against the truth. Sin,
which becomes propagated into the world by natural genera-
tion, glowing with the growth, and strengthening with the
strength of man, would be as endless in its duration as un-
limited in its influence, did not God chet k and restrain it by
his grace, and cut off its extending influence in the incor- 1
rigibly wicked, by means of death! How wonderful is the
ceconomy of God ! That which entered into the world as ]
one of the prime fruits and effects of sin, is now an instru-
nient in his hands, to prevent tlie extension of its contai'ion.
If men, now so greatly multiplied on the earth, and fertile
in mischievous inventions, were peimitied to live nearly a
thousand years, as in the ancient world, to mature and per-
fect tlieir infectious and destructive counsels, what a sum of
iniquity and ruin would the face of the earth present ! Even
while they are laying plans to extend the empire of death,
God, by the very means of death itself, prevents the comple-
tion ol their pernicious and diabolic designs. Thus, what
man, by his wilful obstinacy, does not permit grace to cor-
rect and restrain, God, by his sovereign power, brinn-s in
death to conUoul. It is on this ground, that wicked and
bluod-thirsly men live not out half their days: and what a
mercy to the world, that it is so! They who will not
submit to the sceptre of mercy, shall be broken in pieces by
the rod of iron. Reader, provoke not the Lord to displea-
sure; thou art not stronger than He. Grieve not his spirit,
provoke him not to destroy thee; why shouldest thou die
before thy time .' Thou hast sinned much, and needest every
moment of thy short life to make thy calling and election
sure. Shouldest thou provoke God by thy perseverance in
iniquity, to cut thee ofl" by death before this great work is
done, better for thee thou liadst never been born !
How vain are all attempts to attain immortality here! For
some thousands ot years men have been labouring to find out
means to prevent death; and some have even boasted that
they had found out a medicinfe capable of preserving life for
ever, by resisting all the attacks of disease, and incessantly
repairing all the wastes of the human machine. That is, the
alchymistic Philosophers would have the world to believe,
that they had found out a private passage to the tree of im-
mortality ! but their own deaths, in the common order of na-
ture, as well as the deaths of the millions which make no
such pretensions, are not only a sufficient confutation of their
baseless systems, but also a continual proof that the cherubim,
ivith their Jluming sivords, are turning every ■wtty to keep the
passage of the tree of life. Life and immortality are, how-
ever, brought to light by die gospel, and he only who keepeth
the sayings of the Son of God, shall live for ever. Though
the body is dead, consigned to death, because of sin, yet the
spirit is life, because of righteousness, and on those who are
influenced by this spirit of righteousness, the second death
shall have no power.
CHAPTER IV,
The birth, track and religion of Cain and Jbel, 1 — 7- Cain murders his brother Jld, 8. God calls him into
judgment for it, 9, 10. He is cursed, 11, 12. lie (kspairs, 15, 14. yJ promise given him of preservation,
and a mark set on him to prevent his being killed^ 15, l6. Ue departs from Gud's presence, 1(5. Has a son,
whom he calls Enoch-, ami builds a cittf uhich he calls aflc;' his name, 1 7. Cain has several children, among
Zihom, tire Lamccli, the first bigamist^ 18, IJ}- Jabal, icho taught thf use of tents and feeding cattle, 20.
Jnbal, the inventor of mmiml inslrnmenls, CI. Tubal-cain, the inventor of smith-work, C2. Strange speech
of Lamech to his wives, 2.'5, 24. Selh born to Adam and Eve in the place of Jbel, 25. Enoch born, and the
uorship of God restored, 26.
Cain and Abel born ;
CHAP. IV
their qffhritigs.
A. M. 2.
B. C. 4IX)3.
AND Adam knew Eve his wife ;
and she conceived, and bare
* Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the
LottD.
2 And she again bare his brother * Abel.
And Abel was " a keeper of sheep, but Cain
was " a tiller of the ground.
"That is, poKfii, or acquired. 1> IIclj. IkbcL ' Heb. a feeder, ver. 25.
89. I Jolm 3. 10, 12, 15. I'sal. 127. 3. John 8. 44. 1 ch. S. tJ. &i ^J. W.
NOTF,S ON CI1;VP. IV.
Verse 1. / hare goltfn a man from the Lord.] Cain J»p
signifies acquisition ; lience Eve sajs, «njp Icaniti, I have gol-
Icn or (!C(iimr:i a man, niH' HN clh Yehovah, the Lord. It i.s
extremely ditVicult to ascertain the sense in which Eve used
these words, which have heen as variou.^ly translated as un-
derstood. Mo.st expositors think tliat Eve imagined Cain to
be tl)c promised seed, that .should bruise the head nf the ser-
pent. 'I'his exposition really sctins too refined for that period.
It is very hkely that slie meant no more than to acknowledge,
that it was tiirough God's peculiar blessing that she was en-
abled to conceive and brinf; forth a son; and that she had
now a well-grounded hope that the race of man should be
continued on the earth. Unless she had been under divine
in.^pi^ation, .she could not have called her son (even supposing
him to be the promised seed) Jehovah ; and that .she was not
under such an influence, her mistake sufficiently proves: for
C'lin, so far from being the Messiah, ivas of the Kicked one,
1 John iii. 12. We may therefore suppose, that niiT HK
cth Yehovah, THE LoitD, is an elliptical form of expression
. for ri\~' nsro meeth Yehovah, ricOM Tilt: LORD, or through tite
Divine blessing.
Verse 2. And she again hare his brother Abel.] Literally,
she added to bear {TnSS =lDr\1 vatoseph lakdeth) his brother.
From the very face of this account, it appears evident that
Cain and Abel were twins. In most cases, where a subject
of this kind is introduced in the Holy Scriptures, and the
successive births of children of the sune parents are noted,
the acts of conceiving and bringing lorth are mentioned in
rclerence to each child : here, it is not said that she conceived
and brought forth Abel, but sim]jly, she added to bring forth
Abel his brother; that is, as I understand it, Cain was the
first-born ; Abel, his twin brother, came next.
Abel was a keeper of slieep'] Adam was originally a gardener
— Abel a shepherd, and Cain an agriculturist orfurjucr. These
were the //irte primitive employments; ami, I may add, the
mo.st rational, and consequently the best calculated to prevent
strife and an immoderate love of the world.
Verse 3. In process of time] D";' J'po mikcts i/atnim, at the
end of days. 8onie think the anniver^ary of the creation to
be here intended : it is more probable that it means the sab-
bath on which Adam and his family utidoubledly ofiered ob-
lations to God, as the divine worship was certainly instituted,
and no doubt the sabhadi projierly (jbservcd, in that family.
This wor.-hip was, in Us original in-.titution, very simple. It
appears to have consisted of rao parts: 1. Thanksi^iving to
Cod, as the Author and Dispenser of all the bounties of na-
j\. -M. cir. 129.
Ii.C.cir..':sr5.
3 And ' in process of time it came
to pass, that Cain brought ^ of the
fruit of the ground, an offering unto the Lokd.
4 And Abel, he also brought of "-'the firstlings
of his " flock, and of the fat thereof. And the
Lord had ' respect unto Abel and to his olier-
insT
'e »
' Ileh. at ihe end of davt. ' Niimh. 18. 12. « Numb. IC. 17. I'tov. 3.
9. '" Hcb. »/icc/i or goats. ' Hebr. 11. 4.
ture; and o6/«iio?i.?, indicative of that gratitude. 2. Piacidar
sacrifices to his justice and holiness, implying a conviction of
their own sinfulness, confession of transgression, and faith in
the promised Deliverer. It we collate the passage here with
the Apostle's allusion to it, Heb. xi. 4. we shall sec cause to
form this conclusion.
Cain brnuglu ef the fruit of the ground, an offering] r)TJO
minchah, unto the Lord. The word ndnchah is explained.
Lev. ii. 1, &c. to be an offering of fine flower, uith oil and
frankincense. It was in general a eucharistic, or gratitude of-
fering; and is simply what is implied in ihe fruits of the
ground brought by Cain to the Lord, by which he testified
his belief in him as the Lord of the universe, and the dis-
penser of secular blessings.
Verse 4. Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock]
Dr. Kennicott contends, that the words, he also brought, K'3n
Sin Qi hcbia gam liua, should be translated, Abel brought IT
also; i.e. ti minchah, or gratitude offering ; and besides this,
he brought of the first-born fMISao mibecoroth) of his flock :
and it was by this alone that he acknowledged himself a
sinner, and professed faith in the promised Messiah. To this
circumstance the Apostle seems evidently to allude, Heb. xi. 4.
By VJilTH Abel off'ered ithuova. 6u(riav a MOKE or GKEATEIl sa-
crifice ; not a more excellent (for this is no meaning of the word
■^Xeibv) which leads us to infer, according to Dr. Kennicott,
that Abel, besides his minchah, or gratitude offering, brought
also Suata a victim, to be slain for his sins; and this he chose
out of the first-born of his flock, which, in the order of God,
was a representation of the Lainb of God that was to take
away the sin of the world ; and what confirms this exposition
more, is the ob.servation of the Apostle — God testifying, loig
^lopois, with his GIFTS, which certainly .shews he brought more
than one. According to this interpretation, Cain, the father of
Deism, not acknowledging the necessity of a vicarious sacri-
fice, nor feeling his need of an atonement, according to the
dictates of his natural religion, brought a minchah, or eucharis-
tic offering, to the God of the universe. Abel, not less grate-
ful for the produce of his fields, and the increase of his flocks,
brought a similar offering, and by adding a sacrifice to it,
paid a proper regard to the w ill of God, as far as it had then
been revealed, acknowledged himself a sinner, and thus depre-
cating the Divine displeasure, shewed tbrtli the death of Christ
till he came. Thus his offerings were accepted, while those
of Cain were rejected ; for this, as the Apostle says, was done
by I'AITH, and therefore he obtained witness that he was
righteous, or a justified person, God testifying with his gi(b
the thank-offering and the sin-offering by accepting them, that
Cain's offering rejected ,- , GENESIS.
5 But unto Cain and to his otfer-
inff lie had not respect. And
A.M.cir. 1t'9.
B.C.cir.a!75.
and his countenance
Cain was very wroth,
felL
6 And the Lord said unto Cain, ^Vliy art thou
wroth ? and why is tliy countenance fallen ?
7 It' thou doest well, slialt thou not ^ be accept-
•Ch. 31.;;. Num. IC. 15. Isiii. 3. 10, U. Vsa. 20. S.—'' Or, hum the
txceUtncy. llebr. 11. 4. I'rov. 21. W Job i!9. 4. ^ Or, subject unto ihec.
faith in the promised seed was the only way in which he
could accept the services and offerings of mankind. Dr.
Magee in his Di.scourses on the Atonement, criticises the
opinion of Dr. Kennicott, and contends, that there is no
ground for the distinulion uuule hy the latter, on the words.
He also brou'^ht; and .•■iiews that though the niincah in ge-
neral siginfies an nuliloody oilcring, yet it is also used to ex-
press both kinds; and that tlie niincah in question is to be
under-tood of the sacrifice then oll'ercd by Abel.
Verse 5. Unto Caiii^ As being unconscious of his sinful-
ness, and consequently unhumbled, and to lii.i offerins^, as not
being accompanied, as Abel's was, with a sacrifice for sin, he
liad not respect. He could not, consistently with his holiness
Tind justice, ajjprove of the one, or receive the other. Of the
manner in which God testified his approhaiiun we are not in-
formed; it was, probably, as in the case of Elijah, by send-
ing down fire from heaven, and consuming the sacrifice.
Cain u-us very wroth.'\ That displeasure which should have
been turned against his own unhumbled heart, was turned
against his innocent brother, who, though not more highly
privileged than he, made a nuieh better use of the advantage*
wiiich he shared in counnou with his ungodly and unnatural
brotl\cr.
Verse 6. IVIij/ art thou ivroth .?] This was designed as a
gracious warmng, and a preventive of the meditated crime.
\'crse 1. If thou dost luif//] That which is right in the
^ight of God, shale thou not he accepted ? Does God reject
any man who serves him in simplicity and godly sincerity .''
Hut {!' thou dost not well, can wrath and indignation against
thy righteous brother save thee from the disj)leasure under
which thou art fallen ? On the contrary, have recourse to thy
Maker for mercy. {'ST nXUH PinD'? lapetach chatath robcts,
a sin-offering lieth at thy door : an animal proper to be
oUircd as an atonement for sin, is now couching at the door
of thy fold.
The words rNUrt chalath, niid riNUn chatah, frequently
sigml'y sin; but 1 have observed more than a hundred places
in the Old Ti:sianient whore Ihey are u.sed for sin-qlf'ering,
and translated a/jta^Tta by the Sepluagint, which is the term
the Apostle uses, '2 Cor. v. 21. lie bath made him to
he sin, a/xa^Tiav, A SIN' OFFERlNtl for us, who knew no sin.
Cain's fault now, was his not bringing a sin-offering, when
his brother brought one ; and this neglect and contempt
caused his other ollering to lie rejccl'^d. However, God now
graciously informs him, tliat though he had miscarried, his
lase was not yet desperate, as thi- means of faitli from the
pioinisf, &.C. were in his [lower, and a victim proper for a
A. M. cir 11-9.
B.C. cir. 3875.
slaj/s his brother.
ed ? and if thou doest not well, sin
lieth at the door. And " unto thee
sJiall he his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
8 % And Cain talked with Abel his brother :
and it came to pass, when they were in the field,
that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and
'^ slew him.
ch. 3. 16. " Job 11. 15. Ps. 2). 3—6. & 5.1. 21. & 13P. li'. Wisd. 10.
Matt. 23. 3.5. 1 John 3. 12. Jude 11.
sin-offering was lying (r3"> rohels, a word used to express the
lying down of a quadruped) at the door of his fold. How
many sinners perish, not because there is not a Saviour able
and willing to save them, but because they will not use that
which is within their power. Of such, how true is that word
of our Lord, Ye will not come tinlo me, that ye miihl have life!
Unto thee shall be Ids desire, t'C-l That is, thou shalt ever
have the right of primogeniture, and in all things shall thy
brother be subject unto thee. Tliese words are not spoken
of sin, as many have understood them, but of Abel's sub-
mission to Cain as h.is superior ; and the words are spoken to
remove Cain's envy.
Verse 8. Cain talked laith Abel his brother] j'p IOS'1 vai-
yomer kuin ; and Cain said, l^'c. Not talked, for this con-
struction the word cannot bear, without great violence to ana-
logy and grammatical accuracj'. But why should it be thus
translated .' Because our translators could not find that any
thing was spoken on the occasion, and therefore they ven-
tured to intimate that there was a conversation, indefinitely.
In the most correct editions of the Hebrew Bible, there is a
small space left here in the text, and a circular mark, which
refers to a note in the margin, intimating that there is a hiatus
or deficienci/ in the verse. Now, this deficiency is supplied in
the principal ancient versions, and in the Samarjtan text.
In this the supplied words are, LET US walk OUT INTO THE
FIELD. The Syriac has, Let us go "to the desart. The Vul-
gate, egrediumur foras. Let us walk out. The Septuagint,
'SiiXSaiMsv eii to 'TTciiOv, Let us go out into the field. The
two Chaldec Tur^ums have the same reading, so has the
Coptic version. This addition is completely lost from every
MS. of the Pentateuch now Known; and yet it is sufficiently
evident, from the Samaritan text, the Samaritan version, the
Syriac, Septuagint, and Vulgate, that it was in the most au-
thentic copies of tlie Hebrew, before, and some time since the
Christian JE\n. The words may therefore be safely consider-
ed as a pare of tlie sacred text, and with them the whole pas-
sage reads clear and consistently. " And Cain said unto Abel,,
his brother, let us go out into the field; and it came to pass,
when they were in the field, that Cain rose up, &c." The
Jerusalem Targuni, and the Targuin of Jonathan ben Uzziel,
pretend to give us the subject of their conversation; as the
piece is curious, I shall insert the substance of it, for the
sake of those who may not have access to the originals.
" And Cain said unto Hebei, his brother, let us go out into
the field ; and it came to pass that, when they were in the
field, Cain answered and said lo Hebel, his brother, I
thought that the world was created in mercy, but it is not
Cain's punishment; CHAP. IV.
9 And the Lord said unto Cain,
' ^Micrc is Abel tliy brother ? And
*" I know not : Am I niv brother's
he despain
A.M.cir.l'^9.
B.C.cirJr,73.
A.SI.cir.UP.
li. C cir.j67.S
he said,
keeper ?
10 And he said, W]\at hast thou done ? the
voice of tliy brother's ■• blood '' crieth unto nie
from the ground.
1 1 And now (i)-t thou cursed from the earth,
which iuitli opened licr mouth to receive thy
brother's blood from thy hand ;
12 When thou tillest the ground,
it shall not hence{()rth yield unto
thee her strength ; a fugitive and a vagabond
shalt thou be in the eartlt,
13 And Cain said unto the Lord, ' My punish-
ment /•'>' greater than I can bear.
14 ^ Behold, thou hast driven me out this
day from the face of the earth ; and ^ from
thy face shall I be hid : and I shall be a Amitive
and a vagabond in the earth
and it shall come
•Cli. ;>. '.Ml. Ts. 0. 1?. ''.lob 'jy. ).">. 14. Ts. 10 13,14. .Tolin t). 44.
' Ucb bim'tls.- — -'' Alls n. ;>, P. Ildir. IV. ':i. .lain. .). 4. Klv. d 10.
' Or, Mine iniquUi/ is gmaUr ihan lliiU it may ic J'oii;iiiii. liuv. 16. 9.
governed according to the merit of good works, nor is tliere
any judtfiuent, nor a .judge, nor shall there he any fiiiure state
in which good rewards stiall he jriven to the ri'jjlueoiis, or
piinislmieiit t-xccuttd on the wicked ; and tur.v, there ia re-
.spect .'f ))erson.s in jiidtjnicnl. On wliat account is it that
thy sacrifice has heen acccplect, and mine not received with
complacency .' And Hebrl an^wrred and said, the world
was created in inerc)', and it is governed accordln;^ to the
I'ruit of good works; there is a jud>;c, a future world, and a
coming jud'^inent, wlu re good rewards stiall be given to the
liijlueous, and the impious puni.shcti; and Ihere is no respect
of persons in judjj;iiient ; biit because my woiki wcie better
and more pit;cio(is than thine, niy oblation was received with
ciimplacency. And because of these things they conlend^'d on
the face of the field, and Cain rose up against Hebcl his
brother, and struck a slorie into his forehead, and killed him."
It is here supposed that tlie first murder committed in the
world was the consequence of a religious dispute ; however
Mi may have been, millions since have been sacrificed to
prejudice, bigotry, and intolerance. Here, cerlainlj', origi-
nated the many-headed monster, rclis^iotis perscculion : the spirit
of the wicked one, in his foil weis, impels them to afllict and
destroy all those who are partakers of the Spirit of God. Every
persecutor is a legitimate son of the old murderer. This is the
first triumph of Satan ; it is not merely a death that he has
introduced, but a violent one, as the first fruits of sin. It is
not the (Icr.th of an ordintny person ; but of the most holy man
then in being : it is not brought about by the providence of
God, or by a gradual iailure and destruction of the earthly
fabric, but by a violent separati.n of body and soul : it is not
done by a cnmmon enemy, from whom nothing better could be
expected, but by the hand of a brother: and for no other
reason, but, because the object of his envy was more righteous
tlian himself. Alas! how exceeding sinl'ul does sin appear in
its fust manifesialion !
Virse 10. T/ie voice nf thij brother's hlood'] It is probable
thai Cain, having killed his Irolber, dug- a hole and Juried
Inm in the earlh, imping thereby to prevent the murder from
being known ; and that this is what is designed in the word.s,
thy hrotlier's blood crieth unto me ruOM THE GROUND, ivhich
huih opened her mouth to receive it from tliy hand. Some
think that by the voice of thy brother's blood, the cries of
Alx-l's widow and children are to be understood; as it is
f .Toh 15. 20—24. Pruv. 14. 32. & '.'8. 1.
s Fs. .51. 11.
Ps. 143. 7. 2 Thcss. I. 9.
I very probable that he was father of a family; indeed
j his occupation and sacrifices seem to render this probable;
and probability is all we can expect on such a subject. God
represents these as calling aloud for the punishment of the
murderer; and it is evident that Cain exptcted to fiill by tla-
hat'.ds of .some person who, from his consan'^uiniiy, had the
rigliL of the avenger of blood ; for now that the murder is
found out, he expects to suffer death for it. See ver. 11-.
j Verse 12. A fufi^itive and a vagabond shalt thou be] Thou
I slialt be expelled from the presence of God, and from thy
i fvimily connexions, and shalt have no fixed secure residence
in any plai-e. The Septuagint render this crnvav km T^sfiav
zan thou ^liult be i;roaninc; and iremblin'j; upon the earlh ; the
i horror of thy crime shall ever haunt thee, ami tliou shalt never
have any well grounded hope that God will remit the punisli-
i ment thou deservest. No .state out of endless perdition can be
' considered more awful than this.
I Ver.se 13. My punishment m greater than I can bear,"] The
margin reads, mine iniijicity \i greater than that it may he for-
given. The original words 'N^ft'JO 'JIP Snj Gadol dvuni mincso
mav be tran^latt-d, h my crime too great to be forgiven ?
Words which we may presume he nttereil on the verge of
black despair. It is most probable that |1J? Avon, signifies
rather the crime than the pimishmenl. In this sense it is used.
Lev. xxvi. 41, 43. 1 Sam. xxviii. 10. 2 Kings vii. 9. and nifJ
nusu, signifies to remit or forgive. The marginal reading is,
therefore, to be preferred to that in the text.
I Verse 14. Beholil thou hast driven me out] In verses 1 I,
12, God states two parts of Cain's punishment: — 1. The
; ground was cursed, so that it was not to yield any adequate
recompence for bis most careful tillage. 2. He was to be
i a fugitive and a vagabond, having no place in which he could
] dwell with comfort or seciiriiy. To these Cain hims.;lf adds
others. 1. His being hidden from the face of God : which
appears to signify his bLitig (xpillcd from that particular
place where God li.id manitestcd his |)resence, in or contiguous
I to Paradise ; where our first ]>arents resorted as to an oracle;
and where they oHered their daily adorations. So, in verse
16, it is said, Cain went out from the presence of the Lord,
and was not permitted any more to associate with the family
in acts of rt ligious worship. 2. The continual apprehension
of bdng .slam, as all the luhabilants of the earth were at that
time of the same fumih/, the parents llifinselvei; still alive,
F 2
God sets a ?nark on Cain.
A. M.cir. 129.
B. C.cir.3875.
to pass, ' thai every one that findeth
me shall slay me.
15 And the Lord said unto him. Therefore
whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be
taken on liim " sevenfold. And the Lord ' set a
mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill
him.
" Cli. 9. e. Numb ?5. 19, 21,27, " Ps. 79. 1«. "^ Erx-k. 9.4,6.-
■• aKiiijjs 13. iS. & Si*. •10. Jer. ^j. 39. ic 3'.'. j.
GENESIS. Cain builds a city,
IB And Cain " went out from the
A. M.cir. Va.
B. C. cir.3875.
and each having a right to kill this niurdenr of his relative.
Add to all this — 3. The teiTors of a guilty conscience, his
- awful apprehension of God's judgments, and of being ever-
lastingly banished from the beatific vi.sion. To this part of
the piinislimenl of Cain St. Paul proliably alludes, 2 Thess.
i. 9. IVho shull be punislted ivith ezrrlastia^ destruriicm from
t!ie presence of the l^rd, and the slori/ of hh pou-er. The words
are so similar, that we can scarcely doubt of the allusion.
Verse 15. The Lord set a mark upon Caui] What this mark
was, has given rise to a number of frivolously curious conjec-
tures. Dr. Shuckford collects the most rcmarkalile ; some
say he was pandijtic : this seems to have arisen from the version
of the Septuagmt, nvm nai r^i/xav icrn, groaning and Ircmhiing
shall thou he. The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel says, the
sign was frnni the great and precious name, probalily one of
the letters of the word sc^stnT Yehovah. The author of an
Arabic Catena in the Bodleian Library says, " A sword could
not pierce him ; fire could not burn him; water could not
drown him ; the air could not blast him ; nor could thunder
or lightning strike him." The author of Bereshith Rabba, a
Comment on Genesis, says the mark was a circle of the Sun
rising upon him. Abravanel says the sign was Abel's dog,
■\?hich constantly accompanied him. Some of the Doctors in
the Talmud say that it was the letter n fau marked on his
forehead, which signified his contrition, as it is the first letter
in the word naillTI teshiiheh, repentance. Rabbi Joseph, wiser
than all the rest, says it was a long horn growing out of his
forehead 1
Dr. Shuckford farther observes, that the Hebrew word r\)ii
oth, which \vc translate a mark, signifies a sign or token. Thus,
Gen. ix. 13. The bow was to be ms"? leoth, for a sign or
token that the word should not be destroyed : therefore the
words. And the Lord set a mark vpon Cain, .should be tran-
slated. And the Lord ajipointed to Cain a token or sign, to
convince him that no person should be permitted to slay him.
To have marked him, would have been the most likely way to
have brought all the evds he dreaded upon him : therefore the
Lord gave him .some miraculous sign or token, that he should
not be slain, to the end that he should not despair, but having
time to repent, might return to a gracious God and find
mercy. Notwithstanding the allu^ion which I ."iuppose
St. Paul to have made to the punishment of Cain, some
think that he diil repent and find mercy. I can only say,
this 'joas possible. Most people who read tiiis account wonder
why Cam .should dread being kdlcd, when it does not appear
to them that there were any inhabitants on the earth at that
5
presence of the Lord, and dwelt in
the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
17 % And Cain knew his wife : and she con-
ceived, and bare ' Enoch : and he budded a city,
^ and called the name of the city, after the name
of his son, Enoch.
« Hcb. Chanoch. cli. 3. 18, 22.-
-fPs. '19. 11. 2Sam. 18. 18.
time besides himself and his parents. To correct this mis-
take, let it be observed that the death of Abel took place in
the one hundred and twenty-eighth or one hundred and
twenty-ninth year of the world. Now, " .Supposing Adam
and Eve to have had no other sous than Cain and Abel
in the year of the world one hundred and twenty-eight, yet
as they had daughters married to these sons, their descendants
would make a considerable tiguye on the earth. Supposing
them to have been married in the nineteenth year of the
world, they might easily have had each eight children, some
males and some females, in the twenty fifth year. In the
fillicth year there might proceed from them in a direct line
sixty-four persons; in the seventy-fourth year there would be
five hundred sevent5-two ; in the ninety-eighth year, four
tiiousand and nintty-six ; in the one hundred and twenty-
second they would amount to thirty-two thousand seven hun-
dred and sixty-eight : if to these, we add the other chddren
descended from Cain and Abel, their children, and their
children's children, we shall have in the aforesaid one hun-
dred and twenty-eight years, four hundred and liuenly-one
thousand one hundred and sixty-four men capable of genera-
tion ; without reckoning the women either old or young, or
such as are und.:r the age of seventeen." See Dodd.
But this calculation may be disputed, because there is no
evidence that the antediluvian Patriarchs began to have chil-
dren before they were sixty-five years of age. No^v, sup-
posing that Adam at fine hundred and thirty years of age, had
one hundred and thirty children, which is quite possible, and
each of tliese a child at sixty-five years of age, and one in
each successive year, the whole, in the one hundred and
thirtieth year of the world would amount to one thousand two
hundred and nineteen persons ; a number sufficient to found
several villages, and to excite the apprehensions under which
Cain appeared at this time to labour..
Verse 1 6. The land of Nod] As mi nod, signifies the
same as "U mtd, a vagabond, some think this verse should be
rendered And Cain u:ent out from the presence of the Lord, from
the east of Eden, and duett a -Dugabond on the earth : thus
the curse pronounced on him, verse 12, was accomplished.
Verse 17. She — bare Enoch] An "pT] chanac, signifies instruct-
ed, dedicated, or initiated, and especially in sacred things, it
may be considered some proof of Cain's repentance, that he
appears to have dedicated this son to God, who, in his
father's stead, might mmister in the sacerdotal office, from
which Cain, by his crime, was for ever excluded.
Verse 19. LttiiKch took — tivo xi'ives] He was the first who
Cam's posterity,
A.M.cir.iy4. 18 And unto Enoch was born Irad:
and Irad begat Mehujael: and Me-
K.C
■■BIO.
Iiujael begat IMcthusacl: and Methusael begat
'Lamech.
19 if And Lamech took unto liini two wives:
the name of the one teas Adah, and the name of
tlie other Zillah.
20 And Adah bare Jabul :' he was the father
of such as "dwell in tents, and of such as liave
cattle.
2\ And his brother's name was Jubal : he
A.M.cir.,=)()0.
BCcirSSOl.
CHAP. IV. Lamecfif thejlrst bigamist
was the father of all such as liandlc
the harp and organ.
22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain,
an " instructer of every artificer in brass
and iron : and the sister of Tubal-cain "was
Naaniah
• Heb. X.emech. cli. S
U.9. Rom. 4. 11, VZ.
. 21. & 36. 2. & 2. 18, 24. — ^^ Jer. 35. 9, 10. Heb.
^ Heb. whetter. Exod-. 25. 3. 2 Cliron. 2. 7.—
23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah
and Zillah, hear my voice ; ye wives of La-
mech, hearken unto my speech : for '' I have
slain a man to my wounding, and a young man
" to my hurt :
ikred to n^vcrsc tlic orilcr of Gotl by introducing polygamy;
ami from him it lias been retailed, practised, and defended
to the present day.
Verse '20. Jiibul — ivris ihe father] The inventor or toucher,
for so ihc word is understood, 1 Sam. x. 12. He was the
first who invented tent-making, and the breeding and ma-
nanmn- of cattle; or, he was, in these respects, the most
eminent in thai time. Though Abel was a shepherd, it is
not likely he was such on an extensive scale.
Verse 21. Jubal — the father] i. e. the inventor of musical
instruments, such as the IIJD kinmr, which we translate
harp, and the 3JV w^ab, which we render organ: it is very
likely that both words are generic, the former including under j
it all stringed instruments, and the latter all iviiid instruments. ;
Verse 22. Tabul-cain] The first smith on record, who
taught how to inakc warlike injtruments, and domestic utensils
out of brass and iron. Agricuhural implements must have been \
in use long before, for Cam was a tiller of the ground, and so ]
was Adam, and they could not have cultivated the ground j
without spades, hooks, lie. Some of thf se arts were useless to \
man while mnocentand upright ; hut iifter liis fall, they became
necessary. Thus is the saying verified : God made man upright,
but thiy have soughl out many inventions. As the power to get
wealth IS from God, so also is the invention ol useful arts. ,
M. De l.avaur, in his Conference de la Fable avec I'Histoire '
Sainle, supposes that the Greeks and Romans took their :
smith-god I'ulran, from Tubal-cam, the son of Lamech. The!
probability of this «ill appear — 1. From the name, which by
the omission of the Tu and turning the b into v, a change
friqucntly made among the Uebrevvs, (jieeks, and Romans,
makes Viikain or Vulcan. 2. From his occupation, he was
an attifiter, a master smith in brass and iron. 3. He thinks
this farther probable from the names and soxmJs in this verse.
The melting metals in the fire, and hamuiering them, bears
a near resemblance to the hissing sound ot nSs tsillah, the
mother of Tuhal-cain; and hS'i tsulal, signifies lo tinkle or
make a sound like a bell, I Sam. iii. 11. 2 Kings xxi. 12.
4. Vulciin IS said to have been lame: M. De l.avaur thinks
thai this notion was taken from the noun s'7)S iselii, which sig-
nifies a halting or lameness. 5. Vulcan had to wife Venus
the goddess of beauty : Niiamah, the sister of Tubal-cain, he
thinks may have given rise to this part of the fable, as her
'' Or, J would .^lay a man in juy wound, t^-c. cli.49.6. ^Ot, in my hurt.
name in Hebrew, signifies ifaK///u/ or s^racjoj/s. 6. Vulcan-
is reported to have been jealous of his wife, and to have forged
nets in which he took Mars and her, and exposed them to the
view of the whole celestial court : this idea he thinks was de-
rived from Ihe literal import of the name Tubal-cain; hiTMebel,
signifies an incestuous mixture of relatives. Lev. xx. 12. and
Njp kann, to burn with jealousy ; from these and concomitant
circumstances the case of the delected adultery of Mars and
Venus might be easily deduced. He is of opinion that a tra-
dition of this kind might have readily found its way from the
Egyptians to the Greeks, as the former liad frequent inter-
course with the Hebrews.
0( Naajnah nothing more is spoken in the Scriptures; but
the Targiim of Jonathan ben Uzziel, makes her the invontrix:
of funeral songs and lamentations. R. S. Jarchi says she was
the wife of Noah, and quotes Bereshith Rabha in support of the
opinion. .Some o( the Jewish Doctors say her name is recorded
in Scripture, because she was an upright and chaste woman ;
but others affirm that the whole world wandered after her; and
that of her, evil spirits were born into the world. This latter
opinion gives some countenance to that of M. De Lavaur.
Verse 23. And Lamech said unto his wives] The speech
of Lamech lo his wives is in hemislichs in the original, and
consequently as nothing of this kind occurs before this time,
it is very probably the oldest piece of poetry in the world.
The following is, as nearly as possible, a literal ti'anslation ;
" And Lamech said unto his wives,
Adah and Tsillah, hear ye my voice :
^\ ives of Lamech hearken to my speech :
For 1 have slain a man for wounding me;
And a young man for having bruised me.
If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold.
Also Lamech seventy and seven."
It is supposed that Lamech had slain a man in his o^vn
defence, and that his wives being alarmed lest the kindred of
the deceased should seek his life in return, to quiet their fears he
makes this speech, in which he endeavours lo prove that there
was no room for fear on this account, for if the slayer of the
wilful murderer, Cain, should suffer a seven-fold punishment,
surely he who should kill Lamech for having slam a man in
self-dcfcnccj might expect a sevcnty-scven-fold punishment.
Scth born.
A. M. cir. 81)0.
B.C.cir.SeiU.
sevenfold.
A. iM. IjU.
B.C. 3874.
GKNESIS.
24 * If Cain shall be avenged se-
venfold, truly Lamech seventy and
25 ^ And Adam knew his wife
again ; and she bare a son, and
'' called his name " Seth "^ : For God, said s/ic,
"Ver. 1.5 ''cli. 5. 3. ' He!). Sheth ''That is. iippniiitcd, m
pul "cli. 5 6. 'Heb. F.nush. so,-, („ call tlieiiiaeU'Cs hi/ the nnme
of the WRD. " 1 Kings lU. 24. Ps. 116. 17. Isai. 44. 5. it 4U. 1. &
This speech is very dark, and has oiven rise to a great va-
riety of very strange coiijecturw. Dr. Shuckford supposes
there is an elhpsis of some prccechnsr speech or circumstance,
which, if known, would cast hght on the subject. In tiie
antediluvian times, the nearest akin to a murdered person had
a right to revenge his death, by taking aw,\y the life of the
murderer. This, as we have already seen, appears to have
contributed nut a little to Cain's horror, verse 14. Now,
ve may suppose that the descendants of Cain were in con-
tinual alarms, lest some of the other family should attempt to
avenge the death of Abel on them, as they were not per-
mitted to do it on Cain; and that, in order to dismiss those
fears, Lamech, the seventh descendant from Adam, spoke to
this elVect to his wives : " Why should you render yourselves
misGi'able by such ill-founded fears ? We have slain no
j)erson : we itave not done the lea^t wrong to our brethren of
the oilier family : surely then reason should dictate to you,
that they have no right to injure us. It is true that Cain, one
of our ancestors, killed his brother Abel ; but God, willing
to pardon his sin, and give him space to repent, threatened to
punish those with a seven-fold ]iumshuicnt who should dare
to kilJ him. If this be so, iIk'u those who should have the
boldness to kill any of us who are innocent, may expect a
punishment still more rigorous. For if Cain should be
avenged teven-fold on the person who should slay him, surely
Lamech or any of his innocent family should be avenged
seventy-seven-fold on those who should injure thein." 'I'he
Taigums give nearly the same meaning, and it makes a good
sense ; but who can say it is the true sen.se ? If the words be
read interrogatively, as they cerlaiuly may, the sense will be
much clearer, and some of the <hliicuUies w ill be removed :
" Have I slain a man, that I should be wovrnded ?
Or a young man, that 1 should be bruised.'"
but even this still supp'jscs some ])revious reason or conversation.
J .-hall not trouble my readers with a ridiculous .Jewish fable,
followed by St. Jercm, of Lamech having killed Cwin by
a< cidcnt, &c. and after what I have already said, I inusl lea\e
the passug-L — I fear, among those which are inscrutable.
Verse 2.5. (iod — liat/i appointed 7iic aiioilicr sci:d ir.stcad of
yibel] Eve must have received, on this occasion, some divine
cummunieation, else how could she have known that this son
was appointed in tiie place of Abel, to continue Ihul holy line
by which the Messiali was to come ? From this we see^ ibat
the line of the Messiah was delermined from the beginning;
and that it was not first fixed in the days of Abrahau;, for the
promise was then only rcnciwd ; and ihiit branch o! his family
The birth of Enos..
hath appointed me another seed in-
stead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
26 And to Seth, ' to him also there
was born a son; and he called his
name '^Enos: then began men ^to call upon
the name of the Lord ".
A. Bi. i,;o.
B. C. o374.
A.M.ySo.
B. C. 3769.
IV5. IP. .Toel 2. 32.
Epli. 3. \i,\b.
Zcpli. 3. 9. Acts 11.26. Rum. 10. 13. 1 Cor. 1. 3,
designated by wliich the sacred line was to be continued. And it
is worthy of remark, that Seth's posterity alone continued after
the flood, when all the other families of the earth were destroyed,
Noah being the tenth descendant from Adam through Seth.
Though all these persons are mentioned in the following
chapter, I shall produce them here in the order of their suc-
cession : — 1. Adam; 2. Seth; 3. Enos; 4. Cainan; 5. Ma-
halaleel; 6. Jared ; 7. Enoch; 8. Methuselah; 9. Lamech,
(the .second) ; 10. Noah. In order to keep this line distinct,
ive find particular care was taken, that where there were
two or more sons in a family, the one through whom God
particularly designed to bring his .Son into the world was, by
some especial providence, pointed out. Thus, in the family
of Adam, .Seth was chosen ; in tiie family of Noah, Sliem ;
in the family of Abraham, Laac; and in the i"amily of David,
Solomon and Nathan. All these things God watched over
by an especial providtnce from the beginning, that, when
Jesus Christ should come, it might be clearly seen, that he
came by the promise, through grace, and riot by nature.
Verse 2G. Tlien began men to call on the naine of the Lord.\
The marginal reading is. Then began men to call themselves <y
the name of the Lord : which w ords are supposed to signify,
that in the time of Eno.s, the true followers of God began to
distinguish themselves, and to be distinguished by others, by
the appellation of Sons of God ; those of the other branch of
Adam's family, among whom the divine worship was not ob-
served, being distinguislied by the name. Children of JMen.
It must not lie dissembled, that many eminent men have con-
tended that ?nin htichal, which we translate began, shovdd be
rendered began profanelj/, or then prrfaiation begun; and from
this time they date the origin of Idolatry. Most of the Jewish
Doctors were of this opinion, and Maimonides has discussed
it at .some length in his Treatise on Idolatry: as this piece is
curious, and gives the most probable account of the origin
and progress of Idolatry, I shalL insert it here.
•■' In the days of Enos (he sons of Adam erred with great
error, and the counsel of the wise men of that age became
brutish, and Enos himself was (one) of them tiiat erred ; and
their error was thisi They said, Ibrasmuch as God hath
created these stars and spheres to govern the world, and set
them on high, and imjiartcd honour unto them, and they are
ministers that minister before him ; it is meet that men should
liiud, and glorify, and give them honuur. For this is the
will of God, that we magnify and honour whomsoever he
magnifieth and honouretli: even as a king would have 1 hem
honoured that stand befiiie him, and this is the honour of the
king himself When this thing \sas come up into their hearts.
Farther account of
CHAP. V.
the creation of Adam.
tlioy began to build tc-mples unto the stars, and to oflbr sa-
crifice unto tlieiii, and to laud and glorily tlitm with words,
and to worship before them, that tliey niit;;ht, in their evil
opinion, obtain favour of the Creator. And ibis was the root
<)/ Idohitn/, &c. And, in process of lime, there stood up
false Prophets among the son.-, of Adam, which said that God
liad commanded and said unto them, wor.-liip such a star, or
all the stars, and do sacrifice unto tlicni thus and thus; and
buihi a temple for it, and make an image of it, that all the
people, women, and children may- worship it; and the false
prophet shewed them the image which he had feigned out of
his own heart, and said it was the image of such a star, which
Avas made known unto him by pro]ihecy. And they began after
this manner, to make images in temples, and under ireos, and
on tops of mountains and hills, and a>sembled togitlur and
■wor.shiijped them, &c. And this thing was spnad through
all the world, to serve images with services dillerent one
from another, and to sacrifice unto and worship them. So,
in process of time, the glorious and fearful name (of God) was.
forgotten out of the mouth of all living, and out of their
knowledge, and they acknowledged him not. And there was
found no people on the earth that knew ought, save images of
wood and stone, and temples of stone, which they had been
trained up liom their childliciud to wi/rship and serve, and to
swear by their names. And the wise men that were among
them, as the priests and such like, thought there was no God,
save the stars and inheres, for whose sake, and in whose
likeness, they had made these images : but as lor the Rock
everlasting, there was no man that acknowledged him, or
knew him, .save a few person; in the world, as Enoch, Me-
thusel h, Noah, Shein, aid Hcber. And in this way did
the world walk and converse, till that pillar of the world,
Abraham, our Father, was born." Maim, in Mishn. & Ains-
viortli in loco.
1. ^VE see here the va^t importance of worshipping God
according to his own mind: no sincerity, no uprightness of
intention can atone for the neglect of positive commands
ilelivered in divine Revelation when this Revelation is known.
He who will bring an eucliaristic od'ering iiHtead of a sacrifice,
v\hile a sin-olfering licth at the door, as he copies Cain's
conduct, he may expect to be treated in the same manner.
Reader, remember that thou bast an entrance unto llic
Holiest through the veil, that is to say his flesh ; and tho.-e
who come in this way, God will in no wise cast out.
2. We see the horrible nature of envy, its eye is evil,
merely because God is good ; it easily begets hatred ; hatred,
deep settled malice; and malice, murder! Watch against
the first appearance of this most destructive passion, the
prime characteristic of which is to seek the destruction of the
object of its malevolence, iiul finally to ruin its possessor.
3. Be thankful to God that, as weakness increased and
wants became multiplied, God enabled man to find out u.-e-
ful inventions, so as to lessen excessive labour, and provide
every thing indispensably necefsary for the support of life.
He who carefully attends to the dictates of honest .sober indus-
try, is never likely to perish for lack of the necessaries of life.
4. As the followers of God, at this early period, found it
indispensably necessary to separate themselves from all those
who were irreligious and profane, and to make a public pro-
fession of their attachment to the truth; so it should be now.
There are still men of profane minds, whose spirit and con-
duct are destructive to godliness; and in reference to such,
the permanent order of God is, come out from uinonz them,
touch not the unclean thing, and I u-ill i-ectize you. He
who is not determined to be a Christian, at all events, is not
far from being an Infidel. Those only who confess Christ
a;nong men, shall be acknowledged before his Father, and
the angels of God.
CHAPTER V.
J recapitulation of the account of tlie creation of man, 1, 2; and of the t/irlh of Set/i, 3. Gcncalogi/ of the ten
Anlediluvian Patriarchs, 3 — 3 1 . Enoch's e.vtraordinari/ pietif, CC ; ///,s translation to heaven uifhout seein<r
death, 24. The birth of Noah, and the reason of his name, VJ ; his age al the l)irlh of Japheth, 32.
A.M. I.
B. C. 4(!0+.
rr^HIS is the " book of the gene- '( tliat God created man, in ''the like-
X rations of Adam. In the day
MChron. 1. 1. Mai. 1. 1. Luke 3. 56, SiJ.
NOTES ON Cn.\P. V.
Verse I. The hook of the generations] -i£D sepher in He-
brew, which we generally translate l)oof;, signifies a register,
an uccounl, any kind of writing, even a. letter such as the bill
of divorce. Here it means, the account or ren-/.s^T of the gene-
rations of Adam, or his descendants, to the five hundredth
year of (he life of Noah.
In tlie likeness of God made he him] Tiiis account is
ness of God made he him j
A.M.].
n. c. 1(0+.
*■ Ch. 1. So. Wisd. 2. '23. Epli. 4. 24. Col. S. 10.
again introduced, to keep man in remembrance of the heights
of glory whence he had fallen ; and to prove to him that the
iniscrics and death consequent on his present state, were pro-
duced by bis transgression, and did not flow from his orio-inal
state. For, as he was created in the image of God, he was
created fiee from natural and moral evil. As the deaths of
the Patriarchs are now to be mentioned, it was necessary to
introduce them by tUis observation, in order to justify the
\\ii\i of God to man.
A. M. 1.
B. C. 411(1+.
Genealogy of the GENESIS.
2 ' Male and female created lie
them ; and blessed them, and called
their name Adam, in the day when they M-ere
created.
A. iM. 130. 3 And Adam li\'ed an hundred and
^'"^'f '*'.'. thirty years, and begat a so?i in his
owii likeness, after his image ; and "^ called his
name Scth :
4 " And the days of Adam after he had begot-
ten Seth, were eight hundred years : " and he
bcsat sons and daughters :
^■■^- 5 And all the days that Adam lived
were nine hundred and thirty years :
antediluvian patriArcHis.
.A. M.
B. C. 3074.
^ and he died
A. M. i.'55. 6 ^ Anj ggti^ li^,g(l j^j^ hundred and
B. C. 3769.
iivi-» vi-»ur*i iiri#i ' III „
five years, and ' begat Enos :
»Ch. 1.
->' cli. 4. O.5.— « I Chron. 1. 1, &c. '' cli. 1. '/S.-
3. 19. Hebr. 9. »7.- — -' cl.. 4. iti.
-= ch.
Verse 3. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, ^•c.~\
The Scripture Chronology, especially in the ag;es of some of
the ante and post diluvian Patriarchs, has exceedingly puzzled
•chroiiologists, critics, and divines. The printed Hebrew
text, the Samaritan, the Septuagint, and Josephus, are all
7 And Scth lived after he begat
Enos eiglit hundred and seven years,
and begat sons and daughters :
8 And all the days of Seth were
nine hundred and twelve yc-ars : aiid
he died.
9 % And Enos lived ninety years,
and begat ^ Cainan :
10 And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight
hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and
daughters :
11 And all the days of Enos were ••\m n+f.
nine hundred and five years : and he ^ ^'. '""*'
died.
1 2 f And Cainan lived seventy ^ "• ^-^^
A.
M
2r55.
B.C.
370*.
A.M. 1012.
15
C.
•J'Jdi.
A.
IM
3-i5.
13.
C.
3t.79.
years,
and begat
Mahalaleel
B. C. 3609.
e Ileb. Kman. " Gr. Maleled.
different, and have their respective vouchers and defenders.
The following tables of the genealogies of tiie I'atriarchs
before and after the flood, according to the Hebrew, Sa-
maritan, and Septuagint, will at once exhibit the discord-
ances.
ANTEDILUVIAN PATRIARCHS LIVED BEFORE
THEIR son's KIRTH.
Adam,
Seth,
EllOS,
Cainan,
Mahalaleel,
Jared,
Enoch,
Methuselah,
Lamech,
Noah, at the
flood.
Gen.
V. 3.
6.
9.
12.
15.
18.
2 1.
25.
■ 28.
Gen. vii. 6.
Hebrew.
130
105
90
70
65
162
65
1S7
182
600
Total before the flood, 1656
^atnarit.
130
105
90
70
65
62
65
67
5 ;
600
1307
Septuag.
230
205
190
170
165
162
165
167
188
600
2242-'-
111 this first period, the sum in Josephus is 2256,
which is also adopted by Dr. Hales in his
New Analysis of C/tronology.
POSTDILUVIAN PATRtARCHS LIVED BEFORE
THEIR son's birth.
Shem begot Arphaxad ^
after the flood. Gen. >■
xi. 10. _)
Arphaxad, Gen. xi. 12.
Cainan (2d) mentioned")
only by the LXX & [•
Luke iii. 36. j
Salah, Gei
Eber,
Peleg,
Reu,
Serug,
Nalior,
Terah,
Total to the 70th year )
of I'erah. j
14.
16.
18.
20.
22.
24.
26.
Hebrew.
Samarit.
Septiiag.
2
o
2
35
135
135
0
0
130
30
ISO
130
34
134
134
30
130
130
32
132
132
30
130
130
29
79
179
70
70
70
292
942
1172*
uni in Jo
sephus is
1002.
* The Septuagint account of the ages of the antediluvian and postdiluvian Patriarchs in the above tables, is taken from the
V.ATICAN copy: but if we follow the Alex.ANDRIAN MS. we shall have, in ihe first period, the whole sum of 22(i2 instead
of 2242 : and, in the second period, 1072 instead of 1172. On this subject the diflerent MSS. of the Septuagint abound
with various readin"s. ■ "
Geitealogy of the ratriarchs.
A.iM.:9.5 13 And Caiiiun li\C(l after lie bc^jat
B^jro^ Mahalaleel, ciglit luimlrcd and Ibrty
years, and begat sons and dangliter> :
A.M. i.'j.i. 14 Ami all the days oCC'ainan were
B. c. ?76!>. j^jij^ hundred and ten years: und he
15 if And Mahalaleel lived sixty
and live years, and begat " Jarcd :
16 And Mahalaleel lived aller he begat Jared,
eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons
and daughters :
A.M. 'JO. 17 And all the days of Mahalaleel
_i'_!!ll: were eight hundred ninety and li\e
years : and he died.
CHAP. V. E)iocli tcalks
18 % And .Tared lived an hundred
sixty and two years.
I'tth God,
died.
A. JU.
wo.
B.C i
•4t.
" Heb. Jercd. *• Judc 14 15, ' Gr. Mathusala.-
17. 1. it il. 40.
-" cli. 6. 9. &
For much sat'sfactory information on this .subject, I must
refer to A New Aiuilt/sis of Chronology/, by the Rev. Willium
Ilulcs, D. D. 4to. 3 vols. Lond. 1809.
And Adum liC'^at a son in his own likeness, after his iintige,
words nearly li)e same witli those, ch. i. 26. Lft us make niitn
in our imt'^c, ifler our likeness. Wliat tliis i.inas;e and like-
nesi of God were, we have already seen ; and we may rest
assund, that the same imag'e and likeness are not meant here.
The body of Adam was created provisionally immortal : i. e.
while he continued obedient, he could not die ; but his obe-
dience was voluntary, and his state, a probationary one. The
j soul of Adam was created in the moral ima^e of God, in knuut-
I ledse, righieousness, and true holiness. He had now sinned,
! and consequently had lost this moral rtscinblance to his Maker;
I lie had also become h(o;-m/, through his breach of the law. His
t iraagie and likeness were therefore widely dillLrent at this time
[ from what they were before ; and his be^rettin^ children in
this image and likeness, jjlainly implies that they were imper-
fect like himself, mortal like himself, sinful and corrupt like
himself. For it is impossilile, that he, beinfj impure, fallen
from the Divine iiiia;ie, could l)e>4et a pure and holy otlspriny.
unless we could suppose it possible that a bitter fountain could
send forth siveet waters; tir that a cause could produce ejf'ects
totally dissLinilar from itself. What is said here of Seth, might
Ivave been said of all the other children of Adam, as they were
all beijotten after his fall ; but the sacred writer has thought
proper to mark it only in this instance.
Verse 22. And Enoch walked ivith (iod — three hundred yetirs]
There are several things wordiy of our most particular notice
in tills account : — I . The name of this patriarch : Enoch, tiv.m
"pn chanac, which signifies to instruct, to initiate, to dedicate.
irom his siibsiquent conduct we are authorized to believe he
was early instructed in the things of God, initiated in tlip
worship of his Maker, and dedicated to his service. ]>v
these means, under the influence of the divine Spirit, whicii
will ever attend pious parental instructions, his mind gut that
sacred bias, which Ud him to act a pajt so distinguished
tlirounh the course of a loiig life.
::. Mis religious conduct. He wcilkd uith God; 'pTiTV
^ Knocn :
19 And
and he begat
.\ M.
15. c.
6-.'2.
he begat
Enocl
Tared lived after
eight hundred years, and begat sons'antl daugh
ters :
20 And ;dl the days of .Tared were
nine hundred sixty and two years :
and he died.
21 51" And Enoch lived sixty and
five years, and begat ' Methuselah :
22 And Enoch " walked with God after he be.
gat jMetiuiselah, three hundred years, and begat
sons and daughters :
A. M.14: >.
«. c. IWl.
A. U.6ki7.
li. C. ryjM.
2 Kings so 3. P3. 16. 8. & 116.0. ic U'8. 1. Mic. 6. 8. Mai. 2. 6.
i/ifhhalec, he set himself to walk, he was fixedly purposed, and
determined to live to God. Those who are acquainted with the
original, will at once see that it has this force. A verb in the.
conjugation called hithpdel signifies a reciprocal act, that which
a man does upon himself: lure we may consider Enoch receiv-
ing a pious education, and llie divine influence throupjh it; in
consequence of which he determines to be a worker with God,
and therefore takes up the resolution to walk with his Maker,
that he might not receive the grace of God in vain.
3. The circumstances in \vhich he was placed. He was a
patriarch, the king, the priest, and the prophet of a nume-
rous fanuly ; to whom he was to administer justice, among
whom he was to perforin all the rites and ceremonies of re-
ligion, and leach, both by precept and example, the way of
truth and righteousness. Add to this, he was a marrtedmun, he
had a numerous family of his own, independently of the col-
lateral branches over which he was obliged, as patriarch, to pre-
side ; he xualkcd three hundred years with God, and begat sonti
and daughters : therefore, marriage is no hindrance even to the
perfection of piety, much less inconsistent with it, as some
have injudiciously taught.
4. The astonishing height of piety to which he had arrived :
being cleansed from all Hlthiness of the flesh and of the spirit,
and having perfected holiness in the fear of God, we find not
only his .soul but hi* body |)urified, so that without being
obliged to visit the empire of death, he was cajiable of imme-
diate translation to the paradise of God. There are few cases
of this kind on record; but probably there might be more,
many more, were the followers of God more faithful to the
grace tliey receive.
,5. Enoch attained this state of religious and spiritual excel-
lence in a time when, comparatively speaking, there were few
helps, and no ■.■jritten revelation. Here then, we cannot but see
and admire how mighty the grace of God is, and what won-
ders it works in the behalf of those who are faithful; who set
themselves to walk with God. It is not the want of grace, noi
of the means of grace, that is the cau.se of the decay of this
primitive piety ; but the want of faithfulness in those who
have the light, and yet will not walk as children of the light.
Enoch translated.
GENESIS.
Noah and his sons.
A. M. 937.
B. C. 3017
A. M. 874.
B.C. 3130.
23 And all the clays of Enoch were
three hundred sixty and five year.s :
24 And * Enoch walked with God : and he
"was not ; for God took him.
25 % And Methuselah lived a hun-
dred eighty and seven years, and be-
gat '' Lamech :
26 And Methuselah lived after he begat La-
mech, seven hundred eighty and two years, and
begat sons and daughters :
A. AIA656. 27 And all the days of Methuselah
^•^•^^"^" were nine hundred sixty and nine
years : and he died.
A. M. 1(1.56. 2g ^ ^„(| Lamech lived a hundred
^' ^' '''''^' eighty and two years, and begat a son :
»2Kingh2. 11. Esclus.4l. 16. & i9. U. Hebr. 11.3. <> H
'iJT.Kcc. Luke;>. 36. Hebr.,11. 7. 1 Pel. 3. 20.
I' Meb. Lemcch.
6. If the grace of God coulii work such a mighty change
in those primitive times, when life and immortahty were not
brought to hght by the gospel ; what may we not expect in
tlicse times in which the Son of God tabernacles among men ;
in which he gives his holy Spirit to them who ask him; in
which all things are possible lo hiai who believes ? No man
can prove that Enoch had greater spiritual advantages than
any of the other Patriarchs, though it seems pretty evident,
that he made a belter use of those that were common to all,
than any of the rest did : and it would be absurd to say,
that lie had greater spiritual h.elps and advantages than Chris-
tians can now expect; for he lived under a dispensation much
less perfect than that of the Law, and yet the Law itself was
only the sliachw of the glorious substance of gospel blessings
and gospel privileges.
7. It is said that Enoch not only vcalkedwith God, setting
him always before his eyes, beginning, continuing, and end-
ing every work to his glory, but also, that he pleased God,
and had the testimony that he did please God, Heb. xi. 5.
Hence we learn, that it was then possible to live so as not to
ollend God ; consequently so as not to commit sin against
him ; and to have the continual evidence or testimony that
all that a man did and purposed was pleasing in the sigiit of
Him who searches the heart, and by whom devices are
weighed ; and if it was possible then, it is surely, through the
same grace, possible now, for God, and Christ, and faith
are still the satne.
Verse 21. Th; days of Methuselah ivere nine hundred sixty
and nine years\ This is the longest lil'e mentioned in Scripture,
and probably the longest ever lived ; but we have not autho-
rity to say positively, that it was the longest. Before the
flood, and before artificial nfniements were much known and
cultivated, the life of man was greatly protracted ; and yet, of
him who lived within ihirly-one years of a thousand, it is said,
he died : and the longest life is but as a moment when it is
past. Though life is uncertain, precarious, and full of natural
evils, yet it is a blessing in ail its periods, if devoted to the
glory of God, and the interests of the soul : for, while it lasts,
29 And he called his name " Noah ", ^ m- "as-
saying, This sarne shall comfort us ^' ^' ^^*^'
concerning our work and toil of our hands,
because of the ground " which the Lord hath
cursed.
30 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five
hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons
and daughters :
31 And all the days of Lamech A.M.ieei.
were seven hundred seventy and se-
ven years : and he died.
32 % And Noah was five hundred
years old : and Noah begat ' Shem,
Ham, * and Japheth.
B. C. 2353.
A. M. 1556.
B. C. S448.
"■ That is, rest, or, comftrt. ^ ch. 3. 17. & 4. 11.-
Sch. 10. 21.
-•■cli. 6. 10.-
we may acquaint ourselves with God, and be at peace, and
thereby good shall come unto us. Job xxii. 21.
Verse '29. This same shall comfort us] This is an allusion,
as some think, to the name of Noah, which they derive from
Oru nucham, to comfort : but it is much more likely that it
comes from MJ nuch, or ITU nuach, to rest, to settle, &c.
And what is more comfortable than rest, after toil &nA labour f
These words seem to have been spoken prophetically concern-
ing Noah, who built tiie ark for the preservation of the
human race, and who seems to have been a typical person ;
for when he offered his sacrifice after the drying up of the
waters, it is said, " God smelled a savour of REST, and said
he would not curse the ground any more for man's sake."
Gen. viii. 21. And from that time, the earth seems to have
had, upon an average, the same degree of fertility ; and the
life of man, in a few generations after, was settled in the mean,
at threescore years and ten. See chap. ix. 3.
Verse 32. Noah begat Sheni, Ham, and Japheth."] From
ch. X. 21. 1 Chron. i. 5, &c. we learn that Japheth was the
eldest son of Noah, but Shem is mentioned first, because it was
from him, in a direct line, that the Messiah came. Ham was
certainly ihe youngest of Noah's sons, and, from what we read,
ch. ix. 22. the worst of them ; and how he comes to be men-
tioned out of his natural order, is not easy to be accounted for.
When the Scriptures design to mark precedency, though
the subject be a younger son, or brother, he is always men-
tioned/rsi ; so Jacob is named before Esau, his elder brother;
and Ephruim before Manasses. See ch. xxviii. 5. xlviii. 20.
Among many important things presented to our view in
this chapter, several of which have been already noticed, we
may oliserve, that of all tlie antediluvian Patriarchs, Enoch,
who was probably tlie best man, was the shortest time upon
earth : his years were exactly as the days in a solar revolution,
viz. three hundred and sixty-Jive ; and, like the sun, he fulfilled
a glorious course, shining more .-nd more unto the perfect
day, and was taken when in his meridian splendor, to shine
like the sun in the kingdom of his father for ever.
I
The vniU'rpUcation and
From computation it appears — 1. Tliat Adam lived to
see I.aiiieili the ninlli generation, in the filty-sixtli year of
who<e life he died: and as he was the first who lived, and
the first tliat sinned, so he was the first who twisted death in
a natural \vay: Abel's was not a ratiiral but a violent death
2. Thaf Enoch was taken wvay next after Adam ; seven
Patriarchs rcmainin;;- witnesses of his translation. 3. That
all the nine first Palriarchs were taken away betbre the flood
came, which happened in the six liundrtdth year of Noah's
CHAP. vr.
xiickedness of man.
life. 4. That Metiuiselah lived till the very year in which
the flood came, of whi< h his name is supposed to have been pro-
phetical, ino mcdiu, " he dieth;" and vh^S sliahcli, "hescndefU
Old:" as if God had designed to teach men, that as soon as
Methuselah died, the flood should be sent forth to drown an
ungodly world. If this were then so understood, even the
nami: of this Patriarch contained in it -d gracious xvarning. — See
the Genealogical Plate alter chap. xi.
CHAPTER VI.
The children of God, among zchom the true religion Jcas at first preserved, corrupt it bi/ forming matrimonial
connexions tiith irreligious women, 1, 2. God, displeased zcith these connexions and their conse-
quences, limits the continuance of the old zcorld to one hundred and ttcenti/ years, J. The issue of those
improper connexions termed giants, 4. Jn affecting description of the depraviti/ of the zcorld, 5, G. God
threatens the destruction of every living creature, 7- Noah and his family Jind grace in his sight, 8. The
character and famili/ of Noah, g, 10. Jnd a further description of the corruption of man, 11, 12. Noah is
forersarned of the approaching destruction of the human race, \3; and is ordered to build an ark for the
safetr/ of himself and household, the form and dimensions of i.hiek are particularly described, 14 — 16. The de-
/we threatened, 17, The covenant of God's mercy is to be established between Him and the family of Noah, 18.
J male and female of all kinds of animals that could not live in the waters, to be brdught into the ark, 19, 20.
Noah is commanded to provide food for their sustenance, 21 ; and punctually follons all these directions, 22.
AND it came to pass, ^ when men
began to multiply on the face
of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of
men that they tcerc fair; and they " took them
■wives of all which they chose.
• Cli. 1. S8. 2 Esdr. 3. 7. 1- Dcut. 7. 3, 4.
NOTES ON CHAP. VI.
Verse 1. When men began to multiph/] It was not at iliis
time that men began to niuitiply, but the inspired penman
speaks ttow of a fact which had taken place loii" before.
As there is a distinction made here between 3Ien and those
called the Sons nf God, it is generally supposed that the inmie-
diate posterity of Cain and that of Scth are intended. The first
were mere Men, such as fallen nature may produce; degenerate
sons of a degenerate father, governed by the desire of the flesh,
the desire of the eye, and the pride ol' life. The othfrs
were .Sons of God, not angels, as some have dreamed ; but
such as were, according to our Lord's doctrine, born again,
born from above, John iii. 3, 5, 6, &:c. and made children
of God by the influence of the Holy Sjjirit, Galal. v, 6.
The former were apostates from the true religion ; the latter
were those among whom it was ju'eserved and cultivated.
Dr. Wall supposes the first ver.scs of this chapter should be
paraphrased thus, " When men began to multiply on the
earth, the chief vien took wives of all the handscuie poor
women ihcy chose. There were tyrants in the eartii in those
flays; and also after the antediluvian days pouerfiU men had
unlawful connexions with the inferior wonien, and the children
A. M. ldo6.
B. C. 24ri8.
3 And the Lord said, "^ My Spirit
shall not always stri\c with man, " for
that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a
hundred and twenty years.
4 There were giants in the earth in those
days; and also after that, when the sons
' Gal. 5. 16, 17. 1 Pet. S. 19, 20. " Ps. 78. 39.
which sprang from this illicit oommerce were the renowned
heroes of antiquity, of whom the heathens made their gods."
Verse 3. My Spirit shall not aliiays strive] It was only by
the influence of the .Spirit of God that the carnal mind could
be subdued and destroyed : but those who wilfully resisted and
grieved that Spirit, must be ultimately left to the hardness
and blindness of their own hi-arts, if they did not repent and
turn to God. God deliglits in mercy, and therefore a gra-
cious warning is given : e\en at this time, the earth was ripe
for destruction, but God promises them one iiundrtd and
twenty years respite— if they reijented in tliat interim, well:
if not, they should be destroyed by a flood. See on ver. 5.
Verse 4. There x:'i-ie giants in the earth] D'VSJ Ncphalim,
from Sai naphat, " he fell." Those who had apostatized or
fallen from the true religion. The .'^eptuagint translate the
original word by yiyavTEf, which literally signifies earth-born,
and which we, tbllowing them, term giants, without having
any reference to the meaning of the word, which we generally
conceive to mean persons of enormous stature. Put the word,
;when properly under^loud, makes a very just distinction be-
tween the Sons of Men and the Sons of God : those were the
Nepludini, the fallen earth-born Men, with the animal ai\d
c; 2
the
to them, tlic
daugh-
they bare children
God purposes to destroy the earth, GENESIS.
A.M.1531;. Qf Qq(J came in unto
'^ ters of men, and
men Avhich
Kvcrc of ohl, men of renown.
5 And God saw that the wickedness of man
^iCas great in the earth, and tlial " nvQiy " imagina-
tion of the thoughts of his heart 'was only evil
* conliniially.
6 And it ^ repented the Lord that he had
made man on the earth, and it " grieved him at
his heart.
7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom
I have created, from the face of the earth ! ' both
man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the
fowls of the air 5 for it repenteth me that I have
made them.
* Or, the whole imagmat'wn. The Hebrew word signifieth not only the
im{igin:itum, but also the purftoses and thiircs. '' civ. 8. 21. l)cut. !2y. 19.
Pror. 6. 18. 2 Esd. 3. 8. Matt. 15. 19. ' Hcb. every day. •> See
Numb. 23. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 11, 2?. 2 Sam. 24. 16. Mai. 3. 6. .lam'. 1. 17.
• Tsai. 63. It). £ph. 4. 30. ^ Heb. from vinn unto heast. ^ cii. 19. 19-
Exod. S3. 12, 13, 16, 17. Luke 1. 30. Acts 7. 46. " ch. 7. 1. Ezek. 14-
devilish mind. These were the Sons of God who were born
from above, children of the kingdom, becau.se children of God.
Hence, we may suppose originated the different appellatives
given to sinners and saints: the former were termed yiyavrsf.
Earth-born, and the latter ayiot saints, i. e. persons jiot of the
Earth, or separated from the Earth.
The same became migiilv men — men of renownl] D'13J Gihbo-
riin, which we render mightj/ men, signifies pnjperly con-
querors, heroes, from "134 gahur, " he prevailed, was victorious ;"
and CliTl 'I^JX anshey ha-shem, " men of the name;" aii^aTTOi
CK)|«arc(, .Septuagint; tlic same as we render men of renoxvn,
renominati, fj:ice named as the word implies, having one
name which tlicy derived from their fathers, and another
which they acquired by their daring exploits and enterprizes.
It may be necessary to remark here, that our translators
have rendered seven different Hebrew words by the one term
giants, viz. nephilim, e,ibborim, enachim, rephai/im, emitn, and zam-
zuzim, by which appellatives are probably meant in general,
persons of great knowledge, piety, courage, wickedness &c.
and not men of enormous stature as is generally conjectured.
Verse 5. The zvickedncss of man was greati What an aw-
ful character does God give of the inhabitants of the antedi-
luvian world ! 1. They were /?«/(, (verse 3.) wholly sensual,
the desires of the mind overwhelmed and lost in the desires of
the flesh, their souls no longer discerning their high destiny,
but ever minding earthly things, so that they were sensualized,
V)rutaliztd, and liccome flesh; incarnated, so as not to retain
God in their knowledge, and they lived, seeking their portion
in tliis life. 2. They were in a state of wickedness. All was
corrupt within, and all unrighteous without : neither the
science nor practice of religion existed. Piety was gone;
and every form of sound words had disappeared. 3. This
wickedness was great, n3T fabbah, " was multiplied;" it was
continually increasing, and multiplying increase by increase,
»o that the xvhok tank was corrujtt before God, and was iilkd
and reveals it to Noah
8 f But Noah ^ found grace in the am. 1536.
eyes of the Lord. ?:^^
9 These are the generations of Noah: " Noah
was a just man, and ' perfect in his generations;
and Noah ^ walked with God.
10 And Noah begat three sons.
A.I\I.cir.l;j.i6.
ii. C. cir.2418.
' Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
1 1 The earth also was corrupt " before God,
and the earth was " filled with violence.
12 And God "looked upon the earth, and, be-
hold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupt-
ed his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, " The end of
all flesh is come before me ; for the earth is fill-
ed with violence through them; '' and, behold
I will destroy them ' with the earth.
14,20. Ectlus. 44, 17. Rom. 1. 17. Ifebr. 11. 7. 2 Pet. 2, 5. ' Or, «p-
7-iWi(. "ch. 5. 22. 'ch. 5. 32. "> ch. 7. I. & 10. 9. & 13. 13.
2 Chron. 31. 27. Luke 1. 6. Rum. 2. 13. & 3. 19. ■■ Ezek. 8. 17. & 28.
16. Hah. 2. 8, )7. ° ch. 18. 21. Ps. 14. 2. & 33. 13, 14. & .')3. 2, 3.
P.ler. 51. 13. Ezek, 7. 2, 3, 6. Amos 8. 2. 1 Pet. 4. 7. 'i ver. 17. .
^ Or, frvm the earth.
with violence, (verse 11.) profligacy among the low, and
cruelty and oppression among the higher classes being only
])redorainant. 4. All the iinaginations of their thoughts were
evil — the very first embryo of every idea, the fi'yment of every
thought — the very materials out of which perception, con-
ception and ideas were formed, were all evil — the fountain
which produced them, with every thought, purpose, wish, de-
sire and motive was incurably poisoned. 5. All these were
evil luilhout any mixture of good — the Spirit of God which
strove with them was continually resisted, so that evil .had its
sovereign sway. 6. They were evil continually — therer wa.t no
interval of good, no moment allowed for serious reflection, no
holy purpose, no righteous act. What a finished picture of
a iallen soul ! Such a pictm-e as God alone, who searclies
the heart and tries the spirit, could possibly give. 1. To
complete the whole, God represents himself as repenting be-
cause he had made them, and as griexed at the heart because
of their iniquities! Had not these been voluntary transgres-
sions, crimes which they might have avoided, had they not
grieved and quenched the Spirit of God, could he speak of
them in the manner he does here.? 8. So incensed is the
most holy and the most merciful God, ihat he is determined
to destroy the work of his hands — And the Lord said, I luitl
destroy man v^hom I have created, (verse 7.) how great must
the evil have been, and how provoking llie transgressions, which
obliged the most compassionate God, for the vindication of
his own glory, to form this av^ful purpose! Fools make a
mock at sin — but none, except fools.
Verse 8. Noali found grace in the eyes rf the Lord"] Why?
because he was, I. A Just man p'TS B^»x ish tsadik, a man who
gave to all their due, for this is ihe ideal meaning of tlw original
worth 2. He was perfect in his generation, he was in all
things a consistent charactei', never departing IVom the truth
in principle or practice. 3. He ■walked ivilh God, he was not
only righlcout in his conduct, but he wss pious, and had cojv-
3
God instructs Noah
j *p '5^^' 14 ^ Make thee an ark of gopher
.; . """'^'" wood; ' rooms slialt tliou make in the
j ark, and shalt pitch it '' within and without with
pitch.
I 15 .Ind this is the fashion which thou shalt
horv to make the ark.
A iM.l.i.>,i.
\'-C. SkR.
CHAP. VI.
hundred cubits, "^ the breadth of it
fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty
cubits.
16 A window'' shalt thou make to tlie ark, and
in a cubit shalt thou finish it above ; and the
make it (>]': The length of the ark shall be three door ' of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof;
■ neb. riMfj. » Eiod. 2. 3. ' cli. 7. 20. Deut. 3. 1 1.
tiniial commimion with God. The same word is used liere
as before in the case of Enoch. See ciiap. v. 22.
Veife 1 ! . The e.irl/t also was corrupt'^ See on verse 5.
Verse 13. / iviU de.^lroj/ them XL-itli the earlh.] Not only
the liunian ra;-c was to be destroyed, Imt all terrestrial animals
i. e. thoje whicli could not live in the waters. These must
necessarily be destroyed when the whole surface of the earth
was drowned. But destroying the earth may probably mean
the alteration of its constitution. Dr. Woodward, in his Na-
tural History of the Earth, has rendered it exceedingly proba-
ble that the whole terrestrial substance was amalsjumated with
the waters, after which, the diflerent materials of its compo-
sition settled in beds or strata according to their respective
gravities. This tlieorj', however, is disputed by others.
Verse 1 4. M(ike thee an urk] nsn tebath, a word which
is used only to express this vessel, and that, in which Moses
was preserved, Exod. ii. 3, 5. It signifies no more than our
word vessel in its common acceptation — a hollow place, capa-
ble of containing persons, goods &c. without any particular
reference to shape or form.
Gopher ivooil] Some think the cedar is meant, others
the cj/press. Bochart renders this probable, 1. from the
appellation, supposing tlie Greek word xvTrapia-a-o; cypress,
was formed from the Hebrew -\3J gopher, for take away the
termination ht-cto;, and then gopar and kuttcio will have a near
resemblance. 2. Because the cypress is not liable to rot, nor
to be injur. d by worms. 3. The cypress was anciently used
for ship-bnildiiig. 4. This wood abounded in Assyria, where
it is probable Noah budded the Ark. — After all, tlie word is
of doubtful signification, and occurs no where else in the
Scriptures. The Septuagint render the place f« iuT^-jiv tet-
faymnv of square timber, and the Vulgate de lignis hcvigatis
" of planed timber," so it is evident that these translators
knew not what kind of wood was intended by the orio-inal.
The Syriac and Arabic trifle witii the passage, rendering it
tvickcr work, as if the ark had been a great has/cel! Both
the Targums render it cedar, and the Persian, pine or fir.
Verse 15. Thou shalt make the length of the ark three hun-
dred cubits, the breadth fifty, axxA the height thirty.'] Allowing
the cubit, which is the length from the elbow to the top
of the middle finger, to be eighteen inches, the ark mu.st iiavc
been four hundred and fifty feet in length, sevmly-fite in
breadth, and forty-five in height. But that the ancient cubit
was more than eighteen inches, has been demonstrated by Mr.
Greaves, who travelled into Greece, Palestine, and Ei:ypt, in
order to be able to ascertain the weights, monies and measures
of antiquity. He measured the pyramids in Egypt, and
comparing the accounts which Herodotus, Strabo and olhers
give of their size, he found the length of a cubit to be txucnty-
4>iK inches and eight hundred and eighty-eight decimal parts o\it
' Cli. 8. 6. ' ch. 7. 16. Luke 13. S.j.
of a thousand, or nearly iwenty-tiuo inches. Hence the cube of
a cubit is evidently ten thousand four hundred and eighty-siv
inches. And from this it will appear that the three hundred cu-
bits of the ark's lengtli, make./ir>e hundred s^nA forty-seven feet;
The fifty for its breadth, ninety-one feet two inciies; and the,
thirty for its height, fifty-four feet eight inches. When these
dimensions arc examined, the ark will be found to be a vessel
whose capacity was more than sufficient to contain ail persons
and aiiinials said to have been in it, with sufficient food lor each
for more tlian twelve monlhs. In the abo\e calculation the
decimals arc omitted, which, if received into the account,
would have increased the capacity considerably. Tins vessel
Dr. Arbuthnot computes to have been eighty-one thousand and
sixty-two tons in burthen.
As many have supposed the capacity of the ark to have
been much too small for tlie things which were contained in
it, it will be necessary to examine th:.^ subject thoiou'-hiv,
that every dilhculty may be removed. The tilings contained
in the ark, besides the eight persons of Noah's family, were
one pair of all unclean animals, and seven pair of all cleait
animals, with provisions for all, sufficient for twelze months.
At the first View, the number of animals may appear so
immense, that no space but ihe forest, could be thought suf-
ficient to contain them. If, however, we come to a calcula-
tion, the number of the diflerent kinds of animals will be found
much less than is generally imagined. It is a question, whe-
ther ill this account any but the different ^e«fra of animals ne-
cessary to be brought into the aik, should be included. Na-
turalists have divided the whole system of zoologjr into
CLASSES and OKDKRS, Containing genera and species: There
are six classes thus denominated. 1. Mmnmuli.u 2. Aces.
3. Amphibia. 4. Pisces. 5. Insecta ; and, 6. Vermes. \\"iiU
the three last of these, viz, fishes, insects and worms, the oucs-
tion can have little to do.
The first CI^\ss Mammalia, or animals with teals, contains
seven orders, and only forty-three genera, if we except the
seventh order cete, i. e. all the whale kind, which certiiiily need
not come into this account. The diflerent species in this class
amount, the cete excluded, lo/:c hundred and forty-three.
The second Cl..\ss, avk.S, birds, contains six orders, and
only seventy four genera, if we exclude the third order anseres
or web-footed fiiwls, all of which could very well live in the
water, Tlie dillLrent species in this class, the anseres except-
ed, amount to two thousand three hundred and seventi/.two.
The third CLASS AMI>fIIBIA, contains only two orders; rep.
tiles and sci-pents ; these comprehend toj ^'entra, and three hun-
dred and sixty-six species; but of the reptiles, many could live
in the water, such as the tortoise, frog, Sfc. Of the former
till re are thirty-three species, of the VAltev seventeen, which ex-
cluded, reduce the number to three hundred and sixteen. The
The flood threalened.
GENESIS.
The covenant mth Noah;
A. M. 1536.
B. C. 2468.
mfh lower, second, and third stories
shalt thou make it.
17 * And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood
of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh,
wherein is the breath of life, '' from under heaven;
* Vcr. 13. ch. 7. 4, 21, 22, 23. 2 Pet. 2. 5. Ps. 29. 10. & 93. 3, 4.
whole of these would occupy but little room in the ark, for,
a small portion of earth, Sjx: in the hold, would be sufficient
for iheir accommodation.
Bishop ^V'llkin3, who has written largely, and with his usual
accuracy on this subject, supposes, that quadrupeds do not
amount to one hundred diderent kinds, nor birds, which could
not live in the water, to two hundred. Of quadrupeds he
shews that only seventy-two species needed a place in the ark :
and the birds he divides into nine classes, inciudins^ in the
^'hole one hundred and ninely-five kinds, fiom which all the
web-fooled should be deducted, as these could live in the water.
He computes all the carnivorous auunals equivalent, as to
the bulk of their bodies and food, to tuienly-seven wolves ; and
all tlie rest to one hundred and eighty oxen. For the former,
he allows otie thousand eight hundred and twenty-five sheep, for
their annual consumption ; and for the latter, one hundred and
nini thousand Jive hundred cubits of hay ; these animals and
their food, will be easily contained in the two first stories, and
much room to spare : as to the third stonj, no person can doubt
of its beinn- sufficient for the fowls, with Noah and \\\s family.
One sheep each day, he judi^es will be sufficient for six
wolves; and a square cubit of haj', which contains forty-one
pounds, as ordinarily pressed in our ricks, will be amply suffi-
cient for one ox in the day. When the quantum o\ room which
these animals and their provender required for one year, is com-
pared with the capacity of the ark, we sliall be led to con-
clude with the learned bishop, " that of the two it is more
dilHcult to assign a number and bulk of necessary things to
answer to the capacity of the ark, than to find sufficient room
for the several species of annuals and their food already
known to hjve been there." This he attributes to the imper-
fection of our lists of animals, especially those of the un-
known parts of the earth; and adds, " that the most expert
mathematicians at this day," and he was one of the first in :
Europe, " could not assiqjn the pniportion of a ve.'sel better ;
accommodated to the purpose than is here done." And con- I
chides thus : " The capacity of the ark, which has been made
an objection against Scripture, ought to be esteemed a con-
firmation of its divine authority : since, in those ruder ages,
men, being less versed in arls and philosophy, were more ob-
noxious to vultiar prejudices than now ; so that had it been
a human invention, it would have been contrived according
to those wild apprehension.s, which arise from a confused and
general view of things, as much too big as it has been repre-
sented too tittle." See lip. VVilkins's Essay towards a Philo-
iophicul CJturacler and Language.
Verse 16. A window slialt t/iou make] What this was can-
not be absolutely ascertained. The original word inS tsuhar,
signifies clear or bright : the Septuagint tianslate it by
iTTtJuvayuv, " collecting, thou shalt make the aik," which
A. M. 1536.
B C ''468.
and every thing that is in the earth
shall die.
18 But with thee will I "^ establish my covenant;
and ■* thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy
sons, and thy wife, and thy sons wives with thee,
Amos 9. fi.-
-'' ch. 2. 7. ch. 7. 13. ' ch. 9. 9.-
1 Pet. o. ^0. 2 Pet. 2. 5.
-" ch. 7. 1, 7, 13.
plainly shews they did not understand the word as signifying
any kind of window or light. Symmachus translates it
SiapjifEj, a transparency ; and Acquila fji,etrti//.0^ivov, the noon.
Jonathan ben Uzzitl supposes that it was a precious luminous
atone, which Noah, by divine command, brouuht from the
river Pison. It is probably a word, which should be taken in
a collective sense, signifying apertures for air and light.
In a cubit shalt thou finish it (the ark) above] Probably
meaning, that the roof should be left a cubit broad at the
apex or top, and that it should not terminate in a «/«»•/>, ridge.
But this place is variously understood.
Verse 1 7. Do bring a flood] 7130 mabul, a word which is used
only to designate ihe general deluge, being never applied to sig-
nify any other kind of inundation : and does not the Holy Spi-
rit intend to shew by this, that no other^ooci was ever like this;
and that it should continue to be the sole one of the kind ?
There have been many partial inundations in various coun-
tries, but never more than ONE gen.ral deluge ; and we have
God's promise, ch. ix. 15. that there shall never be another.
Verse 1 8. Will I establish my covenant} The word IV\2
beriih, from 13 bar, " to purify," or " cleanse," signifies
properly a purification, or purifier; (see on Gen. 15.) be-
cause, in all covenants made between God and man, sin
and sinfulness were ever supposed to be on man's side, and
that God could not enter into any covenant or engagement
with him without a purifier: hence in all covenants, a sa-
crifice was offered for the removal of oflences, and the re-
conciliation of God to the sinner; and hence the word n'13
beriih not only signifies a covenant, but also the sacrifice
ofiered on the occasion, Exod. xxiv. 8. Psal. 1. 5. and Jesus
Christ, the great atonement and purifier, has the same word
for his title, Isai. xlii. 6. xlix. 8. and Zech. ix. II.
Almost all nations in forming alliances, &cc. made their
covenants or contracts in the same way. A sacrifice was
provide d, its throat was cut, and its blood poured out before
God ; then the whole carcase was divided through t!ie spinal
marrow from the head to the rump, so as to make exactly
two equal parts; these were placed opposite to each other,
and the contracting parties passed between them, or entering
at opposite ends, met in the centre, and there took the
covenant oath. This is particularly referred to by Jeremiah,
ch. xxiv. 18, 19, 20. " 1 will give the men (into the hands of
their enemies, ver. 20.) that have transgressed my covenant,
which have not performed the words of the covenant which they
made bei<)re me, zuhen they cut the calf in twain, and passed
between the parts thereof ," Sfc. See also Deut. xxix, 12.
A covenant, says Mr. Ainsworth, is a dispo.sition of good
things faithfully declared, which God here calls /lis, as
arising from his grace towards Noah (ver. 8.) and all men;
but imjilying also conditions on man's part, and tlieretbre ia<
4
f-
i
Noah is ordered to preserve
CHAP. VII.
a pair of every kind of animals.
A.J1.15-.6. 19 And of every living thing of all
'• ^- "'^'^' flesh, ' two of every sort shalt thou
bring into the urk, to keep t/iem aJivc with thee;
they sliall be male and female.
20 Of l()vvls after their kind, and of cattle
after their kind, of every creeping thing of
tlie earth after his kind, two of every sort
A.M.15.S6.
B. C. MfiS.
• Ch. 7. 8, 9. 15, 16 " ch. 7. 9, 15. See tli. 2. 19.
called our covenant, Zech. ix. 11. The Apostles call it
AiaSwu, a testament or disposition; and it is niixtd ot" the
properties botli of covenant and testament, as tlic Apostle
shews, Iltb. ix. 16, &c. and of both, may be named a
iismmeutal covenant, whereby the disposing of God's favours
and good things to us is declai'ed. The covenant made with
Noah signified, on God's part, that he should save Noah
and his family from death by the ark. On Noah's part, that
* he should in faith and obedience make and enter into the
ark — TItou shalt co?ne into the ark, Ifc. so committing- himself
: to God's preservation, Heb. xi. 7. And under this the
^ covenant or testament of eternal salvation by Christ was also
i implied, the Apostle testifying, 1 Pet. iii. 21. that the anti-
' tvpe, baptism, doth also now save us; for baptism is a seal of
our salvation, Mark xvl. 16. To /))Oi<(/e a Saviour, and the
means of salvation, is GOD's part — to accept this Saviour,
laying hold on the hope set before us, is ours. Those who re-
fuse the way and means of salvation, must perish; those who
accept of the great Covenant Sacrifice, caimot pensh, but
shall have eternal life. — See on ch. xv. 10, &c.
Verse 19. To keep them alive] God might have destroyed
all the animal creation, and created others to occupy tlie
new world; but he chose rather to presene those already
|i " shall come unto thee, to keep them
alive. ,
i 21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is
^ eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee ; and it
shall be for food for thee, and fc^r them.
22 'Thus did Noah; " according to all that
I God commanded him, so did he.
' Hebr. 1 1. r. Sec Exod. 40 16. " ch 7. S, 9, 16.
created. The Creator and Preserver of the universe does
nothing but what is essentially necessary to be done. No^
thing should be wantonly wasted: nor should poii-er or skill be
lavished where no necessity exists; and yet it required more
means and oecononiy to preserve the old, than to have created
new ones. Such respect has God to the work of his hands, that
nothing but what is essential to the credit of his justice and holi-
ness, shall ever induce him to destroy any thing he has made.
Verse 21. Of all food that is eaten] That is, of the food
proper for every species of animals.
Verse 22. Thus did ^oah] He prepared the ark; and
during one hundred and twenty years preached righteousness
to that sinful generation, 2 Pet. ii. 5. And this we are in-
formed, 1 Pet. iii. 18, 19, &c. he did by the Spirit of
Christ: for it was only through him, that the doctrine of re-
pentance could ever be successfully preached. Tlie people
in Noah's time are represented as shut up in prison, arrested
and condemned by God's justice, but graciously alloweil the
space of one hundred and twenty years to repent in. This
respite was an act of great mercy; and no doubt tiiousands
who died in the interim, availed themselves of it, and be-
lieved, to the saving of their souls. But the great majority
of the people did not, else the/oo(/ had never come.
CHAPTER VH.
God informs Noah, iJiat rcithin seven dai/s he sliall send a rain upon the earth ihat shall continue for forti/ dai/s
and nights, 4. And therefore commands him to take his famili/, with the different clean and unclean animals,
and enter the ark, 1 — 3. This command is punctually oheijed, 5 — 9. ' In the seventeenth dttt/ of the second
month, in the six hundredth year ofNouIis life, the naters, from the opened zcindozcs of heaven, and the broken
up fountains of the great deep, icere poured out upon the earth, 10 — 12. The different quadrupeds, foirts, and
reptiles, come unto Noah, and tlie Lord shuts him and them in, l.^ — Hi. The zcaters increase, and tlie ark
floats, 17. Tlie Zi/iole earth is covered zcith icater fifteen cubits above tite highest mountains, 18 — 20. Jll
terrestrial animals die, 2 1 — 23. Jnd the zcaters prevail one hundred and fiftij days, 24.
A.M.ifi36. A ]sjj) the Lord said unto Noah, I ous before me in this o-pjip.-). a.i\i.i656.
B. C. '23-)8. ' ■ '
A'c^
ome thou and all thy house
into the ark j for '' thee have I seen righte-
' Ver. 7. 13. Matth. 24. 38. Luke 17. 26. Hebr. 1 1. 7. 1 Pet. 3. 20. 2 Pet. 2. 5.
NOTES ON CHAP. VII.
Verse I. Thee have I seen righteous] — See on ch. vl. 9.
Verse 2. Of every clean beast] So we find the distinction
between clean and unclean animals existed long before the
tion.
.2 Of every
Ji. C. 'SiiS.
clean beast thou shalt take
"Ch. 6. 9. Ps. 33. 18, 19. Prov. 10. 9. 2 Pet. 2. 9. =ver. 8. Lev. ch. U.
Mosaic law. This distinction seems to have been ori-
ginally designed to mark those animals which were proper
for sacrifice and food, 'from those that were not. — See
Lev. xi.
GENESIS.
Thejlood comes in the
A.M.i.n6. tr) tliee by
^f^ his female
are not clean by two, the male and his
female.
3 Ol" fowls also of the air by sevens, the male
and the female; to keep seed alive upon the
face of all the earth.
sir Imndredih year of Noah* s life.
sevens, the male and i | when the flood of waters was upon the
''and of beasts that eartli.
7 % ' And Noah v/cnt in, and his sons, and
his wife, and his sons wives' with him, into the
ark, because of the waters of tlie flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that arc not
clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creep-
4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to :eth upon the earth.
rain upon the earth " tbrty days and forty nights;
and e\ery living substance that I have made
will I " destroy from off" the face of the
earth.
5
Lord connnanded him
6 Anil Noah teas six hundred years old
And Noah did according unto all that the
years
» Hcb. setrn sevm. *• Lfev. 10. in. Ezek. 44. !
•ver. 12,17.-
Verse 4. For yet seven d'i)/.s] God spoke these words pro-
bably on the seventh or sabbath day, and the days of the
ensuing week were employed in entering the ark, in embark-
inij the mii,'hty troop, for whose reception ample provision
bad been ahtady made.
For/)/ days] This period became afterwards sacred, and
was considered a proper space for humiliation. Moses fasted
forty days, Dent. \\. 0, 11. so did Elijali, 1 Kings xix. 8.
so did our Lord, Matt iv. '2. Forty days' respite were given
to the Ninevites that tliey might repent, Jonah iii. 3. And
ihrice. forty (one hundred and twenty) years were given to
the old world for the same gracious purpose. Gen. vi. 'i.
Tiie forty days of Lent, in commemoration of our Lord's
fasting, have a reference to the same thing; as each of these
seems to be deduced from this primitive judgment.
Verse 11. In i he six hundredih year, ^•c.'\ Tliis must have
been in the beginning of the six hundredth year of his life ;
lor he was a year in the ark, cli. viii. 13. and lived three
hundred and fifty years after the flood, and died nine hundred
and lifty years old, cb. ix. 20. so it is evident, that wiien the
flood conunenced, he bad just entered on his six hundredih year.
Second month] The first monthi was Tisri, vhicli answers
to the latter half of S^plemher, and first half of October;
and the second «as JMurliesJivan, which answers to part of
October and part of November. After the delnerance from
Egypt, the beginning of the year was changed from Mar-
keslivan to Nisan, which answers to a part of our DIarck and
April. But it is not liktly that this reckoning obtained be-
fore the flood. Di\ Lighifo.'t very probably conjectures that
Mc£hu.sflali was alive in the first montii of this year. And
it apptavK, says hcj^iow clearly the spirit ot' pro|)hecy fore-
told of ihJngs Ur'conie, when u directed his father Enoch,
almost a thousand years before, to name him Methuselah,
which signifies, they die by a dart ; or, /i<; dieth, and tlieii is
th6 dan ; or, he dieth, and then it is ssnt. And thus Adam
and -Methuselah had measured the whole time between the
creation and the flood, and lived above two hundred and
forty yeais together. — See chap. v.. at the end.
The fountains of the great deep vxre broken up, and the ;./«-
9 There went in tAvo and two unto Noah into
the ark, the male and the female, as God had
commanded Noah.
TlO ^ And it came to pass ^ after seven days, that
the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
1 1 In the six lumdredth year of Noah's life,
in the secoiad month, the seventeenth day of the
■i Heb. blot out. 'ch. 6. 22. f ver. 1. b Or, on the seventh day.
dows of heaven were opened .] It appears that an immense quan-
tity of waters occupied the centre of the antediluvian earth ;
and as these burst forth by the order of God, the circumam-
bient strata must sink, in order to fill up the vacuum occasioned
by the elevated waters. This is probably what is meant by
breaking vp thefoun'ains of the great deep. These waters, with
the seas on the earth's surface, might be deemed suflicient to
drown the whole globe, as the waters now on its surface are
nearly three-fourths of the whole, as has been accurately ascer-
tained by Dr. I-ong. — See note on cb. i. verse 10.
By the opening of ihe tvindoios of heaven, is probably meant
the iJiecipilating all the aqueous vapours which were suspended
in the whole atmosphere, so that, as Moses expresses it, ch. i.
1. the waters that were above the firmament, were again united
to the waters which were below the firmament ; titim which, on
the second day of creation, l\iey had been separated. A miilli-
tiide of facts have proved that water itself is composed of tvo
airs, oxygene and hydrogene ; and that 85 parts of the first, and
15 of the last, making 100 in the whole, will produce exactly
100 parts of water. And thus it is found that these two airs
ibrni the constituent parts of water in the above proportions.
The electric spark, which is the same as lightning, passing
through these airs, decomposes them, and converts thein to
water. And to this cause we may probably attribute the rain
which immediately follows the flash of lightning and peal of
thunder. God therefore, by the means of lightning, might
have converted the whole atmosphere into water, for the pur-
pose of drowning the globe, had there not been a sufficiency
of merely aqueous vapours, suspended in the atmosphere on
the second day of croaiion. And il' the electric flu d were used
on this occasion f >r the production of water, the incessant ilare
of lightnings, and the eoniinuous peals of thunder, must liave
added indescribable horrors to this sceae. — .See the note on ch.
viii. ver. 1. These two causes concurring, were amply
sufficient, not only to overflow the earth, but probably to
dissolve the whole terrene fabric, as some judiei'ous naturalists
have supposed; mdecil, this seems determined by the word
Sl30 malnd, translated f^od, which is derived from '73 bal,
or ^'73 buUd, to mtx, vanj^le, cuifound, confuse, because the
Tlie ram prevails fori 1/ days, ^c. CHAP. VII.
A.M. ir.io. nionth, the s:imc day were all *the[ female of all flesh,
fountains of the great deep broken
K C. ii-tS.
All animals die.
as God lind com-
and tlie Loiin shut
A .M.1(56.
B.C. iiUa.
niandcd him
him ill.
17 IF " And the flood \va.s forty days upon die
cailji ; and the waters increased, and bare up
up, and the '' window.s of heaven were opened".
12 ''And the rain was upon the earth forty
days and forty nights.
13 In the selfsame day 'entered Noah, and | tiie ark, and it was lift up aI)ove the earth.
Shcm, and Ham, and. Japheth, the sons of Noah, |i 18 And the waters prevailed, and were in-
and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his j; creased greatly upon the earth; 'and the ark
sons with them, into tlie ark; went upon the face of the waters.
14 ^ They, and every beast after his kind, and jl 19 And the waters pre\ ailed exceedingly upon
all the cattle after (heir kind, and every creeping j the earth; ""and all the high hills, that a-e/r
thing that creejieth njion the earth after his kind, I under the wliole heaven, were covered
and ev<:ry fowl after his kind, every bird of
every ^ sort.
1.5 And they "went in unto Noah into the ark,
two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath
of life.
16 And they that went in, went in male and
•Cli. 8'.*. Priiv. 8. !8. Ezck. 26.19. ' Or, /iW-jatM. 'ch. 1.7.
ki-'i. Ps. 7K. a). "viT. 4, 17. «»er. 1, 7. cli. 6. la. Hobr. 11.7.
ll'et. 3. 20. S I'et. S. 5. ' yer. £, 3, 8, f.. « Hub. u'iii». " ch. 6. 20.
aqueous and terrene parts of the globe were then mixed and
confuunclod together ; and when the supernatural cause that
produced thi.s mighty change, sus|)ended its operations, the
diiltrent particles nf matter would settle according to their
spt'cific gravities, and thus form the various t/rura or ico's of which
the earth appcarsto be internally constructed. Some naturalists
have controverted this sentiment, because, in some cases, the
internal stincture of the earth does not appear to justify the
opinion that the various portions of matter had settled accord-
•ing to their specific gravities : but these anomalies may easily
be accounted for, from the great changes that have taken ]>lace
in diflerent parts of the earth since ihejlood, by volcanic eruj)-
tion.s, earthquake.s &c. — Some very eminent philosophers are
of the opinion. " that by the hrtukina up of the fountains of the
pent deep, we are to understand an eruption of uaters from the
Southern Octtin." Mr. Kirw an supposes, that " this is ])retty
evifleni from such animals as the elephant and rhinoceros being
found in (jreat masses in .Siberia, mixed with diflerent mririiit
■substances; wl)trea.s, no animals, or other .«ubslances belonffing
to tlie northern rr-j/oni, have been ever found in southern climalen.
Had these animals died natural deaths in their proper climatr,
their iKtdies would not have been found in such masses. But
that they were carried no farther northward than Siberia, is
evident from there being no remains of any animals, besides
tho.se of whales, found m the mountains of Greenland. That
this great rmh of waters was from the south, or scuth-aist,
is farther evident, he thinks, from the south and south-east
sides of aliimst all great mountains being inueh steeper than
their north or north-west sides, as they necessarily would
be, if the force of a great body of water fell upon them
in that direction." — On a subject like this, men may
innocently (lifter. Many think the first opinion accords
best with the Hebrew text, and witli the phenomena of
20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters pre-
vail ; and tlie mountains were covered.
21^° And all flesh died that moved upon
the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of
beast, and of every crecjiing thing that creepeth
upon the earth, and every man :
' ver. 2, S. ► ver. 4, 12. ' Ps. IDi. 26. " Ps. 104 G. Jer 3. 23.
° th. 6 13, 17. ver. 4. .'oh -'I. 16. 2 Esdr. 3. 9. 10. Wisd. 10. 4.
Blallli. n. 3y. Luke 17. '.'7. '.' PtJ. S. (i.
' nature, for mountains do not always present the above ap-
pearance.
I N'erse 12. The rain \:/as vpcn the earthi J)r. I.ightfoot sup-
I poses that the rain began on the 18th day of the second
month, or Miirheslnun, and that it ceased on the 28th of the
third montli Ci«leu.
^^erse 1 j. And ihey ivenl in, &<-.] It was physically impo.*-
sible for Noah to have collected such a vast number of tainc
and ferocious animals; nor could they have been retained in
their wards by mere natural means. How then were they
brought from various distances to the ark, and prcscr\ ed there .''
Only by the power of God. He who first miraeulou.'ily
brought them to Adam, that he might give them their names,
now brings them to Noah, that he may preserve their lives.
And now we may reasonably suppose, that thpir natural en-
mity was so far removed or .suspended, that the lion might
dwtll with the lamb, and the wolf lie down with the kid,
though eai'h might .still require his peculiar alini< nt. This
can b« no difficulty to the power of (ind, willmiU tlie imme-
diate interposition of which, neither the deluge nor the conco-
mitant circumstances could ha\ » taken place.
Vrnc I<j. The Lord t,httt him in.] This seems to imply
that God took him under his especial protection ; and as he
shut KIM in, so he shut the OIJIFRS out. God had waited
one hundred and twenty years upon thaPt^eiieration : they did
not repent ; they tilled up the measure o^llcir iniquities, and
then wrath came upon tluni to the utlermost.
Vtrse 20. Fifteen onhits npxi-urd] Should any person ob-
ject to the imizersaliti/ of the deluge, because he may imagine
there is not water sufTicient to drown the whole globe in the
manner here rtlated, he may find a most satisfactory answer
to all the objections he can raise on this ground, in ^Ir. Kav's
I'hysico-tlieQlogical Discourses, second edition, 8v«, 1693.
H
All the inhabitants of the earth die ; GENESIS.
22 All, in " whose nostrils "was ^ the
o/ilj/ Noah and his faintly escape.
A.M. 1656.
B. C. 2>18.
breath of life, of all that 'ucas in the
dry land, died.
23 And every living substance was destroyed
Ayliich was upon the face of the ground, both
man, and cattle, and tlie creeping things, and
*Cli. 1. 7. '' lleb. (7ic brtath of the ipnit of life. cli. 2. 7. «c 7. 17.
Verse 22. Of all that vias in the dry land] From this we
vnay conclu»!e, that such animals only as could not live in the
xvaler, were preserved in the ark.
Verse 24. And the leulers prevailed upon the earth a hundred
tndfify days.'] Tije breaking up of the tountains of the great
deep, and the raining forty days and nights, had raised tile
waters fifteen cubits above the highest mountains ; after which
A. W. 1656.
EC ?348.
the fowl of the heaven ; and they
were destroyed from the earth : and
" Noah only remained alive, and they that ivere
with him in the ark.
24 ^ "^ And the waters prevailed upon the
earth a hundred and titty days.
= Ez. 14. IJ-
S.6.
-50. Mill. ,S. tS. Wisd. in. 4. 1 Pet 3. 20. 2 Pot. y. 5. 8c
''ch. u. S, 4. compared with ver. 11. of this chapter.
flirty daj's, it appears to have continued at this height for one
hundred and fifty days more. " So," says Dr. Lighlfoot,
" these t^vo sums are to be reckoned distinct, and not tlie forty
days included in the one hundred and fifty ; so that when the
one hundred and filly days were ended, there were six inonthj
and ten days of the tlood past." For an improvement of this
awful judgment, see the conclusion of the following chapter.
CHAPTER VIII.
jit the end of me hundred end fifty days the renters begin to subside, 1 — 3. The ark rests on mount Ararat, 4.
On the fust nf the tenth mouth the tops of the hills appear, 5. The xoindow opened, and the raven sent out, 6, 7.
The dove sentfwth, and returns, 8, 9- The dove sent forth a second time, and returns with an olive leaf, 10, 1 1.
The dove sent out the third time, and returns no more, I'i. On the twentieth day of the second month the earth is
fompletely dried, 13,14. God orders Noah, his family, a7id all the creatures, to come out of the ark, 15 — 19.
Noah builds an altar, and offers sacrifices to the Lord, 'iO. They are accepted, and God promises that the earth
shall not be cnrsrd thvs am/ more, notaithstanding the iniquity of man, 21, 22.
A.M. 1656.
B. 0. 2348
ND God ' remembered Noah,
and every living thing, and all
the cattle that wa^s with him in the ark : " and
God made a wind to pass over tha earth, and
the 'Waters asswaged ;
•oil. 19. 29. Esod. 2. 24. iSam. 1. 19. "E.wd. 11. 21.
NOTES ON CHAP. VIII.
Verse 1 . And (iod made a xuind to pass over the earth]
Such a wind as produced a strong and sudden evaporation.
Tlie efiects of these winds, which are frequent in the East,
are trtily astonishing. A friend of mine, who had been bathing
in tlie Tigris, not far from the ancient city of Ctesiphon, and
within five days' journey of Baghdad, having on a pair of
'J'lirkisli drawers, one of these hot winds, called by the natives
Samielr passing rapidly across the river, just as he had got out
of till.- Mater, so eflectually dried him in a moment, that not
one particle of moisture was left either on his body, or in his
bathing dress! With such an electrified wind as this, how
soon could God dry the whole of the earth's surface ! An
operation sometliing similar to the conversion of water into its
two coT^stituent airs, Oiygcn and Hydrogen, by means of the
gah-anif fluid, as these airs themselves, may be reccnvertcd to
A l\f. 16.16.
B. C. 'J343.
2 'The fountains also of the deep
and the windows of heaven were
stopped, and '' the rain from heaven was re-
strained ;
3 And the waters returned from off the earth
' Ch. 7. 11. PrOT. 8. 28. •> .Tob 38. £7.
water, by means of the electric spark. See (he note on chap.
vii. ver. 1 1 . And probably this was the agent that restored
to the atmosphere the quantity of water which it had con-
tributed to this vast inundation. The other portion of waters,
which had proceeded liom tlte breaking up of the fountains
of the great deep, would, of course, subside more slowly, as
opening.s were made fof them to run off from the higher
lands, and form seas. By the first cause, the hot wind, the
waters Here assuaged, and the atiiio.=;]jhtre having it.i due pro-
portion of vapours restored, the quantity below, must he greatly
lessened. By the second, the earth was gradually dried, the
waters, as they found passage, lessening by degrees, till the seas
and gulphs were formed, an<l the earth completely drained:
This appears to be what is intended in the third and fifth
verses, liy the ivaters dea-ea.^ing continually, or, according to thg
margin, they u-erc in going and decreasing, Ver, 6.
The ark rests on mount Ararat. CHAP
AM. ifs-;. ^ contimially : and after the end '' of
"• ''• "•^''^"^' tlie iiundied and riity days, tlie waters
were abated.
4 % And the ark rested in the seventh niontli,
on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the
mountains of Ararat.
5 And the waters " decreased continually un-
til the tcntli month : in the tenth month, on the
tirst daif of the montli, were tlic tops of the
mountains seen.
6 % And it came to pass at the end of forty
days, that Noah opened ''the window of the ark
which he had made :
7 And he sent i()rth a raven, which went forth
' to and Ito, until the waters were dried up from
off the earth.
8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see
if the waters were abated from off the face of
fhe ground ;
9 But the dove found no rest for the sole of
^^cr foot, and she returned unto him into the ark,
for the waters were on the face of the whole
*Heb. hi f^o'in^ nnd rctnnvn^^ ^^ ell . 7. 1'4.— — ^ Heb. vere in going
rand decreasing. ''ch. 6. 16- ^Ht-b. in going forth and rf.luTning,
Verse 4. Tht mountains of Araral.'] That Ararat was a
mountain of Armenia, is almost universally agreed. What is
commonly thought to be the Ararat of the Scriptures, has been
Tisiled by many travellers, and on it there are several monas-
Icrics. For a long time, the world has been amused with re-
ports that the ixmains of the ark were still visible there ; but
I\lr. Tounufort, a famous French naturalist, who was on the
spot, assures us that nothino; of the kind is there to he ."seen.
As there is a great chain of mountains which are called by this
name, it is impossible lo determine on what part of them the
ark rested : but the highest part, called by some the Fin;^tr-
7iiountain, has been fixed on as the most likely place. These
things we must leave ; and they are certainly of very httle
consequence.
From the circumstance of the resting of the ark on the ITtli
of the seventh month, Dr. Lighlfoot draws this curious con-
clusion : That the ark drew cxik tl y eleven cuhils of water. On
the fir>t day of the month Ali, the mountain tops were first seen,
and then the waters had iallen fifteen cubits ; for so liigh had
ihey prevailed above the tops of the mountains. This decrease
Jii the waters took up sirly days ; namely, from the first of
Sivan, so that ihey appear to have abated in the proportion of
one cubit in four days. On the 16th of Sivan they had
abated but /our cubits ; and yet on the next dav the ark rested
on one of the hilU, when the waters must have been as yet |
<kven cubits above it. Thus it appears that the ark drew :
eleven cubits of water.
Verse 7. He sent forth a raren, rvhiclitvent forth to and fro] It
is generally supposed that the raven ^«v ojf, and was seeii no
Vlir. IVte raven and dote sent forth.
earth ; then he put forth his hand, ^•"- "^="'-
and took her, and ' pulled her in un- "' ^' ''^^:
to him into tlie ark.
10 And he stayed yet other seven days ; and
again he sent forth the dove out of the ark ;
1 1 And the dove came in to him in the even-
ing ; and, lo, in her mouth loas an olive leaf
pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were
abated from off the earth.
12 And he stayed yet other seven days ; and
sent forth the dove ; which retained not again
unto him any more.
13 % And it came to pass in the six -'i- w.issr.
hundredth ^ and first year, in the first li^i^-f^
monih, the first dai/ of the month, the waters
were dried up from off the earth ; and Noah re-
moved the covering of the ark, and looked, and,
behold, the face of the ground was dry.
14 And in the second month, on the seven
and twentieth day of the month, was the earth
dried.
15 % And God spake unto Noah, saying,
•^Heb. caused her to cowe.~
-tell. 7. 11.
more; but this meaning the Hebrew text will not bear,
SWI NIS' Nifl vaiyetie yatso tcsliob ; and it went forth, going
forth and returning. — From which it is evident that she did
return, but was not taken into the ark. She made frequent ex-
cursions, and continued on the wing as long as she coulii,
having picked up such aliment as she found floating on the
waters; and then, to rest herself, regained the aik, where she
might perch, though she was not admitted. Indeed, this must
be allowed, as it is impossible she could have continued twenty-
one days upon the wing, which she must have done, had she
not returned. But the text itself is sufficiently deieriiiinate.
Verse 8. Jh sent forth a dove] The dove was sent forth
thrice : the first time she speedily returned, having, in all pro-
bability, gone but a little way from the ark, as she must natu-
rally be terrified at the appearance of the waters. After seven
days, being sent out a second time, she returned with an o.'/re
leaf plucked off, ver. 1 1. an emblem of the restoration of peace
between God and the earth : and tiom this circumstance, the
oZ/re has been the emblem of peace among all civilized nations.
y\t the end of other seven days, the dove being sent out the
third time, returned no more, from which Noah conjectured
that the earth was now sufficiently drained, and therefore re-
moved the covering of the ark, which probably gave liberty to
many of the fowls to fly otl" which circumstance would all'ord
him the greater lacilily in making arrangements lor disembark-
ing the beasts and reptiles, and heavy-bodied domestic Ibwls,
which might yet remain. — See verse 17.
Verse 1 4. And in the second month, tm the setYn and twentieth
^"yl From tliis it appears, that Noah was in the ark a <o;«/)/f.'c
H 2
Noah and hhfamlhf ieGte the ark.,
AM. !(,57. 16 Ct) forth of the ark, 'thou, and
^■^- '■'■'"■ thy wife, and thy soiu.s., and thy sons'
wives with thee.
17 Bring forth with thee " every living thing
that is with thee, of all flesh, hofJi of ihwi, and
of cattle, and of every creeping thing that crccp-
eth upon the earth ; tliat they may breed abund-
antly in the earth, and ""be fruittid, and nuiltiply
upon the earth.
18 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his
wife, and his sons' wives with him :
19 Every beast, every creeping tiling, and every
fowl, a?id whatsoever creepetli upon the earth,
after their " kinds, went forth out of the ark.
•CIi. 7. la •'ch. 7. I.i 'A. 1. «. ''Ueb. families.- — 'Lev.
cli 11. fLev. 1. 9. Ezi'k. JOi-H. gCor 'J. !.=>. Eplie-^ 5 2. «Htb
a savour of rot. " ch. j. 17. & 6. 17 ' Or, tliinigh. '^ cli. 6. 5.
solar year, or three hundred and si.vli/-fire days; for he entered
tJie ark the ITth day of the second month, in the six hundredth
year of his life, cb. vii. 11, 13. and contiBued in it till the
21th day of tlie second month, in the six hundredth ar.d first
year of his life, as we see above. Tiie montlis of the ancient
Hebrews were lunar ; the first six consisted of thirti/ days
each, the latter six of txirnfy-niiie : the whole twelve months
making three hundred and fifti/-four days : add to this eleven
days, (for though he entered the ark tlie preceding year on tlie
seventeenth day of tlie second month, lie did not couie out till
tlie twenty-seventh of the same month in the following; year)
ivhich make exactly tlirec hmtdred and sixty-five days, the
period of a complete iolar revolution; tiie odd hours and
minutes, as Ixing fractions of time, not computed, lhou'j:h very
likely all included in tlie account. Tiiis year, according to
the Hebrew computation, was the one thou.mnd six hundred
iiitd fifty-.ievenlh year from the creation : but, according to
the reckoning of the Septuagint, it was the tiso thousand two
hundred and forty-second, and according to Dr. Hales, (New
Analysis of Chronolo;^) the tiL-o thousand Cu:o hundred and fifty-
sixth. — See the note on ch. xi. 12.
Verse 20. A'oa/i huilded an altar] As we have already seen
tliftt Adam, Cain, and Alul, offered sacrifices, there can be no
<loubt that they had altars on which they oft'ered them : but
tliis, builded by Noali, is certainly the first on record. It is
vorthy of remark, that as the old world began with sacrifice,
so also did the new. Relit^ion, or the proper mode of wor-
shipping the Divine Being, is the invention or institution of
God himself; and sacrifice, in thence and design, is the essence
of religion. Without sacrifice actually offered, or implied,
there never was, there never can be, any religion. Even in the
/tcaie7is, a Lamt* is represented before the throne of God, as
newly slain. Rev. v. 6, 12, 13. The design of sacrificing is
twofold : the slaying and burning of the victim point out, 1st.
that the life of the sinner is forfeited to Divine justice ; 2dly.
tiiat his soul deserves the_^re of perdition.
The Jews have a tradition, that the place where Noah
built his altar, was the same in which the altar stood
which was built by Adam, and used by Cain and Abel ;
and the same spot, on which, Abraham afterwards, ofiered up
liis son Isaac.
Tlie word nsiC ynizbeach, which we render altar, signifies
properly a /)/ra'e /or 5acri/5ce, as the root nSi zabach, signifies
simply to slay. Altar comes from the Latin altus, high, or
elevated, because places for sacrifice were generally cither,
raised very high, or built on the tops of hiUs and mountains;
hence tliey are called high places in the Scriptures ; but such
were chiefly used for idolatrou*. purposes.
Bitrnt-ojlL-ri)igsJ< See the meaning of every kind of offerinii
and .sacrifice largely explained on Levit. vii. in alphabetical
order.
^'^erse21. T.'ie Lord smelled a sweet wrour] . That is, ho
was well pleased with this religiovis act, perforined in obedi-
ence tO' his own appointittent, and in faith of tlie promise^
Saviour. Tiiat this sacrifice prefigured that which w -.is offered'
by ouc blessed, lledeemer in behalf of the world, i» sutliciently
evident from the words of St. Paul, Eplics. v. 2. Christ hath
laved us, and given himself for us an ofiering and a sacrilice to
God for a SWEET S.MELLING S.AVOUR ; where the words
oa-fiw £uii$ta(, of tlie Apojtle, are the very words used by the
Septuagint in this place.
/ xlhU not agiun- curse tite grniDid] t^DSJ {f7 lo osiph, I will
not add to curse the ground — there shall not be another
deluge to destroy the whole earth. [for the imagination of
man's hearti 'i ki, ALTHOtiUIl the imagination of man's
heart should be evil ; i. e. should they become afterwards as
evil as they have been before, I will not destroy the earth by
a FLOOD. God has other means of destruction!; and tlie
next time he visits by a general judgment, riRE is to be the
agent. 2 Pet. iii. 7.
Verse 22. IFhile the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest,
^■c] There is something very expressive in the original,
pxn »0» Sa iy dd col yemey ha-ajrets, until all the DAYS of the
earth ; for God does not reckon its duration by centuries ; and
the words themselves afford a strong presumption that thf
earth shall net have as endless duration.
E.SLS.. C7fd offer a sacrifice to God.
20 f Aral Noah builded an' aitiar -'^'■"'l- "5;^-
unto the Lord ; and took of ' every ^c.^347.
cJcan beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered
burnt oflerings on the altar.
21 And the Lord smelled *^a ^ sweet savoury
and the Loud said in his heart, I will not again-
'' curse the ground any more, for man's sake ;
'tor the ''iinagination of man'M heart is evil from
his youth ; ' neither will I again smite any more
every thing living, as I have done.
22 ° While the eitrth remaineth % seedtime
and harvest, aiwl cold and heat, and sinn-
mer and winter, and " day and night shall not
cease.
.Toll U. 4. & I.i. 14. Fs. 51. .=>. .Ter. 17. 9. Malt. IS. 19. Rora. 1. 21. fc
J. ^'3.^—1 ch. '.). 11, I.% •"' Isai. 54. 8.-^-" Ueb. as yet all the days of the I
carih. "Jer. 33. iiO, 25. ■
The ark a ft/pe
CHAP. IX.
of baptism.
Seedtime aiid lmrTest\ It is very probiirile that the nefiMim,
whuh «eie distinctly iiiarixtil icnmediiitcly after the tlfhi^e,
are nicntioncif in this plaie : but it is tliflicult to ascntain
thciii. Most Kiirojican natiuns divide the year into four
iiistinct parti, called qunvtcri or feasom ; but there are j/.i
clivisioiis ill tlie text, and probably all irilendtid to describe
the seasons in one of these po»t-dihivian years; partictdariy
in that part of the globe, Aimniiu, whtri' Noah was wliin
Goil gave him and niunkind lliiouj^h hiin, this gracious pro-
mise. I'roin the 'Inri^nm of Joiiatli.in on this verse, we liani,
that ill I'uksline their sccd-tiine w;is in .September, at tlic aii-
tonmat equinox : their han-cst in IVIarcb, at the vernal equi-
nox ; that their v:iiiter befjan in December, at tiie solstice,
and their summer at the solstice, in June.
The C()/"s begin their «»/H«in on the 15th of September,
and extend it to the 15th of December. Their vjinser on
the IJtb of December, and extend it to the 15th of !\Iarcli.
Their .lyjj/Hj on llic 15lli of March, and extend it to the
15th of June. Tlieir siniwur on the I5th of .lune, and
extend it to the 15lii of September, assigning to each season,
three complete months. Gnlmet.
'I'liere are certai.ily regions of the earth, to which neither
lliis nor our own mode of division can apply : there are
some where summei au'i viintcr appear to divide the whole
year; and oth'as \\tK:\, bca'ides stiminer, xuinter, aiilimiii, and
sprint;, there are distin l seasons that may be denominated
i\it: hoi season, I he cold seasmi, lUe rain^ season, ^'c. Se.
Tliis is a very merciful ].iomise to the inhabitants of
the earth. There may be a \ariety w the seasons, but no
season, essentially necessary to vegetation, shaU/ utterly fail.
Tile times which are of greatest consequence to the preservation
of man, are distinctly twted : (here shaH. be both seed-time
and hanesl — a proper time to deposit tlie dill'erent grain
in the earth; and a proper time to Kup the pruilucc of this
sewl.
Thus ends t]ie account of the general deluge, its cause,
circumstances, and consequences. An acconnt that seems
to say to us Keliold the goodness and severity of God ! Both
h\s justice and loii'^-sulferini; are particularly niarke<l in this
astonisiiing event. His juuice, in the i)-.inishment of the
incorrigibly wicked : ami hi> vtercy, in giving them so fair
and full a warning, and in waiting so loui; to extend his
grace to all who might seek. him. Such a cnnvincing pniof
has the destruction of the world by water, given of the Di-
vine Justice, such convincing testimony of the truth of the
Sacred Writings, that not only every part of the earth gives
■ testimony of this extraordinary revolution, but also every
nation of the uni>erse has preserved records or traditions of
this awful display of the justice of God.
A multitude of testimoaies, collected from the most authen
tic sources in iho hoallion world, I hal intended for insertion
in tins place; but want of room obliges mo to lay them aside.
But the slate of the earth itself i;- m sullieient proof. Kvery
part of it bears unequivocal evidence of elisruplion and vio-
lence. Fioui the hind of the (iod of order, it never could
have proceeded in its present state. In every part we sec
marks of the crimes of men, and of the justice of God. And
shall not the living lay this to heart .' Surely God is not
mocked; that wliicli a man soweth iie sliall reap. He who
soweth to tlie ilcsli, shall of it reap d( structioii ; and though
the plague of water sliall no more elcstioj- the earth, yet an
equal, if not sorer ptinishment, awaits the world of tiic un-
godly, in the thrcateneil destruction Vty fire.
In ancient times, almost every thing was typical or repre-
sentative of things which were to come ; and no doubt the (iiL;
among the rest: but o/"tt/i«/, and in ii:/ial ii:ai/, farther than
Revelation guides, it is both dilficult and unsafe to say. It
has been considered a type of our blessed Lord ; and hence it
has been observeel, " that as all those who were out <if the ark
perished by the flood, so those who take not refuge in the me-
ritorious atonement of Christ Jesus, untst perii>!j everlastingly."
Of ail those v/lio, having the opportunity of hearing the Gos-
pel, refuse to accept of the sacrifice it oilers them, this sayinij
is true : but the parallel is not good. .Myriads of those who pe-
rished during the flood, prol.'abl)' rc))eiited, implored mercy,
and found lurijiveness : for God ever delights to save; and
Jesus was the Lamb slam from the foundation of the world.
And though, generally, the people continued m carnal secu-
rity and sensual gratifications till the flood came, there is
much reason to believe, that those who, du.nng \.\\e forty dayti
rain, would naturally fly to the high lands and tops of the
highest mountains, wotild earnestly implore thai mercy wiiicti
has never been denied, even to tlie most profligate, when un-
der deep luuiiiiiation of heart, they bme returned to God.
And wiio can. say that this wus not done by multitudes, while
fiiey beheld the increasing- flood, or that God, in this last
extremity, had renitered. it impossible .'
St. Peter, I Kpist. lii. 21. makes the ark a figure of bap^
tism, and ■ntimates, that we are saveil by this, as the eight
souls wero saved by tlie ark. But let us not mistake the Apostle,
by supposing that tlie mere ccrenio/ij/ itself saves any person :
I he tells us, that the salvation conveyed throngli, this sacred
rite, is not the putting; a\i;uy tlie Jittk of the flcsit, but lite- ansiver
of a good conscience towards God: i. e. remission of sins, and
regeneration by the Holy Spirit, which are signified by this
baptism. A good conscience never existed wlicre remission of
sins had not taken place ; and every peiv-on know.s, that it is
God's prerogative to forgive sins ; and that no ordinance can
contier it, iliough ordinances may be llie means to convey it,
when piously and believingly used.
CHAPTER IX.
God blesses Noah (uid his soti^, 1. The brute creation to be subject to them through fear, '2. The first grant of
animal food, 3. Ealing nf blood foylndden, 4. Cruelty to animals forbidden, 5. A manslaijer to foifeit
his life, 0". The covenant of Cod established bctaeen Him and Noah, and the zihole bmle creation, 8—11,
The rainbow giieit. as the sign and pledge of this covenant, 12 — 17. The three sons of Nuuh people (he uhole
earthy 18,19. 'Noah plants a vineyard, drinks of the wine^ is inttjxicaled, and lies exposed in his tent, 20,21
Nmh is blessed, GENESIS. Eating of blood Jbrbiddcn.
The reprehensible ccmduct of Ham, 22. The laudable carriage of Shorn aiid Japketb, 23. Noah prophe-
ticallj/ dec/ares the servitude of the postei-iti/ of Hum, 24, 25 ; and the dignity and increase of Shem and
Japhelh, 26, 27 . The age and death if Noah, <2S, 0.9.
B. C. i;;U7.
A
ND God blessed Noah and his
sons, and said unto. them, ^ Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
2 '' And the fear of you and the dread of
you shall be upon every beast of the earth,
and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that
moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes
»(;ii. 1. S8. ver. T. 19. ch. ti). 3^. '' cli. 1. W. Hos. 2. 18. — — ' Dent.
12. 15. & 14. S, 9, 11. Acts 10. 1% 13. " ch. 1. 29. ' Rom. 14. l-t, 20.
NOTES ON CH.\P. IX.
Verse 1. God blessed Norili] Even the increase of families
%vliich appears to depend on merely natural means, and some-
times foituitous circumstances, is all of God. It is by his power
and wisdom that the human being is formed ; and it is by his
providence alone, that man is supported and preserved.
Verse 2. Tliefear of you, and the dread of you, iSfc] Prior
to the fall, man ruled the inferior animals by love and kind-
ness ; for then, i^cntkness and docility were their principal cha-
racteristics. After tlie fall, untractableness, with savage fero-
city, prevailed among almost all orders of the brute creation :
.enmity to man seems particularly to prevail ; and had not
God, in his mercy, impressed their minds with the fear and
terror of man, so that some submit to his will, while others
Jise from his residence, the human race woidd, long ere this,
have been totally destroyed by the beasts of the field. Did
the horse know his own strength and the weakness of the
miserable wretch wljo unmercifully rides, drives, whips, goads,
and oppresses him, would he not, with one stroke of his hoof,
destroy his tyrant possessor ? But, while God hides these
things from him, he impresses his mind with the fear of his
owner, so that either by cheerful or sullen submission he is
trained up for, and employed in, the most useful and impor-
tant purposes ; and even willingly submits, when tortured for
the sport and amusement of his more brutish oppressor.
Tygers, wolves, lions, and hyenas, the determinate foes of
man, incapable of being tamed or domesticated, flee, through
the principle of terror, from the dwelhng of man, and thus
lie is providentially safe. Hence, by fear and by dread, man
rules every beast of the earth, every fowl of the air, and every
fish of the sea. How wise and gracious is this order of the
Divine Providence ! and with what thankfulness should it be
considered by every human being !
Verse 3. Every moving thing — shall be meat"] There is no
positive evidence that animal food was ever used before the
flood : Noah had the first grant of this kind, and it has been
continued to all his posterity ever since. It is not likely that
this grant wuuld have been now made, if some extraordinary
alteration had not taken place in the vegetable world, as
to render its productions less nutritive than they wire before ;
and probably such a change in the constitution of man, as
to jTiBiider a grosser and hiyher diet necessary. We may
A. M. 16Sr.
B. C. t';M7.
of the sea ; into your hand are they
delivered.
3 " Every moving thing that Jiveth shall be meat
for you ; even as the " green herb have I given
you 'all things.
4 ' But flesh with the life thereof, which is the
blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
iCur. 10. 23. 26. Col. ?. 16. iTim. 4. 3, 4. ' Lcr. 17. 10, 11, 14. &
19. 26. Deut. 12. 23. 1 Sam. 14. 31. Acta la. 20, 29.
therefore safely infer, that the earth was less productive after
the flood than it was before; and that the human constitution
was greatly impaired, by the alterations which had taken
place through the whole oeconomy of nature. Morbid de-
bility, induced by an often unfriendly slate of the atmosphere,
with sore and long continued labour, would necessarily re-
quire a higher nutrunent than vegetables could supply. That
this was the case, appears sufficiently clear from the grant of
animal food, which, had it not been indispensably necessary,
had not been made. That the constitution of man was then
much altered, appears in the greatly contracted lives of (he
postdiluvians; yet from the deluge to the days of Abraham,
the lives of several of the Patriarchs amounted to some hun-
dreds of years, but this was the effect of a peculiar providence,
that the new world might be the more speedily repeopled ;
but even from the deluge their lives became gradually shorter,
till from upwards of nine hundred years they became settled
in the average term of threescore years and ten.
Verse 4. Butjiesh xcith the life thereof, which is the blood]
Though animal food was granted, yet the blood was most so-
lemnly forbidden, because it was the life of the beast ; and
this life was to be offered to God as an atonement for sin.
Hence the blood was ever held sacred, because it was the
grand instrument of expiation ; and because it was typical of
that blood by which we enter into the holiest. J. Before the
deluge, it was not eaten, because animal food was not in use;
2. After the deluge, it was prohibited, as we find above, and,
being one of the seven Noahic precepts, it was not eaten previ-
ously to the publication of the Mosaic law ; 3. At the giving of
the law, and at several times, during the ministry of Moses,
the prohibition was most solemnly, and with awful penaltiei),
renewed. Hence we may rest assured tliat no blood was
eaten previously to the Christian JEva. ; nor indeed ever since by
the Jev.'ish people. 4. That the prohibition has been renewed
under the Christian dispensation, can admit of little doubt by
any man who dispassionately reads Acts xv. 20, 29. xxi. 25.
where even the gentile conz-erls are charged to abstain from it,
on the authority, not only of the Apostles, but of the Holy
Ghost, who gave them there, and then, especial direction con-
cerning this point: see Acts xv. 28 t\o\.for fear of stumbling
the converted Jexvs, " the gloss of Theologians," but because it
was one tuv iwxmynii rauzuv, of those netessary points, CroHi
the rainhffw given as a sigyu
; God^s covetmnt tvith Noah: CHAP. IX.
I A.M.iesr. 5 And surely your blood of your 10 'And with every living creature -A.M.iaw.
B.C. '^317
'- lives will I require; "at the hand that /.; with you, of the fowl, of the cat- __,
B. C. 2347.
1 of every beast will I ro(iuire it, and '' at i tic, and of every beast of the earih with you :
the hand of man; at the hand of every ifi'om all that go out of the ark,. to every beast of
the earth.
1 1 And "^ I will establish my covenant with
you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more
his blood be shed: " for in the image of God i by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any
"■ man's brother will I require the life of
man.
6 " Whoso shcddcth man's blood, by man shall
made he man
j 7 And you, ' be ye fruitful, and nudtiply ;
bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multi-
ply therein.
8 % And God spake imto Noah, and to his
sons with him, saying,
9 And I, * behold, I establish " my covenant
with you, and with your seed after you ;
• E«od. SI. 28-
i'l. M, 14. Lev.
— ^ cli. 4. 9, 10. Ps. 9. 12 ' Acts 17. ?6. ■" Etod.
W. 17. Matt. 26. 32. Kcv. 13. 10. ' th. 1. 27.
tlie burden (fapof) of obedience to which, they could not be
excu.>ieJ. .5. This coiiimaiid i.s still .scrupulously obeyed by
the oriental Christians, and by the whole Greek church: and
why ? because the reasons still subsist. No blood was eaten
! under (lie law, because it pointed out the blood that xvas to
be sited for the sin of the world; and under the gospel, it should
i not be eaten, because it should ever be considered as repre-
< senting the blood wlticli has been shed for the remission of sins.
If ihe eaters of blood in general knew, that it affords a very
crude, almost indigestible, and unwholesome aliment, they
certainly would not, on these physical reasons, leaving moral
considerations out of the question, be so much attached to the
consumption of that from wliich they could expect no whole-
some nutriment; and which, to render it even pleasing to the
palate, requires all the skill of the cook.
Verse 5. Surely your blood — ivill I require ; at the hand of
every beast] This is very obscure; but, if taken literally, it
seems to be an awful wamini; a<^inst cruelty to the brute
creation; and from it we may conclude, that horse- racers,
hare-hunlcrs, bull- bailers, and cock-fi;^htcrs shall be obliged to
give an account to God, for every creature they have wantonly
destroyed. Instead of rrn chaiyah, " beast," the Samaritan
reads (Tf^g c/;«/, " livins^-," any " living creature," or person:
this makes a very pood sense, and equally forbids cruelty
either to men or brutes
Verse 6. IVhom sheJdcth vi/in's blood, by man shall his blood]
Hence it appears that whoever kills a man, unless umLHtiingly,
as the .Scripture expresses it, shall forfeit his own life.
. A man is accused of the crime of murder; of this crime he is
guilty, or he is not — if he he Ljuilty of murder, he should die:
if not, let him be tuinished accuidin^ to the demerit of his
crime, but for no offence but minder, should lie lose his life.
I'aking away the life olaiinihtr is the highest offence that can
be committed against the iiidnidual, and against society;
and the highest punisbmetrt lliit a man can softer for such a
crime, is the loss of his own life. As punishment should be
more be a flood to destroy the earth.
12 And God said, ' Tliis is the token of tlje
covenant which I make between me and you
and e\'ery living creature that is with you, lor
perpetual generations:
13 I do set "' my bow in the cloud, and it
.shall be for a token of a covenant between me
and the earth.
'vcr. 1, 19. & ch. 1. 28. Sch. 6. IB. ^ Isai. 54. 9. 'Ps. 145. 9-
" Isai. ,'54. 9. ' cli. 17. 11. "' Rev. 4. 3.
ever proportioned to crimes, so the highest punishment, due to
the highest crime, should not be indicted for a minor offence.
The law of God and the eternal dictates of reason say, that
if a man kill another, the loss of his own life is at once the
highest penally he can pay, and an equivalent for his oflcnce,
as far as civil society is concerned. If the death of the mur-
derer be the highest penalty lie can pay for the murder he has
committed, iiie:i the infliction of this punishment for any
minor offence is injustice and cruelty : and serves only to coti-
found the claims of justice, the luderent degrees of moral tur-
pitude and vice, and to render the profligate desperate:
hence the adage so frequent among almost every order of
delinquents, " It is as good to be hanged for a sheep, as a-
lamb;" which at once marks their desperation, and the injus-
tice of those penal laws which inflict the highest punishment
for almost every species of crimes When shall a wise and
judicious leoi,lature see the absurdity and iniustice of inflictin"-
! the punishment of death for stealing a sheen or a hnrsc. for" in<'-
a txLenty shillings note, and ML'iiDiRLNG a M.^N ; when the
! latter, in its moral turpitude and ruinous consequences, in-
finitely exceeds the others!
' Verse 9. Behold, I establish my conenant xvith you] See
jchap. VI. 18. XV. y, &c. I, evil. xxvi.
I Verse 13. / do set my bow in the cloud] On the origin
^ and nature of the rainbow, there have been a great variety of
conjectures, till Anihony de Uomiius, Bisbop of Spalatro, in
a treatise of his published hy Bartholus \n 1611, partly sug-
gested the true cause of this phenomenon, which was after-
wards (ully explained and demonstrated by ^V? haac Newton.
To enter into this subject lure, in detail, would be improper;
and therefore the less informed reader must have recourse to
Tr<ati.ses on Optics, for its lull explanation; To readers in
general it may he sufficient to say, that the rainbow is a mere
natural effect of a natural cause: V. It is never seen but in
showery weather 2. Nor then unless the sun shines. 3. It
never appears in any part of the heavens but in lliat opposite
He promises to remember it. GENESIS.
A. m.i6d7. 14 ^ \nd it shall cotiie to pass, when
I bring a cloud over the earth, that
B, C. 2517
tlie bow shall be seen in the cloud :
15 And " I will remoiTibcr my covenant, which
/*• between me and you and every living creature
of all flesh'; and the\vaters .shtill no more become
a flood to destroy all flesh.
16 And the bow sliail be in the cloud; and I
will look upon it, that I may remember ' the ever-
lastiiip: co\enant between God and every living
creature of all flesh that is upon the eartli.
» Ecclus. 4.). 11, 12. " Kuid. 28. I'J. Lev. '16. 45, 45. Kzck. 16. 60.-
'■ch. 17. 13/19. ''cli. 10. (j. *■ Ik'l). Chennau.- ^f cli. 5. j'4.-
A. BI. 16.i7,
B. C, 2347.
Noah's sons people the earth,
] 7 And God said unto Noah, This
is the tokf n of the covenant, which I
have established between me and ail flesh that is
upon the ^carth.
18 ^ And the sons of Noah, that went forth
of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth:
■* and Ham is the fether of ' Canaan.
19 "^ These are the three sons of Noah : ^ and
of them was tiie whole earth overspread.
■20 ^ And Noah began to he 'a husbandman,
and he planted a vineyard; i
e cli. 8. 17. & ch. 1(1. .S2. 1 Cliron. 1. 4, &c.
& ch. b. 29. Prov. 10. It. & 12. 11.' tccl. 5. 9.
'cli. 3. 19,23. & cli. 4. S.
to the sun. 4. It never appears "jreater tlian a semicircle,
but often much less. 5. k is always dotible, there being
what is called the superior- and inferior, or primury and se-
condary, rainbow. Li. These bows exhibit the seven prismatic
colours, red, oran-^e, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
1. The whole of tiiis plia'uomenon depends on the rays of the
5un falling on spherical drops of water, and 'being, in their
passage through them, refracted and refected. \
The fonn.-.tion of tlie primary and secondary rainbow de-
jiends on the /uo kWow'm^ propofitiom: I. 'SV hen the sun
.sliines on the drops of rain as they are falling-, the ra3-s that come
from those drops to the eye of the spectator, after ON F. reflection
and TWO refractions, produce the, f^MHn;^ rambow. 2. When
tlie sun .shines on the drops -of rain as tliey are falling, the
rays that come from those drops to tlie eye of tlie spectator,
after TWO rcfiections and TWO refractions, produce tlie *r-
.condaiy rainbow. The ilhistration of these propositions must
'be sought in Treatises on Optics, assisted by plates.
From the well known cau>e of this phainomenon, it canrwt'be
rationally supposed that there was no rainbow in the heavens
before the time ajentioneid in the text; for, as the rainbow
is the natural eflect of the .sun's rays falling on drops of water,
and of their being refracted and reflected by them, it must
have appeared at different tmies from tlie creation of the sun 1
and the atmosphere. Nor does the test intimate that the bow
was now created for a si^n to Noah and hi<s posterity ; but,
that, what was formerly created, or ratlier, tlrat which was
the necessary effect, in rertaiti cases, of the creation of the
sun and atmosphere, khould now be considered by the-m as an
unfailin"- token of their continual presen'ation from tlic waters
«f a deluge; therefore the text speaks of wJiat had already been
done, antl not of what was now done : •'>nn3 'nU'p kashli
naluti. "■' My how I have given, or put in the cloud;" as
if he said, as surely as the rambow is a ntces.sary effect (£
sunshine i« rain, and fliust continue such as long as the sun
and atmosphere cnduce; so surely shall this earth be preserved
from de.stniction by water; ainl its preservation, shall be as
.necessary an effect of my proniiw, as the rainbow is of the
shining of the sun during a shower of rain.
Verse \1. This is the tnkeii] niK Oth, the divine sign or
portent; the bow shall he in the cloud; for the reasons ahove
specified, it vmsi be ihetc, when the circumstances already
mentioned, occur: if, therefore, it cannot fail, because of the
reasons before assigned; no more shall my promise; and the
bow shall lie the proof of its pcrpetiiity.
Roth the Greeks and Latins, as well as the Hebrews have
ever considered the rainbow as a divine token or portent :
and both of these nations have even deified it, and made it
a messenger of the gods.
Homer. II. A. v. 28. speaking of the figures on Agamemnon'i
lireast-plate, saj'j, there were tliree dragons,, whose colours were.
" like to the rainbow which Saturn (the father of Time) h:\<
placed in the cloud as a SIGN to mankind; or, to mm of vari-
ous languages,'" for so the /n^onuv av&^awav of the Poet has
been understood. Some have thought that the ancient Greek
writers give this epithetto man, from some tradition of the con-
fusion and multiplication of tongues at Babel : Hence in thi»
place, the words may be understood as implying mankind at
large, the whole Iniman race; God having given the rainbow for
a sign to all the descendants of Noah, by whom the whole earth
was peopled after the flood. Thus, tlie celestial bow, speaks a
universal language, understood by all tJie sons and daughters of
Adam. Virgil, from some disguised traditionary figure of the
truth, considers the rainljow as a messenger of the gods; ]Exi. v.
ver. 60r..
IriM de calo inisit Saturma Juno.
" Juno, the daughter of Saturn, sent down the rainbow from
heaven." And again Mn. ix, 803.
■ aeream calo nam Jupiter IlUM
Demisit.
" For Jupiter sent down the etherial rainbow from heaven."
•It is worthy of remai'k that both these jwets understood tlie
rainbow to be a sign, warning, ov portent (roin heaven.
As I believe the rainbow to have been intended solely for
tlx: purpose mentione<l in the text, I forbear to make spiritual
uses and illustrations of it. Many have done this, and their
observations may be very edifying, but they certainly have
no foundation in the text.
Verse 20. Noah began to be a husbatnhnan] noiNn UfX
Noah's i/iloj-ication.
A.M.cir.)65r. 21 And he drank of the wine, ' and
}i.c.aT.'j3i7. ^^.^, jj.y,^jj^(.jj . af,(j j^g ^a^g uncovered
within his tent,
22 And Hani, the father of Canaan, saw the
nakcchiess of his father, and told his two bre-
tiircn without.
23 '' And Shem and Japhcth took a garment.
•Prov. iiO. 1. 1 Cor. 10. 12.
Ish ha-adamah, a man of (lie ejround; a farmer: by his be-
ginning to be a liusbaiidiiKin, wc arc to iindcrslaml his recom-
niencing his agricultural operations, whirl), undoubtedly, he
had carried on for six hundred years before, but this had been
interrupted by the flood. And the transactions here men-
tioned might liave occurred many yc'ars posterior to tin; dtUitie,
even after Canaan was born and grown up, for the date of it
is not fixed in tiie text.
The word husband first occurs here ; and scarcely appears
proper, because it is always applied to man in his married
state, as uj/i is to the woman. The etymology of the term
wdl at once shew its propriety, when apjilicd to the head of a
family. Husband, j)uyhani> is Anglo-Saxon, and .'dimply
signifies the band of liie house or famili/ ; as by him the
family is formed, united, and bound lugetlier, which on his
death, is disunited and scattered. It is on this elyniologv of
the word, that we can account for the farmers and pett^ lund-
hnlders being called, so early as the twelfth century, hushundi,
as appears in a statute of David 11. king of Scotland : we
may, therefore, safely derive the word from y>uy, a house
and bono, from bmsen, to bind or tie ; and this etymology
appears plainer in the orthography which prevailed in the
thirteenlh and Iburteenlh centuries, in which I have often
found the word written /(OifseAonrf ; so it is in a MS. bible
before me, written some time in the fourteenth century.
Junius disputes this etymology, but 1 thiiik on no just
ground.
Verse 21. He drank of the xdne, iVc] It is very probable
that this was the first time the vine was cultivated ; and it is
as probable that the strength or intoxicating power of the ex-
pressed juice was never before known. Noah, therefore, might
have? drunk it at this tmie without the least blame; as he
knew not, till this trial, the effects it would produce. I once
knew a case which I believe to be perfeitly parallel : A per-
son who had scarcely ever heard of cyder, and whose beverage
through his whole life liad been only milk or 'jiater, coming
v.-et and very much fatigued to a farmer's house in Somer-
setshire, begged for a little ivater or milk. The good woman
of the house, seeing him very much exhausted, kindly said,
" I will give you a little cyder, which will do ^oii more
good ;" the honest man, understanding no more of cyder than
merely that it was the simple juice of apples, atler some hesita-
tion, drank about half a pint of it: the consequence was, that
in less than half an liour, he was perfectly intoxicated, and
could neither speak jilain nor walk! This case I myself wit-
nessed. A stranger to the circumstances, seeing this person,
Mould pronounce him drunk; and, perhaps, at a third hand,
CHAP. IX. Pious conduct.ofShem and JaphetJi.
and laid it upon both their shoulders, ^ '^'•cit.iesr.
and went backward, and covered tlic " ^'- '" '''^''^-
nakedness of their lather ; and tlieir faces tt'ere
backward, and they saw not their father's na-
kedness.
24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew
what his younger son had done unto him.
'Eiod. 20. 12. Gal. 6.1.
he might be represented as a drunkard, and thus his charac-
ter be blasted; while, of the crime of drunkenness, he was
as innocent as an infant. This I presume to have been
precisely the case with Noah; and n^j person, without an
absolute breach of every rule of charity and candour, can
attach any blame to the character of Noah, on this ground, un-
less from a subsequent account they were well assured, that,
knowing the power and eflects of the liquor, he had repeated
the act. Some expositors seem to be glad to fix on a face
like thi.s, which, by their distortion, becomes a crime; and
then, in a strain of sympathetic tenderness, affect to de-
plore " the failings, and imperfections of the best of men;"
when, from the interpretation that should be given of
the place, neither failing nor imperfection can jwssibly
appear.
Verses 22—24. And Ham the father of Canaan, ^c]
There is no occasion to enter into any detail here, the sacred
text is circumstantial enough. Ham, and, very probably, his
son Canaan, had treated their father on this occasion with
contempt, or reprehensible levity. Had Noah not been in^
nocent, as my exposition supposes him, God would not have
endued him with the spirit of jjrophecy on this occasion, and
testified such marked disapprobation of tlieir conduct. The
conduct of Shem and Japheth was such as became pious antl
aftectionate children, who appear to have been in the habit
of treating their father with decency, reverence, and obedient
respect. On the one, the spirit of prophecy, (not the in-
censed father) pronounces a curse : on the otliers, the same
spirit, (not parental tenderness) pronounces a blessing. These
things had been just as they afterwards occurred, had Noah
never spoken. God had wise and powerful reasons to induce
him to .sentence the one to perpetual servitude, and to allot
to the others prosperity and dominion, licsides, the curse
pronounced on Canaan neither fell immediately upon himself
nor on his worthless father, but upon the Canaanites; and from
the history we have of this people, in J.evit. xviii. xx. and
Deut. ix. 4. xii. 'M. we may ask, could the curse of God fall
more deservedly on any people than on these ? Their pro-
fligacy was great, but it ivas not the effect of the curse ; but
being foreseen by the Lord, the curse was the eftect of their
conduct. But even this curse docs not exclude them from
the possibility of obtaining salvation : it extends not to the
so!(/ and to eternity, but merely to their bodies and to time;
though, if they continued to abuse their liberty, resist the
Holy Gliost, and refuse to be saved on God's terms, then
tlie wrath of divine justice must come upon them to the ut-
termost How many, even of these, rep»nted, we cannot tcU»
TJie Canaanites are cursed.
GENESIS.
Noah's affe and death.
A.M.cir.l6.i7.
B.C cir 2S47.
25 And he said, * Cursed he Canaan ;
'' a sen^ant of servants shall he be unto
his brethren.
26 And he said, ' Blessed be the Lord God of
Shem ; and Canaan shall be '^ his servant.
27 God shall "enlarge Japheth, '^ and he shall
•Deut. 27.16. "IJosh. 9. 23. 1 Kings 9. CO, 21. 'P.«. 144. 15.
Verse 25. Curxed be Ctnwan] See on llin preceding
verses. In tlie '25lh, 26th and 27th verse?, instead of Ca-
naan simjbly, the Arabic version l)as Ham the father of Ca-
naan ; but this is acknowledged by none of the other versions,
and seems to be merely a "loss.
Verse 29. The days rf Noah iiere nine hundred undjifiy
t/ears] The oldest Patriarch on record, Methusaleh only
excepted. This, accordin;; to the common reckoning, was
A. M. 2006, but accordini,' to T>r. Hales 3505.
" H.\M," says Dr. Hales, " signifies burnt or blac/c, and
this name was peculiarly significant of the regions allotted to
his family. To the Ctishiies, or children of his eldest son,
Cush, were allotted the hot southern regions of Asia, alons
the coasts of the Persian Gulph, Siisiana or Chusistan, Ara-
bia, ftc. ; to the sons of Canaan, Palestine and Syria ; to the
sons of iVlisra'im, Egypt and Lybia, in Africa.
" The Hamites in general, like the Canaanites of old, were
a seafaring race, and sooner arrived at civilization and the
luxuries of life, than their simpler pastoral and agricultural
brethren of the other two families. The first great empires
of Assyria and Ei'i/pi were founded by them ; and the repub-
lics of Sidon, Tyre, and Carthage were early distinguished
for their commerce; but they sooner also fell to decay; and
Egypt, which was one of the first, became the last and basest
of the kingdoms, Lzek. xxix. 15. and has been successively
in subjection to the Shemites and Japhethites ; as have also the
settlements of the other branches of the Hamites.
" Shem signifies nwme or renow^i; and his indeed was great
in a temporal and spiritual .sense. The finest regions of
Upper and Middle Asia were allotted to his family, Armenia,
Mesopotamia, Assyria, Media, Persia, &c. to the Indus and
Ganges, arid perhaps to China eastward.
" The chief renown, however, of Shem was of a spiritual
nature — he was destined to be the lineal ancestor of the
blessed seed of the woman — and to this glorious privilege
Noah, to whom it was probably revealed, might have alluded
in that devout ejaculation, Blessed be the LORD the GOD
of Shcmf The pastoral life of the Shemius is strongly marked
in the prophecy, by the tents of Shem, and such it remains to
the present day, throughout their midland settlements in
Msia.
" J.iPHETH signifies enlargement ; nnd how wonderfully did
Providence entaj-ge the boundaries of Jajjheth! His posterity
diverged eastward and westward throughout the whole extent
t(f Asia, north of the great range of Taurus, as far as the
eastern Ocean ; whence they probably crossed over to America
by Baring's Streights, from Kamskatska ; and in the opposite
dwell In the tents of Shem ; and Ca
naan shall be his servant
28 % And Noah Hved after the flood
hundred and fifty years.
29 And all the days of Noah were nine
hundred and fifty years: and he died.
.1.M.cir.t657.
B.C. cir 2347.
three
A. M. 2006.
B. C. 1998.
Hehr. 11. 16. 'Or, servant to them.-
1 1. & 3. 6.
-' Or, pcrjuode. ^'Eph. 2. 13,
direction throughout Europe, to the 3Icdilerranean Sea and
the Atlantic Ocean; (roni whence also they might have
crossed over to America by Nexifoundland, where traces of
early settlements remain in parts now desart. Thus did they
gradually enlarge themselves till they literally encompassed
the earth, within the precincts of the northern temperate
zone ; to which their ro^ ing hunter's life contributed not a
little. Their progress northwards was checked by the much
greater extent of the Black Sea in ancient times, and the en-
creasing rigour of the climates : but their hardy race, and en-
terprizing warlike genius, made them frequently encroach
southwards on the settlements of Shem, whose pastoral and
agricultural occupations rendered them more inactive, peace-
able, and unwarlike; and so they dwelt in the tents of Shem,
when the Scythians invaded Media, and subdued western Asia
southwards, as far as Egi/pt, in the dajs of Cyaxares ; when
the Greeks, and afterwards the llomans, overran and subdued
the Assyrians, Medes, and Persians in the east; and the
Syrians and Jews in the south ; as foretold by the Syrian
prophet Balaam, Num. xxiv. 24.
" Ships .shall come from Chitlivt,
And shall afflict the Assyrians, and afflict the Hebrews
But he (the invader) shall perish himself at last.
"And by Moses: — And the Lord shall bring thee (the
Jews) into Egypt (or bondage) again with ships, &c. Deut.
xxviii. 68. And by Daniel : — For the ships of Chittim shall
come again.st him, viz. Antiochus, king of Syria, Dan. xi. 30.
In these passages Chittim denotes the southern coasts of
Europe, bounding the Mediterranean, called the Isles of the
Gentiles or Nations; see Gen. x. 5. And the Isles of Chittim
are mentioned by Jerem. li. 10. And in after times, the
Tartars, in the east, have repeatedly invaded and subdued the
Hindoos and the Chinese; while the warlike and enterprizing
genius of the greatest of the Isles of the Gentiles, GREAT
Britain and Ireland, have spread their colonies, their
arms, their language, their arts, and in some measure their
religion, from the rising to the setting sun." See Dr. Hales's
Analysis of Chronology, vol. i. p. 352, &c.
Though what is lell undone, should not cause us to lose
sight of ^vhat is done, yet we have reason to lament, that the
inhabitants of the British isles, who of all nations under hea-
ven, have the purest light of Divine Revelation, and the best
means of diffusing it, have been much more intent on spread-
ing their conquests and extending their commerce, than in
propagating the Gospel of the Son of God.
An account of the
CHAP. X.
postdiluvian Patriarchs.
CHAPTER X.
T/ie generations of the sons ofNoaJi, 1. Japheth and his descendants, 2 — 4. The isles of the Gentiles, or Europe
peopled by the Japhcthites, 5. H km and his posterity, fi — '20. 'Nimrod, one of his descendants, a migldy hunter,
8,9. Founds the first kingdom, 10. Nineveh and other cities founded, 11,12. Ttie Canaanite'i in their nim
grand branches or families, 15 — 18. Their territories, 19. Suem andhis posleriti/, Ql — 31. The earth divided
in the days of Peleg, 25. The territories of the Shemites, 30. The whole earth peopled by the descendants of
Noah's three sons, 3'i.
A.M. 155fi.
n. C. «448.
N
OW these are the generations
of the sons of Noah, JShem,
Ham, and Japheth : " and unto tlicm were sons
born after the flood.
2 ^ "The sons of Japheth ; Gonier, and Ma-
gog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and
Meshech and Tiras.
•Ca. 9. 1. 7, 19. " I Cliron. 1. 5, &c.
NOTES ON CHAP. X.
Verse I. Now these are llie generations] It is extremely dif-
ficult to say wliat particular nations and peoples sprung from
tlje three grand divisions of the family of Noah; becavise the
names of many of those ancient people have hecnnic changed in
the vast lapse of time fi'om the deluge to the Christian Jh'.vn :
yet some are so very dislinttly marked, that they can be easily
ascertained, while a few stili retain their original names.
Moses does not appear to give always the name of the Jirst
settler in a country, but rather that of the people from whom
the country nftenuards derived its name. Thus Mizraim is
the plural o( Mezer, and could never be the name of an indi-
vidiial, The like may be said of Kitlim, Dod/niim, Lndim,
Animim, Ij:habim, Kfiplitiiliiiii, Puthrusim, Cas/uliitii, Philiitim,
and Cuphtorim, which are all plurals, and evidently not the
names of indiriduals, hut oi famiUes ur tribes. See verses 4,
6, 13, 14.
In the posterity of Canaan, we find whole nations reckoned
in the genealogy, insieud of the individuals from which they
sprang ; thus the Jebti.-^itc, Auiorite, Girgasite, Haite, Arkitc,
Sinite, Arvadite, Zcniarite, and liamaihite, ver. 'C — IS, were
evidently whole nations or tribes which inhabited the promised
land, and were called Canuanites from Canaan, the son of Ham,
who settled there.
Moses also in this genealogy, seems to have introduced
even the names of some places that were remarkable in the
sacred history, instead of the original settlers. Such as
JIazurmavetIt, rer. 2G. and probably Opliir and llaz/lalt, ver.
29. But this is not infrequent in the sacred writings, as may
be seen 1 Chron. ii. 51, uhere Halina is called tlie fallier of
'hdJt-lehcm, which certainly never was the name of a man, but
of a place, sufficiently celebrated in the sacred history. And
jn chap. iv. 14. where Joab is called the father of the vallei/
of Chnras/iim, which no person could ever ."-upjjose was in-
tended to designate an individual, but the society vi' craftsmtn
or artificers who lived tliere.
Kuscbius and others state (from vhat authority we know
not) that Noah n as commanded of God to ?nakt a v.-iU, iind
3 And the sons of Gomcr; Ash- A-nicinscs.
kenaz, and lliphath, and Togarniah. ^'^' '•'"'• "'^"
4 And tlie sons of Javan ; EHshah, and Tar-
shish, Kittini, and "^ Dodanim.
5 By these were ''the isles of theGen- a.m. iri?-.
tiles divided in their lands; every one " C- ^^-'^7^■
after histongue,aftertheirfamilies,inthcirnations.
' Or, as some read it, Rodmim. " Ps.'^g. 10. Jer. !2. 1 0. & 25. JS. Zeph 2. U.
bequeath the v\hole of the earth to his three sons and their
descendants in the following maimer: To Short, all the East;
to Hum, all Africa; to Japheth, the Continent of Europe, with
its files, and the northern parts of Asia. See the notes at the
end of the preceding chapter.
Vei-se 2. The sons of Japheth] .Japheth is supposed to be
the same with the Japelus of the Greeks, from whom, in an
extremely remote antiquity, that people were supposed to have
derived their origin. On this point, most chronologists are
pretty well agrteil.
Gomer is supposed by some to have peopled Galatia : so
■Toscphus, who says that the Galalians were anciently named
Gomerites. From him the Cimmerians, or Cimbrians, are sup-
posed to have derived their origin. Bochurt has no doubt that
the Phrygians sprung from this person; and some of our prin-
cipal commentators arc of the same opinion.
Magog, supposed by many to be the father of the Scythians,
and Tar-tars, or Tatars, as the word sliould be written, and in
great Tartary, many names are still found which bear such a
striking resemblance to the Gog and Magog of the scriptures,
as to leave little doubt of their identity.
31adai is generally supposed to be the progenitor of the
3Icdes ; but Joseph Mede makes it probable that he was rather
the founder of a jjeople in Macedonia called JTadi, and that
Macedonia. was formerly called Ernathia, a name formed from
Ei, an island, and 3ladai, because he and his descendants in-
habited the uiarilime coast on tlie borders of the Ionian Sea,
On this subject, nothing certain can be advanced.
Javan; it is almost universally agreed, that from him sprung
the lonians, of Asia Minor; but this name seems to have been
anciently given to the yfacedonians, Achuians, and Bccoiiuns.
Tubal ; some think he was the father of the Iberians, and
that a part at least of Spain was peopled by hiin and his de-
scendants-; and that ]\leslierh, uho is generally in scripture
joined with him, was the founder of the Cappudocians, from
j whom proceeded the Moscctites.
i Tir.is; from this person, according <to general consent, the
Thraciaris derived their origin.
1 2
BirtJi ofNimrod,
A.Mdr.i67o. g ^ » And the sons of Ham ; Cush,
^^•'''^^^^- and Mizralm, and Phut, and Canaan.
7 And the sons of Cush ; Seba, and Havilah,
and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah : and
the sons of Raamah ; Sheba, and Dedan.
GENESIS. He becomes a mighty hunter.
8 And Cush begat Nimrod ; he be-
» 1 Cliron. 1. 8, &c.
A.M.cir.l7)5.
B.C. cir,:2289.
gan to be a miglity one in the earth.
9 He was a miglity ''hunter 'before the Lord:
wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod, the mighty
hunter before the Lord.
Verse 3. Ashkenaz ; probably gave bis name to Sacagena,
■> very excellent province of Armenia. Pliny mentions a peo-
ple called Ascanitici, wlio dwelt about the Tanois and the
i'alits MteolicTis ; and some suppose that from Ashkenaz, the
Eiuine sea derived its name ; biit others suppose that from
him the Germans derived tlieir origin.
Rij.hath, or Diphath, tlie founder of the Paphlagonians,
jffhich were anciently called Riphalisi.
Togarma, the Sauromutes, or inhabitants of Turcomania.
See the reasons in Hairnet.
Verse 4. Elishah ; as Jircnn peopled a considerable part of
Gretce, it is in that region that we must seek for the settlements
of his descendants; Elishah probably was the fiist who settled
at Elis, in Peloponnesus.
Turshiih : lie first inhabited Cilicia, whose capital anciently
was the city of Tanm, ^^here Iihe Apostle Paul was born.
Acts xxi. .'i9.
Kittiin ; we have already seen that this name was probably,
rather the name of 7i people than of an individual: some think
by Kittim, Cyprus is meant; others, the isle of Chios, and
others the Romans, and others the H'facedonians. |
Dodunim, or Ruilanim, for in Hebrew, the ^ and 1 may be i
casit)' mistaken for each other, because of their great simdarity. i
Some suppose that this family settled at Dodona, in Epirus;
others at the isle of Rhodes ; others at the Rhone, in France, 1
the ancient name of which was Rhodanus, from the scripture
Rodanim.
Verse 5. Isles of the G4;nfiles'\ EUROPE, of which this is
allowed to be a i;eneral epithet. Calmet supposes that it
comprehends all those countries to which the Hebrews were '
obliged to go by sea, such as Spain., Gaul, Italy, Greece, and
Asia Minor.
Eveiy one after his tongue] This refers t& the time posterior
to the confusion of tongues and dispersion from BaheL
Verse 6. Cush ; who peopled the Arabic norne, near the
Bed Sea in Lowei Egypt. Some tliink the Eihioptans de-
scendid from him.
Miziaim ; this family certainly peopled Egypt; and both
in the east and in the west Egypt is called Mezr and Mezraim.
Phut ; who first peopled an Egyptian nome, or district,
bordering on. I ybia.
Canaan; he who first peopled the land so called, known
also by the name of ihe Promised Ixtnd.
Verse 1. Scba ; the founder of the Sabsans. There seems
to be three difi'erent people of this name mentioned in this
chapter, and a fourth in chap. xxv. 3.
Havilah ; supposed by some to mean the inhabitants of the
country included within that branch of the river Pison, which
ran out of the Euphrates into the bay of i'ersia, and bounded
Arabra Felix, on the east.
>> Jer. 16. le. Mic. 7. 2. 'ch. 6. 11.
Sabtah ; supposed by some to have first peopled an isle, or
peninsula, called Saphta, in the Persian Gulph.
Raamah, or Ragmah, for the word is pronounced both ways
because of the I? ain, which some make a vowel, and some a
consonant. Ptolemy mentions a city called Regnia, near the
Persian Gulph, it probably received its name from the person
in the text.
Sabtechah ; from the river called Samidochus, in Caramania,
Bochart conjectures, tliat the person in the text fixed his resi-
dence in that part.
Sheba ; supposed to have had his residence beyond the Eu-
phrates, in the environs of Charran, Eden, &c,
Dedan; supposed to have peopled a part of Arabia, on the
confines of Idumea.
Verse 8. Nimrod; of this person little is known, as he i*
not mentioned except here and in 1 Chron. i. 10. which is
evidently a copy of the text in Gene.>is. He is called a
juighti/ hunter before the Lord; and from ver. 10. we learn
that he founded a kingdom wliich included the cities Babel,
Erech, Accad, and Calne, in the land of Shinar. Though the
words are not definite, it is very likely he was a very bad
man. His name Nimrod, comes from TlO 7narad, he rebelled;
an<l the Targum, on 1 Chron. i. 10. says, Nimrod began to
be a niighly man in sin, a murderer of innocent men, and a
rebel before the Lord. The Jerusalem Targum says, " He
was mighty in huntmg, (or in prey) and in sin before God ;
for he was a hunter of the children of men in their lan-
guages ; and he said unto them. Depart from the religion
of Shem ; and cleave to the Institutes of Nimrod." The
Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel says, " From the foundation
of the world none was ever found like Nimrod, powerful
in hunting, and in rebellions against the Lord." The
Syriac calls him, a warlike giant. The word TX tsaid,
which we render hunter, signifies prey, and is applied in the
scriptures to the hunting of men, by persecution, oppression,
and tyranny. See Jer. xvi. 16. Lam. iii. 52. iv. 18. Prov.
i. n, IS. Zeph. iii. 6. Hence it is likely, that Nimrod,
having acquired power, used it in tyranny and oppression;
and by rapine and violence, founded that domination, which
was the first distinguished by the name of a kingdom on the
face of the cartli. How many kingdoms have been founded
in the same way, in various ages and nations from that time
to the present year 1810! From the Nimrocls of the earth,
God deliver the world !
Mr. Bryant, in his Mythology, vol. iii. p. 33 — 36. consider*
Nimrod as the principal instrument of the trfo/ai)^^ that after-
wards prevailed in the family of Cush ; and treats him as an>
arch rebel and apostate. Mr. Richardson, who was the de- j
termined foe of Mr. Bryant's whole system, asks, Disserta-
tiovj p. 405. " WlierQ i* the authority Cos these aspersions^ i
Hcfowuls thejirst hngdom. CHAP. X
10 ' And the bcginnins of hiskinjr-
A M.cir.l7-J5.
B.C.cir.aiM'.
dom was '' Babel, and Erecli, and Ac-
cad, and Calneh, in llie land of S!iinar.
A..M..ri7.«. 11 Out of that land 'went forth
B.c.cir aa4. ^si^m-, and biiildcd Nineveh, and
* the dty Ilehobotli, and C'alah,
12 And Rescn between Nineveh, and Calah :
the same is a great city.
13 And Mizra in begat Ludim, and Anamim,
and Lchabim, and Naplituhim,
14 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, Q out of
"whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.
15 ^ And Canaan begat ' !Sidon his first-born,
and Heth,
16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and
the Girgasite,
A.M. unknown,
B. C unknown.
» Mic. ."i. 6. ^ Gr. Biiltylon ' Or, he went out icito /Issi/na-
•tbcitrects of the city. ' i Chron. 1. 12. ■ IJeb. Tzidan.
Or,
The territoi'ies of the Canaamtes.
17 And the Hivite, and the Ar-
kite, and the Sinite,
18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and
the Hamathite : and afterward were the famihes
of the Canaanites spread abroad.
19 ^ And the border of the Canaanites was
from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto
*■ Gaza ; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Go-
morrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto
Lasha.
'20 These are the sons of Ham, after their fii-
milies, after their tongues, in their countries,
and in their nations.
21 1[ Unto Shem also, the father of all the
children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the
elder, even to him were children born.
•Ihey are no uhere to be discovered in tlie originals, in the
versions, nor in tlie purup/irases of the sacred writings."
If they are not to he found both in versions and parii-
phrdses of the sacred writings, tlie above quotations are all
false.
Verse 10. Tite hcjinning of his kingdom vias Bahell 73D
Bubel signifies confusion ; and it seems to have been a
very proper name for tiie commencement of a kingdom
that appears to have been founded in apostua/ from God,
anrl to iiave been supported by tyrunnif, rapine, and oppression.
In the land of Shiniir ; the .sauie as is mentioned, chap. xi. 2.
It appears that as Babylon was built on the river Euphrates,
and tliat the tower of Babel was in the land of S/iinar, con-
sequently Shinar itself must have been in the southern part
of Mesopotamia.
Vcise 1 1 . Out of that land urni forth Asliiir] The viar-
ginal reading is to be jireferred here. He, Nimrod, v^ent out
into Assyria and built Nineveh ; and hf nee Assyria is called
the land of Nimrod, Mich. v. C. Thus did ihis mighty hunter
extend hif donnnions in every possible way. The city of
TSineveh, the capital of Assyria, is supposed to have had its
name from Ninus, the son of Nimrod ; but probably Ninus
and Nimrod are the same person. This city, which made
60 conspicuous a figure in the history of the world, is now
called HIossul ; it i> an inconsiderable place, built out of the
ruins of the ancient Nintveh.
Hehoboih, t\.lah, &.C. Nothing certain is known concern-
ing the situation of these places ; conjecture is endless ; and
it has been amply indulsed by learned men in seeking for
Sehobolh, in the Jiinha of I'tolemy, Calah, in Calachine,
Retcn, in Larissa, ifc. ^c.
Verse 13, Mizrtiim begat Ltidiin] Supposed to mean the in-
habitants of i;ie Marrotis, a canion in Kgvpt, for the name
Ludim is evidtiilly the name of a people.
Anamim; according to Bochart, the people who inhabited
the district about the temple of Jupiter Aiiimon.
teii. 13. 12, 14, 15, 17. & 16. 18—21.
^ Hcb. A'.ziih.
Numb. 31. 2—12. .Tosh. V>. 7, 8,
Lehabim ; the I.yhians, or a people who dwelt on the west
of the Thebaid, and were called Lybio-Ezyptians.
Naphtuhim ; even the conjecturers can scarcely fix a placu
for these people. Bochart seems inclined to place them in
Dlarmarica, or among the Troglodytes.
Verse 14. Pathrusim] The inhabitants of the Delta, in
Egypt, according to the Chahlee paraphrase; but according
to Bochart, the people who inhabited the Thebaid, called
Pathros in scripture.
Casluhim; the inhabitants of Co/cA/.?; for almost all aulhori
allow that Colchis was peopled from Egypt.
Philistim ; the people called Philisti>ies, the constant
plagues and frequent oppressors of the Israelites, whose history
may be seen at large in the books of Samuel, Kings, &c.
Caphtorim ; the inhabitants of the isle of Cypi-us, according
to Calmet.
Verse 15. Sidon; who probably built the city of this
name, and was the father of the Sidonians.
Heth ; from whom came the Hitlites, so remarkable amonj
the Canaanitish nations.
Verse 16. The Jebusite, Amorite, i*)C.] Are well known
as being the ancient iniiabitants of Canaan, expelled by the
children of Israel.
Veise 20. These a.re the sons of Ham after their families, tVc.}
No doubt all these were well known in the days of IMoses,
and for a long time afier: but at this dislducc, when it is
considered that the political slate of the world has been un-
dergoing almost incessant revolutions through all the inter-
mediate [Kjrtions of time, the iin|X)ssibility of fixing their resi-
dence*, or marking their descendants, must be evident, as both
the names of the people, and the places of their residences, have
been chant;ed beyond the possibilitj' of being recognized.
Verse 21. Skem also, the father of all the children of Eber.}
It is generally supposed that the llebicxcs derived llitir name
from Eber, or Ileber, son of Shem, but it appears much more
,' likely that tbcy had it fi°om the circumstance of Abrahaia
Tlie earth divided
A.i\l.cir -.'I.
U.C.cir.t>:;44.
22 The * children of Shem ; Elam,
and Asshar, and *" Arphaxad, and
Lud and Aram.
23 And the children of Ai-am j Uz, and Hal,
and Geither, and Mash.
24 And Axjihaxad begat ' Salah " ; and Salah
begat Eber.
A, 51. 1737. 25 'And unto Eber were born two
. ' sons : the name of one 'was ^ Peleg :
for in his days was the earth divided ; and his
brother's name xvas Joktan.
26 And Joktan be^at Alraodad, and Sheleph,
and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,
27 And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,
GENESIS. in the days of Peleg.
Obal, and Abimael, and
» 1 Chron. 1. 17, &c " Heb. Arpachihad. =Heb, Shelah. " cU. 11,12.
passing over (for so the word Taj> Abcr signifies) the river
Eluphrates, to come into the land of Canaan. See the history
of Abraham, chap. xiv. 13.
Verse 2'2. Elajri ; from whom came the Elamites, near to
the Medes, and whose chief city was Elemais.
Assliur ; who ga\e his name to a vast province (afterwards a
mighty Empire) called Asxyn'a.
Arphaxad ; from whom Arrupachitis, in Assyria, was nam-
ed, accordmaf to some ; or Artaiata, in Armenia, on the
frontiers of Media, according to others.
Lud; the fomu'.cr of tVie Lydians, in Asia Minor; or of
the Ludim, who dwelt at the confluence of the Euphrates and
Tigris, according' to Arias Blontanus.
Arum : tile father of the Arameuns, afterwards called Sy-
rians. On this point there is scarcely any difference of opi-
nion atnonr;; learned men.
V^rse'23. Uz; who peopled Ctelosyria, «nd is supposed
to have he.en the foimder of Damancuf.
Hid, w ho peopled a part of Armenia.
Gether ; supposed by (ahnet to be the founder of the
Ituraius, who dw£lt beyond the Jordan, having Arabia Deserta
on the eait, and the .Inrdan on the west.
Ma^h ; who inhabited mount Mitshism Mesopotamia, and
from whom the river Mazecu, which has its source in that
mountain, takes its name.
Ver.'C 24. Salah ; the founder of the people of Siminna.
Eber, see vcr. 21. '1 he Scptuagint add Cuinun here with
one hundred and thirty to tlie chronohiory. Most think the
addition spuri<jus both here and i-n Siiint Luke.
Vrr-e 'Ih. Pelci;, from JtD pfi/at', to divide, because in his
days, which is supposed to be aiiotit one hundred years after
the flood, the earth was divided, amonjr the 4ions of Noah.
T-hoiip;h some arc of opinion liiat a phy.\iiul division and not
n political one, is wliat hs intended iiore : ti£. a separation of
continents and islands from the main land ; the earthy parts
havinij been united into one jjrf at continent previously to liie
days of Peletj. This opinion appears to inc the most likely,
for what is said ver. 5. is spoken by wny of anticipation.
Verse 26, &c. Joktan had thirteen sons who liud their tlivell-
iiig from Meiha unto Sephar, a mount of iJte cast, verse 30.
A.M.cir 1/797.
B.C.cir.29>7.
28 And
Sheba,
29 And Ophir, and Kavilah, and Jobab : all
these rcere the sons of Joktan.
30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as
thou goest unto Sephar, a mount of the east-
31 These are the sons of Shem, after their
fitmilies, after their tongues, in their lands,
after their nations.
32 "^ These are thcfamihes of the sons of Noah,
after their generations, in their nations ; ^ and
by these were the nations divided in the earth,
I alter the flood.
-=lChioii. 1. IP niiat b. division.-
r>er. 1.-
-e di. 9. 19.
which places Calmet supposes to be mount Masius on the
west, in BTesopoUmiia ; and tlie mountains of the Saphirs on
tie ea^t in Armenia; or of the Tapyrs, farther on in Media.
In confirmation that all men have been derived from on,e
family, let it be observed ; that there are many customs and
usages both sacred and civil, which have prevailed in all pacts
of the world, which could owe their origin to nothing but a
general institution, which could never have existed had not
mankind been of the same blood originallj', and instructed in
the same common notions before they were dispersed.
Among these usages may be reckoned, — I. The numbering
by tens. 2. Their computing time by a cycle of sercn days.
3. 1 heir setting apart the seventh day for religious purposes.
4. 7 heir use of sucn'^M, propitiatory and eucharistical. 5.
The consecration of temples and altars. 6. The institution
of sanctuaries or places of retiige, and their privileges. 7.
Their giving a tenth part of the produce of their fields, &c.
for the use of the altar. 8. The custom of worshij ping the
Deity bare-footed. 9. Abstinence of the men from all sensual
gratifications previously to their offering sacrifice. 10. The
order of priesthood and its sujiport. 1 1. The notion of legal
pollutions, defilements, &c. 12. The universal tradition of a
general deluge. 13. The universal opinion that the rawftow
was a divine sitrn or portent, ^c. 6;c. see Dodd.
The wisdom and goodness of God are particularly mani-
fested in repcopling the earth by means of three persons, all
of (1r- same fanuly, and who had \\ itnessed that awful display
of divine justice in the destruction of the world by the flood;
while themselves were prtstrved in the ark. By this very
means, the true religion was propagated over the earth ; for
the sons of Noah would certainly teach their children, not
only the precepts delivered to their father by God himsell^
but also how, in his justice, Jie had brought the flood on the
word of the ungodly; and by his merciful providence, pre-
served than from the general ruin. It is on this ground alone,
that we can account tiir the unifonnity and universality of
the above traditions; and tor the grand outlines of religious
truth, which are found in every quarter <if the world. God
has so done his marvellous works, that they may be had i^
everlasting rcmembsiince.
All ilie descendants of Noah
CHAP. XI.
spaJce the same langtiage.
CHAPTER XL
All the inhabitants of the earth, speaking one language, and dwelling in one place, 1, 1. purpose to build a city
and a tower to prevent their dispersion, 3, 4. God confounds their lanj^iiage, and scrtfters them over the rcliole
earth, 5 — 9. Account of the lives and families of ike postdiluvian Patriarchs. Shem, 10, 11. Arphaxad,
12, IJ. Halah, 14, 15. Hcher, l6, 17- Phaleg, 18, 19. liagnu or lieu, 20, 21. Serug, 22,2,'}. Nahor,
24, 25. Terah and his three so7is, Uarau, Nac/ior and Abram, 26, 27. The death of Hariin, 28. Jbram
marries Sarai, and Nachor marries Milcah, 29. Sarai is barren, 30. Terah, ylbrum, Sarai and Lot leave
Ur of the Chaldees, and go to Haran, 31. Terah dies in Haran, aged tico hundred and Jive years, 32.
A.M-cir.l7j7.
B.C.cir.2'2J7.
AND the whole earth was of one
* language, and of one ''speech.
2 xlnd it came to pass, as they journeyed
'fi-om the east, that they found a plain in
the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
• Heb. lip. '' Heb. words. ' Or, easUeard, as ch. 13. U. 2 Sam. 6. 2.
NOTES ON CHAP. XI.
Versp 1. The v)kole eartli 'j)as of one language^ Tlie ivhole
earth — All mankind tt«i o/'o?ie /aH!;'««n-e, in all likelihood tlie
IIEBKEW — and of one speech ; articulating- the same words in
the same way. It is generally supposed, that after llie con-
fusion mentioned in this chaj)ter, the Hebrew language re-
mained in the family of Hcber. The proper names and their
significations given in the .Scripture, seem incontestible evi-
dences that tiie Hebrew language was the original language
of the earlli — the language in which God spake to man, and
in which he gave the revelation of his will to Moses and the
prophets. It was used, says Mr. Amswortli, in all the world,
for one thousand seven liundred and fifty-seven years, till Phaleg,
the son of Heber, was born, and the tower of Babel was in
building, one Imndred years after the flood. Gen. x. 25. xi. 9.
After this, it was u.sed among the Hebrews or Jews, called
therefore the Jcti.v' language, Isai. xxxvi. 1 1 . until, they
vera carried capti\e into Babylon, vhere the holy tongue
ceased from being commonly used, and the mixed Hebrew
(or Chaldec) came m ils place.
It cannot be reasonably imagined, that the .Tews lost the
Hebrew tongue entirely in the seventy years of their captivity
in Babylon ; yet, as they were mixed with the Chaldeans, their
children would of course learn that dialect, and to tliem the
pure Hebrew would be unmtelligible: and this probably
gave rise lo the necessity of explainuig the JIcl}reia iScrifitures
in ihe Clinldee tongue, that the children nnght understand as
•well as their fathers. As we may safely presume the parents
could not have forgotten the HeDrew, so we may c nclude, the
children in general could not have learnt it, as Ihcy did not
live In an insulated state, but wire mixed with the Babylonians.
This C(inj( cture removes the difficulty with vliich many have
been embarrassed: one parly supposing that the knowledge
of the Hebrew language was lost during the Babylonish
captivity; and hence the necessity of the Chaldec Targums
to explain the Scriptures: another party insisting that this was
impossible, in so short a period as seventy years.
A.T\t.cir.l7.i7.
B.C. rir. 2247.
3 % And *" they said one to ano-
ther, Go to, let us make brick, and
"^ burn them throughly. And they had brick for
stone, and slime had they foi' morter,
4 And they said. Go to, let us build a city
witli 1 Cliro. 13. 6.-
thcm to a bui-nhi^.
-•■ Heb. a man said to his nei!;hbour. ' Heb. bum
Verse 2. As they journeyed from the easti Assyria, ^leso-
potamia, and the country on the borders, and beyond the
Euphrates, are called the East in the Sacred Writings. Ba-
laam said, that the king of Moab had brought him from the
mountains of tlie cast, Num. xxiii. 7. Now it appears, from
chap. xxii. 5. that Balaam dwelt at l^ethor, on the river
Euphrates. And it is very probable, that it was from this
country that the wisemen came to adore Christ; for it is said,
they came /rom </(f t«s< to Jerusalem, Matt. ii. 1. Abraham
is said to have come/rom tlie east to Canaan; Isai. \li. 2. but
it is well known that he came from 3Iesopotainia and Chaldea.
Isai. ch. xlvi. 11. represents Cyrus as coming from the east,
against Babylon. And the same prophet represents the
Syrians as dwelling eastward of Jeru:^d\em, ch. ix. 12. The
Syrian before D^PO niikkcdem, from the east, the same word
which Moses uses here. Daniel, ch. ix. 44. represents Anti-
ocluis as troubled at news received ./'rom tlie east; i. e. of a
revolt in the eastern provinces, beyond the Euphrates.
Noah and his family landing, after the flood, on one of the
mountama of Armenia, would doubtless descend and cultivale
the vallies: as they increased, they appear to have passed alon'^
the banks of the Euphrates, till, at the time specified
I here, they cainc to the plains of Shmar, allowed to be the
' most fertile country in the east. See Calmel. That Bubel
\ was built in the land of Shinar, we have the authority of the
\ sacred text to prove; and that Babylon was built in the same
; counUy, we have the testimony of Kuscbius. Prajp. Evang-.
1. ix. c. 15. and Josephus, Antiq. 1. i. c. 5.
! Verse 3. Let us make brick^ It appears they were obliged
to make use of brick, as there was an utter scarcity of stones
in that district; and on the same account they were obliged
to use slime, that is, bitumen, (I'ulg.) ao-paATO; (Scptuagint)
1 for morter: so it appears they had neither common stone,
I nor iimc-stone; hence they had brick for stone, and asphaltus,
j or bitumen, instead of morter.
I Verse 4. Let us build a city and a totter] On this sub-
ject there have been various coBJectures. Mr. Hutchinson
A.M.cir.1757-
B.C. cir. 2247.
They propose to build
and a tower, * whose top maT/ reach
. unto heaven; and let us make us a
name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face
of tlie whole earth.
5 " And the Lord came down to see the city
•Dent. 1. 58. " ch. 18. 21.
A.M.<:ir.175r.
B.C.cir. S-lr.
GENESIS. a stupendous to'tver,
and the tower, which the children
of men builded.
6 And the Lord said. Behold " the people is
one, and they have all '' one language; and this
they begin to do : and now nothing will be
siipposed, that the design of the builders was to erect a
temple to the host of heaven, the sun, moon, planets, &c. and
to support this interpretation, he says, D'Ol^a WSil re roxlio
ba-ihamayim, should be translated, not uhose top may reach
unto heaven, for there is nothing for may reach in the Hebrew;
but its head, or summit, to the heavens, i. e. to the heavenly
bodies; and to make this interpretation the more probable,
he says, that previously to thia time, the descendants of
Noah -weve all agreed in one form of religioua ivorship ; for
so he understands nnx nCin re sapah achuth, (and of one
Up) i. c. according to him, they had one litany; and as God
confounded their litany, they began to disagree in their re-
ligious opinions, and branched out into sects and parties,
each associating with those of his own sentiment; and thus
t-lieir tower, or temple, was left unfinished.
It is probable, that their being of one language, and of one
speech, implies not only a sameness of language, but aho a unity
-!t)f sentiment and design, as seems pretty clearly intimated in ver.
6. Being therefore strictly united in all things, coming to the
fertile plains of Shinar, they proposed to settle themselves there,
fngtead of spreading themselves over all the countries of the
earth, according to the design of God: and in reference to
this purpose, they encouraged one another to build a city and
a toxver, probably a temple, to prexent their separation —
" Lest," say the}', " we be scattered abroad upon the face
of the whole earth;" but God miraculously interposing, con-
founded or frustrated their rebellious design, which was in-
consistent with his will. See Deut. .xxxii. 8. Acts xvii. 2C.
And partly by confounding their language, and disturbing
their counsels, they could no longer keep in an united state;
so that, agreeing in nothing but the necessity of separating,
they went olV in different directions, and thus became scat-
tered abroad upon the face of the earth. The Targums
both of Jonathan ben Uzziel, and of Jerusalem, assert that the
toiver was for idolatrous worship; and that they intended to
place an image on the top of the lower with a sword in its
iiand, probably to act as a talisman against their enemies.
Whatever their design might have been, it is certain that this
temple or tower was afterwards devoted to i<lolatrous pur-
po.ses. Nebuchadnezzar repaired and beautified this tower;
and it was dedicated to Bel, or the Sun. — See Prideaui,
vol. 1. i)art i. b. 2.
An account of this tower, and of the confusion of tongues,
is given by several ancient authors. Herodotus saw the tower,
aM described it. A Syhil, whose oracle is yet extant, spoke
both of it and of the confusion of tongues; so did Eupole-
mus and Abydenus. See Bochart Gcogr. Sacr. lilt. i. c. l.i.
Edit. 1692. On this point Bochart observes, that these
things are taken from the Chaldeans, who preserve many re-
4Ba«js of ancient facts ; and though they often add circum-
^ Ch, 9. 19. Acts 17. 26.— 0 vcr. 1.
stances, yet they are, in general, in some sort dependant on
the text: 1. They say. Babel was builded by ttie giants;
because Nimrod, one of the builders, is calkd in the He-
brew text 113J gibhor, a mighty man; or, as the Sejjtuagint,
yiyaf, a giant. 2. These giants, they say, sprang (roni the
earth; because in Gen. x. 1 1. it is said, he ivenl Ninn p^i^ p
min haarets hahiv, out of that earthy but this is ratlier
spoken of Ashiir, who was another of the Babel-builders. 3.
These giants are said to have waged war with the gods ; be-
cause it is said of Nimrod, Gen. x. 9. he was a mighty
hunter before the Lord; or, as others have rendered it, a
warrior and a rebel against the Lord. See Jarchi in loco.
4. These giants are said to have raised a tower up to heaven,
as if they had intended to have ascended thither. This ap-
pears to have been founded on, and its top shall reach to
heaven, which has been already explained. 5. It is said,
iliat the gods sent strong winds against them, which dispersed
both tlitiii and their work. This a[)pears to have been taken
from the Chaldean history, in which it is said their dispersion
was made to the four winds of heaven, H^Q)ir 'fm t'3iX3 he
arbd riichey shemiya, i. e. to the four quarters of the world.
6. And because the verb ^15 phuts, or {'2J nuphats, used by
ISIose.s, signifies not only to scatter, but also to break to
pieces; whence thunder, Isa. xxx. 30. is called J'SJ nephels, a
breaking to pieces: hence they supposed the whole work
was broken to pieces and overturned. It was probably from
this di.sguised representation of the Hebrew text that the
Greek and Roman poets took their fable of the giants waging
war with the gods, and piling mountain upon mountain, in
order to scale heaven. — See Bochart as above.
Verse 5. And the Lord came down'] A lesson, says an
ancient Jewish commentator, to magistrates to examine
every evidence before they decree judgment and execute
justice.
Verse 6. The people is one, Sfc] From this, as before ob-
served, we may infer, that as the people had the same lan-
guage, so they had a unity of design and sentiment. It i^
very likely that the original langu^ige was composed of mono-
syllables, that each h:id a distinct ideal meaning, and only
one meaning ; as difrcrent acxeptations of the .same word
would undoubtedly arise, either from compounding terms,
or when there were but few words in a language, usmg theiH
by a different mode of pronunciation, to express a variety
of things. Where this simple monosyllabic language pre-
vailed, and it must have prevailed in the first ages of the
world, men would necessarily have simple ideas, and a cor-
responding simplicity of manners. The Chinese language is
exactly such as this; and the Hebrew, if stripped of it*
vowel points, and its prefixes, suffixes, and postfi.xes, separated
from their combinations, go that they might stand by then*.
CHAP. XI
which they
God confounds their language^
A.M.cir.i7.i7. restrained from them,
Br.dr^ have ' imagined to do.
7 Go to, ^ let us go down, and there confound
their language, that they may " not understand
one another's speech.
•Ps. 2. 1. ''cli. 1. 5!6. P». 2. 4. Acta 2. i, 5, 6. ' ch. 42. 23.
Deut. 28. 49. Jer. 5. 15. 1 Cor. 14. % 11.
selves, it would nearly answer to this character, even in its
present state. In order, therefore, to remove this unitj' of
•entimenl and design, which I suppose to be the necessary
consequence of such a language, God confounded their lan-
guage— caused them to articulate the same word (hfferentiy,
to aftix diirfient ideas to the same term, and, perhaps, by the
Iwnsposing of syllables and interchanging of letters, form
new terms and compounds, so that the mind of the speaker
was apprelRnded by the hearer in a contrary sense to what
was intended. This idea is not ill expressed by an ancient
rPrench poet, Du Barius; and not badly, though radier
quaintly, metaphrased by our countryman, Mr. Sylvester.
Some speak betiueen the teeth, some in the nose,
Some in the throat their words do ill dispose —
' Bring me/ quwth one, ' a trowd, quickly ! quick !'
One brings him up a hummer. ' Hew this brick,'
Another bids: and then they cleave a tree.
' Make fast this rope:' and then they let it fee.
One calls for plank'i; another inorter lacks:
They bear the first a stone; the last an ax.
One would have spikes: and hiin a spade they give:
Another a-ks a saw, and gets a sieve.
I'lius crossly crost, they prate and point in vain;
What one hath 7nade, another mars again.
Thcjc masons dicn, seeing the storm arriv'd
Of (3od's just wrath, all weak and heart-depriv'd.
Forsake their purpose; and, like frantic Ibols,
Scatter their stuft; and tumble down their tools.
DU BAIiT.^S — Babylon.
I shall not examine how the different languages of the
earth were fijrmed. It certainly was not a work of the mo-
menl — diflcrent climates must have a considerable .share in
the foruiatiun of tongues, by their influence on the organs
oi' speech. The invention of new arts and trades, must give j
birth to a variety of terms and expression.s. Menhanchse, !
couinierce, and the cultivation of the sciences, would pro-
duce their share; and different forms of government, modes
of life, and means of instruction, also contribute their quota. |
The Arabic, Chaldee, Syriac, and Ethiopic, .still bear the |
most striking resemblance to their parent, the Hebrew, '
Many olliers might be reduced to a common source; yet
every where there is sutlicicnt evidence of this confusion. The
ancimahes even in the most regular languages sufficiently
prov" this. Every language is contoundeil less or more, but
thu of Eternal Truth. This is ever the same: in all coun-
A M.cir.17c)7.
BC.cir.2';47.
ajid scatters them over the earth.
8 So "^ the Lord scattered them
alji'oad from thence ' upon the face of
all tlie earth: and they lel't off to build the city.
9 Therefore is the name of it called ^ Babel ;
^ because the Lokd did there confound the lan-
'Lule 1. 51. ^^cli. 10. 25, 32.-
5. 1 Cor. 14. 23.
-'Tliat is, confusiim. *Wisd. 19.
tries, climate-s, and ages, tlie language of Truth, like that
God from whom it sprang, is unchangeable and incorruptible.
It speaks in all tongues to all nations, and in al! hearts: " there
is one GoD, the fountain of goodness, jiK^tice, and truth. —
Man, thou art his creature, ignorant, weak, a.'.d dependant;
but He i.s all-sulhcient — hates nothing that he has made —
loves thee — is able and willing to save thee: — return to and
depend on Him — take his ^e^■ealed will for thy law, submit
to his authority, and accept eternal life on the terms pro-
posed in his word; and thou sliali never perish, — nor be
wretched." This language of Trudi all die ancient and
modern Babel-builders liave not been able to confound, not-
withstanding their repeated attempts. How have men toiled
to make this language clothe their own ideas; and than cause
God to speak according to the pride, prejudice, and worst
pa.ssions of men! But, through a just judgment of God,
the language of all those who have attempted to do this,
has been confounded, and the word of the Lord abideth
for ever.
Verse 7. Go <•/] A fornj of speech, which, whatever it
might have signified tbrmerly, now means nothing. The
Hebrew T\yn habah, signifies come, make preparation, as it
were, for a journey, the execution of a purpose, &c. Al-
most all the versions understand the word in this way: the
Septuagint have ^curs, the Vulgate cenite, both signifyin"-
C07iie, or come ye. This makes a very good sense : Come, let
us !^o down, ?)-c. fur tb.e meaning of these latter words.
^.p. 1.
2f). and xv
Verse !). Therefore is the name of it called Babel] baa
babel, from "73 bal, to mingle, confound, destroy: hence Babel,
from the mingling together, and confounding of the project
and language of these descendants of Noah ; and this con-
founding probably did not so mtich inijily the producing new
languages, as giving them a diflcrent nittliod of pronoiincin"-
the same words, and leading them to affix difliarent ideas to
them. See betbre, ver. 6.
Besides Mr. Hutchinson's opinion, (see on verse 4.) there
have been various conjectures concerning the purpose for
which Uiis tower was buill. Some suppose it was intended
to prevent the ctVects of another flood, by allbrding an
asylum to the builders and their families in case of a second
general deluge. Others think that it was designed to be a
grand city, the seat of government, in order to prevent a
general dispersion. This God would not pirmit, as he had
purposed that men should be dispersed over the earth; and
therefore cau.sed the means which they were using to prevent
it, to become the grand instrument of its accomplishment.
Humanly speaking, the earUi could not have been so speedily
peopled, had it not been lor this \ery circumstance, which
K
Age a?2d
A.M.cir.l7.')7.
B C.cir.'J','!?.
A RI. 1658.
B.C. 23lt>.
A.M
CIS'J.
B
C
1846.
A
w
1693.
E
c.
2.511.
A
JU
2(.n6.
B
c.
19P8.
A.
M
17f3.
B.C.
2281.
A.
M.
'.'I'JO.
B.C.
Ib78.
A.
M
17.W.
B.
c.
it47.
A.
!\J
2187.
B.
c.
1817.
A.M
IT 87.
B.C.
2217.
A.M.lOPe.
B.C. "M'S.
succession of the
giiage of all the earth: and from
thence did the Lord scatter them
abroad upon the face of all the earth.
10 ^ * These are the generations
of Shem : Shem teas a hundred years
old, and begat Arphaxad two years
after the flood :
11 And Shem lived after he begat
Ai-phaxad five hundred years, and
begat sons and daughters.
12 And Arpliaxad lived five and
thirty years, ^ and begat Salah :
13 And Arphaxad lived after he
begat Salah, ibur hundred and three
years, and begat sons and daughters.
l-t And Salah lived thirty years,
and begat Eber:
1 5 And Salah lived after he begat
Eber, four hundred and three years,
and begat sons and daughters.
16 ' And Eber lived four and thirty
years, and begat '' Pcleg :
17 And Eber lived after he begat
Peleg, four hundred and thirty years,
and begat sons and daughters.
18 And Peleg lived thirty years,
and begat Reu:
19 And Peleg hved after he begat
Reu, tvi^o hundred and nine years, and
begat sons and daughters.
GENESIS.
20 And
«Cli. 10. n 1 Chron 1. 17.-
• Called, Luke 3. 35. Plwlec.
-''See Luke 3. 35. ' 1 Cliroii. 1. la-
the counsel of man had devised to prevent il. Some sa}-,
that these builders were divided into sevenly-two nations,
With s^evcnty-two different languages: but tliis is an idle,
unfounded tale.
Verse 10. These are tlie generrttions of Slieiii] This may
be called tlie /ii'y fnmilij, as I'rom it sprang Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, the tsek-e patriarchs, Davtd, Solomon, and all the
great progenitors of tlie Messiah.
We liave already seen that the Scripture chronolog}', as
it exists in the Heb^e^v text, t!ie Samaritan, the Septuagint,
Josephiis, and some of the fathers, is greatly embarrassed-
and it is yet much more so, in the various systems of learned
and nnkarned chronologists. For a full and rational view
of this subject, into which the nature of these notes forbids
me further to enter, I must refer my reader to Dr. Hales's
laborious work, " A New Analysis of Sacred Chronology,"
vol. 2d. part 1st. &c. in which he enters into the subject
Tvith a cautious but firm step; and if he has not been able to
remove all its diflicultics, has (brown very considerable liu-ht
upon most parts o!" it. The re»der has already been I'a-
posidiluvian Patriarchs.
Reu lived two and thirty
years, and begat ' Serug:
21 And Reu lived after he begat
Serug, two hundred and seven years,
and begat sons and daughters.
22 And Serug lived thirty years,
and begat Nahor:
23 And Serug lived after he begat
Nahor, two hundred years, and begat
sons and daughters.
and
A 51
B C.
1819.
1'185.
A.M
B.C.
20J&
197 »;
A.M
B.C.
18)9.
S1^5.
A. .M
B.C.
'-0I9S.
19.i5.
A.M.
B.C.
187a.
t'l-.'fi.
A.M
B.C.
lii'.7.
LOi 7.
A. M.
B.C.
1913.
24 And Nahor lived nme
twenty years, and begat ^ Terah :
25 And Nahor lived after he begat
Terah, a hundred and nineteen
years, and begat sons and daughters.
26 And Tcrali lived seventy years,
and ^ begat Abram, Nahor, and
Haran.
27 IF Now these a7~e the generations of Terah:
Teraii bcijat Abram, Nahor, and Ha- a.^m.uih.
ran; and Haran begat Lot. _ — 1-1 ,
28 And Haran died before his father Terah s
in the land of his nati\'ity, in Ur of the Chal-
dees.
29 And Abram and Nahor took them wives:
the name of Abram's wife was " Sarai ; and the
name of Nahor's wife, ' Milcah, the daugliter of
Haran the fiither of Milcah, and the father of
Iscah.
30 But " Sarai was barren; she had no child.
" Lule 3. 35. Saruch. fLuke 3. 45. Thara. 5 Josh K4. t'. 1 Cliron. 1.
?6. "ch. 17. 13. & 10. H. ich. -i'i. 20. >= ch. 16. 1, 'i. & 18. 11, 12.
voured with some extracts from this learned work, under
chapter ix. ver. 29.
Verse 12. And Arphaxad lived"] The Septuagint bring in
here a second Cainan, with an addition of one hundred and
thirty years. St. Luke follows the Septu.igint, and brings
in the same person in the same way. But the Hebrew text,
botlr here and in 1 Chron. i. is perfectly silent on this sub-
ject; and the best chronologists have agreed to reject thi»
as a spurious generation.
Verse 26. And Ttrah lived seventy years, and beqai Abram,
Nahor, and Haran.] Haran was certainly the eldest son of
Terah; and he appears to have been born when Terah was
about seventy years of age; and his birth was followed in
succdssive periods with those of Nahor, his second, and
Abram, his yotmgest son. Many have been greatly puzzled
with the account here, supposing, because Abram is men-
tioned _/irs<, that therefore he was the eldest son of Terili :
but he is only put first by way of dignity. An instance of
this we have already seen, chap. v. 32. where Noah is repre-
sented as having Shem, 11am, and Japheih, in this order of sue-
I
m
-
-
-
Birth . if (HRiST
a/ Me
lS<r/Arr/
Jne,/
Arm
t//Hlff
///,„„/,
^' <-
<:/,„M,/r.
M,.„A
(genealogy.
ir'fn/itorrA.i
rt
"v.
1
>
>
1
\
r
/
y^t^A/c J/ft/e^fi/^t^n t'/AA^/ire^ffrti^y:^7^ 1
r Table, ^\^
.{J Ar.-rAat^al one. rtetv-) \
.1
e
6
f2
/?
fj/tuifn. .
/3(r
SOO
.<?30
JA30
^^/t/iiftt ^/ra/i-r/ '
-A'^c^
L
.Z./: .Ju.' .<:& :.^Z y .. .X...- .0 \
._ ^^/A /r>n
nio
■'>7A
/fltf
wtlA, Arf^y^ ol/ir/', u/ui C^/utcoHo^t^^ now ea^/
/^^^^ ^/^ /fea/f<yny Sct^Ai// t^^yftafv. ~~^?/
V 7<^ t'-r his thm/ttf^Utir\- ^,Jr /
^^ — ' ^^^^_ nyWHU.tmJiUurK}^ ^.^---^ ' ^ 1
To f«llo\r the n* Chapter of Gcticiis j
lU^ Ai»w JVM
/o//
Catnon-: (/°
/:y/4
*/arrt/ i/'.
(O'JO
(' i/itfA //"
'l(f1^
^Xff^ne^A'. (^
3i)S/
( \ tur/i. c/"
//
A30
/OS
SO/
.■■30
J//3
/042
<'w.' -. ^■' ■'■'■>
g3S>
s;0/j
2.'.'.f
/i>,f
/t/ifrfTft f'Cfn
32,-7
!U>-0
Si.i
i</.^
,00
236
•90
S/6
936
ilOJ
//4.O
. //a/t^i/trf/ftr/ At^m
iii)J
aotfi)
ao,^
26J
/Ofl
7"
ff^fft/ Aom
./60
a.x/.j:
4160
aao
22,5
■/OS
/<;>
326
70
&A0
3?6
.9/0
/236
S/i<fcA A't^rfr
6l2
33«2
6si
4«'2
6.^7
16'7
i''j~
/6'j
. //f//t/t*ic/a^ Alf?7l-
6,9,-
an/y
6s;
■'•V
,/,5?
ao'a
?«<-•
-~/
A'.-
3^6
66
,930
306
,9(/6
/o^O
_ drnt'c/i /fy/n
6/./.
St.'iCi
'V-f
744
/'ht/
J4<f
476
4'4
?,»?
/*7
r. tt/ff/n iAc//
,oao
a<>-,.
J)SO
,wo
<?'>.-!
61'^
,i:i,S
470
SOS
s/u
.i6
' l,;,A iin.i ' AA^„t Mtu
/'if'UfAi. jp£ Jai>iaAi. p. t
,%/AtueAaA .ffoo ,yl7t/^McAaA, fid' j]
^»w; s66 .^'VoJi 44S 1
^lUiuAoA^eA •iS4 ^.-^/Jr^yMH/ «„A
' "t'fn' /yg ^/A-,„4at,t /.u>
SOO
460
/422
r //t'cAe ~iJfti/f^i/<f/nf
.'^''7
■'""7
"■•■'•7
/■''"
6/is
o^t
,»-
!W.1
aoo
//a
/S
AV
2/
'1/
26
'.'6
18
'19
32
.%
Oen? 6
6
fn-n// /(>
//
K ^2
r '"
^/
//
/()'
/(>
/<v
/<*'
fio
io
22
22
?4!
3?
J"
a'/
.//// </i'</
/i'4-^
ivy/v»
J//U
s,',-
7'7
647
,«5
.•JAS
/rtf
x>
0''2'>
do
300
^22
366
m
' h'n// Anf/i
n'M'
"('■/■■>
iftV
JSI
/>'/'/
o(/l>
s6(j
ISi
M*n
r /7tJ.i aieri
11./.0
■2S6^
J^,>3
if/,)'
74a
Oso
-/.«
'j60
■»4
'VJ««rt(^ ^0
' '>im Oj/i
66y
;S2
68y
/66(j
(^ftff?*ift c/tr^/
/t'.-i.v
"7'.''/
M'"
S40
77^
.S4/!
h6i
'7.Q
K l/fiA^/ft/re/ fA/tv/
/•J/M'
^7'-/
if5?j| aao
6o»
416
SS4
y82
6.(J6
S74
7/7
/Oo/
t^/?V7 f//rff
/./i"J
SJ.t?
,i)6i
7fl.^
J4S
366
r^Aefft A-rffff
/.'!. ;.!'
'-'A/r!
ifO'ti
//■«
Olio
/06ff
002
44s
/OJff
.060
2006
.A^fft/'cA. iAr4
/6m
2;J.-;;J
/X'-A
777
.i,)J
.93
In
"I
!x
P
k
^°
1 S^ 1 k
i
t //r/Au^e/oA-.. W/t'r/
/A>y/
'-'.'■/.I'
1)0,)
600
qS
- i M
/J68
f7/,c sr^/,,^f
/606
?a/,)'
600
Q,9
^ n^Aa<rti/A . . /vv-//
/6j»
^■1/6
6oi
/l>0
K
k 1 \
/die
JOO
doo
2/68
</^/aA .At'j^/i
j\. .
/6fj^
id//
-■'A
637
/«
OS
;
r=^
J — ^"=
c/vf X'Of''^
/-..>
?i'<»'/
667
//',V
6j
liO
/^iAuMti'Av7f ^^^
/?
/U,A y
/J
/;
<
2» '^
36
403
/068
438
20.06'
^fAjT^ yAvrn
'7-7
"V/
70/
<9f)
.^6
64
S4
~^
•-""Af/c A't'i/i
//*/
'^?/-
73/
:-:o
/M
'//
6/
:^r
1- — HI
/(H).'i
403
/(TgS
433
2r26
*^.CfU^ Al^-fl
/s)o
a/dv;
:>/.,.>
763
■.'6/
/(>/
/s/>'
j>d
6i
ai
\—
^
/;23
34
450
/rs3
.U4
2/Sj
"^ffaA ,Aom
'^<-A^v tAe4
/s-.v
/€/t/6
9/s6
QOOS
I."-'..
7fi^
-6'
/sjs
/i6
/.M
/?/
6z
0/
so
■ ?'>*
- —
/-62
so
fSfp
2qo
'200
/;6j
230
/;8;
/8/Q
9ao
?o?(>
'i04(?
. 'ifArr. i/ftt/
• toaA ,/,,^
'■'/AffifH. Ai^/l
^a<, cAu:<A
ir/cnt^ ,Air,/
rXrf.iA c/tr^A\
2107
■jt't>fi
St'e'X
SOfO
'Ml>7
/J/ll^f
WI6
<(>7'f
/fls/
_■—
____
J^4"
,04/
4M>
■/Si)
44s
4i0
4i!li
4<JI
3-M
asi/
S4g
S.fll
.••/'*
S04
ii/S
H/.i
i>.^-6
Hl-K
os6
•'\0
■:/!'
v/v
'.'?/
'77
'7^
/<V
/■>■<;
""/-
iSO
'A7
/./<*•
//s
//</
/as
/so
/4/>
'7'
4/
2S
/sys
/SO
9.008
/oo
7.^
/8J8
20^
2008
/76
^^7
2o83
2/83
< 4-,^Ati.t!tuA tAe,/
< >.irm^ /■€>rn
r/rAaA (Areef
^Aent rt^./
tvlawi^ voy^
•jotf6
'■i/l>,V
a/i>o'
■J//>S
/jr/e/&
/S.06'
/6'7&
/d46
y,9S6
___
___
-- ;;
- — -
45.V
Mo
600 .
40-J
4/-S
4iiS
;)7,i
4S-f
44s
SOS
7^
S6
/OO
//<f
/SO
/6o
JO
fio
9/08
2/08
t"Aer- .A,^
SfSS
/A'S/
/'9/7
460
/ys
7-f
/.■)-
2/C8
/20
/SO
2/08
2288
2S/.'>
^^■atUt^- i/i4^.
SiifS
• y/,
/y/(>
464
7£>
/fo
/so
.AarfA iT'/r'rt'
s:)/j
yc'iSii
■47
—
~
'
.=J=
1
II 1
=1
'
— ^
r
CHAP. XII.
% And Tcrali ' took Abram his
and Lot tiic son of Ilaran his
son, and Ssirai his daughter in law, his
soiv Aljiahani's wife ; and tliey went forth with
them ilom " Ur of tlic Chaldees, to go into
Ta'ah andfamilij leave Ur,
A.M.cir.<ii73. 31
H_cx^i9^ son,
son's
and travel to HarOit^
^Ch.n.i. ''Neli.9.7. Judiths 7. Acts7.4 I!eb.U.».
' the land of Canaan; and they came,
unto Haran, and dwelt there.
32 And the days of Terah were two
hundred and live years ; and Terah
died in Haran.
.A..M.tir.;ii78.
li C. cir.iyvG.
A. M. iiO'iS.
J'.. C. IWl.
cession : whereas it is evi(l(-tit, from other Scriptures, that Ham
was \.\iK youns^ist son, and filiem the second is for dignity, \iauied
^r«, as Al)ram is here ; tmii Jtiphcth, ihe. eldest, named Ifist, as
11 nan isliere. Terali died two hundred and fiveyear^ old, ver. 32.
tlicii Abrani departed fidm Haran when seventy-five years
old, ch. xii. 4. tliercfore Ai)raui was born, not when liis father
Terah was seventy, hut when he was one liundred and thirty
yearsold. It may lie necessary to rcmarl;, that when any case of
«lignity or pre-eminence is iol)c marked, then the second, or even
the youn^lst son is set before all the rest, though contrary
to tlie usage of llic Scriptures in other cases. Hence we
find Slicin, the second son of Noah, always menlioned
first : Moses is mentioned before his eider brother Aaron ;
and Aliiam before his two elder brethren, llcrun and Na-
lior. These observations are sufficient to remove all difli-
culiy from this place.
Verse 29. Milaili, the daughter of Haran] Many suppose
S.irai and hculi aie the -same person under two diflerent
names; but lliis is improbable, as Iscah is expressly said to be
the daui;liter of Haran, and Sarai was the daughter of
'I'erali, and hali'-sister of Abram. See chap. xii. 13. and
XX. 12.
Verse 31. Thej/nxni forth — from Ur of the Chaldees] Chal-
dea' is sometimes understood as comprizing the whole of Ba-
bylonia; at other tunes, that province towards Arabia De-
tenu, called in Scripture the land of the Chaldeans. 1 he
capital of this place was Babylon, called in Scripture the
h.auty of the Clialdees' excellency, Isai. xiii. 19.
Ur ap|)cars to have been a city of some considerable con-
sequence at that time in Chaldca; but where situated, is not
Well known. It probably had its name Ur "lite, which
«ignifiesyj;v and Ui^ht, from the ii'orship practised there. The
learned are almost unanimously of ofiinion, that the ancient
inhabitants oi' this region were L^nicolisis, or worshippers of
Jire ; (or in that place, this sort of worship probalily ori-
ginutcd : and in honour of this element, the symbol of the
Supreme Being, the whole coiintrj/, or a particidar city in it,
might have had the name Ur. Buchart has observed, that
there is a ))lace called Ouri, south of the Euphrates, in the
nay from Nisibis lo the river Tigris. The Clialdees men-
tioned here, had not this name in the time of which Mose^
ipeaks; but they were called so in the time in which Moses
' Cli. 10. 19. & ai. 10. k «9. 4.
xurote. Chesed was the son of Nahor, the son of Terah,
eh. xxii. 22. From Chesed descended the Cltasditn, whose
language was the same as that of the Amorites, Dan. i. 4.^
ii. 4. These Chasdim, whence the XaXMici, Chaldeans, of
the Septuagint, Vulgate, and all later versions, afterwards
settled on the south of the Euphrates. Those who dwelt in
Ur, were either priests or astronomers, Dan. ii. 10. and also
idolaters. Josh. xxiv. 2, 3, 14. 15. And because they were
much addicted to astronomy, and probably to judicial astro-
logy, hence all astrologers were, in process of time, called
Chaldeans, Dan. ii. 2 — 5.
The building of Babel, the confusion of tongues, and the
first call of Abraham, are //(ire remarkable particulars in this
chapter : and tliese kd to the accomplishment of three grand
and important designs. 1. The peopling of the whole earth.
2. The preservation of the true religion, by means of one
family. And, 3. the preservation of the line uncorrupted,
by wiiich the Messiah should come. "When God makes a
discovery of himself by a particular revelation, it must begin
in somcparticular time, and be given to some particular person^
and in some particular place. Where, when, and to whom,
are comparatively, matters of small importance. It is God's
<Tift, and his own wisdom must determine the time, the/x)\«o,;,
and the place. But if this be the case, Irave not others
cause to complain because not thus favoured .' Not at all,
unless the favouring of the one for a time, should necessarily
cut off the others ./i))- ever. But this is not the case. Abram
was first fa\oured— that time, that country, and that person,
were chosen by Infinite Wisdom; for there ?ind then. God
chose to commence these mighty operations of divine good-
ness. Isaac and Jacob also received die promises ; the twelve
patriarchs through their father, and the whole Jewish people
through them. Afterwards, the designs of God's endless
mercy were more i)articularly unfolded ; and the word which
seemed to be confined for two thousand years, to the de-
scendants of a single family, is now becoming universally diHusvd,
salvation is preached lo the Gentiles, and thus in Abram's seed all
the nations of the earth are blessed. Hence none can find
lank, and none can have cause to complain ; as the salvation,
^vllich for a time, appeared to be restricted to a few, is now.
on the authority of God, liberally oflered to the whole hu-
man race !
CHAPTpm XII.
Cod calls Ahrnm. to leave Haran, and go into Canaan, 1 ; promises to Ikss Mm, and through hint all the
families of the earth, 1, 3. Abram, Sarai, Lo -, and all their housltold, depart f>r Canaan, 4, 5. Abram pastei
K 2
Abram is called GENESIS. to leave Haran.'
through Sichem, 6. God appears to him, and renens the promise, 7. His journei/ described, 8, Q. On.
account of a famine in tlie land, he is ohliged to go into Egypt, 10. Through fear lest, on account of the beautu
of his wife, the Egyptians should kill him, he desires her not to acknozdedge that she xcas his wife, but only
his sister, 11, — 13. Sarai, because of her beauty, is taken into the palace of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who
is very liberal to Abram on her account, 14 — 16. God afflicts Pharaoh and his household zcith grievous
plagues on account of Sarai, 17. Pharaoh, on finding that Sarai tvas Abrcuns wife, restores her honourably,
and dismisses the Patriarch zcith his family and their property, 18 — CO.
A.M. 2083.
B. C. 1921.
N
OW the ' Lord had said unto
Abram, Get thee out of thy
country, and from thy kindred, and from thy
father's house, unto a land that I will shew
thee :
2 '' And I will make of thee a great nation,
*^and I will bless thee, and make thy name great ;
" and thou shalt be a blessing :
»Ch. 15. 7. Neh. 9. 7. Isai. 41. S. Acts 7. 3. Hebr. 11. 8.-
6. & 18. .8. Deut. 26. 5. 1 Kings 3. 8. 'ch. U. 35.
-" ch. 17.
NOTES ON CHAP. XU.
Verse 1. Gel thee out of thy com>tiy] There is cjreat dis-
sention between commentators concerning the call of Abram;
some supposing lie had tz^o distinct calls, others that he had
but one. At the conclusion of the preceding chapter, ver. 31.
we find Terah and all his family leaving Ur of the Chaldees,
in order to go to Canaan. This was, no doubt, in conse-
quence of some Divine admonition. While resting at Ha-
ran, on their road to Canaan, Terah died, ch. xi. 32. and
then God repeats his call to Abram, and orders him to pro-
ceed to Canaan, ch. xii. 1.
Dr. Hales in bis Clironology, contends for two calls :
" the first," says he, " is omitted in the Old Testament, but
is particularly recorded in the New, Acts vii. 2 — 4. T/ic God
qf glory appeared to our f/itlicr Abraham while he ivas (at Ur
of the Chaldees) in Mesopotamia, BEFORE HE DWELT IN
Chakran ; and said unto him, Depart from thy land, and from
thy kindred, and come into the hind [yriv, a land) whieh 1 will
shew thee. Hence it is evident, that God had called Abram
before he came to Haran, or Charran." The SECOND CALL
is recorded only in this chapter : " The Lord said, not HAD
aiiid, unto Abram, Depart from thy land, and from tliy
kindred, and from thy father s house, unto TIIF. LAND, J'INn
UA-urets, Sepluagint THN ynv, which I will shew thee." —
" The difi'erence of the two calls," says Dr. Hales, " more
carefully translated from the originals, is obvious : in the
former, the land is indefinite, which was designed only for a
temporary residence ; in the lalter, it is definite, intimating
his abode. A third condition is also annexed to the latter,
that Abram shall now separate himself from his fither's
house, or leave his brother Nahor's family behind at Charran.
This call Abram obeyed, still not knowing whither he ivas
f^oing, but tnisiing implicitly to the divine guidance."
Heb. xi. 8.
Tity kindred] Nahor, and the different bran< hes of the
family of Terah, Abram, and Lot, excepted. That Nahor
went with Terah and Abram as far as I'adan-Aram, in
A. M. 2083.
B. C. 1921.
3 ^ And I will bless them that bless
thee, and curse him that curseth _
thee: "^and in thee, shall all families of the earth
be blessed.
4 % So Abram departed, as the Lord had
spoken imto him ; and Lot went with him : and
Abram K'rt.9 seventy and five years old a.h.^oss.
when he departed out of Haran.
B. C. 1921.
" Ch. 2(1. 4. Gal. 3. 14. ' ch. 27. 29. Exod. 23. 32. Nam. 24. 9.-
cli. 18. 18. & 25!. 18. & 26. 4. Ps. 72. 17. Acts 3. 25. Ual. 3. 8.
Mesopotamia, and settled there, so that it was afterwards
called I\uhor's city, is sufficiently evident from the ensuing
history, see ch. xxv, 20. xxiv. (0, 1.5. and that the. same
land was Harun, see ch. xxviii. 2, 10. and there were Abram's
kindred and country here spoken of, ch. xxiv. 4.
Thy fallier's house] Terah being now dead, it is very pro-
bable that the family were delennintd to go no flirther, but
to settle at Charran ; and as Abram might have felt inclined
to slop with them in this place, hence the ground and
necessity of the second call recorded here, and which is in-
troduced in a very remarkable manner: "]? '^ lecleca, GO
FOR THYSELF. If none of the family will accompany thee,
yet go for thyself unto THAT LAND which I ivill shew thee.
God does not tell him what land it is, that he may still cause
him to walk by faith, and not by sight. This seems to be
particularly alluded to by Isaiah, ch. xli. 2. Who raised up
the righteous man (Abram) from the east, and called him to
his foot ; that is, to follow implicitly the Divme direction.
The apostle assures u."!, that in all this, Abram had spiritual
views : he looked for a better country, and considered the
land of promise only as typical of the heavenly inheritance.
See Heb. xi. 8— 10.
Verse 2. / will make of thee a great natior^ i. e. the
Jewish jjeople. / will make thy name great — alluding to the
change of his name, from Abram, a high father, to Abraham,
the father of a multitude.
I Verse 3. In thee] In thy posterity, in the Messiah, who
I shall spring from thee, shall all families of the earth be
I blessed : for as he shall take on him human nature, from the •
I posterity of Abraham, be shall taste death for every man j
; his gospel shall be preached throughout the world, and innu- •
merable blessings be derived on all mankind, through his
death and intercession.
Verse 4. And Abram was seventy andjive years old] As Abram '
was now seventy-five years old, and his father Terah had
Just died at the age of two hundred and five, consequently
Terah must have been one hundred and thirty when Abram
Ahram mid his familtf CHAP.
And Abram took Sarai his wife, 'i
son,
XII.
journey iotvards Canaan.
A.M.2083.
B.C. 19'.' I.
and Lot his brother's
their substance that they had gathered, and
' tlie souls tliat they Iiad gotten ''in Haran; and
they went forth to go into tlie land of Canaan ;
and into the land of Canaan they came.
6 % And Abram 'passed through the land
unto the place of Sicheni, " unto the plain of
Moreh. ' And the Canaanite "isas then in the
land.
7 ' And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and
said, ^ Unto thy seed will I give this
and all land : and there builded he an '' altar
unto the Lord, who appeared unto him
A. JI.e083.
B.C. 1921.
»Ch. 14. H. •> cli. 11. %l.—
Judg. 7. 1. ' cli. «0. 18, 19. & 13
Hebr. 11. 9.
fell. IV. 1.
-I" Deut. II. 30.
was born ; and the_ seventieth year of his age, mentioned
Gen. xi. 26. was the period at whicli Haran, not Abram,
was born. — See on the preceding chapter.
Verse 5. The souls that tluy had 'gotten in Haran] This
may apply, cither to the persons wlio were employed in the
service of Abram, or to the persons he had been the in-
strument of converting to the knowledge of the true God,
and in this latter sense the Chaldee paraphrasts understood
the passage, translating it. The souls of those whom they
proselyted in Haran.
They went forth to go into the land of Canaan] A good
land, possessed by a bad people, who, for their iniquitie.s,
were to be expelled, see Lev. 18. 25. And this land was
made a type of the kingdom of God. Probably the whole
of this transaction may have a farther meaning than that
which appears in the letter. As Abram left his own country,
father's house and kindred, took, at the command Of God,
a journey to tliis promised land, nor ceased till he arrived
in it : so should we cast aside every weight, come out from
among the workers of iniquity, set out for the kingdom of
God, nor ever rest till we reach the heavenly country. How
many set out for the kingdom of heaven, make good progress
for a time in their journey, but halt before the race is finished !
Not so Abram ; he iient forth to go into the land of Canaan,
and into the land of Canaan he came. — Reader, go thou and
do likewise.
Verse 0. The plain of Moreh] T^it eilon, should be translated
oak, ndt plain: the Septuagint translate it tw S^uv rw t/4'*'''*"',
the lofty oak ; and it is likely, tlie place was remarkable for a
grove of those trees, or for one of a stupendous heiglit and bulk.
i The Canaunile was then in the land.] This is thought
i to be an interpolation, because it is supposed that these
words must iiave been written after the ("anaanitcs were
I expelled from the land, by the Israelites und<r .lo.shua : but
: this by no means follows. All that Moses stales is, simply,
\ that at the time in which y\brain pas.sed through Sichem, the
I land was inhabited by the descendants of Canaan ; which
I was a perfectly possible case, and involves neither conlra-
1 diction nor ab.surdity. There is no rule of criticism by
I which these words can be produced as an evidence of inter-
1 polation, or incorrectness m tlie .statement of the sacred his-
torian. See this mentioned again ch, xiii. 7.
8 And he removed fi'oni thence unto a moun-
tain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his
tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on
the east : and there he builded an altar unto
the Lord, and ' called upon the name of the
Lord.
9 And Abram journeyed, "going' on still to-
ward the south.
e Ch. 13. 15. & ir. 3. Ps. 105. 9, 1 1. " ch.
^ Heb. in ^oiiig and jowneyhig. ' ch. 13. 3.
-'ch. 13. 4.-
Verse 7. The Lord appeared] In what way this- appearance
was made, we know not : it was probably by the great Angel
of the Covenant, Jesus the Christ. The appearance, what-
soever it was, perfectly satisfied Abram, and proved itself to
be supernatural and divine. It is ^vorthy of remark, tliul Abram
is the first man since the fall, to whom God is said to have sheivii
himself, or appeared : 1st. in t/rofthe Chaldees, Acts vii. 2.
and 2dly. at the oak of Moreh, as in this verse. As rniD
Moreh signifies a teacher, probably this was called the oak of
Moreh, or the teacher, because God manifested himself here,
and instructed Abram concerning the future possession of that
land by his posterity ; and the dispensation of the mercy of
God to all the families of the earth through the promised'
Messiah ; see on ch. xv. 7.
Verse 8. Beth-el] That is, the ])lace which was afterwards
called Bcth-el by Jacob ; for its first name was Luz. See
ch. xxviii. 19. Vx r\»3 Beith el, literally signifies the house
of God.
Pitched his tent — and there he builded an altar unto the
Lord] Where Abram has a tent, there God must have an
ALTAU, as he well knows there is no safety but under the
Divine protection. How few who build houses, ever think
on the propriety and necessity of building an altar to
their Maker ! The house in which the worship of God
is not established, cannot be considered as under the
Divine protection. Is it not remarkable, that few dwell-
ings of truly religious people have ever been burnt
down ?
And called upon the name of the Lord.] Dr. Shuckford
strongly contends, that Ci^l Nip kara beshem, does not signify
to call on the name, but to imoke IN tlie mime. So Abram
invoked Jehovah in or hy the name of Jehovah, who had ap-
peared to him. He was taught, even in these early times, to
approach God through a Mediator; and that 'Mediator, since
manifested in the flesh, was known by the name, Jehovah.
Does not our Lord allude to such a discovery as this, when
he says, Abra/tam rejoiced to see my day ; and he saiv it, and
tiai glad .' John viii. 56. Hence it is evident, that lie wa*
informed that the Christ should be born of his seed — liiat the
nations of the world should be blessed through him ; and is it
then to be wondered at, if he invoked God in the name of
this great Mediator .'
Abram goe^ to Egypt.
GENESIS.
Sat^ai talcen hy Plmraoh.
A.M cir.2084.
B.C.cir.l92il.
10 5[ And there was
the land ; and Abrani
° a famine in
^ went down
into Egypt to sojourn there ; for the famine xvas
" grievous in the land.
1 1 And it came to pass when he was come
near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai
his wife. Behold now, I know that thou cn-t " a
fair woman to look upon :
12 Therefore, it shall come to pass, when the
Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say,
Tliis is his wife : and they ^will kill me, but they
will save thee alive.
1 3 ' Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister : that
» Ch. 2(5. 1. " Ps. lOJ. 13.-
•^ til. 20. 11. & 26. 27.
-'=cli. J3. 1..
-■i ver. M. ch. 26. 7.-
Verse 10. There ums a famine in the Iand~\ Viz. of Canaan.
Tins is the first famine on record, and it prevailed in the
most fertile land then under the sun ; and why .' God made
it desolate for the wickedness of those who dwelt in it, I'sal.
cvii. 34.
Went doivH into Egj/pi] He felt himself a stranger and a
pilgrim, and by his unsettled stale, was kept in mind of the
city that hath foundations, that is ]iermanent and stable ; i
■TvJiose builder is the living God. See Heb. xi. 8. 9. |
Verse 11. Thou art a fair luoman to took upon ] Widely
f'.ifterinjT in her complexion from the swarthy Egyptians, and
consequently more likely to be coveted by tliem. It appears j
that Abram supposed they would not scruple to take away
the life of the hu«band, in order to have the undisturbed
possession of the wife. The age of Sarai at this time is not |
well agreed on by commentators ; some making her ninety, i
vhile others make her only sixti/fwe. From chap. xvii. 17.
we learn that Sarah was teu years yoimgcr than Abram, for
she was but ninety when he was a hundred. And from ver. 4.
of chap. xii. we find that Abram was sevcnty-fii-e u hen he j
■was called to leave Haran and go to Canaan, at whicii time !
Sarai could be oi\\w sixty free ; and if the transactions recorded I
in the preceding verses look place in the ciunse of that year,
•which I (hink possible; consequently Sarai was but sixty-fte :
and as, in tlio>« times, people lived much longer, and disease
feems to have had but a very contracted influence, women
and meii would necessarily arrive more slowly at a state of
perfection, and retain their vigour and complexion much
lunger than in later times. We may add to these considera-
tions, that strant;ers and foreig)iers are more coveted by the li-
centious than those who ;ire natiic$. This has been amply illus-
trated in the West Indies and in America, where ihe jettij,
coane-featiircd African women are prelifrred to the elegant and
beautiful Europeans! To this subject a learned British tra-
veller elegantly applied those words of Virgil, Edog. II.
ycrse 18,
Alba ligustra cadunt, vaccinia nigra leguntur.
While lilies lie neglected on the plain,
Vt bile dusly hyacint/ts for use remain, DRYD.
A.M,oir.?084.
B C.oir.iyj(l.
it may be well with me for thy sake ;
and my soul shall live because of
thee.
14 5F And it came to pass that when Abrai«
was come into Egypt, the Egyptians ^ beheld,
the woman that she wees very fair.
1.5 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and
commended lier before Pharaoh : and the womau,
was "" taken into Pharaoh's house.
1 6 And he ' entreated Abram well for her
sake : and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-
asses, and men servants, and maid servants, and
she-asses, and camels.
' Ch. 20. 5, 13. See ch. 2i3. 7.-
I ch. iO. 14.
-= ch. 39. 7. Malt..>. 2iJ.-
' til. 3). 2.
Verse 13. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister] Abram
did not wish his wife to tell a falsehood, but he wished her to
suppress a part of the truth. From chap. xx. 12. it is evi-
dent she was his stepsister, i. e. his sister by his father, but
by a different mother. Some suppose Sarah was the daughter
of Haran, and consequently the grmid-daitgliler of Tcrali ; this
opinion seems to be founded on chap. xi. 29. where Iscah is
thought to be the same with Sandi, but the supposition has
not a sufficiency of probability to support it.
Verse 15. The ivoman was taken into Pharaoh's house.l
Pharaoh appears td have been the common appellative of the-
Cuthite shepherd kings of Egypt, who had conquered thi*;
land, as is conjectured, about 12 years before this time. ThCr
word is supposed to signify king, in the ancient Egyptian
language. If the meaning be sought in the Hebrew,, lhe>
root l"n2 pliarad signifies to he free, or disengaged, a name,
which such free- hooters as the Cuthite .shepherds, might nftlu-
rally assume. All the kings of Egypt bare this name till the.
commencement of the Grecian monarchy, alter which they
were called Ptolomies.
When a woman was brought into the Seraglio, or Haraiiv
of the Eastern princes, she underwent for a considerable
time, certain purifications before she was brought into the
king's presence. It was in tlii< interim lliat God plagued,
Pharaoh and his house iviih plagues, so that Sarai was restored
before she could have been taken to the bed of the Egyptian,
king.
Verse 16. Jfe had fliecp, and oxen, ^c] As some of thesei
terms are liable to be confounded, and as they tfqnently
occur, especially in the P( ntateuch, it may be necessary t«
consider and fix their meaning in this place.
SllEEl', JNS I'ion, from tsaan, to be plentiful or abundant,; a
proper term for the eastern sheep, which almost constantly bring
forth tiviiis. Cant. iv. 2. antl sometimes three and even ./bur at
a birth. Hence their great fruitl'ulness is often alluded to in
.'•cripture. See Psalm Ixv. 14. cxliv. 13.; but under this same
term, which almost invariably means a flock, both sheep and
goats are included. So likewise, the Romans include j/iff/>> [
goats, and .wju// ta»/e in general, und.r the term I'KCUS pe-
coris; so they do larger cattle under that of I'ECUS }iicmiis.
I
Pharaoh and his family plagued: CHAP. XII. he restores Sarai to AWam.
A.M cir ?ow. 1 Y And the Lord ' plaffucd Pharaoh | 19 "N^liy saidst thou. She is my sister? a M"'^ JOS'*-
B.C. rir IW).
and his house with great plagues, be- 1' so 1 might have taken her to me to
cause of Sarai Abram's wile. ijwifc: now therefore behold thy wife, take //er,
18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, and go thy way.
'' What is this that thou hast done unto mc?
why didst thou not tell me that she was thy
\vite?
•Cli. £0. 18. 1 eiiron. 16. 21. Ts. 105. 14. Ilcbr. 15. J.
OXF.N; ipa baqunr, from tliC root, lo examine, lookout;
because of liic full, brojd, steady^ unmoved look of most
(•uiinais of the hrve kind; and hence the morning is termed
boqiicr, beeause of the light springing out of the ea.st, and looking
out over tlie whole of the eartii's surface. See on chap. i. 31.
' He-ASSES; Dncn chamorim, from "lOH chamur, to be
disturbed, imtddy, probably from the dull 5tu])id appearance
of this animal, as if it were always affected with melaticholy.
Sditt'chzer thinks tlie sand^-coloiired domestic Asiatic ass, is
particularly iiilended. '] lie word is aiiplied lo a.sscs in general,
though most frequently restrained to those of the mule kind.
She-asses ; ronx atonolh, from jnse men, strength, pro-
]>crly the strong animal, as being superior in muscular force
to every other animal of its size. Under this term both the
male and the female are .sometimes undei;.tood.
Camels ; D'ScJ gcmulim, from 7CJ gitmal, to recompense,
return, repay, so called from its resentment of injuries, and
revengeful temper, fur whuh it is proverbial in the countries
of which it is a native. On the animals and natural history
in g< neral of the scriptures, I must refer to the Hierozoicon of
150C11ART, and the Physica Sacra of ScHEUCiiZER. The
former, the most learned and accurate work, perhaps, ever
produced by one man.
from this enum( ration of the riches of Abraham, we may
conclude that this Palriarch kd a pa>loral and itinerant life;
that his meat must have chiefly consisted in the fl( sh of clean
animals, with a sufficiency of pulse for bread ; that his chief
drink was their milk; his clothing their skins, and his beasts
of burthen asses and camels, for as yet we read of no horses;
and the ordinary employment of his servants, was to take care of
the flocks, and to serve their mas-tcr. Where the Patriarchs
became rtsident for any considerable time, they undoubtedly
cultivated the ground lo produce grain.
Verse 17. The Lord plagued l'lturaoh~\ ^\'hat these plagues
were we know not: In the parallel case, chap. xx. 18. all
the females in the family of Abimelec, who ha I taken Sarai,
in nearly the same way, were made barrc n ; po.-sibly this
might have been the case here ; yet much more seems to be
fignified by the expression gran plagues. Whatever these
plagues were, it is evident they were undei;;tootl by Pharaoh
as proofs of the disapprobation of God, and consequently, jl corded with its own condemnation. He should have risked
even at this time in 1' gypt, there was some knowledge of the I all rather than have prevaricated. But how could lie think
20 "^ And Pharaoh commanded his men con-
cerning him: and they sent him away, and his
wife, and all that he had.
I" CI). -0. 9. « 2t;. 10. 1 Prov. 21. 1.
was necessary that he should have the favour of the king, and
his permission to remove Iroin I'^gypt with so large a pro-
perty; hence, a particular charge is given to the officers of
Pharaoh lo treat him with respect, and to assist bim in his
intended departure.
The weighty and important contents of this chapter de-
mand our most attentive Ci>nsideration. Abram is a second
time called to leave his country, kindred, and father's house,
and go to a place he knew not. Kvery thing was app.n-ently
against him but the voice of God. This to Abraham, was sur-
ficient; he could trust his iMaker, and knew he could not do
wrong in following his command. He is therefore proposed
to us in the scriptures as a pattern of faith, patience, and
loving obedience. When he received the call of God, he
.■•pent no time in useless reasonings about the call itself, his
family circumstances, the difficulties in the way, &c. &c.
He was called, and he departed, and this is all we hear on
the subject. Implicit faith in the promise of (jod, and prompt
obedience to his commands, become lis, not only as nis crea-
tures, but as sinners called to separate from evil workers and
wicked ways, and travel by that faith which workcth by love,
in the way that leads to the Paradise of God.
How greatly must the faith of this blessed man have been
tried, when coming to the very land in wliicli he is promised
so much blessedness, he finds, instead of plenty, a grievous
famine ! \Vho in his circumstances would not have gone back
to his own country <ind Tiindred .? still he is not stumbled ;
prudence directs him to turn aside and go to Egypt, till God
shall chuse to remove this famine. Is it to be wondered at,
that in this tried state, he should have serious apprehensions
for the safety of his life .' 'Sarai, his affectionate wife and faithful
companion, he supposes he shall lose; her beauty he suspects
will cause her to be desired by men of power, whose will he
shall not be able to resist. If he appear to be her husband,
his death he supposes to be <-criain: if she pass for his sister.
he may be well used on her account. He will not tell a lie,
but he is tempted lo prevaricate by suppressing a part of the
truth. Here is a weakness, which however we may be in-
clined lo pity and e.vcuse, we should never imitate. It is re-
primilive and true religion
Verse 20. Commanded bis men concotiing hini] Gave par-
ticular and strict orders to afford Abraham and his family
every aecomtuodatiun and help for their journey ; for, having
received a
of lightly giving up such a u:ifi:? surely, he who would not
risk his life for the protection and safety of a good wife, is
not worthy of one. Here his faith was deficient. He still
credited Ihe general promise, and acted on that faith in refer-
reat increase of cattle and servants, ver, 16, it jjence to i'r ; but he did not use his faitli in reference lo inter:-
5
Ahram^s great riches:
GENESIS. Jus limhandmen and those of Lot contend*
veiling circwnstances, to which it was equally applicable.]
Man}' trust God for tliejr soids and clernity, who do not trust ■
in him for their bodies and for time. To him who follows \
God fully in simplicity of heart, every thing must ultimately
succeed. Had Abram and Sarai simply passed for ••uluU they ,
were, they had incurred no danger; for God, who bad obliged !
them to go to Egypt, had prepared the way before theui. I
Neither Pharaoh nor his courtiers would have noticed the
woman, had she appeared to be the wife of the strans^er that
came to sojourn in their land. The issue sufficiently proves
this. Every ray of the light of truth, is an emanation from '.
the holiness of God, and awfully sacred in his eyes. Con-
sidering the subject thus, a pious ancient spoke the following
words, which refiners in prevarication have deemed by much
too strong; " I would not," said he, " tell a lie to save the
souls of the whole world." Keader, be on tby guard: thou
uiayest fall by comparatively sm ill matters, Jtvhile resolutely
and successfully resisting those wliicli require a giant's strength
to counteract theui. In every concern God is necessary;
seek him for the body and for the soul; and do not think that
any thing is too small or insignificant to interest hiiOj that con-
cerns thy present or eternal peace.
CHAPTER XIII.
Abram and his family return out of Egypt to Canaan, 1, 2; He revisits Beth-cl, and there intakes the Lord, 3; 4.
In consequenfe of tlte gnat increase in the flocks of Abram and hot, their herdsmen disagree; which obliges
the Patriarch and his nephew to separate, 5 — 9- hft, being permitted to make his choice of the land, chusei
the pldins of Jordan, 10, 1 1, and pitches his tent near to Sodom, tehile Abram abides in Canaan, 12. Pro-
fligacy of the people of Sodom, 13. The Lord rcnezes his promise to Abram, 14 — 17- Abram removei to
the plains, of Mamre, near Hebron, and builds an altar to the Lord, 18.
A.M.cir.2n!)e.
B.C. cir. 1918.
A
ND Abram went up out of
Egypt, he, and his wife, and all
that he had, and Lot with him, ' into the south.
2 '' And Abram was very rich in cattle, in
silver, and in gold.
3 And he went on his journeys "^ fi'om the
south even to Beth-el, unto the place where his
tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-
el and Hai;
4 Unto the '' place of the altar, which he had
made there at the first: and there Abram
* called on the name of the Lord.
»Cli. 12. 9.-
-"cli. 21. 3j Ps. n-2. 3. Prov. 10. 22.-
" ch. 12. 7, 8.
-'ch. 12. 8,9.-
NOTES.ON CHAP. XUI.
Verse 1. Abram went tip out of Egypt — into the soutli!]
Probably the south of Canaan; as iu leavina; Et;ypt, he is said
to come from the south, ver. 3, for the southern part of the
promised land lay north-east of Egypt.
Verse 2. Abram was very ricii^ So we find that the pro-
perly of these patriarchal times did not consist in flocks , only,
but also in silver and gold; and in ;ill these respects Abram
was 1X0 133 kiihcd vieod, exceeding rich. Josephus says,
'that a part of this property was ai quired l)y teaching the
Egyptians, arts and sciences. Thus did God fulfil his pro-
mit^es to him, by protecting and giving him a great profusion
of temporal blessings, which v/ere to him, signs and pledges
of spiritual things.
Verse 3. Beth-el] The house of God. See ch. xii. 8.
Verse 6. Their substance was great] As their families cn-
<£rca»ed, it was necessary their floclts should eucrease also, as
,5 And Lot also, which went with A.M.cir.Joss.
Abram, had flocks, and herds, and " ',
tents.
6 And ' the land was not able to bear them,
that they might dwell together : for their sub-
stance was great, so that they could not dwell "
together.
7 IF And there was ^ a strife between the
herdinen of Abram's cattle and the lierdmen
of Lot's cattle: •" and the Canaanite and the
Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
8 And Abram said unto Lot, ' Let there be
'Ps. 116. 17. fch.jfi. 7 Ech. 26. 20.-
' 1 Cor. (i. 7.
-"ch. 12. 6.-
from those flocks they derived their clothing, food, and drink:
many also wee ofi'ered in sacrifice to God.
They could not dwell together.'] 1. Because their flocks were-
great; 2. because the Canaanitesand the Perizziteshad already
occupied a considerable part of the land; and '' . because there
appears to have been envy between the herdsmen of Abram
and Lot. To pre-ent disputes among ihem, that might have
ultimately disturbed the peace of the two families, it was neces-
sary that a separation should take place.
Verse 7. The Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the
land.] That i.s, they were there at the time Abram and Lot
came to fix their tents in the land. This is no more an inter-
polation than that, ch. xii. 6.
Verse 8. For we be brethren] We are of the same family,
worship the same God — in the same way— -liave the same
promises — and look for the same end. Why then should
there be strife.' If it appear to be unavoidable from our
Abram and Lot separak.
A.M.cir.vosfi. jjQ strife, I pray tlice, between me
B.C. cir. 1918. gj^^i \X\Qz, and between my hcrdmen
and thy hcrdmen ; tor we he " brethren.
"9 "^ /,s not the whole huid before tliee ? sepa-
rate thyself, I pray thee, from me : " M thou
mit take tlic Icll hand, then I will go to the
"right ; or if thvu depart to the right hand, then
I will go to the left,
1© ^ And Lot hfted up his eyes, and beheld
all " the plain of Jordan, that it "was well wa-
tered every where, before the Lord ' destroyed
Sodom and Gomorrah, ' even as the garden of
the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou
comcst unto ® Zoar,
1 1 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan ;
»Hel). nimti-fl/ircn: Scecli. 11. 27, 31. Exod. 2. 13. Ps. I3.S. 1. Ads
7. «6 '' cli. 'iO. 15. .'^ SI. 111. "■ Horn. 1'.'. 18. Hebr. 12. 1 1. Jam. 3.
ir 'Ub. 19. 1". D«i:l. :n. 3. P.-. H17. :i'l. 'ch. \9. ■.■■1» -Zb fell.
5f. iO. Isiii. al.:3. i; til. 14. 2, 8. & 19. '-".'. "cli. ly. 29. 'cli. 14.
present situation, let lint situation be instantly chanued; for
Tio .secular advantagf.^ can coiinterlKiI.mce the loss of peace.
. Verse 9. Is not the uhole land before thee '] As the Pa-
triacch or head of the family, Abram, by prescriptive right,
might have chosen his own portion first, and appointed Lot
■his: but intent upon peace, and feeling pure and parental
afTection for his nephew, he [-.crunttcd him to make his choice
first.
Verse 10. Like the land of E^pt, a« thou comcst unto Zcar.^
Tiiere is an obscurity in this verse which Houbigant has re-
moved by the following translation : — Ea autein, priusquuin
Hodomum Goihorr/iumijuc Dominus delerit, erat, qua itur Seger,
<ola Irri^tia, (jv.asi hortus Domini, et quasi terra JEgypti.
" But befoie the Lord hi'.d destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah,
It was, as thou goest to Zoar, «tll watered, like the garden
of the Lord, aud hke the laml of Egypt." As Paradise was
watered by llie ILur neighSonring streams ; and as Egypt was
watered by the annual overflowing of t!:e Kde, so were the
plains of ihe Jordan, and ail the land on the way to Zoar, well
watered and fertilized by the overflowing of the Jordan. j
Verse 1 1. Then hot chose him all the plain] A little civilily !
or good breeding is of great importance in the concerns of;
life : Lot eitlif r had none, or did not profit by it. He cer- :
ilainly should have left the choice to the Patriarch, and should j
iiave been guided by his counsel ; but he took his ovjn way,
trusting to his own judgment, and guided only by the sight of
Ills eyes — he beheld all the plain (f Jordan, that it was icell i^a- j
fered, &c. b'o he chose the laud, without considering the cha- |
racier of the inhabitants, or v\hat advantages or disadvantages !
it might aflbrd him in spiritual things. This choice, as we
«hall see in the sccjuel, had nearly proved the ruin of his body,
soul, and family.
Verse Ti. 'I'he men of Sodom were ivickedl C^iJl rdi/iin,irom
pT rad, to break in pieces, dcitroy, and tijjlict : meaning persons
who broke the established order of tinng?-, destroyed and con-
ibumled the disti\ictions between right and wrong', and who
CHAP. Xlir. Character of the men of Sodom
and Lot journeyed east : and they
A.M.cir.'.OSr.
J5.C.iir.]9:7.
separated themselves the one fi'om
the other.
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and
Ix)t " dv.'clled in the cities of the plain, and
' pitched liis tent tOAvard Sodom.
1 3 But the men of Sodom '' "were wicked and
' sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
14 ^ And the Lord said unto Abram, after
that Lot " was separated from him. Lift up now
thine eyes, and look from the place where thoa
art " northward, and southward, and eastward,
and westward :
' 15 For all the land which thou seest, ° to thee
will I give it, and '' to thy seed for CAcr.
12. & 13. 1. S Pet. 'i. 7, 8. ''ch. IS. 'JO.
1 cii. 6. 11. '" ver. 11. ° ch. 23. 1-1.
8. & t-1. 7. & 26. 4. Num. 34. li'. Ueut.
20. 7. I's. 37. 2--», 29. U 112. 2.
V.TxXi. 15. 49. 2 Pet. 2. 7, 8.
"ih. 12. 7. & 1."). 18. ii 17.
A.i. Ads 7. 5. P2Cliron.
afflicted and tormented both themselves and others. And
sinners, D^HISH chatayiw, from iicn chata, to miss the viai k — ■
to step '^ironu; — to iiiiicarry ; the same as cc//.af>ravii in Greek,
from a negative, and ij.ap7tra, to liitamark: so a sinner is
one who is ever aiming at happiness, and constantly missing
his mark; because, being u/cAerf, radically evil witlun, every
affection and passion depraved and out of order, he seeks for
happiness where it never can be found, in v\oildly honours
and possessions, and in sen:-ual gratifications, the end of
which is, disappointment, affliction, ve.Kation, and ruin. fSuclj
were the companions Lot must have in l\\e fruitful land he had
chosen ! This, however, amounts to no more than the com-
mon character of sinful man ; but the people of Sodom were
exceedingly sinful and VJicked before, or against the Lord ; they
were sinners of no comm.m character ; they excelled in un-
righteousness, and soon filled up the measure of their initjui-
ties; see chap. xix.
Verse 14. The Lord said unto Jhraml It is vei-y likely
that the Angel of the Covenant appeared to Abr.-'.m in open
day, when he could take a distinct view of the length and the
breadth of this good land. The revelation made, chap. xv. 5.
was evidently made in the night, for then he was called to
number the xturs, which could not be seen but in the night
season : here he is called on to number the dust of the earth,
ver. IC. which could not be seen but in tlie day-liglu ; see on
chap. XV. 1.
Verse \:i. To thee luill I give it, and to thy seed for cver.J
This land was given to Abram, that it might lineally and'
legally descend to his posteritj', and though Abram himself
cannot be said to have possessed it. Acts vii. 5. yet it was the
gift of God to hinj in behalf of his seed; and this was alwaj's
the design of God, not that Abram himself should possess it,
but that his posterity should, till the manifestation of Christ
in the flesh. And this is chiefly what is to be understood by
the words for ever, D7V "V <^d ulam, to the end of the present
dispensation, and the commencement of the new. ohv olam.
God renews his promise to Abram.
16 And * I will make thy seed as
the dust of the earth : so that if a
earth,
A.M.cir.2087
B.C. cir.1917
then
man can number the dust of the
shall thy seed also be numbered.
17 Arise, walk through the land in the length
• Ch. 15. 5. & 22. ir. & 26. 4. & 28. 14. & 32. 12. Kxod. 32. 13. Num.
23. 10. Ueut. 1. 10. 1 Kings 4. 20. 1 Cliron. 27. 23. Isai. 48. 19. .Jer.33. 'i'l.
means either ETERNITY, which implies the termination of all
Htne or duration, such as is measured by the celestial lumina-
ries ; or a /lidden, urdnon'n period, such as includes a comple-
tion or ,final termination of a particular ara, dispensation, &c.
therefore the first is its proper meaning ; the latter its accom-
modated meaning; see the note on chap. xvii. 7. xxi. 33.
Verse 1 S. Abrujn ranoved his tentl Continued to travel and
pitch in different places, till at last he fixed his tent in the
plain, or by the oak of JMamre, see chap. xii. 6. whidi. is in
Hebron ; i. e. the district in which Mamre was situated was
called Hebron. Mamre was an Amorite then living, with
whom Abram made a league, ch. xiv. 13. and the oak pro-
bably went by his name, because he was the possessor of the
ground. Hebron is called Kiijuih arba, ch. xxiii. 2. but it is
very likely that Hebron was its primitive name, and that it
had the above appellation from being the residence of/o!o-
gigantic Anakim, for Kiijaih arba literally signifies, the city
of the four ; see the note on chap, xxiii. 2.
Built there an altar to the Lord.] On which he offered
sacrifice, as the word naiO mizbeach, from HSt zabach, to slay,
imports.
The increase of riches in the family of Abram must, in the
opinion of many, be a source of felicity to them. If earthly
possessions could produce happiness, it must be granted that
they had now a considerable share of it in their power. But
happiness must have its seat in the mind, and like that, be of a
spiritual nature ; conseqiiently earthly goods cannot give it :
so far are they from either ])roducing or procuring it, that
they always engender care and anxiety, and often strifes and
contentions. The peace of this amiable family had nearly
been destroyed by the largeness of their possessions ! To pre-
vent the most serious misunderstandings, Abram and his
nephew were obliged to separate. — He who has much, in
general, wishes to have more ; for the eye is not satisfied with
seeing. — Lot, for the better accommodation of his flocks and
family, chuses the most fertile district in that country; and
even sacrifices reverence and filial atlection at the shrine of
worldly advantage : but the issue proved, that a pleasant
.4.M.pir.2087_.
BC.cir.19ir.
GENESIS. Builds an altar to God at Mamre,
of it, and in the breadth of it ; for I
will give it unto thee.
1 8 ^ Then Abram removed his tent, and came
and '' dwelt in the "plain of Mamre, ''which is in
Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord,
Rora. 4 16, 17. 18. Hebr.
" cli. 35. OT. & 37. 14.
11. 12. ""ch, 14.13. 'Heh. plains.
worldly prospect may not be the mo.st advantageous, even to
our secular affairs. Abram prospered greaily in the compara-
tively barren part of the land, while [.dt lo.^t all his posses-
sions, and nearly the lives of himself and family, in that
land which appeared to him like the garden of the Lord, like
a second Paradise. Rich and fi rtile countries have generally
luxurious, effeminate, and profligate inhabitants : so it was in
this case : the inhabitants of Sodom were sinners and exceed-
ingly wicked, and their profligacy was of that kind which
luxury produces ; they fed thein--elves without fear, and they
acted without shame. Lot however was, through the mercy
of God, preserved from this contagion : he retained his reli-
gion, and this supported his soul and saved his lite, when his
goods and his wife perished. Let us learn from this to be
jealous over our own wills and wishes; to distrust tlattering
prospects, and seek and secure a heavenly inheritance.
" Man wants but little ; nor that little long." A man's life,
the comfort and happiness of it, does not consist in the multi-
tude of the things he possesses : " One house, one day's
food, and one suit of raiment," says the Arabic proverb,
" are sufficient for thee ; and if thou die before noon, thou
hast one half too much." The example of Abram, in con-
stantly erecting an altar wherever he settled, is worthy of
serious regard : he knew the path of duty was the way of
safety; and, that, if he acknowledged God in all his ways, he
might expect him to direct all his steps: he felt his depend-
ance on God, he invoked him through a IMediator, and
oft'ered sacrifices in faith of the coming Saviour : he found
blessedness in this work ; it was not an empty service — he re-
joiced to see the day of Christ — he saw it, and was glad ; see
on ch xii. 8. Reader, has God an altar in thy house.?
Dost thou sacrifice to him ? Dost thou offer up daily by
faith, in behalf of thy soul and the souls of thy family, the
Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world ? No
man cometh unto the Father but by me, said Christ : this was
true, not only from the incarnation, but from the foundation
of the world. And to this another truth, not less comfortable,
may be added : Whosoever cometh unto me, I will in no xvise
cast out.
CHAPTER XIV.
The zcaioffour confedcmlc kings against the five kings of Canaan, 1—."). Tlie confederate kings over-run and
pillage the whole ronntri/, 4 — 7 : battle betzeeen them and the kings of Canaan, 8, 9 : the latter are defeated,
and the principal part of the armies of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah slain, 10, • on which these tico cities
arc plundered, 1 1 ; Lot, his goods, and his family, are also taken and carried away, 12. Abram, being
Chedorlaomer and his allies
CHAP. XIV. invade and pillage the Canaanites.
wformed of the disaster of his nephew, 13, arms three hundred and eighteen of his servants and pursues them, 14 ;
oierlahcs and routs them, and recovers Lot, and his fami/i/, and their goods, 14—16; is met on his return /)i/
the kiiri- of Sodom, and />i/ Mc/rhizedek, king of Sa/em, zcith refreshments fur himself and men, 17, 18. Met-
chizedek blesses Abram, and receives from him, as priest of the most high God, the tenth of all the spoils, 19, 20.
The kin" of Sodom offers to Abram all the goods he has taken from the enemi/, 21 ,• zchick Abram positivelif
refuses, hating voKcd to God to receive no recompense for a victory, of which he kneie God to be the sole
author, 22, 2:5 ; hut desirts that a proportion of the spoils be given to Aiier, Eshcol, and Manire, k'/io had
accompanied him on litis expedition, 24.
A,Ar.cir.'-o9i. A ]srj) it came to pass in the days
I5^cirj9^ /\ of Aim-a!)hcl king of 'Shinar,_
Arioch king of Elhisar, Chedorlaomer king of
•"Elani, and Tidal king of nations;
2 TItat these made war with Bera king of
Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah,
Shinal) king of '^Admah, and Shemeber king
of Zeboiini, and the king of Bela, which is
"Zoar.
3 All these were joined together in the vale
of Siddim, 'which is the salt sea.
4 Tweh-e years "^they served Chedorlaomer,
and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
A.M.cir.2091.
B.C.cir.lUl.i.
•Ch.
10.
10.
&
11
t.
-'Isai. 11
11.
-' Deut
'i9
2.3.—
ch.
19.
ti.
IJeul. 3
17
N
11 ni
31
Vi. .losh. ;
.16
P
s. 107.;
4.-
— > cli
y
20-
«ch. Ij
to.
Ueiit.
3.
11.
—"^
-"Jitth. 12
4.
8c
13. 12.-
"~
Deut.
2.
20.-
NOTES ON CH.\P. XIV.
Verse 1 . In the daj/s of Ainraplie(\ Wlio this king was is
not known; and yet, iVom tlie uianucr in wliicli lie is spoken
of in the text, it would seem that he was a person well
known, even when Moses wrote this account. But the Vul-
gate fjives a different turn to the place, by rendering the pas-
sage thus. Factum est in illo tempore, ut Amrapltel, Iff. " It
came to pasj in that lime, that Amrapliel, &c." The Chal-
<ke Targiim of Onkclos makes Amrapliel, kuiij; of Babylon;
others make him king of .V.s.syria ; sunic make him the same
as Nimrod, and others one of his descendants.
Arioch king of Ellasiii] Some think %;•«/ is meant; but
conjecture is endless where facts cannot be ascertained.
Chedorlaomer, Iciiig of Elani] Dr. Shuckford tlunks that
this was the same as iS'iiii/as, the .son u( Niims and Semiritmi.i ;
anil some tliink him to be the same with Kteumras, sou of
Doolaved, son of Arphnxad, son of Shem, son of Noah ;
and that i7«7« means Persia; see ch. x. '2'2. The Persian
historians unanimously allow that Kecumr<i.i, whose name
bears some alhnity to CItedorlaomcr, was the first king of the
I'eesluluilian dynasty.
Tidal L-iiig of witions] D'y Goyim, different peoples or
cians. Probably some advenlurous person, whose subjects
were composed of refugees from ditVerent countries.
Verse 2. These nutdc xiar nilh licru, i>'f. ] It appears,
from \cr. 4, that these five C'anaanitish kings had been sub-
dued by Chedorlaomer, and were obliged to pay him tribute;
and, that, having- been enslaved by him twelve years, wishinsj
5 And in the fonrteenth year came
Chedorlaomer, and the kings that
ivere with him, and smote *the Rcphaims "in
Ashteroth Karnaim, and 'the Zuzims in Ham,
"and the Emims in 'Shaveh Kiriathaim.
6 '"And the Horites in their mount Scir,
unto "El-paran, which is by the wilderness.
7 And they returned, and came to En-niish-
pat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the coun-
try of the x^malekites, and also the Amorites,
that dwelt °in Hazezon-tamar.
8 And there went out the king of Sodom,
and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of
''Deut. 2. 10, U. 'Or, the plain if Kiriathaim. '"Deut. 2. 12, 22.— •
"Or, llie plain of Paran. cli. 21. 21. Num. 12. 16. & 13. 3. "2 Chroii.
20. 2.
to recover their liberty, they revolled in the thirteenth; in
consequence of which, Chedorlaomer, the following year,
summoned to his assistance /three of his vassals, invaded Ca-
' naan, fought with, and discnmfited the kings of the Pentapolis,
or five cities, Sodom, Gomorrah, Zeboim, Zoar, and Admab,
which were situated in the fiuitful plain of .Siddim, having pre-
viously overrun the whole land.
Verse 5. Rephaim.t] A people of Canaan ; ch. .xv. 20.
Ashteroth'] A city of Basan, where Og afterwards reigned ;
Josli. xiii. 31.
Zuzims] No \<liere else spoken of, unle.ss they were
the same with the Zauizumims, Deut. ii. 20. as some
imagine.
Emims] A people threat and many in the days of Moses,
and tall as the Anakim ; they dwelt among the l\loabites, by
whom they were reputed !,'«i/;^9 ; Deut. ii. 10, 11.
Shuzelt Kiriathaim.] Ilather as the tiiargin, the plain of
Kiriathaim, which was a city afterwards belonging to Sihon,
king of Heshbon; Josh xiii. 19.
Verse 6. T/ie Horites] A people that dwelt in mount
Scir. till Esau and his sons drove them thence; Deut. ii. 22.
El-paruii] The plain or oak of Paran, \vhich was a city
in the Wilderness of Paran; ch. xxi 21.
Verse 7. Kn-mishpal] The nrll of judgment ; probably so
called from the judLiment pronounced by God on Moses and
Aaron, for their rebellion at that place; Num. xx. 1 — 10.
Amalelcites] So called afternards, from Amalek, son of
Esau ; ch. xxxvi. 12.
L 2
A.W.cir.2091.
B.C cir.lv)l3.
Abram atlaclcs and routs the four kings,
Admah, and the king of Zeboiim,
and the king of Bela {the same is
Zoai-;) and t!iey joined battle with them in the
vale of Siddim;
9 With Chedorlaomcr the king of Elam, and
with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king
of Shinar, and Aiioch king of EUasar; four
kinofs with five.
10 And the vale of Siddim xc as full of "slime-
pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah
fled, and fell there; and they that remained
fled "to the mountain.
1 1 And they took " all the goods of Sodom
and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went
their way.
12 ^ And they took Lot, Abram's " brother's
SOIL, ^who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and
departed.
GENESIS. and recovers the captives and tlie spoiL
13 And there came one that had A.M.cir.si(»i,
escaped, and told Abram the He- -^'^^
brew; for 'he dwelt in the plain of Mamre
the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother
of Ancr: ^and these ivere confederate with
Abram.
14 ^ And when Abram heard that "his
brother was taken captive, he 'armed his
"trained servants, 'born in his own house,
three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them
"unto Dan.
15 And he divided himself against them, he
and his servants, by night, and "smote them,
and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the
left hand of Damascus.
16 And he brought back "all the goods, and
also brought again his brother Lot, and his,
goods, and the women also, and the people.
>Ch. II. 3, i>cli. 19. 17, 30 '^ver. 16. SI -
1". la, 'ch. 13. 18. sver. 2J. "ch. 13 8-
■"ch. i2, 5- '
-'Or, ted forth.'
Hdzczon-Uimar.} Calied by the Cliaklee, En-g:ad<li ; a
city in the land of Canaan, which fell to the lot of Jiidah;
Josli. XV. 62. see also 2 Chron. xx. 2. It appears, from
Cant. i. 13. to have been a very fruitful place.
Verse 8. Btia, the same is Zoar\ That is, it was called Zcar
afier the destruction of 8odom, &c. mentioned in ch. xix.
Verse 1 0. Slime-pits] Places where Asplialtus or Bitimiai
spranc; out of the ground ; this substance abounded in that
country.
Fell there] It either signifies they were defeated on this
spot, and many of them slain; or that multitudts of them
had perished in the bitumen pits which abounded there :
that the place was /«// of pits, vve learn from the Hebrew,
which reads here r\"lX3 ni!0 heeroth, beerolh, pits, pits,
i. e. multitudes of pits. A bad place to maintain a fight on,
or to be obliged to run throui^h, in order to escape.
Verse 11. They took all the goods, .Sfc] This was a pre-
•latory war, such as the Arabs carry on to the present day ;
they pillage a city, town, or caravan, and then escape with the
booty- to the wilderness, wliere it would ever be unsafe, and
often impossible to pursue them.
Verse 12. Thei/ took Lot, ^c] The people, being ex-
ceedingly wicked, had provoked God to afflict them by
means of those marauding kings; and Lot also sufiered, being
found in company with the workers of iniquity. Every child
remembers the fable of the Geese and Cranes ; the former
being found feeding where the latter were destroying the
grain, were all taken iii the same net. Let him that readeth
imderstand.
Verse 13. Abram the Uebiru'] See on ch. x. 21. It is
Tery likely that Abram had this appellation from his coming
front beyond the river Euphrates to enter Canaan ; for ns^n
ha-abery, which we render the llchrtiU!, comes from yyff ahar,
to pass over, or come from beyond. It is supposed by many
"Or, imtrucled. 'ch. 15. 3. & 17. 1^,57. Eccles.
Juds. 13. 'j9. " Isai. 41. 2, 3. "ver. 11, le.
'"Deut. 34. 1.
that he got this name from Eber or Ileber, son of Salah,
see ch. xi. 15.; but why he should get a name from Heher,
rather than from his own father, or some other of his progeni-
tors, no person has yet been able to discover. We may,
therefore, safely conclude, that he bears the appellation of
llebrevj or Aberite from the above circumstance, and not from
one of his progenitors, of whom we know nothing but the
name, and who preceded Abram not less than six generations;
and during the whole of that time till the time marked here,
none of his descendants were ever called Hebrews: this is a
demonstration that Abram was not called the Jlebrew from
Ueber; see ch. xi. 15 — 27.
These were confederate n'lth Abi-um] It seems that a kind
of convention was made between Abram and the three bro-
thers, Mamre, Eshcol, and Aiier, who were probably all
chieftains in the vicinity of Abram's dwelling; all petty
princes, similar to the nine kings before mentioned.
Verse 14. lie armed his trained servants] These amounted
to three hundred and eighteen in number; and how many were
in the divisions of Mamre, Eshcol, and Ancr, we know not;
but they and their men certainly accompanied him in this-
expedition ; see ver. 24.
Verse 15. And he divided himself against them] It required
both considerable courage and address in Abram, to lead him
to attack the victorious armies of these four kings with so small
a number of troops ; and on this occasion both his skill and his •
couraoe are exercised. His affection for Lot appears to have-
been his chief motive : he cheerfully risks his life for that
nephew, who had lately chosen the best part of the land, and
left his uncle to live as he might, on what he did not think
v\orthy his own acceptance. But it is the properly of a great
and generous mind not only to forgive, but to forget offences;
and at all times to repay evil with good.
Verse IC. And brouj^ht back — the vomen also\ This. ii..
A.M.cir.'.'(i9l.
J5C cir.1.113.
CHAP
of Sodom
^ (aflcr his
Ohcdoilaomer,
vith hiin,) at
is the " kiiifj's
king
h:in
He ts met by the ling of Sodom,
17 IF And the
went out to meet
return from tlie slaughter of
and of the kings that were
the valley of Sluiveh, which
dale.
18 And '' Melchizedek king of Salem brought
forth bread and wine: and he trcs ° the priest
of 'the most high God.
• lud". 11. 34 1 Sam. 18. 6. !• H.?br. 7. 1. ^^ SI Sam. 18. 18
'llcbr.'r. 1. 'Vs. 110. 4. Hcbr. 5. 6. '' Mic. 6. 6. Acts 16. 17.
XIV.
and blessed hi Melchizedek.
broii^jlit in by the sacred historian with peculiar interest and
tenderness. All who read the account niust be in ])ain for
the fate of ■aives and daughters fallen into the Irmds of a
ferocious, licentious, and victorious soldkiy. Other spoils
the routed contederates might Iwve left behind, and yet, on
their swift asses, camels, and dromedaries, have carried ofl'the
female captives. However, Abrain had disposed his attack
so judiciously, and so promptly executed his measures, tliat not
only all the bagga^je, but all \.\\q fanaks also, were recovered.
V'crse n. Tlie kin^ of Sodom irenl out to intet him] This
could not have been Bern, mentioned ver. 2. for it seems
pretty evident, from ver. 10, that both he and Birsha, king
of Gomorrah, were slain at the bitumen pits, in the vale of
Siddim; but another person, in the mean time, might have
succeeded to the government.
^^crse 18. And 3Tck/iizcdek king of Sakiii] A thousand
idle stories have been told about this man; and a thousand
idle conjectures spent on the subject of his short history given
here, and in Heb. vii. At present, it is only necessary to state
that he appears to have been as real a personage as Bcra,
Binha, or Hhinab, though we have no more of his genealogy
than we have of theirs.
Brought forth bread and \viiw] Certainly to refresh
Abiani and his men, exhausted with the late battle and
fatigues of the journey — not in the way of sacrifice, &c. : this
is an idle conjecture.
lie was the priest of the most high God.] He had preserved
in his family and among his subjects the worship of the true
God, anil tile primitive ])atriarclml institutions: by these, the
father of every family w.is botii king and priest; so Melchize-
dek, being a worshipper of the true God, was priest among
the people, as well as kin;r over them.
Melchizedek is called here king of Sakm, and the most
judicious interpreters allow that by Salem Jerusakm is
meant : that it bore this name anciently is evident from
Psal. Ixxvi. 1, 2. " In Jiidah is God known; his name is
great in Israel. In Salf.M also is his lahernack, and his
dwelhng-place in Zion." From the use made of this part of the
sacred history by David, Psal. ex. 4. and by Saint Paul,
Heb. vii. 1 — 10. we learn that there was somethmg very
mysterious, and at the same time typical, in the person,
name, office, residence, and government of this Canaanitish
prince. 1. In \\\% person he was a representative anrl type of
Christ; sec the scriptures above referred to. 2. His name,
A.I\r.cir.t'091.
B.C.cir.l91.-5.
19 And he blessed him, and said,
Blessed be Abram of the most high
God, ^ po.sscssor of heaven and earth.
20 And " blessed be the most high God,
which hath delivered thine enemies into thy
him tithes ' of all.
the kins of Sodom said unto
And he ga\e
hand
21 f And
Abrain, Give me
goods to thyself.
the ^ persons, and take the
Ruth. 3. 10. 2 Sam. i. 5. ever. 22. WaU. 11. i5. » cli. 21. 27.-
' llcbr. 7. 4. " Heb. souls.
Tiyi O*?0 Makhi t'sedek, signifies my righteous king, or king c^
righteousness: this name he probably had from the pure and
rit;hteoi!s administration of his government; and this is one of
the characters of our blessed Lord, a character which can be
applied to him only, as he alone is essentially righteous, and
the only potentate: but a holy man, such as Melchizedek,
might bear this name as his type or representative. 3. OJice —
He was a priest of the most high God — the word- "TO kohcn,
which signifies both prince and priest, because the patriarchs
sustained this double oflice, has both its root and proper sig-
nification in the Arabic; fl'=^ ka/iana, signifies to approach,
draw near, have intimate access to — and from hence, to
officiate as priest before God, and thus have intimate access to
the divine presence; and by means of the sacrifices which he
offered, he received counsel and information relative to what
was yet to take 2)lace: and hence anolher acceptation of the
word, to foretel, predict future events, unfold hidden things,
or mysteries; so the lips of the priests pre.served knowledge,
and they were often the interpreters of the will of God to
the people. Thus we find that Melchizedek, being a priest
of the most high God, represented Christ in his sacerdotal
character; the word priest being unde^^tood as before ex-
plained. 4. His residence — He was king of Salem: dSut
Shalam, signifies to make iihole, complete, or perfect; and
hence it means peace, which implies the making uliole the
breaches made in the political and domestic union of king-
doms, states, families, &c. making an end of discoid, and
establishing friendship. Christ is called the Prince of Peace,
because by his incarnation, sacrifice, and mediation he pro-
cures and establi-hes peace between God and man; heals
the breaches and dissentions between heaven and earth, re-
conciling both — and produces glory to God in the highest;
and on earth peace and good-will among men. His residence
is peace and quietness, and assurance, for ever, in every be-
lieving upright heart. He governs as the Prince and Priest
of the most high God; ruling in righteousness, mighty to
save: and he ever lives to make intercession (ijr, and save to
the uttermost, all who come unto the Father by Him. See
on Heb. vii.
• Verse 19. And he blessed hi;n] This was a part of the
priest's office, to bless in the name of the Lord, for ever ; see
the form of this blessing, Num. vi. 23 — 26. and for the
meaning of the word to bless, see Gen. ii. 3.
Verse 20. And he, (Abram,) s'^ve him (Melchizedek,) tythcs\_
Abravi refuses to take
GENESIS.
any of the booty.
A.M.cir.5091.
B.C. cir. 1913.
22 And Abram said to the king of [
Sodom, I ^ have hit up mine hand
unto the Loud, the most high God, " the pos-
sessor of heaven and earth,
23 That " I will not tale from a thread even to
A.M.cir.i;091.
B.C. cir. 1913.
a slioe-latchet, and that I will not take any thing take their portion
that is thine, lest thou shouldest say,
I have made Al)ram rich : _
24 Save only that vk^hich tlie young men have
eaten, and, the portion of the men " which went
with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them
• Esod. 6. 3. Dan. 12. 7. Rev. 10 5, 6. •> ver. 19. ch. 21. 33.
.a tenth part, of all the spoils he had taken from the con-
federate kings. Tiiese Ahr.iin gave as a tribute to the most
/ligli frod, who, being the possessor of /leaven and earth,
dispenses all spiritual and toinporal favours ; and demands
the gratitude, and submissive loving obedience of all his
subjects. Almost all nations of the earth have agreed in
giving a tenth part of their property to be emploj'ed in reli-
gious uses. The tythes were afterwards granted to the Levites
for the use of the sanctuary; and the maintenance of them-
.«elves and their families, as they had no other inheritance in
Israel.
Verse 22. / li'ive lift i/p mine hand] The primitive mode
of appealing to God, and calling him to witness a particular
transaction: this, no doubt, gtnerally obtained among the
faithful, till ciraimcision, the sign of the covenant, was esta-
blished; after this, in swearing, the hand was often placed on
the circumcised part; seech, xxiv. 2. and 9.
Verse 2j. From a thread even to a shoe-latchet] This was
certainly a proverbial mode of expression, the full meaning of
which is perhaps not known. Atnon^- the Rabbinical writers
C\1 chut, or 'D^n chilli, signifies ajillet ivoi-n by young ivomen,
to tie up their hair; taken in this sen.sc it will give a good
meaning here. As Abram had rescued both the men and
women carried off by the cunffderate kings; and the king of
Sodom had olVered hiin all the goods, claiming only the per-
sons; he answers, by protesting again.^t the reception of any
of their property: " I have vowed unto the Lord, the pro-
prietor of heaven and earth, that 1 will not receive the smallest
portion of the prii|)crty either of the women or men, (Vom a
girl's fillet to a man's shoe-tie."
Verse 24. Sure only thai vuhich the young men have eaten] His
own sei^vants h:ul partaken of the victuals w hich the confederate
kings had carried away, see vcr. 11. This was unavoidable,
and this is all he claims; but a.s he had no right to pre-
Ffrbe the same liberal conduct to his assistants, Aucr,
l^hcol, and Manirf, he left them to claim the share that, by
right <f conquest, belonged to them of tlie recaptured booty.
Wbetlier they were as generous as Abram, we are not told.
The great variety of striking incidents in this chapter the
attentive reader has already carefully noted. To read, and ;
not understumt, is the property of the foolish and the inconsi- |
derate. I. We have already seen the danger to which 1 ot '
exposed himeell in preferring a ti;-rtile regiiMi, though peopled
vitli the workers of ini(|iiity. His .sorrows coiimuuce in the
capfivity of himself and family, and the los.s of all his pro-
perty ; though, by tlie good providence of God, he and ihev
were rescued. 2. I-ong observation has proved, that ll»e
' So Esther 9. 15, 16. " vcr. 13.
company a man keeps, is not an indifferent thing — it will
either be the means of his salvation or destruction. 3. A ge-
nerous man cannot be contented with mere personal safetj',
while others are in danger; nor with his own prosperity while
others are in distress. Abram, hearing of the captivity of his
nephew, determines to attempt his rescue, puts himself at the
head of his own servants, three hundred and eighteen in
number, and the few assistants with which his neighbours,
Mamre, Aner, and Eshcol, could furnish him, trusting in I
God and the goodness of his cause, he marches off to attack
four confederate kings! 4. Though it is not very likely that
the armies of those petty kings could have amounted to inany ,
thousands, yet they were numerous enough to subdue almost
the whole land of Canaan, and consequently, humanly
speaking, Abram must know that by numbers he could not
prevail; and that in this case particularly, tlie battle was the
Lord's. 5. While depending on the divine blessing and suc-
cour, he knew he must use the means he had in his power,
he therefore divided his troops skilfully that he might attack
the enemy at different points at the same time; and he chuses
the night season to commence his attack, that the smallness
of his force might not be discovered. God requires a man to
use all the faculties he has given him, in every lawful enter-
prize; and only in the conscientious u»e of them, can he ex-
pect the divine bles.sing: when this is done, the event may
be salely trusted in the hands of God. 6. Here is a war
umlertaken by Abram on motives the most honourable and
conscientious — it was to repel aggression, and to rescue the
innocent from the heaviest of sulierings and the worst of
slavery; not for the purpose of plunder, nor the extension of
his territories ; therefore he takes no spoils, and returns
peaceably to his own possessions. How happy would the
woi'ld be, were every sovereign actuated by the same spirit!
7. We have already noticed the appearance, person, office,
&c. of jSIelchizedek ; and, without indulging in the wild
theories of either ancient or modern vi.sionaries, have consi-
dered him as the scriptures do, a type of Christ : all that has
been already spoken on this head may be recapitulated in a
few words: — 1. The Redeemer of the World is the King of
Righteoiisiu'ss, he creates it, maintains it, and rules by it.
2. His empire is the Empire of Peace, this he proclaims to
them who are afar ofl", and to them that are nigh; to the Jew
and to the Gentile. 3. He is Priest of the most high God,
and has laid down his lile for the sin of the world; and
through this sacrifice, the blessini; of God is derived on
them that believe. Reader, take him for thy kitig as well as
thy priest : he saves those only who submit to his authority,
and take his spirit for the regulator of their heart, and his
God appears again unto Abram,
CHAP. XV.
a7id renews his promise.
word for the director of their conduct. How many do we
find among those who wotihl be sorry to be rated so low, as to
rank only with nominal Cliristians, talking of Christ as their
prophet, priest, and king: who are not taught by his word and
spirit ; who apply not for redtmption in his blood ; and who
submit not to liis authorili/! Reader, learn this deep and im-
portant truth; " ll'here I tun, there also shall my servant be;
and lie that servcih me, him shall my Father honour."
CHAPTER XV.
God appears to Abram in a vision, and gives him great encouragement, 1. Ahram's request and complaint, G, 3.
Cod promises him a son, 4. and an eiceedinglj/ numerous posteriti/, 5. Jhram credits the promise, and his
faith is counted unto him for righteousness, 6. Jehovah proclaims himself, and rencrvs the promise of Canaan
to his posteriti/, 7. Ahram requires a sign of its fulfilment, 8. Jehovah directs him to ufer a sacrifice of five
different animals, f). JVhirh he accordingly/ does, 10, 11. God reveals to him the affliction of his posteriti/ in
Egi/pl, and the duration of that (ffliction, 12, 13. Promises to bring them buck to the land of Canaan with
great a^luence, 14 — lO. Renezcs the covenant zcith Abram, and mentions the possessions zchich should be given
to his posteriti/, 1 8 — 2 1 .
FTER these things tlic word of
e Lord came unto Abram ^in
a vision, saying, "^ Fear not, Abram, I atn thy
A.M.cir.20P3.
B.C.cir.lPll.
A"
'Dan. 10. 1. Acts 10. 10, 11. ''cli. i.'6. 21. Dan. 10. U'. Luke 1. 13, 30.
NOTKS ON CH.AP. XV.
Verse 1. Tlie word nf tlie Lord came unto Abram] This is
the frst place where God is represented as revealing himself
by his word. Some learned men suppose that the niiT "IDT
Debar Yehovah, translatid here word of tlie Lord, means the
same with the Aoyo; tow Qsou of St. John, chap. i. ver. 1.
and by the Chaldee paraphrases in the next clause, called
nt:'D niemree, my word, and in other ])Iaces, "l NIO'D
mcmra dat/ai, the WORD of Jehovah, which tiny appear al-
ways to consider as a person, and which they distini;uisli fniui
NCjnD pithgama, which signifies merely a word spoken, or an\
part oi speech. There have been various conjectures concern-
ing the manner in which God revealed his will not only to
the Patriarchs, but akso to the Prophets, Evangelists, and
Apostles. It seems to have been done in diiVtreiit ways. 1.
Ry a personal appearance of him who was allerwards incar-
nated for the salvation of mankind. '2. By an nudihle voice,
sometimes accompanied with emblematical appearances. 3.
By visions, which took place either in the nigiit, in ordinary
sleep, or when the persons were cast into a temporary trance,
by day-light, or when about their ordinary business. 4. By
the ministry of angels, appearing in human bodies, and per-
forming certain miracles to accredit their mission. 5. By
the powerful agency of the Spirit of Gnd upon the mind, giv-
ing it a strong conception, and supernatural persuasion of
the truth of the things perceived by the understanding. We
shall see all ihcsc exemplified in the course of the work. It
was probably in the third sense that the Revelation in the
text was given, for it is said, God appeared to Ahram in a
vision nirra mcchazch, from nin cliazah, he saw ; or accord-
ing to others, to fix, fasten, settle: hence chozeh, a SEEIi,
the person who sees divine things ; to whom alone ihey arc
revealed, on whose mind they are futened, and in whose
' shield, a7id thy exceeding " great a-"'"S095.
,' -^ Ob B.C.cir.lOll.
reward.
2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt
'Ps. 3. 3. &5. 12. & 84. 11. i 91. 4. & 119. 114.-
Prov. 11. 18.
-XPs. 16. 5. & 58. 11.
memory and judgment they are fixed and settled. Hence
the vision, what was mentally perceived, and by the evidence
to the soul of its divine origin, fixed and settled in the mind.
Fear not} The late Dr. Dodd has a good thought on tlii.s
passage : " I would read," says he, " the second verse in a
parenthesis, thus, For Abram HAD said. Lord God what
ivill thou give me, seeing I go childless, iS'c. Abram had said
tins in the fear of his heart, upon which the Lord vouchsafed
to him this prophetical viae, and this strong renovation of
the covenant. In this light all follows* very properly. Abram
had said so and so in ver. 2. upon which God appears, and
says, / am thy shield, tmd thy exceeding great reward. The
Patriarch then, ver. 3. freely opens the anxious apprehen-
sion of his heart : behold, to me thou bust yet given no seed, tV-
upon which (jod proceeds to assure him of ))ostcrily."
/ am thi/ shield, iV'.] t.'an it be supposed that 7\bram un-
tlcrstood these words as promising him temporal advantages
at all corresponding to the magnificence of these promises?
If he did, he was disappoiiited through the whole course of his
life; for he never enjoyed such a state of worldly prosperity, as
could justify the strong language in the text. Shall we lose
sight of Abram, and say that his posterity w as intended, and
Abram understood the promises as relating to them and not
to himself, or immediately to his own family? thin the ques-
tion recurs; Did the Israelites ever enjoy such a state of tem-
poral affluence as seems to be intended by the above pro-
mise? To this every man acquainted with their history,
will, without hesitation, say NO. What then is intended ?
just what the words state. GOD was Ahram's portion, and He is
the portion of every righteous soul; for to Abram, and the chil-
dren of his faith, he gives not a portion in this life. Nothing,
says Father Calmet, jiroves more invincibly the immortality
of the soul, the truth of religion, and the eternity of another
Abrani's complaint.
thou give me, * seeing I go childless,
steward of my house is this
AM.cir.5093.
B.C.cir.1911.
and
the
Eliezer of Damascus?
3 And Abram said,
GENESIS. Isaac is promised.
now toward heaven, and A.M.dr.aoQs-
' stars,
given no seed
Behold to me thou hast
and lo, " one born in my house
IS maic.
4 ^ And, behold the word of the Lord came
unto him, saying. This shall not be thine heir;
But he that " shall corae tbrth out of thine own
bowels shall be thine heir.
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and
if tliou be able to
and he said unto him.
B. C.cir.1911.
So shall
•Acts7.5. '>cli.l|..t4. ^=25:101.7.12. & 16.11. 2 Cliron. 32. 21.
*Ps. 147. 4 Mer. S3. 22. fch. 2?. 17. Esod. 32. 13. Deut. 1. 10 &
10. 22. iChion. 27. 23. Rom. 4. 18. Hebr. il. 12. See cli. 13. Id.
life, than to see that in this life, the rigiileous seldom receive
the reward of their virtue, and that in temporal tilings they
are often less ha[)py tlian the workers of iniquity.
/ am, saj-s the Almia;l]ty, t/iy sliitld, thy cons-tant covering;
and protector, a>ul llijj exceeding great reiuard, 1X0 nSTl "pjU
Shekar-ca ha-rehbeh meod, " TH.-iT superlatively multiplied re-
ward of thine." It is not the Canaan I promis?, but the sal-
valion that is to come through the promised seed. Hem e it
was, that Abram rejoiced to see Ins dai/. And hence the
Cliaklcc Targum translates this place, Mij WOltD shall be thy
strenqth, SfC.
Verse 2. And the sleivard of my /low.sf] Abram under-
standin ; the promise as relating^ to that pei.-;on who was to
sprin^r from his family, in whom all the nations of the earth
should be bles..ed, expresses his surprize that there should be
such a promise, and yet he is about to die childle.ss! How
then can the promise be fulfilled, when, far from a spiritual
seed, he has not everi^^crson in his family that has a naiural
right to his property, jnd that a stranger is likely to be his
heir! This seems to be the general sense of the passage, but
vho this stei:;ard of his house, this Eliezer of D^vnascus, was
commtnt.itcrs are not agreed. The trani-lation of the Sep-
tuagint is at least curious oh uioj MaTsa Tni Oixoytvou^ fAou,
cuTo; Aa/xa<rxoi Eme^e^. The son of Masck my home-born maid,
this Eliezer of Damascus, is my heir; which intimates, tiiat
they supposed pcij meshck, which we translate stetvard, to
have been the name oCa female slave born in the family of Abram,
of whom was born this Eliezer, who, on account eiliier of
the country of his father or motlicr, was called a Damascene, or
one of Damascus. It is extremely probable, that our Lord
has this passage in view, in his parable of the rich man and
Lazarus, Luke xvi. 19. From the name E//e:er, by leaving
out the first letter, Liazcr is formed, which makes Lazarus in
the New Testament; tlie person who, from an abject and dis-
tressed state, was raised to lie in the bosom of Abram in
paradise.
Verse 5. Look now totvard heaven'] It appears that
this whole transaction took plare in the evening. See on
chap. xiii. 14. and Abram had either two visions, that re-
corded in vcr. 1. and that in ver. 12, &c. or what is men-
tioned in the beginning of this chapter is a part of the occur-
said, look
"tell the
number them:
thy seed be.
6 ^ And he ^ believed in the Lord ; and he
" counted it to him tor righteousness.
7 % And he said unto him, I am the Lord
that ' brouo-ht thee out of " Ur of the Chaldees,
' to give thee this land to inherit it.
8 And he said, Lord God, " whereby sliall I
know that I shall inherit it?
ERnm. 4. 3, 9, 22. Gal. .3. 6. .Tarn. 2. 23 "Ps. IOC. 31, -'ch. 12. 1.
licli. 11. i'8, 31. 'I's, lOi. 42, -14 R.>m. 4. 13. ""Seo cli. 21. 13, 11.
.Tudg. 6. 17, 37. 1 Sam. 14. 9, 10. 2 Kings 20. 8. Luke 1. 18.
rences which took place after the sacrifice mentioned, ver. 9.
&c. Rut it is more hkely that there was a vision of that kir.il
already described, and afterwards a sccor.d, in which he re-
ceived the reveUiion mentioned ver. I.') — 16. After the first
vision, be is brought forth abrctd, to see if he can number tha
stars; and as he finds this impoislble, he is assured that as
they are to him innumerable, so shall his posterity be; and
that all should spring from one whn should proceed from
his own bowel5, one who should be his own legitimate
child.
Verse G. And hs believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him
for righ/cousneis-l This I conceive to be one of the most im-
portant passages in the whole Old Testament. It properly
contains and sp.-cifies that doctrine o^ justification by faitli
which engrosses so considerable a share of the epistles of St.
Paul; and at the foundation of which is the atonement made
by the Son of God. And he, Abram, believed (ICSn he-emin,
he put faith) in Jehovah, h nacTI'l vaiyachM)eah lo, and he
counted it, the faith he put in Jehovah, to III.M for righteous-
ness, npIS tsedakah, or justification, though there was no act
in the case, but tliiit of the mind and heart; no leork of any
kind. Hence the doctrine oijustification by faith, xvit/n.ut any
merit of works: for, in this case there could be none — no works
of Abram which could merit the salvation of llie whole human
race. It was the promise of God which he credited; and iti
the bles.sedness of which he became a partaker through faith.
See at the close of the chajjtcr; see also on Rom. iv.
Verse 7. Ur of the Chaldees'] See on chap. xi.
Verse 8. And he said, Lord God] HH' 'JIN, Adonai Yeho-
vah, my Lord Jehovah; Ad<'nai is the word which the Jews in
reading, always substitute for Jehovah, as they count it impious
to pronounce this name. Adonai signifies my director, basis,
supporter, prop, or stay; and scarcely a more appropriate name .
tan be given to that God who is the frumer and director of
every righteous word and action; the basis or foundation on
which every rational hope re--ts; the supporter of the souls and
bodies of men, as well as of the universe in general; the prop
and stay of the weak and fainting, and the buttress that shores
up the building, which otherwise must nece.ssarily fall. This
word often occurs in the Hebrew Bible, and i% rendered in '
our translation Lord; the same term by which the word
Abram's sacrifice.
A w.c.r.wM. 9 And he said unto him, ' Take me
^^•^ ;'"''•'"• a heifer of tliiee years old, and a slie
goat of three years old, and a ram of three years
old, and a turtle dove, and a young pigeon.
•Lev. I. 3, 10, U. it I','. 8. & 14. Z'>- SO. Luke 11. 2-1. I»ai. 15. 5.
CHAP. X^', The manner of offering it.
10 And he took unto him all the.se,
and ''divided them in the midst, and
laid each piece one against another : but the
birds divided he not.
JeliM'ali is expressed. But to distingiiUh between llie two,
and to shew the reader ulnii the original is niiT Yclioiali, and
when »J1X Adonai, tlie first is always put in capitals, LORD,
the latter in plain Roman cliaraclcrs, Lord. For the word
Jehncah, see on chap. ii. 4. and on Exod. xxxiv. 6.
Wha-ebt/ shall I kno-.j] Hy what si'^n shall I be assured lliat
I shall inherit thi.s land? — For it appears that he expected
some sign, and that on such occasions, one was ordinarily giv( n.
Verse 9. Take men heifer] n^JJ' i-j^clah, nsliecalf; as/iesout,
jp I'j, a goat male nr female, but distinguished here by ihefaui-
njHe adjective, ntt'VtJ'O mciliulleslicth, a tltrcc yearling ; a ram,
7'^ aj/il ; a turtle dove, ^n tor, from which come turtur, and
turtle ; young pigeon, 7J1J gozal, a word which signifies the
young both of jui^cons and eagles. See Dent, xxxii. 1 1. It is
worthy of remark, that every species of animal allowed or coni-
inanded to be sacrificed unilcr the Mosaic law, is to be found
■in this list. And is it not a proof that God was now giving
to Abr.im, an epitome of that law and its sacrifices, which he
intended more fully to reveal to Moses; the es.scnce of which
consisted in its sarrijkes. which typified the Lamb of God,
that takes away the sin of the world.
On the several animals which God ordered Abram to take,
Jarchi remarks : " The idolatrous nations are compared in
the scriptures to bulls, 7-u)iis, and goars, for it is written, Psal.
xxii. I'i. Many bulls iiaie compassed me about. Dan. viii. 20.
Tlie rum uhicit thou hast seen is the king of Persia. Ver. 2 I .
The rough goat is the king of Greece. But the Israelites are
compared to doves, 8ic. Cant, ii. 14. 0 my dove that art in
the cleft of the rock. The division of the above carcases, de-
notes the division and extermination of the idolatrous nations:
but the birds not being divided, shews that the Lraelites are to
abide for ever." .See Jarchi on the place.
Ver.-e 10. Divided them in the midst] The ancient method
of making covenants, as well as the original word, have been al-
ready alliidtd to, and, in a general way, explained. See chap,
vi. IS. The word covenant from con, together, and venio, I
come, signifies an agreement, association, or meeting between
two or more parties; for it is impossible that a covenant can
be made between an individual and hiiiiscH', wlicther (jod or
man ; this is a doi trinal absurdity into winch manv linve
run : there mus-t be at least two parties to contract with
each other. And often tiiere was a third jjarty. to mediate
Ihe agreement, and to witness it when md<le. Rabbi .Solo-
mnn .larchi says, " That it was a custom with thost- uho
entered into covenant with each other, to take a lieiftr and
cut it in two, and then, the contracting parties passed be-
tw( en the pieces." See this and the scriptures to which
if reliiM-p particularly e\-|ilamed clirip. vi. IS. A covenant ai-
vays supposed oiieof these four things, 1. That the contract-
ing parties had been hitherto wiknoiinto each other, and were
brought by the covenant into a state oi acquaintance. 2. Thai
.\.M.cir.V(W5.
B C.cir. 19n.
•> Jer. 9*. 18, 19. Lev. i. 17.
they had been previously in a slate of hostility or enmity, and
were brought by the covenant into a state of pacifcation and
friendship. 3. Or that being known to each other, they now
j agree to unite their counsels, strength, property, &c. for the
accomplishent of a particular purpose, mutually subservient
' to the interests of both. Or, 4. It implies an agreement to
.succour and del'end a third parly, in cases of oppression and
distress. l*or whatever purpose a covenant was made, it was
ever ratified by a sacrifice olfered to God ; and the passing
between the divided parts of the victim, appears to have sig-
j nificd, that each agreed, if tiiey Ijroke their engagetnents to
j submit to the punishment of being cut asunder; which we
; find from Mat. xxiv. 51. Luke xii. 46. was an ancient mode
j of punishment. This is further confirmed by Herodotus,
who says, that .'^abacus, king of Fthiopia, had a vision in
: which he was ordered ixtcrovi ^iart/xEiv to cut in two, all the
' F.gyptian jiriests. Lib. ii. We find also from the same author,
j Lib. vii. that Xences ordered one of the sons of Pythius,
! nea-ov S^tarefiEiv, to be cut in fwo, and one half to be phiced on
; each side of the way, that his army might pass through be-
' tween them. That this kind of punishment was used anions
tiie Persians, we have ))ro()f from Dan. ii. 5. iii. 29. Story
Of Susanna, ver. 55, 59. See further 2 Sam. xii. 31. and
I Chron. XX. -i. These authorities may be sufficient to shew
that ihe passing betiveen the parts of the divided victims, si"-ni-
fied the punishment to which those ex posed themselves who broke
their covenant engagements. And thai covenant s.-icrifices were
thus divided, among the heathens, cvealWrom the remotest anti-
cjuity, seems to be intimated by Homer, 11. A. v. 4G0.
AiTTTuxoi 'TTOintravrii, i%' aurav ^ a/<o5£T»crai'.
" They cut the quarters and cover them with the fat ; di-
viding them into two, they place the raw flesh upon them."
Bvit this place may be diftercntly understood.
St. Cyril, in his work against .Lilian, shews ihat passing be-
txeecn the ilividcd pans of a victim, was used also anion"' the
Ch.ildeans and other people. As the sacrifice was required to
: make an atonement to God, so the death of the animal was ne-
Ij cpssary to signify to the contracting parties, the punishment to
11 which they exposed themselves, should they prove unfaithful.
jl Livy preserves the form of the inqirecation used on such
' orca-ions, in the account he gives of the league made between
the Romans and Albans. A\'lien the Romans were about to
1 enltr into some solemn league or covenant, ihey sacri-
ficed a hog, and, on the above occasion, the priest, or pater
' patratus, before he slew the animal, stood, and thus invoked
'.. Jupiter — Audi, Jupiter — Si prior defecerit publico conxilio dolo
' malo, tiim ilto die, Diespitcr, Populum liomanum sic ferito,
, ut ego hunc porcuni hie liodic ferium : tantoque majus ferito
Prediction of Israel's suffering.
GENESIS.
and redemption.
A.M.ur.2(.93- \\ And wlicn the fowls came down
^'-'^''^•'''"- upon the carcases, Abram drove
tliem away.
12 % And when the sun was going down, " a
deep sleep fell upon Abram : and, lo, a horror
of great darkness fell upon hiiii.
13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a
surety, " that tliy seed shall be a stranger in a
land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and
' they shall afflict them four hundred years ;
14 And also that nation, whom they shall j
serve, '' will I judge : and afterward, " shall they
come out with great substance.
A.^l.cu.2ii93.
B.C.cIr. 1911.
•Gen. 2 21. .Tob4. 13 —
'Kxurt 1. U. Ps. 10'. 2i —
I'l. li>.i. .">7. '■.Tob .). '10.-
I'i. 10. ' 1 Kiii^s Kt. 2ti.-
-" Exoil. 12. 4(1. Ps. 10.-,. 23. Act? 7. 6
-J V.!<.i,i\. (i. 6. Dcut 6. 22. ' K.\cd. 12. 36.
— 5 Acls 13. 3(>.— — •" cl\. 2."j. 8 ' Exod.
-' Dan. 8. 23. JMatt. 23. 32. 1 Tljess. i!. 16.
Lib.
Decad.
quanta mnjus poles pollesre ! LlVII Hist
Chap. '2'i. " Htar, O Jupiter — siiould tlie Romans in public
counsel tlir<iui;h any fvil device, first transy:res'^ tlitse laws, in
that .^aine day, OJnpiltr, thus smite the Roman per.plc, as
I shall at tliis tid.e smite this hog : and smite them with a
severity proportioiud to the greatness of thy power and misiht !"
But tlie birds dixided he not.'] According- to the law, Lev.-i.
n. fouls were not to be divided asunder, but only cloven,
lor the purpose of takinir out the intestines.
Verse 1 1. Ami iilieii the fowl ] 0»j;n lia-w/if, birds of prey
came doum jqmn the carcases, to devour them ; Abram, who
stood by his sacrifice waiting for the manifestation of Got),
who had ordered him to prepare for the ratification of the
covenant, drove them a-jjuij, that they might neither /)o//!(;c nor
devour what had bec^dius consecrated to God.
Verse 12. A dcepsleqt] nOTin tardemah the same word
which is u>ed to ex])re5s the sleep into which Adam was cast,
previously to the creation of Eve. Chap. ii. 21.
A horror of s,rcat diirkncss] Which God designed to be
expre.ssive of the aillictioii and nii.sery into wlueh his pos-
tirity sliould be brought, during tiie ^bwr hundred years of
their bondage in Egypt; as the next verse particularly states.
Verse 1 3. Four hundred years] Which began, says Mr.
yVinsworth, when Ishmael son of H agar mocked and persecuted
Jsaac, Gen. xxi. 9. Gal. iv. 29. which fell out thirty years
after the promise : Gen. -xii. 3. which promise was./b«r hundred
and thiriy years hetorc the Idw, Gal. iii. 17; and four hundred
and thirty years after that promi.se, caine Israel out of Egypt,
Exod. XII. 41. On this latter passage, see the note.
Verse 14. Ami also that nation, ^c] How remarkably
was this promi.se fulfilled, in the redemption of Israel from
if! bondage, in the plagues and destruction of the Egyptians,
and in ttie immense wealth which the Israelites brought out
of Fgypl ! Not a more circumstantial, or literally iulfilltd
promisv, IS to be found in the sacred writings.
Verse 15. 'J'hou shall !;o to thy fatlters in peace] Does not this
verse strongly imply the immorlality of the soul, and a state of
separate cxiilLcnce? ile was gathered to his fathers, intro-
15 And ^ thou shalt go ^ to thy fa-
thers in peace; ""thou shalt be buried
in a good old age.
IG But 'in the fourth generation they shall
come hither again : for the iniquity " of the
Amorites ' is not yet full.
17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun
went down, and it wt.s darlc, behold a smoking
fnrnacc, and " a burning lamp that " passed be-
tween those pieces.
18 In the same day the Lord "made a co-
venant with Abram, saying, " Unto thy seed
have I given this land, from the river of Egypt
™ ITeb. a lamp of fire- ".Ter, 34. 18, I?. ° ch. 24. 7. P ch. 12. 7.
& 1.3. 15. & 2(j. 4. Excid 23. 31. Niinili. 31. .3. Deuf. 1. 7. & 11. 24.
fc 34. 4. ..Tcsli. 1. 4. 1 Kings 4. 21. 2 Chron. y. 26. Ncli. 9. 8. Ps. 1(15.
11. Isai. 27. 12.
duced into the place where separate spirits are kept, waiting
for tlie general resurrection. Two things seem to be dis-
tinctly marked here. 1. The soi'l of Abram should be in-
troduced among the assembly of the first-born ; Thou shalt
'^0 to thy fathers in peace. 2. His body should be buried
after a long li'e, 0)ie hundred and seventy-five years, chap. xxv.
7. The body was buried — the soul went to the spiritual world,
to dwell among the Fathers, the patriarch.', who had lived
and died in the Lord. Seethe note on chap. xxv. 8.
Verse 1 6. In the fourth generarion] In former times,
most ancient people counted by generations, to each of which
was assigned a term of years sometimes amounting to 20, 25,
30, 33, 100, 108 and 110; for the £^mi')Yi</o;Mvas of various
lengths among various jieople, at ddVerent times. It is pro-
bable that the four'h generation here, means the same as the
four hundred years in the preceding verse. Some think, it
refers to the time when Eliezar the son of Aaron, the son of
Amrain, the son of Kohath, came out of Egypt, and divided
the land of Canaan to Israel, Josh. xiv. I. others think the
fourth generation of the Amorites is intended; because it is
immediaiely added, the iniquity of the Amorites is aot yet fall ;
but in the fourth generation they should be expelled, and the
descendants of Abram established in their place. From
these words we learn that there is a certain pitch of iniquity
to which nations may arrive before they are destroyed ; and
beyond which, divine justice does not permit them to pass.
Vorse 17. Smoking furnace, and u burning lump] Probably
the smoking furnace might be designed as an emblem of the
.sore afflictions of the Israelites in Egypt; but the burning lamp
was certainly the symbol of the divine presence, which, parsing
between the pieces, ratified the covenant with Abram, as the
Ibllowing verse immediately states.
Verse 18. The Lord made a covenant] nns n"13 carath
berith, signifies to cut a covenant, or rather the covenant sa-
crifice ; for as no covenant was made without one, and the
creature was cut in two that the contracting parties might pass
between the pieces, hence cutting the covenant, signified,
I making the covenant. The same form of speech obtained
Extent of the CHAP. XV,
unto the great river, the river ' Eu-
phrates :
9 The ^ Kenitcs, and the Kenizzites, and tlie
A.M.cir.sny.;.
JfC.cir. 19U.
Kadmonites,
'C\i. 2. It. SSiim. S.3. 1 Cliroii. 5.9.*2Clir. 9. 2fi. '' Num. 2-1. 21, '2'^.-
ni-.ionsf the Romans; ami because, in cnakinsf their covenants,
they always slew an animal, either by culling .its throat, or
knocking it down with a stone or ax, after which tlifV dividud
the parts as we ha\T alieady >een, hence anion^- theui fier-
ciUae fedus, to smite a ruvcnaiit; and scindevc fadus, to cleait
a covenant, were terms, which signified siinplj-, to iiirikc or
,mter into a covenant.
Fiojn the river of Ea^pt] Not the Nile, but the river
called Sichor, which was before or on the border of Esfypt,
near to the Isthmus of .Suez, see Josli. xiii. :5. ; though some
think, tiiat, by this, a branch of the Nile is meant. This
promise was fully accomplished in the days of David and
Solomon; see 2 Sam. viii. 3, &c. 2 Chron. ix. 26.
Verse 19. The Kenites, i^c] Here are ten nations men-
tioned, thouffh afterwards, reckoned but seven; see Dcut. vii. 1.
Acts xiii. 1 y. Probably some of them which existed in
Abram's tin,e, had been blended with others before the time
of Moses, so that seven only out of the ten then remained ;
see part of these noticed, Gen. x.
In this chapter there are three subjects which must be par-
ticularly interesting to the pious reader. I. The condescen-
sion of Gov in revealinjj himself to mankind in a variety of
ways, so as to render it absolutely evident, that he had spoken,
that he loved mankind, and that he had made every requisite
provision for iheir eternal welfare. So unequivocal were the
discoveries which God made of himselfj that on the minds
of those to whom they were made, not one doubt was left,
relative cither to the truth of the subject, or that it was God
himself who made the discovery. The subject of the disco-
very also, was such as sufficiently attested its truth to all fu-
ture generations, for it concerned matters yet in futurity, so
distinctly maikrd, so positively promised, and so highly intei-
tsting, as to make them objects of attention, meniorj and desire,
till they did come ; and of i^rutitude, because of the perma-
nent blessedness they communicated, through all generations,
af.er the facts had taken place.
2. The way of sanation by faith in the promised Saviour,
promised laJid.
20 And tlie Hittites, and the Pe
rizzites, and the " llephaims.
A.M.cir.a<l9,J.
U.C.cir. 1911.
21 And the "^ Amorites, aud the Canaanites,
and the Girgasliites, and the Jcbusites.
■^cli. H..). U.J?
•• — -■" til. 10. 15—19. Exod. 23. '.'i— 28. & 33. 8. It 34. H,
J^cut. 7. 1.
which now began to be explicitly declared. God gives the
promise of salvation, and by means, in which, it was impos-
sible, humanly speaking, that it should take place. Teaching
us, 1. That the whole work was spiriuiul, supernatural and
divine; and, 2. That no human power could suffice to pro-
duce it. 'I'his, Abram believed while he was yet uncircuin-
cised, and this faith was accounted to him for righteousness
or justific.ition, God thereby teaching, that he would pardon,
accept and receive into favour all who sliould believe on the
I.ord Jesus Chri.st. And this very case has ever since been the
standard of justification by faith ; and the experience ofmillions
of men built on this foiiii<ktion, has sufficiently attested the
truth and solidity of the ground on which it was budded.
3. The foundation of the doctrine iLself is laid in the co-
venant made between God and Abram, in behalf of all the
families of the earth; and this covenant is ratified by a sa-
crifice. By this covenant man is bound to God ; and God
graciously binds himself to man. As this covenant referred
to the incarnation of Christ, and Abram, both as to himself
and posterity, were to partake of the benefits of it by faith ;
hence faith, not uorks, is the only condition, on whicji, God,
through Christ, forgives sin.s and brings to the promised
spiritual inheritance. This covenant still stands open : all
the successive generations of men are parties on the one side,
and .Jesus is at once the sacrifice and mediator of it. As,
therefore, the covenant still stands open, and Je-sus is still the
lamb slain before the throne, every human soul must ratify
the covenant for himself; and no man does so, but he, wh»
conscious of his guilt, accepts the sacrifice which God has pro-
vided for him. Reader, hast thou done so ? And, with a heart
unio righteousness, dost thou continue to believe on the Son of
God } How inerritul is God, who has found out such a
way <if salvation, by providing a Saviour every way suitable
to miserable, fallen, sinful man! One, who is holy, harmless,
uudtfiled and separate from sinners; and who, bein'T lii<rh«r
than the heavens, raises up his faithful follow eis to the throne
of his own eternal glory ! Reader, give (iod the praise, and
avail thyself of the sin-oflering which lieth at the door.
CHAP. XVI.
Sural having no child, gives Hagar her maid to Abram for zcifc, 1 — 3. She conceives and despises her tnisfress, 4
Sarai is offended, and upbraids Abram, 5. Abram vindicates himself, and IJagar being hardly used by
her mistress, runs arc ay, 6. She is met by an angel, and cotiiisdUd to return to her mistress, 7, g. God pro-
mises great 1 1/ I o multipli/ her seed, 10. Gives the name of Ishmaet to the child that should be burn of her, 11.
ShehS kis disposition and character, 1'2. Hagar cal/.\ the name of the Lord uho spake to her, Tliou God seest
mc, U. She calls the name of the zcell at which the Angel met her, Beer-lahai-roi, 44. Ishmael is born in
the SGtk year of ylbiam's age, 15, l6.
SI 2
Sarai "ives Hacrar to Abram :
A. M.
B. C
o
209.'.
1912.
N
TOW Sarai Abram's wife, * bare
Iiim no
lildren : and she
a haiKhnaid, ''an Eg}j)tian, wliose name
had
teas
Hagar.
" And
Sarai said nnto Abram, Behold now
the Loud " iiatli restrained me from bearing : I
pray ' thee, go in nnto my maid ; it may be that
I may ^ obtain chikh'en by her. And Abram
" Iiearkened to the voice of Sarai.
A..M.'j(.9j. 3 ^nj Sarai Abram's wife took
"•^•'^"- Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after
Abram "'had (hwlt ten years in the land of Ca-
naan, and gave her to her husband Abram, to
be his wife.
4 % And he went in nnto Hagar, and she
GENESIS. she Jlees from her mistress.
conceived : and when she saw that a. m. 2093.
i she had conceived, her mistress was '^' ^°"'
j '' despised in her eyes.
5 And Sarai said nnto Abram, My wrong he
\ upon thee : I have given my maid into thy bo-
' som ; and when she saw that she had conceived,
I Ayas despised in her eyes : ' the Lord judge
between me and thee.
6 "" But Abram said unto Sarai, " Behold, thy
maid is in thy hand ; do to her ° as it pleaseth
thee. And when Sarai *" dealt hardly with her,
'' she fled from her face.
7 ^ And the angel of the Lord found her by
a fountain of water in the wilderness, ' by the
ii)untain in the way to ' Shur.
• oil. 45. % S. >■ ch. ?1. 9. ' Gal. 4. »4. " cli. 30. 3. ' ch. 20. IS.
k 1), 2. ISam. 1. .=i, 6. ^ So cli. rJO. S. 9. e Hel>. be btiilded b>i her.
1" ch. 3.17. 'cli. 15!. 5. '".'Sam. (5. 16. Prov. 30. SI, So.
NOTES ON CUAP. X\ I.
Verse I. She had an hanilmuid, an E'^yptian] As llairar
was an Epyplian, St. Chiyjfoslom's eoiijecture i^ very pro-
bable, that she was one of those female slaves which Pliaraoli
gave to Abram when he sojourned in Kgypt; see chap. xii.
16. Her name, ijn hagar, signifies a stranger or sojourner ;
and it is hkcly, she <jot this name in the family of Abram ; as
the word is pure Hebrew.
Verse 2. Go in unto my maid] It must not be forgotten, that fe-
malf slaves constituted a p.irt of the private patrimony or posses-
sions of the wife; and that she had a right, accordini;- to the
u.';ap;es of those times, to disjiose of them as she pleased, the
liusband having no authority in the case.
/ mai/ obtain children bj/ her] The slave, being the absor
hue property of the mistress, not only her person, but the fruits
«f her labour, with all her children, were her owner's property
also. The children, therefore, which were born of the slave,
M-ere considered as the cluidrcn of the mistress. It was on
this ground that Sarai gave her slave to Abram ; and we find,
vhat must noeessarily be the conscquenre in all cases of po-
lygamy, that strifes and contentions took place.
Verse 5. Mi/ wrong be upon thee] This appears to be in-
tended as a reproof to Abram, containing an insinuation,
that it was his fault that she herself had not been a mother;
and that now he carried himself more affectionately towards
Hagar, than be did to her, in consequence of which conduct,
the shivc became ])clulant. To remove all suspicion of tiiis
kind, .Abram delivers up Hagar into her hand, who was cer-
tainly under his protection, while she was his concubine or
secondary wife; hut this r\giht given to him by Surui, he re-
stores, 10 prevent her jealousy and uneasiness.
Verse 6. Sarai dealt hardly iviih her] rjjfn teancah, she af-
jlictcd her — the term implying stripes und hard usage, to bring
down the body and humble the mind- If the slave was to blame
in thi.t businrs-s, the mistress is not less liable to censure. .She
alone, had brought her into those circumstances, in which, it
van natural for her to value herself beyond her mistress.
, --h. 31.5>. 1 Sam. 24. 12. '" PrOT. 1.5. 1. 1 Pet. 3. 7. ■■ Job 2. 6.
IPs 106. 41, 42. Jer. oii. 5. » lleh. tiiat ivliich ir, gocd ix thine eyes. ■
j P lli'li. tiffiicted her.—'> Kxod. 2, lo. ■■ cli. 55. 18. ^ E.xod. 15. 22.
j Verse 7. The angel of the Lord] That .lesus Christ in a
i body suited to the dignity of his nature, frequently appeared
I to the patriarchs, has been already intimated. That the per-
I son mentioned here, was greater than any created being, is
suliiciently evident from the following particulars :
1. From his promising to perform what God alone could
do, and foretelling what God alone could know. " I will
viulliply thy seed exceedingly," l>;c. ver. 10. " Thou art xvith
child, and shult bear a son," ^c. ver. 11. " He shall be a
xiild man," cVc ver. 12. All this shews a prejcjracf which is
proper to God alone.
2. Hagar considers the person who spoke to her as God:
calls him '?N* el, and addresses him in the way of worship,
which had he been a created angel, he would have refused ;
see Rev. xix. 10. xxii. 9.
3. Moses, who relates the transaction, calls this angel, ex-
pressly, JEHOVAH : for, says he, she called mn» Diy siiem yeho-
x-ah, the .name of the LoRD that spake toiler, ver. 13. Now
this is a name, never given to any created being.
4. This person who is here called nirr In'jO nialeak yehorah,
the Angel of the Lord, is the same who is called ^NJn "l.S'Son
hurmnuleak ha-goel, the redeeming An^el, or, the Angel, the
Redeemer, Gen. xlviii. 16. VJJ3 yho maleak panaiv, the
Angel of God's presence, Isa. Ixiii. 9. and nnan HN'^c
maleak ha-herith, the Angel of the Covenant, Mai. iii. 1.
And is the same person which the Septuagint, Isai. ix. 6. term
M£»/aA))f 'QouM; AyysMi, the An'zel of the great Counsel or
Design, viz. of redeeming man and filling the earth with
righteousness.
5. I'hese things cannot be spoken of any human or created
being; for the Ano::'/e(/?f, works, bfc. attributed to this person,
^•e such as belong lo God ; and as in all these cases, there
is a most evident /HVMnn/ appearance, .Jesus Christ alone can
be meant, for of God the Father, it has been ever true, that
)io man hath at any time seen his shape, nor has he ever limited
himself to any definable personal appearance.
In the way to Shur] As this was the road from Hebron
A. M. '2WS.
15. C. 1911.
An angel meets her in the desart.
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid,
whence earnest thou ? and whither
wilt thou go ? And slic said, I tlee from the fiice
of my mistress Sarai.
9 And the angel of the Lord said unto her.
Return to thy mistress, and ^ submit thyself un-
der her hands.
10 And the angel of the Loud said unto her,
'' I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it
shall not be numbered for multitude.
•Tit. 2. 9. 1 Pet. 2. 18. " cli. 17. W. & 21. 18. & 23. 12.
to Egypt, it is probable, she was now returning to lier own
country.
Verse 8. Ilu^ar, Sarai's maiil] Tills mode of adiiress is
used, to sliew lier tliat slie was known; and to remind her,
that she was the propertij of another.
Verse 10. / •jjUI ntukiph/ thy seed cxceedinuli/] ^Vho says
this.'' The person wlio is called the An^cl of the Lord; and
he certainly speaks with all that authority which is proper
to God.
Verse 11. And shah call Ids name Ishmat-I] 7NTOti" yis/i-
tndel, from i'QC shama, he heard, and Sn El God ; for,
says the Angel, THE LouD HATH heard ihtj uffiiciion.
Tiiiis the name of ihe child, must ever keep the mother in
remembrance of God's merciful interposition in her behalf;
and remind (he child and the man, that he was an object of
God's gracious and providential goodness. AtTlictions and
distresses have a voice in tlie ears of God, even when prayer
is restrained— but how much more powerfully do they speak
when endured in meekness of spiiit, with confidence in, and
supplication to the Lord!
X'erse 12. He iiill be a wild Jtnni] D"tS N15 pliere adam.
As the root of this word does not appear m the Hebrew
Bible, it^ is probaljly found in the Arabic "j farra, to run
away, to run wild, and hence the v:ild ass, lioin its Jlcelness
and its untameiible nature. XV"hal is said of the wild ass. Job
xxxix. 5 — S. afibrds the very best description that can be
given of the Ishniaeliles, Bedouins, and wanderinc; Arabs, the
descendants of Ishmacl. " \\'ho hath sent out the wild-ass
(S"^D phcra) free? or who hath loosed the bands ("irj.' drod) of
the hrayer ? Who.«c house I have made the wilderness, and
the barren land his dwellings. He scorneth the multitude of
the city, neither regardcth he the crying of the driver. The
range of the mountains is his pasture, and he seareheth after
#Tcry green thing." Nothing can be more descriptive of the
u-andcrin:;, luvAcss, freehootinij; life of the Arabs than this.
God himself Ims sent tliem out free ; he has loosed them
from all political n -traint. The wilderness is their habitation,
and in the parched land, where no other human beings could
live, they have their dwellings. They scorn the city, and there-
fore have no Jired habitations ; for their multitude, they are
not afraid ; for when they make depredations on cities and
towns, they retire into the de.sert willi so much preei])itancy,
that all pursuit is cUidtd : in this respect, the crying of the
CHAP. XVI. IshmaeVs birth foretold.
I 1 1 And the angel of the Lord said a-m.ws.
' unto her. Behold thou art with child, ^'iL'Zli:
and shalt bear a son, 'and slialt call his name
: " Ishmael ; because the Lord hath heard thy
1 affliction.
j 12 ' And he will be a wild man ; his hand idll
: be against cveiy man, and every man's hand
against him ; ' and he shall dwell in the presence
of all his brethren.
in And she called the name of the Lord that
' Ch. 17. 19. Matt. 1. 21. Luke 1. ir>, 31.-
=cl>. 21. 20 'ch. 2.5. 18.
-■' That 15, God shall hear.
drirer is disregarded. They may be said to have no lands ;
and yet the rauj^e of the tnoun'ains is their pasture, they pitch
their tents and feed tUeir /locks wherever they please; and
they search after every green thin-^, are continually looking-
after prey, and seize on every kind of properly that comes
in their way.
It is farther said, his hand sliall be aiiaitist every man, and
every man's hand against him — Many potentates among the
Abyssinians, Persians, Kgyplians, and Furies, have endeavoured
to subjugate the wandering or wild Arabs; but though they
have had temporary triumphs, they have been iiltimalely un-
successful. Sesostris, Cyrus, Pompey, and Trajan, all endea-
voured to conquer Arabia, but in vain. From the beginning
to the present day, they have maintained their independency;
and God preserves them as a lasting monument of his provi-
dential care, and an incontestible argument of the truth of Divine
Revelation. Had the I'entatcuch no other argument to evince
its divine origin, the account of Ishmael and the prophecy con-
cerning his descendants, collated with their hLstory and manner
of life, during a period of nearly .faw)- thousand years, would be
sudicient. Indeed the ari;unieiit is so absolutely demonstrative,
that the man who would attempt its refiilation, in the sight of
reason and common sense, would stand convicted of the most
ridiculous presumption, and excessive folly.
The country which these i'ree descendants of Ishmael may
be properly said to possess, stretches fr.im Aleppo to the Ara-
bian sea ; and from Egypt to the Persian gul|)ii. A tract of
land not less than ISOO miles in length, by DOG in breadth;
see chap. xvii. 20.
Verse 13. x4nd she called the name of the Lord] She invoked
^?1p^M vu-tikru, lite name of Jehovah who spake unto her, thus.
Thou (iod seest me ! She found that the eye of a merciful
God liad been upon her in all her wanderings and adlictions;
and her words siein to intimate that she hud been seeking the
divine help and protection, (or she says. Have I also, or hate
I not also looked after him that sceth tne ?
This last clause of tiie verse, is very obscure; and is ren-
dered diftereutly by all the versions. The general sense
taken out of it, is this : that Hagar was now convinced, that
God himself had appeared unto her, and was surprised to
find, that notwithstanding this, she was still permitted to live;
for It was generally supposed, that if God apjieared to any,
they must be consumed by his glories. 'I'liis is lietiuently
'Hie xcell called Beer-lahal-roi.
A.M. 2095
B.C. 19)1.
spake unto her. Thou God seest me :
tor she said. Have I also here, looked
after him " that seeth me .''
14 Wherefore the well was called " Beer-
lahai-roi'; behold, it h "between Kadesh and
Bered.
GENESIS. Isknml is born
1 ,5 ^ And * Haaar bare Abram a
•Ch. 31. 49. »ch. 24. 6'i. Sc 'ib. U.-
liveth iuid seeth me.
-'^Tlial is, the wtlt of him that
alluded to in the sacred writings. As the word nHX acharey
which we render .simply itfcer, in otliei- places, signifies the
last <!w/s or ufler limes ; see on E.xod. x.xxiii. 2.3. it may pro-
bably have a similar meanini;- hero, and indeed this makes a
consistent sen>e ; Have I hcra also seen the LATTER PL'RPGSES
or DKSlGN.s of him who seeth me ? An exclamation, which
may be at once reierred to that discovery which God made in
the preceding- verse, of \\\s future stale of her descendants.
Verne 1 4. Whenfure the ivell was called Beer-lahai-roi'] It
appears, from ver. 7. that Hagar had sat down by a foun-
tain or well ot water in the wilderness of Shur, at which the
angel of the Lord found her ; and, to commemorate the
wonder!' d discovery which God had made of himself, slie
called the name of the well 'N"l TlS "IXS Beer-la-chay-roi,
" A well to the Living One wlio seeth me." Two things
seem impiitd here, 1. a dedication of the well to Him who
had appeared to her; and, 2. faith in the promise: for he
who is tiie Living One, existing in all generations, must have
it ever in his power to accomplish promises which are to be
fulfilled tiirouj^ii the whole lapse of time.
Verse Ij. And Hagar dare Abram a sm:, §c.] It appears,
therefore, that Hagar retiiriicd at the command of the angelj
believing the promise that God had made to her.
Called his soks name — Ishinael.] i inding, by the account of
Hagar, that God had designed that he should be so called.
" Ishmael," says AinMvorlli, " is the first man in the world,
whose name was given Iimi of God before he was born."
In tiie |)iecediiig chapUr we have a very detaiUd account
of the covenant which God made with Abram, which stated,
that his .Seed should posses.s ('aii;ian; and tins promise, on
tilt Divine authority, lie stedliistly believed ; and in simplicity
of heart wailed for its accomphshmcnt. Sarai was not like
minded ; as she had no child herself, and was now getting
old, fjie thou.;lit it necessary to secure t!;f inheritance by such
means as wert in her -poxier ; she, therefore, as we have seen,
gave her slave to Abram, tliat she m ght have ciiddren by
her. We do not find Abram remonstrating on the subject —
and why is he blan>ed ? God had not as yet tu'.d him huw
he was to have an heir: the promise simply stated, he that
shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir,
chap. XV. 4. Cor,ciibinage, under that dispensation, was per-
fectly la'vful; iherelore he could, with ecjua! justice aiid am'-
cenec, when it ''.a.s lawful, in itscll', and now urged by tlie
eiptess desire of Sural, take Hagar to wife. And it is very
likely that he mi-lii (haik that /us po.-.terity, wiieilur by uije
or corxubine, as both were lawful, might be that intended by
A.iM.efl',14.
B. C. ICIO.
son : and Abram called his son's name,
which Hagar bare, ' Ishmael.
16 And Abram xvas fourscore and six years
old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
■i Numb. 13. i6.-
-' Gal. 4. 5f2.-
-'ver. 11.
the promise. " It is very difficult to believe that a promise,
which refers to some natural event, can possibly be lulfiHed
but through some natural means. And yet, what is nature,
but an instrument in (lod's hands.' What we call natural
eftceis, are all performed by supernatural agency : lor nature,
that is, the whole .sy^teai of inanimate things, is as inert as
any of the particles of matter of the aggregate of which it
is composed; and can be a cause to no ejf'cct, but as it is ex-
~cited by sovereign power. This is a doctrine of sound phi-
losophy ; and should be carefully considered by all, that men
may see that, without an over-ruling and universally energetic
Providence, no ctl'ect whatever can be brought aliout. But,
besides these general influences of God in nature, which arc
all exhibited by what men call general laws, he chuses often
to act snpcrnaturally, i. e. indepeiidantly of) or against, these
general laws, that we may see that there is a God, who doe.s
not confine himself to one way of working, but with means,
without means, and even against natural means, accomplishes
the gracious purposes of his mercy in the behalf of man.
Where God has promised, let him be imjilicitly credited, be-
cause he cannot lie ; and let not hasty nature intermeddle
with his work.
The omniscience of God is a subject on which we should
often reflect; and we can never do it unfruitfully, while we
connect it, as we ever should, with infinite goodness and
mercy. Every thing, person, and circumstance, is under its
notice; and doth not the eye of (iod atllet his heart.' The
poor slave, the stranger, the Egyptian, sufilring under the
severity of her hasty, unbelieving mistress, is seen by the all-
wise and merciful CJod. He permits her to go to the desart,
provides the .spring to quench her thirst, and sends the Angtl
of the Covenant to instruct and corafoi t her. How gracious
is God ! He permits us to get into distressing circumstances,
that he may give us effectual relieti and in such a \iay loo,
that the excellence of the power may appear lo be of him,
and that we may learn to trust in bim in all our distresses,
God dtlighis to do his creatures good.
In .dl transactions between God and man, mentioned in
the sacred writings, we see one uniform agency. The great
Mediator in all, and through all ; God ever coming to man
by him; and man having access to God through him. This
u;;s, is, and ever will be the ceccinomy jf grace. " The
Father hath si.iit mo : — and no man cometh unto the Father
but by me." God forbid that he should have cause to com-
plain of us: "Vt: will not come uiiio me, that ye might
have hl'c."
God appears to Abram :
CHAP. XVII.
/lis name changed to Abraham.
CHAPTER XVII.
In the niniiif-vinth i/cur of Ahram's life, God again appears to him, aunoitnces ki^ name as Goo Ai.michtv
and commands him to zcal/c perferllif before him, 1. Proposes to renetc the covenant, '2. Jbram's pro-
stration, 3. The covenant specified, 4. Jhram's name changed to Aekaham, and the reason e;iven, 5. The.
privileges of the covenant enumerated, 6— «. The conditions of the covenant to lie observed, not onli/ hj Abra-
ham, but all his posteriti/, (J. Circumcision appointed as the sicn or token of the covenant, 10, 11. The aae
atzvhich, and the persons on tihom, this was to be performed, {1, IJ. The danger of ne<rlectin'r this rite 14.
Sarai's name changed to Sarah, and a particular promise made to her, IJ, 1(1 Abraham's joij at tJK pro-
spect of the peiformance of a matter nhich, in the course of nature, rras impossible, 17. His request fur the
preservation ami prosperiti/ of Ishmacl, 18. The birth and Idesscdness of Isaac foretold, \[). Great prosperity
promised to Mmnel, 20. But the covenant to be established not in his, but in Isaac's posterity, 21. Abraham,
Ishmael, and all the males in the family, circumcised, 23 — 27.
A=
ND when Abram was ninety
years old and nine, the Lord
'appeared to Abram, and said unto him, ^ I am
the Ahnighty God, "walk betbre me, and be
thou '' perfect'.
2 And I will make my covenant between me
and thee, and Svill multiply thee exceedingly.
»Ch. 12. ] •'ch. 28. ,-3. & 35. II. Exod. fi. 3. Deut. 10. 17.
'ch, 5. '.'2. & 4«. J.5; 1 Kings 2. 4. & 8. i:o. S Kings 20. 3. "^Or, iip-
Tiglu, or sincere. 'cli.t). 9. Deut. 18. 13. Job 1. 1. MaWh. o..48i
NOTKS ON CHAP. XVH.
Verse 1. The Lord appeared to Abrani] See on oil. xv. 1.
/ am the Almii^hty God] n'lT "twV 'JN Ani El skaday, I am
J aH-sulJic.'enl^; I'roni niC slmduU, to shed, to pour out.
I am that Go.cl who /«;«/-.vout blessiiii;.'i, «lio gives iliem richlj/,
ebundantli/, coniinwdii/.
Walk bej'otc 7«f] UD? "l^mn hith-hukk Icpanui, set thyself
to lucdk — be firmly purposed, thoroughly detennined to obey —
before me — for my eye is ever on thee, therefore ever consider
that God stelh thee. Who can imagine a stronger incitement
to conscientious, persevering obedience ?
Be thou perfect.] Q'On n»ni vehet/eh laiiiim, And thou shall be
perfections, i.e. allogtther perfect; bejnst such as the /lo/y God
would have ihee to be, such as the idmi'^hli/ God can make theCj
and live as the uH-siiffwiait God shall support thee: for he .ilone
who makes the soul holy, can preserve it in holiness. Our
blessed Lord appears to have had these words pointedly in view.
Matt. V. 48. itTEo-fc WiUE/f TiXiiot, aaTTip 0 Trartj^ i/ju-av o cv toi;
lu^avotf Ti>,£ios sa-Tt, I'l- SHALL KK pcjfccl, us your lather who
is in heaven is perfect. But what docs this imply ? Why, to
be saved from all the power, the guilt, and the contamination
of sin. This is only the ne^atite part of salvation ; but it
has also a positive part — to be made perfect — to be perfect as
our Father who is in heaven is perfect — to be filled with the
fulness of God — to have Christ dwelling continually in the
lieart by faith, and to be rooted and grounded in love. This
is the slate !« which man was created; for he was made in
tlie image and likeness of God. This is the state /;o;« which
3 And Abram Mcll on his face:
and God talked witli him, saying,
4 As for me, behold, my covenant
A. :\r. 2ior.
B. C. 1897.
is with
of 'many
thee, and thou shalt be "a father
nations.
5 ^ Neitlier shall t!iy name any more be called
Abram, but "thy name sliall be 'Abraham;
'ch. 12. 2. & 13. 16. & 2'3. 17. 6 vpr. 17. uRoiii. 4. 11, l'>, 16.
Cj.iI. S. 29. 'lleb. multitude of »m(w«6. 1* Ntli. 9 7. 'That is'
Father of g. great multitude. '
man fell ; for hi: broke the command of God. And this is
the state into whicU every human soul must be raised, who
would dwell with God in glory; for Chri.si was incarnated,
and died to put away sin by tlie'sacrificc of himself. What
a glorious privilege ! .And who can doubt the possibility of ite
attainment, who believes in the omnipotent love of God, the
infinite merit of the blood of atonement, and the all-pervad-
ing and all-purifying energy of the Holy Ghost ? How many
miserable souls employ that time to dispute and cavil anain.n
the po..*sibility of being saved from their sin.;, which thev
should devote to praying and believing that they mi<*-ht be
saved out of the hands of their enemies ! But sonic may say,
" You overstrain the meaning of the term ; it signifies" only,
be sincere; for as perfect obedience is impossible, God ac-
cepts of sincere obedience." If by sincerity the objection
means good desires, and generally good purposes, with an im-
pure heart and spotted life, then I assert, that no such thing
is implied in the text, nor in ihe original word : but if the
word sincerity be taken in its proper and literal .'iensc, I have
no objection to it. Sincere is compounded of sine-cerd,
"without ua,\;" and, applied to mora! .sulijects, is a meta-
phor taken from clarified honey, fiom which every atom of
the coinb or wax is separated. Then let it be proclaimed
from heaven — Walk before me, and be SI.NCliUK ! purge out the
old leaven, that ye may be a new lump unto God, and thus
ye shall be perfect, as your Father who is in heaven is per-
lect. This is sincerity' — Reader, remember that the blood
of Christ cleanseth from all sin. Ten thousand quibbles on
God renexos his covenant,
A. M. 2107. 3 foi-^ a fatlier of many nations have I
" ""■ '"^- made thee.
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and
I will make ^ nations of thee, and " kings shall
come out of thee.
7 And I will "" establish my covenant between
me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their
generations, for an everlasting covenant, " to be
God unto thee, and to "^ thy seed after thee
GENESIS. tanaan promised.
8 And ■ ^ I will give unto thee, and a.ji. 2107.
to thy seed after thee, the land _!_;_'!!!:
"wherein' thou art a stranger, all the land of
Canaan, for an everlasting possession : and " I
will be their God.
9 % And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt
keep my covenant therefore, thou, and tliy seed
after thee, in their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep,
•R<im. 4. 17. 'ch. 35. II. ' »er. 16. cli. 5Si. 11. MaHh. 1. 6, &c.
>iGil. 3. 17. 'ch. ae. 'J4. & '.'8 1.-;. Hcbr. 11. 16. fRiini. 9. 8.
«ch. 1^. 7. U 13. 15. Ps. 105. 9, 11. '" Heb. ./ thy iojoumiiigs.
insulated texts, can never le.^scn, much less destroy, the merit
aod eflkary of llie Great Atonement.
Vcr.se 3. And Abram fell on his /act] Tile eastern method
of pro-stration was llius: tlie person first went down on liis
knees, and tlien lowered his liead to his knees, and touched
the earth with his foreiiead. A very painful posture, but
si;{nificative of great humiliation and reverence. See on
Ew<d. iv. 31.
Verse b. T/it/ name ahull be Abrahani] Abram D1 2N
li4erally si^nififs a hr'j;h or exalted father. Ab-ra-hnm Drn3X
dilVers from the preceding only in one letter: it has n hi he-
fore the last radical. Though this may appear very simple and
easy, yet tJte true elymolosy and meaning of the word are
very difficult to be assigned. The reason given by God for
the change made in the P;itriarch's name is this, for a father
of many nations have I made //icc-^DIJ pOH ^^^ Ab-hamon-
goi/im, " a father of a multitude of nations." Tiiis ha« led
some to suppose, that Br;i3K Abraham is a contraction for
I'On 31 3S Ah-rab-hamon, " the tiitlier of a great multitude."
Aben Esra saj^s, the name is derived JVom jrcn T2X Abir-
hamim, "a powerful muhitude."
lltthbi Solomon Jarchi defines the name cahalistically, and
says that its numeral letters amount to t-xo hundred and forty- [
ei^ltl ; which, says he, is the exact number of the bones in the
human body! hut before the n hi was added, which stands for
five, it was five short of this pirtectton !
Rabbi Lipm-tn says, the n he being added as the fourth
letter, signifies that tlte Messiah should come in the fourth
millenary of the world '.
Clarius and others think, that the n he, which is -one of the
letters of the Tetragrammaton, (or word of four letters, niH'
VelloVftll) was added for the sake of dii^nity, God associat-
ing the Patriarch more nearly to himself, by thus imparting
to him a portion of his own name.
Having enumerated so many opinions, that of William
Alabaster, in his A/iparalus to the Hnelatimi, should not be
passed by. Me most wisely says, that Ab-rum, or rom, sigui-
^ei father of the Romam, and con-equenlly the pope ; lliere-
fi're Abrahani was pope the first ! This is just as likely as
some of the preceding etymologies.
I' rom all these leariR-d, as well as puerile conjectures, we
may .see the extreme Wilficulty of ascertaining the true mean-
ing of the word, Ihougli .the roiicordancetnuLerf, and proper
aame-expluMcrs, find no difficulty at all in the case; and
>cli. 23 4. St!»8, 4.-
•iS. 18. & 29. 13.
-k Exod. 6. 7. Lev. 'Jo, 12. Deut. 4. 37. U 14. 2. &
pronounce on it, as readily and authoritatively, as if they had
been in tlie Divine council when it was first impo.sed.
liottirigcr, in his Smegma Orientulc, supposes the word to
ne derived from the Arabic root ^ rahuma, which signifies
to be very numerous. Hence ^i, (__j! ab raham would signify
a copious father, or father of a multitude. T^liis makes a very
good sense, and agrees well with the context. Either this etymo-
logy, or that which supposes the inserted n /(etobe a part of the
name of God, or an abbreviation of the word Jion haiiion,muhi'ude,
is ihe most likely to be the true one. But tins last would require
the wo:d to be written, « hen full, JIOT D1 3N* Ab-rum-hamon.
The same difficulty occurs verse 15. on the word Sural,
fySf. which signifies 7ny prince or princess ; and Sarah, .TilT,
where the whole change is made by the substitution of a T\ he
for a ' yod. This latter might be translated prince.is in gene-
ral ; and while the former seems to point out her government
in her c~j:n family alone, the latter apptars to indicate her go-
vernment over the nations of which her husband is termed
the father, or lord; and hence the promise states, that she
sh/fll be a mother if nations, and that kings of people should
spring from her. — See ver. .15, lb.
Now, as the only cliange in each name is made by the \
insertion of a single letter, and that letter, the same in both'
names, I -cannot litl]) concluding, that some mystery was '
designed by its insertion ; and therefore the opinion of Clariiis
anil some others, is not to be disregarded, which supposes that
God shews be had conferred a peculiar dignity on both, by
adding to tiieir names one of the letters of his own ; a name
by which his eternal power and godhead are peculiarly
pointed oiyt.
From the difficulty of settling the etymology of these two!
name.s, on whicb so much stress seems to be laid in the text,
the reader will see with what caution he should receive the
Lists (f Explanations of the proper names in the Old and New
Testaments, which he so frequently meets witli, many of
which, from close examination, 1 can pronounce to be
false or absurd.
Verse 1. An everlasting coi-enant'] dViJ? r\'l3 berith ulam.
See on ch. xiii. 15. Here the word ulani is taken in its
own proper meaning, as the words immcdiati ly following
prove — to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee ; for as
' the soul is to endure for ever, so it shall eternally stand in
i need of the supporting power and energy of God ; and as
J;
God commands all tlie
OIIAP. XVII.
males to be circumcised.
A.M. iwr.
B. C. 1897.
between me and you, and thy scedi| 13 He that is born in thy house,
after thee; 'Every num-child among!' and he that is bought with thy mo
you sliall be circimicised
11 And ye sliall circumcise the flesh of your
foreskin; and it shall be ^ a token of the cove-
nant bctv.-ixt me and you.
12 And Mie that is eight days old "shall be
circiuncised among you, every man-child in;
your generations, he that is born in the house,
or bought with money of any stranger, Avhich
is not of thy seed.
I _ =^ — ~ =
• Acts 7. 8. ■> Acts 7. 8. Rom. 4. 11. ' Heb. o son of eight days.
the reign of the Gospel dispensation shall be as long as sun
a:id moon endure, and its consequences eternal, so must the
covenant be on which these are founded.
Verse 8. Evcrtuilini; possession] Here dSv ohim appears
to be used in its occommodaled meaning', and .signifies the
conip'etioa of the Divine counsel in reference to a particular
period or dispensation. And it is literally true, that the
Israelites possessed the land of Canaan, till the Mosaic dis-
pensation was terminated in the complete introduction of that
<sf the Gospel. But as the spiritual and temporal covenants
are both blended together, and the former was pointed out
and typified by the latter, hence the word, even here, may
be taken in its own proper meaning, that of eier-during, or
eternal; because the spiritual blessings pointed out by the
temporal covenant slwli have no end. And hence it is im-
mediately added, I 'xill be their God, not for a lime certainlj',
but for ever and ever. — See the notes on ch. xxi. 33.
^^crse 10. Eiery male child — sliall be circumcised.} Those
who wish to invalidate the evidence of the divine origin of
the Mosaic law, roimdly assert, that the. Israelites received
the rite of circumcision from the Egyptians. Their apostle
in this business is Herod.itus, who. Lib. ii. p. 116. Edit.
Steph. 15i"2. says, "The Colcliians, Egyptians, and Ethi-
opians, are the only nations in the world who have usecl cir-
cumcision octt' apyjti fro'n tbe remotest period ; and the
Plia?nicians and Syrians who inhabit Palestine, acknowlcdgo
thty received «his from the Egyptians." Herodotus cannot i
mean Jc.^s by Phoenicians and Syrians: if he does, he
is incorrect; for no Jew ever did, or ever could, acknoiv-
led'^e this, with the history of Abraham in liis hand. If
Herodotus had written before the days of Abraham, or at
least before tlie sojourning of the children of Israel in Egypt,
and informed us that circumcision had been practised among
tllem aw' afx>^f from the beginning, there would then exist a
possibility that the Israelites, while sojourning nmons^ them,
had learned and adopted this rite. But when we know that
Herodotus flourished ouly four Inmdred and eighty-four years
before the Christiap JEra, and thai Jacob and hi.s family so-
journed in Egypt more than eighteen hundred years before Christ,
and that all the descendants of Abraham most conscientiously
observed circumcision, and do so lo this day ; then the pre-
sumption is, that the Egyptians received it from the Israelites,
but that It was impossible the latter could have received it
A.M. «I07.
13. C. 1897.
ney, must needs be circumcised : and my cove-
nant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting
covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised man-child w'hosc
flesh of his foreskin is not circiuncised, that soul
^shall be cut olf from his people; he hath broken
my covenant.
1.5 ^ And God said unto. Abraham, As for
Sarai thy wile, thou shalt not call her name
' Lev. 12. 3. Luke 2. 21. John 7. 22. Phil.
-'Exod. 4. 34.
from the former, as they had practised it so long before their
ancestors had sojourned in l''gypt.
Verse 1 1 . And it shall be a token] nis"? leoih, for a sign
of spiritual things: for the circumcision made in the fle.sli
was designed to signify the purification of the heart from all
unriglitcousness, as God particularly shewed in the law itself.
See Deut. x. 16. See also Rom. ii. 25 — 29. Coloss. ii. 11.
And it was a seal of that righteousness, or justification, that
comes bj/ faith, Rom. iv. 11. That some of the Jews had
a just notion of its spiritual intention, is plain from many
passages in the ClialdL-e paraphrases, and in the Jewish
writers. I borrow one ]iassage from the book Zohar, quoted
by Ainsworth; " At what time a man is sealed with this holv
seal (of circumcision) thenceforth he seetii the holy blessed
God properly, and the holy soul is united to him. If he be
not worthy, and keepeth not this sign, what is written }' By
the breath of God they perish, (Job iv. 9.) becF.use this seal of
the holy blessed God was not kept. But if he be worthy,
and ketp it, the Holy Ghost is not separated from him."
Verse 12. He that is eight days old] Because, previously to
this, they were considered unclean, and might not be oflcred
to God, Lev. xii. 2, 3. and circumcision was ever understood
as a consecration of the person to God. Neither calf, lamb,
nor kid, was oftlred to God till it was eight days old, for the
same reason. Lev. xxii. 21.
Vci>e 1 3. He that is born in thy house] The son of a ser-
vant— he that is bought ivith thy /noney — a slave, on his comino'
into the ftimilj'. According to the Jewish writers, the father
was to circumcise his son, and the master the servant born in
his house, or the slave bought with money. If the father or
master neglected to do this, then the magistrates were obliged
to see it performed : if the neglect of this ordinance was
unknown to the magistrates, then the person himself, when
lie came of age to discern the command of God, was obliged
to do it.
Verse 1 4. The uncirrtiwcised — shall lie cut ojf from his
people] By being cut off, some have imagined that a sudden
temporal death was implied; but the simple tncaning seem$
to be, that such .should have no right lo, nor share in, the
blessings of tlie covenant, vhich we have already seen were
both of a temporal and spiritual kind; and if so, then eter-
nal dtath was implied; for it was impossible for a person
vho liad not received the spiritual purification, to enter inlo
N
Sarai's name changed.
but
i\.M. --lor.
B.C. 1897.
Sarai,
be.
GENESIS
" Sarah shall her name
Ishmael blessed.
16 And I will bless her, " and give thee a son
aL;o of her: yea, 1 will bless her, and 'she shall
be a viothcr "^ of nations j kings of people shall
be of her.
1 7 Then Abraham fell upon his face, " and
laughed, and said in his heart. Shall a cJiild be
born unto him that. is an hundred years old? and
shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
IS And Abraham said unto God, O that Ish-
mael might live before thee!
•That is, Fiinccss. ''ch. 13. 10. 'Heb. slic shall become nations.-
"cli.SXll. Gal. 4. 31. ' 1 Pet. 3. 6.
eternal glory. The spirit of tins law extends to all ages,
dispensations, and people — he whose heart is not piiritied
from sin, cannot enter into the kingdom of God. — Reader,
on iilidt is thy hope of heaven founded .?
Verse 15. Thou shall nut cull her name Sarai, but Sarah'\—
See ■ n verse 5.
. Verse 16. I 'xitl bless her, Sfc] Sarah certainly stands at
the head of all the women of the Old Testament, on account
of lu-r extraordinary privileges. I am q*ilte of Cahnet's
opinion, tiiougli I cannot pusli the parallel so far as he does,
that .Sarah was a type of the blessed Virgin. St. Paul con-
siiiers her a type of the Nevj Testament, and heavenly Je-
rusalem ; and as all true bcliercfs are considered as the chil-
dren of Abraham, .so z\\ fail/iful, holj/, xoomcn, are considered
•the daughters of Sarah, Gal. iv. 22, 24, 26. See also
1 Pet. iii. 6.
Verse 11. Then Abraham — lauahcd] I am astonished to
find learned and pious men considering this as a token of
Abraham's u-eakness of faith, or unbclUf, when they have the
most positive assurance from the Sprit of God himself, that
Abraham ivas not v;cak; hut strong, in the fuilh — tliat he
atag!;crcd not at the promise through unbelief, but gave glort/ to
God, lloni. iv. 1 9, 20. It is true, the same word is used
ch. xviii. 12. concerning Sarah, in whom it was certainly a
sign of doubtfulne.ss, thou£;h mixed with pleasure at the
thought of the po>si!jilily of her becoming a mother; but we
know how possible it is lo express both faith and unbelief iii
the .same way; a;id even pleasure and disdain h;ive been ex-
pressed by a smile or laugh. By laughing, Abrahain un-
doubtedly expres-ed his ^yy at the prospect of llie liilfilmtnt
<if so glorious a promise: and from this very circumstance
Isaac had his name. pns» Yitschak, which wc change into
Isaac, signifies laughter; and "it is the same worfl which is
used in tlie verse before us^ — Abraham fell on his face — pns"
va yitschak, and he law^hcd — and to the joy which he kit on
this o'.casion, our Lord evidently alludes, John viii. 5G. Your
father Abraham KCJOICED to see my day; and he saw it, and
uui CiUlD. And to commemorate this joy, which he felt
when God gave him the promise, he called his son's name
Is-iuc. — See the note on ch. xxi. 6.
Verse 18. O thafhhmuel might live before thee'] Abraham
AM. 2107.
B. C. 1897.
19 And God said, '^ Sarah thy
wife shall bear thee a son indeed;
and thou shalt call his name Isaac : and I
Avill establish my co\'enant with him for an
everlasting covenant, and with his seed after
him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee :
Behold, I have blessed him, and w;ill make him
fruitful, and ^ will multiply him exceedingly ;
^ twelve princes shall he beget, ' and I will make
him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac,
'Ch. 18. 12. & ei. 6.-
10.-
— fch. 18. 10. & 21. 2. Gal. 4. 28. s ch. 16.
-'ch. 25. 12, 16. 'ch. 21. 18.
finding that the covenant was to be established in another
branch of his family, felt solicitous for his son Ishmael,
whom he considered as necessarily excluded; on which God
delivers that most remaiikable prophecy, which follows in the
20th verse, and which contains an answer to the prayer and
wish of Abraiiam — -And as for Iskniacl, I have lieard iliee;
so that the object of Abraham's prayer was, that his son
Ishmael might be tlie head of a prosperous and potent
people.
Verse 20. Twelve princes shall he beget, IfC."] See the names
of these twelve princes, ch. xxv. 12—^16. From Ishmael
proceeded the various tribes of the Arabs, called also Saracens,
by Christian writers. They were anciently, and still continue
to be a very numerous and powerful people. " It was some-
what wonderful, and not to be foreseen by human sagacity,"
says Bislioj) Newton, " that a man's whole posterity should
so nearly resemble him, and retain the same inclinations, the
same habits, and the same customs, throughout all ages!
These are the only people, besides the Jews, who have sub-
sisted as a distinct j)eople from the beginning; and in some
respects they very much resemble each other. 1. The Arabs,
as well as the Jews,, are descended from Abraham, and both
boast of their descent from the /athcr of the faithful. 2.
The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are circumcised, and both
profess to have derived this ceremony from Abraham. 3.
The Arabs, as well as the Jews, had originally twelve pa-
triarchs, who were their princes or governors. 4. 1 he Arabs,
as well as the Jews, marry among themselves,, and in their'
own tribes. 5. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are singular
in several of their cu.-toms, and are standing monuments to
all ages, of the exactness of the divine predictions, and of
the veracity of Scripture history. Vv'e maj', with more con-
fidence, believe the particulars related of Abraham and Ish-
mael, when we see them verified in their po.sterity at this
day. This is having, as it were, ocular demonstration for
our faith." — See Bp. Newton's Second dissertation on the
Prophecies, and see the notes on ch. xvi. 12.
Verse '2 1 . My covenant will I establish with Isaac] All
temporal good things are promised lo Ishmael and his pos-
terity, but the establishment of the Lord's covenant is to be
with Isaac. Hence it is fully evident, that this covenant re-
4
Abraham, Ishmael, and- CHAP. XVII.
■A.M.vii.r. » which Sarali sliall bear unto thee at
^' ^'' '''•'^' this set time in the next year.
. 22 And he left oft' talking '.uth him, and ''God
v/ent n[) from Abraluun.
2~3 ^ And Abraham ♦ took Ishmael his son,
and all that -were born in his house, and ail
that were bouglit with his money, every
male among the men of Abraham's liouse ;
and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in
the "^ selfsame day, as God had said inito
him.
'CIi. 91.^. —
Atls 16. 3.
!> ch. 18. r,S. & ."^S. IS. —
Rom. 2. 23—29. & 4. 9-
-"^ch. 34. 2-J. Josh. .5. 2— 9.
■I'J. Gal. a. 6. & 6. li
/erred chiefly to spiritual ihint^s — to the Messiah, and tlie
salvation which shoidd he brougiil lo both Jews and Gentiles
by his incarnation, death, and glorification.
Verse 2'J.. God tirnl tipfwm Abraham,'] Ascended evidently
before him, so that lie had the fullest proof liiat it was no
h'inian bein:^, no earthly angel or nicssengrr that tji'lcfd
With him: and the promifc if a i^on in the course of a single
year, at this set time in the next year, ver. 2 1 . \vliic!i had
every human probability against it, was to be the sure token
of the truih of all that had hitherto taken place; and the
pr ulj thai all that was* farther promised, should be fuifilied
in its due time. \Vas it not in nearly the same way in wiiich liie
Lord wen^np from Abraham, that Je>us Christ ascended to
Leaven in the presence of Ins disciples? Luke xxiv. ."1.
Verse 23. And Abraham took LlimacI, ^c] Had not Ab-
raham, his son, who was oPage to jurlge for himself, and ail
the family, been fully convinced that tliis thing was of God,
tlicy could not have submitted to it. A rite so painful, so
repugnant to every feeling of delicacy, and .every way re-
volting to nature, could never have sjirung up in the ima-
ginalioo of man. To this day, the Jews practise it as a
divine ordinance; and all the Arabians do the same. As a
distinction bttwtcn them and other people, it never could have
been designed, because it was a sign that was never to ap-
pear. The individual alone, knew that he bore in his flesh
this sign of the covenant; and he bore it by the order of
Gud; and . he knew it was a sign and seal of spiritual
blfssings, and not the blessings themselves, though a proof
that these blessings were promised, and that he had a right
to thtm. Tliose who did not consider it in this spiritual re-
ference, are by the 7\poftle denominated the concision,
Pinl. iii. 2. i. e. persons whose flesh was cut, but whose
bearts were nut purified.
The contents of this chapter may be summed up in a kw
propositions:
1. God, in renewing his cotenniit jvltli^ Abrmi, makes
•an important 67j«h»(? in his and SaraiV name; a change which
should ever act as a help lo their faith, that the promises by
whi'h God had bound Inmseff, should be punctually (uHilied.
However dinjcult it may be'for us to ascertain the precise im-
port of the (Jiangc then made, we may rest assvurd that it Was
peiftctly understood by both; and tbat, as lliey had ■rc-
all /he/r males c'wcwn.iicd.
24 And Abraham ri"flf5 ninety years a.m. 2107.
old and nine, '' when he was circum- :IL^1.'^
cised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25 And Ishmael his son -was thirteen years old,
when he was circumcised in the flesh of his fore-
skin,
26 In the selfsame day was Abraliam circum-
cised, and Ishmaei his son.
27 And "all tiie men of his house, born in the
house, and bought with money of the stranger,
were circumcised with him.
" see ver. 1. & 17. Rom. 4. 19. ^« ch. 18. 19;
ceived this name from God, they considered it as placing
them in a new relation botji to their 3Iuker and to their pos-
terity. From what we have already seen, the change made
in Abram's name is itucrutifble to us: tiiere is something like
this Rev. ii. n. To him that overconictli xvill I give a white
stone, and a NEW NAME — winch no nam kno'xeih, saving he
that receittlh it. The full import of the chaiigi: uiade in a
soul that enters into covenant with God through Christ, is
only known to itself: a stranger intermcddleth not with its
joy. Hence, even men of learning, and the world at large,
have considered experimental religion as enthusiasm, merely
because they have not understood its nature, and have per-
mitted themselves to be cariied awaj' by prejudices, which
thty have imbilied perhaps at first through the means of ignorant
or hypocritical pretenders to deep piety: but while they have
the sacred writings before them, the r prejudices and oppo-
sition to that, without which they cannot be saved, are as un-
principled as they are absurd.
2. God gives Abraham a precept, which should be ob-
served not only by himself, but by all Jiis posterity; for this
was to be a permanent sign of that covenant whch was to
endure for ever. Though the sign is now changed from
circumcision to baptism, each of them etjually significant, yet
the covenant is not changed in any part of its essential mean-
ing. Faith in God, through the great Sacrifice, remission
of sins, and sanctification of the heart, are required by the
new covenant as well as by the old.
3. The rite of circumcision was painfid and humiliating,
to denote that repentance, self-denial, Ifc. are absolutely ne-
cessary to all ■who wish for redemption in the blood of the
covenant — and the putting away this filth of the Jlesh, shewed
the necessity of a pure heart and a holy life.
4. As eternal life is llic free gift of God, he has a right
to give it in what way he ple;;ses, and on what terms. He
I says to Abram and his seed — Ye shall circu7ncisc the flesh of
\ your foreskin, and he that doth not so, shall be cut off" from his
\ people. He says also to sinners in general — Lei the v:icked
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts — Repent,
and believe the Goi^pel — av:d except ye repent, ye sliall perish.
These are the terms en which he chuses to bestow the blessings
of the old and new covenants. And let it be remembered,
that stretching out the hand lo receive an alms, can never be
coiii-ideied. as meriting the bounty received ; neither can re-
N 2
Three angels appear
GENESIS.
to Abraham in Mamre.
pentance or faitli mtrit salvation, allhough tliey arc liie con-
ditions on wliith it is bestowed.
5. Tlie precepts given under both covenants were ac-
companied with a promise of tlic ^l/c.ss«i/i. God well knows,
that no religions rite ran be properly observed, and no
precept obej ed, unless he impart strength from on high ;
and he tcarhes us, thai, that strenglh must ever come through
the promised seed. Ilcnce, with the utmost propriety,
we ask every blessing through him, in whom God is well
pleased.
C. The precept, the promise, and the )-ile, were prefaced
■wilh — / «/« Ood all-sufficient, vjulk before me, and he thou
perfect. God, who is the sole object of reliijions worship,
has the sole authority to prescribe that worship, and the rites
and ceremonic* which shall be used in it: hence he pre-
ss, nbtd circumcision and sacrifices under the old lav/, and
baptism and the eucharist under the gospel; and to render
both eflectual to the end of their institution, faith in God
was indispensably necessary.
1. Those who profess to believe in him, must not hve as
they list, but as he pleases. Though redeemed from the curse
of the law, and from the rites and ctremonies of the Jewish
church, they are Jinder the law to Christ, and must walk be-
fore him — be in all things obedient to that moral law, which
is an emanation from the righteousness of God, and of eternal
obligation; and let it-ever be remembered, that Christ is the
author of eternal salvation to all that obey him. Without
faith and obedience, there can be no holiness; and without
holiness, none can see the Lord. Be all that God would
have thee to be, and God w'ill be to thee all ihat ihou canst
possibly require. He never gives a precept, but he offcri
suihcient grace to enable thee to perform it. Believe as he
would have thee, and act as he shall strengthen thee; and thou
wilt then believe all things savingly, a.nd do all things vietl.
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Lord appears unto Jhraham in Mamre, 1. Three angels, in human appearance, come tonards his tent, G;
he inviles them in to zeash and refresh themselves, 3 — j ; prepares a calf, bread, butter, and milk, for their
entertainment, and himself serves them, 6 — 8; they promise that xcithin a year Sarah sliall have a son, f), 10.-
Sarah, knouing herself and husband to he superannuated, smiles at the promise, 11, 12; one of the three, who
is called the Lord or Jehovah, chides her, and asserts the sufficiency of the Divine Forcer to accomplish the pro-
mise, 13, 14. Sarah, through fear, denies that she had laughed or shezced signs of nnbeliif 15. Abraham ac-
companies these divine persons on their zcay to Sodom, 16; and that one icho is called Jehovah, informs him of his
purpose to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, because of their great zaickedness, 17 — 21. The tzco former proceed
tozcards Sodom, zchile the latter (Jehovah) remains with Abraham, 22. Abraham intercedes for the inhabitants
of those cities, intreating the Lord to spare them provided fifty righteous persons should be found in. them, 2j — 25.
The Lord grants this request, 16: he pleads for the same mercy should only forty-five be found there ; zchich is
also granted, 11, 28: he pleads the same for forty, zchich is also graided, 10 : for thirty, zcilh the same suc-
cess, .30 : for twenty, and receives the same gracious anszver, 31 ; for ten, and the Lord assures him that should
ten righteous persons be found there, he zcill not destroy the place, 32. Jehovah then departs, and Abraham
returns to his tent, 33.
A. M.'JJOr.
B. C. 1897.
AND tlic Lord appeared unto
him ill the ^ plains of Mamre :
and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the
day:
2 " And he Hft up his eyes and looked, and,
lo, three men stood by him : "^ and when he saw
•Cli. 13. If. k 11. 13. ''Hcbr. 13. 2.
N0T15 ON CIIAl'. XVIII.
Verse 1 . And the Lord appeared] See on ch. xv. 1 .
Sal in the tent door] For the purpose of enjoying the re-
freshing air; in the heat of the day, when the sun had most
power. A custom still frequent among the Asiatics.
Vcr<.e 2. Three men stood by him] vSj? D'3SJ Mitsabim
diaiv, were standing over against hi-n ; for if thcv had been
standirg by him, as our translation say6, he needed not to have
A.M.sior,
IS. C. 1897.
them, he ran to meet them from the
tent door, and bowed himself toward
the ground,
3 And said. My Lord, if now I have found
favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee,
from thy servant:
/
■^ Ch. 19. 1. 1 Pel. 4. 9.
run from the tent door to meet them. To Abraham these ap-
peared at first as itien; but he entertained angels unawares; see
Heb. xiii. 2.
Verse 3. And said, My Lord, i;c.] The word is »J^^^
adonai, not nin» ychovah, for as yet Abraham did not know
the quality of his guests. For an explanation of this word,
see on Gen. xv. 8.
Verse 4. Let a, little water — be fetclied, and wash your feet.
\
A. M. 'iU,T.
h. C. IRW.
He entertains ihem, and
4 Let " a little water, I pray you,
bo fetched, and wash your feet, and
rest yourselves under the tree :
5 And '' I will fetch a morsel of bread, and
' comfort ye your hearts '' ; after that, yc shall
pass on : ' for therefore ' arc ye come to your
aervant. And they said. So do as thou hast
said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto
Sai'ah, and said. Make ^ ready quickly three
measures of fine meal ; knead //, and make
cakes upon the hearth.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and
CHAP, xviir.
*cii.i9. 'A .s. •last-
P». 101. 15. —
k 13 1.5.-
-= ch. 19. 8.
— ' Meb. stay. " Judg
& So. 10.
ft-c] III these vei>e.< we find a delisfhtfiil picture oF genuine
and primilive lio.'ipitality. Jn tliu.«e ancient ii.iu s shoes, s irh
as oiir=, were not in ii.-^e ; and the foot wiis protected only by
iandals or soles, which ia>tei)ed round the foot with straps.
It was therefore a great refreshment, in so hot a cou":try, to
gel the fi-et washed at the end of a day's journey ; and this is
the, ft'iv^ thing that Abraham propose.s.
Rest ynurselves under llu: lrce.'\ We have already heard of
the oak gro-e of Mamre, ch. xii. 6. and thi.5 was the second
requisite tor the refreshment of a weary traveller, viz. rest in
the shade.
Verse 5. I ivill fetch a morsel of bread} This was the third
requisite, and is introduced in its proper order; as eating im-
mediately alter exertion or fatigue is very uiiwl\olcsome. The
strong action of the lungs and heart sliould have tune to di-
minish, before any food is received into the stomach, as other-
wise concoction is prevented, and fever in a less or greater
degree produced.
For therefore arc j/e come] In those ancient day.s, every
traveller conceived he had a right to refreshment when he
needed it, at the first lent he met with on his journey.
So do us thou hast said.~\ How exceedingly simple was
all this ! on neither side is there any compliment, hut such as
a generous heart and sound sense dictate.
Verse 6. Three measures of fine meal'\ The Seah, ^l^fD
which is here translated measure, contained, according to
Bishop Cumberland, about two gallons and a half; and Mr.
Ainsworlh tran-lates the \\ov<\,pcck. On this circumstance the
following observations of the judicious and pious Abbe FIcury
cannot (ad to be acceptable to the readi-r : Speaking of the
frugality of the patriarchs, he says, " We have an instance of
a splendid entertainment, in that which Abraham made for
the three angeN. He seta whole calfhthre them, new bread,
but baked on tlie hearth, together with butter and milk. Three
measures of meal were baked into bread on this occasion,
■which conies to more than two of our bushcl.s, and nearly to
filly-six pounds of our weight; whence we may conclude,
that men were great eaters in those days, used much exercise,
■were probably of a much larger stature, as well as longer lives
they promise Sarah a son.
fetched a calf tender and good, and a. m 2107.
gave it unto a young man ; and ho ^•^•'"^'''
hasted to dress it.
8 And " he took butter, and milk, and the
calf whicli he had dressed, and set it before
them ; and he stood by them under the tree,
and they did eat.
9 ^ And they said unto him, \Vlierc £5
Sarah thy wife.'' and he said. Behold, 'in the
tent.
10 And he said, I " will certainly return
unto th-ee ' according to the time of life ; and,
lo, "' Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And
•■ lieb. wou hatepa/srd. « Hfb. Hasten '• cli. 19 3 ' ch. 24. 67.—
k ver. 14. •' 2 Kings 4. 16. "■ cli. 17. 19, »l. & 21. 2. Iloiii. 9. 9.
than we. Homer (Odyss. I. xiv. vcr. T4, &c.) makes his
heroes great eaters. "When Eumeus entertained LJIysscs, he
dressed tvio pigs for himself and his guest :
" So saying:, /'^ girded quick Ids tunic close.
And issuing sought the styes ; thence bringing two
Of the imprisoned herd, he slaughtered both,
Singed them, and slash' d and spitted thetn, and placed
The \\Uo\e uell roasted, banquets, spits and all.
Reeking before Ulj/sses." CoWPEK.
On another occasion, a hog of five years old was slaughtered
and served up for/re persons:
" ■ His "xnod for fuel he prepared.
And draggimi thither a well fatted brawn
(;/■ the fiflh year. —
Ktxt piercing him, and scorching close his hair.
The joints ihtij parted, Sfc."
Ibid. ver. 419. COWTPER.
Homer's heroes waitnjion themselves and guests in the common
occasions of lifi: : the patriarchs do the same. Abraham, who
bad so many servants, and was nearly a hundred years old,
l)iou;;ht the water himself to wash the feet of his guests, or-
dered his wife to make the bread quickly, went himself to
chuse the calf from the herd, and came again to serve them
standing. I will allow that he was animated on this occasion
with a desire of shewing hospitality; but the lives of all the
rest of the Patriarchs were similar to this."
Make cakes upon the hearth.} Or under the ashes. This
mode is used in the east to the present day. When the
hearth is strongly heated with the fire that has been kindled
on it, they remove the coals, sweep off the ashes, lay on the
bread, and then cover it with the hot cinders.
Verse 10. 1 will certainly return] Abraham was now
ninety-nine years of age, and this promise was fulfilled when
lie was a hundred, so that the plira-e according to the time of
life, must mean either a complete year, or nine months from the
present time, the ordinary time of pregnancy. Taken in
this latter sense, Abraham was now in the ninety-ninth yew
Sarah doubts, and is reproved.
A. M. aior. Sarah heard it in the tent door, which
B.C. HOT. , 1 • , 1 •
rcas behind nnii.
1 1 Now ' Abraham and Sarah ivere old and
well stricken in age ; and it ceased to be with
Sarah '' after the manner of women.
12 Therefore "Sarah laughed within herself,
saying, '^ After I am waxed old shall I have
pleasure, my " lord being old also ?
13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Where-
fore did Sarah laugh, saying. Shall I of a surety
bear a chihl, which am old ?
14 "^ Is any thing too hard for the Lord?
^ At the time appointed I will return unto thee,
according to the time of life, and Sarah shall
ha\e a son.
1.5 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed
not ; for she was afraid. And he said. Nay ;
but thou didst laugh.
B. C. ISi'T.
bring them
GENESIS. God discloses his purpose to Abraham.
16 And the men rose up from a. w. aio?.
thence, and looked toward Sodom
and Abi'aham went with tliem '" to
on the way.
17 5F And the Lord said, 'Shall I hide from
Abraham that thing which I do ;
1 8 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become
a great and mighty natinn^ and all the nations
of the earth shall be '' ble;;sed in him ?
19 For I know him, ' that he will command
his children and his household after him, and
tliey sliall keep the way of the Lord, to do
justice and judgment ; that the Loud may
bring upon Abraham that which he hath
spoken of him.
20 And the Lord said. Because " the cry of
Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because
their sin is very grievous ;
' Ch, 17. 17. Rom 4. 19. Hebr. 11. 11, 12, lU. " ch. 31. 3.5. ^^ ch.
17. 17. " Lnlie 1. 18. ' 1 Pel. 3. 6. ^ Jcr. .S2. 17. &ch. H. (i.
Matth. 3. 9. & 19. '26. Liike 1. 37. s ch. 17. it. ver. 10. 2 Kings 4. 16.
of Ills age ; and Isaac was born «hen he was in his hundredth
year.
Verse 11. It ceased to be ivith Sarah after the manner of
«/0/we«.] And consequtnily, naturally speaking, conception
could not take plai'e ; therefore if she have a son, it must be
in a supernatural or miraculous w?iS ■
Verse 12. Sarah laughed] I'artly tl)ro\i2;li ple.i.^ure at the
bare idea of the possibililj/ of the tJiiug ; and p:irl!y fi'oiii a
conviction thai it was extremely iinprchabfe. She appears to
have been in the same spii it, and to have had the same feel-
ings of those vlho, unexpectedly hearing of something of
great constquence to themselves, smile, and say, the iieies is
too gnod to be true ; see ch. xxi. 6. There is a case very
stmilar to this oientioned, Psal. cxxvi. 1, 2. On Abraham's
laui;hing when the promise was made to him, see ihe note on
ch. xvii. 17.
Verse i:i. And the "LoKO (Jehovah) said, iVf.] So it ap-
pears that one of those three persons was Jehovah ; and as this
name is never jjiven to any created being, consequently the
ever ble.'«cd God is intended; and as He was never seen in
anv bodily .-•hiipe, consequently the great an^el of the cove-
nant. Jesus Chrisl, must he mtended ; see on ch. xvi. 7.
Verse 14. In nny thivg too hard for ibe Lord .<•] i~XVl3 sScTI
"13T Haijippale rnei/hwah dabar. shall a word (or tiling) l)e
■wonderful from liie 1 .nrd ? i. e. can any tliinj? he too great
a miracle forJii/ii to effect.' The Septuai;inl translate the pas-
sace, M)) a^uvaTWd Ttafa ra ©eoi f n/.ta ; vvliich SU Luke
adopts almost literatim, only making it an (ijjirmative position
iiiiitead of a q'lotion, oux aivvaTricei Taca ra Qtm Trav f))/.ta.
Av.d which we translate, li'ilh (iod nothim; shall be impossible ;
Luke i. 37. .Many copie.s of tlie Septua^int insert the word
'jrav before fr,,ua, as in !*t. L'lkc, but it makes little dilli-rence
in th:' seu.'e. It was to correct Sarah's unbelief, and to
ikU'engllicn her iiiith, th.it God spoke these most important
"i Rom j5. 24. S.Tolin (j. ^'Ps. B5. 14. Amos .1. 7. .lohn 1.5. 1.5. j
1= di. )2. 3. & '2'J. 18. Acts 3. 25. Cial. 3. 8. ' Deut. -1. ", 10. & 6. 7. .'
Jcbli. 24. 15. Eplies. 6. 4. •^ ch. 4. 10. & 19. 13. Jam. 5. 4.
words ; words which state, that where human wisdom, pru-
dence, and energy fail ; and where nature herself cea.ses to
be an agent througii lack of energy to act, or laws to direct
and regulate energy — there also, God has full sway — and by
his own oinnific power, works all things after the counsel of
his own wilt. Is there an etFect to be produced .' God can
produce it as well without as viilh means. He prodijred
nature, Ihe whole system of causes and effects, when in the
whole compass of his own eternily there was neither means
iwr being. He spake, and it was done: He commanded,
and it stood fast. How great and wonderful is God !
Verse 16. Ahraham v:ent ivith them to brine; them on the
way.] This was another piece of primitive hospitality — ;to
direct strangers in the way. Public roads did not then
exist ; and guides were essentially necessary in countries
wbere villages were seldom to be iiiet with, and where solitary
dwellings did not exist.
Ver.se 17. Shall I hide from Abraham] That is, I will
not hide. A common mode of speech in scripture ; a ques-
tion a.eked, when an allirmative is designed. Do men gai/ter
grapes off thorns? Men do not gather grapes oH' thorns, &c.
Verse 1 8. Shall surely become a great and mighfj/ nuiio7i]
The revelation that I make to liiin shall be ])restrved anion^
his posterity ; and the exact fiillilment ofiiiy protniies, made
so long before, shall lead them to lielieve in my name,' and
trust in my goodness.
Verse 1 9. And thei/ shall keep the way of the Lord] The
true religion — God's \V.\V : that in which God walks himself, "
and in which, ofcour.se, his followers walk aljso — to do juf^tice
andjud'.nneut — not only to preserve the truth in tbeir creed, ■
but maintain it in their ;;i«r/(Ve. For an explanation of these
words, see on Levit. xxvi. 15.
Vt rse 20. Because tin: cry of Sodom and Gomorrah] See
i ihe notes on ch. xiii. 13.
Abraham hitercedea for the
f,.M.'iw. 21 "I will go down now, and see
^ ^ '^•'^: whether they have done altogether
according to the cry of it, which is come unto
nic ; and if not, ^ I will know.
22 And the men turned their faces from
thence, ^ and went toward Sodom ; but Abra-
ham '' stood yet before the Lord.
23 % And Abraham =drew near, and said,
' Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the
wicked ?
24 ^ Peradventure there be fifty righteous
within the city : wilt thou also destroy and not
spare the place for the fifty righteous that are
therein ?
2^ Tliat be far from thee to do after this
manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked :
and '■ that the righteous should be as the
wicked, that be far from thee: 'Shall not the
judge of all the earth do right ?
26 And the Lord said, " If I find in Sodom
fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare
all the place for their sakes.
27 And Abraham answered and said, ' Behold
now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the
Lord, which am " bui dust and ashes :
CHAP. XVIII. presentation of Sodom and Gomo7'rah.
28 Peradventure there shall lack
a
Oil.
11.5.
Exod 3
n.
" Deut. 8. 2.
fcl3.3
Jos
h. 2-2. 22.
Luke Ifi.
15.
'2 Cor, 11.
11.-
'
uli.
19.1. "ver
1. '
Hebr
10. i!2.—
— fNiirab.
16.
2i.
2 Sara
. 21
. 17.
-'Jer. 5. 1.
"Job 8.
-M.
Isai. 3. 10, 11.
Verse 21. / ii'ill go down now, ^c] A lesion to magi-
■strates, teaching them nnt to judge according to report, but
acciiratcK' to inquire into tlie facts tlRiuselves. Jarchi.
Verse 22. And the men tuned llieir faces] That is, the two
angels wlio accompanied Jehovah, were now sent towards
Sodom ; wliile the third, who is called the LORD or .hhovali,
remainod with Abraham, for the pur|)ose of teaching him the
great um uihus-* and importance ol faith and prayer.
Verse 2 ?i . IVili tlioii (ilso destroij tlie rigli teoKs with the 'kicked ?"]
A form of *pcecii similar to that in ver. 17. An invariable
principle of justice, that the righteous sliall not be punished
for the crimes of the impious. And this Abraham lays down
as the foundation of his sui)plicalions. ^V'ho can pray with
any iiope of success, who cannot assign a reason to God and
Lis conscience tor tlic petitions he oilers.'' The great sacrifice
ofl'tred by C hrift, is an infinite rea^on why a penitent sinner
should expect to find the mercy lor which he pleads.
Verse 2.4. Shall not the judge of ail the earth do right ?]
God alone is the judge of all men. Abraham, in thus ad-
dressing himself lo the person in the text, considers him either
as the ISupreme fieiiig, or his representative.
Ver>e 2T. Which ^lu but dust and ashes] 12X1 iSj; apher
vecphcr, wcids very similar in sound, as they refer to matters
whidi so much resemble each other. Dusi, the lightest par-
ticles of eartb'. Ashes, the residuum of consumed substances. I
A.M. VI 07.
five of the fifty righteous : wilt thou ^- *•'• " '^:
destroy all the city for lack of five ? And he
said, if I find there forty and fi\e, I will not de-
stroy it. ,
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and
said, Peradventure there shall be forty found
there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's
sake.
30 And he said unto him. Oh let not the Lord
be angry, and I will speak : Peradventure there
shall thirty be f()iind there. And he said, I
will not do if, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said. Behold now, I have taken
upon me to speak unto the Lord : Perad-
venture there shall be twent}- ft)und there.
And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's
sake.
32 And he said, "Oh let not the Lord be
angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Per-
adventure ten shall be found there. ° And he
said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
33 And the Lord went his v>'ay, as soon as he
had left communing with Abraham: and Abra-
ham returned unto his place.
'Job 8. 3. & 34. 17. Ps. 58. 11. & 91. 2. Rom. 3. 6. kjer. 5. 1.
Kzek. 22 60. -' Luke 18. 1. ^'"ch. 3. 19. Job 4. 19. Ecclcs. 12. 7.
1 Cor. 15. 47, 4a. 2 Cor. 5. 1. ''Judges 6. 39. "James a. 16.
By these expressions, lie shews how deeply his soul was hum-
bled in the presence of God. He who has high thou<>hts of
himself, must have low thoughts of the dignity of the divine
nature, of the majesty of God, and the sinfulness of sin.
Verse 32. Peradventure TEN shall be found //lOc] Knowino-
that in the family of his nephew the true religion was pro-
fessed and i)ractised, he could not suppose there could be less
than ten righicous persons in the city, he did not think it
necessary to urge his supplication farther ; he therefore left off
his intreaties, and the Lord departed from him. It is highly
worthy of observation, that wliile he continued to pray, the
presence of God was continued; and when Abraham ended,
the glorj/ of llie Lord was lifted up, as the Targum ex-
presses it.
This chapter, though containing only the preliminaries to
the awful catastropiie detailed in the next, ailords us several
lessons of useful and important information.
1. The hospitality and himianity of Abraham are worthy
not only of our most serious regard, but also of our imitation.
He sal in the door of his tent in the heat of the day, not only
to enjoy the current of refreshing air, but that if he saw any
weary and exhausted travellers, he might invite ihem to rest
and refresh themselves. Hospitality is ever becomino- in one
human being towards another: for every destitute man is a
Dufij qf'hospitaUtij.
GENESIS.
Blessedness, of prayer.
brother in distress, and demands our most prompt and affec- H
tionate assistance, according to that heavenly precept. What
ye xiottid that jitai should do unto you, do even so unto them, j
From this conduct of Abraham a divine precept is formed.
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have en- I
tertained angels unaivares. Heb. xiii. 2.
2. Whatever is given on the ground of humanity and '
mercy, is given unto God, and is sure to meet wilii his ap-
j>robation, and a suitable reward. While Abraham enter-
tained his guests, God discovers himself, and revcrils to him
the counsels of his will, and renews the promise of a nu-
merous posterity. Sarah, though, naturally speaking, past
child-bcaring, shall have a son: natural obstacles cannot
hinder the purpose of God : nature is his insUument, and as
it works not onl^ by general laws, but also by any particular
■nill of God, so it may accomplish that will, in any way he
may chuse to direct. It is always dillicull to credit God's
promises when they relate to svpernutural things; and still
more so, when they have for their object, events that are
contrary to the cour^e ol nature : but, as nothing is too hard
for God ; so, all things are possible to him that bclicvelh. It is
that faith atone, which is of the operation of God's spirit, that
is capable of crediting supernatural things : he who does not
pray to be enai led to believe, or if he do, uses not the power
when received, can never believe to the saving of the soul.
3. Abraham trusts much in God ; ami God reposes much
confidence in Abraham. He knows that God is faiihful and
uill fulfil his promises; and God knows that Abraham is
faithful, and will command his children and his household
after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do
justice and judgment, ver. 19. No man lives unio himself;
and God gives us neither spiritual nor temporal blessings for
ourselves alone; our bread we are to divide with the hungry,
and to help the stranger in disires*. He who understands the
may of God, should carrtliUy instruct his household in that
way : and he who is the father of a family, should pray to
Cod to teach him, that he may teach his household. His |
ignorance of God and salvation can be no excuse for his neg- j
lecting his family — it is his indispensable duty to teach ih'fetn;
and God will teach him, if he earnestly seek it, that he may
be able to discharge this duty to his family. Reader, if thy
children or servants perish through thy neglect, God will
judge thee for it in the great day.
4. The sin of Sodom and the cities of the plain was great
and grievous — the measure of their iniquity was full, and God
determined to destroy them. Judgment is God's strong
work, but though rarely done, it must be done sometimes,
lest men should suppose that right and wrong, vice and
virtue, were alike in the eye of God. And these judgments
must be dispensed in such a way, as to shew, they are not the
results of natural causes, but come immediately from the in-
censed justice of the Most High.
5. Every man who loves God, loves his neighbour also;
and he who loves his neighbour, will do all in his power to
promote the well-being both of his soul and his body. Abra-
ham cannot i)revent the men of Si>doin I'rom sinning against
God; but he can mako prayer and intercession fur their
souls; and jilead, it' not in arrest, yet in mitigation of jud^i
ment. He theretbre intercedes for tlie transgressors, and
God is well pleased with his intercessions. These are the
offspring of God's own love in the heart of his servant.
6. How true is that word — The energetic fauhful prayer
of a rittlitecnis man availelh nuich, Al.niham dnnvs near to
God by ailtction and faith ; and, in ihe most devout and
humble manner, makes prayer and sujjplication ; and every
petition is answered on the spot. Nor does God cease to
promise to shew mercy, till Abraham ceases to intercede !
\\''hat encouragement does this hold out to them that fear
God, to make prayer and intcrctssion for their sinful neigh-
bours and ungodly relatives ! Faith in the Lord Jesus endues
prayer with a species of omnipotence — whatsoever a man
a.'^ks of the Father in his name, he will do it. Prayer has
been termed the gate of heaven; but, '\Mwm faith, that gate
cannot be opened. He who prays as he should, and belifies
as he ought, shall have the fulness of the blessing of the
gospel of peace.
CHAPTER XIX.
The two angels, mentioned in the preceding chapter, come in the evening to Sodom, ) . luot, rcho was silting at
the gate, invites them to enter his house, take some refreshment, and tarry all night; which they at first rc-
J'use, 2 ,• but, on Itelng pressingli/ solicited, they' at last comply, 3. The abominable conduct of ihe i/icii of
Sodom, 4, .j. Lot's deep concern for the honour and safety of his guests, ichich leads him to make a most
exceptionable proposal to those zcicked men, fi— 8. The violent proceedings of the Sodomites, 9. Lot rescued
from their barbarity by the angels, who smite them with blindness, 10, 11. The angels exhort Lot and his family
to flee from that xcicked place, as God was about to destror/ it, 12, \o. Lot's fruitless exhortation to his sons-
in-law, 14. The angels ^uislen Lot and his family to depart, 15, l6. Their exhortation, 17. Lot's re-
quest, 18—20. He is permitted to escape to Znar, 21 — 23. Fire and brimstone are rained dozen from
heaicn upon all the cities of the plain, by which they are entirely destroi/ed, 24, 25. Lot's wife looking be-
hind, becomes a pillar of salt, C(>. Abraham, early in the morning, discovers the desolation of those iniquitous
cities, '27 — VJ. Lot, fearing to continue in Zoar, went with his two daughters to the mountain, and dwelt
in a cave, 30. The strange conduct of his daughters, and his unhappy deception, 30—36. Moub and Ammon,
born, from whom sprang the Moabites and Ammonites, 37, 38.
The angels come to Sodom.
AM 2107. A ND ti^ei-e » came two angels to |
B_c_i!i97. 2\ Sodom at even; and Lot sat
in the gate ot" Sodom : and * Lot seeing them
rose up to meet them ; and he bowed himself'
with his face toward the ground,
2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, " turn
in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and
tarry all night, and '' wash your i^nct, and ye
shall rise up early, and go oh your ways. And
they said, " Nay; but we will abide in tlie street
all night.
3 And he pressed upon them greatly ; and
they turned in unto him, and entered into
his house ; ' and he made them a feast,
and did bake unleavened bread, and they did
cat.
4 ^ But before they lay down, the men of the j
city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the
house round, both old and young, all the peo-
ple iVom every quarter :
5 ^ And they called unto Lot, and said unto
him. Where are the men which came in to thee
this night ? " bring them out unto us, that we
' may know them.
>Cli. 18. 'it. '■ch. 18. I, &c. tHebr. 13. Q. « cl>. 18.4. 'See
Luke 24. 28. 'ch.. 18. 8. B Isai. 3. 9. "Judges I'J. S2.
CHAP. XIX. JVickediicss of the men of Sodom.
6 And " Lot went out at the door -^ *' '■■''"'••
unto them, and shut the door after " ^'" ""'^'
him.
NOTES ON Cn.\I'. XIX.
Verse 1. Two angeU] The two refrncd to cliap. xviii.
\cr. 22.
ScU in the q^atc] Probablj', in order to prevent nnwary tra-
vellers from lieinj entrapped by his wicked townsmen, he
waited at the sjate of the city to bring the stranffcrs he might
meet with to his own house, as well as to transact his own
business.
Boxied hinise/f] Not through religious reverence, for he did
not kuow the quality of his guests ; but through the customary
form of civility. See on verses 3 — 5, of the preceding chapter.
Verse 2. Nat/ ; but ice will ahiclt: in the strecti Instead of
ih la, nay, some iM.S.S. have "b lo, to him. "And they said unto
him, for we lodge in the street ;" where, nevertheless, the negation
is understood. Knowing the disposilion of the iiihabitai;ts, and
appearing in the mere character of travellers, they preferred the
open street to any house ; but as Lot pressed them vehementlj',
and they knew him to be a righteous man, not yet willing to
make themselves known, they consented to take shelter under
his hospilal)le roof. Our Lord, willing lor the time being, to
conceal his person from ihe knowledge of tile disciples going
to Emmaus, made as tliougii he would go further, Luke xxiv.
l^j ; but at la.-t, like the angels here, yielded to the importu-
nity of his discij)les, and went into their lodgings.
Verse 5. H'hcre are the men which came in to thee ? ^c]
This account justifies the character given of this depraved
7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so
wickedly :
8 ' Behold now, I have two daughters w^hich
have not known man ; let me, I pray you, bring
them out unto you, and do ye to them as is
good in yoiu" eyes : only unto these men do
nothing ; "' for therefore came they under the
shadow of my roofl
9 And the}' said. Stand back. And they said
again. This one Jelloro "came in to sojourn, "and
he will needs be a judge : now will we deal
worse with thee, than with them. And they
pressed sore u])on the man, ct'e?i Lot, and came
near to break the door.
10 But the men put forth their hand, and
pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to
the door.
1 1 And they smote the men •" that "U'ere at the
door of the house with blindness, both small
and great ; so that they wearied themselves to
find the door.
' Ch. 4. 1. Rom. 1. 24, ?7. Jiide 7. •■ Judges 19. t'3. ' See JuHpe.s.
19. H'i. "See ch. 18. 5. " 2 Pet. 2. 7, 8. ^°Exod. 2. 14. f Witd.
19. 17. See 2 Kings 6. 18. Acts 13. 11.
people in the preceding chapter, ver. 20. and in chap. xiil. 13.
As their crime was the deepest disgrace to human nature, so
it is too bad to be described : in the sacred text it is sulTiciently
marked ; and the iniquity which, from these mo.st abominable
wretches, has been called Sodomy, is punished in our country
with death.
Verse 8. Behold yioiv, I hate /;io daugliter.i'] Nothing but
that sacred light in which the rites of hospitality were re-
garded among the Eastern nations, could either justify or
palliate tliis proposal of Lot. A man who had taken a stranger
under his care and protection, was bound to defend him even
at the expense of his own life. In Uiis light, the rights of
hospitality are still regarded in A.siatic countries : and on these
high notions only, the influence of which an Asiatic mind
alone can properly appreciate, Lot's conduct on this occasion
can be at all excused.
Verse 9. And lie will nced.'< be a Judge] So Jiis sitting in the
gale, is no proof of his being there in a magisterial capacity,
as some have supposed.
\'erse 11. And they .wiotc the men — with hlindnesi] Tiiis
has been understood two w ays : 1 . The angels by the power
which God had given them, deprived these wicked men of a
proper and regular use of their sight, so as cither totally to
deprive them of it, or render it so coniiiscd, that they could,
no longer distinguish objects 4 or, 2. They caused such a
deep darkness to take i)lace, that they could not find Lot's
Lot and his family commanded
GENESIS.
to make their escape.
A. M 2107. 12 ^ And the men said unto Lot,
BC.jaPT. fja<;t i\^o\i here any besides ? son-in-
law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and what-
soever t!iou hast in the city, ° bring them out of
this place :
13 For we will destroy this place, because the
" cry of them is waxen great before the face of
the Loud ; and " the Lord hath sent us to de-
stroy it.
14 And Lot v.ent out, and spake unto his sons-
in-law, '' which married his daughters, and said,
' Up, ^ct you out of this place ; for the Lord
will destroy this city. ' But he seemed as one
that mocked unto his sons-in-law.
15 And when the morning arose, then the
angels hastened Lot, saying, ^ Arise, take thy
wife, and thy two daughters, which ^ are here ;
lest thou be consumed in the ' iniquity of the
city.
16 And ''while he lingered, the men laid hold
upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife.
A. M. 21^7.
B.C. IHyr.
•Ch. 7. 1. 2Pct. 2. 7, n. I'd). 18. 20 M Chroii. 21. 15 ''Matt.
1.11!. ^=Nnmb 16 «),4i 'I'.xoH 'J. 21. Liil e 17. 28. & 24. U.
«Nuinb. l(j. 24, 26. Rev 18 4. '> Hcb. are found. 'Or, punishment.
door. The author of the book of Wisdom was evidently of
thiti latter opinion : for he says, tliey v:crc compassed about
•with horrible great darkness, cliap. .\i.x. 17. See a similar case,
of Elishah and the Syrians, 2 Kings vi. 18, &c.
Verse 12. Hast thou here any besides f son-in-lav.-\ Here
there appears to be but one meant, as the word |nn chatan is
in the singular number: but in ver. 14. tiie word is plural,
TJnn chutunuiv, his sons-in-law. There were only two in
number; as we do not hear that Lot liad more than two
daughters : and the.-e sccin not to imve been actually married
to ihojc daughters, but only betrothed, as is evident from what
I.ol .says, ver. 8. for they had not known man, but were the
»]K)Uses elect of those who are here called his sons-in-law.
But though these might be reputed as a part of Lot's family,
and entitled on this account to God's protection, yet it is suffi-
ci( ntly plain that they did not escape the perdition of these
wickrd men; and the reason i» given ver. 14. they received
the solemn warning as a ridiculous talc, the creature of Lot's
invention, or the oftipring of his I'ear. Therefore they made
no provision for their e.«cape, and doubtless perished, (not-
wilhstdn<ling the sincerely olTered grace) in the perdition that
fcll on this ungodly city.
Verse 1 (i. While he lingered'] Probably in affectionate
though useless entreaties to prevail on the remaining parts of
his family to escape from the destruction that was now de-
scending, laid hold upon his hand ; pulled them away by mere
force, the Lord bein^ merciful ; else they had been left to perish
in their lingerimr, as the others were in thck gainsayin;;.
Vci-se 17. }yhcn they had brought them forth, ^c] Every
word l)«re is emphatic, escape for thy LIFE ; thou art in the
and upon the hand of his two daugh-
ters ; ' the Lord being merciful unto
him: " and they brought him forth, and set him
without the city.
1 7 And it came to pass, when they had brought
them forth abroad, that he said, "Escape for
thy hfe ; ° look not behind thee, neither stay
thou in all the plain ; escape to the mountain,
lest thou be consumed.
18 And Lot said unto them. Oh, ^ not so, my
Lord :
19 Behold now, thy sei-vant hath fouiul grace
in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy,
which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my
life ; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest
some ev'il take me, and I die :
20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto,
and it is a little one : oh, let me escape thither,
(is it not a httle one ?) and my soid shall live.
2 1 And he said unto him. See ■" I have ac-
cepted ' thee concerning this thing also, that I
k Wisd. 10. 6. 'Luke 18. 13. Rnm. 9. 15, IC. "Ps. S4. 2". .
" 1 KinRS 19. 3. " ver. 26. i\Iatt. 24. 16, 17, IS. Luke 9. 62. Phil. 3. 13
24. r.\e.t% 1(1. 14 1 Job 42. 8, 9. I's. 14). 19 ''Hcb. thy face.
most imminent danger of perishing; thy life and thy soul are
both at stake. Loot; not behind thee — Thou hast but barely
time enough to escape from the judgment that is now descend-
ing; no lingering, or thou art lost ! one look back may prove
fatal to thee, and God commands thee to avoid it. Neither
stay thou in all the plain, because God will destroy that as
well as the citj' : escape to the mountain ; on which these
Judgments shall not light; and which God has appointed
llice for a place of refuge; lest thou be CONSUMED; it is not
an ordinary judgment that is coming; a fire from heaven
shall burn up the cities, the i)lain, and all that remain in the
cities and in the plains. Both the beginning and end of this
exhortation are addressed to his personal feelings. " Skin for
skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life :" and
self preservation is the first law of nature, to vhich every other
consideration is minor and unimportant.
Verse ly. / cannot escape to the mountain] He saw the de-
struction so near, that he imagined he should not have time
sufficient to reach the mountain before it arrived. He did
not consider, that God could give no command to liis crea-
tures, that it would be impossible for them to fulfil ; but the
hurry and perturbation of his mind, will at once account for
and excuse this gross oversight.
Verse 20. It is a little one] Probably Lot wished to have
it for an inheritance, and therefore pleaded its being a little
one, that his request might be the more readily granted. Or,
he might suppose, that being a little city, it was less depraved
than Sodom and Gomorrah, and therefore not so ripe for
punishment, which was probably the case.
V^erse 21. See, I hare accepted thee] How prevalent it
2
Lot's escape to Zoar. CHAP.
A. M.jior. will not overthrow this city, for the
!i^'^ which thou hast spoken.
22 Haste thee, escape thitlier; for 'I cannot
do any thing till thou be come thither. There-
fore ''tlie name of the city was called ^Zoar.
2a The sun was "risen upon the earth when
Lot entered into Zoar.
» See ch. 3S. 25, '.'6. E.\ik1. 32. 10. Dent. 9. 11. M.irk C. 5. ' c
10. i: l-l. t. 'Tiiat ib, lUlk, ver. i;0. " Heb. giwf /orl/i.
prayer with God ! Far from refusing' to grant a reasonaljle
petition, he shews himself as if under embarrassment to deny
any.
Verse 22. I cannot do ani/ thing till thou be come thither.']
So these heavenly messengers had the strictest commission to
take care of Lot and his family ; and even the purposes of
divine ju.-lice could nut be a^conlJlli^hed on the rebellious,
liU this righteous man and his family had escaped from tlie
place. A proof of Abraham's assertion ; the judge of all the
earth v:ill do rii;ht.
The name of the city was called Znar.] "^VVi tsoar, LITTLE ;
its former name being Bela.
Verse 2 i. The Lord rained — hrivtstone and fire from the
Jjord] As all judgment is committed to the .Sm of God,
many of the primitive fathers, and several uiodern di\ ines, have
supposed that the words ,Tn'1 ra-j/ehotah, and mp' nXO
me-et i/ehovah, imply, Jehovah the Son, raining brimstone
and fire fiom Jehovah the Father; and that this [ilace aflbrdsno
mean proof of the proper divinity of our blessed Redeemer.
It may be so : but though the point is sufficiently established
elsewhere, it does nrjt appear to me to be plainly indicated
here. And it is always better on a subject of this kind, not
to have recourse to proofs, which r('C(uire proofs to confirm
them. It must, however, be granted, that tiio persons, men-
tioned as Jehovah, in one :erse, is both a strange and curi-
ous circumstance: audit will appear more remarkable when
we consider that the person called .Jehovah, who Conversed
with Abraham, see chap, xviii. and sent those two angels to
bring Lot and his family out of this devoted place ; and
seems himself after he kit ofl' talking with Abraham, to
have asceiulcel to heaven, ver. .33. iloes not any more appear
on this occasion till we hear that .ll'.l^ov.Ul rained upon Hodom
and (ioiiiorrah brmistone and fire from JehOVAH out of heaven.
This certaiidy gives much countenance to the opinion referred
to above ; though still it may fall short of positive proof.
Brimstone and fire'] The word n^lEJ i^uplirith, which we
tran>late briniitonc, is of very uncertain derivation. It is evi-
dently u>ed metaphorically, to point out the utmost degrees of
punishmi-nt executed on the most flagitious criminals, in Deut.
xxi.x. 23. Job xviii. 1.5. I'sal. xi. 6. Isa. xxxiv. 'J. Lzek.
xxxviii. 22. And as Hell, or an everlasting separation horn
God and the glory of his power, is the utmost puuisliment
that can be inflicted on sinners; heucf brimstone anu fire are
used in scripture to signify the ton.ients in that place of
punishment. See Isa. xxx. 33. Rev. xiv. 10. xix. 20. xx.
10. xxi. 8. ^\'e may safely suppose, that it was quite pos-
XIX. Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed.
24 f Then ' the Lord rained upon "^ "• s'o^-
Sodom and ii]ion (lomorrah brimstone ^'- c logy
and fire tiom the Loud out of heaven;
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the
plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and
' that which grew upon the ground.
26 ^ But his wife looked back from behind
'Deut. 20. 23. Isa. l.'J. 19. Jer. 20. 1 6. & .W. 40. Ezeli. 16 49, .SO. llos.
11.8. Anu.s4. 11. Zupli. S.9. Luke 17, 29. 2 Pit. 2. 6. Juds 7. 'cli. 1-).
3. i-s. 107. 34.
sible that a shower of nitrous particles might have been pre-
cipitated .l-oni the atmofjihere, here, as in many other places,
called heaven, which by the action of fire, or the electric fluid,
would be immediately ignited, and so consume the citie.^.
And as we have already seen that the plains about Sodom
and Gomorrah abounded with asphaltus or bitumen pits, see
chap. xiv. 10. that what is ])articularly meant here in refer-
; ence to the plain, is the setting lire to this vast store of in-
I flammable matter by the agency of lightning, or the electric
fluid; and this, in the most natural and literal manner, ac-
counts for the whole plain being burnt up ; as that plain
abounded with this bituminous substance: and thus we find
three agents employed in the total ruin of these cities, and all
the circumjacent ])lain : 1. Innumerable »ii<rot/s/ja(7«7f.s pre-
cipitated (rum the atmosphere. 2. The vast (juantity of
asphaltus or bitumen which abounded in that country : and,
3. Liglilning, or the electric spark which ignited the nitre
and bitumen, and thus consumed both the cities and the
plain or champaign country in which they were situated.
Verse 25. And he overthrew those cities and all the plain] This
forms what is called the lake Asphaltites, Dead Sea, or Sail Sea;
which, according to the most authentic accounts, is about
70 miles in length, and 18 in breadth.
The most strange and incredible tales are told by many of
the ancients, and by many of the moderns, concerning the
place where these cities stood. Common fame says, that the
waters of this sea are so thick, that a stone will not sink in
them ; so tough and clammy, that the most boisterous wind
cannot ruffle them; so deadly, that no fish can live in them;
and that if a bird happen to fly over the lake, it is killed by the
poi.sonous elFluvia which proceeds from the waters; that scarcely
any verdure can grow near the place, and that in the vicinity
where there are any trees, they bear a most beautiful fruit,
but when you come to open it, you find nothing but ashes!
and that the place was burning long after the apostles' times.
These, and all similar tales may be safely pronounced great
exaggerations of facts, or fictions of ignorant, stupid, and
1 superstitious menk.s, or impositions of unprincipled travellers,
I who knowing that the common people are delightcel with the
I marvellous, have slulled their narratives with such accounts,
merely to procure a better sale for their works.
The trudi IS, the waters are exceedingly salt, far beyond the
usual saltness of the sea ; and hence it is called the Salt Sea,
In consequence of this circumstance, bodies will float in it,
that would sink in common .'.alt water; and probably it is on
this account, lUal few fish can live in it But the monks of
o 2
Lot's Xi-ife disobeys,
A.M. 2U)7. him^ and she became ^a pillar of
^12:^ salt.
27 ^ And Abraham gat up "early in the morn-
GENESIS. and becomes a pillar ofsalt^
ing, to the place where 'he stood a.m.sio-.
before the Lord: bx^ioqt.
28 And he looked toward Sodom and Go-
• V'er. 17. Num. 16. 38. Frov. 14. 14. 1 Wisd. 10. 7. Luke 17. 32. Heb.lO. 38.
St. Saba, affirmed to Dr. Sliaw, thai theij hud seen fish cuught
in it; and as to the report.s of any noxious quality in the air,
or- in the c\aporations from its surface, the simple fact is,
lumps of bitumen olten ri^e from the bottom to its surface,
and exhale a fostid odour which docs not appear to have any
thing poisonous in it. Dr. Pococke swam in it for nearly a
quarter of an hour, and felt no kind of inconvenience ; the
water he says is voy clear, and havinp; brought away a bottle
of it, he " had it' «?7u(ys«/, and found it to contain no sub-
.stances besides suit and a little alum." As there are frequent
eruptions of a bituminous matter from the bottom of this lake,
which seem to argue a subterraneous fire, hence the accounts
that this ]>laee was burning even after the days of the apostles.
And this phenomenon still continues, for " masses of bitu-
men," says Dr. Shaw, " in large henaispher^s, are raised at
certain times from the bottom, which, as soort as they touch
the surface, and are thereby acted upon by the external air,
burst at once with great smoke and iwtse, like the piilvisfulminans
of the chemists, and disperse ihemselvts in a thousand pieces.
But lliis only happens near the shore ; for, in greater dq)ths,
the eruptions are supposed to discover themselves in such
tolumns of smokt, as are now- and then observed to arise from
the iai:e. And perhaps, to such eruptions as these, we may
attribute that variety of pits and holloivs, not unlike the traces
of many of our ancient lime-krlns, wliich are found in the
neighbourhood of this lake. The bitumen is, in -all probal)ility,
accompanied from tlic Ijottom with sulphur, as both of them
are found promiscuously upon tiic sliore ; and the latter is
precisely the same with common-native sulphur; the other is
friable, yielding upon friction, or by being put into the fire,
a foetid smell."
For several curious particulars on this subject, see Dr.
Pococke's Travels, vol. ii. part i. chap. 9. and Dr; Shaw's
Travels, 4to. edit. p. 346, &c.
Verse 26. She became a pillar of salt.] Tlie vast variety of
opinions both ancient and modern on the crime of Lot's wife,
lltT change, and the manner in which that cljange was effect-
ed, are in many cases as unsatisfactory as they are ridiculous.
On this point the sacred scriptorc says little. God had com-
inanded l.ot and his family not to look behind them ; the wife
of Lot disobeyed this command; she looked buck from behind
him, Lot, her I, a -band, mid she became a pillar of salt. This
is all the information the inspired historian has thought proper
to give us on this subject : it is true, the account is short, but
commentators and critics hare made it long enough by their
laborious glosses. The opinions- w hich are the most probable
arc the following : 1: " Lot's wife, by the miraculous power of
God, was changed into a mass of- rock salt, probaWy retain-
ing the human figure." 2. " Tarrying too long in the plain,
»hc was struck with lightning and enveloped in the bitumin-
ous and sulphuric matter which abounded in that country, and
Tthich, not being exposed afterwards to the action of the fire.
"Vs-.b.S. '^th. 18. 32. Ezck. 16. 49, 50. Hab. 2. J. Heb. 2. 1.
re-isted the air and the wet, and was thus rendered perma-^
ncnt." 3. " .She was struck dead and consumed in the burn-
ing up of the plain, and this judgement on her di.sobedienca
being recorded, is an imperishable memorial of the fact itself,
and an everlasting warning to sinners in general, and to back-
sliders or apostates in particular." On these opinions it may
be only necessary to state, that- the two first understand the
text literally; and that the last considers \t metaphorically.
That God might in a moment convert this disobedient woman
into a pillar or mass of salt, or any other substance, there can -
be no doubt. Or that by continuing in the plain, till th6
brimstone and fire descended from heaven, she might be
struck dead iiilh lightning, and indurated or petrified on the
spot, is as possible. And that the account of her becoming
a pHhir of salt, may be desig-ned to be understood metaphori'
cally, is also highly pro'oable. It is certain, that salt is fre-
quently used in the scriptures as an emblem of incorrupt ion,
durability, &c. Hence a covenant of salt. Num. xviii. 19.
is a perpetual covenant, one that is ever to be in full force,
and never broken ; on this ground, a pillar o/jw/Mnay signify
no more in this case, than an everlasting monument against
criminal curiosity, unbelief, and disobedience.
Could we depend upon the various accounts given by dif-
ferent persons who jiretend to have seen the wife of Lot;
standing in her complete human form, with all her distinctive
marks ubout her, the difficulty would be at an end. But we
cannot depend on the.se accounts ; they are discordant, im-
probable, ridiculous, and often grossly absurd ; some profess -
to have seen her as a heap of salt, others as a rock of salt, .
others as a complete human being, as to shape, proportion of
parts, &:c. &c. but only petrified. This human form, ac-
cording to others, has still resident in it, a continual miracu-
lous energy; break oft' a finger, a toe, an arm, &c. it is im-
mediately reproduced; so that though multitudes of curioua
per.sons have gone to see this woman, and every one has
brought away a part of her, jxt still she is found by the next
comer, a complete hirman form! To crown this absurd de-
scription, the author of the poem De Sodomu, usually at--
tributed to Tertullian, and annexed to his works, represents
her as yet instinct -ivith a portion of animal life-, ■which is un-^
eipdvocally . designated by certain signs which eveiy month pro.
dvces. 1 shall transcribe the whole passage and refer to my.
author ; and as I have given above the sense of the whole, my
readers must excuse me from giving a more literal translatioiv-
ct simul illic
Jnfragilan mutata salem, stetitipsa sepulchrum,
Jpsaque imago sibi, formam sine corpore servans.
Ijurat udhuc etenini nuda statione .sub tethra,
Kec phiviis dilapsa situ, nee diruta vcntis.
Qumttiam, si quis mutilaverit advena formanij
Frotinus ex sese suggestu vulnerti complet.
J&ol leaves Zaar, CHAP,
monali, and toward all the land of
the plain, and behold, and, lo, *the
the country went up as the smoke of
XIX.
A.M.cir.'ilo?.
B. C. cir. lKi,'7,
smoke of
a furnace.
29 And
the cities
Abraham,
overthrow
•the which
it came to pass, when God destroyed
of the plain, that God ^ remembered
and sent Lot out of the midst of the
wlicn he overthrew the cities in
Lot dwelt.
and goei to the mountain.
A.M.cir.aiW.
» 2 Pet. 2. 7. Rev. 18. 9. " ch. 8. I . & 18. 23: Mos. lli 8.
Di'-ilm- & vivens alio sub corpore sexiis
Munifwos solito dispungei'C scnii^uhie 7ncnscs.
TElllX'lLl.iM Opmi vol. ii. p. 731. Edit. ObeRTIIUR.
The sentiment in the last lines is supported by Irenaeus,
"who assures us, tliat though still remaining' as a pillar of sail,
the statue in form, and other natural accidents, exhibits de-
cisive proofs of its original — J<um non euro corruplibilis, sed
slatiui sails semper mancns, if per naturalia, ea qna: sunt con-
sucludinis lioniinis osteiidens, Lib. iv. c. 51. To complete
tliis absurdity, this father makes her an emblem of the true
Church; ^^hldl, though she suffers much, and often loses
■whole members, yet preserves the pillar of salt, that is, t!x
foundation of the true faith, ^c. See Cahnet.
Josephus says, that this pillar was standing in his time,
and that himself had seen it — ei; rnXnv aXtjy //.^TiSaXiv. tro^-
riKX J' avrnv en yap asci vuv ^la/xsvu. Ant. lib. I. c. xi. 3, 4.
St, Clement, in his 1st J''p. to the Gorinthians, ch. ii. fol-
lows Josephus, and asserts, iliat Lot's wife was remaining,
even in that time, as a pillar of salt.
Authors of respectability and credit, who have since tra-
velled into the Holy Land, and made it their business to
enquire into this siibject in the most particular and careful
nnanntr, Inve not been able to meet with any remains of thi'i
pillar; and all accounts begin now to be confounded in the
pretty general concession i)oth of Jews and Gentiles, that
either the statue does not now reniain, or that some of the
iieaps of salt, or blocks of salt rock, which are to be met with
in the vicinity of the Dead Sea, may be the remains of Lot's
wife! All speculations on this subject arc perfectly idle; and
if the general prejuilice m favour of the continued existence
of this monument of ( Jod's ju-tice had not been very strong;, I
should not havi' decincd myself just ificd in eiiterinsr so much at
length mid thesu'iject Those who prof -3 lo have seen it, have, in
general, suITk iently invalidated tlicirown te-timon»' by the mon-
strous absiirdit)es with whiihlhi'\ have encumbered their rela-
tions. Had Lot's'vvi'ie !.<en ciiaiigcd in the way that many have
supposed, and had she been stdl preserved sr>'Mtwhere in ih-^
neii^hljourhood ol the Dead Sea, sii-cly we iniglv expect some
account of It, in after parts of the Scripture lii-tnry But it
h never more nit nlioncd in the Bible; and occurs nowhere in
the New Testament, but in the simple reference o'
our Lord to the judgment itself, as a warning to th
-xliBobedient and the backsliding, Luke xvii. 32. Remember
-Xwt,'$ u>ife .'
30 ^ And Lot went up out of
Zoar, and ' dwelt in the moinitain, _ -c^-tsp^.
and his two daughters with him; for he feared
to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and
his two daugliters.
31 % And the firstborn said unto the younger,-
Our father is old, and there is not a man in th6
earth '' to come in unto us after the manner of
all the earth:
' Ver. 17. 19. ■' ch. 16. %i. cli. 38. 8, 9. Dcut. 25. 5.
Verse 27. Abraham gat tip early in the morning] Anxious-
to know what was the tfliet of the prayers, which he had
otFered to God the preceding day, what ip.ust have been his
astonishment, when he (bund that all these cities, with the
plain which resembled the garden of the Lord, ch. xiii. 10.
burnt up> and the smoke ascending like the smoke of u
furnace, and was thereby assured that even God himself
could not discover ten righteous persons in four whole
cities !
Verse 29. God remembered Abraham] Though he did not
descend lower than <a; righteous persons, (see ch xviii. 32.)
yet the Lord had aspect to the spirit of his petitions, and
spared all those which could be called righteous; and, for
Abraham's sake, oilered salvation t© all the family of Lot;
though neither his sons-in-law elect, nor his own wife, ulti-
mately profited by it. The former ridiculed the warning; and
the latter, though led out by the hands of the angel, yet, by
breaking the command of God, perished with the other
gainsayei's.
Verse 30. Lot ■u-ait vp out of Zoar] From seeing the uni-
versal desolation that had fallen upon the land, and that the
fire was still continuing its depredations, he feared to dwell in
Zoar, lest that also should be consumed; and then went to
those very mountains, to which God had ordered him at first,
to make his escape. Foolish man is ever preferring his owp.
wisdom to that of his Maker. It was wrong at first not lo betake
himself lo the mountain: it was wrong, in the next place, to go
to it, when God had given him the assurance that Soar should
be spared for his sake. Both these cases argue a strange want
of faith, not only in the truth but also in the providence of
God. Had he still dwelt at Zoar, the shameful transac-
tion afterwards recorded, had, in all probability, not taken
place.
Verse 31. Our fitthcr is old] And consequently not likely
fo re-marry — and therC is not a man in the earth. None left,
according to their opinion, in all the land of Canaan, of their
oxan family and kinditd ; and they might thrnk it unlawful to
match with others, such as the inhabitants of Zoar, whom th^y
knew had been devoted to destruction as well as those of Sodom
and Gomorrah, and were only saved at the earnest request of
their father: and probably, while they lived among them,
they found th"m ripe enough fur piini>liuicnt, and there-
'ore would have thought it both dangerous and crimi-
i.il to have formed any matrimonial connexions with
I hem,
"Ch. 9. il.
Prov. as. Si—TA Mark 12. 19.-
Hab. 2. 15, 16.
->■ Ley. 18. 6, 7.
Verse 32. Coyne, let us make our father drink ti'/nc] On
their flight iiom Zoar, it is probable tlity had brought with
them certain provisions to serve them for the time beiny, and
the wine here mentioned among ihc rest.
After considerina: all that has been said to criminate both
Lot and his daiij;hters in tins business, I cannot help think-
ing, that tiie transaction itself will bear a more favourable con-
struction than that which has been oenerally put on it. — ■
1. It does not appear that it was through any ba^e or sensual
desire, that the daughters of Lot wished lo deceive their
father. 'Z. They might have thought, that it would have
been criminal to have married into any other family ; and
they knew that their husliands elect, who were probably of
the same kindred, had perished i\i the overthrow of Sodom.
3. They might have supposed, that there was no oilier way
left to preserve the family, and consequently, that righteous-
ness, for which it had been remarkable, but the way which
they now look. 4. They appear to have supposed, that their
father would not come into the measure, because he would
have considered it as profane; yet, judging the measure to
be expedient and necessary, they endeavour to sunctify tlie
improper mcuns used, by the goodness of tlie end at which they
aimed : a doctrine wliicli, though re-oiled to by many, should
be reprobated by all. Acting en this bad principle, they
caused their father to drink wine. See on ver. 3.S.
Verse 33. And he perceived not when she hit/ down,, nor
when, Ifc] That is, he did not perceive the time she canifi to
his bed, nor tlie time she quit'ed it; consequently did not
know who it was that had lain with him. In this trans-
.iction Lot appears to nie to be in n!;my respects exciisabh.'.
1. He had no accurate knowledge of wlut took place either
on the f.rst or second night; therefore he cannot be supposed
to have been drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. That
he must have been sensible that some person bad been in his
bed, it would be ridiculous to deny; but he might have
judged it to have been some of his female domestics, which
it is reasonable to suppose he might have brought fioin Zoar.
■S. It is very likely that he wa.s deceived in the wine, as well
a« in the consequences: cither he knew not the strength of
wine, or wine of a superior power had been given to him on
Strange conduct ofLofs daughlers. GEN
A.M.cic5ior 32 Come, let us make our father
^•^•"''"^^- drink wine, and \vc will lie with him,
that we " may preserve seed of oiu* fatlicr.
33 " And they made their father drink wine
that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay
with her father: and he perceived not when
she lay down, nor when she arose.
34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that
the firstb/Orn said unto the younger. Behold, I
lay yesternight with my father : let us make
him drink v/inc this night also ; and go thou
in, and lie with him, that we may preserve
seed of our father.
35 And they made their father drink wine
ESIS. Moah and Ammon are born.
that night also : and the younger AMcir.aiw'
arose, and lay with him; and "he ^f|^^-
perceived not when she lay down, nor when
she arose.
36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with
child by their father.
37 And the firstborn bare a son, A.M.dr.siea.
and called his name Moab : ^ the ^^■"'■^''^^-
same is the father of the Moabites unto this
day.
38 And the younger, she also bare a son,
and called his name Ben-ammi : '' the same is
the father of the children of Ammon unto this
day.
■"Num. as. 36. Deut. 2. 9. 2 Sam. 8. 2. y Kin. 3. 4—27. " Dsut. 2. 19.
Judg. 10. 6—10.
this occasion. As he had in general followed the simple-
pastoral life, it is not to be wondered at, if he did not know
the intoxicating power of wine; and being an old man, and
unused to it, a small portion would be suffieient to overcome
him ; sound sleep would soon, at his time of life, be the
eflLxt of taking the liquor lo which he was unaccustomed, and
cause him to forget the efl<:cts of his intoxication. Except in
this case, his ynoral conduct stands unblemished in the .sacred
writings: and as the whole transaction, especially as it relates
to him, is capable of an interpretation not wholly injurious
to his piety, both reason and religion conjoin to recommend
that explanation. As to his daughters, let their ignorance of
the real state of the case plead for them, as far as that can
go: and let it he remembered, that their sin Avas of that
ver_v peculiar nature, as never to be capable of becoming a prece-
dent. For it isscaicelypossible, that any shall ever be able to plead
similar circumstances in vindication of a siinilar line of conduct.
Verse 37. Culled hts name Moab] This name is generally
interpreted of the father; or, according to Calmet, 3N10
Moah, the waters of tlie father.
\^erse 38. Ben-ammi] 'CI? p Den-dmini, the son of my
people. Eoth these names seem to justify the view taken of
this subject above, viz. that it was merely to prtserve the
family that tlic daughters of Lot made use of llie above ex-
pedient; and In nee we d > not find that they ever attempted
to repeat it; which, had it been done for any other purpose,
they certainly woidd not have failed to do. On this subject
Origen, in his Fifth Iloniiiy on Gene.«is, has these remark-
able words : Vhi hie libidinis culpa, nbi iiicesti ciiminis ar-
j^iutiir? Huomodo dabitnr in VlllO QUI.)!) NON VrtR-VrUR IN
rAC'I'O.' Vercor proloijui oiiod sentio, vereor, im/uain, ?ie cJistior
fiicrit harnm inccslus, (jiiain pudicitia ntnliarum — " Where, in
all this transaction, can the crime of lu.^t or of incest be
proved .' How can this proved to be a vice, where the fact
«as never repeated? I am afraid to speak my whole mind on
the subject, lest the incest of these should appear more laud-
able, than the chastity of multitudes." There is a distinction
made here by Origen \\hich is worthy of notice: a single
bad act, though a sin, does not necessarily argue a vicious heart;
as in order to be vicious, a man must be hiibitwiled to sinful acts.
Obsenmlions on the
CHAP. XX.
preceding histOi-y.
The generation which proceeded from this incestuous con-
nexion, wlidteviT may be said in liclialf of the traiis;iction,
(its pecuhar rirciinistunces being considncd) was certainly a
bad one. The DIoubi'es jf:on fell from the faitii of (jud, and
became idolaters, the people of CliemoJt, and of Baal-pcnr,
Num. xxi. 29. xxv. 1 — 3, and were enemies to tlie ciiildrcn
of Abraliam. See Num. x\ii. .)ud<r. iii. 14, &c. And the
Ammonites, who dwelt near to tlie Moabites, united with them
in idolatiy, and were also enemies to Israel. See Juds;-. xi.
4, 24. Deut. xxiii. 3, 4. As both these people made al'ler-
wards a considerable figure in. tiie Sacred I-lisloi y, the im-
partial, inspired writer, tai-:es care to introduce, at tliis early
period, an account of their origin. Sec what has been said
on the case of Ntjah's drunkenness. Gen. ix. 20, &c.
This is an awful history; and the cireumstanees detailed
in it, are as distressing^ to piety as to hiiiiianity. It inaj', how-
ever, be profitable to review the parlirulars.
1. I' rum the coinmencement of tbecha])ter, we find that
the example and ])recepts of Abraham, had not been lost on
his nephew Lot. Me also, like his uncle, watches for oppor-
tunities to call in the weary traveller. This, Abraham had
taught his houseliold ; and we see the effect of this blessed
teachiivj. Lot w:is both liospitablc and pious, though living
in tiie niid*t of a crooked and perverse race. It must he
granted, that from several circumstances in his history, he
appears to have been a lueuL- man ; but his weakness -svas
such, as was not inconsistent with general uprightness and
sincerity. He and liis family, were not forgetful to entertain
strangers ; and they alone were free from the pollutions of
this accursed jieople. How powerful are the effects of a re-
iigiou* education, enforced by pious example ! It is one of
God's especial means of grace. Let a man only do justice
to his family, by bringing them up in the fear of God, and
he iiill trown it with his blessing. How many excu.se the
profligacy of their family, which is often entirely owing to
their own neglect, by saying — " Oh, we cannot give them I
grace ? No, you cannot ; but you can aflbrd them the
Means of grace. This is your work; that is the Lord's. If
throiigh your neglect of precept and example, they perish,
what an awful account imist you give to tlie Judge of quick
and dead ! — It was the seniiiatnt oi' a great man, that
should the worst of times arrive, and magistracy and mi-
nistry both to fail, yet, if parents would but be "faithful to
their trust, pure religion woidd be handed down to posterity,
both in its form arid in its power.
'2.. \\e have already licanf of the wickedness of Ihe inha-
bitants of the cities of the plain — the cup of their iniquity
was full — their sin was of no eoiuinon magnitude, and wiiat
a terrible judgment fe'l upon them! Brimstone and fire are
rained down from heaven upon these traders in iniquity : and
what a correspondence bt-twecn the crime and the punishment .'
They burned in lust towards each other; and God burned
then up with fire juid brimstone. Their sin was !«!«.;/!;)■«/ ;
and God punished it by supemuturul means. Divine Justice
not only observes a proportion between the crime and the de-
gree of punishment, but also between the species of crime,
and the land of puni>hinent inflicted.
3. Disobedience to the coinmnnd of God must ever meet
with severe reprehension, especially in those who have al-
ready partaken of his grace, because these know his salvation,
and are justly supposed to possess, by his grace, the [lower
of resisting all solieilalions to sin. The servant who knew
his Lord's will, and did it not, was to be beaten with many
stripes. See Luke xii. 41. — Lot's wife stands as an ever-
lasting monument of admonition and caution to all l/ack-
sliderj. She ran well— she permitted Satan to hinder, and
she died in her provocation ! While we lament her fate, we
should j)rofil by her example. To begin in the good way is
well; to continue in the path is better; and to persevere unto
the end, best of all. The exhortation of our blessed Lord
on this subject should awake our caution, and stronjly excite
our diligence — Remember Lot's uife .' — On the conduct of
Lot and his daughters, see the notes on ver. 31, &c.
CHAPTER XX.
! Abraham leaves Mature, and after having sojourned at Kadesh and Shitr, sctlks in Ccrar, 1 . Abimelech takes
I Sarah, Abraham having acknorcfedged her only as his sister, 2. Abimelech is zoai/ied bi/ God in a dream to
1 restore iiarah, 3. He asserts his inuuccnce, 4, 5. He is farther warned, 6, 7. Exposttdates tcith Abraham,
I 8 — 10. ylbruham vindicates his conduct, 11 — 13. Abimelech restores Surah, makes Abraham a present of
I sheep, oxen, and male and female slaves, 14. Offers him a residence in any part of the land, 15 ; and reproves
Sarah, 16. .-Jt ihe itttercession of Abraham, the curse of barrenness is removed from Abimelech and his houst-
hold, 17, 18.
VM.cir.2l07
B.C. cir. 189r.
A
ND Abraliam journeyed from
" thence toward the south coun-
•Cli. IS. 1.-
-!> ell. 16. 7.
NOTES ON CHAP. XX.
Verse 1. And Abraham journeyed] It is very likely that
ibis holy man was so deeply afl'ected with the melancholy
try, and dwelled between * Kadesh A.M.cir.sior.
and Shur, and ' sojourned in Gerar. B_£f^^-
' Ch. 26. a.
prospect of the ruined cities, and not knowing what was be-
come of his nephew Lot and his family, that he could no
longer bear to dwell within sight of the place. Having,
Sarah iaken by Abimelech ; ' GENESIS
A.si.cir.cior. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his
V-^-^^-^^^T- ^yife^ ^ She is my sister : and Abime-
lech king of Gerar sent, and '' took Sarah.
3 But 'God came to Abimelech " in a dream
by niglit, and said to him, ' Behold, thou art
but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast
taken ; for she is \a man s
wife.
A.jM.tir.2103.
15.C.cir.l89o.
4 But Abimelech had not come
near her: and he said. Lord, ^ wilt
thou slay also a righteous nation ?
5 Said he not unto me. She is my sister, and
she, even she herself said. He is my bro-
ther: "in the 'integrity of my heart, and
•CIi. 12. 13. & 26. 7. * cli. 12. 15. ' Fs. 10.5. 14. "Job 33.
1g ' vcT. 7. ^Heb. maiii-icd to a hustiand. e ch. 18. 23. ver. 18.
L_h«KiugsiO. 3. l!Cor. 1. 12. 'Or, slmjdicity, or, ihicirittj.
He is teamed of God to restore her^
innocency of my hands, have I done
this.
6 And God said unto him in a dream. Yea, I
know that thou didst this in the integrity of
thy heart ; for " I also withheld thee from sin-
ning ' against me : iherefore suffered I thee not
to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife ;
" for he is a prophet, and he shall pray tor thee,
and thOu shalt live: and if thou restore her
not, " know thou, that thou shalt surely die, '
thou, ° and all that are thine.
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the
"ch. 31.7. & 35. .5. E.\od.34. 24. 1 Sam. 2.5. 26, 34. ' cli. 39. 9. Lev.
e. 2. Ps. 51. 4. ■" 1 Sam. 7. 5. 2 Kiiigs o. 1 1. Job 42. 3. Jam. .5. 14.
15. iJolinS. Id. "ch, 2. 17. ^° Numb. 16. 32, 33.
therefore struck his tents, and sqvoiirned for a short time at
Kudcih and Shur, he fixed his habitation in Gerar, which
was a city of Arabia Petrxa, undir a king of the Philistines,
called Abimelech, my father king, who appears to ha\'e
been not only the father of his people, but also a righteous
man.
Verse 2. She is my sister"] See the parallel account, ch. xii.
and the notes there. Sarah was now about ninety years of
age, and probably pregnant with Isaac. Her beauty, there-
fore, must have htcn considerably impaired since the time
she was taken in a similar manner by Pharaoh, king of
Egypt : but she was probably now chosen by Abimelech,
more on the account of fortning an alliance with Abraham,
who was very rich, than on account of any personal accom-
plii^hmcnts. A petty king, such as Abimelech, would na-
turally be glad to form an alliance with such a powerful
.chief as Abraham was : we cannot but recollect his late de-
feat oFthe four confederate Canaanitish kings. See on ch. xiv.
14, &c. 'Ihis rircuui.>itance was sufficient to establish his
credit, and cause his friendship to be courted; and what
more efi'cctual means could Abimelech use in reference to
ti)is, than the taking Sarah to be his concubine, or second
wife, which in those times had no kind of disgrace attached
to it?
Verse 3. But Cod came to Abimelech'] Thus we find that
persons, who were not of the family of Abraham, had the
knowledge of the true God. Indeed, all the Gerarites are
termed pnS '1J goi Isndik, a righteous nation, ver. 4.
Verse 5. In the integrity of my heart, ^fc] Mad Abimelech
any other than honourable views in taking Sai-ah, he could
not have justified himself thus to his Maker ; and that these
views were of the most honourable kind, God himself, to
whom the appeal was made, assert.*, in the most direct
planner — Yea, I know thai thou didst this in the integrity
t^' thy heart.
Verse 7. lie is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee] The
word prophet, which we have from the Greek wpopwrtj?, and
..which is compounded of Trfp before, and ^r.i^i I spcuk; means
5
in its general acceptation, one who speaks of things before they
happen: i. e. one wiio/o/r/c/Zi future events. But that this was
not the original nation of the word, its use in this place suf-
ficiently proves. Abraham, certainly was not a prophet in
the present gcner.il acceptation of the term; and for the He-
brew N»33 nabi, we must seek some other meaning. I have,
in a discourse entitled, " The Chri.stian Prophet and hisi
Work," proved, that the proper ideal meaning of the original
word, is, to pray, intreat, make supplication, !(c. and this
meaning of it, I have justified at large, both from it^ appli-
cation in this place, and Irom its pointed use in the case of
Saul, mentioned 1 Sam. x. and fiom the case of the priests
of Baal, I Kings xviii. where prophesying, most undoubtedly
means, vuiking prayer and supplication. As tliose who were
in li.ibits of inlimacj' with God by prayer and faith, were
found the most proper persons to communicate his mind to
man, botli with respect to the present and the future, hence
N'3J nabi, the intercessor, became in process of time, the
public Mofriic/or or preacher ; and also the predictor of future
events; because, to such faithful praying men, God revealed
the .secret of his will. Hence St. Paul, 1 Cor. xiv. 3. seems
to restrain the word wholly to the interpreting the mind of
God to the people, and their instruction in divine things, for
says he, he that prophesicth speaketh unto men to edification,
andexhortittion, and comfort. See the Discourse on this text
referred to above. The title was also given to men eminent
for eloquence and for literary abilities : hence, Aaron, because
he was the spokesman of Moses to the Egyptian king, was
termed X'3J Hflfc/, ))rophet ; Exod. iv. 16. and vii. 1. And
Epimenides a heathen poet, is expressly stiled 7r^o^uT>i( a
prophet, by St. Paul Tit. i. 12. just as poets in general were
termed vales among the Romans, which properly signifies the
persons who professed to interpret the u-ill nf the gods to their
■votaries, afur prayers and sucrilices duly performed. Tn Ara-
bic the word UJ naha has nearly the same meaning as ia i
Hebrew ; tjut in the first conjugation, it has a meaning which
may cast light upon the subject in general. It signifies to
itinerate, move from one place or country to another, compelleOi
ABmetech reprcfoes Abraham
CHAP. XX.
He restores Sarah.
A.M.cir.il(«.
B.C cir. 1895.
morning, and called all his servants,
and told all these things in their
ears : and the men were sore afraid.
9 % Then Abimelech called Abraham, and
said unto him. What hast thou done unto us ?
and what have I ofiended thee, ' that thou hast
brought on mc and on my kingdom a great sin?
thou hast done deeds unto me " that ought not
to be done.
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, \Vliat
sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing ?
11 And Abraham said. Because I thought,
Surely ' the fear of God is not in this place ;
and " they will slay me for my wife's sake.
12 And yet indeed "she is my sister: she is
the daughter of my father, but not the daugh-
A.M.cir.ilOS.
B.C. cit. 1896.
'Ch.2fi. 10. £iod. 32.21. Josh. 7. 25. ''cli. 34.7. ':ch.42.18.
Ps. 36. 1. Pro». 16. 6. '' ch. Vi. 12. & 26. 7. ' .Sec ch. 1 1. 29.
thereto either by persecution, or the command of God ; exivic
dt u'ld retrione in aliaiii. — tj miisi'ans de loco in locum. GO-
LIUS. Hence Mohanmied \ias called jj j! an nahi, because
cf his sudden rcutoval from Mecca to Mediiui, when pretend-
ing to a divine commission, his tcivnsmen soiifflil to take aivtiy
his life. e Mecca, exiais Mtdinam, wide Muliuinmed suis
aUI ^a Nabi Allah dictusfuit. GOLiUS. If this meaning be-
longed originally to the Hebrew word ; it will apply with
great force to the case of Abraham, who>e migratory itinerant
kind of life, generally under the inniiediate direction of God,
might have given hmi the title nabi. Houevtr this may be,
the ttrm was a title of the highest resjiectability and honour,
both among the Hebrews and Arabs, and continues so to this
day. And from the IJehreivs, the word, in all the importance
and dignity of its meaning, wa.« introduced among the hea-
thens in the TrpotpyiT-n; and rates of the Greeks and Komans.
See on the word seer. Gen. xv. 1.
Verse 8. Abimelech rose early, iScc] God came to Abime-
lech in a dream by night, and we find as the day broke, he
arose, assembled his servants, what we would call, his coiir-
iiers, and communicated to them what he had received from
God. They were all struck with astonishment, and discerned
the hand of God in this business. Abraiiani is tlien called, and
in a most respectful and ])ious maimer, the king expostulates
with him, (or brmging hiui and his people under the divine
di^plcasure, by witliholdmg from him the information that Sarah
was his wife ; when, by taking her, he sought only an honour-
able alliance with his ianiily.
Verse 1 1 . And .Abraham said] The best excuse be could
make for his conduct, which in this instance, is far from de-
fensible.
Verse 12. She is 7ni/ sister] I have not told a lie; I have
suppressed only a part of the truth. In this place it may be
proper to ask, ff'hut is a lie ? It is any action done, or word
spoken, whether true or false in itself; which the doer, or
ter of my mother ; and she became
my wife.
1 3 And it came to pass, when ^ God caused
me to wander irom my father's house, that
I said unto her. This is thy kindness which
tliou shalt shew unto mc ; at every place whi-
ther we shall conic, ^ say of me. He is my
brother.
14 % And Abimelech ■■ took sheep, and oxen,
and men-servants, and women-servants, and gave
Ihem unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah
his wife.
15 And Abimelech said. Behold, ' my land is
before thee ; dwell '' where it pleaseth thee.
1 16 And unto Sarah he said. Behold, I have
I given ' thy brother a thousand pieces of silver :
fCh. 12. 1,9, 11, &c. Hebr. 11.8. »ch. 12. 13. " cU. 12. 16.-
'cli. i3. 9. ^ Heb. as i.s good ia thine e}jci. * ver. 5.
speaker, wishes the observer or hearer, to take in a contrary
sense to that which he knows to be true. It is in a word, any
action done or speech delivered with the intention to deceive;
though both may be absolutely true and right in themselves ;
see the note on chap. xii. 13.
The daughter of m\) father, but not — of my molhc}-] Eht Bit-
trick in his annals, among other ancient traditions, has pre-
served the following : " Terah first married Yona, by whom
he had Abraham ; afterwards he married Tehevita, by whom
he had Sarah." Thus she was the sister of Abraham, being
the daughter of the same father, by a different mother.
Verse 1.3. When God caused me to v.<under] Here the word
D'H^N Elohim is used with a plural verb (>I>nn hiiheu, caused
me to wander) which is not very usual in the Hebrew lan-
guage, as this plural noun, is generally joined with r;rbs in
the singular number. Because there is a departure from the
general mode in this instance, some have contended that the
word Elohim signifies princes, in this place, and suppose it to
refer to those in Chaldea, who expelled Abraham, because he
would not worship the fire: but the best critics, and with them
the Jews, allow that Elohim here, signifies the true God.
Abraham probably refers to his first call.
Verse lb. And unto Sarah he said] But, ivhat did he say?
Here there is scarcely any agreement among interpreters :
; the Hebrew is exceedingly obscure, and every interpreter takes
it in his own sense.
A thousand i^icccs of silzer] ShekflS are very probably
I meant here, and so the Targum understands it. The
! Septuagint has X'^'"^ JiJ^aX/«a, a thousand didrachma, no
doubt meaning shekels; fur in chap, xxiii. 15, 16. this
translation uses fiJ^axM* for 'he Hebrew SpC' shekel. -As
slmkul, signifies literally to weigh, and the shekel was a
coin of such a weight, Mr. Ainswortli and other.*, think
this to be the origin of our word scale, the insti'ument to
weigh with.
The shekel of the Sanctuary weighed tvienty gerahs. Exod.
Sarah reproved.
GENESIS.
Ahmekch's family healed.
A.M.-.ir.2106.
B.C.eir. 18?8.
' bcliold, he is to thee " a covering of
the eyes, unto all that are with thee,
anil with all other: Uhus she was reproA'^cd.
1 7 ^i So Abraham "^ prayed unto God : and
God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his
'Cli. 26. 11.-
-•■cli. '.'4.C5.-
^ Trov. 9. e, 9. & 25. 12. & 27. 5. UM. 7. 7.
XXX. 13. And according to the .Tews, i.he gerah weiglied six-
teen ijrains of barley. R. Maymoii observes, that after the cap-
tivity, the shekel was encreased to three hundred and eighty-four
grains, or barley corns. On the subject of ancient Meights
and measures, very little that is satisfactory is known.
Lchold, he is to thee a cohering of the ej'Ci] It, the one thou-
sand shekels, not He (Abraham) is to thee a corering, to procure
thee a veil to conceal thy beauty {unto all that are with thee,
andieith alt other) from all thy own kindred and ac(juaintaiwe,
and from all strangers, that none, seeing thou art another man's
wife, may covet tkee on account of thy comeliness.
And thus she vjas reproved.] The original is ntiaoi ve-no-
cachath, but the word is jrobabjy the second person preterite,
used for the imperative mood, from the root m nacach, to
make straight, direct, right — or to speak rightly, correctly ; and
may in connection with the rest of the text be thus para-
phrased. Beliold I have given thy BROTHER (Abraham, gently
alluding to the equivocation, ver. 2, 5.) a thousand shekels of
silver; behold, IT is (that is, the silver is, or may be or let it be)
to thee a covering of the eyes (to procure a veil, see before)
with regard to all those who are ivith thee, and to all (or, and
in all) speak thou the truth. Correctly translated by the Scp-
tuagmt, xai vravra aXri6£u70v, and in all things speak the truth.
Not only tell a part of the truth, but tell the ivhole — say not
ITierely, he is wy brother ; but say also, he is my husband too.
Thus in ALL things, speak the truth. 1 believe the above to
be the sense of this difficult passage ; and shall not puzzle my
reademvith criticisms. See Kennicott.
Verse 17. So Abraham prayed] This was the prime oflice
•f the K'33 n<ibi ; see ver. 1.
Verse 18. For the Lord had fast closed up all the ivombs]
Probably by means of some disease, with which he had
smitten them ; hence it is said, they were healed, at Abra-
Ivam's intercession ; and this seems necessarily to imply, that
tliey had been afflicted by some disease that rendered it im-
A.M.cir.y3(l6,
B.C.cir.l89tt.
maid-servants ; and they bare chil-
dren.
1 8 For the Lord ^ had fast closed up all the
wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of
Sarah Abraham's wife.
^ Ch. i9. 31. 1 Sam. 5. 1 1, 12. Job 42. 8, 9, 10, = cli. 12. 17. & 16. 2.
possible for them to have children, (ill it was removed. And
possibly this disease, as Dr. Dodd conjectures, had afflicted
Abimelech, and by this he was witiiheld, ver. 6. from defiUny
Abraham's bed.
1. On the prevarication of Abraham and Sarah, see the
notes and concluding observations on chap. xii. and while we
pity this weakness, let us take it as a luarning.
2. The cause why the Patriarcli did not acknowledge Saralj
as his wife ; was a fear lest he should lose his life on her ac-
count, for he said surely the fear, i. e. the true worship of the
true God, is not in this place. Such is the natural bigotry and
narrowness of the human heart, that we can scarcely allow
that any besides ourselves possess the true religion. To indulge
a disposition of this kind, is h ghly blameable. The true re-
ligion is tieidier confined to nnespoi nor to onepeople: itis spread
in various forms over the wIidIc earth. He who fills imrnensit}'^,
has left a record of himself in every nation, and amonu, every
people under heaven. Beware of the spirit of intolerance !
for bigotry produces uncharitableness, and uncharitableness
harsh judging, and in such a spirit, a man may think he does
God service, when he tortures, or makes a burnt-offering of
the person, whom his narrow mind and hard heart have dis-
honoured with the name of heretic. Such a spirit is not coii-
fiiu:d to any one coiiwutnity, though it has predominated in
some more than in others. But these things are highly dis-
pleasing in the sight of God. HE, as the father of the spirits
of all flesh, loves every branch of his vastly extended family ;
and as far as we love one another, no matter of what sect or
party, so far we resemble IIIM. Had Abraham possessed
more charity for man, and confidence in God, at this time,
he had not fallen into that snare from which he barely escaped.
A hasty judgment is generally both erroneous and harsh, and
those who are the most apt to form it, are generally the most
difficult to be convinced of the truth.
CHAPTER XXI.
Isaac is born according to the promise, 1 — 3, and is circumcised zchen eight days old, 4. Ahraham''s age ; and
Sarah's exultation at the birth of their son, 5 — 7. Isaac is tceuned, 8. Ishmael mocking on the occasion,
Sarah requires that both he and his mother Ilagar shall be dismissed, 9, 10. Abraham distressed on the ac-
count, is ordered btj the Lord to comply, 11, 12. The promise renetced to Ishmael, 13. Abraham dismisses
Ilagar and her son, who go to the wilderness of Beer-sheba, 14. They are greatly distressed fur Kant of zcater,
1
Isaac is bom : CHAP. XXI. gro'ws up and is xccaiied.
15, 16. yln aii^el of God appears to, and relieves them, 17—19. Iskmael prospers and is married, GO, 21.
Jhiinelech, and P/iic/iol his chief captain, make a covenant Ziith Abraham, and surrender the well of Beer-sheba
for seien erce lambs, 'li—3'2. Aliraham jdanls a grove and invokes the name of the Everlasting God, 33.
ND the Lord 'visited Sarah as
A.M. 2108.
1!. C. 18
2108. A ■
'"""• /\ he had said, and the Lord did
unto Sarah ""as he had spoken.
2 For Sarah "conceived, and bare Abraham
a son in liis old age; '^at the set time, of which
God had spoken to him.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son
tliat was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to
him, ''Isaac.
4 And Abraham '^ circumcised his son Isaac
being eight days old, °as God had commanded
him.
5 And "Abraham was an luindrcd years old,
when his son Isaac ^^as born unto him.
6 ^ And Sarah said, ' God hath made me to
laugh, so that all tliat hear ""will laugh with me.
•) Sam. 2. 21. ''cit. 17. 19. & IR. 10, 14.
8. Gal. 4. 52. Hcbr. 11. 11. " ch. 17. -Jl. —
Sell. 17. 10, 1-J. '=cli. 17. 1, 17.
Gal. * 23, 28. ' Acts 7.
-'ch. 17. 19. f Acts 7. 8.
'Ps. ise. 2. Isai. 54. 1.
A.M. 2103.
7 And she said. Who would have
said luito Abraham, that Sarah should
have given ciiildren suck? 'lor I have borne
him a son in his old age.
8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and
Abraham made a great feast, the same day that
Isaac was weaned.
9 % And Sarah saw the son of Hagar, "the
Egyptian, "which she had borne unto Abraham,
'mocking
A.M.cir.21 10.
B.C. cir. 1891.
10 Wherefore she said unto Abra-
ham, ''Cast out this bond-woman and
her son : for the son of this bond-woman shall
not be lieir with my son, ere7i with Isaac.
1 1 And the thing was very grievous in Abra-
" because of his son.
ham's sight,
Ga!. i. 27. "Luke 1. 58. 'ch. 13. 11, 12. '"ch. 16. 1. "ch. 16.
1.^. o(jai .J .ju. p Gal. 4. 30. See ch. 25. 6. & 36. 6,7. ''i.h. 17.
18.
NOTES ON CHAP. .\'.\I.
Verse I. Tkc Lord visited Sarah] That is, God fulfilled
his promise to Sarah by giving lier, at the advanced age of
ninety, power to conceive and bring forth a son.
Verse 3. huac.l .See the reason and interpretation of this
name, in the note on chap. xvii. 17.
Verse 4. Circumcised fits so)i] See on chap. x\ii. 10, &c.
A erse (j. (lod hath made mc to luiigh] Sarah alludes here
to tlie circumstance mentioned, chap, xviii. 12. and as she
seems to use the word to laif^h, in this place not in the sense
of being incredulous, but to express such pleasure or tuippiness
as almost suspends the reasoning faculty for a time, it ju.s-
tifies tlie observation on the above named verse. See a simi-
lar case in Luke xxiv. 41. where the disciples were so over-
come with the good news of our Lord's resurrection, tliat it
is said, Ttuy hclicved not for jot/.
Verse cS. 'I'he child grew and zvas u-caned] Dxt cilb yophce
peox •] pcajipgepcneb. Ang. Sar.Vl-.US. Noic t/ie chdd iiaxed
and became weaned. We have the verb to wean from the Angio-
saxon Xpenban awifndan, lo convert, transfer, turn from one tliin'j;
to another, which is the exact import of the Hebrew h^i gamal
jn the text. Hence penan iienan, to wetni, to turn a child from
the breast to receive another kind of aliment. And hence pro-
bably, the word WE.VN, a young child, which is still in use in
the northern ])arts of Great Britam and Ireland, and which i'rom
its etymology, seems to signify a child talcen from the breast;
surely not from the Scotcli wee-ane, a little one, much less from
the German wenig, little, as Dr. .Johnson and others would
derive it. At what time children were weaned among the
ancients, is a disputed point. St. Jerom says there were tvvo
opinions on this subject. Some hold that children were always
weaned at/fs years of age ; otliers that they were not weaned
till they were twelve. From the speech of the mother to her
son, 2 Mac. vii. 27. it seems likely tliat among the Jews, they
were weaned when three years old : O my son have pity upon mc
that bare thee nine 7nonths in my womb, a7tdgavc thee SUCK TUREF.
YEARS, ««rf nourished thee and brought thee up. And this is far-
ther strengthened by 2 Chron. xxxi. 1(). where Hezckiah, in
making provision for the Levites and Priests, includes thechild-
renfrom three years old and upwards; which is a presumptive
proof, that j)revious to this age, they were wholly dependant on
the mother tor their nourishment. Samuel appears to have been
brought to die .Sanctviary when he was just weaned, and then
he was capable of ministering before the Lord, 1 Kings i. 22
— 28. and this certainly could not be before he was three
years of age. The term among the Mohammedans is fixed
iiy the Koran, chap. xxxi. 14. at /uo years of age.
' Verse 9. Mocking.] \Vhat was implied in this mocking
is not known. St. Paul Galat. iv. '20. calls it pe/stcuting, but
it is likely he meant no more than some species of ridicule
u.scd by Ishinael on the occasion, and probably with respect
to the age of Sarah at Isaac's birth, and her previous barren-
ness. Jonatlian ben Uzzicl, and the Jerusalem Targum repre-
sent Ishmael as performing some idolatrous rite on the occa-
sion, and that this h.id given the offence to Sarah. Con-
jectures are as useless as they are endles,*. Whatever it was,
it became the occasion of +lu' cxjiulsion of himself and mother.
Several authors are of opinion, that the Egyptian bondage
of four hundred yetirs, nientioned chap. xv. 13. commenced
with this persecution of the righteous seed by the son of an
Egyptian woman.
Verse 10. Cast out this bond-woman and her son] Both Sarali
V 2
GENESIS
Hagar and Ishmael cast out :
A.M.cir.2uo. 12 And God said unto Abraham,
^^'•"'■"'•^- Let it not be grievous in thy sight
because of the lad, and because of thy bond-
woman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee,
hearken unto her voice; for 'in Isaac, shall thy
seed be called.
13 And also of the son of the bond-woman
•will I make "a nation, because he is thy seed.
14 Antl Abraham, rose up early in tlie morn-
ing, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and
gave // unto I lagar, (putting it on her shoulder,)
and the child, and "sent her avyay: and she
departed, and wandered in the wilderness of
Beer-sheba.
15 ^ Alid the water was spent in the bot-
tle, and she cast the child under one of the
-shrubs.
A M.cir.2110.
B.C. cir. 1894.
thet/ wander in the tcilderness,
16 And she went, and sat her down
over against him a good way off, as
it were a bow-shot: for she said, Let me not
see the death of the child. And she sat over
against hirn, and lift up her voice, and wept.
17 And "God heard the voice of the lad;
and the angel of God called to Hagar out of
heaven, and said unto her. What aileth thee,
Hagar? fear not; tor God hath heard the
voice of the lad where he is.
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in
thine hand; for ^I will make him a great
nation.
19 And ""God opened her eyes, and she
saw a well of water; and she went, and filled
the bottle with water, and gave the lad
drink.
•Rom. 9. 7, 8. Hebr. 11. 18. >'ver. 18. cli. 16. 10. & 17. 20.-
' Jolin 8. 35.
and Abraham have been accused of cruelty in tliis transac-
tion, because every word reads harsh to us. Cast out, BHJ
gnnisk sii^nifies not only to thrust out, drive avsuy and expet,
but also to divorce, see Lev. xxi. 1. And it is in this ktter
sense the word should be understood here. The child of
Abraham by I lagar, might be considered as having a riglil
at least to a part of tiie inheritance ; and as it was sufficiently
known to Sarah, that God had designed, that the succession
should be established in the line of Isaac, she wished Abra-
ham to divorce Hagar, or to perform some sort of legal act,
by which Ishmael might be excluded from all claim on the
inheritance.
Vtr«e 12. In Isaac shall thy seed be catted] Here God
shews the propriety of attending to the counsel of Sarah.
And lest Abraham, in whose eyes the thing was grievous,
sliould feel rlistressed on the occasion, God renews his pro-
mises to Ishmael a[id his posterity.
Verse 1 4. Took In cad, and a bottle'] By the word bread,
we are to understand, the food or provisions which were ne-
cessary for her and Ishmael, till they should come to the place
of their destination ; which, no doubt, Abraham particularly
pointeff out. The botite, which was made of skin, ordinarily
a gOtit's skin, contained water sufficient to last them till they
should come to the next well ; which, it is likely, Abraham
particularly specified also. This well, it appears, Hagar
missed, and therefore wandered about in the wilderness, seek-
ing more water till all she had brought with her was ex-
pended. We may therefore safely presume that she and her
sou were sufficiently provided for their journey, had they not
missed their way. Travellers in those countries, take only,
to the present day, provisions .sufficient to carry thtm to the
next village or incampment ; and water to supply them till they
shall meet with the next well. What adds to the appearance
of cruelty in this case is, that our translation seems to repre-
sent Ishmael as being a young child; and that Hagar was
" Exod. 3. 7. ^^ ver. IS -
— 'Numb. 22 31. See 2 Kings 6. 17, 18, 20.
Luke S4. 16, 31.
obliged to carry him, the bread, and ihe bottle of water on
her back, or shoulder, at the same time. But that Ishmael
could not be carried on his mother's shoulder, will be suf-
ficiently evident when his oijt' is considered : Ishmael was
born when Ahiaham was eighty-six years of age, chap. xvi.
16; Isaac was born when he wa.? one hundred years of age,
chap. xxi. 5. : hence Ishmael was fourteen years old at the
birth of Isaac. Add to this, the age of Isaac when he was
weaned, which, from ver. 8th of this chapter, (see the note)
was ))rohably three, and we shall find that Ishmael was, at
the time of his leaving Abraham, not less than seventeen
years old ; an age at which, in those primitive times, a young
man was able to gain his livelihood, either by his bow in the
wilderness, or by keeping flocks as Jacob did.
Verse 15, And she cast tlie child) iS'n HN "iWni Va-
lishtec eth ha-yeted, and she sent the lad — under one of the
shrubs — viz. to screen him from the intensity of the heat.
Here Ishmael appears to be utterly helpless, and this circum-
stance seems farther to confirm tlie opinion, that he was now
in a state of infancy — but the preceding observations do this
supposition entirely away ; and his present helplessness will
be easily accounted for on this ground : — I. Young persons
can bear much less fatigue than those who are arrived at ma-
ture age. 2. They require much more fluid from the greater
quantum of heat in their bodies, strongly marked by the impe-
tuosity of the blood; because from them a much larger quantity
of the fluids is thrown ofl' by sweat and insensible pei"spiration,
■than from grown up or aged persons. 3. Their digestion is ..
much more rapid, and hence they cannot bear hunger and.
thirst as well as the others. On these grounds Ishmael must
be much more exhausted with fatigue than his mother.
Verse 19. God opened her eyes] These words appear to-
me to mean no more, than, that God [directed her to a well,.
whicli probably was at no great distance from the place ia
which she then was ; and therefore she is commanded, ver. 1 8.
Abraham and Abimelech maJce CHAP. XXI,
A.M.cir?iio. 20 And God " was with the lad ;
B.c.cir.i894. ^j^^j j^g grew, and dwelt in the wil-
a covenant at Beersheha.
derness, "' and became an archer
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran :
and his niotlier "•' took him a wife out of the
land of Egypt.
A.M.cir.'UB 2S f" And it came to pass at that
lu^nrj^ time, that ^ Abimelech and Phichol
the chief captain of his host spake unto Abra-
ham, saying, " God is with thee in all that thou
doest :
23 Now therefore ^ swear unto me here by
God, ^ that thou wilt not deal falsely with me,
nor with my son, nor with my son's son : but
according to the kindness that I have done
unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the
land wherein thou hast "sojourned.
24 And Abraham said, I will swear.
25 And Abraham reproved Abimel6ch because
of a well of water which Abimelech's servants
"had violently taken away.
26 And Abimelech said, I wot not' who hath
■Ch. 28. 15. & 39. 2, 3, 21. 1" cli. 16. 12. ' cli. 24. 4. " ch. 20.2.
& 26. 26. •= ch. 26 2R. f Josh. 2. Vi. 1 Sara. 24. 21. ^ H,.b. if thou
sAb/I lie unto me. ''Seech. 26. Vi, 18, 20, 21, 22. 'ch. 26. 31. •
to support the lad, literally to make Iter Imnd strong in his be-
half— namely, ttiat he might reach the well and quench his
thirst.
Verse 20. Became an archer] And by his skill in his art,
under the continual siiperiiitendancc of the Divine Providence,
for Cod was uilh tlie lad, he was undoubtedly enabled to pro-
cure a sufficient supply for his own wants, and those of his
parent.
Verse 21. He dwelt in the wilderness of Paran'] This is
generally allowed to have been a part of the desart belong-
ing to Arabia Petraea, in the vicinity of mount Sinai ; and
this seems to be its unitbrm meaning in the sacred writings.
Verse 22. At that lime] This may either refer to the
transactions recorded m the preceding chapter, or to the time
of Ishmael's marriage ; but most probably to the former.
God IS with ihce] "1 SICIS jllei/mru dayai, the WORD of
Jehovah, see before, chap. 15.1. I'hat the Chaldee Paraphrasts
use this term not for a word spoken, but in the same sense in
which St. John uses the hoyo; too Qeou, the WORD of God,
chap. 1. must be evident to every unprejudiced reader. See on
chap. XV. ver. 1 .
Verse 23. Noxa therefore swear unio nu;] The oath on such
occasions probably meant no more than the mutual promise of
both the parties, when they slew an animal, poured out the
blood as a sacrifice to God, and then passed between the
pieces. See this ceremony, chap. v. 1 8. and on chap. sv.
Accordirtg to the kindness I hare done] The simple claims
•f justice, were alone set up among virtuous people in those
done this thing : neither didst thou A.M.cir.sus-
tell me ; neither yet heard I of it °^'""°^-
but to day.
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and
gave them unto Abimelech j and both of them
' made a covenant.
28 And Abraham set seven ewe Iambs of
the flock by themselves.
2^ And Abimelech said unto Abraham,
" What mean these seven ewe lambs which
thou hast set by themselves ? ,
30 And he said. For these seven ewe lambs
shalt thou take of my hand, that ' they may be
a witness unto me, that I have digged this
well.
31 Wlierefore he "called that place "Beer-
sheha ; because, there, they sware both of them.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba :
then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief
captain of his host, and they returned into the
land of the Phih.stines.
33 And Abraham planted a "grove in Bcer-
i" ch. 33. 8
of the oath.-
— 'ch. 31. 48, 52 ■" ch. 26. 33.-
-' Or, tree. Amos 3. 14,
-" Tliat is, T/ie udl
ancient times, which constitute the basis of the famous Lex
taltonis, or law of like for like, kind office for kind office, and
breach for breach.
Verse 25. Abraham reproved Abimelech] Wells were of
great consequence in tho.se hot countries ; and especially where
the flocks w ere numerous, because the water was scarce, and
digging to find it, was accompanied with much expense of
time and labour.
Verse 26. / wot not who hath done this thing] The ser-
vants of Abimelech had committed these depredations oa
Abraham, without any authority from their master; who ap-
pears to have been a very amiable man, possessing the fear of
God, and ever regulating the whole of his conduct by the
principles of righteousness and strict justice.
Verse 27. Took sheep and oxen] Some think that these
were the'sacrifices which were oflercd on the occasion, and
which Abraham furnished at his own cost; and in order to-
do Abimelech the greater honour, gave them to him to offer-
before the Lord.
Vei-se 28. Seven ewe lambs] These were either, given as a
present, or they were intended as the price of the well ; and
being accepted by Abimelech, they served as a ivitness that
he had acknowledged Abraham's right to the well in ques-
tion.'
Verse 31. He called the name of the place Beer-sheba] liQ-
P3tr Beer-sheba, literally, the well of swearing, or of the oath,
because they both sxvarc there, mutually confirmed the cove-
nant.
Abraham plants a grove
sheba, and " called there on the
name of the Lord, '' the everlasting
A.M.cu.i'U3.
D.C.cir.18C6.
GENESIS.
34 And
God.
* Ch. 4. 26. & 26. 53, '.'S, 33. ^ Dcut. 33. V!7.
^ ^ erse 33. Abra/iam planted a grove] The original word,
*U'N Eshcl, lias been varicfusly tran^lattd, a grove, a planta-
tion, an orchard, a cuUhated field, and nn oni-. From tliis
word, says Mr. I'arkiniriit, may be dcrivtd the name of the
famou.^ Asylum, opened by Ronjuhis, bciv^cen two groves of
oah, at Rome, {/M9:i{i:v h'uoiv (S^uhx-j. Dioiiys. Hal, hb. 2.
c. IC.) And as Abraliani, Gcu. xxi. 33. agreeably, no
doubt, to the institutes of the patriarchal religion, planted an
oak in Rcer-shcba, and called on the name of Jehovah the
everlasting- God, (compare Gen. xiii. 8. xviii. 1.) so we
find that oaka were sacred among- the idolaters also. Ye shall
be ashamed of the OAKS i/e have chosen, says Isaiah (chap. i.
'J9.) to tlie idolatrous Israelites. And \:i' Greece we meet,
in very early times, with the oracle of Jupiter at the oaks of
Dodona. Among the Greeks and Romans we have sacra
Jovi quercus, the oak, sacred to Jupiter, even to a pro-
verb. And in <iaul and Britain, we find the highest religi-
ous regard paid to the sairie tree, and to its misletoc, under
tlie direction of the Druids, that is, the oak-prophets or
priests, from the Celtic, deru, and Greek, dfi/j, an oak.
I'ew are ignorant that the miilctoe is indeed a very extraor-
dinary jilant, not to be cultivated in the earth, but always
growing on some other tree. " The GJruids," says Plini/,
Nat. Hist. 1. xvii. c. 44. " hold nothing more sacred than
the misletoe, and the tree on which it is produced, provided
it be the««A-. They make choice of^rorfs of oak on this ac-
count, nor do they perform any of tiieir sacred rites without
the 'leaves of those trees, so that one may sujipose that they
are, for this reason, called, by a Greek etymology, Druids.
And whatever misletoe grows on the oak, they think is sent
from heav( n, and is a sign that God himself has chosen that
tree. This, however, is very rarely found ; but, when dis-
covered, is treated with great ceremony. They call it by a
name which signifies, in their language, the curer of all ills ;
ajid, having duly prepared their feasts and sacrifices under
the tree, they bring to it two white bulls, whose horns are
then for tlie first time tied ; the priest, dressed in a white
robe, ascends the tree, and with a golden pruning-hook cuts
off the misletoe, which is received in a white saguni or sheet.
Then they sacrifice the victim>. praying that God would bless
his own gift to those on whom he has bestowed it." It is im-
possible for a Christian to read this account, without thinking
of HIM who was the desire of all nations, of the Man whose
name was the KRANCU, wlio had indeed no father upon earth,
but came down from heaven ; was given to heal all our ills,
and after being cut of through the di\ me counsel, was wrap-
ped in /inc /aitn, and laid in the sepulchre, for our sakes. I
cannot torbcar adding, that the viisletoc wa.^ a sacred emblem
to other Cctic nations, as for instance, to (he ancient inhabi-
tatite of /<a/?/. 'The golden branch, of which Virgil speaks so
largely, in the sixth .book of the ^ncis, and without which,
lie say.s, none could return from the infernal rci^ions, see line
and invoices the everlasting God.
Abraham sojourned in
the Philistines' land many days.
A.M.cir.2118.
BC.clr.18a6.
Isai. 40 28. Uom. 1. 20. & 16. 26. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Jer. 10. 10.
126, seems an allusion to the misletoe, as he himself plainly
intimates, by comparing it to that plant, line 205, he. See
Parkhurst, under the word VlPN eshcl.
In the first ages of the w orld, the worship of God was ex-
ceedingly simple ; there were no temples, norcovered edifices of
any kind : an altar, sometimes a single stone, sometimes it con-
sisted of several, and at other times merely of turf, was all that
was necessary; on this the fire was lighted and the sacrifice of-
fered. Any place was equally proper, as they knew that the ob-
ject of their worship filled the heavens and the earth. In pro-
cess of time, when families increased, and many sacrifices were
to be oflured, groves or shady places were chosen, where the-
worshippers might enjoy the protection of the shade, as a con-
siderable lime must be employed in ofl'ering many sacrifices.
These gloves became afterwards abused to impure and idola-
trous purposes, and were therefore strictly forbidden, See
Exod. xxxiv. 13. Deut. xii. 3. xvi. 21.
And called there on the name of the Lord] On this impor-
tant passage, Dr. Shuckford speaks thus : — " Our English
translation very erroneously renders ihis place, he called upon
the name of Jehovah ; but the expression XW2 Nip kara be-
shein, never signifies, to call upon the name: ca? Nip kara
shem, would signify, to invoke or call upon the name ; or, Nip
jyip 7j; kara el shem, would signify, to cry unto the name,
but Dira sip, kara heshem, signifies to invoke IN the name,
and seems to be used, where the true worshippers of God
oflered their prayers, in the name of the true Mediator, or
where the idolaters offered their prayers in the name of false
ones, 1 Kings xviii. 26 ; fur as the true worshippers had but;
one God and one Lord, so the false worshippers had gods
many and lords many ; 1 Cor. viii. 5. We have several in-,
stances of Nip kara, and a noun after it, sometimes vjith, and
sometimes without the particle hv el, and then it signifies to
call upon the person there mentioned : thus niH' l!np kara
Jehovah, is to call upon the Lord; Psal. xiv. 4. xvii. 0. xxxi.
7. liii. 4. cxviii. 5, &c. : and nilT hv Nip kara el Jehovah,
imports the same; I Sam. 12. 17. Jon. i. 6, &c. : but Nip
Dsya kara beshem, is either to name BY the name. Gen. ivj
17. Num. 32. 42. Psal. xlix. 11. Isai. xliii. 7. or, to ««-,
voke IN the name, when it is used as an expression of religious
worship." Connect, v. I. p. 293. I believe this to be a just
view of the subject, and therefore, 1 admit it without scruple.
The everlasting God] oSlJ? Sn n^n' Yehovah cl 61am, Je-
HOVAH, the STltUNCi God, the T.llUiNAi. ONE. This is
the first place in Scripture in which dSiJ7 oUan, occurs, as an
attribute of God ; and here it is evidently designed to point out
his eternal duration : that it'can mean no limited time is self-
evident, because nothing of this kind can be attributed to God.
The Septuagint renders the words, ©so; aiwvio;, the ever-
existing God ; and the Vulgate has, iuvocavit ibi nonten
Domini, Dei ccterni. There he invoked the name of the
Lord, the cttmal God. The Arabic is nearly the same.
/Id.Ht'ional ohsen^ations
CHAP. XXI.
on the preceding accounts.
From thi3 api>lication of both the Hebrew and Greek words, we
learn llidt thv 51am, and amvaion, originallyaignifieil FTERNAL,
or dura'ion rcilhout liiiI. thy c'dam, siijnifies he xin' ! -trlen, con-
cealed, or kept secict: and atuv, according 'o Aristotle, (De Cwlo,
lib. i. cliap. 9. and a higher authority need not be sought) is com-
pounded of a£i, always, and av, bting — aiav eiTTiv, asre tou ati
Civai. liie same autho: iiiiiinns us that God was termed Aisau,
becau>e he was vluiays existing, xxXtirat Aicrav, Ji aei cua-av.
De 31undo, chdp. v\\. in Ji/:'. Hence we see that no word»
can more forcibly exprc-i tlie p^rand cliaractcristics of eternity
than these. It is tint duration which is conceulcd, IddJcn. or
kept secret from all erf at''d beings : — which is al'^uys existing;
still running ON, but never running OUT — an inurminable, in-
cessant, and immeasurable duratioii: — it is TI1.\'J', in the fjliole
qfuhich, God alone can be said to txist ; and that, which the
eternal mind can alone coinprelieiuL
In all languages words have, in process of time, deviated
from their original acceptations, and have become accommo-
dated to particular purposes, and limited to jjarticular mean-
ings. Tliis has happened both to the llcbre\v 071? dlam, and
the Greek atwv: they have been both used to express a limited
time, but, in general, a time, the limits of which are unknoivn;
and thus a pointed reference to the original, ideal meaning, is
still kept up. Those who bring any of these terms in an
accommodated sense, to favour a particular doctrine, &:c.
must depend on the good graces of llieir opponents, for
permission to use them in this way. For as the real gram-
matical meaning of both words is eternal, and all other
meanings only accommodated ones, sound criticism in all
matters of dispute concerning the import of a word or term,
nuist have recourse to the grammatical meaning, and its
use among the earliest and most conect writers in the lan-
guage ; and will determine all accommodated meanings by
this alone. Now, the first and best writers in both these
languages apply olain and aiojv to express eternal, in the
projjer meaning of that word; and this is their proper mean-
ing in the Old and New Testaments, when applied to God,
bis attributes, his operations taken in connection with the
ends for which he performs them, for ivhatsoever he doth, it
shall be fur ever. — dSiJ?'? n'lT ycliiych lc-6lam, Eccl. iii. 14.
it shall be for eterm/y ; forms and appearances of created
things may change, but the counsels and purposes of God,
relatively to them, are permanent and eternal ; and none
of them can be frustrated — hence the words, when applied
to things which, from their nature, must have a limited
duration, arc properly to be understood in this sense ; because
those things, though temporal in themselves, shadoiu forth
things that are eternal. '[ hus the Jewish dispensation, which
in the whole, and in its parts, is frequently said to be dSu"?
le-Slam, for ever ; and which has terminated in the Christian
dispensation, has the word properly applied to it, because
it typified and introduced tliat dispensation which is to
cominuf, not only ivhile time shall lact, but is to have its in-
cessant, accumulating consummation throughout eternity. The
■word is, with the same strict propriety, applied to the duration
of the rewards and pumshnients in a future state. -'\nd the
argument that pretends to prove, and it is only pretension,
that in the future punishment of the wicked, " the worm
shall die," and " the fire slutll be quenched," will apply as
forcibly to the state of happy spirits, and as fully ptovc,
that a point in eternity fhall arrive, when the repose of the
ri^hlcous shall be interrni)lrd. and the gloril'ic.it on of the
children of CJod have an eternal end! See the notes on
chap. xvii. 1, 8.
1 . Faithfutnesi is one of the attributes of God, and none of
his promi^e.s can fail. According to the promise to Abrah nu.
Isaac is born ; but according to the course of nature, it fully
appears, that liolli Abraham and .'^arah had passed that term
of life in which it was possible for them to have children.
Isaac is the child of the promise, and the promise is siiprrnalu-
ral. Ishmael is bor^ according to the ordinary course of
nature, and cannot inherit, because the inhentante is spiritual,
and cannot come by natural birth : hence, we see that no man
can expect to enter into the Kingdom of God by birth, edu-
cation, profession of the true faith, &c. &c. Those alone who
are born from above, and are made partakers of the divine
nature, can l)e admitted into the family of God in heaven ;
and everlastingly enjoy that glorious inhevitance. Header, art
'liou born again? Hath God changed thy heart and thy
life ? If not; canst thou suppose that, in thy present state,
thou canst possibly enter into the paradise of God ? I leava
thy conscience to answer.
2. The actions of good men may be misrepresented, and
their motives suspected; because those motives are not known;
and those who are prone to think evil, are the last to take any
trouble to inform their minds, so that they may judge righteous
judgment. Abraham, in the dismissal of Hagar and Ishmael,
has been accused of cruelty. Though objections of this kind
have been answered already, yet it may not be amiss farther
to observe, that what be did, he did in conformity to a divine
command ; and a command so unequivocally given, that he
could not doubt its divine origin ; and this very command,
was accompanieil widt a promise, that both the child and his
mother should be taken under the divine protection. And it
was so : rior docs it appear that they lacked any diing but
v.ater, and diat only ibr a short time, after which, it was mi-
raculously supplied. God will work a miracle when necessary ;
and never till then : and at such a time the divine interposi-
tion can be easily ascertained, and man is under no tempta-
tion to attribute to second causes, what has so evidently flowed
from the frst. Thus, while he is promoting his creatures'
good, he is securing his own glory ; and he brings men into
straits and difficulties, so that he may have the fuller opportu-
nity to convince bis followers of his providential care, ?.nd to
prove how much he loves them.
3. Did we acknowledge Godin allourways, he would diree t.
our steps. Abimelech, king of Gerar, and Phicbol, captain
of his host, seeing Abraham a worshipper of the true God,
made him swear by the object of his wor.ship, that there
should be a lasting peace between them and him : for, as they
saw that God was with Abraham, tliey well knew that be
could not expect the divine blessing, any longer than lie
walked in integrity belore God ; they therelbre require him to
swear by God, that he would not deal falsely with them, or
their posterity. From this very circumstance we may see tb.e
original purpose, design, and spirit of an oath, viz. Let Cod
prosper or curse me in all that I do, as I prove true or false to
my engagements ! This is still the spirit of all caths, whsre
God IS called to witnes*, wl»etLer tke form be by the water cf
An account of the
GENESIS.
temptation of Ahraham,
the Ganges, the sign of the cross, kissing the bible, or Ufiing up
the hand to heaven. Hence we may learn, that he who fal-
sifies an oath or promise made in the presence and name of
God, thereby forfeits all right and title to the approbation and
blessini; of his Maker.
But it is highly criminal to make such appeals to God
upon trivial occasions. Only (he ?HOst solaim matters should
be thus determined. Legislators who regard the morals of
the people, .should take heed not to multiply oaths in matters
of commerce and revenue.
CHAPTER XXII.
The faith and obedience of Abraham put to a most extraordinary test, 1 ; he is commanded to offer his beloved son
Isaac, for a burnt-offering, 2: he prepares, with the utmost promptitude, to accomplish the tcill of God, 3 — 6.-
Jffcding speech of Isaac, 7, and Abraham's anszcer, 8. Having arrived at Mount Moriah, he prepares to sacri~
fee his son, 9, 10 ; and is prevented by an angel of the Lord, 1 1, 12. A ram is offered in the stead of Isaac, 13;
and the place is named Jehovah jireh, 13, 14. The angel of the Lord calls to Abraham a second time, 15; and,
in the most solemn manner, he is assured of innumerable blessiiigs in the multiplication and prospeiity of his
' seed, 16—18. Abraham returns and duvlls at Beer-sheba, 19; hears that his brother Nahor has eight children
by his- wife Milcah, 20; their names, 21—23; and four by his concubine Reumah, 24.
A. M. 21.12.
B. C. 1872.
Ja. Ant.
AND it came to pass after these
things, that ^ God did tempt
Abraham, and said unto him, Abra-
ham : and he said, •" Behold, here I om.
2 And he said. Take now thy son.
thine
• 1 Cor. 10. 13. Hebr. 11. 17. Jain. 1. 12. 1 Pet. 1. 7.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXII.
Verse 1. God did tempt Ahrahani] The original here is
Tery emphatic, Dn"i3N' HiC HDJ D'nbNm Vc-ha-Elohim nissah
eth Abiahavi, and the Elohim lie tried this Abraham : God
brouglit him into such circumstances, as exercised and dis-
covered his faith, love, and obedience. Though the word
tempt, from tento, signifies no more than to prove or try ; yet
as it is now generally used to imply a solicitation to tvil, in
uhich way God never tempts any man, it would be well to
avoid it here. The Septuagint used the word ETreipaas, which
signifies to tiy, pierce through: and Synmiachus translates the
Hebrew nCJ nissah, by eJolaffv, God glorified Abraham, or
rendered him illustrious, sujjposing the word to be the same
■with 03 nas, which signifies to glister with light, whence Di m-s,
an ensign or lianner displayed. Thus, thtn, according to him, '
the words shonlil be understood, " God put great honour on
Abraham, by giving him this opportunity of shewing to all
successive ages, the nature and eflicacy of an unshaken faith \
in the powtr, goodness, and truth of (jud." The Targum of j
Jonathan ben L'zziel paraphrases th; place thus : |
" Ai.d it happened that Isaac and Ishmael contended, and
Ishniacl said, I ought to be my lather's heir because I am his j
first-born : but Isaac said, it is more proper that I should be
my father's heir, because 1 am the son of fSarah his wife ; and
thou art only the son of Hagar, my mother's slave. Then
Ishma«l answered, I am more righteous than thou, because 1 1
was circumcised when 1 was thirteen years of age, and i( I had
chosen, I could have prevented my circumii>ion; but thou wcrt
circumci-ed «lien thou wert but eight days old, and if tliou
hadst bad knowledge, ihoii wouldst (probably) not have suflercd t
A.M.'iijS.-
B.C. 1872.
only son Isaac, whom thou lovest,
and get thee " into the land of
Moriah ; and offer him there for a burnt-
ofiering, upon one of the mountains wliich I
will tell thee of.
tHeb. Behold,
-<^Hebr 41. 17. * 2 Clir.in. 3. 1.
thj'self to be circumcised. Then Isaac answered and said.
Behold, I am now thirty-six years < Id, and if the holy and
blessed God should require all my members, I would
freely surrender them. These words were immediately
heard before the Lord of the universe, and i>"l N"i0'0 mcymrii
dayai, the WORD of the LORD, did try Abraham." 1 wish
once for all to remark, though the subject has been referred
to before, that the Chaldee term NID'O meymra, which we
translate word, is taken personally in some hundreds of places
in the Turgums. \Vhen the author, Jonathan, speaks of the
Divine Being as doing or saying any thing, he generally
represents him as performing the whole by his nieynira, which
he appears to consider not as a spcecli. or word spoken, hut
as a person, ([uite distinct from tlie Most High. S;. John
uses the wurd ^oyof, in precisely the same sense with the Tar-
gumists, chap. i. ). see the notes there, and see before ver.
22. and on thap. xv. 1.
Verse 2. Take now thy son^ Bishop Warburton's obser-
vations on this passage are weighty and iuipurtant. "The
order in which the words are placed in the (jrigiual, gradually
Increase the .'ense, and raise the passions hi^ilier and higher.
Take now thy son (rather, lake I beseech thee, N3 na) thine only
son, whom thou lovest, ei-en Isaac. Jarchi iiiiagmes this mi-
nuteness was to preclude any doubt in Abraham. Abrahaia
desired earnestly to be let into the mystery of redemption ; and
God, to instruct him in the infinite extent of the divine good-
ness to mankind, who spared not his own son, but delivered
him lip for us all, let Abraham led by experience, what it was
to lose a beloved .son, the son born miraculously, when Sarah
was past (.Uild-bcarmg, as Jesus was miraculously born of a
Abraham travels to viotint Moriah:
CHAP. XXII.
arrives there the third day.
A.M.cir.'.'i 11. 3 ^ ^4ii(| Abraham rose up * early l'
B^nr^iijfi^ in the morning, and saddled his ass, l[
and took t\vo of his young men with him, and
Isaac his son, and clave the wood I'or the burnt-
oftering, and rose up, and went unto the place \
of which God had tohl him. ~ |
4 Then, on the third chiy, Abraham lifted up
his eyes, and saw the place alar off.
5 And Abraham said unto his young men,
Abide ye here with the ass ; and I and the hid
»l'-a!. 119. 61). Eccl. 9. 10. Isa. 26. 3, 4. Luke 14. 26. Ikb. 11. 17—19.
will go yonder, and worship, and ^•^'''''••■"V
come again to you.
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-
offering, and "laid it upon Isaac his son ; and
lie took tlic fire in liis hand, and a knife ; and
they went both of them together.
7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his fatlier,
and said. My fiither : and he said, ' Here am I, my
son. And he said, Beliold the fire and the wood:
but where is the ''lamb for a burnt-offering?
•-Isa. 53. 6. Mat. 8. 17. John 19 17. 1 Pet. 2. 21.-
"til, kill.
-■^ Ileb. Behold me.
virgin. Tiie duration, too, of the action, ver. 4. was the j |
same as that between Christ's tlcatli and resurrection, bothjl
Mhich were tlcsigneil to be represented in it; and still farther, h
not only the final archety|)ical sacriliec of the Son of God, j
was fii^ured in tin- coiiniiatid to oder I.^aac, but the intcrme--;
diutc ti/p/ail sacrifice in the Mo.saic aeoiiomy «as repre.sent-
ed, by tUe peniiillcd sacrifice of tlic ram, ollered up, vcr. 13.
instead of Isaac." See Dodd.
Only soil] All that he had by Saiali bis legal wife.
The land of Moviali] This is supposed to mean all the
itiountaius of Jenisalem ; eonijirchending- mount Gilion or
Calvary, the momit of Si<in, and of Aera. As mount Cal-
vary is the higliei-t ground lo the west, and the mount of the
temple is the lowest of the mounts, Mr. Mann conjectures
that it was upon this mount Abraham odered up Isaac; which
is well known to be the same 'mount on which our blessed
Lord was crucllied. Reer-sheba, where Aliraham dwelt, is
about forty-two miles distant from .Jerusalem ; and it is not to
be wondered at, that AbraUam, Isaac, the two servants, and
the ass laden with wood for the burnl-oirering, did not reach
this place till the ildid day ; see ver. 4.
Ver.se 3. Two of his young men] Eliezer and Islimael,
according to the Targum.
Clave the \i:ood'\ Small wood, jig and ]mlm, proper for a
burnt-on(?ring. Tar;^uin. \
Ver.se 4. The third day] " As the number SEVEN," says!
Mr. Ainsworth, " is of especial use in Scripture, because of
the sabbath day. Gen. ii. 2. so THKEE is a mystical number,
because of Christ's rising from the dead the tliird day, Matt,
xvii. 23. 1 Cor. xv. 4. as he was crucified the third , hour
after ngon, Mark xv. 25. : and Isaac, as he was a figure of
Christ, in being ihe only .son of his father, and not spared, |
but odered for a sacrifice, Kom. viii. 32. .so in sundry par- i
ticulars ho resembled our Lord; the third day Isaac was to
be oft'ercd up; so it was t]w third day in which Christ also i
was to be perfected, Luke xiii. 32.: Isaac carried the wood [
for the burni-ort'cring, vcr. ti. as Christ carried the tree
whereon he died, John xix. IT.: the binding of Isaac, ver.
9. was also typical; so Christ was bound, Matt, xxvii. 2.
In till following remarkable cases this number also occurs.
Moses desired to go three days' journey in the wilderness to
sacrifice, Lxod. v. 3.; ami they travelled three days in it be-
fore they found water, Isxod. xv. 22.; and three days' jour-
, ney the ark of the covenant went before them, to search out
a resting-place. Num. x. 33.; hy the third day the people
were to be ready to receive God's law, Exod. xix. 11.; and
after tliree .days to pass over Jordan into Canaan, Josh. i. 11.;
the third day Ksther jHit on the apparel of the kingdom,
Esth. V. 1.; on the tliird day Hezckiah, being recovered from
his illness, went up to the bouse of the Lord, 2 Kings xx. 5. ;
on the third day the Pro|)hct said, God will rai.se us up and
we shall live before him, Hos. vi. 2.; and on the third day,
as well as on the seventh, the unclean person was to purify
himself. Num. xix. 12.: with many other memorable things
which the Scripture speaks concerning the third day, and
not without mystery; see Gen. xl. 12, 13. xlii. 17, 18. Jon.
i. 17. Josh. ii. 16.; unto which we may add a Jew's testi-
mony in Beresheth Rabba,']n a comment on this jdace, — There
are many 'rilUEE D.WS mentioned in the holy Scripture, of
which one is, the resurrection of the Messiah." Ainsworth.
Saw the place afar of.] The Targum says, he knew the
place, by seeing the cloud of glory smoking on the top of
the mountain.
Verse 5. / and the lad tcill i^o — and come ai;ain] How
could Abraham consistently with truth say thi.s, when be
knew he was going to make his son a burnt-offering? The
Apostle answers for hirn : By faith Abraham, when he was
tried, offered up Isaac — accounting that God was able to raise
him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in
a figure, Heb. xi. 17, 19. He knew that, previously to the
birth of Isaac, both he and his wife were dead to all the pur-
poses of procrealit.n — that his birth was a kind of life from
the dead — that the promise of God was most positive. In
Isaac shall thy seed he called, chap. xxi. 12. — that this promise
could not fail — that it was his duty to obey the command of
his Maker; and that it was as easy for God to restore him to
life after he had been a burnt-offering, as it was for him to
give him life in the beginning. Therefore he went I'ully pur-
posed to oiler his son, and yet confidently expecting to have
him restored to life again. We will go yonder, and worship,
perform a solemn act of devotion which God requires, and
come again to you.
Verse 6. Took the wood — and laid it upon Isaac] Proba-
bly the mountain top, to which they were going, was too diffi-
cult to be asc( nd( d by the ass ; thenfore either the father or
the son must carry the wood ; and it was most becoming in
the latter.
Verse 7. Bthold the fire and the wood : hut where is the
Q
Prepares to offer up Isaac:
8 And Abraham said,
God -will provide himself a lamb
they
A.M.cir.2141.
B.C.cir.lBfiS.
GENESIS. is prevented by a voice from heaven.
My son, 1 1 10 And Abraham stretched forth
so
went both
for
of them
A.M.cir.gl41.
B.C.cir, 18()3.
a burnt-oflfering :
together.
9 And they came to the place which God
had told him of; and Abraham built an altaj
there, and laid the wood in order, and bound
Isaac his son, and ''laid him on the altar upon
the wood.
•Jolin 1. 29, 36. Rev. 5. 6, 12. 8c 13. 8. ^ Hebr. 11. 17. Jam. 2. 21.
lamb?'\ Nolhing can be conceived more tender, affectionate,
and atlecting: than tlie question of tlic son and the reply of
tiie father on tiiis occasion. A paraphrase would spoil it —
nothing can he added, without injuring those expressions of
atlL-ctionate submission on the one hand, and dignified tender-
ness and simplicity on the other.
Verse 8. My son, God will provide himself a lamb] Here
we find tile same obedient unshaken faith, for which, this pat-
tern of practical piety was ever remarkable. But we must
not suppose that this was the langnap;e merely of faith and
obedience; the Patriarch spoke prophetically, and referred to
that Lamb of God which H 10 had provided for himself who,
in the fulness of time, should take away the sin of the world;
and of whom I.saac was a most expressive type. AH the
other lambs which had been offered fioni the foundation of
the world, had been such as MEN chose, and ME^l offered ;
but THIS was the Lamb which GOD had provided — empha-
tically The Lamb of God.
Verse 9. And bound Isaac his son] If the Patriarch had
not been upheld by the conviction that he was doings the
%vill of God, and had he not felt the most perfect confidence
that his son siiould be restored, even frunt the dead; what
agony must his licart have felt at every step of the journey,
and throuijh all the circumstances of this extraordinary busi-
ness! ^V'ha^ must his affectionate heart have felt at the ques-
tions asked by his innocent and amiable son ! What must he
have sutti?rcd while building the altar — laying on the wood —
binding his lovely son — placing him on the wood — taking the
knife, amd stretching out his hand to slay the child of his
hop(s.? Every view we take of the subject interests the heart,
and exalts the character of this father of the faithful. But
ha.s the character of Isaac been duly considered ? Is not the
consideration of his excellence lost, in the supposition that he
was too young to enter particularly into a sense of his danger;
and too feeble to have made any resistance, had he been un-
willing to submit' Josephus supposes that Isaac was now
ltuenli/-five; see the Chronology on ver. 1. some Rabbins, that
he was ihirli/six; hut it is more probable that he was now
about thiriy-threc, the age at which his great Antitype was
offered up: and on this medium I have ventured to construct
the Chronology, of which I think it necessary to give this
notice to the reader. Allowing him to be only fiLenti/-/ive
he might have easily resisted ; for can it be supposed that an
old man, of at least one hundred and tnenty-five years
of age, could have bound, without his consent, a young
his hand, and took the knite to slay
his son.
11^ And the angel of the Lord called imto
him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abra-
ham! and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, "Lay not- thine hand upon
the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him :
for ''now I know that thou fearest God, seeing
' 1 Sam. 15. 22.
Mic. 6. 7, 8. "I cli. 26. 5.
l.lohn4. 9, 10.
Rom. 8. 32. Jam. 2. 22.
man in the very prime and vigour of life } In this case
we cannot say that the superior strength of the father pre-
vailed; but the pieti/, filial affection, and obedience of the son
yielded. All this was most illustriously typical of Christ.
In both cases the father himself olfers up his only begotten
son : and the father himself binds him on the wood or to the
cross: in neither case is the son forced to yield, but yields of
his own accord — in neither case is the life taken away by the
hand of violence — Isaac yields himself to the knife; Jesus lays
doivn his life for the sheep.
Verse 11. The angel of the Lord] The very person who
was represented by this offering ; the Lord Jesus, who calls
himself Jehovah, ver. 17. and, on his own authority, renews
the promises of the covenant : He was ever the great Me-
diator between God and Man. See this point proved, chap.
XV. 1.
Verse 12. Lay not thine hand upon the lad] As Isaac^was
to be the representative of Jesus Christ's real sacrifice, it was
sufficient for this purpose, that in his oicn ivill, and the xvill of
his/«//(fr, the purpose of the immolation was complete. Isaac
was now fiilly offered both by his father and by himself. The
father yields tip the son — the son gives up his life : on both
sides, as far as will and purpose could go, the sacrifice was
complete. God simply spares the father the torture of put-
ting the knife to his son's throat. Now was the time when it
might properly' be said, " Sacrifice and offering, and burnt-
offering and sacrifice for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst
pleasure in them: then said the Angel of the Covenant, Lol
I come to do thy will, O God." Lay not thy hand upoa
the lad: an irrational cveawK will serve for the purpose of a
representative sacrifice, from this till the fulness of time. But
without this most expressive representation of the fath^ offer-
ing his beloved, only begotten son, what reference can such sacri-
fices be considered to have, to the giealevent of the incarnation
and crucifixion of Christ? Abraham, the most dignified, the
most immaculate of all the Patriarchs; Isaac, the true pati'
tern of piety to God, and filial obedience; may well re-
present Gad, the Father, so loving the world as to give his only
begotten son, Jesus CllIilST, to die for the sin of man. But
the grand circumstances necessary to prefigure these important
points, could not be exhibited through the means of any or of
the u hole' brute creation. The whole sacrificial system of the
Mosaic a'conomy had ^ retrospective anA prospective s'kvi ; re-
ferring I'ltOM tlLC sacrifice of Isaac, TO the sacrifice of Christ:.
in the first, the dauning of the sun of righteousness was
Offers a ram in Isaac's stead.
A.Mcir'.'iii. tiioii hast not withheld thy son,
B.c.cir.i8(;i. ^|,i„g only gQyi fi-o,,, ,„e_
13 And Abraham Hfled up his eyes, and
looked, and behold behind him, a ram eauglit
in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went
and took the ram, and offered him up for a
burnt-offering in the stead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of that
place ^ Jehovah-jireh : as it is said to this day,
lu the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
15 % And the angel of the Lord called unto
Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, '' By myself lia\e 1 sworn, saith '
the Loun, for because thou hast done this |
thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine '
only «o«, j
j 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in i
•Tli;it rs. Vie LORD iciii see, or prmdc. t-Ps. 10:>. 9. Eccles. 44. 21.
Lukt 1. "j. Hebr. (.. 13, U. -'cli. l.i. i. Jer. .■;.}. -ii. ''cli. 13. 16.
=Heb. lip. ^fch. Hi. 60. bMic. ]. o. "cli. If. 3. & 18. 18. &
CHAP. XXII. God renews his promises to Abraham.
fern ; in the latter, his meridian splendor and glory. Taken
in this light, an<l this is the only liuht in which it should
l)e viewed, Abraham offering his .son Isaac, is one of the
most important facts, and most in.structive histories in the
whole Old Testament. See further on this subject, chap.
xxiii. 2.
Verse 1 4. Jeliovah-jirelt] nST niiT Yehovah-yireh, lite-
rally interpreted, in the margin, Tlie Lord irill see ; that is,
God will take care that every thing sliall be done that is ne-
cessary, for the comlbrt and support of them who trust in
him: hence the words are usually tianslateil. The Lord will
provide : so our translators, ver. 8. nXT DTiVn clohim-yirch,
God will provide; because his ei/e ever atf'ects his lieart ; and
the wants he sees, his hand is ever ready to supply. But all
this sctins to have been done under a divine impulse, and the
words to have been ..spoken proplielically: hence Houbigant
and .some others, render the words thus, Dominiis videbitur,
the Lord shall be seen; and this translation, the following
clause seems to require, as it is said to this dtiy, niri' in3
njn» bchar, Yeliovah yireli: ON 'I'lllS MOUNT, THE LOKD
SHALL BE sn.KX. From this it appears, that the sacrifice
oflercd by Abraham was understood to be a representittive one ;
and a tradition was kept up, that Jehovah should be seen in
a sacrificial way, on ihjs niuunt. And this renders the ojjinion
slated on ver. 1. more than probable, viz. that Abiiiham
ofliitd Isaac on that icry mountain, on which, in the fulness
of lime, Jesus sutfi red. See Bishop VV'arbiirton.
Verse Ui. Jiy myself have I sivorii] So we find that the
person who was called the uitgcl of the Lord, is here called
Jehovah, see on ver.' 2. An oath, or an appeal to God, is
among men, an end to strife; as God could siveur by no
greater, he sxeorc by himself: being uilling more abundantly,
says the Apostle, to shciv unto the heirs of promise the immutu-
lilily of his counsel, he cunjirmed it by an Oath, that by two im-
multiplving I will multiply thy seed A.M.eir.2Hi.
" as the stars of the heaven, " and as "■^'- "' "^"^-
the sand which is upon the sea '.shore; and '^tliy
seed shall possess ^the gate of his enemies;
18 "And in thy seed shall all the nations of
the earth be blessed ; 'because thou hast obeyed
my voice.
19 So Abraham returned unto his young
men, and they rose up, and went together to
" Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Eeer-
sheba.
20 ^ And it came to pass after a M.cir2i42.
these things, that it was told Abra- ^fi^'ff^
ham, saying. Behold, ' Milcah, she hath also
borne children unto thy brother Nahor ;
21 "IIuz his firstborn, and Buz his brother,
and Kemuel the ftither " of Aram,
2fi. 4. Kcc!ns. 44 '2% Acti 3. 2.5. 0:il. 3. 8. 9, 16, 18. ' ver. S
ch. 26. 5. ^cii. S!l. 31. 'ch. 11.29. '"Job 1. 1. "Job 32. 2.
mutable things, (his PROMISE and his O.ATH) in which it was
impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation,
who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us. —
See Heb. vi. 13 — 18.
Verse 17. Shall possess the gate of his enemies.'\ Instead
of gales, the Septuagiiit has tto^ei; cities ; but as thtre is a
very near resemblance between tto^eij cities, ami TruXa^ gates,
the latter might have been the original reading in the Scpiua-
gint, though none of theMSS. now acknowledge it. Hv the
gates may be meant all the strength, whether troops, counsels,
or fortified cities, of their cnennts. So Matt. xvi. IS. On
this rock will I build my church, and the gtites of hell shall
not prevail against it — the connscl.s, stratagems, and powers
of darkness shall not be able to prevail against or overthrow
the true church of Christ — and possibly our Lord had this
promise to Abraham and his sjiiritual posterity m view,
when he spoke these words.
Verse 1 8. And in thy seed, Sfc] We have the authority
of St. Paul, Gal. iii. 8, 16, IS, to re.'tram this to our blessed
Lord, who was THK SEED through whom alone, all God's
blessings of providence, mercy, grace, and glory should be
conveyed to the nations of the earth.
Verse 20. Behold, Milcah, she hath also borne children
unto thy brother] This short hi>tory seems introduced solely
for the purpo.se of preparing the readi:-r for the trau.sactions
related, chap. xxiv. and to shew, that the providence of God
was preparing, in one of the branches of the family of Abra-
ham, a suitable spouse for his son Isaac.
Verse 2 1. IIuz] He is supposed to have peopled the land
of Uz or Ausitis, in Arabia Deserta, the country of Job.
Huz his brother] From this pi.isoii Elihu the Buzite, out
of the friends of Job, is thought to have descended.
Kimnel the father of Aram] Kamouel, ware^a 1.u^a¥, the
\ father of the Syrians, according to the Septua^jint. Probably
The family ofNahor. GENESIS
22 And Chesed, and Hazo, and
Pildash, and Jidlapli, and Bethu
A.M.cir.'2H;,
BC.cir.l86i
23 And ^Beduicl begat "Rebckah: these eight
Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
» Cli. ^^. 15, 21, 47. & 25. 20. & 28. 2—5.
the Kamiktes a Syrian tribe, to the ivestward of the Euphrates,
are meant : they are mentioned by Simho.
\'erse 23. Bethuel bezut Rcbelath] \\'ho afterwards became
ihe wife of Isaac.
Verse 24-. His concubine] 'We borrow tills word from the
Latin compound, concubina, from con, together, and cubo, to
lie, and apply it solely to a woman cohabiting with a man
without being- legally married, llie Hebrew word is vhSi
pilgasli, which is also a compound term, contracted, accord-
insi to Parkhursl, from jSs palag, to divide or share, and
C'JJ nngash, to approach ; because the husband, in the delicate
jjhraseofthe Hebrew tongue, n/)/>roac/if.s the concubine, and
xltures the bed, &c. of the real wife with her. The pi 1 gash or
concubine, (from which comes the Greek wa.h?^aKyj, pallake,
and also the Lalinyx^Wc-rJ in Scripture, is a kind ni secondary
wife, not unlawful in the patriarchal times; though the
-progeny of such could not inherit. The word is not used
in the Scriptures in that disagreeable sense in which we
commonly understand it. Hagar was properly the concubine,
or pils;ti.ih, of Abraham ; and this, unnuenle Deo, and with
liis wife's consent. Ketnrah, his second wife, is called a
concubine, chap. xxvi. 15. 1 Cliron. i. 32. and Bilha and
Zilplia were concubines to Jacob, chap. xxxv. 22. After
the patriarchal times, many eminent men had concubines,
viz. Caleb, 1 Chron. ii. 46, 4S. Munasses, 1 Chron. vii. It.
Gideon, Judg. viii. 31. Stiul, 2 Sam. iii. 7. David, 2 Sam.
V. 13. Solomon, 2 Kings xi. 3. and Re lioboam, 2 Chron. xi.
21. The pilgash therefore diftlred widely from a prostitute;
and however unlawful, under die New Testament, was not so
under tiie Old.
From this chapter a pious mind may collect much useful
instruction. From the trial of Abraham, we again see, 1.
That God may bring his followers into severe straits and diffi-
culties, that they may have the belter opportunity of both
knowing and shewing their own faith and obedience : and that
Bethiiel the father of Rehekah.
24 And his concubine, "whose name A-^icirana.
"was Reumali, she bare also, Tebah, •':'r''b2.
and Gaham, and Tliahash, and Maachah.
I- Called, Rom. 9. 10. Rebecca. ^^ ch. 16. 3. & K. 6.
he may seize on those occa.sions to .shew them the abundance
of his mercy ; and thus confirm them in righteousness all their
days. There is a foolish saying among some religious people,
which cannot be too severely reprobated ; untried grace, is no
grace. On the contrary, there may be much grace, though
God, for good reasons, does not think proper for a time, to put it
to any severe trial or proof Kut grace is certainly not fully
knou'n, but in being called to trials of severe and painful obe-
dience. But as all the gifts of God should be Jised, and they
aie increased and strengthened by exercise, it would be un-
just to deny trials and exercises to grace, as this would be. to
preclude it from the opportunities of being strengthened and in-
creased. 2. The oft'eriiig up of Isaac is used by several reli-
gious people in a sort of metaphorical way, to signily their
easily bescllin:; sins, beloved idols, &c. But this is a most
reprehensible abuse of the scripture. It is both insolent and
wicked to compare some abominable lust, or unholy affection to
tlie amiable and pious youth, who for his purity and excel-
lence was deemed worthy to .prefigure the sacrifice of the Son
of God. To call our vile passions and unlawful attachments
by the name of our Isaacs, is unpardonable: and to talk of
sacrificing such to God, is downright blasphemy. Such say-
ings as these appear to be legitimated by long u-^e ; but we
should be deeply and scrupulously careful not to use any of
the words of God in any sense in which he has not spoken
them. If in the course of God's providence, a parent is called
to give up to death, an amiable, only son, then there is a,
parallel in the case; and it may be justly said, if pious resig-
nation fill the parent's mind, such a person, like Abraham,
has been called lo give his Isaac back to ijod.
Independanth' of the typical reference in this transaction,
there are two points which seem to be recommended particu-
larly lo our notice. I. The astonishing faith, and prompt
obedience of the father. 2. The innocence, filial respect,
and passive submission of the son. Such a father and such a
son, were alone worthy of each other.
CHAPTER XXIII.
The ace and deal h of Sarult, 1, C. Abraham tiwitms for her, and requests a burial-place from the sons of Heth,
2 — 4. Thei/ freeli) offer h'utt the choice of all their sepulchres, 5, 6. jlbraham refuses to receive any as a
free gift, and reque.^ts to buy the cave of Machpelahfrom Epiiron, 7 — 9- Epliron proffers the cave and the field
in uhich it Ti as situated, as ajree gift unto Abraham, 10, 11. Abraham insists on giving its value in moneif,
12, 13. Ephron at last consents, and names the sum of four hundred shekels, 14, 15. Abraham weighs him the
monet/ in the presence of the people ; in consequence of lohich, the cave, the whole field, trees, Sfc. are made sure
tohimandhisfaniili/ for a possession, 16—18. The transaction being completed, Harah is buried in ihe cave, 19»
The sons of Heth ratify tlie bargain, 20.
Tlie age and death of Sarah.
CHAP. XXIII.
Abraham (reals "with the Ilethites.
■ A. U. 2l4i.
B C. I8.>9
A
ND Sarah was an humlied and
^ ^ seven and twenty years old :
tiiese xvere tlic years of the life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died in Mviijath-arba; the same
I.? '' Hebron in the knid of Canaan: and Abra-
liain eame to mourn lor Saraii, and to weep for
her.
3 1[ And Abraham stood np from before his
dead, and spake unto the sons of Iletli, saying,
A. M.i\ii.
B. C. 18.i9.
•Josh. 14. l.i. .ludLT. 1. 1(1. * rli. 13. 18
iClirun. 29. 15. Ps. Klj. 12. Hebr. 11. 9, IS.-
vcr. IP.
— <i Acts 7. 5.
ver. 17. 8.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXlll.
Verse 1 , And Siirali was nn hundred and seven and tiecnti/
years old] h is worlhy of remark, that Sarah is the only
woman in the sacred writinirs, whose ai^e, death, and Im-
rial, are distinctly noted. And she has heen deemed worthy
of /i/:^/av honour; for St. I'aul, Gal. iv. -'2, 2.3. makes her a
type of the church nf Christ; and her faith in the accomplish-
ment of God's promise, that she should have a son, when all
natural prohahihties were against it, is particularly celebrated
in the Kpistle to the Hebrcw.s, chap. .\i. ver. 1 I. Sarah was
about ninety-one years old \^'hen Isaac was born, and she
lived thirty-six years after, and saw him groun up to man's
estate. With SaK.ah the jiromisc of the incarnation of Christ
commenced, though a comparatively obscure prt)phecy of it,
had been delivered to Eve, chap. iii. 15. and with MarY it
terminated, havin;;' had its exaci <'o;npletion Thus Grid put
more honour upon those two women ' than u])on all the daugh-
ters of Eve besides. Her conception of Isaac was supernatural,
she had passed the age and circumstances in which it was pos-
sible, naturally speaking, to have a child; therefore she laughed
when the promise was given, knowing that th.e thing was im-
possible, because it had ceased to be with her after the man-
ner of women, (iod allows this natural imp(is.sil)ility, and
.grants that the thing must be the effect of divine uitcrposilion;
and therefore ask.s. Is any thing too hard for God? The phy-
sical impossibility was increased in the case of 3Iajy, she hav-
ing no connexion with man. Hut the same power interposed
as in the rase of Sarah; and we find, that when all aptitude
for natural procreation was gone, Sarah received streif^ih to
conceive seed, and bore a son, fmm whom, in a direct line,
the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, was to descend : and
through this same power, we find a Virgin conceiving and
bearing a son, against all natural impossibilities. Kvery llnng
is supernatural in the births, both of the \^;\^e and antitype;
can it be wondered at then, if the spiritual offspring of the Mes-
siah must have a supernatural birth likewise.' h nee the pro-
priety of that saying, unless a man be born again — born from
above — horn, not only of'.^-ater, but of the Holt/ Uhost, he can-
not see the kingdom of God. These may appear bard sayings,
and those who are little in the habit of considering spiritual
things, may exclaim, " It is enthusiasm I Who can bear it?
J^uch things cannot possibly be." 'Jo such persons I have only
to say, God hath s]iokrn. This is sufficient for those who
credit his Being and his Bible; nor is there any thing too
j 4 "^I atn a stranger and a sojourner
with you: ''give nic a possession of
a biuying-phice with }ou, that I may bury my
dead out of my sight.
j 5 And tlie chiltb-en of Hetli answered Al)ra-
I ham, saying unto liim,
j 6 Hear us, my lord: thou art "a miglity prince
in the choice of our sepulchres bury
among us
thy dead: none of us shah witidiold from thee
■ Ilcb. a prince if God.-
-^cli. 13. 2. fc 11. 11. & 21. S5.
hard for him. He, by who.se almighty power, Sarah had
strength to conceive and bear a son in her old age; and by
whose miraculous interference a virgin conceived, and the
man Christ Jesus was born of her, can, by the same ))6wer,
transform the sinful soul, and cause it to bear the image of
the heavenly, as it has borne the image of the earthly.
Verse 2. Sarah died in Kiijath-arba] Literally, in the city
of the four. Sonic; suppose this place was called the city of
the four, because it was the burial-plase of Adam, Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob; others, because, according to the opinion
of the Rabbins, Eve was buried there, with Sarah, Rebekah,
and Leah. But it seems tv dently to have had its name from a
Canaanite, one of the Anakim, probably called rl)6«, for the
text, Jos. xiv. 1.5. does not actually say, this was his name;
who was the chief of the /ojn- brothers who dwelt there; the
names of the others being Sltcshai, Aldman, and 'I'almai, see
Judges i. 10. I'hese three were destroyed by the tribe of
Jud-ah ; probably the other had been previoii.-ily dead.
Abraham came to mourn for Sarah] From ver. 19. of the
preceding chapter, it appears that Abraham had settled at Beer-
sheba; and here we finil, that Sarah died at Hebron, which was
about twenty-four miles distant from Beer-»heba. For the con-
venience of lireding his numerous flock.s, Abraham had probably
several places of temporary residence, and particularly one
at Beer-sheba, and another at Hebron: and it is likely that
while he sojourned at Beer-sheba, Sarah died at Hebron;
and his coming to mourn and weep for her, siij^nifies his coming
from the former to the latter place on the news ol her death.
Ver. 3. Abraham stood up from before his dead]. He had
probably sat on the ground some days in token of sorrow, as
the custom then was; see Tobit ii. 12,, 13. l>a. xlvii. I. and
Gen. xxxvii. 35. and when this time was finished, he arose
and began to treat about a burying-place.
Verse 4. / am a stranger and a sojourner] It appears from-
Hell. xi. 13 — 16. 1 l^ct. ii. 11, that these words retir more
to the state of his mind than of Ills body. He felt iliat he
had 110 certain dwellmg-place, and w;is seeking by faith a.
city that had fouiulations.
Give me a posses'^ion (if a burying-place] It has been re-
marked, that in diflerent nations it was deemed ignominidus
to be buriid in another's ground; probably this prevailed in
early times in the Fast: and it may be m reference to a sen-
ti iicnt of this kind, that Abraham refu.>es to accejit the otler
of the children of Heth to bury in any of tlieir sepulchres^.
A.M.'JUS.
B. C. I8:i9.
Jleqiiesls the cave ofMachpelah:
his sepulchre, but that thou mayest
bury thy dead.
7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed hhnself
to tlie people of the huid, even to tlie children
of Heth.
8 And he communed with th.em, saying, if it
be your mind that I should bury my dead out
of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to
Ephron the son of Zohar.
9 That he may give' me the cave of Mach-
pclah, which he hath, which is in the end of his
field; for ^ as much money as it is worth, he
shall give it me for a possession of a burying-
place amongst you.
10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of
Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abra-
ham in the '' audience of the children of Heth,
even of all that ' went in at the gate of his city,
saying,
11 "^ iS'ay, my lord, hear me: the field give I
thee, and tlie cave that is therein, I give it
tliee; in the presence of the sons of my people
give I it thee: bury thy dead.
12 And Abraliam bowed down himself before
the people of the land,
13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience
of the people of the land, saying. But if thou
A. M. 2145.
B C. 1859.
GENESIS. buys it for 400 shekels of silver.
\'wilt give it, I pray thee, heai- me,
I will give thee money for the
field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead
there.
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying
unto him,
15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is
tvorth tour hundred 'shekels of silver: what is
that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy
dead.
1 6 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron ;
and Abraham ' weighed to Ephron the silver,
which he had named in the audience of the sons
of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current'
7)10/161/ with the merchant.
17 And ^ the field of Ephron, which teas in
Machpelah, which ti^as before Mamre, the field,
and the cave which teas therein, and all the
trees that were in the field, that were in all the
borders roimd about, were made sure
18 Unto Abraham for a possession, in the pre-
sence of the children of Heth, before all that
went in at the C'ate of his citv.
19 % And after this Abraham buried Sarah
his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah
before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land
of Canaan.
■■Hcb./uiii money ''Heb. mis. 'eh. 34. HO, 24. Rutli 4. 4.-
2 Sam. s;4 ','1—24.
-' See
and earnestly requests tliem to sell him one, tliat lie might
bury his wife in a place that he could claim as liis own.
Verse 0. T/iou nrl a i)iiij;l(ly prince] DTiVk N'K?J Nasi Elo-
■him, a prince of (ind; a person whom we know to be divinely
favourefl ; and wliom, in consequence, we deeply respect and
reverenre.
Verse 8 Intrentfnr me to Ephron] Abraham had already
-seen the cave and fiohl, and findinp; to whom they l)elon;_;ed,
and that they would answer his purpose, came to ihe gate of
Hebron, where the elders of the people sat to administer
justice, &c. and where bargains and sales were made and
witnessed; and having addressed himself to the elders, among
whom Ephron was, though it appears he was not personally
Icnown to Abraham, lie begged them to use tlieir influence
with the owner of the cave utkI field to sell it to bim, that it
might serve hivn and his fannly for a place of .sepulture.
Verse 10. Jnd Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth]
And i'.phron 32y j/oihcb, was sitting "among the children of
Heth, but, as was before conjectured, was personally unknown
to Abraiiam ; he therefore answered ibr himself, making a
.■free tender of tlie field, &c. to Abraham in the presence of
all the people, which amounted to a le^ul comei/uiice of tlie
whole property to the Pairiarclu
'Exod. 30. 15. Eeek, 45. 32. f Jer. 32. 9. -Sch. S5. 9. & 49. SO, 31,
32. & oO. 18. Acts 7. 16.
Ver.se 1 3. Instead of, if thou wilt give it, we should read.
But if thou xudt sell it, I ivill giz'e thee monei/ for the field]
r^DS keseph silver, not coined money, for it is not probable
that any such was then in use.
Verse 15. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver]
Though tlie words is worth, are not in the text, yet they are
neces.sarily expressed here to adapt llie -Hebrew to the idioin
of our tongue. A shekel, according to the general f>pinion,
was equal to two shillings and sixpence; but according to Dr.
Prideaux, whose estimate I .-.hall I'oUow, three shillings En-
glish, (bur hundred of which are equal to sixty pounds sterling;
but it is evident that a certain weight is intended, and not. a
coin; for in ver."'l6. it is said, and Abraham weighed "?piyi
ya yishckal, the silver, and hence it appears that this weight
itself, passed afterwards as a cunent coin; for the word VpiZ?
shekel is not only used to express a coin, or piece of silver,
but also to weigh; see the nolf on chap. xx. 16.
Verse 16. Current — with the merchant.] TTlOb ^3;^ Ober la-
socher, passing to, or with ihe traveller, such as \(as commonly
used by those who travelled about with merchandize of any sort.
The word signifies the same as hau:ker or pedlar among us.
Ver.se 17. All the trees that were in the field] It is possible
that all these were specified in the agreement, , _
The cave, Jield, S^x.
CHAP, xxrv
A. M. 214.5.
B.C IP. '9
20 And the field, and the cave that
is therein, * were made sure unto
•See Ruth 4. 7, 8. 9, 10. Jer. S«. Ift 11.
Verse 20. And the field — were made surel DP'I V/ii/aknm,
were established, caused to stand; the whole transaction liaving
been regulated according- to all the forms of Jaw then in use.
1 . In this transaction between Abraham and the sons of Hetli,
concerning the cave and field of Machpelah, we have the
earlie.'it account ou record, of the purchase of land. The sim-
plicity, openness, and candour on both sides, cannot be too
much admired.
2. Sarah being dead, and Abraham being only a sojourner
in that land, shifting from place to place, for the mere pur-
pose of pasturino his flocks, and having no right to any part
I of the land, wished to purchase a place in which he might
have the continual right of se|)u!ture. For this purpose, 1.
'He goes to the gate of the city, the place where, in all an-
cient times, justice was adminis-tered, and bargains and .'ales
concluded; and where, for these purposes, the elders oj" the
people sat. 2. He there proposes to buy the cave, known
by the name of the Cave of Machpelah, the cave of the turning,
or the double ca-ee, for a liiirying-place for his family. 3. To
prevent him from going to any unnecessary txpence; the peo-
ple, witii one voice, oU'er him the privilege of burying his
wile in any of their sepulchres: this appearing to them to be
no more than the common rights of hospitality and humanity
required. 4. Abraham, intent on making a purchase,
Ephron, the owner of the field and cave, values them at four
hundred shekels; but at the same time wishes Abraham to
receive the whole as a gift. 5. Abraham refuses the gift,
and weighs down the silver specified. 6. The people who
enter in at Ihe gate, i. e. the inhabitants coming from or going
to their ordinary occupations in the country, witness the
transaction, and thus the conveyance to Abraham is made
sure, without the intervention of those puzzlers of civil affairs,
by whnse tricks and chicanery property often becomes insecure,
and right and succession precarious and uncertain. But this
cen»ure does not fall on lawj/ers properly so called, who are
men of honour, and whose ofl'ice, in every well regulated
state, is as useful as it is respectable. But the accumulation
and complex nature of almost all modern systems of law,
puzzles even justice herself, and often induces decisions, by
which truth (alls in the streets, and equity goes backwards.
B.C. 18,>9.
confirmed to himjhr a possession.
Abraham for a possession ofa burying
place '' by the sons of Heth.
'Ch. 60. 13. 2 Kings 21. 18.
In the first ages of mankind, suspicion, deceit, and guile,
seem to have had a very hmited influence. Happy days of pri-
mitive simplicity! When shall they return.'
3. We often hear of the rudeness and barhai ity of ihe primi-
tive ages; but on what evidence.'' Every rule of politeness that
could be acted upon in such a case as that mentioned here, .
is brought into full practice. Is it possible to read the simple
narration in this place without admiring the amiable, decent
and polite conduct displayed on both sides? Had even Lord
Chesterfield read this account, his good-sense would have led
him to propose it as a model in all transactions between man
and his fellows. There is neither awkward stiff formality on
the one hand, nor frippery alFectation on the other. Decent
respect, good-sense, good nature, and good breeding, are
all prominently displayed. And how highly laudable and
useful is alt this! A pedant or a boor on either side, might
have destroyed the simplicity of the whole transaction ; the
one bv engendering caution and suspicion, and the other by tfx-
citing disgust. In all such transactions, the beau and the boor
are equally to be avoided. From the first, no sincerity can
be expected; and the manners of the latter, render him in-
tolerable. The religion of the Bible leconunends and incul-
cates orderly behaviour, as well as purity of heart and life.
They, who Under the sanction of religion, trample under foot
the decent forms of civil respect, supposing, that because they
are religious, they have a right to be rude, totally mistake
the spirit of Christianity, for love or charily (the soul and
essence of ttiat religion) behavelli not itself unseemly. Every
attentive reader of the thirteenth chapter of St. Paul's first
epistle to the Corinthians, will clearly discern that the de-
scription of true religion, given in that place, applies as
forcibly to good-breeding, as to inward and outward holiness.
What lessons of honesty, decent respect, and good manners,
could a sensible man derive from Abraham treating with the
sons of Heth for the cave of Machpelah; and William Penn,
treating with the American Indians for the tract of land now
called Pennsylvania ! I leave others to draw the [)arallel, and to
shew, how exactly the conduct and s[)irit of Patriarcii \\\c first y
were exemplified in the conduct and spirit of Patriarch Ihe
second. Let the righteous be had in everlasting remem-
brance !
CHAPTER XXIV.
Abraham being solicitous to get his son Isaac proper/i/ married, calls Itis confide ittial servant, probab/i/ Etiezar, and
makes him szcear that he zii/l not take a zcife for Isaac from among the Canaanites, 1 — 3. but from among ki»
own kindred, 4. The servant proposes certain difficulties,. 5. zchich Abraham removes hi/ gi'^>"g Idm the strongest
assurances of God's direction in the business, 6, 7. and then specifies the conditions of the oath, 8. The form of
the oath, itself, p. The servant makes preparations for hisjournet/, and sets out for Mesopotamia, the residence of
. yjbyahum's kindred, 10. Arrives at a zce/l mar to the place, 11. His prai/er to God, \'l — 14. Rcbekah, the
daughter of Bethucl, son nf Nahor, Abraham's brother, comes to ihc uell to draw zcater, 15. She is described, 16..
Abraham instructs his servant GENESIS, concerning the marriage of his son Isaac.
Conversation betneen her (ind Jbrahams servant, in tchich eveiy thing took place according to his praj/er to God,
17 — 21. He ?«fl/.('s her prcsciilf, and learnx ichose daughter she is, 22 — 24. 'S7/f invites him to herfalher's house,
2j. lie returns tlianks to God for having thus far given him a prosperous jonrnci/, 0,6, 27. Rcbekak runs home
<ind informs her famili/, 28. on uhich her brother Laban comes out, and invites the serva)tt home, 29 — " 1 . His
reception, .'52, 33. Tells his errand, 34 ; and how he had proceeded in executing the trust reposed in him, 33 — 48.
lieqitests an anstvcr, 49. The family of Rebckah consent that she should become the zcife of Isaac, 50, 51. The
servant icorsliips God, o'l ; and gives presents to Milcah, Laban, and Rebekuh, 33. He requests to be dismissed,
j4 — 50. Rebckah being consulted consents io go, 57, 53. She is accompanied by her nurse, 59,- and having re-
ceived the blessing of her parents and lelatives, fiO. she departs -with the servant of Abraham, (il. Thei/ are met bif
Isaac Tvho zcas on an evening icalk, for the purpose of meditation, 62^05. The servant relates to Isaac all that
he had done, 66. Isaac and Rebckah are married, 67.
again unto tlie land from wliencc a.m. 2148.
thou earnest?
6 And Abraham said unto
A.Jr.'jiis.
B.C. ]85(j.
A
ND Abraham " was
'' well stricken in age
old, 072(1
_ _ : and the
Lord
2 And Abraham said "^ unto his eldest ser-
vant of his house, that ^ ruled over all that
he had, ^ Put, I pray tliee, thy hand under my
thigh,
3 And I will make thee ^ swear by the Lord,
the God of heaven, and the God of the earth,
that " thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of
the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom
1 dwell:
4 ' But thou shalt go "^ unto my country and
to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son
Isaac.
.5 And the servant said unto him, Perad ven-
ture the woman will not be willing to follow
mc unto this land : must I needs bring thy son
•Ch. 18. n. Si2i..'i. •'Heb. gme into days. «ch. 13. 2. ver. SS.
Ps. 11'.;. 3. Prov. 10. SIS. "ch. 16. S. 'ver. 10. ch. 39. 4, 5, 6
♦ch. 47. 29. iChron. S9. U Lam. 5, 6. ^ch. 14. 22. Deut. 6. 13. Josh.
8. 12.
B. C. 18.56.
AOTES ON CHAP. XXtV.
Verse 1. And Abraham u-as old] He was now about one
hundred and forty years of age, and constquently Isaac was
forty, being born when his father was one hundred years old.
See chap. xxi. S. & xxv. 20.
Verse 2. Eldest saTtintl As tliis ehlest servant is stated to
Lave been the ruler over all that he hud, it is very hkely that
Eliezar is meant. See chap. xv. 2, 3.
Put, I pray thee, thi/ handl See on ver. 9.
Verse 3. / will make thee szvear} See on ver. .0.
Of the Canaaiii/cs] Because tiiese had already been devoted
to slavery, &c. and il would li.ivo been utterly inronsisteiit, as
■well with prudence as with the design of God, to have unit(<l
the child and heir of tlie promise with one who was under
a curse, thoiifrli that curse might be con.-idercd to be only of a
political nature. See the curse of Canaan, chap. ix. 25.
Verse 4. My country] Mesopotamia; called here, Abra-
ham's country, because it was the place where the family of
2
lim. Beware thou,
that thou bring not my son thither again.
7 The Loitu God of heaven, wliich ' took me
from my father's house, and from the land of
my kindred, and wliich spake unto me, and that
sware unto me, saying, '" Unto thy seed will I
give this land; " he shall send his angel before
thee, and thou shalt take a wife luito my son
from thence.
8 And if the woman will not be willing to
follow thee, then "thou shalt be clear from
this my oath:, only bring not my son thither
again.
9 And the servant put his hand under the
thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to
him concerning that matter.
"Ch. 26. .W. & 27. 46. & 28. 2. Enod. 34. 16. Deut. 7. 3. -'ch. 28. 2.
1=011. 12. 1. -'ch. 12. 1,7. '"ch. 12.7. & 13. 1.5. & 1.5. 18. & 17. 8.
Kxod. .W. 13. Deut, 1. 8. & 34. 4. Acts 7. 5. " E.xod. 23. 20. 23. & 33.
2. Heb. 1. 11. "Josli. 2. 17, 2».
Haran, his brother, bad settled ; and where, himself had
remained a considerable time with his father Terah. In
this family, as well as in that of Nahor, the true religion had
been in some .sort preserved, tliough afterwards considerably
corrupted. See chap. xxxi. 19.
Verse 5. Peradventure the women xoill not be ivillin'^] We
may see, says ("almet, by this and other passages of scrip-
ture, Josh. ix. 18. what the sentiments of the ancients were
relative to an oath. Thi y believed they were bound precisely
by ivhat was .spoken, and had no liberiy to interpret tlie in-
tentions of those to \i bom the oath ^vas made.
Verse T. The Lord God, ..Sc] He expresses the strongest
confidtiiee in (Jod, that the great designs for which he bad
brought him from his own kindred, to propagate the true re-
ligion in the earth, would be acconi|)lisln'(l; and that there-
fore, vhen earthly instruments failed, heavenly ones should
be employed. He shall send hts angel, probably meaning
the angel of the covenant, of \i hom see chap. xv. 1,
He departs for Mesopotamia.
A.M. '.'118. 10 % And the servant took ten
; ^" ' • '"^''' camels of the camels of his master,
'. and departed; ("for'' all the goods of his master
•were in his hand :) and he arose, and went to
. Mesopotamia, unto " the city of Nahor.
I 1 1 And he made his camels to kneel down
without the city by a well of water, at the time
of the ex'cning, eveii the time ''tliat women go
out to draw 'water".
I 12 ^ And he said, "^ O Lord God of my
I master Abraham, I pray thee, ^ send me
CHAP. XXIV
good
• Ver. y. ^ Or, and. ' lIi. 27. 43. "i Heb. that women which
draw wvier go forth. * Kxnd. y. Jd. 1 Satii. 9. 11. ' ver. iT". cii. 'Jp.
«4. & W. 13. ic 32. 9. Exud. ;!. 6, io = Nell. ). U. Vs. 37. 6
Verse 9. Put Ins hand under the thigh of Abrnhavi] Tlii.s
•fovm of swearing iias greatly puzzled the coniinentators ; bul
'it is useless to detail opinions which I neither believe nij'self",
] nor would wi^ll my readers to credit. I believe the true sense
I'm given in the Targum of Jonathan ben UzzicI, and that called
"the Jcnisriltm Twruin. In t'.ie former it is said. Put noxu thy
\ hand, 'nSlilO nTIJ3 bigizirrith ma/ioleli — in seclione civcum-
cisionis mccc ; in tlie latter, 'O'p T^' mnn tccholh yerec Ic^y-
ami — sidi fcinore fadciis mei. When we put the circum-
stances mentioned in this and the third verse to<jether, we
shall find that they lully express Xhe ancient method of bind-
ing by oath, in such transactions as had a religious tendency.
1. The rite or ceremony used on the occasion: The person
binding- hinisrlf, put his hand under the thigh of the person
to whom he was to be bound; i. e. he put his hand on the
part that bore the mark of circumcision, tlie sign of God's
covenant ; « Inch is tantamount to our kissing the book, or
layuig the hand upon the Nnv Testament, or covenant, of o-ir
Lord Jesus C'hri-t. 2. Tlie form of the oath itself: The
person s\^ore by Jehovah, the God of heaven, and the God
of the earth. Three essential attributes of God are here
mentioned: 1. His self-existence and eternity in the name
Jehovah. 2. His dominion of glory, and blessedness in the
kingdom of heaven. 3. His providence and bounty in the
earth. The meaning of the oath seems to be this : " As
God is unchangeable in his nature and purposes, .so shall I
be in this cngageinent, under the penalty of forfeiting all
expectation of tcui|ioral jirosperity, the benefits oflhe mysti-
cal covenant, and future glory." An oath of this kind, taken
at such a time, and on such an occasion, can never be deemed
irreligious or profane. 'J'hoii. shalt sivear by hii name — shall
acknowledge and bind thyself unto the true God, as the just
Judge of thy motives and aitions, is a command of the Most
High; anil such an oath as the above, is at once (on such
an occasion) both propL-r and rational. The person binding
himself, proposes for a Jiattcrn the unchangeable and Jiixt (jod;
and as He is the avenger of wrong, and the punisher of
falsehood, and has all power in the heavens and in the earth,
so lie can punish perjury by privation of .spiritual and tern- !
poral blessings; by the loss of life, and by inflicting the per- '•
diliou due to ungodly men, among whom liars and (lerjured ;
persons occupy the most dislinguislied rank. Our ideas of |
AM 2143.
i;. C. 18-fi.
His prayer at the xoelt.
speed this day and shew kindness
unto my master A[)raham.
13 Behold, "I stand //ere by the well of wa-
ter ; and ' the daugliters of the men of the
city come out to draw water :
14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel
to whom I shall say. Let down thy pitcher, I
pray thee, that I may drink ; and she shall say.
Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also :
kt the same be she that thou hast appointed ibr
thy servant Isaac j and " tliereby shall I know
h vcr. 4.^. ' cIs. 29. 9. Exod. 2. 1(5.-
7. .V 14. 8. & '-'0. 7. 1 iMuc. ;).-!().
-" See JudgM 6. 17, SJ. 1 Sam. 6.
delicacy may rexolt from the rite used on this occasion ; but
when the nature of the covenant is considered, of which cir-
cumcision was the sign, we .shall at once perceive, that this rite
could not be used without producing sentiments of reverence
and godly fear ; as the contracting party must know that the
God of this covenant was a consuming fire.
Verse 10. Took ten camels] It appears that Abraham had
left the whole management of this business to the discretion
of his servant, to take witli him what retinue and what dowry
lie pleased ; for it is added — All the goods of Itis master were
in his hand ; and m those times, it was customary to give a
dowry /or a wife, and not to receive one with her.
Verse 1 1. He made his camels to kneel doicnj To rest them-
selves, or lie down, as the Septuagint has very properly ex-
pressed it — Kai sxoi/ji,i<rs ra; KX/anXou;.
Verse 12. And he said, O Lord God, ftr] "The conduct
of this servant," says Dr. Dodd, " appears no less pious tlian
rational. By supplicating for a sign, he acknowledges God
to be the great Superinteiulant and Director of the universe,
and of that event in particular; and at the same time, by
a.sking a natural sign, such as betokened humanity, conde-
scension, and other qualities, which promised a discreet and
virtuous wife, he puts his prayer upon such a discreet ra-
tional footing, as to be a proper example for all to imitate,
who would not tempt the providence of Ci>od by expecting
extraordinary signs to be given them for the detcrminalion
of cases, •which they are capable of deciding by a proper
use of their rational faculties." This is all very good; but
certainly the case referred to here, is such an one as required
especial direction from God ; a case which no use of the
rational faculties, without divine influence, could be snificient
to delirinine. It is easy to run into extremes, and it is very
natural so to do. In all things, the assistance and blessing-
of (jod are necessary, even where human strength and wis-
dom have the fullest and freest sphere of action : but there
are nuinberlcss cases of infinite consequence to man, where
his .strength and prudence can be of little or no avail ; and
where the God of all grace must work all things according
to the counsel of his own will. To expect the accomplish-
ment of any good end, without a proper use of the means,
is the most reprehensible enthusiasm; and to suppose, that
any good can be don,e or procured wilhoat the blessing and.
R
Eebekah comes to drtvw water. ' GENESIS
A.M.vi;8. that thou hast shewed kmdness unto
t^^l± mv master.
. 15 iT And 'it came to pass, before he had
done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came
out, (who was born to Bethuel, son of * Milcah,
the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother,) with her
pitcher upon her shoidder.
IG And the damsel "was S-ery fair to look
upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her:
and she went down to the well,, and filled her
pitcher, and came up.
17 And the servant ran tameet her, and said.
Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy
pitcher.
18 "And she said. Drink, my lord: and she
hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand,
and gave him drink.
19 And when she had done giving him drink,
she said, I will draw xvafer for thy camels also,
until they have done drinking.
20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher
A M. 2148;
ii.C. ia56.
• Ch, 1 1. ?9. & 25. ?o *■ cli. 26. 7. '^ Hcb. gand of countenance.
"iPct. 3." 8. & 4. 9. ^'ver. 1!2, 56. fExod. 32. 2, 3. Isai. 3. 19, 20,
She invites the servant home,
into the trough, and ran again unto
the well to draw water, and drew for
all his camels.
21 And the man wondering at her, held his
peace, to wit whether Hhe Lord had made his
journey prosperous or not.
22 % And it came to pass, as the camels had
done drinking, that the man took a golden ' ear-
ring^ of halfa shekel weight, and two bracelets
former hands, often shekels weight of gold;
23 And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell
me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's
house for us to lodge in?
24 And slie said unto him, " I am the daughter,
of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whicii she bare
unto Nahor.
23 She said moreover unto him, We have
both straw and provender enough, and room to-
lodge in.
26 And tiie man 'bowed down his head, and.
worshipped the Lord.
mercv of Cod, merely because proper means are used, is not
le<s reprehensible. When we plan, stheme, and labour like
Eliezar, then, by earnest faith and firayer, we may wilh the
utmost confidence commit the whole to the direction and bless-
ing of God.
Verse 15. Behold. Rebekah cafwe oai] How adrairably had
the providence of God adapted every circumstance to the
necessity of the case ; and so, as in the most punctual man-
ner, to answer the prayer which liis servant had oliered up!
Verse 19. I '.viH drauj water for thy camels also'] Mad Re-
bekah done no more than Eliezar had prayed for, «e might
have supposed, that she acted not as a free agent, but was
vnpelted to it by tiie absolutely controuling power of God :
but as she exceeds all that was requested, we see that it sprang
from her native benevolence, and sets her conduct in the most
amiable point of view.
Verse 2 1 . The man wendtrin'^ at lur] And he was so lost
in wonder and a<;toni.sliment at her simplicity, innocence, and
benevolence, that he permitted this dehcate female to draw
water for teji caiitels, without ever altemptmg to aflbrd her
any kind of assistance ! I know not which to admire most,
tl.e b< nevolence and condescension of Rebekah, or the cold
and apparently stupid indillerence of the servant of Abraham,
t'urelv tlicy are both of an uncommon cast.
Verse 23. The men took a golden ear-rinu:] 3ni DU r,ezem
ztthnb. That tliis could not be an ear-ring is very probable,
froui lis being in the singular number. The margin calls it
fi Jev:et for the forehead; but it most likely means ajeiielfor
the nose, or riosc-rin^, which is in universal use through all
parts of x\rabia and Pcisia, particularly among young wo-
91. Ezek. 16. 11, 12. 1 Pet. 3. 3. sOr, jeud for the jorchcad.-
1 ch. Y2. 5:3. ' \ er. Sa. Exod. i. 31.
men. They are generally worn in the left nostril. The
word is very properly ti'anslated iTn^^mov, an ornai/itnt for the
nose, by Symmachus.
Half a shekel weight] For the weight of a shekel, see
chap. XX. 1 6.
And ti^o bracelets] D'TOS VSn ustieney tsemidim. As-
tscmidim conies fi'om nCS tsamad, to join or couple together, it
may very properly mean bracelets, or whatever may clasp
round the arms or legs; foe rings and ornaments are worn
round both, by females in India and Persia. The small
part of the leg is generally decorated in this way; and so is,
the whole arm from the slioulder to the wrist. As these
tsemidim were given to Rebekah /or Iter hands, it sufficiently,
distinguishes them from a similar ornament used for the ankles^
In ihflerent parts of the sacred writings, there are allusions
to ornaments of ';arious kinds, still in use in different Asiatic,
countries. They are of seven ditVercnt sorts: 1. for ihefore~
htud ; 2. for the nose; 3. for the ears; '!•. for l\\e arms ; 5*
for ihc fingers ; 6. the neck and breast; 1. (he arddes. — See
above, ver. 22. and see ver. 47. also Ezek. xvi. 12. Prov. xi..
L'2. Isai. iii. 21. Gen. xxxv. 4. Exod. xxxii. 2. 3. Job xlii..
1 1. Judg. vjii. 2-i. The principal female ornaments are
enumerated in the third chapter of Isaiah, which are very
nearly the same that are in use in Persia and India to the
present time.
Verse 26;. Boxved down his head, and worshipped] Two-
acts of adoration are mentioned here : 1. bowing the head,,
ip' yikkod — and, 2. prostration upon the earth, UTTiB^'l va-
yishtachu. The bovjing of the head was to Rebekah, to return,
her thanks for her kmd invitation. The prostration was to
Laban repeals the invitation. CHAP,
A.M.2H8. 27 And he said, * Blessed be the
"• ^- ^^■'^- Lord God of my master Aljiaham,
Avho hath not left destitute my master of ''his
mercy and his truth: I being in the May, tlie
LoHD "led me to the house of my master's bre-
thren.
2S And tlie damsel ran, and told thou (if her
mother's house tliesc things.
29 if And Rebekah had a brother, and his
name -sas ""Laban: and Laban ran out unto
the man, unto the well.
30 And it came to pass, when he saw the ear-
v'nvx, and bracelets upon his sister's nands, and
when he heard the words of Rebekah liis sister,
saying, Thus spake the man unto me ; that he
came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by
the camels at tlie well.
; 31 And he said. Come in, "thou blessed of
r the Lord; wherefore staudest thou without?
1 for I have prepared the house, and room for the
camels.
32 And the man came into the house: and he
ungirded his camels, and '^gave straw and pro-
vender for the camels, and water to wash his
feet, and the men's feet that tvere with him.
33 And there was set 7neat before him to eat:
but he said, *I will not eat, until I have told
mine errand. And he said. Speak on.
•Exod. 18. 10. Ruth 4. 14. 1 Sam. 2.5. 32, 39. 2 Sam. 18. 28. Lukel.
68 '' ch. 32. 10. Ps. 98. 3. ' vcr. 43. " cli. 29. o = cli. 26. 29.
Jud'es 17. 2. Ruth 3. 10. Ps. 115. Ii>. foh. <13. 24. Judg. 19. 21.
Jehovah, in gratitude for the success with wliich he had fa-
voured him. See on Kxod. iv. .31.
Verse 27. / being in the way, the Lord led me] By desire
of his master, he went out on this journey ; and as he ac-
knowledged God in all his ways, the Lord directed all his
steps.
Verse 28. Her inother's house] Some have conjectured from
this, that her father Bcthuel was dead ; and the person called
Belhuel, ver. 50. was a younger brother. This is possible ;
but the mother's house might be mentioned, were even the
father alive: for in Asiatic countries, the women have apart-
ments entirely separate from those of llie men, in wliich their
little children and grown up daughteVs reside with them.
This was probably the case here, tliough it is very likely that
Bethuel was dead, as the whole business appears to be con-
ducted by Uebekah's brothers.
Verse 31. Thou blessed of the Lord] Probably a usual
mode of expressing kindness, and wishmg prosperity; as he
that is blessed of the Lord is worthy of all respect, for, en-
joying the divine favour, he is in possession of the sum of
L2j)piue9s.
XXIV. The senant delivers his messao'c.
34 ^ And he said, I aw? Abraham's a .m.jus.
servant. iu;^8^
35 And the Lord "hath blessed my master.
greatly; and he is become great: and he hath
given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and
gold, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and
camels, and asses.
36 And Sarah my master's wife 'bare a son
to my master when she was old, and ''unto him
hath he given all thut he hath.
37 And my master 'made me swear, saying.
Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the
daughters of. the Canaanitcs, in whose land I
dwell:
38 ""But thou shalt go unto my father's house,
and to my kindred, and take a wiit; unto my
sou.
39 "And I said unto my master, Peradven-
ture the woman will not follow me.
40 "And he said tnito me. The Lord,
''before whom I walk, will send his angel with
thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt
take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of
my father's house:
41 ''Then shalt thou be clear from this my
oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and
if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear
from my oath.
E .lob 23. 12. .Tolm 4. 34. E()h. 6. 5, 6, 7. •> ver. 1 . cli. 13. 2 -' cb. 21.
2.—'^ ch. 21. 10. h 25. 5. ' ver. 3. "^ »cr. 4. ° ver. 5. — — ■> ver. 7.
Pch. 17. 1. iver. 8.
Verse 32. Provender for the cimiels] These were the first
objects of his care; for a good man is merciful to his beast.
Water to -xash hisfeet, Ifc] Thus it appears, that he had ser-
vants with him; and as the fatigues of the journey must have
fallen as heavily upon them as upon himself, so we find no
distinction made, but water is provided to wasli their feet
as well as his.
Verse 33. I will itot eat, until I have told] Here is a servant
who had his master's interest more at heart than W^ o«n.
He refuses to take e\'en necessary refreshment, till he knows
whether he is likely to accomplish the object of his journey.
Did not our blessed Lord allude to the conduct of yVhraham's
servant, John iv. 34. — I\Ii/ meat is to do the will of him who
sent me, and to finish his xuork ?
Verse 36. Unto him hath he given all that he hath.] Me has
made Isaac his sole heir. These things appear to be spoken
to shew the relatives of Rebekah, that his master's son was
a proper match for her; for, even in those primitive times,
there was regard had to the suitability of station and rank
in life, as well as of education, in order to render a match
comfortable. Persons of dissimilar habits, as wtll as of di«-
r2
A.M. 2141.
B. C. 1833.
He repeats the conversation he had GENESIS.
42 And I came this day unto the
well, and said, 'O Lord God of my
master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my
way which I go;
43 "Behold, I stand by tlie well of water;
and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin
Cometh forth to draw 'water, and I say to her,
Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy
pitcher to drink ;
44 And she say to me. Both drink thou,
and I will also draw for thy camels ; let the
same be the woman whom the Lord hath ap-
pointed out for my master's son.
4.5 "And before I had done "speaking in mine
heart, behold, llebekah came forth, with her
pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down
unto the well, and drew xcater : and I said unto
her. Let me drink, I pray thee.
46 And slie made haste, and let down her
pitcher from her shoidder, and said. Drink,
and I will give thy camels drink also: so I
drank, and she made the camels drink also.
47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daugh-
ter art thou ? And she said. The daughter of
Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare un-
mth Rebekah at the 'well.
A.M. 2148.
BC 1856.
a
V,T.
1?.-
''ver. 13
ver. 1,'-,, &
c—
d
1 Sira. 1
13.
-= Ezek.
16
11,
V?-
f
ver. '.16.
-Ecli
'^2. '.':>.-
— "ch
47.
wif.
Jo»h.
2. 14.-
n'i
. 118
.23
iMatU n.
4-2.
Mark I'J.
11.
_
-I'd!.
31.
H.
-'cli. 20.
13.
to him: and I ''put the ear-ring ujx)n
her face, and the bracelets upon her
hands ;
48 *^And I bowed down my head, and wor-
shipped the Lord; and blessed the Lord God
of my master Abraham, which had led me in
the right way, to take ^my master's brother's
daughter unto his son.
49 And now if ye will "deal kindly and truly
with my master, tell me : and if not, tell me ;
that I may tiuai to the right hand, or to the
left.
50 ^ Then Laban and Bethuel answered and
said, 'The thing proceedeth from the Lord:
we cannot ''speak unto thee bad or good.
51 Behold, Rebekah ' is before thee, take
/ler, and go, and let her be thy master's son's-
wife, as the Lord hath spoken.
52 And it came to pass, that, when Abra-
ham's servant heard their words, he "worship-
ped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.
53 And the servant brought forth "jewels of
silver", and jewels of gold, and raiment, and
gave thejn to Rebekah : he gave also to her
brother and to her mother ''precious things.
similar religious principles, arc never likely to be very happy
in a married life. ?2ven the poor and the rich may better
meet together in matrimonial alliances, than the religious and
the profiin", the uell-bred and the rulgar. A person may be (
unequally yoked in a great variety of ways: — Bear ye one
unolhers burthens, is the command of God; but where tliere is
unsuitablencss in the dispositions, education, mental capacity,
&c. of the persons, then one side is obliged to bear the whole
burthen, and endless dissatisfaction is the result. See at the end.
Verse 42. 0 Lord God of nny master\ As Abraham was
the friend of God, I'.litzar makes use of this, to give weight
and consequence to his petition.^.
Verse 43. When the virgin^ rrsVyn ha-aluiah, from ti7V
Cihtm. to hide, cover, or conceal — a pure virgin, a woniati
uncovered, and in this respect still concealed from man. The
taine its nSiro AiV/i«/rt/(, ver. 1(5. which from the explanation
there given, incontcslibly means a virgin in the proper sense
of the word — a young woman, not that is covered, or kepi at
home, the common gloss; but who was not uncovered, m the
delicate sense in which the Scripture uses this word. — See this
interpretation vindicated on Isai. vii. 14.
Verse 45. Bifore I had dimt speaking in mine heari^ So we
find llial the whole of this prayer, so circumstantially related,
\KX. \'i — 14. and again 42 — 44. was mental, and heard only
by that God to whom it Avas directed. It would have been iin- 1
"ver. '26. —
PSChroH. 21. 3.
-" Hell, vesscls,-
£zra 1. 6.
-" Exod. 3. 22. & 11. 2. & 12. 35.-
proper to have used public prayer on the occasion; aa his
servants could have felt no particular interest in the accom-
plishment of his petitions, because they were aot concerned in
them, having none of the responsibility of this mission.
Verse 41*. 'I'liat I may turn to tiie right hand, or to the left.^
That is, that I may go elsewhere, and seek a proper match
for the son of my master. Some have imagined, that Eliezar
intimated by the.se expressions, that if he did not succeed in
obtaining Kebtkah, he would go and seek for a wife either
among tlie descendants of Ishmael, or the descendants of Lot.
This interpretation is fanciful.
Verse 50. Laban and Bethuel] These seem both to be
brothers, of whom Laban was the eldest and chief; for the
opinion of Josephus appears to be very correct, viz. that
Bethuel the father had been some time dead. See ver. 28.
Bad or good.] We can neither speak for, nor against: — it
seems to be entirely the work of God; and we cordially
submit — consult Rebekah; if she be willing, take her and
go. — See ver. 58.
Verse 53. Jctrf/s of silver, and jen'els of gold] The word
•hs keley, which we here translatejetoc/.?, signifies properly i'(?.s-
sels, oT in.strumenls ; and those presented by Eliezar might have
been of various kinds. What he had given before, ver. 22.
was in token of respect — what he gave now, appears to have
been m the way of duii-ry.
He receives Rehekah, and departs.
CHAP. XXIV.
A. M.'il445.
li. C. 18=>6.
54 And they did eat and drink, he
and the men that ivere with liim,
and tarried all night ; and they arose up in the
morning, and he said, " Send me away unto my
master.
55 And her brother and her mother said, Let
the damsel abide with us ^ a Jew days, at the
least ten; aflter that she shall go.
5Q And he said unto them. Hinder me not,
seeing the Lord hath prospered my way ; send
me away that I may go to my master.
57 And they said. We will call the damsel,
and enquire at her mouth.
58 And they called Reliekah, and said unto
her, Wilt thou go with this man ? And she
said, I will go.
59 And they sent away Rebekah, their sister,
and ""her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and
his men.
"Vrr. 55. & .59. ""Or, a full war, or, ten mnnths. Judg. 14. 8.-
'ch. o5. 8. " cli. 17. lf>.— ^^ cii. 2-^. 17. fch. 16. 14. & 2.5. 11.-
Prccious tlnii!^.s.] nilJO migdonol/i. This word is used to
express exquisite fruits, or dcliciwies, .Deut. xxxiii. 13, 14,
15, 16. precious plants, or floiuas, Cant. iv. 16. vii. 13. But
it may mean gifts in general, though rather of an inferior
kind to those mentioned above.
Verse 54. And they did eat and drink'] ^V^len Eliezar had
got a favourable an.swer, then he and his servants sat down to
Hieat : this he had refused to do till lie had told his message,
ver. 33.
Verse 55. Lvt the duinsel abide with ns a few diii/s, at the leas:
ten] The original is very abrupt and obscure, because we
are not acquainted with the precise meaning of the form
of speech which is here used — niliT? IN D'0» yamim au
esor, U.\YS OK TEN, probably meaning a year, or ten
vionths, as the margin reads it, or a ii'eek, or ttn days. This
latter is the most likely sense, as there would be no propriety,
after having sjiven their consent that she should go, in detain-
ing her for a year, or ten months. In matters of simple
phraseology, or in those wiiich concern peculiar customs, the
Septuagint translation, especially in the Pcntatcr.ch, where it
is most accurate and pure, may be considered a legiti-
mate judge: this translation renders tlic words Hjuspaf ua-ci
hxa, about ten days. Houhiijant contends strongly, that
instead of the words niUT IX D'O' j/rtniim au bar, days or ten,
.we should read D'C CIH chodes/i yandm, a month of days,
i. e. a full month; without which emendation, he asserts,
locus erplicuri non posait — " the passage cannot be explain-
ed." This emendation is supported by the Syriac version,
wliich reads here yerach yomin, a month of days, or a full
month. The reader may adopt the Syriac, or the Septuagint,
as he judges best.
Verse 58. Wilt thou go ivith this jtian!'] So it aj)pears it
.\. M.'>\.m.
IV C. 1836.
77ie7/ meet mth Isaac.
60 And they blessed Rebekah, and
said unto her, Thou art our sister,
be thou '' (lie mollier of tliousands of millions,
and 'let thy seed possess the gate of those
which hate them.
61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and
they rode upon the camels, and followed the
man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went
his way.
62 ^ And Isaac came from the way of the
Svell Lahai-roi : for he dwelt in the south
country.
63 And Isaac w'ent out ^ to meditate in the
field at the " eventide : and he lifted up his
eyes, and s-aw, and, behold, the camels xcere
coming.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when
she saw Isaac, ' she lighted off the camel.
65 For she had said luito the servant, What
E Or, to prny. » Josli. 1. 8. Ps. 1. 2. & 77. I'J. Si 119. 15. & 143.5.
' Josli. 13. 18.
was left ultimately to the choice of Rebekah, whether she
would accept tlie proposals now made to her, unless we su]>
pose that tlie question meant — Hilt thou go immediately, or
stay with us a month longer ?
She said, I will go.] It fully appears to be the will of God
that it should be so, and I consent. Tliis at once determined
the whole business.
Verse 59. And her nurse] Whose name, we learn from
ch. XXXV. &. was Deborah, and who, as a second mother,
was deemed proper to accomi)any Rebekah. This was a
measure dictated by good-sense and prudence. Kehekah
had other female attendants. — See ver. 61.
Verse 60. Be thou the mother of thousands of millions]
n33"i '37S7 le-alphey rebahah, " for thousands ten thousand,"
or for myriads of thousands — a large family being ever con-
sidered in ancient times, as a ])roof of the pccuhai- blessing
and favour of God.
Verse 62. And Isaac came from — Lahai-roi] Concerning
this ivell, see chap. xvi. 13, &;c. As it appears from chap.
XXV. 1 1, that Isaac dwelt at the well Lachai-roi, it has been
conjectured tliat he had now come on a visit to his aged father
at Beer-sheba, where he waited in expectation of his bride.
For he dwell in the south country.] The southern part of
the land of Canaan. — See chap. xii. 9.
Verse 63. Isaac went out to meditate] HViJ*? la-suacfi, to
bend down tiie body, or the mind, or both. He was pro-
bably in deep thought, with his eyes fixed upon the ground.
\Vhat the subject of his meditation was, it is useless to en-
quire : he was a pious man, and he could not be triJUngly;
employed.
Verse 65. She took a vail] =TI?Xn ha-tsaaif. This is the
first time this word occurs, and it is of doubtful signification.
Isaac takes her to ivije.
GENESIS.
ReJleiio7is on the history,^
A. M. ■-•148.
B.C. lae.
man is this that walkcth in the field
to meet us ? And the servant had
said, It is my master: therefore she took 'avail,
and covered herself.
6Q And the servant told Isaac all things that
he had done.
•Oh. 20. 16. iCor. H. 1, 6> 10.
but most agree to render it a vail or a doke. The former is
the most likely, as it was generally used by women in the
east, as a sign of chaslity, modesty, and subjection.
Verse 67. Sarah's tent] Sarah being dead, her tent became
now appropriated to the use of Rebekah.
And took Rebekah, &;c.'] After what form this was done,
we are not told ; or whether there was any form used on the
occasion, more than solemnly receiving her as the person
whom God had chosen to be his wife; for it appears from
ver. 66. that the servant told him all the especial providential
circumstances which had marked his journey. The-primitive
form of marriage we have already seen, chap. ii. 23, 24.
which it is likely, as far as form was attended to, or judged
p.ecessary, was that which was commonly used in all the pa-
triarchal times.
1 . In this chapter we have an affecting and edifying display
of that Providence, by which God disposes and governs the
affairs of the univer.>ie, descendmg to the minutest particu-
lars, , and managing the great ishole by directing and in-
-tluencir.g all its purls. "^I'liis particular or especial Provi-
dence, we see, is not confined to work by general laws — it is
wise and intelligent; for it is the mind, the will, and
energy ef God. It steps out of common ways, and takes
©articular directions, as endlessly varied human necessities
^ay need, or the establishment and maintenance of godliness
in the earth may require. What a history of providential
occurrence.s coming all in answer to the prayer and faith of
a simple, humble individual, does this chapter exhibit!
2. As Abraham's servant has God's glory oidy in view in the
errand on which he is going, he may well expect the divine
direction. See with what simplicity and confidence he prays
to God! He even prescribes the way in which the divine
choice and approbation shall be made known : and God
honours the purity of his motives, and hjs pious faith, by
giving him precisely the answer he wished. How honour-
able in the sight of God is siinplicilrj of heart ! It has no-
thing to fear and all good to hope for : whereas a spirit,
warjKd by self-interest and ivorldlj/ vietvs, is always uncertain
.and agitated; as it is ever seeking that from its own counsels,
projects, and schemes, which should be sought in God alone.
In every place the upright man meets with his Ciod, his
.heart acknowledges his Maker, and his Maker acknowledges
hun : for such an one, the wliole oeconomy of providence
and grace is ever at work.
3. Abraham's solicitude to get a suitable wife for his .son is
worthy of the most serious regard. He was well aware, that
if Isaac formed a matrimonial alliance with the Canaanites, it
■might be ruinous to his piety, ana prevent the diiseinination
5
A. M. 2148.
B. C. 18.06.
67 And Isaac brouglit her into his
mother ** Sarah's tent, and took Re-
bekah, and she became his wife ; and he loved
her: and Isaac Svas comforted after his mo-
ther's death.
b Ch. 18. 6, 9, 10. ' ch. 38. 12. iThess, 4. 13.
of the true religion : therefore he binds his moit trusty ser-
vant by a solenm oath, not to take a wife for his son from the
daughters of Canaan, but from his own kindred, ainong
whom the knowledge of the true God was best preserved.
Others had different ra}'s of the, light of truth; but Abra-
ham's family alone had THE liiich ; and to the descendants
of this family were the promi.ses made.
4. How careful should parents be to procure alliances for
their children with those who fear God, as so much of the
peace and comfort of the children, and the happiness of
t/ieir posterity, depends on this circumstance. J3ut, alas!
how many sacrifice the comfort and salvation of their offspring
at the shrine of Mammon! If they can procure rich husbands
and ii;ives for their daughters and sons, then all, in their ap--
prehension, is well. Marriages of this kind may be con-
sidered as mere bargain and sale; for there is scarcely ever
any reference to God or eternity in them. The divine in-
stitution of marriage is Jeft out of sight; and the persons are -
united, not properly to each other, in the love, fear, and ac-
cording to the ordinance of God; but they are wedded to so
many thousand pounds sterling, and to so many iiouses, fields,
tV"-'- Thus, like goes to like, metnl to metal, and earth to
earth. Marriages, formed on such principles, are mere li-
censed adulteries. Let such contractors hear these awful words
of God — " Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that
the friendship of the world is enmity to God.?" Jam. iv. 4.
— See on ver. 36.
5. Though, under the patriarchal dispen-iiation, parents had a
kind of absolute authority over their children, and might dis-
pose of them as they pleased in general cases; yet it appears,
that in matrimonial connexions they were under no compul-
sion. The suitable person was pointed out and recom-
mended ; but it does not appear that children were forced,
against the whole tide of their affections, to take those per-
sons who were the objects of the parents' choice. WiU thou
go with this man ? was, in all likelihood, deemed essential
to the completion of the contract; and by the answer, I will
go, was the contract fully ratified. Thus the persons were
ultimately left to their own choice, though the most prudent
and projier means were no doubt used in order to direct and
fix It. Whether this was preci.<;ely the plan followed in pri-
mitive times, we cannot absolutely say : they were times of
great simplicity; and, probably, connexions on the mere
principle of affection, independantly of all other considera-
tions, seldom existed. And it must be allowed, that matches
tiirmed on the sole principle of comrniency, miyht as well be
(oniK-d by the parents as by any others ; and i.n Asiatic coun-
tries it was generally so ; lor there the female seldom pre-
sumes to have a choice of her own.
idbraham^s posterity
CHAP. XXV.
hy his second 'wife KeturaJi.
la all cases of this kird, the cliiltl sliould invariably 'on-
sult llie eipfriencc and nisdom of the p.Tents ; and tbe pa-
rents slioiild ever pay much resnect to the feelings of the
child, nor oi)poie an alliance which may be in all other respects
suitable, because there may be a lack of property on one side
of the intended match. If parents would proceed in this
way, God would pour his blessing on their seed, and hit
spirit upon their offspring.
CHAPTER XXV.
Abraham marries Keturali, I. Tlieir issue, 2 — 4. Makes Isaac kis heir, 5. But gives portions to the sons of
his coixitbines, and sends them ecslnard from Isaac, to fnid settlements, 6. Abraham's age, 7, and death, i^.
is buried lit/ his sons Isaac and Ishmael in the cave of Maihpeluh, 9, 10. God's btessin<r upon Isaac 11,
The generations of hhmucl, 12 — 1(). His age and death, 18. Of the generations of Isaac, 19, who teas
married in his fon'w.th i/ear, '20. liebelcak his icifc being barren, on his prater to God, conceives, 21. She
enquires of the Lord concerning her state, 22. The Lord's answer, 2.3. She is delivered of twins, 24. Pe-
culiarities in the birth of her sons Esau and Jacob, from which they had their names, 15, 2G. Their different
manner of lije, 2", 28. Esau returning from the field JainI , begs pottage f mm his brother, Q.Q, 30. Jacob re-
fuses to grant him am/, but on condition of his selling him his birth-right, 31. Esau, ready to die, parts with
tJu: birth-right to save his life, 32. Jacob causes him to confirm the sale with an oath, 33. He receives bread
and pottage of lentiles, and departs, 34.
A.M.cir.2154.
B.C. cir. 1850.
turah.
THEN
wife.
and
^ Abraham took a
her name teas Ke-
• Ch. as. 1. 2. " 1 Chron. 1. 32, 33.-
= ch. ST. se.
NOTES ON CHj\P. XXV.
Verse 1. Then again Abraltam took a 'Juife'] WHEN Abra-
ham took Keturah, we are not informed ; it might have
been in the life-time of Sarah; and the original t]Dil vnij/o-
sepli, and he added, 6fc. seems to give 9t)uie countenance to this
opinion. Indeed, it is not very likely that be had the chil-
dren mentioned here after the deatii of Sarah ; and from the
circumstances of his age, feebleness, &c. at the birth of
Isaac, it is still more improbable. Even at that age, forty
years before the marriage of Isaac, the birth of his son is
considered as not less miraculous on his part, than on the
part of Saiah ; for the Apostle expressly says, Rom. iv. 19.
that Abraham considered not his oxun body NOW DE.\0, xohen
he xeas about a hundred years old, nor the DEADNESS of
Sarah's ivoinb : hence we learn, that they tvcre both past tbe
procreation of children ; insomuch that the birth of Isaac is
ever represented as supernatural. It is therefore very impro-
bable, that he had any child after the birth of Isaac ; and
therefore we may veil suppose, that Moses has related this
transaction out of its chronological order, which is not infre-
quent in tbe sacred writings, wlien a variety of important
facts relative to tlie a complishment of some grand design are
thought necessary to be produced in a connected series. On
this account, intervening matters of a difllrent complexion are
referred to a future time. Perhaps we may be justified in
reading the ver^e-^" And Abraham had added, and had
token a wife (besides Haoai) whose name was Keturah," &c.
Jonathan ben Uzziel, and the Jerusalem Turgum, both assert.
2 And '' she bare him Zimran, and
Jokshan, and Medan, and "^ Midian,
and Ishbak, and Shuah.
A.l\I.cir.21.'>5.
B.C. cir. 1819.
Exod. 2. 15. 16. Exod. 18. 1—4. Num. 22. 4. Jud. «.&?.& 8.
that Keturah was the same as- Hagar. Some Rabbin.^ and
with them Dr. Hammond, are of the same opinion ; but both
Hagar and Keturah are so distinguished in the Scriptures
that the opinion seems destitute of probability. See on ver. 5.
Verse 2. Zimran] Stephaiius Byzanlinus mentions a city
in Arabia Felix called Zadram, which some suppose to have
taken its name from the son of Keturah; but it is more
likely, as Calmet observes, that all the sons of Abraham
had tlieir residence in Arabia Desertu ; and Plinv, Hist-.
Nat. I. vi. c. 28. mentions a people in that countrv, called
Zamarenians, who were probably the descendants of this
person.
Joksluut] Several learned men have been of opinion, that
this Jokshan was the same as Kaditan, the father of the
Arabs. The testimonies in favour of this opinion, see in
Dr. Hunt's Oration, De Antiquitate, &c. Lingua Arahictc,
p. 4. Calmet supposes that the Catancans, who inhabited a
part of Arabia Dcserta, sprang from this Jokshan.
jMedun, and 3[idian'\ Probably those who peopled that
part of Arabia Petra;a, contiguous to the land of Moab, east-
ward of the Dead Sea. St. Jerom terms the people of this
country Madianeans ; and Ptolemy mentions a people called
Itladianites, who dwelt in the same place.
Ishbak] From this person, Calmet supposes, the brook
Jabok, which has its source in the mountains of Gilead, and
falls into the sea of Tiberias, took its name.
.Shiidh.] Or Shuueh. From this man the Sacceans, near to
Bataiiia, at the extremity of Arabia Deserta, towards Sjiria,
A.M.cir.2180.
B. C.cir.l8v;4.
Abraham gives portions to his sons.
3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and
Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were
Ashurim, Letushim, and Lciimmim.
4 And the sons of Midian ; Ephah,
and Epher, aiwl Hanoch, and Abidah, and EI-
daah. All these xvere the children of Keturah.
A.McT.mb. 5 ^ And ' Abraham gave all that
6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which
Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and " sent
GENESIS. Abraham dies, aged X^l 5 years,
them away from Isaac his son, (while
he yet lived) eastward, unto " the
east country.
7 IF And these are the days of
the years of Abraham's life which
he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen
years.
8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and ''died
in a good old age, an old man, and fiiU of
years ; and ^ was gathered to his people.
» Ch. '2-i. 36. " cli. n. 14 ' Judg. 6. 3.
are supposed to have sprung. Bildad the Shuhite, one of Job's
friends, is supposed to h;ive descended from this son of
Abraham.
Verse 3. Shehci] From whom spranoj the Sabeans, who
robbed Job of his cattle— See Bochart and Cuhnct.
Asliiirim, and Letushim, and L^iimmini.'\ We know not who
these were ; but as each name is plural, they must have been
tribes or families, and not individuals. Onkelos interprets
these words of persons dwellinsr in camps, tents, and islands;
and Jonathan ben Uzziel, calls them merchants, artificers,
and heads or chiefs tf people.
Ver.->e 4. Ephah, and V.plier, S;c!\ Of these we know no more
linn ofthe preceding- ; and it is useless to multiply conjectures :
an abundance is already furnished by the commentators.
Verse 5. Gave all that he had unto Isaac.'] His principal
flocks, and especially his right to the land of Canaan, includ-
ing a confirmation to him and his posterity of whatever was
contained in the promises of God.
Verse 6. Unto the sons of (he concubines] Viz. Hagar and
Keturah, Abraham ;;ave gifts. Cattle for breed, seed to sow
the land, and implements for husbandry, may be what is
liere intended 'Iliis verse appears to be a proof that Abra-
ham had all his concubines before the death of Sarah.
jlnd sent them away — luhilc he yet lived] Lest, after his
<JeaUi, they should dispute a settlement in the land of Pro-
mise with Isaac ; therefore he very ])rudently sent them to
procure settlements during his lile-time, that they might be
under no temptation to dispute the settlement with Isaac in
Canaan. From tliis circumstance arose that law which has
prevailed in almost all counliies, of giving the estates to the
eldest son by a lawful wife : for though concubines, or wives
of the second rank, were perfectly legitimate in those ancient
times, yet their children did not inherit, except in case of
the failure of legal issue, and w ilh tlve consent of the lavvfid
■wife ; and it is very profierly observed by Calinet, tiiat it
was in consequence of the consent of Lt-ah and llachtl, that
.the children of their slaves by Jacob, li.id a common and
equal lot with the rest. By a law of Solon, all natural
rhildren were excluded from the paternal inheritance ; but
tin ir fathers were permitted to give them any sum not beyond
a thousand drachma, by way of pre.ient.
Etistxvard^ unto the cast countiy.] Arabia Deserta, which
was eastward of Hcer-shcba, were Abraham lived.
Verse X The days of the years, ^c] There is a beauty in
A.M.cir.2173.
B.C.cir.18^9.
A. M. 2183.
B. C. 18i;l.
" Cli. 15. 15. & 49. S9. ' ch. 35. 29. & 49. 33.
this mode of expression, which is not sufficiently regarded.
Good men do not live by centuries, though many such have
lived several hundred years ; nor do they count their lives
even by years, but by days, living as if they were the crea-
tures only of a DAY, having no more time that they can with
any propriety call their own ; and living that day in reference
to eternity.
Verse 8. Tlien Abraham gave vp the ghost] Highly as I
value our translation for general accuracy, fidelity, and ele-
gance, I must beg leave to dissent from this version. The
original word VMi ylgevd, from the root JJIJ g'lf''; signifies
to pant for breath, to expire, to cease from breathing, or to
breathe one's last; and here, and wherever the original word
is used, the simple term expired would be the proper ex-
pression. In our translation, this expression occurs Gen. xxv.
8, n. XXXV. 29. xlix. 33. Job iii. 11. x, 18. xi. 20. xiii.
19. xiv. 10. Lam. i. 19. in all of which places the original
is i>U f'rtra. It occurs also, in our translation, Jerem. xv. 9.
but there the original is niZ^£3 nHM naphcchaii naphshah — she
breathed out her soul: the verb iVl gaviih not being used.
Now, as our English word ghost, from the Anglo-Saxon
jaj-r, gust, an inmate, inJiubitunt, s;iiesl, (a casual visitant),
also a spirit, is now restricted among us to the latter meaning,
always signifying the immortal spirit or soul of man, the guest
of the body ; and as givins; vp the spirit, ghost, or soul, is
an act not proper to man, though commending it to God, in
our last moments, is both an act of faith and piety ; and as
giving u]> tits ghost, i. e. dismissing his spirit fr;un lus body, is
attriliuted to Jesus Christ, to whom alone it is proper, I there-
fore object against its use in every other case.
Every man, since the fall, has not only been liable to death,
but has deserved it ; as all have forfeited their lives because
of sin. Jesus Christ, as born immaculate, and having never
sinned, had not forfeited his life ; and therefore may be con-
sidered as naturally and properly immortal. A'o man, says
he, takelli it, my litf', from me, but I lay it do'Mn of myself:
I have power to lay it down, and I have poiver to take it
again ; therefore doih the Father love me, because I lav down
my life that I might take it again, John x. \1, 18. Hence
we rightly translate Matt, xxvii. 50. apniti to ttvcv//^, he
!;ave vp the ghost ; i. e. he dismissed his spirit, that he might
die for the sin of the iuorld. The Evangelist St. John (xix.
30.) makes use of an expression to the same imiiort, which
we translate m the same way : waff saxt to 7rv£u/j,a, he dt'
41
\
Abraham buried hy hia CHAP
AM. 2183. 9 And "his son.s Isaac and TshmacI
^ ^' '""'• buried liim in the cave of ^Maclipelah,
in the field of Ephron the son of Zoar the Hit-
titc, which is betbre Mamrc;
' CIi. 35. ip. & 5a 13.
lirered up his sfirit. Wc translate Mark xv. 37. and Luke
xxiii. 46. he gave up the ghost, but not correctlv, because tbe
word in both these places is verj' different — c^fTrvsuas, he
breathed his last, or expired; thoiii^li in the latter place,
Luke xxiii. 4ii. there is an equivalent expression — 0 Father,
into thy hands, 'Tra^ariitfj.cn ro TrvtviMCt //.ou, I co»iinil my
spirit; i. e. I place my foul in thy hand : proving that the
act was his otiH ; that do man could take his life away from
liini; that he did not die by the perfidy of his disciple, or
tlie malice of the Jews, i)ut by his ovjn free act. Thus HE
LAID DOWN his life for the sheep. Of Ananias arid Sapphira,
Acts V. b, 10. and of Herod, Acts xii. 23. our translation
says they jfarc- ;//) the ghost; but the word in both places is
£|£>J/i/|£, which simply means to hrcatlie out, to expire, or
die: but in no case, cidier by the Septuagint in the Old, or
any of tlie sacred writers in the l^'ciu Testament, '\sa(p>iKS to
•jrviufj-a, or Tra^t^uxe to irvivfia, he dismissed his spirit, or
delizercd up his spirit, spoken, of any person but Christ.
Abraham, Isaac, Ishmaol, Jacob, &c. breathed their last;
Ananias, Sapphira, and Herod, expired; but none, Jesus
Clirist excepted, gave up llie ghost, dismissed or dclizered vp
his oivn spirit, and was consequently ,f)rf among the dead. Of
the patriarchs, &c. the ."^eptuagint use the word iKXemuv,
fuiling; or KaTi7rau<7Ev, ho ceased or rested.
An old wi««] V'iz. one hundred and seventy-five, the
youngest of all the patriarclis, and full of years. Xhe word
years is not in the text ; but as our translators saw that some
TVord was necessary to fill up the text, they added this in
Italics. It is probable, that the true word is CD'O' yumim,
days, as in Gen. xxxv. 29. and this reading is found in
several of Kcnnicott's and De Rossi's MSS. in the .Samaritan
text, Septuagint, Vulgate, Suriac, Arabic, Persic, and Chal-
dee. On these authorities it might be admitted into the text.
To be satiated with days, or life, has been in use among
different nations, to express the termination of life, and espe-
cially life ended "xithout reluctance. It seems to be a meta-
])hor taken from a guesl regaled by a plentiful banquet, and
is thus used by the Roman poets.
Lucretius, ridiculing those who were unreasonably attached
to life, addresses them in the following manner:
-Quid mortem congemis ac fles ?
T^am -n grata fuit tibi vita anteacta, priorque,
Et nan omnia pertusum com^esla quasi in vas
Coinmoda perjiuxere, atque ingrula interiere :
Cur non, ut PLENUS VIT.E CONVIVA, RECEDIS?
LUCR. lib. iii. V.
917.
Fond mortal, what's the matter thou dost sigh ?
Why all these fears, because ihou once must die?
For if the race thou hast already run
Was pleasant ; if with joy thou saw'tt the sun ;
XXV.
10 " The field
purchased of the sons of Heth :
' there, was Abraham buried, and Sarah
wife.
so?is Isaac and Ishmaet.
which Abraham a.m. 2183.
V..C. 18J1.
his
' Cli. 23. J6.-
= ch. 49. 31.
If all thy pleasures diiKnot pass thy mind
As thro' a sieve, but left some sweets behind.
Why dost thou not then, like a THANKFl/L GUEST,
Ili.se cheerfully from life's ABUNDANT TEAST ?
Creech.
Fj nee opiuanti mors ad caput astitit ante
3uam axiVil, ac PLEUVS possis discedere reriim.
lb. V. 972.
And unexpected hasty death destroys,
Uefbre thy greedy mind is rULL of JOV3. Id. in.
Horace makes use of the sanve figure :
Inde ftl, ut raro, qui se zixisse heatum
Dicnt, Sf exacto CONTENTUS tempore vittz
Ccdat, utt CONViVA SA'IUK, reperire qucamus.
.Sat. 1. i. Sat. i. v. 117.
From hence, how few, like SATED GUESTS, dep.irt
From lift's FULL BANQUET with a chearful heart.'
Francis.
The same image is expressed with strong ridicule in his
last Epistle :
Lusisii satis, cdisti satis, atque bibisti ;
Tempus ABIRE tibi est. Epist. 1. ii. v. 216.
Thou hast eaten, drunk, and play'd ENOUGH : then v\hy
So stark reluctant to leave ofl", and DIE.?
The poet Statins uses ubire paratum, PLENUM vita — pre-
pared to depart, being FULL of LIFE — in exactly the same
sense. Sylv. 1. ii.
• Dubio quern non in turbine rerum
Deprendet suprcma dies; sed abire para'.um,
Ac PLENUM VITA. Sylvar. 1. ii. Vil. Surrait. v. i;?..
The man whose mighty soul is not immcrs'd
In dubious whirl of secular concerns.
His final hour ne'er takes at unawares ;
But, FULL of LIFE, be stands PRLPAU'D to DIE.
The some figiu-e is used by the Asiatic writers — Thus Satidy •
JX^ *^**"J J^^-i J '^^'•^i-^=> -LyJ u*J^3C^^
" The BANQUET is completed, and the period of life is arrived,"
And again, describing a man reluctant to die :
" Alas that from the TABLE of variegated life I should kave
eaten but a few mouthfuls, and they say it is enough."
It was the opinion of Aristotle, that a man should depart-
from life, as he should rise from a banquet. Thus Abraham
died, FULL ofdeys, and SATISFIED 'Mih life; but in a widcljr
A. M. 2183.
B. C. 18'.'t.
God blesses Isaac.
1 1 ^ And it came to pass after the
death of Abraham, that God blessed
his son Isaac J and Isaac dwelt by the * well
Lahai-roi.
12 ^ Now these are the generations of Ish-
mael, Abraham's son, ^ whom Hagar the
Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abra-
ham :
1:3 And "these are the names of the sons of
Ishmael, by tiieir names, according to their ge-
nerations : "the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth ;
and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
• Cli. 16. U. & 24. 61.-
-"■cU. 16. 15.-
^iChron. 1. 29.
diflVrent spirit from thai recommended by the above writers —
HF. left life with a hope full of immortality, which they could
■never boast; for HE sav.' the day of Christ, and was s^lud — and
bis hope was crowned ; for here it is expressly said. He ■u.-as
gathered to his fathers — surely not to the bodies of bis sleeping
ancestors, who were buried in Chaldea, and not in Canaan;
nor with his fathers in any sense, for he was deposited in the
cave where his WIFE alone slept ; but he was gathered to the
xpirits of just men made perfect, and to the church of the first
born, whose names are xvritlen in heaven. Heb. xii. 23.
Verse 0. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried liiin^ Though
Ishmael and his mother had been expelled from Abraham's
family on the account of Isaac, yet, as he was under the
^ame obligation to a most loving, aiFectionate father, as his
brother Isaac, if any personal feuds remained, they agreed
Id bury theui on this occasion, that both might dutifully join
in doing the last offices to a parent who was an honour to
tlicm and to human nature: and considering the rejection of
Ishmael from the inheritance, this transaction shews his cha-
racter in an amiable point of view. For though be was a
•xild man, (see chap. xvi. 12.) yet this appears to be more cha-
racteristic of his habits of life, than of his disposition.
For the character of Abraham, see the end of this chapter.
Verse 11. God blessed his son Isaucl The peculiar bless-
ings and influences by which Abraham had been distinguish-
ed, now rested upon Isaac : but how little do we bear in him
of the work of faith, the patience of hope, and the labour of
love! v.heii compared with his father. Only one Abraham,
and one Christ, ever appeared among men : there have been
.vy;/ie successful imitators ; there should liave been irtany.
Verse 12. TItete arc the generations of Ish/iiaei] The object
of the inspired writer seems to be, to shew how the promises
of God were fulfilled to both the branches of Abraiiam's fa-
Tiiily. Isaac has been aheady referred to : God blessed him
according to the.prumi.se. He had also promised to multiply
Uimael; and an account of his generations is introduced, to
ihew how exactly the promise had also Ijeen fult'dled to him.
Verse 13. Nebajoth'] From whom came the Nabatlieaus,
vliose capital was I'eira, or, according to Strabo, Nabathca.
They dwelled in Arabia Petraea, and extended themselves on
■the Last towards Arabia Deserta.
3
A.i\I,cir.2ia3.
i!.r.eij.l3i!l.
tJrENESlS. The generations of Ishmael
14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and
Massa,
15 " Hadar, and Tenia, Jctur, Naphish, and
Kedemah :
16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these
are their nariies, by their towns, and by their
castles ; " twelve princes according to their na-
tions.
17 And these are the years of the a.m. 2231.
life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty : ":
and seven years : and ' he gave up the ghost,
and died J and was gathered unto his people:
■J Or, Hadad. 1 Chron. 1. 30. =cli. 17. tO. 'ver. 8.
Kedarl The founder of the Cedrcarts, who dwelled near
to the Nabathcans. The descendants of Kedar form a part
of the Saracens.
Adbeel, and 3fibsajn] ^Vhe^e these were situated is nolknown.
Verse 14. M(shma, and Dumah, and Massa"] Where the
first and last of tliese settled is not knwvn ; but it is probable
that Dumah gave his name to a place called Dumah, in
Arabia. See a prophecy concerning this place, Isai. xxi. 1 1.
from which we find that it was in the vicinity of mount Seir.
These three names have passed into a proverb among the
Hebrews, because of their signification. l^Ot^O mishma sig-
nifies HEAKING; HOI"! du7nah, SILENCE; and Nli'O massa,
PATIENCE. Hence, " Hear much, say little, and bear
much," tantamount to the famous maxim of tlie Stoics —
avf%ci/ xai a'TTtxou — Sustain and abstain, is supposed to be
the spirit of the original words.
Verse 15. Hadar] This name should be read Hadad, as
in 1 Chron. i. 30. This reading is supported by more than
300 MSS., versions, and printed editions. — See on ver. 18.
Temu] Supposed to be a place in Arabia Deserta, the same
of which Job speaks, chap. vi. 1 9.
J<-ti:r] From whom came the Itureans, who occupied a
small tract of country beyond Jordan, which was afterwards
possessed by the half tribe of Msnasseh.
Naphish] These are evidently the same people mentioned
1 Chron. v. 19. uho, with the Itureans and the j^eople of
Nadab, assisted the Hagarenes against the Israelites, but
were overcome by the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and
the half tribe of Manasseh.
Kedemah] Probably the descendants of this person dwelt
at Kcdcmoth, a place mentioned Deut. ii. 26. I wish the
reader to observe, that concerning those ancient tribes men-
tioned here, or elsewhere in the Pentateuch, little is krwwn ;
nor of their places of settlement have we more certain in-
formation. On this subject many learned men haw toiled
hard, with but little fruit of their labour. Those who wish
to enter into discussions of this nature, must consult Bochan's
Geograpbia Sacra, Calmct, Sfc.
Verse 16. These are their names] IBy which their descend-
ants were called. Their touns— Places of cncampmenit in
the wilderness, such as have been used by the Arabs from the
Ilahitations of the Ishmaelifes, CHAP. XXV. and the bounds of their inheritance.
18 'And they dwelt from Havilahun- 1! goest toward Assyria: fl-^rf he '' died a.m-«3i.
A.M. s;t:!i
]1. C. 1773.
to Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou
» 1 Snin. 15. 7.
remotest timrs. Their castles, om^U lirolam, their tovtcrs,
probably iiioiintaiii tops, f'orlifRd loiks, and Castntsses of
various kinds in woods and liiUy countries.
Versa 1 8. 7'/ity dicdt from lluvilah unto Shur] Tbe de-
scendants oC Jslnnael jjossessed all that country which extends
fi-oin East to \N'est, I'rcni Iluiilah on the Euphrates, near its
junction villi the Tigris, to the desart of Sliur, eastward of
Egypt; aiul which extends alonn the Isthmus of .Suez which
separates tiie Red Sea from the JMediterruneini.
As thou goest loivards Assi/riu] These words, says Calmet,
)nay refer either to Egypt, to Sliur, or to Hazilah. The desart
of .Shnr is on the road from Egypt to Assyria in traversing
Arabia Petra;a, and in passing by the country of Havilah.
1 know not, adds lie, whether Ailmrah in tiie text, may not
mark out rather the Assurim descended from Keluruh, than
the Assi/riaiis who were the descendants of Ashur the son of
Shem.
He died in the presence of all his brethren] In ver. 17. it
is said. He gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered to
his people. Then follows the account of the district occupied
by the Ishniaelites, at the conclusion of which it is added,
htii VHN' Va 'JQ ^V al peney col achaiv riaphat, " It (the lot or
district) FKLL {or was divided to him) in the presence of all
Ins brethren : and this was exactly agreeable to the promise of
God, chap. xvi. 12. He shall dwell in the presence of all his
■ in the presence of all his bretluen.
11. C. 1773.
>- Ilcb. fill. Ps. 78. 64
th. 16 12.
brethren; and to shew that this promise hud been strictly ful-
filled, it is here remarked, that his lot or inheritance was assigned
him by the divine providence, contiguous to that of ihe other
branches of the family. 'I'he .same word TiJ naphal is u>ed.
Josh, xxiii. 4. for to divide by lot.
On the sulyect of writing the same proper name variously in
our common BibUs, the Ibllowing observations and tables uill
not be unacceptable to the reader.
IVlen, who have read their Bible with care, says Dr. Ken-
nicott, must have remarked, that the name of the same per-
son is often expressed diilerenlly in difleient places. Indeeci
the variation is sometimes so great, that we can scarcely per-
suade ourselves, that one and the same person is really meant.
An uniform expression of proper names is diligently attended
to, jn other books: ])erhaps in every other book, except the
Old Testament. But, here we find strange variety in the
expression, and consequently great confusion: and indeed
there is scarcely any one general source of error which calls
for more careful correction than the same proper names r.ow
wrongly expressed. I shall add here from the Pentateuch,
some [iroper names, which are strangely varied : first, tvjeniy'
three naincs expressed dilVerently in the Hebrew text itself,
and seventeen of them in our English translation; and then
thirty-one names expressed unifortnly in the Hebreu; yet dif-
ferently in the English.
SAME NAMES differing is the HEBREW.
1
2
3
4
.5
G
1
8
9
10
11
12
Ki
14
15
16
n
18
19
20
21
22
23
Gen. iv. 1 8.
X. 3.
X. 4,
X. 4.
X. 23.
-X. 28.
xxxii. 30, 31.
xxxvi 11.
xxxvi. 23.
xxxvi. 39.
xxxvi. 40.
xlvi. 10.
xlvi. 10.
-xlvi. 10.
xlvi. 1 1.
xlvi. 13.
xlvi. 16.
xlvi. 21.
xlvi. 21.
xlvi. '>:',.
Exod. iv. 1 8.
Num. i. 1 4.
Deut. xxxii. 44.
Mehujael
Riphath
Tarshish
Dodanim
IMash
Obal
Peniel
Zepho
Shepho
Pan
Alvah
.1 emu el
.lachin
Zohar
Gershon
.lob
Ezbon
Huppim
Ard
Ilusbim
.1 ether
Deuel
Hoshea
Mehijael
Diphath
Tanshishah
Kodanim
Meshech
Ebal
Penuel
Zephi
Shephi
Pa.
Ahah
Nemuel
Jarib
Zerah
Gershojn
Jashub
Ozni
lluram
Addar
Shuham
Jethro
Reuel
Joshua
in the same verse.
1 Chron. i. 6,
i. 1.
i. 7.
r-i. 17.
i. 22.
in the next verse.
1 Chron. i. 36.
i, 40.
i. 50.
i. 51.
Num. xxvi. 12.
1 Chron. iv. 24.
f Num. xxvi. 13.
t 1 Chron. iv. ;
1 Chron. vi. 1. It-
Num. xxvi. 24.
xxvi. 16.
1 Chron. viii. 5.
-^ — ^ viii. 3.
Num. xxvi. 42.
in Ihe same verse.
Num. ii. 14.
Deut. xxxiv. 9.
and
-'4.
S 2
An account of the
1 9 ^ And these are the generations
of Isaac, Abraham's son : ^ Abraham
A.M. 2108.
B.C. 189d.
begat Isaac J
GENESIS. generations oflsaat*
20 And Isaac was forty yeai's old
when he took Rebekah to wife, '' the
daughter of Bethuel the Syrian, of Padan-
»Matt. 1. '2.
A M. iil'18.
B. C. IRou.
" Ch. 22. 23.
NAMES, THE SAME IN HEBREW yet diffekent in ENGLISH.
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
13
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
2T
28
29
30
31
o.
XX.XVll
Exod. i. 11.
vi. 18.
vi. 19. '
Lev. xviii. 21.
Num. xiii. 8, 16
xiii. 16.
sxi. 12.
xxxii. 3.
28.
■ xxxiii. 31.
Deut. iii. 17.
Seth
Enos
Cainan
Jared
Enoch
Methuselah
Phut
PhiHstiin
Caphtorim
Emorite
Girsjasite
Ashur
Salah
Zeboiim
Rephaims
Naphish
Rachel
Temani
Saul
Ishmeehtes
Raamses
Izhar
Mahali
Molech
Osiiea
Jfhosliua
Zared
Jazar
Bene- Jaakan
Ashdoih-pisgah
Sheth
Enosh
Kenan
.Tared
Henoch
Mathuahelah
Put
The Phihslines
Caphthoriin
Amorites
Girgashites
Azzah
Asshur
Shelah
Zeboitn
Giants
Nepliish
Rahel
The Teinanites
Siiaul
Ishmaelites
Ra\neses
Izehar
Mahli
Moloch
Hoshea
Joshua
Zered
Jaazer
f Children of 1
t Jaakan J
f Springs of 7
1 Pisgah J
1 Chron. i. 1.
i. I.
■— i. 2.
i. 2.
i. 3.
i. 3.
i. 8.
i. 12.
i. 12.
Gen. XV. 16, 21.
XV. 21.
f Deut. ii. 23. and
\ Jer. XXV. 20.
1 Chron. i. 17.
i. 18.
Deut. xxix. 23.
ii. 20. iii. 11, 13.
1 Chron. V. 19.
Jer. x.xxi. 15.
1 Chron. i. 45.
i. 48.
Judg. vih. 24.
Exod. xii. 37.
Num. iii. 19.
1 Chron. vi. 4, 19.
Amos V. 26.
Deut. xxxii. 44.
Num. xiv. 6.
Deut. ii. 13.
Num. xxxii. 35.
Deut. X. 6.
*
•iv. 49.
Nothing can be more clear, than that these fifty-four pro-
per names (at least, the far greater part of them) should be
expressed with the very same letters, in the places where they
are now diU'erent. In the second list, instances 6, 10, and
13, ■ have been corrected, and expressed uniformly, in tlie
English Bible printed at Oxford, in 1769. And surely the
same justice in the translation should be done to the rest
of these proper names, and to all others through the Bible; at
least, where the original words are now properly the same.
Who would not wonder, at seeing the same persons, named
both .S»»iOK and iVijVion, Richard and Rkard? And can nc
then admit here both Sah. and Sketk, Rachel and liahel ?
5
Again; who ever could admit (as above) both Gaza and Alt'
zaii, wi'dh Ramescs and Raamses, should not object to London-
and Oiidon, willi Amsterdam and Antstradam. In short: in a.
history far more interesting than any other, tiie names of
persons and places should be distinguished accurately, and de-
fined with exact uniformity. And no true critic will thinlo
lightly of this advice of Origen. — Contemnenda iion est accu-
rata circa NOMINA diligenlia ei, qui Toluerit probe intellijere::
sanctas Utcras? No jjcrson who desires thoroughly to under-
stand the sacred writings, should undervalue a scrupulous at-
tcntion to the proper names. — Kennicott's Remaiks.
Verse 1 9. These are the generations of JsaacJ This is the
■i
A. M. S148.
B.C. iK'>6.
A.M.cir.^lor.
B.C.cir.l837.
CHAP. XXV.
Laban the
Isaac inlreais for Rebekah.
aram, ' the sister to
Syrian.
21 ^ And Isaac intreated the
Lord for his wife, because she was
barren : '' and the Lord was intreated of him,
and ' Rebekah his wife conceived.
• Cli. 24. 29. " 1 Chron. 5. 20. 2 Cliron. 33. 13. Ezra 8. ','3.
A. I\r.2168.
B. C. 18.S6.
history of Isaac and his familj'. Here the sixth section of
the law begins called pHS' m?ir\ totedoth yicschak ; as the
jfifJi called rniy "H c/iti!/c Sar.i/i, \vliicli begins with chap,
xxiii- ends at the precedinof verse.
Vt-rse 2 1 . Isuac intreated the Lord for his ivifi] Isaac
and Rebekah had now lived nineteen ye.irs tairetlier without
having a child; for he was forty years old when he married
Rebekah, ver. '20. and he was threescore years of age when
Jacob and Ksan were born, ver. 26. Hen. e it is evident
they had lived nineteen years together without having a child.
The form of the original in this place is worthy of notice;
Isaac intreated Jehovah intyx nsy? knocach ishto ; directlt/,
purposely, especially for his wile. Mr. Ainsworth thinks the
worils unply their /MV(y/«n- tnirether, ibr this thing; and the
Rabbins carry it farther, for ihey say that, " Isaac and Re-
bekah went on purpose to Mount Ivloriah, vhere he had been
bound, and praytd together there, that they might have a
son." God was plca=ed to exercise the faith of Isaac, previ-
ously to the birth of Jacob; a.s lie had exercised that of Abra-
ham previously to his own birth.
Verse 22. The children slnargled tcsietlicr] ISSin' yilh-
roisalsu, they dashed against, or bruised each other — tiiere was
a violent agitation, so diiir the mother was apprehensive both
of her own and her children's safely; and supposing that tins
was an uncommon case, she went to enquire of the Lord, as
the good women in the present day would go to consult a sur-
geon or ph^'sician ; for intercourse with God is not so common
now, as it was in those tmies of great primitive sim|)licity.
There are different opmions concerning the manner in which
Rebekah enquired of tlie Lord. Some think it was by
faith and prayer simply ; others, that she went to Shem or
Mekhisedek ; but Shem is supposed to have been dead ten
years belbre this time; but as Abraham was yet alive, she might
have gone to him, and consulted the Lord through his means.
It is most hkely that a prophet or priest was ap,)iipd to on this
occasion. It appears ^he was in considerable perplexity,
hence that imperfect speech — If so, why am I t/ttis — the
simple meaning of which is probably this : If I must suflTer
such tlii[u>, why diil I ever wish to have a child ? A speech
not unconmion to motlicrs in their first pregnancy.
Verse '2'S T\.io nations are in thy womb] " We have,"
says l^ishoi) Newton, " in the projthecies delivered respeciing
the sons of Isaac, ample proof that these ])rophecies were not
Uimnt so much of simple persons, as of uhole nations descended
fro.n them : lor what was predicted concerning V.suu and Jccob,
was not verified in themselves, but in their posterity. The
Edcmites were the offspring of Esau, as the Is>-aelites were of
Jacob. And who but the author and giver of life could fore-
see that two duldren in the -^omb, would multiply into two
Conception of Esau and Jacob.
22 And the children struggled to-
gether within her ; and she said, If
it be so, why am I thus ? " And slie went to
enquire of the Lord.
23 And the Lord said unto Iier, 'Two na-
tions are in thy womb, and two manner of
' Rum. 9. 10. '• 1 Sara. 9. 9. & 10. 22. ' ch. 17. 16. & 24. 60.
nations? Jacob had twelve sons, and their descendants were
all imited and incorporated into one nation ; and what an over-
ruling providence was it that two nations should arise from
the two sons only of Isaac ? And that they should be two
such different nations. The Edomites and Israelites have
been from the beginning two such different people in their
manners, customs and religion, as to be at perpetual variance
among themselves. The children strup;gled together in the
womb, which was an omen of their future disagreement : and
when they grew up to manhood, they manifested very dilFcr-
cnt inclinations. Esau was a cunning hunter, and deli"hted
in the sports of the field : Jacob was a plain man dweding in
tents — minding his sheep and his cattle, ver. 27. The re-
ligion of the Jtws is well known ; but whatever the Kdomites
were at first, in process of time, th( y became idolaters. When
Amaz'ah king of Juuah overthrew them, he brought their gods,
and set them up to be his gods; see 2 Chron. xxv. 14, 15. The
king of Edom having refused a passage to the Israelites through
his territories on Iheir return from Egypt, the history of the
Edomites afterwards, is little more than the history of their
wars with the Jews." See Dodd.
The one people shall be stronger than the other people] The
same author continues to obsene, that for some time, the
family of Esau was the more powerful of the two ; there
having been dukes and kings in Edom, before there was any
king in Israel, Gen. xxxvi. 31. but David and his captains
made an entire conquest of the Edomites, slew several thou-
sands of them, 1 Kings xi. 16. 1 Chron. xviii. 12. and com-
pelled the rest to become tributaries, and planted garrisons
among them to secure their obedience, 2 Sam. viii. 1-k In
this slate of servitude, they continued about one hundred and
fifty years, without a king of their ow n ; being governed by
deputies or viceroys appointed by the kings of Judah, I Kings
xxii. 42. but in the days of Jrhoram, they revolted, Recover-
ed their liberties and set up a king of Iheir own, I Kings xxii.
4-7. Afterwards Amaziah king of Judah gave them a total over-
throw in the valley of salt, 2 Kings xiv. 7. 2 Chron. xxv. 12.
And Azariah took Elath a commodious harbour on the Red
Sea from them, 2 Kings xiv. 22. 2 Chron. xxvi. 2. Jwdas
Maccabeus also attacked and defeated them with the loss of
more than twenty thousand at two diflerent tiinc.^, and took their
chief city Uehron, 1 Mace, w 2. 2 Mace. x. At last, Hyr-
camis his nephew, took other cities from them, and reduced
them to the necessity of leaving their country or embracing
the Jewish religion : on which they submitted to be circuni'
cised, and became proselytes to the Jewish religion, and were
ever after, incorporated into the Jewish church and nation."
The elder shall serz'e the younger] " This passage," sav^
Dr. Dodd, " serve* for a key to explain the ninth chapter o?
A.M. 2163.
B C. 18.S.;.
Stronger
Prophecij concernhig the chilJ?m :
people shall be separated from thy
bowels ; and ' the one people shall l)e \
than t/ie other people ; and " the elder
shall serve the yonnger. |
24 •[ And when her days to be delivered
•were fultilled, behold, there were twins in her
■tvomb. !
25 And the first came ont red, " all over like
an hairy garment ; and they called his name
Esan. j
'26 And after that came his brother out, and
" his hand took hold on Esau's heel ; and ' his
GENESIS. their different characlersi
name vi^as called Jacob : Jtnd Isaac teas
threescore years old when she bare
til em.
A.M.t'ir.».
li. C. 1H36»
' ^^ Sam. 8. 14
16, ■^3. '' Hos,
1- ch. 27. «9. Mai. 1. .". Roin. 9. 1?.-
V^. -J. 'ch. 'Jj. 36. fch. -.27. 3.5.—
— 'cli. W. 11,
-ejob 1. 1, 8.
the Epistle to the Romans, where the words are quoted : for
it proves to a demonstration, that this cannot lie meant of j
God's arbitrary predestination of particular persons to eternal j
liappiness or misery, without any regard to their merit or I
demerit : a doctrine which some have motit impiously fathered i
on God, who is the best of Beinirs, and who cannot possibly
liate, far less, absolutely doom to misery, any creature 1
that he has made : but that it means only, his bestowing ;
greater external favours, or if you please, higher opportunities
for knowing and doing their duty, upon some men, than he
does upon others ; and that merely according to his own wise
jiiirpose, without any regard to their merits or demerits, as
having a right to confer greater or smaller degrees of perfec-
tion on whom he pleases."
The doctrine of uncouditionnl predestination to eternal
life and eternal death cannot be supported by the example of
God's dealings with Esuu and Jacob; or with the Edomitcs
and hraeUles. After long reprobation, the Edomitcs were
incorporated among the Jews, and have ever since been un-
disliiigiii-shable members in the Jewish church. The Jeivs,
on the contrary, the Ekct of God, have been cut oft' and
reprobated, and continue so to this day. If a time should
ever come when the Jews shall all believe in Christ Je.siis
(which is a general opinion,) then the Edoiiiiles which are
now absorbed among them, shall also become the elect. And
even now, Isaac finds liolh his children within tlie pale of the
Jewish Cluirch, equally entitled to the ))iomises of sakation
liy Christ .lesus, of wliom he was the most expressive and the
most illustrious type ; see the account of Abraham's offering,
chap. xxii.
Verse 21-. There were twins] O'OIH thomim, from which
comes the name Thomas, properly interpreted, John xi. 16.
by the word Aiau/xo;, DiJi/iiius, which in (jieek signifies a
C^in; so the first person wtio was called Thomas, or Vidj^miis,
we may take for granted, had this name troin the circumstance
of his being a tiein.
Verse 25. Red all over like an Iiuirt/ trarment} This simply
means tiiat he was covered all over with red hair or down ;
and that this must be intended here, is sufficiently evident from
another part of his history, where Kcbekah in order to make
her favourite son Jacob pass for his brother Esau, was obliged
27 % And the boys grew : and Esau was ' a
cunning himter, a man of the field : and Jacob
Kas ^ a plain man, '' dwelling in tents.
28 And Isaac loved Esau, because ' he did
" eat of his venison : 'but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 ^ And Jacob sod pottage : a Ai.a,.'.>iya.
and Esau came from the field, and •^' cr^dte.
he was faint :
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray
& 2. 3. Ps. 37. :iT.-
k ch. S!7. ly, 26, 31
-•■Hebr. 11.9.-
— ' cli. 27. 6.
Heb. i^tnison was in hismouOu-
to take the skins of kids and put them upon his hands, and on
the smooth part of his neck.
They called his name Esaul It is difficult to assign the
proper meaning of the original 1BT csau or esav ; if we derive
it fiorn ncj? dsuh, it must signify made, pctfonned, and ac-
cording to some, perfected ; '-»*^ exa, in Arabic, signifies to
make firm or hard ; and also to come to man's estate, to grow old.
Probably he had this name from his appearing to be more
perfect, robust, S(c. than his brother.
Verse 26. His name was called Jacob] 3np» Yadcoh, fron>
3pJ? akab, to defraud, deceive, to supplant, i. e. to overthrow
a person by^ tripping up his heels. Hence this name was
given to Jacob, because it was found he had laid hold on his
brother's heel, which was emblematical of his supplanting'
Esau, and defrauding him of his birth-right.
Verse 27. A man of the field] n'\Jt? U"N Ish sadeh, one who
supported himself and family by hunting and by agriculture,
Jacob ivas a plain wian] on IfX hh tarn, a perfect or up-
right man — dwelling intents, subsisting by breeding and tend-
ing cattle, which was considered in those early times, the nK>st
perfect employment; and in this sense, the word on tarn,
should be here understood ; as in its moral meaning it cer-
tainly could not be applied to Jacob till after his name was
changed, from which time his character stands fair and
unblemished. — See chap, xxxii. 26 — 30.
Verse 28. Isaac loved Esau — hut Rebekah loved Jacob] —
This is an early proof of unwarrantable parental attachment
to one child in preference to another. Jsaac loved Esau, and
Rebekah loved Jacob, and in consequence of thi.s, the interests
of the family were divided, and the house set in opposition to
itself. The fruits of this unreasonable and foolish attachment
were afterwards seen, in a long catalogue of butli natural and
moral evils among the descendants of both families.
Verse 20. Soii pottage] n<U i^ Ya':ed nazid, he boiled a
boiling ; and this, we are informed, ver. 34. was of D'iy"4>
ddashim, what the Septuagint render ^axof; and we follow-
ing them and the Vulgate letis, translate lenliles, a sort of
pulse. Dr. Shaw casts some light on this passage, speaking
of the inhabitants of Barbary. -" Beans, lentiles, kidney-
beans, and garvuu^os," says he, " are the chiefest of their
pulse kind : beans, when boiled and stewed with oil and gar-
JEsfiu returns faint from the field : CHAP,
A.M.c.r.-.i9i). t]-,ec^ 'with that same red pottage ;\
n.Ccir.18'0. ^^j. J ^,^^^ faint: theroiLic was his
name called ''Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell mc this day thv
birth-riglit.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am "at the point
to die; and what profit shall this birth-right doi
to me?
ielk his hirth-right.
A.M.cir.'.'IPP.
)J C.<ir IH()5.
birth-ri"ht unto
•Hcb. mlh tluit red, with that red pottace. 'That is, red.-
going (0 die.
-•Heb.
lie, are Jhe principal food of persons of all distinctions : len-
tiies are dre>s€d in the same iiianntr witli btans, dissolvinir
easily into a mass, and niakinjj a pdttagf of a chocolate colour.
Tiiis we find was the red pottage which Esau, from thence
called Edom, exchanged for liis birtli-ri^lu." Sliaw's Travels,
p. 140. 4to Edit.
Verse 30. / am fuint] It appears from the wliole of this
transaction, that Esau was so <oini)letely exhausted by fati-^'ue,
that lie uiU'-t have perished had he not obtained some imme-
diate refiesiiinent. He had been eitiier liunting or labouring
in the field, and was now returning for .the purpose of getting
some food ; but had been so exliausted, that his strength ut-
terly failed, before he had time to make tlie necessary pre-
parations.
Verse 3 1 . Sell me this day thy birth-right} What the n"133
brcorath, or birth-right was, has greatly divided both ancient
and modern commentators. It is generally supposed that the
following rights were attached to the primogeniture: — 1. Au-
thority and superiority over the rest of the family; 2. a double
portion of the |)aterual inheritance ; 3. the peculiar benediction
oft+fc fatbrr; 4. the priesthood previously to its establishment
in tlie family of Aaron. Cahnet controverts most of these
rights, and with apparent reason, and .seems to think that the
double portion of the paternal inheritance was the only incon-
trsiabk right which the first-born possessed; the others were
«ucli as were rather conceded to the first-bom, than fi.xed by
any law in the family. However this may be, it appears
I. that the first-born were peculiarly consecrated to God,
Exod. xxii. 2y. ; — 2. were next in honour to their parent^,
Gen. xlix. 3. ; — 3. had a double portion of their fatlier's goods,
Deut. xxi. n. ; — 1-. succeeded them in the government of the
family or kingdom, 2 Chron. xxi, 3.; — 5. had the sole right
«f conducting the service ot God, both at the tabernacle and
temple; and hence the tribe of Levi, which was taken in lieu
of tl>e fti . ■it-Lorn, had the sole right of administration in the
service of God, Num. viii. 14 — 17. And henee, we may
presume, tlie first born had originally a right to the priesthood,
previously to the giving of the law; but however this might
have been, afterwards the priesthood is never reckoned among
tilt privileges of the first-born.
That the birth-right was a matter of very great importance,
there can be no room to doubt; and that it was a tran-feriMe
property, the transaction here, sufficiently proves.
Verse 34. Pottage of lentiles'] See on verse 29.
Thus Esau despised his birili-righl] On this account the
j^poslle, Heb. xii. 16. calk Esau a profane person, because
XXV.
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me
this day; and he swarc unto
him: and " he sold his
Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pot-
tage of lentiles; and 'he did eat and drink,
and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau de-
spised his birth-right.
" Hcb. 12. 16. ' Ecclts. 8. 15. Isat 22. 13. 1 Cor. 15. 32.
he had, by this act, alienated from himself and family those
spiritual olfices connected with the rights of primogeniture.
M'hile we condemn V.ami for this bad action, for he should
rather have perished tlian have alienated this right ; and while
we consider it as a proof that his mind was little aflected with
divine or spiritual things; what shall we say of his most unna-
tural brother Jacob, «ho refused to let him have a nior.-el of
food to pre.-erve him from death, unless he gave bun up his
birth-right.? Surely he who boifjht it in such circumstances,
was as bad as he who sold it. Thus Jacob verified his right
to the name of supplantir ; a name which in its first impo.si-
lion appears to have had no other object in view, than the cir-
cumstance of his calchiiii; his brother by the heel; but all his
subsequent conduct proved, that it was truly de>criptive of the
qualities of his mind; as his life till the time his name was
changed, and then he had a chanse of nature, was in general a
tissue of cunning and deception, the principlesof which had been
very early instilled into him by a mother, whose regard for
truth and righteousness a])pears to have been very superficial.
See on chap, xxvii.
The death of Abraham, recorded in this chapter, naturally
calls to miud the virtues and excellencies of this extraordinary
man. His obedience to the call of God, znd faith in his pro-
mises, stand supereminent No -wonders, signs, or miracu-
lous displays of the great and terrible God, as l.srael required
in Egypt, were used, or were necessary to cause Abraham to
believe and obey. He left his own land, not knowing inhere
he was going, or for what jiurpose God had called him to re-
move. Expused to various hardship.s, in danger of losin" his
life, and even of witncsjing the violation of his wife, he still
obeyed and went on. Courageoiw, humane, and disjntere.ned,
he cheerfully risked hi^ life for the welfare of others; and con-
tented with having rescued the captives and aveiiged the op-
pres.'-ed, he refiis( d to accept even the sp9ils he had taken
from the enemy, whom bis .skill and valour had vunqui.shed.
At the same time, he considered the excellency of the power to
be of God ; and acknowledged this by giving to him tlie tenth
of those spoils, of which, he would reserve nothing for his pri-
vate use. His obedience to God in offering up his son Isatic,
we have already seen and admired; together with the gene-
rosity of his temper, and that respectful decency of conduct to-
wards superiors and inferiors, for which he was so peculiarly
remarkable; see on chap, xxiii. AV'ithout disputing with his
Maker, or doubling in his heart, he credited every thin<' that
God had spoken : hence lie always walked in a plain u-uy.
General observations on
GENESIS.
the character and conduct of Abraham^
Tlif authority of God was at all times sufficient for.Miraliam, he
did not weary himself to find reasons for any line of conduct
vhicli he knew God had prescribed; it was his duty to obey ;
the success and the event he left with God. His obedience
was as prompt as it was complete — -As soon as he heard the
Toice of God, he girded himself to his work ! Not a moment is
lost ! How rare is such conduct ! But should not lue do like-
wise ? The present moment and its duties are ours ; every
past moment was once present j every future one will be present ;
and, while we are thinking on the subject, the present is past,
for lil'e is made up of the f)«s< and t.he present. Are our past
Iiionienls t!ie cause of deep regret and humiliation ? then let
us use the present so a> not to increase this ianie.itable cause
of our distresses. In other words, let us now believe — love —
obei/. Regardless of all consequences let us, like Aliral'.ain,
follow the directions of God's word, and the openings of his
providence, and lea\e all events to Him who doth all things
tsell. .
See to what a state of moral excellence the grace of God
can exalt a character, when there is simple implicit faith, and
prompt obedience ! Abraham walled before God, and Abra-
ham'was perfect. Periiaps no human being ever exhibited a
fairer, fuller portrait oi t\\e perfect man, than Abraham. The
more I consider the charactej' of this most amiable Patriarch,
the more 1 think the saying of Cahnet justifiable. " In the
life of Abia'iam," says he, " we find an Epitome of the whole
Im-j) of Nature, of the Written Law, and of the Gospel of
Christ. He has manifested in his own person those virtues,
for which reason ami philosophy could scarcely find out
names, when striving to sketch the character of their sophist,
wise, or perfect man. St. Ambrose very properly observes,
that ' Philosophy itself, could not equal in its descriptions
and wishes, what was exemplified by this great man, in tlie
whole of his conduct.' Magnus plane vir, quern voiis suit
philosophia non potuit aquare; dcnique minus est quod ilia firucit^
quam quod ille gessif. "^I'he LAAV which God gave to Moses,
and in which he has proposed the great duties of the law of
nature, seems to be a copy of the life of Abraham. This
Patriarch, without being under the law, has performed the
most essential duties it requires : and as to the GosPEL, its
grand object w as that on which he had fixed his eye ; that
Jesus whose day he rejfiiced to tee : and as to its spirit and
design, they were wondrously exemplified in that faith which
was imputed to him for righteousness; receiving that grace
which conlbrmed his whole heart and life to the will of his
Maker, and enabled him to persevere unto death, ' Abra-
ham,' says the writer of Ecclesiasticus, xliv. 20, &c. ' was
a great fiither of many people : in glory was there none like
unto him, who kept the Law of the Most High, and was in
covenant with him : he established the covenant in his tledv
and when he was tried he was found faithful." — See Cahnet.
As a son, as a husband, as a father, as a neighbour, as a
sovereign, and, above all, as a man of God, he stands unri-
valled; so that under the most exalted and perfect of all dis-
pensations, the gospel of Jesus Christ, he is proposed and re-
commended as the model and pattern, according to which, the
faith, obedience, and perseverance of the followers of the
Messiah are to be formed. Reader, while you admire the
man, do not forget the God that made him so great, so good,
and so useful — -even Abraham had nothing but what he had
received : from the free unmerited mercy of God proceeded
all his excellencies ; but he was a worker together with God,
and therefore did not receive the grace of God in vain. Go,
thou, believe, love, obey, and persevere in like manner.
CHAPTER XXVL
A famine in the land obliges Isaac to leave Beer-shcba and go to Gerar, 1. God appears to him, and zcarns,
liim not logo to Egypt, 1. Reneics the promises to him which he had made to his father Abraham, 3 — 5. Isaaa
dwells at Gerar, 6. Being questioned concerning Rebckah, ami fearing to lose his life on her account, he calls
her his sister, 7. Abimelech the king, discofers, bj/ certain familiarities zchich he had noticed belzceen Isaac an^
liebekah, that she teas his wife, 8. Calls Isaac and reproaches him for his insincerity, Q, 10. He gives a strict]
command to all his people not to molest either Isaac or his wife, 1 1.. Isaac applies himself to hnsbandry and breei
ing of cattle, and has a great increase, 12 — 14. Is envied bi/ the Philistines, zoho stop up the uvlls he ha:
digged, 15. Is desired by Abimelech to remove, 16,- he obeys, and fixes his tent in the valley of Gerar, 17
Opens the nells dug in the days of Abraham, zchich the Philistines had stopped up, 18. Digs the ziell Ezek, I9, 20
and the zeell Sitaah, 21 ,• and the zcell Rehoboth, 22. Returns to Beer-sheba, 23. God appears to him an
renezcs his promises, 24. He builds an altar there, pitches his tent, and digs a well, 25. Abimelech, Ahuzzatk
and Phichul visil him, 26. Isaac accuses them of u)ikindiiess, 27. They beg him to make a covenant zeith)
them, 28,29. He makes them a feast, and they bind themselves to each other hy an oath', 30,31. The zeell digged
by Isaac's servants, '25; called Shebah, 33. Esau, at forty years of age, marries two wives of ihe Ilittiles, 34/
at lohich Isaac and Rcbekah are grieved, 35.
\
■I
Isaac sojourns in Gerar: CHAP,
A M.cir.»s(H). A ND there vas a famine in the
BCc.um. y Y land, besides " the first famine
that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac
went unto '' Abinielech king of" the Philistines,
unto Gerar,
2 % And the Lord appeared unto him, and
said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in 'the
land wliich I shall tell thee of:
3 "^ Sojourn in this land, and " I will be with
thee, and 'will bless thee; for unto thee, and
unto thy seed, ^ I will give all these countries;
and I will perform '' tlie oath which I sware
unto Abraham thy father:
4 And ' I will make thy seed to multiply as
'Ch. la. 10.—
Hehr. 11. 9.
*cli. i(2. 16. Ps.
-K cll.
cll. tfi
li6. 9.
20.
2.-
-'cli
—'cll. 12.
-fch. 12. 1.
li. 5. & -J
1.—
tc
.'. 17.-
-"cli. 20.
Ii. 13. 13
—''cll. 1
1. Ps. 39.
& li. 18.-
'». 3. & 'J'<!.
12.
18.
NOTES ON CH.'VP. XXVI.
Verse 1 . There was a fcunine] IVIttn this liappcned we
cannot tell : it appears to have been after the death of Abra-
liam. — Concerning ihe first famine, see chap. xii. 10.
Abimelecli'\ As we know not the time when the famine
liapjHMeJ; so we cannot tdl whether this was the s;ime
Abinielech, Piiichol, &c. which are mentjoned, chap. xx. 1, &c.
or the sons, or other de.-cendanls of those persons, see on ver. 2 6 .
Verse 2. Go not doivn into Et^i/pt] As Abraham had taken
refuge in that country, it is probable that Isaac was preparing
to go thither also; and God, foreseeing that he would there
•meet with trials, &.c. which might prove fatal to his peace, or
to iiis piety, warns him not to fulfil his intention.
Veise 3. Sojourn in litis /««</] In Gerar, Avhither he had
gone, ver. 1. and where we find he settled, ver. 6. though the
land of Canaan in general, might be here inlrndid. That
there were serious and im[)ortant reasons why Isaac .should not
go to Egypt, we may be fully assured, though they be not
assigned here; it is probable that even Isaac himself was not
informed why he should not go down lo Egypt. I have
already supposed that God saw trials in his way, which he
might not have been able to bear. While a man acknow-
ledges God in all his waj's, he will direct all his stejis, though
he may not chuse to give him the reasons of the workings of
his providence. Abraham might go safely to Egypt — Isaac
might not: in firmness and decision of character, there was a
■wide diflerence between the two men.
Verse 4. / will niake thj/ seed — as the stars of heaien^ A
promi.sp often repeated to Abraham, and which has been most
amply fulfilled both in its literal and spiritual sense.
Verse 5. Abraham obeyed my voice'] nO'O Meimri, my
WORD. — See chap. XV. 1.
My chargel 'mDi:'0 Mishriiareti, from "VW sliamar, he
Vepl, observed, &;c. the ordinances or appointments of God. —
These were always of two kinds: 1. Such as tended to pro-
mote 7noral improvement, the increase of piety, the imjirovc-
ment of the age, &c. And 2. Such as were typical or repre-
sentative of tlie promised seed, and the salvation which was to
XXV r. is questioned concerning his "d^ije-
the stars of heaven, and will give ^Mcirsr.oo.
unto thy seed all these countries ; -t^-cifiS'H.
^ and in thy seed shall all the nations of the
earth be bles.scd;
5 ' Because that Abraham obeyed my voice,
and kept my charge, my commandments, my
statutes, and my laws.
6 % And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
7 And the men of the place asked him of his
wife; and '"he said. She M my stater: for " he
feared to say, She is my w'ife; lest, said he, the
men of the place should kill me for Rebekah ;
because she ° "Was fair to look upon.
S And it came to pass, when he had been
'ch. 22. 16, 18.-
"011.24. 10.
™cli. 12. 13. & 20. 2,13. — -"Prov. 29. io.-
come by him. For commandments, statutes, &c. the reader is
particularly desired to refer to Lev. xvi. 15, &c. where these
things are all analysed and explained in the alphabetical order
of the Hebrew words.
Verse 7. He said, She is 7ny sister^ It is very strangej
that in the same place, and in similar circumstances, Isaac
should have denied his wife, precisely as his father had done
before him! It is natural to ask. Did Abraham never men-
tion this circumstance to his son.'' Probably he did not, as
he was justly ashamed of his weakness on this occasion^ — the
only blot in his character : the son therefore, not being f Jie-
warned, was not armed against the temptation. It may not
be well, in general, for parents to tell their children of their
former failings or vices, as this might lessen their authority or
respect; and the children might make a bad u.«e of it in ex-
tenuation of their own sins : but there are certain cases which,
from the nature of their circum.stances, may often occur,
where a candid acknowledgement, with suitable advice, may
prevent those children from repeating the rvil; but this should
be done with great delicacy and caution, lest even the advice
itself should serve as an incentive to the evil. I had not
known lust, says St. Paul, if the law had not said. Thou shall
not covet. On Abraham's case, see the notes on chap. xii.
11, &c. XX. 2. I.saac could not say of Rebekah, as Abra-
ham had done of Sarah, she is my sister .- in the case of Abra-
ham this was literally true: it was not so in the case of Isaac,
for Rebekah was only his cousin. Besides, though relatives,
in the Jewish forms of speaking, are often called brothers and
sisters, and the thing may be perfectly proper, when this use
of the terms is generally known and allowed, yet nothing of
this kind can be pleaded here, in behalf of Isaac; for he in-
tended that the Gerarites should understand him in the pro-
per sense of the term : and consequently have no .suspicion
that she was his wife. We have already seen that the proper
definition of a lie, is, any word ipoken with the intentio7i to
deceivc.~-Set chap. xx. 12.
Verse 8. Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife."] What*
ever may be the precise meaning of the •word, it evidently im-
Isaac acquiring much property ;
A.M.cir.s2oo. tiipi-e a long time, that Abimelech
^•^'■'■•''^■'^"^- kincr of the PhiHstincs looked out at
a window, and saw, and, bclioid, Isaac xvas
sporting witli Rebekah his wife.
9 And Abimelech called Isaac and said,
Beliold, for a surety she is thy wifi? ; and how
saidst thou, She is my .sister? And Isaac said
unto him. Because I said, Lest I die for her.
10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou
hast done unto us ? one of the people might
lightly have hen with thy wife, and " thou
shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
11 And Abimelech charged all Jiis people,
saying. He that '' toucheth this man or his wife
shall surely be put to death.
12 ^ Then Isaac sowed in that land, and
■" received in the same year "^ a hundred-fold :
and the Lord ^blessed him:
13 And the man '^ waxed great, and ^ went
forward, and grew, until he became v ery great :
GENESIS. is envied and obliged to leave Gerar,
14 For he had possession of flocks, A.M.tir.aaKj.
and possession of lierds, and great ^'^•'^"■^s"^'
and the Philistines " envied
" Ch. 20. 9.^" Ps. 1(15. 15. ' Heb. found. — -■» Mallh. 13. 8.
Mark 4.8. ^'ver. 3. ch. il. 1, 35. Job 42. ii. 'ch. ii4. 35. Vs. ll'.>. 3.
plies, that there ^vere liberties taken, and freedoms used on the
occasion, wliich were not lawful but between man and wife.
\'er<e 10. T/iou slioiddest liiivc hrou2,ht guiltiness upon j/s.]
It is likely, that Abimelech might have had some knowledge
of God's intentions concerning the family of Abraham, and
that it must be kept free from all impure and alien mixtures;
and that consequently, had he or any of his people taken
Rebekah, the divine judgments might hare fallen upon the
land. Abimelech was a good and holy man; and he appears
Jo have considered adultery as a grievous and destructive crmie.
Verse 11. Ih that toitclietli] He who injures Isaac, or de-
files Rebekah, shall certainly die for it: death was the punish-
nipnt for adultery among the Canaanites, Phihstines, and
Hebrews. — See chap, xxxviii. 24.
Verse 12. Jseuic sowed in that land'] Being now perfectly
free from the fear of evil, he betook himself to agricultural
and pastoral pursuits, in which he had the especial blessing
of God, so that his property became greatly increased.
A hundred-fold] on^TT HNO Meuh shedrim, literally " A
hundredfold of barley;" and so the Septuagint, zxaTotrreu-
eu7iv icfiiri'i. Perhaps such a crop of this grain was a rare
«<ccurrence in Gerar. The words hovvever may be taken, in
a general way, as signifying a rr»3/ great increase: so tt»ey
are used by our Lord, in the parable of the sower: Matt. xiii.
3, 23. Mark i v. 8, 20. Luke viii. 8, 15.
Verse 13. Tlie man vjaxed great] There is a strange and
ebservable occurrence of the same term in the original: SlJ'i
1X0 hli »3 IV Snji y?n "jVl ir»Nn rayigdal ha-ish raiyelec
haloc ve-gadcl dd ki gadel meod, And the man was GREAT,
und he went, going on, and was GREAT, iintil that he was ex-
ceeding GREAT. How simple is this language, and yet how
forcible !
possession
store of " servants:
him.
15 For all the wells "^ which his father's ser-
vants had digged in the days of Abraham his
father, the Philistines had stopped them, and
! filled them with earth.
j 16 And Abimelech said unto Lsaac, Go from
; us; for ' thou art much mightier than we.
i 17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched
, his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt
I there.
I 18 ^ And Isaac digged again the wells of
' water, which they had digged in the days of
j Abraham his father : for the Philistines had
; stopped them after the death of Abraham :
" and he called their names after the names by ,
which his father had called them.
19 And Isaac's servants digged in the val-
Prov. 10. 2:
licclcs. 4. 4.-
— ^ Heb. went g^intf. -^ Or, hushandry.
-"cIi. 21. SO. ' Exod. 1. y. ">ch. tl. 31.
■'ch. ST. 11.
Verse 14. //:; had possessions of flocks] He who blessed
iiiui in the increase of his fisLls, blessed him also in the in-
crease of his^acis; and as he had extensive possessions, so he
must have many liands to manage sucli concerns; therefore it
is added, he had great store of servants — he had many domes-
tics, some born in his house, and others purchased by his
monej'.
Verse 1 5. For all the wells — the Philistines had stopped
them] In such countries, a gwd well was a great acquisition;
and hence, in predatory wars, it was usual for either party to
fill the wells with earth or sand, in order to distress the
enemy. The fdling up the wells in this case, was a most
unprincipled transaction; as they and x\braham had pledged
themselves by a solemn oath, not to injure each other in this
or any other respect. — See chap. xxi. 25 — 31.
Verse 16. Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.]
This is the first instance on record of what was termed among
the Greeks ostracism; i. e. the banishment of a person from
the state, of whose power, influence, or riches, the people ^
were jealous. There is a remarkable saying of Bacon on thii
.subject, which seems to intimate that he had this very cir- :
cumstance under his eye: "Public enry is an ostracism that
eclipseth men when they grow too great." On this same
principle, Pharaoh oppressed the Israelites.
Verse 18. In the days of Abraham] Instead of »0'3 himey,
in the days, Houbiganl contends we should read <1DJ? dbedey,
servants. Isaac digged again the wells which the servants of
Abraham his fatljtr had digged. This reading is supported
by the Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, awl Vulgate, and it is '
probably the true one.
Verse 19. A well of springing water.] 0"n D'O 1X3 beer\
mayim ch(tyim, A wcH of liiing waters. This is ihe criental
He goes to Beer-sheba
A.Ucir.TOOO.
B.Utir.lSOl.
CHAP. XXVI.
ley, and found there a well of * spring-
ing water.
20 And the herdmcn of Gerar '' did strive
Avith Isaac's herdmen, sayincj, Tlie water is
ours: and he called the name of the well " Kzck;
because they strove with him.
21 And they digged another well, and strove
for that also: and he called the name of it
"Sitnah.
22 And he removed from thence, and digged
another well; and (or that they strove not:
and he called the name of it ' llehoboth ; and
he said, For now the Lord hath made room for
us, and we shall ' be fruitful in the land.
23 % And he went up from thence to Beer-
sheba,
24 And the Lord appeared unto him the
same night, and said, ^ I am the God of Abra-
ham thy tatlier : " fear not, for ' 1 am with thee,
and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for
my servant Abraham's sake.
25 And he " builded an altar there, and
' called upon the name of the Lord, and
»Hcb. limni;. ''cli. 21. 23. 'That is. Contention. ''That is, Ilu-
Ired. "tlM i^, Riwm. ' cU. 17. 6. & 28. 3. & 41. .51'. F.xcd. 1. 7.
« ch. 17. 7. 4: v4. 1'.;. & 28. l.S. Exod. 3. 6 Acts 7. 32. " ch. 15. 1.
'ver. 3, 4. ''ch. 12. 7. & 13. 18. 'Vs. 116. 17. ^"ch. 21. 22.
phrase for a sprinrr; and this is its meaning both in the Old
and New Tcstainents; Lev. xiv. 5. 50. xv. .30. Num. xix.
n. Cant. iv. 15. .<iee also .John iv. 10 — -14. vii. 38. Rev.
xxi. 6. xxii. I. And hy tiiese Scriptures we find tliat an
twfailing spring was an emblem of the graces and i}ijhiences of
the Spirit of (iod.
Verse 21. They dii^ed another ivell] Never did any man
more implicitly follow the divine command — resist not evil —
than Isaac : whenever he found that his work was likely to he a
Hihject of strit'e and contention, he gave place, and rather
chose to suii(Lr wrong than to have his own peace of mind dis-
turbed. '^I'hiis he overcame evil with good.
Verse 24. The Lord appeared unto hint] He needed especial
encouragement when insulted and outraged by the Philistines;
for having returned to the place where his noble father had
lately died, the remembrance of hi.< ixront^s, and the remem-
brance of his loss, could not fail to afflict his mind; and God
immediately appears, to comfort and support him in his trials,
by a renewal of all his promises.
Verse 25. Builded an altar there] That he might have a
place fur God's wor.ship; as well as a place for himself and
family to dwell in.
And called upon the name of the Lord] And invoked in the
name of Jehovah. — See on chaps, xii. 8. xiii. 15.
Verse 26. Ahimelech xcent to hint] W'jien a man's ways
please God, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with
him: so Isaac experienced on llus occa.sion. Whether this
is visited Inj Ahimelech,
pitched his (cut there : and there A.M.cir.suw.
Isaac's sci\ ants digged a well. ^^'"""^*-
26 % Then Abimelech went to him from
Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, " and
Phichol the chief captam of his army.
27 And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore
come ye to me, seeing " ye hate me, and have
"sent me away from you?
28 And they said, '' We saw certainly that the
Lord 'was with thee: and we said, Let the^re
be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and
thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;
29 ' That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we
have not touched thee, and as we iiave done
unto thee nothing but good, and have sent
thee away in peace: ' thou art now the blessed
of the Lord.
SO ' And he made them a feast, and they did
eat and drink.
31 And they rose up betimes in the morn-
ing, and " swarc one to another : and Isaac
sent them away, and they departed from him
in peace.
".Tiidg. 11. 7. "ver. 16. ' lleb. Snbig we saw. 1 ch. 21, 22, 23.-
'Hcb. If thou shuU, <S-c. > cli. 2-t. 31. Fs. ll.j. lo. ^^ ch. 19. 3.-
"ch. 21.31.
was the same Abimelech and Phichol mentioned, chap. xxi.
22. %ve cannot tell; It in possible both might have been now
alive, provided we suppose them young in the days of Abra-
ham; but it is more likely that .iiiittckch was a general name
of the Geiarite kings, and that Phichol was a name of office.
Ahuzzath] The Targum translates this word, a company;
not considering it as a proper name: "Abimelech and Phi-
chol came with a company of their friends." 1'lie Scpliiagint
calls him Ox,oiai6 o niiCpayayoi, Ochozath the paravymph, or
friend of the bridegroom, he who conducts the bride to the
bridegroom's house. Could we depend en the correctness of
this version, we might draw the follouing curious conclusions
from it: 1. That this was the .son of that Abimelech, the friend
of Abraham. 2. That he had been lately maiTied, and on this
journey brings with him his confidential friend, to whom he
had lately entrusted the care of his spouse.
Verse 27. Seeing ye hate me] He was justified in thinking
thus; becau,<e, if </«j/ did not injure him, they had connived
at their servants doing it.
Verse 28. Let there be now an oath bettceen lu] Let us make
a covenant by which we shall be mutually bound; and let it
be ratified in the most solemn manner.
Verse 30. He made them a feast] Probably on the sacri-
fice, that was offered on the occasion of making this covenant.
This was a common custom.
Verse 31. 'I'hcy rose up betimes] Karly rising was general
among the primitive inhabitants of the world; and this was
T 2
Isaac's servants dig a "well.
GENESIS.
JEsau marries two Hittite "doomeru
A.M.cir.'<i200.
RC.cir.lSOI.
32 And it came to pass the same
day, that Isaac's servants came, and
told him concerning the well which they had dig-
ged, and said unto him. We have found water.
33 And he called it ^ Shebah : " therefore the
name of the city is " Beer-sheba unto this day.
'Tlialis, anoalh. 'cli. 21. 31. 'That is, the well of the oath.
A.M.2208._
B. C. 1796.
one cause which contributed greatly to their healtli and
longevily.
Verse 33. He called it Shebah] This was probably tlie
sayne well which was called Beer-sheba in the time of Abraham,
which the Philistines had filled up; and which the servants of
Isaac had re-opened. The same name is therefore given to
it which it had before, with the addition of the emphatic letter
M he, by which its signification became extended, so that now
it signified not merely an oath or full, but satisfaction and
^ibimdunce. — See the use made of this letter in the names of
Abraham and Sarah, chap. xvii. 5.
The name of the city is Beer-sheba] This name was given
to it a hundred years before this time; but as the ivell from
which it had this name originally, was closed up by the Phi-
listines, probably the name of the place was abolished with the
•well : w hen, therefore, Isaac re-opened the well, he restored
the ancient name of tlie place.
Verse 34. He took to wife — the daughter, l>;c.] It is very
likely that the wives taken by Esau were daughters of chiefs
among the Hittites; and by this union he sought to increase
and strengthen his secular power and influence.
Verse 35. Which w-ere a grief of mind] Not the marriage,
thouf^h that was improper, but the persons: they, by their
perverse and evil ways, brought bitterness into the hearts of
Isaac and Rebekah. The Targum of Joimthan ben Uzziel,
and that of Jerusalem, say they were addicted to idol-worship,
and rebelled against and would not hearken to the instructions
either of Isaac or Rebekah. From Canaanites a different
conduct could not be reasonably expected: Esau was far
from being spiritual, and his wives were wholly carnal.
The same reflections which were suggested by Abraham's
conduct in denying his wife in Egypt and Gerar, will apply
to that of Isaac : but the case of Isaac was much less excusable
than that of Abraham. The latter told no /a/s%; he only,
through fear, stippressed a part of the truth.
1. A good m.an has a right to expect God's blessing on
his honest industry: Isaac sowed, and received a hundredfold,
and he had possessions of flocks, &c. for llie Lord blessed him.
Uorldli/ men, if they ))ray at all, ask for temporal things:
" What shall we eat, what shall wc drink, and wherewithal
shall we be clothed?" Most of the truly religious people go
into another extreme — they forget the bod^ and ask only for
the soul! And yet there are " things requisite and necessary
as well for the body as the soul," and things which are only at
God's disposal. The body lives lor the soul's sake; its life,
and comfort, are in many respects essentially requisite to the
salvation of the soul; and therefore the things necessary for
its support, should be earnestly asked from the God of all
34 ^ '' And Esau was forty years
old when he took to wife Judith the
daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath
the daughter of Elon the Hittite:
35 Which ^ were ' a grief of mind unto Isaac
and to Rebekah.
■I ch. 3S. 2. ' ch. S7. 46. & 28. 1, 8 ^ Heb. bitterness of spirit.
grace, the Father of bounty and providence. Ye have not,
because ye ask not — may be said to many poor afflicted religi-
ous people; and they are afraid to ask, lest it should appear
mercenar}', or that they sought their portion in this life.
They should be belter taught. Surely to none of these will
God give a «/o«e if they ask bread: he who is so liberal of
his heavenly blessings, will not withhold earthly ones, which
are of infinitely less consequence. Reader, expect God's
blessing on thy honest industry; pray for it, and believe that
God does not love tliee less, who hast taken refuge in the
same hope, than he loved Isaac. Plead not only his pro-
mises, but plead on the precedents he has set before thee —
Lord, thou didst so and so to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob,
and to others who trusted in thee: bless w(j/ field, bless ?)iy
flocks, prosper viy labour; that I may be able to provide
things honest in the sight of all men, and have something to
dispense to those who are in want. And will not God hear
such prayers ? Yea, and answer them too, for he does not
willingly afflict the children of men. And we may rest as-
sured that there is more affliction and poverty in the world,
than either the justice or providence of God requires. There
are, however, many who owe their poverty to their want of
diligence and oeconomy : they sink down into indolence, and
forget that word, IVhalsoeter thy hand findeth to do, do it
ivith thy might: nor do they consider, that by idleness, a man
is clothed with rags. Be diligent in business, and fervent in •
s|)irit, and God will withhold from thee no manner of thing
that is good.
2. From many examjiles, we find that the wealth of the
primitive inhabitants of the world did not consist in gold,
silver, or precious stones, but principally in flocks of useful
cattle, and the produce of the field. With precious 7netals
and precious stones thej' were not unacquainted, and the former
were sometimes used in purchases, as we have already seen
in the case of y^braham buying a field from the children of
Ileth. But the blessings which God promises are such as
spring from the soil. Isaac sowed in tlie land, and had pos-
.wssions of flocks and herds, and great store of servants, ver.
12 — I'k Commerce, by which nations and individuals so
suddenly rise, and as suddenly fall, had not been then in-
vented : every man was obliged to acquire property by honest
and ])ersevering labour, or be destitute. Lucky hits, fortunate
speculations, and adventurous risks, could then have no place:
the Jield must be tilled, the herds watched and fed, and the
proper seasons for ploui^liing, sowing, reaping, and laying up
be carefully regarded and improved. No man, there.'bre,
could grow rich by accident. Isaac waxed great, and went
forward, and grew until he became very great, ver. 13. Specu-
i lation was of no use, for it could have no object; and conse-.
5
Isaac, gro-iin old and feeble.
CHAP. XXVII.
calls for his son Esau.
qucntly many incitements to knaren/, and to idleness, tliat bane
of the physical and moral health of the body and soul of man,
could not shew themselves. Happy times ! when every man
wroiioht with his hands, and God particularly blessed his
honest industr}'. As he had no Ittiuries, he had no unnatural
indfacliiiousxaanis, few diseases and a long life.
" 0 ! forlunnlos nimidm sua si bona norinl !
Agricolas."
Oh, thrice happy husbandmen ! did ye but know your own
mercies.
But has not, what is termed commerce, produced the re-
Verse of all this ? A fcii) are speculators, and the many are
comparatively i/«res; and slaves, not to enricii themselves;
ibis is impossible : but to enrich tiie speculators and adven-
turers, by whom they are employed. Even the farmers be-
come, at least partially, commercial men ; and the soil, the
fruitful parent of natural wealth, is comparatively disregarded :
the consequence is, that the misery of the viany, and the
luxury of the few encrease ; and from both these spring, oa
the one hand, pride, insolence, contempt of the poor, con-
tempt of God's holy word and commandments, with the long
catalogue of crimes which proceed from pampered apipetites,
and unsubdued passions; and on the other, murmurinfr, re-
pining, discontent, and often insubordination, and revolt, the
most fell and most destructive of all the evils that can degrade
and curse civil society. Hence, wars, fightings, and revolu-
tions of states, and public calamities of all kinds. Bad as
the world and the times are, men have made them much
worse, by their unnatural methods of providing for the support
of life. When shall men learn, that even this is but a subor-
dinate pursuit ; and that the cultivation of the soul in the
knowledge, love, and obedience of God, is essentially neces-
sary, not only to future glory, but to present happiness !
CHAPTER XXVII.
Isaac f^roTCii old and feeble, and apprehending the approach of death, desires his son Esau to provide some savourt/^
meat fur him, thai huiing eaten of it, he might convey to him the blessing connected zdlh the right of primogeni-
ture, 1 — 4. Hebehah, hearing of it, relates the matter to Jacob, and directs him hozv to personate his bro-
ther, and by deceiving his father, obtain the blessing, 5 — 10. Jacob hesitates, 11, 12; but, being coioiselied
and encouraged by his mother, he at last consents to use the means she prescribed, 14. Rebeknh disguises Jacob,
and sends him to personate his brother, 15 — 17- Jacob comes to hisfather, and professes himself to be Esau, IS, If).
Isaac doubts, questions, and examines him closely, but does 7iot discover the fraud, 20 — 24. He eats of the
savourij meat, ami confers the blessing upon Jacob, 25 — 27. In what the blessing consisted, 28, 29- Esau arrives
from the field with the meat he had gone to provide, and presents himself before hisfather, 30, 3i. Isaac discovers
the fraud of Jacob, and is much ajjected, 32, 33. Esau is greatly distressed on hearing that the blessing had
been received by another, 34. Isaac accuses Jacob of deceit, 35. Esau expostulates and prays for a blessing, 36.
Isaac desiribcs the blessing jchich he has already conveyed, 37. Esau zceeps, and earnestly implores a blessing, 38.
Isaac pronounces a blessing on Esau, and prophesies that his posterity should, in process of time, cease to be tribu-
tary to the posterity of Jacob, 39,40. Esaupurposes to kill his brother, 41. Rebekah hears of it, and counsels
Jacob to take refuge zcith her brother Laban, in Padan Aram, 42 — 45. She professes to be greatly alarmed lest
Jacob should take any of the Canaanitcs to zcife, 46.
A.M.cir.2225.
B.C.cir.l779.
AND it came to pass, that when
Isaac was old, and ' his eyes
Kennicou. -were dim, so that he could not see,
he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto
» Ch. 48. 10. 1 Sam. 3. 2.
NOTES ON CH.\P. XXVH.
Verse 1. Isaac ivas oW] It is conjectured, on good
grounds, that Isaac was now about one hundred and seven-
teen years of age, and Jacob about fifty-seven ; though the
commonly received opinion, makes Isaac one hundred and
thirty-seven, and Jacob seventy-seven : but see the notes on
chap. xxxi. 38, &.c.
And his eyes were dim] This was probably the effect of
A.M.cir.2«S5.
B.C. cir. 1779.
him. My son, and he said unto him,
Behold, here am I.
2 And he said. Behold now, I am old, I
'' know not the day of my death :
" Prov. 27. 1. Jam. 4. 14.
that affliction, of what kind we know not, under which Isaac
now laboured ; and from which, as well as from the affliction,
he probably recovered, as it is certain he lived forty, if not
forty-three years after his time ; for he lived till the return
of Jacob from Padan Aram. — Chap. xxxv. 27 — 29.
Verse 2. / know not the day of my deathi From his pre-
sent weakness, he had reason to suppose that his death could
not be at any great distance, and therefore would leave no act
.A..Ar.cir,2'JL>5.
BC.cir.i;r9.
Sends him to Inmtfor venison.
3 ' Now therefore take, I pray thee,
thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow,
and go out to the iicld, and "^ take me some
venison ;
4 And make me savoury meat, such as I love,
and bring it to me, tlnit I may eat ; that my soul
' may bless thee before I die.
5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to
Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to
hunt /or venison, and to bring it.
G % And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son,
saying, Behokl, I heard thy father speak unto
Esau thy brother, saying,
7 Bring me veziison, and make me savoury
meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the
Lord, before my death.
8 Now therefore, my son, " obey my voice
according to that which I command thee.
•Ch. 25. 27, 28. * Hcb. hunt. ■<^ vet. 27. ch. 48. 9, 15. & 49. 28.
IJeiit. 33. 1. "I ver. 13. ^'ver. 4. f ver. 4.
GENESIS. Jacoh counselled to supphnt his brother.,
9 Go now to the flock, and fetch A.M.dr.2'^2.?.
me from thence two good kids of ^^ '"••'^^^-
undone, whicli he belit;ved it his duty to perform. He %vho
lives not in reference to eternity, lives not at all.
Ver-^e 3. Thy ■aeapons] Tiie original word, i"?3 kelcy, sig-
nifies vessels and Insiruinents of any kind ; and is probably
Used here for a hunting- spear, jnrelins, sii'ord, i)-c.
Snivel] 'Vn leli, from nSn iaUih, to hans; or suspend.
Had not tlie .Sepliiagint translated the word, (pafEr^ov, and the
Vulgate, pharetram, a quiver, I should have rather supposed
some kind of shield was meant ; but either can be suspended
on the arm or from the shoulder. Some think a sword is
^neant; and becau.se the original signifies to hang or suspend ;
hence, they tliii;k, is derived our word hanger, so called be-
cause it is generally worn in a pendant posture; but llie word
hanger did not exi.st in our language previous to the crusades,
and we have evidently derived it from the Persian ».s\lLi
khanjar, a poniard or dagger, the use of which, not only in
battles, but in private assassinations, was well known.
Verse 4. Savoury meat'] D'GJJ'JO matedmmim, from Dl'D
tadm, to taste or relish ; how dressed, we know not, but Us
name declares its nature.
I'liat I may eat; tluut my soul may bless thee] The blessing
which Isaac was to confer on his son was a species of divine
rii^hl, and must be communicated with appropriate ceremonies.
A.1 eating and drinking were used among the Asiatics on
almost all religious occasions, and especially in making and
confirming covenants, it is reasonable to suppose that some-
thing of tiiiskind was e»stnlially nercssjiry on ihis occasion ;
and that Isaac could not convey the ;/;,'///, till he had eaten
of the meat provided for the purpose, by Ithn, wIkj was to
receive the blessing. As Isaac was now old, and in a feeble
and languishing condition, it was necessary that the (Icsh
used on this occasion should.be prepared in sucli a way as to
invite the appetite, that a snjicicw.y of it might be taken to
good
the goats ; and I vvill make them "^ savoury meat
for thy father, such as he loveth :
10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that
he may eat, and that he ^ may bless thee before
his death.
1 1 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother.
Behold, ^ Esau my brother is a hairy man, and
I a7n a smooth man :
12 My father peradventure will " feel me, and
I shall seem to him as a deceiver : and I shall
bring ' a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
13 And his mother said unto him, "Upon me
l/e thy curse, my son, only obey my voice, and
go fetch me them.
14 And he went, and fetched, and brought
them to his mother : and his mother ' made sa-
« Cli. 2.5. 2.1.- — "^ ver. 22. ' cli. 9. 2.5. Dcat. 27.
1 Sam. 23. 2i. 2 Sam 14 9. Matt. 27. i3.—
18. 'ch. 43. 9. I
-' ver. 4. 9. ,
revive and recruit his drooping strength, that he might be the
belter able to go through the whole of this ceremony.
This seems to be the sole reason why savoury meat is so
particularly mentioned in the text: — I. Allien we consider
that no covenant was deemed binding unless the parties had
eaten together ; 2. That to convey this blessing some rite of
this kind was necessary; and 3. Th-tt Isaac's strength was
now greatly exhausted, insomuch, that he supposed himself
to be dying, we shall at once see why 7neat was required on
this occasion, and why that meat was to be prepared in such
a manner as to deserve the epithet of savoury. As I believe
this to be the true sen.se of the place, I do not trouble my
readers with interpretations, which I suppose to be either ex-
ceptionable or false.
Verse 5. And Rebekah heard] And was determined, if
possible, to fru.strule the design of Isaac, and procure the
blessing for her favourite son. Some have pretended, that
she received a divine impiralion to this purpose ; but if she
had, she needed not to have liad recourse to deceit, to help
forward the accomplishment of a divine purpose. Isaac, on
being inrorn>ed, would have had too much piety not to prefer
the will of his Maker to liis own partiality for liis eldest son ;
but Rebekah had nothing of the kind to plead, and there-
fore had recourse to tile most exceptionable means to accom-
plish her ends.
Verse 12. / shall bring a curse upon 7ne] For, even in
those early times, the sj)iril of that law was understood,
Deut. xxvii. 18. — Cursed is he that maketh the blind to wan-
der out of the way ; and Jacob seems to have possessed, at
this lime, a more tender conscience than his mother.
Verse 13. Upon me be thy curse, my son] Onkelo.s gives
this a curious turn — Jt has been revealed to me hy prophecy, that
the curses will not come upon thee, my son. What a dreadful
CHAP.
as Ins lather
He provides savotir^ meaf,
A.M.cir.«« voury meat, such
»c^^ lo^'cd.
1.5 And Rebckah took ''goodly raiment of
her eldest son Esau'', which xcerc with her in
the house, and put them upon Jaeoi) her
younger st)n :
IG And she put the skins of" the kids of the
goats upon his hands, and upt)n the smooth of
his neck:
17 And she gave the savoury meat and the
bread, which she had prepared, into the hand
of her son Jacob.
1 8 % And he came unto his father, and said.
My father: and he said. Here a?n 1; who art
thou, my son?
19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am
Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as
thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and
eat of my venison, "that thy soul may bless
me.
20 And Isaac said unto his son. How is it that
thou hast found ii so quickly, my son ? And he
said, Because the Lord thy God brought it ''to
me.
" lleb. desiiuble. ^^ ver. Sf7. '^ ver. 4. '' Heb. before me.
responsibility did this woman take upon her at this time ! The
sacred writer states the facts as they were, and we may de-
pend on the truth of the statement ; but he ho where says,
tliiit God would have any man to topy tliis conduct. He
often relates facts and sayings which he never recommends.
Verse 15. Goodly raiment] Mr. Ainswoith has a sensible
note on this place. " The priest in the law had holy gar-
ments to minister in, Kxod. xxvili. 2 — 4. which the Sep-
tuagint there, and in this place, term rnv aTcMv, THE robe,
and enoxw ayiav, the holy robe. ^V'hether the first-born, be-
fore the law, had such to minister in, is not certain; but it is
probable by this example : for had they been common gar-
ments, why did not flsau himself, or his wives, keej) them ?
But being, in all likelihood, holy robes, received from their an-
cestors, the mother of the family kept them in sweet chests,
from moths and the like ; whereupon it is said, ver. 27. Isaac
smelled the smell of his garments." The opinion of Ainsworth
is followed by many critics.
Verse 19. / aiii Esau, thy first-born] Here are many pal-
pable falsehoods, and such as should neither be imitated nor
excused.. Jacob, says Calmet, ini|(Oses on his father in three
dilfcrent ways. 1. l}y his xeords — /am thy first-born Esau.
2. By his actions — he gives him kids' flesh for venison, and
; says he had executed his orders, and got it by hunting. 3.
By his clothing — he put on Esau's garments, and the kids'
I «kins upon his hands and the smooth of his neck. In short,
I he made use of every species of deception that ceuld be prac-
A.M.cir.aKo.
D.U.iir.l779.
son
XXVII. and imposes on his father.
I 21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come
near, I pray thee, tliat I "may feel
I thee, my son, whether thou be my very
Esau or not.
22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father;
and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's
voice, but ihe hands are the hands of Esau.
23 And he discerned him not, because '^his
hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands:
so he blessed him.
24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau ?
And lie said, I am.
2,5 And he said. Bring it near to mc, and I
will eat of my son's venison, ^that my soul may
bless thee. And he bi'ought it near to him, and
he did cat: and Ire brought him wine, and he
drank.
26 And his father Isaac said unto him. Come
near now, and kiss me, my son.
27 And he came near, and kissed him: and
he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed
him, and said, See, "the smell of my son is
as the smell of a field which the Lord hath
blessed :
«Ver. 12.-
''ver. 16.-
— ' ver. 4."
» Hiis. 14. fi.
tised on the occasion, in order to accomplish his end-^. To
attempt to palliate, or find excuses for such conduct, instead
observing, disserves the cause of religion and truth. Men have
laboured, not only to excuse all this conduct of Rebekah and
Jacob, but even to shew that it was consistent, and that tlie
whole was according to the mind anii leill of God !
Non tali auxilio, non defensoribus islis
The cause of God and truth is under no obligation to such
defenders : their hands are more unhallowed than those of
Uzzah; and however the bearers may stumble, the arif of
God requires not their support. It was the design of God,
that the elder should scrte the younger; and he would have
brought it about in the way of his own wise and just jiiovi-
dcncc : but means, such as those here used, he could neither
sanction nor recommend.
Verse 23. And he discerned him not, because his hands v;ere
haiiy] From this circumstance we may learn, that Isaac's
setise of feeling was much impaired by his present mahidy.
When he could not discern the skia of a kid from ihejlesh
of his son, we see that he was, through his infirmity, in a fit
slate to be imposed on by the deceit of his wife, and the
cunning of his younger son.
Verse '21. Tlie smell of my son is as the smell of a field]
The smell of these garments, the goodly raiment -.ehich had
been laid up in the house, (see on ver. 15.) was ])robablv oc-
casioned by some arotnutic herbs, which we nwy naturally
Jacob obtains the blessing
28 Therefore
GENESIS.
in ivhat it cons isted.
A.M.cir.2S!25
B.C.cir.1779
God give thee of jl down to thee; be lord over thy bre-
the dew of heaven, and ' the fatness jl thren, and Het thy mother's sons bow
^ -. * '\ -* .it V _li_ _J
A.M.cir.2J25.-
B.C.cir. 177?.
of the earth, and ""plenty of corn and wme:
29 'Let people serve thee, and nations bow
• Hebr. 11.20. 'Deut. 33. 13,28. 2 Sam. 1. 21. <^ch. 43. 18.
7 -- - J —
down to thee: * cursed he every one that curseth
thee, and blessed he he that blesseth thee.
" Deut. 33. 23.—' ch. 9. 25. & 25. 23.— fch. 49. 8.-5 cli. 12. 3. Numb. 24. 9.
suppose were laid up with the clothes: a custom which pre-
vails in many countries to the present day. Thyvie, lavender,
&c. are often deposited in wardrobes, to communicate an
agreeable scent, and under the supposition that the moths are
thereby prevented from fretting the garments. 1 have often
seen the leaves of aromatic plants, and sometimes whole
sprigs, put in eastern MSS. to communicate a pleasant smell,
and to prevent the worms from destroying them. Persons
going from Europe to the East Indies, put pieces of llussia
leather among their clothes for the same purpose. Such a
«mell would lead Isaac's recollection to the fields, where aro-
matic plants grew in abundance ; and where he had often been
regaled by the odour.
Verse '28. God give thee of the dew of heaven] Bp. New-
•ton's view of these predictions is .so correct and appropriate,
as to leave no wish for any thing farther on the subject.
" It is here foretold, and in ver. 39. of these two brethren,
that as to situation, and other temporal advantages, they
should be much alike. It was said to Jacob — God irhe thee
of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and
plenty of com and wine : and much the same is said to
Esau, ver. 39. — Behold, thy dwelling shall he the fatness of
the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. The spiritual
blessing, or the promise of the blessed seed, could be given
only to ONK ; but temporal good things might be imparted
to both. Mount Seir, and the adjacent country, was at first
the possession of the Edomites; they afterwards extended
thcmsckes farther into Arabia, and into the southern parts
ofJudea. But wherever they were situated, we find, in fact,
that the Edomites, in temporal advantages, were little inferior
to the Israelites. Esau had cattle and beasts, and substance
in abundance, and Vie went to dwell in Seir of his own ac-
cord ; but he would hardly have removed thither with so
many cattle, had it been such a barren and desolate country
as some would represent it. The Edomites had dukes and
Jcings reigning over them, while the Israelites were stares in
Egypt. When the Israelites, on their return, desired leave
to pass through the territories of Edom, it appears that the
country abo\inded with ritUlTl-UL FIELDS and VINEYARDS —
I,ct us pass, I pray thee, through thy country ; we will not pass
through the fields, or through tlie vineyards, neitlier will we
drink of the water of the wells. Num. xx. 17. And the pro-
phecy <sf Malachi, which is generally alleged as a proof of
the Larre7mess of the country, is rather a proof of the con-
trary— / hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage
•uaste for tlie dragons of the wilderness, Mai. i. 2. for this
implies that the country was fruitful before; and that its
present unfruitfulness was rather an effect of war and de-
vastation, than any natural defect in the soil. If the country
is barren and unfruitful now, neither is Judeu, what it was
/brmerly,"
The dew] As there was but little rain in Judea, except what
was termed the early rain, which fell about the beginning of
spring, to moisten and fertilize the earth ; and the latter rain,
which fell about September; the tack of this was supplied
by the copious dews, MJiich fell both morning and evening,
or rather through the whole of the night. And we may
judge, says Calmet, of the abundance of these dews by what
fell on Gideon's fleece. Judges vi. 38. which being wrung,
filled a bowl. And Hushai compares an army ready to fall
upon its enemies, to a dew fulling on the ground, 2 Sam. xvii.
12. which gives us the idea that this fluid fell in great pro-
fusion, so as to saturate every thing. Travellers in these
countries assure us, that the dews fall there in an extraordinary
abundance.
The fatness of the earth] What Homer calls ou9ap a^oupni,
liias ix. 1. 141. and Virgil, uber glebte, jEneis i. 531. both
signifying a soil naturally fertile. Under this, therefore, and
the former expressions, Isaac wishes his son all the blessings
which a plentiful country can produce: fur, as Le Cterc
rightly observes, if the dews and seasonable rains of heaven
fall upon a fruitful .soil, nothing but human industry is want-
ing to the plentiful enjoyment of all temporal good things.
Hence they are represented in the Scripture as emblems of
prosperity, of plenty, and of the blessing of God, Deut.
xxxiii. 13. 28. Micah v. 1. Zech. viii. 12, And on the
I other hand, the withholding of these, denotes barrenness, dis-
tress, and the curse of God, 2 Sam. i. 21. Hag. i. 10. — Sc.e
Dodd.
Verse 29. Let people serve thee] " However alike their
temporal advantages were to each other," says Bp. Newton,
" in all spiritual gifts and graces the younger brother was to
have the superiority, was to be the happy instrument of con-
veying the blessing to all nations — In thee and in thy seed
shall all the families of the earth be blessed : and to this are ta
be referred, in their full force, those expressions — Let people
serve thee ; and nations boxv down to thee : cursed be every one
that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee. The
same ])roniise was made to Abraham in the name of God —
/ will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth
thee, ch. xii. 3. and it is here repeated to Jacob, and thus
paraphrased in the Jerusalem Targuni — " He who curseth
thee, shall be cursed as Balaam the son of Beor; and he vlio
blesseth thee, shall be blessed as Moses the prophet, the law-
giver of Israel." It appears that Jacob was, on the whole, a
man of more religion, and believed the divine promises more
than Esau. The posterity of Jacob likewise preserved the true
religion and the worship of one God, while the Edomitas
were sunk in idolatry ; and of the seed of Jacob was born
at last the Saviour of the world. This was the peculiar pri-
vilege and advantage of Jacob, to be the happy instrument
of conveying tliese blesings to all nations. This was hi«
Isaac discovers Jacoly's deceit. CHAP.
A-M.tir.srt.i. 30 <^[ Vud it <: ^^•■^^'^. to pass as soon
B.c.cir. m9. as im;i(j li;i,i jiv ,1:1 encl of^ blessing
Jacob, and Jacob was \\ juice gone out tioni
the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his
brother came in fri)!n hi? hunting.
31 And he also had made savoury meat, and
brought it unto his fiitlier, and said unto his fa-
ther. Let my fatlier arise, and ^ eat of his son's
venison, that th}' soul may bless me.
32 And Isaac his father said unto him, W\\o
art thou ? And he said, I am thy son, thy first-
born, Esau.
33 And Isaac " trembled very exceedingly,
and said, AVho? wliere is he that hath "^ taken
venison, and brought // me, and I have eaten
of all before thou camest, and have blessed him ?
yea, "^ and he shall be blessed.
34 % And when Esau heard the words of his
father, ' he cried with a great and exceeding-
bitter cry, and said unto his father. Bless me,
even me also, O my father.
35 And he said, Thy brother came with sub-
tilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
• 'Ver. 4-
huntcd.-
XI!C^'II. Esau requests and receives a blessing.
36 And he said, ' Is not he rightly A.M.cir.ii?£.v
named ^ Jacob? for he hath supplanted '"'" '"
me these two times : " he took away my birth-
right; and, behold, now he hath taken away
my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not re-
served a blessing for me ?
37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau,
' IJchold, I have made him thy lord, and all his
brethren have I given to him for servants ; and
" witli corn and wine have I ' sustained him : and
what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
38 And Esau said unto his father. Hast thou
but one blessing, my father ? bless me, even mc
also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice,
"' and wept.
39 And Isaac his father answered and said
unto him. Behold, " thy dwelling shall be "the
fatness of the cartli, and of the dew of heaven
from above ;
40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and
'' shalt serve thy brother ; and '' it shall come to
pass, when thou shalt have the dominion, that
thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
-'• Heb. trembled with a great trembling srealbi. ' Hob. ' Fulflllid. 2 Sam. 8. 14. ver. 29- ^ »er. 28- — ' Or, supporlrd.
i^S. o, 4. Rom. 11. S^. ^^ Ilcljr. 12. 17. '■' ch. «b. tl6. "> llebr. 12. 17. " ver. 28. Heb. 11. tO ^— " Or. ff the jatna-.-
-'Tliat is, a supjilantcr. "ell. s!5. 33.
greatest supf riority over Esau ; and in this sen.ise St. Paul
understood aiui applied the prophecy — The elder shall serve
the youvcer. Koin. ix. 12. The Ciirist, the Saviour of the |
florid, «a« to be born of some onefuinity ; and Jacob's was pre-
ferred to Esau's, out t)f the arood pleasure of Ahniafhty God,
wlio is certainly the best judLfc of fitness and expedience, and
has undoubted right to dl.spense his favours as he siiall .see
proper; for he says to Moses, as the Apostle proceeds to
aifjue, ver. 15. — " I vill iiave merry on whom I will have
luerey ; and I will have compassion on whom I will have
compassion." And when the Gentiles were converted to
Cbnstianity, the prophecy was fulfilled literally — Let people
scire thee, and let tiitlions boiv doien to thee ; and will be
more amply fulfilled, when the fulness of the Gentiles shall
come in, and all Israel shall be suvkI."
VtV!'(- o'i. And Isaac trembled] The marginal reading is
Tci-y hteral and proper— -.'iHf/ Isaar trembled ivith a great
tre-tibling ^rcatlj/. And this shews the deep concern he felt
for his o«n deception, and the iniquity of the means by
which it had been bronght about. Though Isaac niu.>.t liavc
heard of that which God had spoken to llebekah — The
elder sItuU serve the i/nnnger, and could never have v ishcd' to
reverse this divine purpose ; yet he inlgiit ceriainly think that
the s)iiit!ial blessing might be coiivtyed to E>au, and by
him to all the n:it;onsof the ea-lh, noiuithstaiuliiig the supe-
rior.ly of secular dominion on the oilier side.
Yea, and he shall be blessed.] From what i.s said in this
verse, collated with Heb. xii. 1". \\v see how binding, the
P cli. i;,i. 'Jj. Obad. 18. 19, L'li. 'J Sain. 8. 14.-
-I a Kings S. SO.
conveyance of the birth-right was, when communicated with
the rites already mentioned. M'hen I--aac fountl that he
had been deceived by Jacob, he certainly would have re-
versed the blessing, if he could ; but as it had been conveyed
in the proper sacramental way, this was impossible. I have
blessed him, says he, yea, and he must, or v:iU be blessed.
Hence it is said by the Apostle, Esau ,/bi/nrf no place for re-
pentance, /x£Tav:ia; ya^ roTTCv vvx £i'f£, no place ioT chuKie of
mind or purpose in his father, thoiii^h he sought it carefully
liith leais. The father could not reverse it, because the
grant had already been made and confirmed. But let the
reader observe, that this had notliing to do with the final
salvation of poor outwitted Esau, nor, indeed, with that of
his iinnati;ral brother.
Verse 35. Jlalh taken axi-ay thy hlcssiniz.] This blessing,
which was a ditliTeiit thing from the birth-right, seems to
consist of ^.:o parts: I. The dominion generally and finally
over the ether part of the fannly; and, 2. being the pro-
genitor of the Messiah, ,But the former is more explicitly
declared than the latter. — See the notes on ch. x.\v. 31.
Verse 36. Is not he rightly named Jacob .'] See on ch. xxv.
26.
lie tool; avjay my birth-ri^hi] So he might say with cein-
siderable propriety ; for though he .'sold it to Jacob, yet, as
Jacob liud taken advantage of his perishing situation, he con-
sidered the act as a species of robbery.
Verse 'M. Behold I have made him thy lord] See on
ver. 2r?. ■ ■ - .
JEsau hales Jacob, GENESIS.
A.M.cif.'i2i!5. 41 ^ And Esau * hated Jacob be-
B.c.cif.i779 cause of the blessing wherewith his
father blessed him : and Esau said in his heart.
and purposes to slay Mm,
• Ch. 4. 2—8. & 37. •!, 8. Ezck. 25. 12—15. 1 Jolm 3. 12-15.
'' The days of mourning for my fatlier
are at hand ; "then will I slay my bro-
ther Jacob.
A-M cir.2225.
BC cir. 1779.
b Ch. 35. 29. ic 50. 3, 4, 1(1. ' Eccl. 7. 9. Obad. 10. Eph. 4. 26, 27.
Verse 40. By thy sivort) slialt thou Uie] Tliis does not ab-
ssolulely mean that tlie Edoniites should have constant wars,
but that they should be of a fierce and warlike disposition,
<;aining their sustenance by hunting, and by predatory excur-
sions upon the possessions of others. Bishop Newton speaks
on this subject with his usual good sense and judgment —
" The elder branch, it is here foretold, should delight more
in war and violence, but yet should he subdued by the younger.
By thy siviird shall thou live, and shall serve thy brother. Esau
himself might be said to live much by the sword ; for he was
a cunning hunter, a man of the field, ch. xxv. 27. He and
Jiis children got possession of mount Seir by force and vio-
lence,'expelling from thence the Horites, the former inhabit-
ants, Deut. ii. 22. By what means they spread themselves
farther among the Ariibians is not known : but it appears
that, upon a sedition and separation, several of the Edomites
came and seized upon the southwest parts of Judea, during
tbe Babylonish captivity, and settled there ever after. Before
and after this, they were almost continually at war with the
Jews : upon every occasion, they were ready to join widi
.their enemies; and when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusa-
lem, they encouraged him, utterly to destroy the city, saying —
Rase it, rase ii even to the foundations thereof, Psal. cxxxvii. 1.
And even long after they were subdued by the Jews, they
retained the same martial spirit ; for Josephus, in his time,
trives them the character of ' a turbulent and disorderly na-
tion, always erect to commotions, and rejoicing in changes :
at the least adulation of those who beseech them, beginning
war, and hasting to battles as to a feast.' And a little before
the last siege of Jerusalem, they came, at the entreaty of the
Zealots, to assist thera against the- priests and people ; and
there, together with the Zealots, committed unheard-of
cruelties, and barbarously murdered Annas, the high-priest,
from whose death Josephus dates the destruction of the
city." See Dr. Dodd.
Jnd — xvhen thou shult have the dotnininn'] It is here fore-
told, that Ihire was to be a time when the elder was to have
dominion, and shake oft" the yoke of the younger, llie
word Tin tarid, which we ixiA\i\a.\.t have dominion, is rather
of doubtful meaning, n.s it may be deduced from three differ-
ent roots, T\» ynrad, to dciccnd, to he brought doivn, or
brovifht toiu; mi ruduh, to obtain nde, or have dominion;
and "in rud, to complain : meaning either that when reduced
very low, God would magnify his power in their behalf, and
dtiivtr (hem foni the yoke of their brethren ; or, when they
siiould be increased so as to venture to set up a king over
them, or lliat when they mourned for their transgressions, God
would turn ihtir captivity. The Jerusalem Targuin gives
the words the following turn : — " When the sons of Jacob
attend to tlie law, and observe the precepts, they shall impose
the yoke of servitude upon ihy neck ; but when they shall
turn away themselves from studying the law, and neglect the
precepts, thou slialt break off the yoke of servitude from thy
neck."
" It was David who imposed the yoke, and at that time
the Jewish people observed the law ; but the yoke was very
nailing to the Edomites from the first ; and towards the end
of Solomon's reign, Hadad, the Edomite, of the blood royal,
who had been carried into Egypt from his childhood, re-
turned into his own country, and raised some disturbanLCS,
1 Kings xi. but was not able to recover his throne, his sub-
jects being overawed by the garrisons which David had
placed among them ; but in the reign of Jehoram, the son
of Jehosaphat, king of Judah, the Edomites revolted from
under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king,
2 Kings viii. 20, 22. Jehoram made some attempts to sub-
due them again, but could not prevail ; so the Edomites re-
volted from under the hand of Judah unto this day, 2 Chron.
xxi. 8, 10. and hereby this part of the prophecy was fiilfilled
about nine hundred years after it was delivered." — See Bishop
Newton.
" Thus," says Dr. Dodd, quoting Bishop Newton, "have
we traced, in our notes on this and the xxvth chapter, the ac-
complishment of this prophecy Ironi the beginning; and we
find that the nation of the Edomites has, at several times, beer»
conquered by, and made tributary to the Jews, but never
the nation of the Jews to the Edomites : and the Jews have
been the more considerable people, more known in the
world, and more famous in historj". We know, indeed,
little more of the history of the Edomites than as it is con-
nected with that of the Jews ; and where is the name or
nation now ? They were swallowed up and lost, partly among
the Nabathean Arabs, and partly among the Jews; and the
very name, as Dr. Prideaux has observed, was abolished and
disused about the end of the first century of the Christian
.Era. Thus were they rewarded for insulting and oppressing
tlieir brethren the Jews; and hereby other prophecies were
fulfilled, viz. Jerem. xlix. 7, &c. Ezek. xxv. 12, &c. Joel iii.
19. Amos i. II, &c. and particularly Obadiah: for at this
day we see the Jews subsisting as a distinct people, while
Edom is no more, agreeably to the words of Obadiah, ver.
10. For ihy violence against thy brother Jacob, in the return
of his posterity from Egypt, shame shall cover thee, and thou
shall be cut q(f for ever. And again, ver. 18. There shall not
be any remaining of the house of Esau, for the Lord hath
spoken it. In what a most extensive and circumstantial man-
ner has God fulfilled all tliese predictions ! and what a proof
is this of the divine inspiration of the Pentateuch, and the
omniscience of God ! — See the notes on chap. xxv.
'\'^ei.i;c 4 1. The days of mourning for my father are at hand^
Such was the state of Isaac's health at tliat lime, though he
lived more than forty years afterwanis, that his death was •
txpectcd by all : and Esau thought, that would be a favour-
able time for him to avenge himself on his brother Jacob;
Behekah hearing ofEsmCs intenfm?, CHAP. XX^'II.
cminsels Jacob to flee to Lahan.
A.M.cir.«'.'S5. 42 ^ And these Avords of Esau her
^^•'"■""^- elder son, wore told to Rebckah: and
she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and
said unto him, Behold, thy brotlier Esau, as
toucliinc; thee, doth * comfort himself, purposing
to kill thee.
43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice ;
and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother, '' to
Haran ;
44 And tarry with him a few days, until thy
brother's fury tm-n away :
•Ps.6i. 5. Prov. 2. 14. & 4. 16, 17. ""ch. 11. 81. ^'ch. 26. 35.
A.!»l.cir.'.'««5.
B.C.clr. 1— 9.
4,5 Until thy brother's anger turn
away from thee, and lie forget tfiat
which thou hast done to him : then I will send,
and fetch thee from thence: why should I be
deprived also of you both in one day?
46 And Rebckah said to Isaac, " I am
weary of my life because of the daughters of
Heth : '' if Jacob take a wife of the daughters
of Heth, such as these •u'/iich are of the
daughters of the land, what good shall my life
do me ?
as, according to the custom of the times, tlie .sons were al-
waj's present at the burial of the fatiier. Ishmael came from
his own country to assist Isaac to bury Abraham, ch. xxv. y.
and both Jacob and Esau assisted in buryin" thtir father
Isaac, ch. xxxv. 29. but the enuiiiy between thciu had happily
subsided long before that time.
Verse 4'.:. Doth comfurt htmsrlj] pui'posing to kill theeJ]
*]b DrtJno methnachem kca, lloubi^anl renders, cogiuu super te,
he thinks or meditates to kill thee. This sense is natural
enough here, but it does not appear to be the meaning of the
original ; nor does Houbisiant himself give it this sense in
his Racincs Hebru'iqucs. Tliere is no doubt that I'.sau, in his
hatred to his brother, felt himself p'eas^cd with the thought
that lie should soon have the opportunity of avenging his
wrongs.
Verse 44. Tarry with him a fciv daj/s] It was probably
forti/ years before he returnetl ; and it is likely Rebekah saw
him no more; for it is the general opinion of the Jewish!
Kabbnis, that she died before Jacob's return from Padan-
arain, whether the period of his stay be considered twenty or
/orli/ years. .See on chap. xxxi. 38, &c.
Versi- 45. Uliy should I be dcpriicd also of you both ?] If
Esau should kill Jacob, then tlie nearest akin to Jacob, who
Was by the patriarchal law. Gen. ix. 6. the avenger of blood,
vould kill Esau ; and both these deaths might possibly take
place in the same day. This appears to be the meaning of
Kebekah. Those who are ever endeavouring to sanctify the
tnemis by the end, are lull of perplexity and distress. God
will not give his blessing to even a divine service, if not done
in his own way, on principles of truth and righteousness.
Rebekah and .her son would take the means out of God's
hands — they compassed themselves with their own sparks,
and warmed themselves with their own fire; and this had
Ihey at the hand of God, they lay down m sorrow. God
would have brought about his designs in a «ay consistent
•with his own perfections; for he had fully determined liiat
the elder should serve the younger, and that the Messiah should
spring, not from the family of Esau, but i'rom that of
Jacob ; and needed not the cunning craftiness or deceits of
men to accomplish his purposes. Yet in his mercy he over-
ruled all these circumstances, and produced good, where
things, if left to their own oj)erations and issues, would have
produced nothing but evil. However, after this reprehensi-
& S8. 8. Num. 11.15. 1 Kings 19. 4. Job .3. 20— 22. ^*ch. 24:8.
9 ^
ble transaction, we bear no more of Rebekah. The HoJy
Spirit mentions her no more.
Verse 46. / am meaty of my i/fe'\ It is very likely that
Rebekah kept many of the circumstances related above fropi
the knowledge of Isaac ; but as Jacolj could not go to Padan-
arani without his knowledge, she appears here quite in her
etcrt character, iiaming an excuse lor his departure, and con-
ceuling the true cause. Abraham had been solicitous to get a
wife for his son Isaac from a branch of his own (amily; hence
site was brought from Syria. She is now afraid, or pretends to be
afraid, that her son Jacob will marry among the Hittites, as
Ksau had done; and therefore makes this to Isaac the ostemible
reason why Jacob should immediately go to I'adan-aram, that
he might get a wife there. Isaac, not knowing the true cause of
sending him away, readily falls in with Rebekah's proposal, and
immediately calls Jacob, gives him suitable directions and his
blessing, and sends him away. This view of the subject makes
all consistent and natural ; and we see at once the reaton of
the abrupt speech contained in this verse, winch should be
placed at the beginning of the following chapter.
1. In the preceding notes, I have endeavoured to represent
things simply as tluy were. I have not copied the manner
of many commentators, who have laboured to vindicate iIk
characters of Jacob and his mother in the transactions here
recorded. As I fear God, and wish to follow him, I dare
not bless what he hath not blessed, nor curse what he hatli
not cursed. I consider the whole of the conduct both of
Rebekah and Jacob in some respects deeply criminal, and i(i
all highly exceptionable. And the impartial relation of the
facts contained in this and the xxvth chapter, gives me the
fullest evidence of the truth and authenticity of the siicred
original. How impartial is the history that God writes !
We may see, from several commentators, what titan would
have done, had lie had the same facts to relate. The historv
given by God, details, as well the vices as the virtues of
those who are its subjects. How widely ditlerent from that
in the Bible, is the biography of the present day ! Virtuous
acts that were never performed ; voluntary privations, which
were never borne; piety, which was never felt; and, in a
word, lives, which were never lived — are the principal sub-
jects of our biographical relations. These may be well
termed the Lives of the Saints ; for to these are attributed all
U 2
Impartiality of the Scripture hiographij. GENESIS
the virtues which can adorn the human character, with
scarcely a failing or a blemish ; while, on the other hand,
Je*ii^s and Edomites compared.
those, in general mentioned in the sacred \vi-iting3, stand
marked with deep shades. What is tl;c inference which a
reflecting mind, acquainted witli human nature, draws from
a comparison of the biography of the Scriptures with that
palliate the iniquity of these transactions, but this must pro-
ceed either from weakness or mistaken zeal. God has suffi-
ciently marked the whole with his disapprobation.
3. The enmity which Esau felt against his brother Jacob,
seenw to have been transmitted to all his posterity ; and
doubtless the niatleis of the bi.rth-rl^ht, and the blessing, were
of uninspired writers .' The inference is this: the scripture :| the grounds on wliich that perpetual enmity was kept up be-
history is natural, is probable, bears all the characteristics of
veracity ; narrates circumstances which seem to make against
its own honour, yet dwells on ther.i, and often seeks occa-
sion to REPEAT them. It is true ! infallibly true ! In this
conclusion, common sense, reason, and criticism, join. On
the other hand, of biography in general we must say, that it
is often unnatural, improbable, is destitute of many of the
essential characteristics of truth ; studiously avoids mention-
ing those circumstances which are dishonourable to its sub-
ject ; ardently endeavours either to cast those which it caimot
wholly hide int© deep shades, or sublime them into virtues.
This is notorious ; and we need not go far for numerous exam-
ples. From these facts, a reflecting mind will draw this ge-
neral conclusion — an impartial history, in every respect true,
can be expected only tioni God himself.
2. These should be only preliminary observations to an ex-
tended examination of the characters and conduct of Re-
bekah and her tvio sons; but this in detail would be an un-
gracious task, and I wish only to draw the reader's attention
to what may, under the blessing of God, promote his moral
good. No pious man can read the chapter before him with-
out emotions of grief and pain. A mother teaches her fa-
vourite son to cheat and defraud his brother, deceive his
father, and tell the most execrable lies ! And God, the just,
the impartial God, relates all the circumstances in the most
ample and minute detail ! I have already hinted, that this is
a strong proof of the authenticity of the sacred book. Had
the Bible been the work of an impostor, a single trait of this
history had never appeared. God, it is true, had purposed
that the elder should serve the youvger: but never designed
that the supremacy should be brought about in this way.
Had Jacob's unprincipled mother left the matter in the hands
of God's providence, her favourite son would have had the
precedency in such a way as would not only have manifested
the justice and holiness of God, but would have been both
honourable and lasting to HIMSELF. He got the birth-riglit,
and he got the blessing; and how little benefit did he per-
sonally derive from either ? W hat was his life frbm this time
till his return from Padan-aram ? A mere tissue of vexations,
disappointments, and calamities. Men may endeavour to
tween the descendants of both families, the Edomites and the
Israelites. So unfortunate is an ancient family grudge,
founded on the opinion, that an injury has been done by one
! of the branches of the family, in a period no matter how re-
I mo*e, provided its operation still continues, and certain secu-
; lar privations to one side be the result. How possible it is to
j keep feuds of this kind alive to any assignable period, the
state of a neighbouring island sufficiently proves : and on the
I subject in question, the bloody contentions of the two houses
of YoiiK and Lancaster in this nation, are no contemptible
I connnent. The facts, however, relative to this point, may
1 be summed up in a few words, 1. The descendants of
I Jacob were peculiarly favoured by God. 2. They generally
I had the dominion, and were ever reputed superior in every
j respect to the Edomites. 3. The Edomites were generally !
[tributary to the Israelites. 4. They often revolted, and some- ',
times succeeded so far in their revolts, as to become an inde- ;
pendent people. 5. The Jews were never subjected to the i
Edomites. 6. As in the case between Esau and Jacob, who, i
after long enmity, were reconciled, so were the Edomites and
the Jews, and at length they became one people. 1. The
Edomites, as a nation, are now totally extinct ; and the
Jews still continue as a distinct people from all the inhabit-
ants of the earth ! So exactly have all the words of God,
which he has spoken by his prophets, been fulfdled !
4. On the blessings pronounced on Jacob and Emn, these
questions may naturally be asked. 1. Was there any thing
in these blessings of such a spiritual nature, as to affect the
eternal interests of eithel- ? Certainly there was not, at least,
as far as might absolutely/ involve the salvation of the one, or
the perdition of the other. 2. Was not the blessing pro-
nounced on Esau as good as that pronounced on .Jacob, the
7nere temporary lordship, and being the progenitor of the Mes-
siah, excepted ? So it evidently appears. 3. If the blessings
had reftrred to their eternal states, had not Esau as fair a
prospect for endless glory as his unfeeling brother? Justice
and mercy both say — Yes. The truth is, it was their
posterity, and not themselves, that were the objects of these
blessings. Jacob, personally, gained no benefit j Esau,
personally, sustained no loss.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Isaac directs Jacob to take a xcife from the family of Laban, 1, C; blesses and sends him azcay, 3, 4. Jacob
begins his journei/, 5. Esau, perceiving that the daughters of Canaan rtere not pleasing to his parents, and
that Jacob obeyed them in going to get a wife of his own kindred, G — 8, he went and took to wife Mahalath,
the daughter of Ishmael, his father's brother, 9. Jacob in his journey towards Ilaran, came to a certain
place (Luz, xer. \Q.) rc-here he lodged all night, 10, 11. J ft sees in a dream a ladder reaching fom earth to
heaven, on which he beheld the angels of Cod ascending and descending, 12. God appears above this ladder,
Jacob goes to Padan-aram. CHAP. XXVIII. Esau marries Mahalaih.
and renews those promises which he had made to Abraham and to Isaac, 13, 14. Promises Jacob personal pro-
teclioii, and a safe return to his otni cnunlri/, lo. Jacob azcahes, and makes rcftcctinus upon his dream, Ki, 17.
Sets up one of the stones he had had for his pillow, and pours oil on it, and calls the place Bctli-el, 18, IM-
3Iakes a vorc, that if Cod zeill preserve him in his journei/, and bring him back in safetij, the stone should be
God's house, and that he zcould give him the tenths of all that he should have, GO— 22.
A.M.cir.2.ii'5.
D.C.cir.1779.
A
ND Isaac called Jacob, and
blessed him, and charged him
nm, " Thou shalt not take a wife
and said unto
of the daughters of Canaan.
2 "Arise, goto " Padan-arani, to the house of
• Bethuel thy mother's father ; and take thee a i
wife from thence of the daughters of ^ Laban
thy mother's brother.
3 ^ And God Almighty bless thee, and make i
thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou niayest
be '' a nmltitude of people :
4 And give thee ' the blessing of Abrahain, to
thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou
mayest inherit the land Svherein' thou art a
stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.
• Cli. ?7. SS. " ch. 24. 3. " Hos. 12. 12. " ch. 25. 20. 'ch. 22. 23.
•■cli. 24. 29. Cell. 17. 1, 6. " Heb. are asiembly of jieofk.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXVIII.
Verse 1. And Isaac called Jacob] See the note on ver. 46.
of the preceding chapter.
And blessed Itiiii] Now voUintarily and cheerfully con-
firmed to him the blessing, which he liad iiefore obtained
through subtlety. It was necessary that he should have this
confirmation previous to his departure ; else, considering the
way in which he had obtained both the birth-right and the
blessing, he might be doubtful, according to his own words,
whether he might not have got a curse instead of a blessing.
As the blessing now pronounced on .latob was obtained
without any trick or deception on his part, it is likely that it
produced a salutary effect upon his mind, might have led
him to confession of his sin, and prepared iiis heart for those
discoveries of God's goodness, with which he was favoured
at Luz.
Verse 2. Arise, go to Padan-aram^ This mission, in
its spirit and design, is nearly the same as that chap. xxiv.
which see. There have been several ingenious conjectures
concerning the retinue whicii Jacob had, or might have had,
for his journey; and by some he has been supposed to have
been uell attended. Of this nothing is mentioned here, and
the reverse seems to be intimated elsewhere. It appears from
ver. 1 1. that he lodged in the open air, with a stone for his
pillow; and from chap, xxxii. 10. he appears to have taken
the journey on fovl, with his staff in his hand ; nor is there
even the most indirect mention of any attendants, nor is it
probable there were any. lie took, no doubt, provisions
with him sufficient to carry him to the nearest encampment,
or village, on the way, where he would naturally recruit his
A.M.cir.222j.
Ji.C.cir. 17n>.
5 And Isaac sent away Jacob: and
he went to Padan-aram unto Laban,
son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rc-
bckah, Jacob's and Esau's inothcr.
6 % When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Ja-
cob, and sent him away to Padan-aram, to take
him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed
him, he gave him a charge, saying. Thou shalt
not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan ;
7 And that Jacob obeyed his father, and his
mother, and was gone to Padan-aram ;
8 And Esau seeing "that the daughters of
Canaan "pleased not Isaac his father;
9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took
unto the wives which he had, ° Mahalath the
' ch. 12. 2. k Hob of thy soj'wmings. ' ch. 17. 8. "■ ch. 24. ". & 2fi.S5.
" Heb. were <tn7 i?i the eyes, (^e. "ch. 36. 3. she is called limiiemath.
bread and water, to carry him to the next stage, and so on.
The oil that he poured on the pillar, might be a little of
that which he had brought for his own use, and can be no
rational argument of his having a stock of provisions, ser-
vants, camels, &c. for wliicii it has been gravely brought.
He had God alone with him.
Verse 3. That thou mai/est he a multitude of people] iT\7h
D»DP tikehal dmmim. There is something very remarkable in
the original words; they signify literally /ur an ussembh/,
congregation, or church of peoples ; referring, no doubt, to
the Jewish church in the wilderness, but more particularly to
the Christian Churc/i, compo.«cd of every kindred and nation
and people and tongue. This is one essential part of the
blessing of Abraham ; see ver. 4.
Verse 4. Give thee the blessing of Abraham] May he con-
firm the inheritance with all its attendant blessings to thee,
to the exclusion of Esaii ; as he did to me, to the exclusion of
Ishmael. But, according to .St. Paul, much more than this
is certainly intended here; (or it appears, from Gal. iii. 6 — 14.
that the biasing of Abrahfitn, which is to come upon lie Oentiles
through Jtsus Christ, comprises the whole doctrine of justifica-
tion by faith, and its attendant privileges, viz. reilcmjUion
from the curse of the law, remission of sins, and the promise
of the Holy Spirit, including the constitution and establish-
mentof the Christian Church.
Verse 5. Bethuel the Sj/rian] Literally the Aramean, so
called, not becau.se he was of the race of Aram, the son of
Shcm, but because he dwelt in that country winch had been
formerly possessed by the descendants of Aram.
Verse 9. Then uent Esau unto Ishmael] Those who arc
Jacob comes to ''Lnt
GENESIS.
and sees the vision qftJie ladder^
daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son,
* the sister of Nebajoth, to be his
A.M.(!ir.»e?5.
B.C cir.1779.
wife.
10 ^ And Jacob ''went out from Beer-sheba,
and -went toward " Haran.
1 1 And he Hghted upon a certain place, and
tarried there aU night, because the sun was set ;
and he took of tlie stones of that place, and put
ihemfor his pillows, and lay down in that place
to sleep.
• Ch. 25. 13. '' Hos. 12. IC-
— •: CaUed, Acts 7. ->. Charran.-
Job S3. Irt.
-"ch. 11. 1.
apt to take every thing by tlie wrong handle, and who think
it was utterly impossible for Esau to do any right action, have
classed his taking a daughter of Ishmael among his crimes :
uhereas, there is nothing more plain than that he did this
with a sincere desire to obey and please his parents. Having
heard the pious advice which Isaac gave to Jacob, he tliere-
fore went, and took a wife fiom the family of his grandfather
Ahraham, as Jacob was desired to do out of the family of his
Tnaternal uncle Laban. Blahalath, whom he took to wife,
ttocd in the same degree of relationship to Isaac his father, as
Hachel did to his modier Rebekah. Esau married his father's
niece : Jacob married his mother's niece. It was therefore
most obviously to please his parents that Esau took this addi-
tional wife. It is supposed that I-'hiTiael must have been dead
thirteen or fourteen years before this time, and that going to
Ishmael, signifies only going to i\\tfumilt/ of Ishmael. If vve
follow the common computation, and allow that Isaac was now
about one hundred and thirly-si.x, or one liundred and thirty-
seven years of age, and Jacob seventy-seven, and as Ishmael
died in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of his age,
which, according to the common computation, was the one
liundred and twenty-third of Isaac, then Ishmael must have
been dead about fourteen years. But if we allow the inge-
nious rea.-oniug of Mr. Skinner and Dr. Kennicott, that Jacob
was at this time on\y fifiy-seien years of age, and Isaac conse-
queiitlv only one ItunJred and seventeen, it will appear that Ish-
mael did not die till sijr^fcocs after this period ; and hence,
with propriety it might be said, Esau went unto Uiinacl —
and took i\ialialuth the daughter of Ishmael — to be his wife.
See the notes on chap. xx.\i. 38, &c.
Verse 11. A certain place, and tarried there all night, because
the Sim tvas set^ From ver. 19. we find this certain place was
Luz or some part of its vicinity. Jacob had probably intend-
ed to reach Luz, but the sun being set, and night coming on,
he either could not reach the citj', or he might suspect the in-
habitants, and rather prefer the open field, as he must have
heard of the character and conduct of the men of Sodom and
Gomorrah : or the gates might be shut by the time he reached
it, which would prevent his admission, for it frequently hap-
pens, to the present day, that travellers not reaching a city
in the eastern countries, previous to the shutting of the gates,
are obliged to lodge under the walls all night; as, when once
shut, thty refuse to open them till the next day. This was
probably Jacob's case.
12 And he "dreamed, and behold A.M.cir.222s.
a ladder set upon the earth, and tlie ^■'^ ■•="■''''''%
top of it reached to heaven : and behold, ' the
angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13 '^ And, behold, the Lord stood above
it, and said, ^ I am the Lord God of Abra-
ham thy father, and the God of Isaac : '' tlie
land whereon thou Uest, to thee will I give it,
and to thy seed ;
14 And 'thy seed shall be as the dust ctf
tjohnl.51.
Hebr. 1. 14. fell. 35. 1. & 4a. 3.^ -Sch. 2G. 24.-
"ch. 13. 15. & 35. 12. 'ch. 13. 1(5.
He took of the stones'] He took one of the stones that were
in that place : for from ver. 18. we find it was one stone only,
which he had for his pillow. Luz is supposed to have been
about forty-eight miles distant from Beer-sheba ; too great a
journey for one day, tlirough what we may conceive, very un- <
ready roads. ',
Verse 12. He dreamed, and behold a ladder] A multitude
of fanciful things have been spoken of Jacob's vision of the i
ladder, and its signification. It might have several designs,
as God chuses to accomplish the greatest number of ends by
the fewest and simplest means possible. 1. It is very likely
that its primary design was to point out ihe providence of God,
by which he watches over and regulates all terrestrial things:
for nothing is left to merely natural causes : a he.ivenly
agency pervades, actuates, and directs all. In his present
circumstances, it was highly necessary that Jacob should have
a clear and distinct view of this .subject, that he might be the
better prepared to meet all occurrences with the conviction,
that all was working together for his good. 2. It might be
intended also to point out the intercourse between heaven and
earth, and the connection of both worlds by the means of an-
s;elic ministry. That this is fact, we learn from many histories
in the Old Testament ; and it is a doctrine that is unequivo-
cally taught in the New. Are they not all ministering spirits,
sent forth to minister for litem who shall be Iteirs of salvation ?
3. It was probably a /i/;)^ of CHRIST, in whom both worids meet,
and in whom the divine and human nature are conjoined ; the
L.A.DDER was set upon the K.ARTH u7id the T(JP of it reached to
UE.AVEN : for GOD was manifested in the FLESH; and in
him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Nothing
could be a more expressive emblem of the incarnation and its
eflects: Jesus Christ is the grand cotuiecting medium between
heaven and earth, and between God and man. By him,
God comes down to man : through him, man ascends to God.
It appears that our Lord applies the vision in this way himself,
1st. In that remarkable speech to Nicodetnus, Hereafter ye
shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and i
descending on the Son of Man; John i. 51. 2dly. In his
speech to Thomas, John xiv. 6. " I am the WAY, and the
truth and tlie life : no man cometh unto the Father but by me."
Verse 13. i am the Lord God of Abraham] Here God '
confirms to him the blessing of Abraham, for which Isaac had [
prayed ; ver. 3, 4.
Verse 14. Thy seed shall be as tlu dust] The people that shall '
God renews his promises.
CHAP. XXVIII. Jacob sets up a pillar a7id anoints if.
A.M.cir.?.'i5. the earth, and thou shalt * spread
B.C. cir. 17-p. j^jji-ojij b^Q jj^g wcst, aiid to thc east,
and to the nortli, and to the south : and in thee
and ' in thy seed shall all the families of the
earth be blessed.
15 And, behold, " I am with thee, and will
'keep thee in all places whither thou goest,
and will ' bring thee again into this land ; for
« I will not leave thee, " until I have done thai
whicii I have spoken to thee of.
A.M.cir.2«?3.
B.C. cir. 1779.
• Heb. break forth. 1 cli. IS. 14. Ueut. 12. 20. ' cli. 12. :5. & 18. IR.
!c '>.:. IS. & ad 4 <'Seevfr. M. it. cli. i"6. i-'l. & 31. S. ^=ch. 4ii. 16.
Ps. 1'21. 5, 7, 8. 'cb. 3j. 6. « Deut. o8. ti. Josh. 1. 5. 1 Kings 8. 57.
descend from tbee, shall be extremely numerous'; and in thee
and ihy seed — the Lorrf J ESUS ilescemiinn; from thcc, accord-
ing to the Jlesit — sluill all the families of the earth, not only
all oC thy race, but all tlie other families or tribes of mankind,
\vhich have not proceeded from any branch of the Abrahamic
family, be blessed: for Jesus Ch.rist by the grace of God tasted
death FOR EVERY MAN, Heb. ii. 9.
Verse 1 5. Atid, behold, J am with thee] For I fill the
heavens and the earth: — my WORD shall be thy help ; Targiim
— and will Lrep thee in ull places, £v th oJiu Trairn, in all this
way; Septuagiiit. I shall direct, help, and support thee in a
peculiar manner, in thy present journey; be with thee while
thou sojournest with thy uncle; and will bring thee again into
this land; so that in all thy concerns thou mayest consider
thyself under my especial providence, for I will not leave thee:
thy descendants also, shall be my peculiar people, whom 1
shall continue to preserve as such, until I have done that loliicit I
have spoken to thee of; until tile Messiah shall be born of thy
race; and all the families of the earth, the Gentiles, be blessed
lhroujj;h thee, the gospel beinj; preached to them, and they
vith the believing; Jews, made ONE FOLD, under ONE SHEP-
HERD, and one Bishop or Overseer o{ souls. And this circum-
stantial promise has been literally and punctually fulfilled.
Known unto God are all his works from the begi}ining.
Verse 16. The Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.]
That is, God has made this place his peculiar residence;, it
is a place in which he meets with, and reveals himself to his
followers. Jacob might have sujsposed that this place had
been consecrated to God. And it has already been supposed,
that his mind having been brought into a humble frame, he
was prepared to hold communion with his Maker.
Verse IT. How dreadful is this place .'] Thc appearance of
tile ladder, thc angch, and the divine glory at the top of the
ladder, must have left deep, solemn, and even awful impres-
sions uri the uiiud ol Jacob; and hence the e.xclamation in
the Text, JIow dreadful is this place!
This is none other but the house of God] The Chaldee
gives this place a curious turn i " This is not a common place,
but a place in which God delights: and opposite to this
place, is the gate of heaven." Onkelos seems to suppose that
the gate or enuaiice into heaven was actually "ioif this spot;
9nd lliat when the angels of God descended to earth, they
came tlirough that opening into this place, and returned by
16 ^ And Jacob awaked out of his
sleep, and he said. Surely the Lord
is in ' this place ; and I knew ii not.
17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadfiil
is this place! this is none other but the house
of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning,
and took the stone that he had put ybr his
pillows, and '' set it up^r a pillar, ' and poured
oil upon the top of it.
Hebr. iS. 5. !> Niinili. 2.>. 19. ' E.iod. 3. 5. Josli. 5. 1.5. 1" c!i.
13, 43. Sc 35. 14. ' Lev. 8. 10, 11, 1'.'. Numb. 7. 1.
the same way. And, it really appears that Jacob himself had
a similar notion.
Verse IS. And Jacob — took the stone — and set it up for a
pillar] He placed the stone in an erect posture, that it might
stand as a monument of the extraordinary vision which he had
in this place; and he poured oil upon it, thereby consecrating
it. to God, so that it might be considered an altar,- on which
libations might be poured, and sacrifices offered mito God. —
See chap. x.\xv. 14.
There is a foolish tradition, that the stone set up by Jacob
was afterwards brought . to Jerusalem, from which, after a
long lapse of time, it was brought to Spain, from Spain to
Ireland, from Ireland to Scotland, and on it the kings of
Scotland .«at to be crowned ; and concerning whicli the fol-
lowing leonine verses were made:
Nifallatfatum, — Scoti quocunque locatum
Invenient lapidem, — regnare tenentur ibidem.
Or fate is blind — or Scots shall find
Where'er this stone — the royal throne.
Camden's Perthshire.
Edward the First had it brought to ^Vestminster, and
there this stone, called Jacob's Pillar, and Jacob's Pillow, is
now placed under the chair on which the king sits when
crowned! It would be as ridiculous to attempt to disprove
the truth of this tradition, as to prove that the stone under the
old chair in Westminster was the identical stone which served
the Patriarch for a bolster.
And poured oil upon thc top of it.] Stones, images, and altars
dedicated to divine worship were always anointed with oil.
Tl.is appears to have been considered as a consecration of them
to the object of the worship, and a means of inducing the god
or goddess to lake up their residence there, and answer the
petitions of their votaries. Anointing stones, images, &c. is
used in idolatrous countries to the present day, and the whole
idol is generally smeared over with oil. Sometimes, besides
the anointing, a crown or garland was placed on the stone or
altar, to honour the divinity, who was supposed, in consequence
of the anointing, to have set up his residence in that place.
It appears to liave been on this ground that the seats of
polished stone, on which the kings sat in the front of their pa-
laces to administer justice, were anointed; merely to invite the
Jacob calls the place Beih-el, GENESIS. ar^d makes a vow to the Lord.
A.M.cir.2225. J 9 And hc Called the name of ' that Ij " God Avnll be with me, and will keep ^'^;^
^u:.cw_t7T9. place'' Beth-el: but the name of that ji me in this way that I go, and will
city wm called Luz at the first. Il give me ' bread io eat, and rannent to put on.
•20 % ' And Jacob vowed a vow.
saying,
If
■Judges 1. 23, -.'e. lie. •:. l.i. •'That is, the house of God. '=cli. 31. 13.
Judges 11. 30. a Sam. 15, B.
Deity to reside there, that true judgment might be givefl, and
a righteous sentence always be iironouiiced. Of this we have
an instance in Homer, Odyss. F. v. 406 — 19.
NiiXei/; lifTKfi', flEO^iV nWTU^ araXavTOf.
T\ie old man early rose, walk'd forth, and sate
On poli'shfil slotie, before hii! palace Rate :
M^ith unguent stnoorli, the lucid inaible shone,
M'here ancient Neleus sate, a rustic ilirone. — PoPE.
21 So that ^ I come
again
to
my
father's
d ver. 15. ' 1 Tim. 6. 8. f Judges 11. 31. S.' Sam. 19. 24, 30.
This gives a part of the sense of the passage; hut the last
line, on which much stress should be laid, is very inadequately
rendered by the Kn-jlish poet ; it should be translated,
"Where Neleus sat, equal in counsel lo tlie goch;"
because inspired by their wisdom, and which mspiration he
and his successor took pains to secure by consecrating- will* the
anointing oil, the seat of judgment on which they were ac-
customed to sit. .Some of the ancient commentators on
Homer mistook the meaning of this place by not understand-
in"- the nature of the custom; and these Couper UKibrtunately
follows, translat ng " re-plendcnt as with oil;" which as, de-
stroys tiie whole sense, and obliterates the allusion. This
sort of anointiniT was a common custom in all antiquity, and
was probably derived from this,circuni,-.lance. ArauLuts {e\h\
us that it was customary witli himself wiiile a heathen, " when
lie saw a smooth poli.slud stone that li;id bten smeared with
<^!l, to kiss and adore it, .as if possessing a divine virtue."
Si quando conspejcrum luhricatum IcipiJcm, et ex olivi itnguinc
sorditatum, (ordinalum ?) tancjuaui ineisct vis prasens, udida-
h'li; offafmr. And Tlieodoret, in his tighty-iburth Question
on Genesis, asserls tiiat many pious women in his time, were
accustomcil to anoint the coffins of the marlyrs, &c. And 1
in Catholic countries, wiien a church is cousicrattd, tlity
anoint the door-po.>its, pilUirs, altars, &c. So under the law,
there was a holy anointing oil, to sanctify the tabernacle, laver,
and all other things used in GoD's service; Exod. xl. 9, &c.
Verse 1 9. Ih called the name of that place Be h-el\ That
is, the house of (iod ; for in consequence of his having a«o«iito/
the stone, and tliu> consecrated it lo God, he considered it as
bt'coining benccfortli, his peculiar residence; sec on the pre-
ceding vtr.se. This word should be always pronounced as
ttto distinct syllables, each strongly acecnicd, Betb-El.
Was called Luz at the first.] The Hebrew has vh dSiN
LVtim Luz, which the Roman Edition of the Septungint tran-
slales Ou^a/iKoi/^, Ouliimlouz ; the .'Mexandrian MS. Ou^afi/^ai/f,
Oulamnt'iUi ! the Aldine, Ou>.a//.iAaou!. Oulammuous; Syninia-
4
chus, AaniJ.xou';, Larnmaous; and some others, OifT^i/n, Oidam.
The Hebrew oblN ulain,.k sometimes a particle signifying
as, just us; hence, it may signify that the place was called
Belh-El, as it u-us formerly called Luz. As Luz, signifies an
almond, almond or hazel tree, this place probably had its name
from a number of such trees growing in that region. Many
of the ancients confounded this city with Jerusalem, to which
they attribute the eight folloiving names, which are all ex-
pressed in this verse: —
Sul^'ma, Luza, Bethel, Hierosolr/ma, Jebus, JEfia
L'rbs sacra, liierusalem dicilur atqiie Salem.
Solyma, Luz, Beth-El, Hierosulyma, Jebu<, JEVn
The holy city is called, as also JerusaLm and Salem.
From Bcth-El came the BaiihuUa, Belht/llia, Bairu\ia, or
animated stones, so celebrated in antiquity, and lo which di-
vine honours were paid. The tradition of Jacob anointing-
tliis stone, and calling the place Beth-El, gave rise to all tlie
super.-,litious accounts of the Baithylia or consecrated stones,
which we find in Sunchoniatho and oihers. These became
abused to idolatrous purposes, and hence God strongly pro-
hibits them. Lev. xxvi. 1.; and it is very likely, that stones
of this kind, were the most ancient objects of idolatrous wor-
ship: these were afterwards formed into beautiful human
figures, male and female, when the art of sculpture became
tolerably perfected: and htnce the origin of idolatri/, as far
as it refers to the worshipping of i'mngci-; tor these being con-
secrated by anointing, &c. V'ere supposed, immediately to
become instinct with the power and energy of s.mie divinity.
Hence, tl»en, the Baithylia or living stones of the ancient
Phoenicians, &c. As oil is an emblem of the gifts and
graces of the holy Spirit, Psal. xlv. 1. 1 John ii. 20, 27; so
tho_>e who receive this anointing, are considered as being a'iis
unlo God, and are expressly called by St. Peter living stones,
1 Pet. il. 4, 5: may not the Apostle Lave reference to those
living stones or Belht/llia of antiquity, and thus correct the
notion, by shewing that these rather represented the true woi-
shippers of God, who were con.^eel•atcd lo bis service and
made partakers of the holy Ghost; and that these alone could
be properly called the living stones, out of which the tiue
spiritual temple is composed.'
Verse L'O. I'vued a vini'] A vow, is a sulemn holy promise, by
wliich a man bound hinisilf to do certain thing.';, in a particu-
lar way, time, &c. and for power to accomplish winch, he
depen.lcd on God; htni.e all vows were made with prayer,
.^ee Psal. Ixi. 6. Judges xi. 30, 31. see on Lev. xvvii. I, &e.
//■ God u'ill be ivith me, 5)C.] Jacob seems lo make ih;»
vow rather for his posterity/ than for himself, as we may lear»
from the 13 — 15 verse.-; fur he particularly refers to lli<?
JJe promises to give God
A.M.cir.-.'v2i.
BC.cir. 17;9.
house in peace ;
Lord be my CjO(1:
then
CHAP. XXVIII.
shall the
22 And this stone, wliich I have set Jor a
•Exod. 15. 2. Di-ut. 26. 17. 2Sara. 15. 8. 2 Kings 5. 17.
promises which God had already made to hiin, which con-
cerned tlic multipliailion of his qf^pring, nnd tl:eir eslahiinh-
mcni in that kind If thtn, God shall fulfil thtse promises,
be binds his posterity to budd God a house or temple, and to
devote, for the maintenance of his wor-ship, the tenth of all
their earthly goods. This mode of interpretation, removes
thai appearance of Mf-intercst \vhich almost any other view of
the subject presonls. Jacob had ctrlainly, long ere this,
taken Jrliovah for his God; and so thorouuldy had he been
jnslruj'led in the kno\vUdi;e of Jehovah, that we may rest sa-
tisfied no reverjies of fortune could have induced him to apos-
tatize : but as his taking n fuge with Laban, was probably
typical of the sojourning of his descendants in Egypt; his
persecution, so as to be obliged to depart from Laban; the
bad irealnitnl of his posterity by the Egyptians; his rescue
from death, preservation on his journey, re-establishment in
his own country, &c. were all typical of the exodus of his dc-
Bcendants, their travels in the desart, and establishment in
the promised land — where they built a hou.se to God ; and
where, for the support and maintenance of the pure worship
of God, they gave to the Priests and Levites the tenth of all
their woridlt/ produce : for if all this be understood as referring
to Jacob onltj, the Scripture gives us no information how he
performed his vow.
Verse 2-'. This stone — shall he Cod's house"] That is, (as
far as this matter refers to Jacob alone) should I be preserved
to return in safety, I shall worship God in this place. And
this purpose he fulfilled, see chap. xxxv. 7. & 14. for there he
builded an altar, anointed it with oil, and poured a drink-of-
fering thereon.
For a religious and practical use of Jacob's vision, see the
notes on ver. 12.
On the doctrine of tyihes, perhaps a word may be borne
from one who never received any ; and has none in prospect.
Ti/lhcs, in their origin, appear to have been a sort of eucharis-
tic off rini; maile unto God ; and probably were something
timilar to the niincah, which we Itarn from Gen. iv. was in
use, almost from tlie foundation of the world. When God
established a regular, and we may add an exjiensive worship,
it was necessary thai proper provi.-ion should be made for the
»iip]K)rt of ihose who were obliged to devote their whole lime
to it, and consequently were deprived of the opporlunily of
providing for lliemselves in any secular way. It was soon
found that a tenth part of the produce of the whole land was
necessary for this purpo.-e, as a whole tribe, that of Ixvi, was
devoted to the public service of God; and when the land was
divided, this tribe received no inheritance among their breth-
ren. Hence, lor tiieir support, the law of ti/lhes was enacted;
Slid by llifscj the Priests and Levites were not only ^llpported
A.M.tir.iwS.
B.C. cir. 1779,
the tenth of all his goods.
pillar, ""shall he God'.s house: 'and
ol' all that thou shalt g;ve me I will
surely give the tenth unto thee.
*> ver. 17. ch. 14. S(». «e 3.5. 7, 14. ^hev. 27. 30-33. Deut. 14. «?, ti.
as the ministers of God ; but as the teachers and intercessors of
the people; performing a great variety of religious duties for
them, which, otherv.'ise, tliey themselves, were bound to per-
form. As this mode of supporting the ministers of God, \va»
instituted by himself, so we may rest assured it was rational
and just. Nothing can be more reasonable than to devote a
portion of the eaithly good, which we receive from the free
intrcy of God, to his own service ; especially, when by doing
if, we are essentially serving ourselves. If the ministers of
God give up their whole time, talents, and slrenolh to watch
over, labour for, and in.struct the people in spiritual things,
justice requires that they shall receive their support from the
work. How worthless and wicked must that man be, who is
continually receiving good from the Lord's hands, without
restorintr any part for the support of true religion, and for
charitable purposes! To such, God says, their table shall bC'
come a snare to them, and / will curse their blessings. God
expects returns of gratitude in this way from every man : he
that has much, should give plenteously; he that has little,
should do his diligence to give of that little.
It is not the business of these notes to dispute on the article
of tithes — perhaps it would be well could a proper substitute be
found for them, and the national clergy paid by some other
method. Hut still, the labourer is worthy of his hire; and tlie
maintenance of the public ministry of the word of God, should
not be left to the caprices of men. He who is only supported
for his work, will be probably abandoned when he is no longer
capable of public service : I have seen many aged and worn
out ministers reduced to great necessity, and almost literally
obliged to beg their bread among those whose opulence and sal-
vation were, under God, the fruits of their ministry! Such
! persons may think they do God service by disputing against
" Tj/thes, as legal institutions, long since abrogated," while they
permit their worn out ministers to starve: but how shall they
appear in that day when Jesus shall say, J was hungiy and t/e
gave me no meat; thirsty and ye gave 7>ie no drink; nuked and ye
clothed me not! It is true, that where a provision \% established
on a certain order of priesthood, by the law, it may be some-
times claimed and consumed by the worthless and the profane;
but this is no necessary consequence of such establishment, as
there are laws, which if put in action, have sufficient energy to
expel every wicked and slothful servant from the vineyard of
Christ. At all events, this is no reason why those who have
served God and their generation, should not lie comfortably
supported during that service ; and when incapable of it, be
furnished at least with the necessaries of life. Though many
ministers have reason to complain of this neglect, \\\\o have no
claims on a legal ecclesiastical establishment; yet none have
cause for louder complaint than the generality of those called
curates, or uubeueficed ministers, ia the Church of England.
The account of Jacobus
GENESIS.
journey to HarauA.
CHAPTER XXIX.
Jacob proceeds on his journei/, 1: comes to a zaell where the flocks of his uncle Laban, as xcell as those of several
others Tccre iisuallij tcatered, 1, 3: enquires from the shephertls concerning Laban and his famili/, 4 — 6. While
theij are conversing about catering the sheep, 7, 8. Rachel arrives, 9. He assists her to zcater her flock, 10..
makes himself kno^vn nnto her, 11, l"-2. She hastens home and communicates the tidings of Jacob's arrival to her
father, 12. Laban hastens to the tcell, embraces Jacob and brings him ho?ne, 13. jifter a month's stay, Lahua'
proposes to give Jacob ic ages, 14, 15. Leah and Rachel described y \6, 17- Jacob proposes to serve seven i/ears .
for Rachel, 18; Laban consents, I9. When the seven years zcere fdfllled, Jacob demands his ufe, 20, 21'.,
Laban makes a marriage feast, 22 ,• and in the evening snbstitutes Leah for Rachel', to whom he had given Zil—
pah for handmaid, 23, 24. Jacob discovers the fraad and upbraids Laban, 25. He excuses himself , 26,. and'
promises to give him Rachel for another seven years of service, 27. ylj'ter abiding a neck zcilh Leah, he receives;
Rachel for zcife, to whom Laban gave Bilhah for handmaid, 28, 29. Jacob loves Rmhelmore than Leah, and serves^
seven years for lier, 30. Leah, being despised, the Lord nudies her fruitful, while Rachel contiiiues barren, 31. Leah ■
bears Reuben, 32, and Simeon, 33, and Levi, 34, a)id Judah ; after ichich she, for a time, leaves off bearing, 35..
A.M.ck.m5. rriHEN Jacob " went on his iour-
B.C.cir. 1779. ■ - - "^
J[ uey, ''and caine into the land of
the "people of the east.
2 And he looked, and behold a -well in the
field, and, lo, there xeere three flocks of sheep
lying by it ; for out of that well they watered
the flocks: and a great stone xcas upon the
well's moutli.
3 And tliither were all the flocks gather^ed :
' llcb. lift up his feet. >> oh. 28. 5—7. Numb. 83. 7. Judg. 6. 3, 33.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXIX.
Verse 1 . Then Jacob went on liis journey'] The original is.
Tery remarkable. And Jacob lifted up Ins feet, and he travelled
■unto the land of the chihhca of the east. There is a certain
cheerfulness marked in the Hebrew, which comports well with
the state of mind into which he had been brought by the
vision of the ladder and the promises of God. He now saw,
tliat having God for his protector, he had nothing to fear; and
tlierefore he went on his way rejoicing.
People of the east."] The inliabitants of Mesopotamia and
the whole country lieyond the Euphrates, are called Dip
kedem, or easterns, in llie sacred writings.
Verse 2. Three flocks of sliecpl JSX Tson, small cattle,
such as sheep, goats, Sfc. see on chap. xii. 16. Sheep in a
lieallhy ^tate, seldom drink in colli and comparatively cold
comitries; but it was proi)abIy difl'erent in hot climates. The
three flocks, if flocks and not shepherds be meant, which were
lying now at the well, did not belong to Laban, but to tliree
other diiel's ; for Laban's flock was yet to come, under the
care of Ujthcl, vtr. 6.
Verse 3 .,■/// the flocks'] Instead of D'ni?n ha-adarim,
flocks, llie Samaritan reads »anTV'\?t haioim, shepherds;
which reading Hottbigant strongly contends to be tlie true one,
as well in this verse, as in ver^e 8. It certainly cannot be
Said, that all the flocks rolled the st6ne from the well's mouth,
and they rolled the stone from the A.M.cir.2225..
well's mouth, and watered the sheep; ''''"'
and put tiie stone again upon the well's moutii.
in his place^,
4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren,,
whence he ye? And they said, " Of Haran ar.j-
we.
5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the
son, of Nahor ? And they said. We know Mm.
Hos. 12. 12. 'Heb. children. " ch. HT. 43. & 28. 10.
atid ^catered the sheep — and yet so it appears to read, if v ■:;
prefer the common Hebrew text to the Samaritan. It is prr-
bable that the same reading was originally that of the secoii I
verse also.
And put the stone again upon the well's mouth] It is vei y
likely that the stone was a large one, which was necess:t! ••
to prevent ill minded individuals from either disturbing t! .
water, or filling up the welt : hence a great stone was pro-
vided, which required the joint exertions of several shephtr,!
toremoN^eit; and hence those who arrived first, waited i; i
all the others were come up, that they miglit water their i^-
spective flocks in concert.
Ver.«e 4. My brethren, whence be ye^] It is certain tin'
the langua"e of Laban and his family was Chaklee, and mn
Hebrew: see chap. xxxi. 47.; but from the 7iames whu :
Leah gave to her ehildreni we see that the two languages h. '.
many words in common ; and tlierefore Jacob and the slu 1 -
herds might underst;incl each other witli little difficulty, i i
is possible also that Jacob might have learned the Chahlee <r
Aramitish language from his mother, as this was his mother'.:-
tongue.
Verse 5. Laban the son of Nahor ?] Son is here put for
grandson, for Laban was the son of Bcthuel the son of
N ahor.
Verse 6. Is he wclir] iS mSu-'n ha-ihalom lo? Is there
5
Jiieets toWi Rachel :
CHAP. XXIX.
is talcen to Laba7i*s house.
A.M.cn.rxi. 6 And he said iinto tlicm, " 7* he
-^c-'^"-^''^- ^vel^? And they said. He is well:
and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with
the sheep.
7 And he said, Lo, 'it is yet high day ; nei-
ther is it time that the cattle should be gather-
ed together : water ye the sheep, and go and
feed t/iem.
8 And they said. We cannot, until all the
flocks be gathered together, and till they roll
the stone from the well's mouth ; then, we wa-
ter the sheep.
9 ^ And while he yet spake with them, '' Ra-
chel came with her father's sheep : for she
licpt them.
10 And it came to pass when Jacob saw
Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's
brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's
" Hi'h. Is there peace to him ? —
frcal. ^ Exod. 2. 16. "^ Kxud.
■•' til. 43. 27. ' Hfb. vet the day is
'J. 17. 'el.. 33.4. & 4^. 14, 1.5.
peace to him ? Peace amonj tl:e Hebrews, signified all
'kinds of prosperity. Is lie a prosperous uian in his family,
and in his property ? and they said. He is well, DiVb' shalom,
ht has prosperity; he prospers.
Rachel cometh witit the shccpl Vm Rachel, (the ch sound-
ed strongly guttural,) signifies :i slieep ot cur ; and she pro-
bably had her name from her fondness for these animals.
Ver.sc 1. It is hii^h day — The d;»y is but about half run —
■neither is it lime that the cattle should be gathered together] It is
surely not time yet to put them into the folds: give them
therefore water, and take them again to pasture.
Verse 8. We cannot, until all llicftocks — shepherds — see ver.
" — be gathered together] It Is a rule, that the stone shall not
be removed till all the shepherds and tl;e flocks, which have a
right to this well, be gathered together ; then, and not before,
ve may water the sheep.
Ver^e D. Rachel came with her fatlter's sheep] So we find
that young \^■onlen were not kept concealed in the home, till
the time they were married, wliich is the common gloss put
on mhp almah. a virgin,' one concealed, see on chaj). xxiv.
43. Ntir was it beneath the dignity of the daughters of the
most opulent ihiefs to carry water flora ihe well, a.? in the i
case of Rebekah ; or tend sheep, as in the ca.sc of Rachel. '
The chief property in those times consisted in flocks, and
who so proper lo take care of them, as those who were in- ,
terested in their safety and increase } Honest labour, far
from l)eing a discredit, is an honour both lo high and loxv. \
The king liimself is served by the field ; and v< ithout it, and \
the labour necessary for its cultivation, all rank-; must perish.
Let every son, let every daughter learn, that it is no discredit
to be employed, whenever it may be necessary, in the mean-
est offices, by which the interests of the family may be lionestly
promoted.
brother, that Jacob went near, and y^i ^if'-"-'2^-
' rolled the stone from the weH's ."- 1
mouth, and watered the flock of Laban liis mo-
ther's brotlier.
1 1 And Jacob ^ kissed Rachel, and lifted up
his voice and wept.
1 2 And Jacob told Rachel that he xcns ^ her
father's brother, and that he K'ffs- Rebekah's
son : '' and she ran and told her father.
13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard
the 'tidings of Jacob his si.ster's son, that '^iie
ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kiss-
ed him, and brought him to his house. And
he told Laban all these things.
14 And Laban said to him, ' Surcl 'tboii art
my bone and my flesh. And he aljinie with
him ""the space of a moritli.
15 ^ And Laban said unto Jacob, Because
edi. 13. 8. & 14. 16. ''cli. 24. VS. ' Heb. ;ie«rm». ^ch. 24. 79.
' ch. 2. 23. Judg. 9. i. 2Sara. 5. 1. & 19. 12, 1 j. " Hib. a montli of days.
Verse 10. Jacob went near, and rolled ilic stone] Probably
the flock of Laban was the last of those which had a right
to the well : that flock being now come, .Jacob assisted the
.shepherds to roll oft" tiic stone; for it is not likely he did it
by Inmself, and so assisted his cousin, to whom he was as yet
unknown, to water her flock.
Verse f 1. Jacob kissed Rachel] A simple. and pure method
by which the primitive inhabitants of the earth testified their
friendship to each other — first abused by liypocrites, vho pre-
tended affection while their vile hearts meditated tenor — see
the case of .loab and Judas — and afterwards disgraced by refi-
ners on morals, who, whiie they pretended to stumble at those
mnocetit expressions of affection and friendship, were capable of
committing the grossest acr>i of impurity.
And lifted up his voice] It may be, in thanksgiving to God
for tiie favour he had shewn him, in conducting hiui thus
far in jieace and safety.
And wept] From a sense of the goodness of his heavenly
Father, and his own nnworthiness of the protection and suc-
cess Vv-ith which he had been I'noured. The same expressions
of kindness and pure aflection are repeated on the part of
Laban, ver. 13.
Verse 1 4. 3Ty bone and my Jlesli] One of my nearest rela-
tives.
Verse 15. Because thou art my brother, c^c] Though thou
art my nearest relative, yet I have no right to thy services
without gi\ing thee an adequate recomjjence. Jacob hal
passed a whole month in the family of Laban, in which li«
had undoubtedly rendered liimself of considerable service.
As Laban, who was of a very savitig, if not covetous dis-
position, saw that he was likely to be of great use to him
in his secular concerns ; he wished to secure his services, and
therefore asks him what wages he wished to have.
X 2
Jacoh agrees to serve Lahan
A.M.cir.2^".'.i.
B.C. cir 1779.
thou art my brotlier, shouldst thou
therefore serve nie for nouo-ht ? tell
me, what shall thy wages he ?
ih And Laban had two daugliters : the name
of the elder xvas Leah, and the name of the
younger laas Rachel.
17 Leah KY« tender eyed: but Rachel was
*bcautifid and well lixvoured.
I'S And Jacob loved Rachel ; and said.
» Ch. 12. 11. & 24. 16.
& 39. 6. Pror. 3t. 30.-
S Sam. .S. 14.
-''cli.31. 41. & 3i. 12
Verse 17. Leah teas tender-ct/ed] ni51 racoth, -toft, delicate,
lovely. I believe tlie word means just tl)e reverse of the
signification generally given to it. The design of the in-
spired writer is to compare both tiie sisters together, that the
balance may appear to be greatly in favour of Rachel.
The chief recommendation of Leah, was her soft and bcituliful
eyes; but Rachel was HNH n3' yephuth torn; beautiful in
her shape, person, mien, and gait : and HiTlO nS' yephuth
niareh, beautiful in her counl'.nance. The word? plainly sig-
nify, a fine shape i\nd Jine features ; all tiiat ran be considered
as essential to personal beauty. Therefore Jacob loved her;
and was vvillin^f to bcco.ne a bund sen^ant for seven years,
that he might get her to wile ; for in his destitute state, he
could produce no dowry, and it was the custom of those times,
for the father to receive a portion for his daughter, and not to give
one viith her. The bad system of education, by which, as far as
it prevails, women are spoiled and rendered in general good for
notiiing, makes it necessary for the liu.sband to get a dowry
with his wife, to enable him to mamtain her : whereas in
former times, they were well educated, and extremely useful j
bence lie who got a wife, almost invarialjjy got a prize.
Verse 20. And Jacob served seven years for Rachel] In
ancient times, it appears to have been a custom among all
nations, that men should give dowries for their wives ; and in
many countries this custom still prevails. When Shechem
asked Dinah for wife, he said : Ask me never so much dowiy
and gift, and I viilt give according as ye shall say unto me,
chap, xxxiv. 12. When Eliezcr went by Abraham's com-
mand, to get Rebekab to be wiie to Isaac, be took a profu-
sion of riches with him, in silver, gold, jewels, and raiment,
witli other co.s//y things, which, when the contract was made,
he gave to Rebekab, her mother and her brothers, see chap.
xxiv. 10, 22, S.S. David in order to he Saul's son-in-law,
must, instead of a dowry, kill Goliah; and when this was
done, he was not permitted to espouse Michal till he had
killed one hundred Philistines, 1 Sam. xvii. 25. and xviii.
25. The prophet Hosea bouglit his wife for fifteen pieces
of silver and a homer and a half of barley, chap. iil. 2.
The same* custom prevailed among the ancient Greeks, In-
dians and Germans. Tlie Romans also had a sort of marriage
which was entitii d, per cvemplionem, by purchase. The Tdr-
trir'i and Turks still buy their wives; but among the latter,
they are bouglit as a sort of slaves.
HerodoMs mentions a very singular custom among the Ba-
iylonians, which may serve to throw light on the conduct of
A.Mcir.288SL
BC.cir 177$.
GENESIS. seven years for Hachel
" I will serve thee seven years
for Rachel thy younger daugh- ^
ter.
19 And Laban said, ' It is better that I give
her to thee, than that I should give her to au»
other man : abide with me.
20 And Jacob "^ served seven years for Ra-
chel ; and they seemed unto him but a few days,
for the love he had to her.
'PsiL 12. 2. "ch. 30. 26. Uos. 12. 12, Caiit. d. 6. 7. 1 Cor. 13. 7.
Laban towards Jacob. " In every district," says he, " thej
annually assemble all the maniageable v'rgins on a certain
da)' ; and when the men are come together, and stand round
the place, the CE:er rising up, sells one after arifji her, always
I bringing forward the most beautiful first ; ami having .sold her
for a great sum of gold, he puts up Iter who is esteemed second
in beaut)'. On this occasion, t!ie rii best of the Babylonians,
used to contend for the faire^t wife, and to outbid one another.
But the vulgar are content to take the ugly and laaie with
money : for when all the beautiful virgins are sold, the crier
orders the mos! deformed to stand up : and after he has openly
demanded who will marry her with a ymall sum, she is at
length given to the man that is contented to marry her with
the least. And in this manner, the money arising from the
sale of the handsome, serves for a portion to those, whose look
was disagreeable, or who had any bodily imperfec-tion. A
father was not permitted to indulge his own fancy in the
choice of a husband for his daughter; neither might the pur-
chaser carry off the woman which he had bought, without
giving sufficient security that he would live with her as his
own wife. Those also who reeei\ed a sum of money with
such as could bring no price in this market, were obliged also
to '.give sufficient security that they would live with them ;
and if they did not, they were obliged to refund the money."
See Herodottfi, in Clio, p. 82, edit. Gale; and see Cahnct, in
loco. Thus Laban made use of the beuuiy of Rachel, to
dispose of his daughter Leah, in the spirit of the Babylonian
custom, though not in the letter.
And they seemed to him but a few days] If Jacob had been
obliged to wait seven years before he married liachel, could
it possibly be said, that they coidd appear to him as a feio
days ? '^rhough the letter of the text seems to say the con-
trary, yet there are eminent men, who strongly contend that
he received Rachel soon after the month was finished, sec
ver. 1 4. and then served seven years for her ; which might
really appear but a f<i;w days to him, becau.se of his increas-
ing love to her: but others think this quite incompatible with
all the circumstances marked down in the text ; and on the
supposition that Jacob was not now seventy-seven years of •
age, as most chronologers make him, but only fil'iy-seven,
see on chap. xxxi. there will be time sufficient to allow for
all the tran-actions which are recorded in his history, during
his stay with Laban. As to the incredibility that ?l passionate
lover, as some have termed him, would wait patiently for seven
years before he could possess tlte object of his wishes, and
teah is sulstihdedfor liacJiel. CHAP.
A.M.cir.2.;3i. 21 If And Jacob said unto Laban,
RC.rir.i77..'. Qjyg „;^ uiy wife, (foi" iny days are
fulfilled,) that I may ' go in unto Jier.
22 And Laban gathered together all the men
of the place, and "made a feast.
23 And it came to pass in the evening, that
he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to
him; and he went in unto her.
24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah
Zilpah his maid /or a hand-maid.
2.5 And it came to pass, tliat in the morning
behold, it teas Leah: and he said to Laban,
■\Vliat is this thou hast done unto me? did not I
•Judi;. 15. 1.
-* Judg. 14. 10. Matt. S!2. 2—10.
' Heb. )>lace.
John 2. 1, 2.-
h , — ==
j\ those seven years appear to him as only a few days, it
Lltiay be satis aclorily aicounted for, tlicy think, two ways
p 1. He had the continual company of 1) s e'ert spouse, ani!
[tins ccrlaiiily would lake awny all tedium in tiie case. 2.
f Line afl'iirs v.\ie not carried to sucli a y)it( li of insanity
j aiiMMig t!ie patriiirciis as llipy huve hern in niodtrn times —
I they were luucli ii.oie sober and .sedate, and scarcely ever
1 man led before they were forty years of aje, and' then more
; for convcnienci/, and the de.sire of havintf an o/A/"'"',?, than
for any other puroo.^e. At the very lowest coni'intation,
Jacob was now fiitv-seven, and conser|uently must have
passed those days in whicU passion ru\\> away with reason. S\\\\,
however, the obvious c(m^trnttion of the text sbews, that he
got Kachcl the week after he had marrifd Leah See on ver. 28.
Verse 21. My days are ful/dledl My seven years are now
completed — let me have my wife, for whom 1 have given
this service as a dowry.
Verse 22. Lahun — made a feast] T^^\Vi mkhtch, signifies
a feast of drinking. As manias^e was a very soltmii contract,
tlitre is much reason to believe that sacrljices were oHertd on
the occasion, and libations poured out; and we know that, on
festival occasions, a cup of iii?ie was offered to every guest;
and as this was drunk with particular ceremonies, the feast
miglii derive its name from this circumstance, which was the
most prominent and observable on such occasions.
Verse 23. In i/ie tvenint^ — lie took Leak Ins daughter'] As
the bride wa.s always tr;7a/, and the bride-chamber generally
dark, or nearly so, and as Leah was brought to Jacob in the
frf/iin;', the iuiposition here practised by Laban might easily
pass undetected by Jacob, till the ensuing day discovered the
fraud.
Verse 24. And Laban gave — Zilpah his maid] Slaves given
in this way to a daughter on her marriage, were the peculiar
projitrly of the daughter; and o;er them the husband had
neither ritht nor power. — See the case of Sarah and IJagar,
chap. xvi. 1, &c.
Verse 2€. It must not be so done in our counijy] It was an
early ru-tom to give daughters in marriage according to their
■sentoriy; and it is worthy of remark, tluit one of the oldest nations
now existing, ntxt to the Jews, I mean the Hindoos, liave this
XXIX. Rachel also given to JacoK
serve with thee for Rachel? where- a. M.cirwaa.
fore then hast thou beguiled me? n.c.nr. 177^.
26 And Laban said. It must not be so done in
our country % to gi\ e the younger before the
first-born.
27 " Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this
also, for the service which thou shaJt serve with
me, yet seven other years.
28 \ And Jacob did so, and fidrilled her
week : and he gave him Rachel his daughter to
wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter
^ Rilhah his hand-maid to be her maid.
"Judges It-. 12. Lev. 13. 58. Mai. 2. 15. ch. 29. 20.-
ch. 30 3—8.
-« ver. 21.
not merely as a custom, but as a positive faiu: and they deem
it criminal to give a. younger daughter in marriage while an
eldir dauffhter remains unmarried. Among them, it is a
high olHnce, equal to adultery, " for a man to marry while
111" (■/(/[■)• brother remains unmarried; or for a man to give his
(huighter to such a person, or to give his youngest daughter
in marriage while the eldest sister remains unmarried."—
Code of Gentoo Laws, c. xv. sect. 1. p. 204. This, it
appears, was a custom at Mesopotamia; but Laban took
care to conceal it from Jacob till afier he had given biin
Leah.
Verse 27. Fulfil her week] The marriage feast, it appears*
la-ted seven days; it would not, therefore, have been proper
to break off the solemnities to which all the men of the place
had been invited, ver. 22. and probably Laban wished to
keep his fraud from the public eye; therefore he inform*
Jacob, that if he will fulfil the marriage week for Leah, he
will give him Rachel at the end of it, on condition of his
serving seven other years. To this the necessity ot the case
caused Jacob to agree; and thus Laban Um] fourteen years ser-
vice instead o{ seven; for it is not likely that Jacob v>'ould have '
.served even seven days for Leah, as his aftection was wholly
set on Rachel, the wite of his o\\ n choice. By this stratagem
Laban gained a settlement i'or both his daughters. What a
man soweth, that .shall he reap. Jacob had beilire practised
deceit, and is now deceived; and l^aban, the instrument oi it,
was ai'terwards deceived himself.
Verse 28. And Jacob did so — and he gave him Rachel] It
is perlectly plain that .Jacob did not serve seven years more
btfore he got Rachel to wife; but having spent a week wiih
Leah, and in kecjiiiig the marriage feast, he then got Rachel,
and served afterwards seven years for her. Connections of
this kind are now called incestuous; but it appears they were
allowable in those ancient limes. In taking both sisters, it
does not appear that any blame attached to Jacob, lliough, in
consequence of it, he was vexed by their jealousies. It was
probably because of this tliat the law. Lev. xviii. 18. was
made. Thou shall not take a wife to her sister, to rex her, besides
the other, in her life-time. After this, all nucb tnarriage* were
strictly forbidden.
Leah bears Reuben,
A.M.qir.2i32. 30 And lic wciit ill also unto Ra-
l»^cira77y. ^,^gj^ ^j^^^ j^g a J^^^g^ .^^^^ Rachcl
more tlian Leah ; and served with him " yet
seven other years.
3 1 % And when the Lord " saw that Leah "ccas
hated, he ''.opened her womb: but Rachel Xi^as
barren.
A.:M,c.r.22i3. 32 Aud Lcah conceived, and bare
B.C. cir. 1771. ^ g^j^^ ^^^^ g]^g called his name " Reu-
ben: .for she said, Surely the Lord had ' looked
upon my affliction ; now therefore my husband
will lo\e-ine.
GENESIS,
bare
A.M.cif.'2i'o4.
B.C. cir. 1770.
33 Atid she conceived
again,
and
A.M.clr.223*
B.C. cir. 1770.
A.M.cir.223S.
13. C.eir.l769.'
'Vtr. SO. Deut. ii\. 1.5. "cli. 30. 26. & 31. 41. Hos. 1«. 1-2.
'J>s. 127.3. "ch. oO. 1. ^= That is, sec asm. ^Exad. 3. 7. & 4. 31.
Deut. L'6. 7. Ps. 2.5. 18. .& 100. 44.
Verse 31. The Lord smd that Leah lutis hatetTl From this
and the preredw^ verse, we get the genuine meaning- of the
■worflnjU' saruih, 'to hate, in certain «lisputed places in tlie
Scriptures. Tiie word sim))ly signifies a less degree of lore:
soil is said, ver. 30. "Jacob loved Kach?! more than Leah;"
i. e. he loved Leah le'ss than Rachael, and this is called hating
in ver. 3L When the Lord saiv that Leah vms haled; that is,
•that she had less affection shewn to her than was her due, as
one of the legitimate vives of Jacob, he opened her womb —
lie blessed her vyith children. Now the frequent intercourse
of .Jacob with Leah — see the following verses — sufficiently
■proves that he did not hate her, in the sen.se in Mhicli this
t«i m is used among us : but he shewed ar.d felt less affection
ibr her than for hen. sister. So, Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I haled, Mai. i. 2, 3. and Rom. ix. 15. simply meansj
that he had shewn a greater degree of affection for Jacob <ind his
po.slerity, than he had done for Esau and his descendants, by
giving the former abetter earthly portion than he had given to the
latter; by maintaining them in it, and by chusingthc familj' of
Jacob to be progenitors of the Messiah. But not one word
of all this relates to the eternal states of either of the two nations.
Those who endeavour to support certain peculiarities of their
creed by such scriptures as these, do greatly err, not knowing the
scripture, and not properly considering either the sovereignty
or the mercy of God.
Verse 32. She called his name Benben'] pINT reu-ben, lite-
rally, see ye, or behold a son! for Jehovah hath looked — nXI
raah, he hath beheld my affliction — behold then the conse-
quence, I have got a son !
Verse 33. She called his name Simeon"] JipiSU' Shijneon,
hearing, i. e. God had blessed her with another son, because
he had heard that she was hated— ]o\eCi less tlian Rachel was,
as the context tells us.
Verse 34. T/ierefore luas his name called Levi"] 'iS levi,
joined; because .she snppo.sed ihai', in consequence of all
these childreB, Jacob would be.coma joined to her in as strong
flfti-'Ction, at least, as he was to Rachel. From Levi sprang
\i\vi \.nht oi Ltviles, who, instead of the7i^s^;!lon?, vcvc joined
Simeon, Le'vi, end Judah,
a son; and said. Because the
Lord hath heard that I teas hated,
he hath therefore given me this son also : and
she called his name ^ Simeon.
34 And she conceived again, and
bare a sou: and said. Now this time
will my husband be joined unto me, because I,
have borne him three sons : therefore was hi&
name called " Levi.
35 And she conceived again, and A.M.cir.ms,
bare a son: and she said. Now will ^ifi^'^-
I praise the Lord: therefore she called hi&
name 'Judah"; and ' left bearing.
6 That is, hcnriiig. 1> That is, Joinerf. See Numb. 18. 2,4. 'Halt, 1.
2. ''Tliat io, praise. ' Heb. stood from bearing.
unto the priests in the service of the sanctuary. See Nuinb.
xviii. 24.
Verse 35. She called his name Judah] miiT Yehudah, a
confessor; one wiio acknowledges God, and acknowledges that
all good comes from his hands; and gives him the praise due
to his grace and mercy. From this patriarch the Jews have
their name; and could it be now rightly applied to them, it
would intimate that they were a people that confess God, acknow-
ledge his bounty, and praise him for his grace. — See Rom. ii. 29.
Left bearin'f] I'hat is, for a time; for she had several
children afterwards, see chap. xxx. 17, &c. Literally trans-
lated, the original Prh'O T31'n tacimod miledeth — she stood
still from bearing, which certainly docs not convey the same
meaning as that in our translation : the one appearing to
signify, that she ceased entirely from having children; tlie
other, that she only desisted for a time, which was probably
occasioned hy a temporary suspension of Jacob's company,.
«'ho appears to have deserted the tent of Leah, through the
jealous management of Rachel. — See chap. xxx. 14, 15, &c.
The intelligent and pious care of the original inhabitants
of the world to call their children by those names which were
descriptive of some remarkable eicnt in Providence, circum-
stance of their birth, or domestic occurrence, is worthy not
only of respect, but of imitation. As the name itself con-
tinually called to the mind, both of the parents and the child,
the circumstance from which it originated, it could not fail
to be a lasting blessing to both. How -widely different is our
custom! Unthinking and ungodly, we impose names upon
our oflspring as we do upon our cattle; and often the dog,
the hor.so, the monkey, and the parrot, share in common with
our fliildren the names which are called Qiristian .' Some of
our Christian names, so called, arc absurd, others are ridi-
culous, and a third class impious; these last being taken from
the dremon gods and goddesses of heathenism. May we ever .
hope that the rational and pious custom recommended in the ;
Scriptures shall ever be restored, even among those who prox,
fess to believe in, fear, and /ot,'c God ? j
Rachel envies her sister.
CHAP. XXX.
and is displeased xcith JocoIa
CHAPTER XXX.
Rachel envies her sister, and chides Jacob, 1. He reproves her, (aid vindicates himself, 2. She gives him her
maid Bilhah, 3, 4. She conceives, and bears Dan, 5, 6, and aftemards Naphtali, 7, 8. Leah gives Zilpah
hcrmaidto Jacob, Q. She conceives, and bears Gad, 10,11, and aha Ashn; 12, \3. Reuben Jinds man-
drakesi of uhich l\t^che\ reijtmts a part, 14. The bargain made beUaen her and Leah, 15. Jacob, in conse-
qnatcf, (edges zdth Leah instead of Rachel, iG. She conceives, and bears Issachar, 17, 18, and Zehv\\m, 19,
120, and Drna'.i, '21. Rttckel conceives, and bears Joseph, 22—24. Jacob requests permission from Laban
to 'go to his oicn cmntry, 25, 2(5. Laban entreaty him to tarry, and offers to give him zchat rcages he shall chuse
to°nanu, 27, 28. Jacob details the importance of his services to Laban, 29, 30, and offers to continue those ser-
vices for the speckled and spotted among the goats, and the brown among the sheep, 3 1— S3. Laban consents,
U, and divides all the ring-siraked and spotted among the he-goats, the speckled and spotted among the she-
"oats, and (he brown a»w/^ </it sheep, atui put.'.- them under the care of his own sons, and seis three dai/sjournei/ between
lintse'lf and Jacob, So, J6. Jacob's stratagem of the' pilled rods, to cause ihecattle to iring forth the ring-
straked, speckled, and spotted, 37—39- In consequence of which, he increased his flock greatly, getting all
that was strong and healthy in the flock of Laban, 40—43.
ND when Rachel saw that ^ she
bare Jacob no children, Rachel'
A.M.cir y.';>d
B. C. cir. 17ti8,
* envied her sister ; and said unto Jacob, Give !
me children j " or else 1 die.
2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Ra- !
chel : and he said, " dm I in God's stead, who
hath widiheld fl-om thee the fruit of the womb?
3 And she said, BejiOld ' my maid Bilhah, go cond son
in unto her;. 'and she shall bear upon my knees, j! 8 And Rachel said, With
•■that 1 mav al^^o " have children bv her. " have I wrestled with my sister, and I have pre
4 An i she aave iiim Bilhah iier hand-maid ' to vailed : and site called his name " Naphtali °.
5- % And Bilhah conceived and bare A.M.cir.etsr.
Jacob a son.
6 And Rachel said, God hath "judged me,
and hath also heard my voice, and hath given mc
ason-.dierclbre called she liis name 'Dan.
7 And Bilhah, Rachel's maid, con- g'-^^-^;;;JJ
ceived again, and bare Jacob a se- __!:!!: — I:
great wrestlings
wile: and Jacob went in unto her.
*Cli. S9. 31, Ocli. :.7 11.
•—— =cli. io. 2. 'til. 50. 2:5.
ijt her. ' cb 16. S. & Sj. 2S!.
'.rob 5 2. "cIi.
.lob 5. 12. Bell. lb.
16. 2. 1 Sam. 1. b.
!. "Heb. bkhuiU
NOTES ON CHAP. XXX.
Verse !. Give me children, or ehe J die.] This' is a most
repre'ipnsi'ile speecli, and argues not only en-y and jealousy,
but also a total want of dependance on God. She had the
greatest share of her husband's atlei-tion, and )'et was not
■sat'sn'r,d, 'inless she could engross all the privileges which her
SisUr f'nii.yed 1 How true is the savug. Envy is as rottenness
qf the bonti ! Prov. xiv. 30. And, Jealousy is as cruel as the
£ni-;e, ChuI. viii. 6. >
Verse ::. Am I in God's stead 'r"] Am I greater than God,
to give thee what he has relused ?
^'er-e '*. Shethall bear upon my knees'] The handmaid was
tl: .sole proptTty of the mistress, as has already been re-
marked m the ''ase of Hauar; and therefore not only all
her la!)our, but even the children borne by her, were the
prnperiy of the mi.lres". 7'hese female ;.lave.<, therefore,
bore children vicariously ha their mistresses: and this ai)-
9 ^ When Leah saw that she had left bear-
" Ps. S5. V4. & 43. 1. Lam. 3. 59. 'Tli;it is, jitt/guiff. "> Hcb. u-rtst-
linoi of God. cli. 23.0. "Thai is, my vircMiig. ^"Called, .AlaU. 1. 13.
licphOuiltm.
pears to be the import of the term. She shall hear upon my
knees.
That I may also have children hy her.] ,-JOO rJ3NV 've-ihaneh
7nimennuh — arcd I shall be bnitded up by her. Hence ]3 ben,
a son, or child, from rU3 banah, to build, because, as a house is
formed of the stones, &c. that enter into its comi>osition, so is
a family by children.
Verse 6. Called she Ids name Dan.] Because she founll
God had judged for her, and decided that she should have U
son by means of her handmaid; hence she called his name
p Dan, judging.
Verse 8. She called his luime Naphtali.] >br\ia naphtcdi. My
urcsding, according to the common mode of interpretalion ;
but it is more likely thai the root VnS patal, signifies to tieiss
or entwine. Hence Mr. Parkhurst translates the verse — " By
the tiL'isting'!, agency or opciation, of God, I am entwisted
with my sister ; that is, my faoiily is now entwined, or inter-^
Account oftJie mandt-aJces.
GENESIS.
Issacliar is horn.
A.M.cir.'iviJ.
B. C. cir.1i6i.
A.M. cir.2'.M0.
B. C. cir.17(4.
she took Zilpali lier maid, and
Leali's maid bare
and she
' gave her Jacob to wife
10 And Zilpah
Jacob a son.
1 1 And Leah said, A troop cometh
called his name '' Gad.
12 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare
Jacob a second son.
13 And Leah said, 'Happy am I, for the
and she called
Asher.
14 ^ And Reuben went in the
days of wheat harvest, and found
'^ mandrakes in the field, and brought them un-
to his motlier Leah. Tiien Rachel said to
Leah, ^ Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's
mandrakes.
A.l\J.cir.'J.-4_'.
B. C, i:\t.V6l.
daughters '' will call mc blessed
his name
A.M.cir.5^-'16.
B. C. cir.l7:;8.
• Vci. 4,-
Isai. 63. il.
^■That i<!, (( iroo]i, or company.
— ^ Heb. in mtj kuppi/itsi. —
cli. 49. 1?. Deut. S3. 20, 21.
-aPruv. 31. i8. Caut. 6. 9.
tvovcn, with my sister's family, and has a cliance of prcducing-
the promised seed." The Sejituagint, Aquila, and the Vul-
gate, have marly the same meiiniiig. It is, iiowevor, dillicuit
to fix the true sense of the original.
Verse 1 1. She called his naitie 0V«/.] This has been vari-
ously translated. "1J Vad may signify a troop, an armij, a
soldier, a false god, (fsai. Ixv. 1 1.) supposed to be the same
as Jupiter or Mars : for as Laban appears to have been, if
rot an idolator, yet a dealer in a sort of judicial astrology,
see chap. .\xxi. 1 9. Leah, in saying nj3 buirad, which we
translate, a troop conuith, might meafi iy, or viilh the assist-
ance of Gad, a particular planet or star, [Jupiter, possibly,) I
have gotten this son; therefore she called him afler the name
ef that planet or star, from which she supposed the succour
came, see the note on chap. xxxi. 19. The Septuagint
tran.-late it, tv tux", with good fortune ; the Vulgate, fclicitcr,
happily; but in. all this diversity, our own translatinn may
appear as probable as any, if not the genuine one — i; X3 hu
gad, (for the keri or marginal reading has it in two words)
H troop cometh ; wlicreas the tcxiuul rer.ding h^s if only in
one, "IJJ bugud, ■with a troop. \n the Bible, published by
Bcck^, 1549, the word is translated as an e.vclamation. Good
luck ! and culled his name Gad.
Verse 13. And Leah . 'aid, Happy am I] ni^xa he-asheri,
in ;«y happiness, therefore she called his naiue Asher, lli'X
tb'4t is, blfssedness or happiness.
Verse 14. Reuben — found mandrakes] D'^?^n duduim.
What these were is utterly unlcnown ; and learned men have
wasted much time and pams, in tndeavotiring to guess out a
probable meaning. Some translate the word lilies, others/c.vs^-
ptine, others citrons, others niushroonis, others jigs, and some
think the woid mtan.s^tU(?;.s, or fine Jloicers in general. Jlas-
Mltfuist, the Ultimate friencj and pupil of Litinc, v.ho travelled
into tlic Holy Land to [nake discoveries in natural history,
imagines that the plant commonly called mandrake, is inlend-
4
A.M cir.2:46,
B C. I ir. 17.W.
15 And she said unto her, ^ Is it
a small matter that thou hast taken .
my husband .'' and wouldest thou take away my
son's mandrakes also ? And Rachel said,
Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for
tliy son's mandrakes.
\6 And Jacob came out of the field in the
evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and
said. Thou must come in unto me ; for surely
I have liired thee with my son's mandrakes.
And he lay with her that night.
1 7 If And God hearkened unto Leah, A.ni.cir.224r.
and she conceived, and bare Jacob the ^■^""■^'^^'''•^
fifth son.
18 And Leah said, God hath given me my
hire, because I have given my maiden to my
husband : and she called his name ' Issachar.
Luke 1. 48, 'That is, haf-py. cli. 49. 20. Ueut. 33. S4, '26-
13. .-6 til. 'io. 'A •• NiMiib. 16. 9, IS. ' That is, an hire.
-fCant. 7.
ed : speaking of Nazareth in Galilee, he says, " What I
found most remarkable at this village, was the great number
of mandrakes which grow in a vale belov/iti I ha<l not the
pleasure to see this plant in blossom, the fruit now (May 5tli.
O. .S.) hanging ripe to the stem, which lay ivithered on the
ground. From the season in which this mandrake blossonis,
and ripens fruit, one might form a conjecture, that it wai
Haehei's duduim. The.-e were brought her in tjie wheat har-
vest, which, in Galilee, is in the month of May, about this time,
a'ld the mandrake was now in fruit." Both among the
Greeks and Orientals, this plant was held in high repute, at
being of a prolific virtue, and helping conception : and from
it philtres, or love potions were made; and this is favoured by
the meaning of the original which signifies loves, i. e. incen-
tives to matrimonial connections : and it was probably on thii
account that Rachel desired to have thein. Tiie whole ac«
count however is very obscure.
Verse 15. Thou hast Jaken my husband] It appeart
probable, that Rachel had found means to engross the whole
of Jacob's affection and company, see chap. xxix. 35. and
that she now agreed to let him visit the tent of Leah, on
account of receiving some of the fruits or plants which Ilcuben
had found.
Verse ] 6. / have hired thee] We may remark, among ihft
Jewish women, an intense desire of having children ; and it
seems to have been produced, not from any peculiar alfection
for children, simply considered in themselves, but through
the hope of liaving a share in the blessing of Abraham, tiy
bringing forth him in whom all the nations of the earth were
to be blessed. ■»
Verse 18. God hath given me my hire — Shekari ^Slff — and
she culled his name lisachar] iSttTZ;'. This word is com-
pounded of B" yesh, IS, and "^O'i: slicker, W.AGK.s, from 'CV
shakur, to content, sutify, saturate: hence a satisfaction «f
compensation for work done, &c.
Children of Leah and Rachel. CHAP,
A.Ji.cir.22JS>. 19 And Lealr conceived again, and
iu^.ari755. |j,j^p Jacob the sixtli son.
20 And Lcali said, God liatli endued me xvith
a "-ood dowry ; now will my husband dwell
with nic, because I have born him six sons :
and she called his name ^ Zcbuhui''.
A.M.cir.sic". 21 And afterwards she bare a
i}.c.cir.i7J4. daughter, and called her name
'Dinah.
A.M.cir.!.'.8. 22 ^ And God ''remembered Ra-
"^"^"•*°- chcl, and God hearkened to her,
and ' opened her womb.
A.M. 2.'>y. 23 And she conceived, and bare a
"• ^' '^^•^' son ; and said, God hath taken away
^my reproach :
24 And she called his name ^ Joseph ; and
said, "The Lord shall add to me another
son.
25 ^ And it came to pass, when Rachel
had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban,
'Send me away, that I may go unto "mine own
place, and to my country.
26 Give me my wives and my children, ' for
whom I have served thee, and let me go : for
thou knowest my service which I have done
thee.
27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee,
if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarr^ :
•Tliatis (i.iWIi'M'. ''Called, M.ilt. •). Vt. Z,jhulon. 'That U, hid^-
mtnt. Hh. «. 1. 1 Sain. 1. 19 'cli. '-".'. :;i. ''1 Sam. 1. (i. U:i]. 4.
1. Luke 1. 'ij. 5'lhat is, adiling. — ^J tli. 3j. 17. 'cli. t4. 54, o6.
'ch. 18. 3j. & 31. 55. 'cli. 29. SO, SO.
Verse 20. Noiu will my husband dwell with ?He] yVsn
yizebleni, and she called his name Zebulun, p^3T a dwclliw^. or
cohnbitalion, as she mnv expected that Jacob would divcll uitii
her, as he had before dwell with llaclwl.
Verse 2 1 . And cuHcd Iter name Dinah] ."On Dinah, Judgntenl.
As Rachel had called her son by Bilhah, Dan. ver. C. so Leah
calls her daughter Dl.v.Ml, God \vdv\ni^ Judged, and iletermiiied
for her as well as for her sister, in the preceding instance.
Verse 22. And (!od hean'ccned to her] After the .severe re-
proof which Rachel had received from her husband, vtr. 2.
it appears that she sought God by prayer, and that he heard
her, so that her prayer and faith obtained what her impatience
and unbelief had prevented.
Verse '2i. She culled his na7nc .loseph] r]^l» Yoseph, adding,
or he who adds; thereby proplietually declaring t!iat God
would add iinio her another son, which was accomplished in
the birth of lienjamin, chap. xxw. 18.
Verse 25. Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away.] Having
now, as is generally conjectured, fulfilled the fourteen years
wliicli he had engagetl to .serve for Leah and Rachel, see
■ver. 26. and the conclusion of chap. xxxi.
XXX. Agreement betxveen Jacob and Laban.
for "I have learned by experience ^ mw».
that the Loud hath blessed me " for " ^' '''^-
thy sake.
28 And he said, " Appoint me thy wages, and
I will give //.
29 And he said unto him, °Thou knowest
how I have served thee, and liow thy cattle was
with me.
30 For it xcas little which thou hadst before
I came, and it is now ■* increased unto a multi-
tude ; and the Lord hath blessed thee ' since
my coming : and now, when shall I ' provide
for mine own house also.-"
31 And he said, "What shall I give thee?
And Jacob said. Thou .shalt not give me any
thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will
again feed and keep thy flock :
32 I will pass through all thy flock to day,
removing fi-om thence all the speckled and
spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among
the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among
the goats : and ' ofsucli shall be my hire.
33 So shall my " righteousness answer for me
"" in time to come, when it shall come for my
hire before thy flice : every one that is not
speckled and spotted among the goats, and
brown among the sheep, that shall be counted
stolen with me.
■"Ch. 59. 3, .5. "See ch. '26. i.'4. "cli. 49. 15 'ch. 31. <>. 58. 59.
•10. iMnlt. «4. -1.5. Tit.'.'. 10. -illeb. 6ni;,-™_/nrl/i. ver. -l.S. 'Il.h. ,.J
mi/ fmt. '1 Tim. 5. B. 'ch. 51.8. "Pa. 37. 6. ""llch. lo morto-j>.
Kxbd. 15. 14.
Verse 27. / have learned bj/ experience] 'HBTQ nuchasti,
from BTU nachash, to view ailentivefi/, to observe, to pry into.
I have diligently considered the w hole of thy conduct, and
marked the increase of my property, and fiud tiiat the Lord
hath blessed me fur thy sake. For the meaning of the word
crii nachash, see on chap. iii. 1, &c.
Verse 30. For it was Utile which thou hadst before I came.]
Jacob takes advantage of the concession made by his father-
in-law, and asserLs, tliat it was for his sake that the Lord had
blessed him — since my coming, 'hi'h k-rageli^ according to my
foot-steps — every step I took in tiiy service, God prospered lo
the multiplication of thy flocks and properly.
fl'hen sliall I provide for mine own house ?] Jacob iiad already
laid his plan; and from what is afterwards mentioned, wc
find him using all his skill and e.ipcri<:nce, to provide for ills
family by a rapid increase of his flocks.
Verse 32. / willpass through all tliy flock] JlX tson, imply-
ing, as we have betbrc seen, all smaller cattle, such as sheep,
goats, iVc
All the speclcli d and spotted cattle] TlSf seh, wliicli we irans-
lale cattle, signifies the young either of sheep or gouts, «!wt
Separation of the differently coloured cattle. GENESIS. Jacob's expedient of the pilled rods.
A.M.-i9. 34 And Laban said. Behold, Ii 37 f And ''Jacob took him rods of a.u--,?.
^"^''^"'' would it miglit be according to thy
word.
green poplar, and of the hasel and !l' .^^^
chesinit tree ; and pilled ■white strakes in tliem,
35 And he removed that day, the he goats that 1 and made the white appear which ivas in the
were ring-straked and spotte<l, and all tlie she j rods.
goats that were speckled and spotted, and every || 38 And he set the rods which he had pilled
one that had some white in it, and all the brown i! before the flocks in tl*3 gutters in the -watering
among the sheep, and gave them into the "" hand
of his sons.
36 And he set three days journey betwixt
himself and Jacob : and Jacob ted the rest of
Laban's flocks.
= CIi, 31.9.
We call a lamh or a kid. Speckled, '^^pi nukod, signifies in-
ters])erscd vvitli vuriouslij coluurcd spots.
Spnttal] ahu lulu, s[)oUe<l niih larcje spots, either of the
same or different colours, from N'jta tata, to patch, to ?iiitke
furti-colonred, or putc/i work, see Ezek. xvi. 16.
And all the hioiuii'] DlH cliwn. I should rather suppose this
to si^'nify rcrf or yelloii.', as the root signifies to ht ivuriii or
hot.
\'erse 35. The he-^nnl.t that ivere ring-straked] D'CilH
D'lprn ha-teii/ashini ha-akiuldiiii, the he-gouts that had 7iiigs
<ji' black, or other coloured hair, around (ht'wfeel or legs.
It is extremely difficult to find out, from the 3'id and
35th verses, in what the bargain of Jacob witii his father-in-
law properly consisted. It appears from ver. 32. that Jacob
was to have for his wages all the speckled, spotted, and brown,
among the sheep and the goats ; and of course, that all those
viiich were not parti-coloured, should be considered as the
property of Laban. But in ver. 35. it appears that Laban
separated all the pnrli-coloured cattle, and delivered them
into the hands of his own wns ; which seems as if he had
taken these for his own property, and left the others to Jacob.
It has been conjectured tliat Laban, for the greater security,
when he had scjiarated the parti-coloured, which by the
agreement belonged to Jacob, see ver. 32. put them under
the care of his own sons, while Jacob fed the flock of
Laban, ver. 36. three days jouriit y being between the two
flocks. If, therefore, the flocks under the care of Laban's
,<ons brought forth young that were all of one colour, these
were put to the flocks of Laban under the care of Jacob;
and if any of the flocks under Jacob's care brought forth
parti-coloured young, they were put to the flocks belonging
lo Jacob, under the care of Laban's sons. This conjecture
is not satisfactory, and the true meaning appears to be this :
Jacob had agreed to take all the parti-coloured for his wages.
As he was now only beginning to act upon this agreement,
rrmsequently none of the cattle as yet belonged to him;
therefore Laban separated from the flock, ver. 3 5. all such
cattle as Jncob might afterwards claim in consequence of his
bargain; Coras yet he had no riglit : therefore Jacob com-
-menced his service to Laban with a flock that did not contain
a single animal of 'he description of those to which he might
be entitled; and the others were sent away under the care
; trouglis when the flocks came to drink, that they
' should conceive when they came to driifl.;.
S^ And the flocks conceived before tlie rods,
and brought " forth cattle ring-straked, speckled,
and spotted.
•"Socch. il. 9,-12. ■
-'.Ter. '■/!. b.
I of Laban's ^on.s, three days journey from those of which
Jacob had llie care. The bart;ain, iheretbrc, .seemed lo be
wholly in favour of Laban ; and to turn it to his own ad-
vantage, Jacob made use of the stratagems afterwards men-
tioned. This mode of interpretation removes all the ap-
parent contradiction between the 32d and 35lh verses, with
which commentators in general have been grievously per-
plexed. From the whole account we learn, that Laban
acted with great prudence and caution, and Jacob with great
judgment. Jacob had already served fourteen years, and bad
got no patrimony whatever, though he had now a family of
tiveire children, elercn sons and one daughter, besides his two
wives, and their two maids. It was high time that he should
get some property for these; and as his father-in-law was
i excessively parsimonious, and would scarcely allow him to
j live, he was in some sort obliged to make use of stratagem
to get an equivalent for his services; but did he not push this
so far, as to ruin his father-in-law's flocks, leaving him nothing
but the refuse .' see ver. 42.
Verse 37. Kods of green poplar] rh HJaS libneh lack.
The libneh is generally understood to mean the -white poplar ;
and the word lach, which is here joined to it, does nut so
much imply greenness of colour, as being, //'ei/i, in opposition
to withcredncss. Had they not been fresh, just cut off, he
could not have pilled the bark from them.
/hid of the hfisel] 51*7 luz, the nut or jUberd tree, translated
by others the almond tree: which of the two is here intended,
is not known.
And c/iesnut rr«] JT31I? nremon, the plane tree, from
CnV dram, he was naked. The plane tree is properly called
by this name, because of the bark naturally peeling of, and
leaving the tree bare. The Septuagint translate it in the
same way, TrXaravo;; and its name is supposed to be derived
from 'Tt'KaTui, broad, on account of its broad spreading branches,
for vvliich the plane tree is remarkable. So we find the
Grecian army in Ho.MEiJ, II. ii. v. 307. sacrificing, Kahn uiro
ir^araviru, under a beautiful plane tree.
Virgil, Geor. iv. 1. 146. mentions,
ministrantem platunum polantibus umbras.
The plane ^/-ee yielding the convivial shade.
Jacoh ^els all the best callle.
40 And Jucol)
A.M.ii.')9.
B. C. 174.1.
CHAP. XXX.
did separate thci
lambs, and set the faces oftlic Hocks |
toward the ring-straked, and all the brown in:
tiic flock of Laban ; and he put his own flocks
by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's
cattle.
4 1 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger
cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid tlic rods be-
fore the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that
• Vcr. 30.
AnJ Phtuonius Arbitf.r in Sat^r.
yobilis astivfii platanu,*; clilTudcriit umbras.
" The iiulile plane had spread its siinitiier shade."
See more in Parkliurst. Sucli a tree would be peculiarly
acceptable in liot countries, because of its sliadc.
I'illcd widle straLes in llietii] Probal)ly cutting the bark
throui;li, in a spiral line, and taking it oil' in a certain breadth,
all round the rods, so that the rods would appear parti-
coloured, the xiliite of the wood shewing itself where the
bark was stripped oil".
^'erse .38. And In: set the rndsuliich he hud pilled before the
Jl':eks] It has long been an opinion, and seems to be (bunded
on many facts, that whatever makes a strong impression on
the mind of a female m the time of conception and gestation,
will have a corresponding influence on the mind or body of
the fetus. This opinion, justified by the text, and illustrated
by a thousand facts, is not yet rationally accounted for. It
is not necessary to look for a miracle here; for though the
fact has not been accounted for on any principle yet known, it
is nevertheless sufl'u'ienlly plain, that the eflect does not ex-
ceed the powers of nature ; and I have no doubt that the
same modes of trial, used by Jacob, would produce the same
.results in similar cases. 1 he finger of (iod works in naliu'e
myr ads of ways unknown to us : we see ellecta without end,
of ivhieh no rational cause ran be assigned : it has pleased
Goil to work thus and thus, and this is all that we know ;
and God mercifully hides the operations of his |)ower from
man in a variety of cases, that he may hide pride from him.
Even with the little we know, bow apt are w? to be pulled
up! We must adore God in a reverential silence on such
.subjects as these, confess our ignorance, and acknowledge,
that Nattax is the iiuitrument by which he chuses to work ; and
that he performs all things Recording to the counsel of his
oun will, \vlii( h is always infinitely '-lu^e and infinitely gond. \
Verse 40. Jacob did .separate the lambs, lY'-'] ^V hen Jacob [
undertook the care of Laban's flock, according to the agree-
ment already mentioned, there were no parli-eoloiired sheep ,
or goats among them, see on vcr. 3?. and 35. therefore the
rin^-struked, c^c. mentioned in this ver?<>, must have been '
born since the agreement was made; and Jacob makes use of!
them precisely as he used the pilled rods; that having these |
before their rijcs, during conception, the impression might be j
made upon tlieir imagination which would lead to the results
;ilieady meiitiom-d.
Verse 41. U hensoever thq stron^^er cattlt did isoncciie'] Tlije
might
Laban gets all the xvorst.
A II. '.-:>'->.
B.C. 1TI>.
conceive among the
they
rods.
42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put
t/iem not in : so the feebler were Laban's, and
the stronger Jacob's.
43 And the man "increased exceedingly, and
'' had much cattle, and maidservants, and men.-
servants, and camels, and asses.
•"Ch. 13. 2. & 24. 35. & 2C. 13, 14.
word nru'pO mekusharoth, which we translate stronger, is
understood ity several of the ancient interpreters as signilymg
ihe early, first-horn, or early spring cattle: and hence it i»
oppo.sed to D'BtOy atuphim, which we translate feeble, and
which Sytnmachus properlv renders S'euteoovovoi, cattle of ihg
second bir:li, as he rentiers the word niekushuruilt by irparoyovov;,
cattle of the first or earliest birth. Now, this does not apply
merely to tivo births from the same feiiiale in one year, which
actually did take place according the llabbius, the first iit
i^isan, about our Marcli ; and the second in Tisri, about our
September; but it more particularly refers to early and late
lambs, i^c. in the same year ; as those that are born just at
the termination of winter, and in the very commencement of
spring, are every way more valuable tlum those which were
born later in the same spring. Jacob, therefore, took good
heed not to try his ex|5erinients with those lute produced cattle,
because he knew these would produce a degenerate breed ;
but \i ith the early cattle, which were strong and vigorous, by
which his breed must be imi)roved. Hence the whole flock
of Laban must be necessarily nijured, while, by this artifice,
Jacob's flock was preserved in a atatc of ini reusing perfec-
tion. All this proves a consunnnate knowledge in Jacob of
his pastoral office. If extensive breeders in tlii.s country
were to attend to the same plan, our breed would be im-
proved in a mo^t eminent degree. \\ hat a fund of in.>triic-
tion, upon almost every subject, js to be found in the Sacred
Writings !
Verse 43. And the man inctvased exceedinglyl No wonder,
when he used such means as the above. And had ninid-
senants an(l mfn-servants — he was obliged to increase these,
as his cattle nuiltiplied. And camels, and asses — to transport
his tents, baggage, and family, from })lace to place, being
obliged oftjin to remoix, fpc the benefit of pQsturiigs.
^\'e have already seen many dilTiculties in this chapter,
and strange incidents, for w Inch we are not able to account.
1. 'Ijie vicarious bearing of chililren. 2. l he natuie and
properties of the mandrakes. 3. The bargain of Jacob and
Laban, as related ver. 32. and 3.^. and 4. Tiie business of the
parti-coloured flocks j)roduced by means of the females look-
ing at the variegated rods, these, especially the three last, may l>«
ranked among the most di(iienU things in this book. \\ iili-
out cneuniberiiig the pa'^e with (|'iot^lions and opinions, uion*
divcrsiiii-d than the lloeks in relation to whK^ii they are pro-
posed, 1 have given the best sense I could , ami think ){
Observations en Jacob's
GENESIS.
education., slcill, arid address.
much better and safer to confess ignorance, than, under tliej
semblante of Xi-isciom anA lairning, to multiply conjectures.'
Jacul) certainly manifested much address in the wliole of his
conduct with Laban ; but though nothing can excuse over- !
reuc/iins;, or iiisinceritj/, yet, no doubt, Jacob supposed him- i
self justified in taking these ad\-antages of a man who had ;
greatly injured and defrauded him. Had Jacob got Rachel .
at first, for whom he had honestly and faithfully served seven
\ears, there is no evidence whatever that he would have taken
a second wife. Laban, by having imposed his eldest daughter
upon him, and by obliging him lo serve seven years for her,
who never was an object of his aflection, acted a part wholly
foreign to every dictate of justice and honesty : for though it
vas a custom in that country not to give the younger daughter '
in marriage before the elder, yet, as he did not mention this |
to Jacob, it cannot plead in his excuse ; therefore, speaking I
after the manner of men, he had reason to expect that Jacob j
should repay him in his own coin, and right himself, by what- ',
ever means came into his power ; and many think that he
did not transgress the bounds of justice, even in the lousiness 1
of the parti-coloured cattle; see on chap. xxxi. 36.
Tlie talent possessed by Jacob was a most dangerous one : '
he was what may be truly called a scheming man ; his wits w ere
still at work, and as he dnised, so he executed, being as fruit-
ful in ejcpedients as he was in plans. This was the princi-
pal and the most prominent characteristic of his life; and
whatever was excessive here, was owing to his mother's tuition —
she was evidently a woman who paid little respect to what is
called moral principle ; and sanctified all kinds of means, by
the goodness of the end at which she aimed ; which, in social,
civil, and religious life, is the most dangerous principle on
which a person can possibly act. In this art she appears to
have instructed her son ; and, unfortunately for himself, he
was in some instances, but too apt a proficient. Early habits
are not easily rooted out, especially those of a bad kind.
Next to the influence and grace of the spirit of God, is a
good and religious education. Parents should teach their
children to despise and abhor low cunning, to fear a lie, and
tremble at an oath : and in order to be successful, they
should illustrate their precepts by their own regular conscien-
tious exainple. How far God approved of the whole of Ja-
cob's conduct, I shall not enquire : it is certain, that he attri-
butes his success to divine interposition, and God himself cen-
sures Laban's conduct towards him; see chap. xxxi. 7 — 12.
But still he appear:-; to have proceeded farther than this inter-
position authorized him to go, especially in the means he used
to improve his own breed, which necessarily led to the dete-
rioration of Laban's cattle ; for, after the transactions referred
to above, these cattle could be but little worth. Tlie whole ac-
count with all its lights and shades, I consider as another proof
of the impartiality of the divine historian, and a strong evi-
dence of the authenticity of the Pentateuch. Neither the
spirit of deceit, nor \.\\e partiality of friendship could ever pen
such an account.
CHAPTER XXXI.
Laban and his sons envy Jacob, 1,2,- on uhich lie is commanded by the Lord to return to his own country, S.
Having catted his zeives togcttter, he lays before them a detailed statement of his situation iti reference to their
father, 4,5; the services he had rendered him, 6; the various attempts made by Laban to defraud him of his
hire, 7; hozv, by God's providence, his evil designs had been counteracted, 8 — 12; and then informs them, that
lie is now called to return to his ozen country, 13. To the proposal of an immediate departure, Leah and Rachel
ittrree ; and strengthen the propriety of the measure by additional reasons, 14 — 16; on zchich Jacob collects all
his family, hisjlocks, and his goods, and prepares for his departure, 17, 18. Laban having gone to shear his
sheep, Rachel secretes his images, 19- Jacob and his family, tutknorcn to Laban, take their departure, 20, 21.
On the third day Laban is informed of their fight, 22 ; and pursues them to mount Gilead, 23. God appears to
Laban in a dream, and reams him not to molest Jacob, 24. He comes tip zvith Jacob at mount Gilead, 25 ;
reproaches him Zinth his clandestine departure, 26 — 29; and charges him zvith having stolen his gods, 30. Jacob
vindicates himself , and protests his innocence in the matter of the theft , 31, 32. Laban makes a general search
for his images in Jacob's, Leah's, Bilhah's, and Zilphah's tents, and not finding them, proceeds to examine
RacheFs, 33. Racliel having hidden them among the camel's furniture, sat upon them, 34 ; and making a
delicate excuse for not rising up, Laban desists from farther search, 35. Jacob, ignorant of Rachel's theft,
reproaches Laban for his suspicions, 36, 37; enumerates his long and faithful services, his fatigues, and La-
ban's injustice, 38 — 41 ; and shezcs that it zaas oicing to Gods goodness alone that he had any property, 42.
Laban is moderated, and proposes a covenant, 43, 44. Jacob sets up a stone, and the rest bring stones and
make a heap, zohich Laban calls Jegar-Sahadutha, and Jacoi Galeed, 45 — 47. They make a covenant, and
confirm it by an oath, 48 — 53. Jacob offers a sacrifice, they eat together, and Laban and his companions
having lodged in the mount all night, take a friendly leave oj'. Jacob and his J'amily 7iext morning, and dc'
parti 54, 5o.
Zaban's sons murmur against Jacob. CHAP. XXXI.
ND he heard the words of
Laban's sons, saying, Jacob
Jacob cofisults "with his xtives.
A
A.M. iv65.
Ij. C. 17:J9.
hath taken~a\vay all that xtris our father's ; and
of l/iat which xcas our lather's hath he gotten all j
this " glory.
2 And Jacob beheld " the countenance of
Laban, and, bcholtl, it "icas not ' toward him
" as betbre.
3 % And the Loiin said unto Jacob, ' Return
unto the land of thy iathers, and to thy kindred;
and I will be with thee.
4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah
to the field unto his fiock,
5 And said unto them, ' I see your father's
countenance, that it is not toward me as be-
• Ps 49 16. ' cli. 4. 5. ' Dfut. S3, 51. " Hcb. as yeslerdny and
the day before. ISara. 19.7. 'ch. 28. 15, W, 21. & S2. 9. — ^fyer. 2.-
• ver. J.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXI.
Vcr.se 1. And he heard the words of Laban's sons] The
multiplication of Jacob's catile, and the decrease and de-
generacy of those of Laban, were sufficient to rouse the
jealousy of Laban's sons. This, with Laban's unfair treat-
ment, and t'lic direction he received from God, determined
him to return to his own country.
] lath he gotten all this glorj/] All these riches, this wealth,
or property. The original word n33 cabod, signifies both
to be ridi and to be heuzy; and, perhaps, for this simple
reason, that riches ever bring with (hem a heavy ■a.eight and
burthen of cares and aniielics.
Vei-se 3. And the Lord said nnlo Jacob, Return — and I
will be with thee] I will take the same tare of thee in thy
return, as I took of thee on thy way to this place. The
Targum reads — JIJ^ WORD shall be for thy help, see chap. xv.
]. A promi.«e of this kind was e.ssentially necessary for the
encouragement of Jacob, especially at this time; and no
doubt It was a powerful means of support to him through the
whole journey ; and it was particularly so, when be heard
that his biollicr was coming to meel him, with four hundred
men in his retinue, chap. xx\ii. C. At thai time, he went and
pleaded the very words of this i>romise with God, ver. 9.
Vi-r.se 4. Jacob sent and culled Rachel and Leah] He had
probably been at some considerable distance \\ ith the flocks,
and for the greater secrecy, he rather sends for them to the
field, to consult them on this most uiomcnious aft'air, than
go and visit them in their tents, vhcre piuLably some of the
family of Laban might overhear iheir con\er-alion, though
Laban was at the time three days journey otV. It is po^sible,
as Mr. Harmcr conjectures, that Jacob shore his shtep at the
same time, and that he sent for his wives and household fur-
niture to erect tents on the spot, that they might partake of
the festivities usual on such occasions. '1 bus they might all
depart without being suspected.
Verse 7. Changed my wages ten times] There is a strange
diversity among the ancient versiousj and ancient and modern
fore; but the God of my father * hath
been with me.
6 And " ye know that Avith all my power I
have served your father.
7 And yoiu' father hath deceived me, and
' changed my wages " ten times; but God ' suf-
fered him not to hurt me.
8 If he said thus, ""The .speckled shall be thy
wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and
if he said thus, The ring-strakcd shall be thy
hire; then bare all the cattle ring-strakcd.
9 Thus God hath " taken away the cattle of
your father, and given them to me.
10 And it came to pass at the time that the
cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes,
« Ver. 3. •■ ver. 3St,39, 40, 41. cli. in. 29. 'ver. 41. '' Numb. 14. 22.
Nell. 4. U. .lull 19 3. Zocli. B. 23. ' ch. 20. 6. Ps. 105. 14.
">ch. 30 3-2. "ver. 1,16.
interpreters on the meaning of these words. The Hebrew is
D3'0 lywj esercth 7ninim, which Aquila translates hxx afid-
/xou;, ten numbers. Symmachus, iztcam^ a^i6/j.i), ten ti/nes in
number. The Septuagint, i\>ta aix.vuv, ten lambs, with which
Origen appears to agree. St. Augustin, who adopts the read-
ing of the Septuagint, thinks that by ten lambs, five years'
wages is meant. That Laban bad withheld from him all the
parti-coloured iambs which had been brought forth for fne
years, and because the ewes brought forth lambs tivice in the
year, bis gravidic pccudes, therefore the number ten is used,
Jacob having been defrauded of his part of the produce of
ten births. It is supposed by some critics, that the Septua-
gint uses lambs tor years, -as Virgil does aristas.
En imquam patrios longo post tempore fines.
Pauperis et tuguri congestum cespite culmen.
Post aliquot niea r(?gna videns mirabor aristas ?
ViRG. TEc. 1. V. 68,
Thus, inadequately translated by Drvden.
O must the wretched exiles ever mourn.
Nor, ufler length of rolling years, return?
Are we condenin'd, by Fate's unjust decree.
No more our harvests and our homes to see }
Or shall we mount again the iiiral throng,
And rule the country, kingdoms once our own ?
Here aristas, which signifies ears of corn, is put for harvest,
haivesi for autumn, and autumn fur years. After all, it is
mo^t natural to suppose that Jacob uses the word ten time.?
for an indefinite number, which we might safely translate
frequently; and that it means an indefinite number in other
paits of the sacred writings, is evident from Lev* xxvi 26.^
Ten women shall bake your bread in one oven. Eccles. vii.
19. Wisdom strengihcnelh the xeise more than 'i'EN H'ighly men
the city. Num. xiv. 22. Became alt these men have templed
me now these 'I EN times. Job xix. 3. 'Jhese TEN ten times have
ye reproached me. Zcch. viii, 23, Jn ihoat clays — TEN tnen-
Jacob's dream of the parti-coloured callk:
and
the
A.M. 4265.
K. C. 1739.
saw in a dream, and, behold,
" rams which leaned upon the
cattle Xirre ring-strakcd, speckled, and grislcd.
1 1 And " the angel ot" God spake unto me
in a dream, saying, Jacob: and I said. Here
am 1.
12 And he said, Ij'tt up now thine eyes, and
sec, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are
ring-strakcd, speckled, and grisled: for " I have
seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
1.3 I am the God. of Beth-El, " where thou
anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a
vow unto me: now 'arise, get thee out from
this land, and return unto the land of thy
kindred.
14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said
unto him, ' Is there yet any portion or inheri-
tance for us in our tather's house?
1,5 Are we not counted of him strangers.'' for
A. M.g'.V.V
H v.. \T.-a
GENESIS. he and hisjaniili/ steal ateaT/Jrom Laban,
^ he hath sold us, and hath quite de-
voured also our money.
16 For all the riches which God hath taken
from our lather, that is our's, and our children's:
now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee,
do.
17 IF Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons
and his wives upon camels;
18 And he carried away all his cattle, and
all his goods which he had gotten, the (cattle of
his getting, which he had gotten in Padan-
aram,) for to go to Isaac his lather in the land
of Canaan.
19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and
Rachel had stolen the " images ' that Xi'e?-e her
tather's.
20 And Jacob stole away, " unawares to La-
ban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he
fled.
■•Or, lie <;iiuts. ''cli. 48. 16. ^^ Kxod. .S. 7. ■'cIi. 28. 18, 19, SO -
' viT. 3. cli. 32. y.— f til. i. 24.
sh'ilt tukt hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew. Rt-v. ii. 10.
Ye shall have trihulatinn TEN dnys.
Ver.«e 1 1 . Tlic a»;;el if God spuke unto me in a drenml It
is strange tlial we had not licaid of this dream bffore; and
yet it seems to have taken place before the cattle brought
furth, iiiiinediately after the bargain between him an<l Laban.
If we follow the Sawaritan, tlie diniculty is at once removed,
for it iji\es us the whole of this dream after verse 36. of tlie
]irecedm;j; chaptt-r.
V'erse 12. Griskil] a'Ti3 hentdint, 113 bariid, sij^nifies
hail; and the nieatMu;; must he, they liad while spots on
tliem simdar to iiail. Our woril 'grisled comes Irom the old
J'reneh, ^resle, hail, now written ^^rcle ; hence gresle, gri'.ied,
spotted with white, upon a dark ground.
Verse 15. Are ive not counted (f him stramrem f'l Katlui
Jind Leah, who well knew the disposition of liieir father, g-ive
him here his true charact. r. lie iia.n treated us as straiii^ers, as
slaves, wliom he had a riglit to dispose of di lie pleased: in
consequence, he hath m/i/ us, disposed of us, on the mere
prini.iple of gaining by ihc sale. -
And hath quite devoured also our money.] lias applied to
his own use the profits of the sale, and has allowed us neither
portion or inheritance.
Verse 19. LaiIkui njeyit to shear his sheep] Laban hail '.;imc,
and tills was a favourable time, not oidy to take his images,
hut to rcluni to Canaan without biing perceived.
Hichel hail stolen </if (H/ciijKv] . D'S'^n ter/iphim. What tlie
teraphini «ere is utterly unknown. In ver. .'iO. they aie
termed 'nbx elolmy, gods: and to some it appears very likely,
lhr\t they were a sort of images devoted to super.stitiou.s pur-
4>ijses ; not considered as gods, but as representatives of cer-
stuin divine allributcs. Dr. ShuckfonI supposes them to be
ji hijrt of tiles, v.i which U^t; oaincs or ligures of tlieir an-
sCli. 29. Id, '/r. >■ Hi'b. teriifhim. .bid" )7. 5. 1 S;rm. 19. 13. Uos. 3. 4.
' ch. 3j. a. " Heb. (Vie heart of Laban.
cestors were engraven. Theodore!, in his 89th question,
calls them idols, and says, that Rachel, who was a type of
the true chiireh, stole them from her father, that he might
be delivered from idolatry. R. S. Jarchi gives nearly the
same reason.
"^Ihe Targum of .loiinthan ben Uzziel gives a strange
turn to the whole passage. " And Rachel stole the images
of her father: for they had murdered a man, who was a
first-bnrn son; and huving cut oil" his bead, they embalmed
it with salt and spices, and they wrote divinations upon a
jilate of gold, and put it under his tongue; and placed it
against the wall, and it conversed with them; and Laban wor-
shipped it. And .Jacob stole the science of Laban the Sy-
rian, that it might not discover hs departure."
If the word be deriveil from NDl rapha, to heal or restore,
(lien the terapbiin may be considered as a sort of talismans,
kept for the purpose of averting and curing , di^casis; and
probably were kept by Laban for the same purpose, that the
Romans ke[it their Lares and Venales. It is, however, pns-
-iblo, thai D'2in terujdiivi, is the same as D'SIC seraphim,
the n tail and ]!/ shin being changed, which is very fre(]iient
111 the S\rian or Chaldee language; and we know that Labati
was an Aramtan or Syrian. Vw'-V. has been considered, from
the earliest ages, as a .symbol of ihe Deity; and as the word
sernphim comes rroin r]"8r saiapli, to barn, it has been coiv
jieUircd, that the trrapliim of Laban were luminous forms,
prepared of burnished bras*, &c. winch he might imagine a
proper medium of eomniiinieation between God ,and his
worshippers. Mr. Parkhnrsl has observed, that the tera-
phini were in use among believers and unbelievers. Among
the former, see this chapter; for he denies that Laban was
an idolater, see also .Indg. xvii. 5. xviii. 14* 18, 20. I Sam.
ijxix. 1^, 16. Among the latter, sec '_' Kaigs \Kiii. 2 i. Lzek.
Luban and his friends pursue them, CHAP.
A ^l vad^. 21 So he lied with all that he had ; j
J_ _'ll_ and he rose up, and passed o\er thei
river, and " set his iixce toward the inoimt j
Giiead.
22 5[ And it was told Lahati on the third day
tliat .Jaeol).\vas fled. !
'2ti And he tooiv ''lu's hretln-en with him, and!
pnrsii^d alter liim seven days journev; and thevi
overtook him in the mount Giiead. j
24 And God ' came to Lahan the Syrian in a 1
dream by nig-lit, and said unto iiim, Take heed i
that tliou '^ speak not to Jacob ' eitlier good or
bad.
2.) Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob
had pitelied his tent in the mount : and Laban
with his brethren pitched in the mount of
Giiead.
•Ch. 46. t'8 2Kiri!;5iy. 17. Luke 9. .il, 53. h ch. 13 R "^ ch "0
S. Job .S3. 15 Man. 1. -JO. <! cli. '2i. 60. <■ Heb. from s"Jd to bad.-^
' 1 Sain. oO. SI. ' o
\
1^
x\i. 21. Zed). X. 2. compare 1 Sam. xv. 23. ami H(«. iii. 4.
These are all the pUiLxs in whieli the original word is
fouiiH.
Tl)€ Persian tran-lator seems to have considered these tcra-
phim as tables or instrumenls, that served for purposes of
j judicial astrology, and hence translates the word Uj-iUa^!
I asterlaUm, aslrolabes. As the astrolahle was an instruineiit
j with which they took the altitude of the pole-star, the sun,
&c. it might, in the notion of the Persian translator, imply
i tables, Sfc. by which the culminating of particular stars
■ might be determined ; and the whole .serve ihv jjurposes of
\^ judicial astrology. Now, as we know that many, who have
; professed themselves to beconsc-entious believers in"Chri>tianily,
I liave nevertheless addicted themselves to judicial astrology]
I we might suppose such a thing in this case, and still coii-
j sider I.aban as no idolater. If the Persian translator has
! not Int on the true meaning, he has,, in my opinion, formed
the most likely conjecture. See the note on chap. xxx. 1 1.
■Verse 21. Passi:d over the rive,-] The Euphrates, as the
Targuni properly notices.— But how could he pass such a
Tvcer, with his tlocks ? &c. This .lilTicully does not seem to
have struck critics in general. The Rabbins felt it. and
assert that God wrought a miracle for Jacob on this occa.sion,
I and that he passed over dry-shod. As we know not in what
.; other way he could pa.ss, it is prudent tp refer it to the power
j ot God, which accompanied liim through the whole of l,is
I journey. There might, however, have Urn fords well known
to both Jacob and I al.an, by which thcv might readily pa-s.
Thcnount Gih-ad] What the ancient name of this moun-
I tain was we know not ; but it is likely that ii had not the name
MUdead till after the transaction mentioned, ver. 47., The
I mountains of Giiead were eastward of the country possessed
>.y the tnbcsof Reuben and Gad ; and extended from mount
Jlcrmon to the mountains of Moab. Culmet. It is joined to
, XXXI. and ovrrtalce them at mount Giiead.
26 And Laban said to Jacob, What am. .•.'(. 5.
hast thou done, that thou hast stolen "•^' '^•'•'-
away unawares to nie, and ' cariied away my
daughters, as captives tii/ieii with tlie sword ?
! 27 A^'he^efbre didst thou flee away secretly,
and ^ steal away tioin me ; and didst not tell
me, tiiat I might have sent thee awav with
mirtli, and with songs, with tabrct, and with
harp ?
I 28 And hast not suffered me " to kiss my
sons and my daughters? 'thdu hast now done
foolishly in .so doing.
! 29 It is in the power of my hand to do you
hurt: but the ''God of your Hither spake lUi-
Ur me ' yesternight, saying, Take thou heed
that thou speak not to Jacob either good or
bad.
EHcb. hast sU'len me. <> vcr. .55. Uutli 1 9, 14. I Kings 19. iO.
.^cts ^O. o7. ' 1 Saui. 13. 13. 2 Cliion. Iti. 9. k vcr. 53. cli. i'S. 13.
' ver. ^.'4.
I mount Libanu.s, and includes the mountainous region, called
in tlie New Testament Traclionilis. Dodd.
I Verse 24. And God came to Laban] God's caution to I.a-
! ban was of high importance to Jacob — Take heed that thou
speak not to Jacob cither g^ond or bad ; or radier, as is the lite-
ral meaning of the Hebrew, j;i V 31UU mi-lob ad rad, from
good to evil ; for, had he neither spoken good or evil to Jacob,
' they could liave had no intercourse at all. The original is,
] therefore, peculiarly appropriate ; for when pco])le meet, the
j language at first is the language of friendship ; the command,
therefore, implies, " Do not begin with peace be unto ihec,
and then proceed to injurious language and acts of violence."
If this <livine direction were attended to, how many of those af-
J'airs of honour, so termed, which commence with, •' I hopevou
are weU''-^-" I am infinitely glad to see you" — " I am happy
to sec you well," &c. and end with small sn-ords and pistol
bullets, would be prevented: Where God and true religion
j act, all is fair, kind, honest, and upright : but where the.'ie
are not consulted, all is hollow, deceitful, or malicious. Be-
, waie of unmeaning compliments, and particularly of saving
what thy heart leels not. God hates a hypocrite aiid h
j deceiver.
j Verse 27. I might hare sent thee aieai/ iL>it/i tnirlh] nrrctra
I bc-simchah, with rejoicing, making a fiast or eniertuinment on
I the occasion ; and uith songs, C'lt'n be-shirim, odes either
in the praise of God, or to commemoiate the splendid a'-ts of
their ancestors: ti'»/» labret r^ro betoph, the tvmpanwn.
used in the east to the present day, and there called ( 9^
diff, a thin broad wooden iioop, with parchment extended
over one end of it, to which is attached small pieces of brass,
tin, &c. which make a jingling noise : it is held in the air
with one hand, and beat on with the fingers of the other.
It apptars to have been precisely the siime with that which
I is called the tamb-juriw, and which is frequently to be met with in
Lahan searches for his images. GENESIS.
A.M.W6.'>. 30 And now, though thou would-
Bx J739. ggj. j^egjg \)Q gone, because thou sore
longedst after thy father's house, t/ei wherefore
hast thou ^ stolen my gods ?
31 ^ And Jacob answered and said to Laban,
Because I was afraid : for I said, Peradventure
thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from
me.
32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods,
^ let him not Hve : before our brethren, discern
thou what is thine with me, and take it to
thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had
stolen them.
33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and
into Leah's tent, and into the two maid-
servants' tents ; but he found them not. Then
went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into
Rachel's tent.
34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and
put them in the camels' furniture, and sat
upon them. And Laban "searched all the
tent, but found them not.
35 And she said to her father, Let it not
• Vcr. 19. Jud.». 18. 24. >> See ch. 44. 9. ' Hcb./f((.
A. M. 2065.
B. C. 1739.
And he searched,
CUV streets. Jnd ii-ilh harp, niJ33 be-kinnor, a sort of stringed
instnimtnt, akiteorbarp; probably tbe same as the Greek
xivvpa kin^ra, a harp, the name beings evidently borrowed
fioin tbe Hebrew. Tliese four things seem to include all
that was used in those primitive times, as expres.«ivc of glad-
ness and .satisfaction on the most joyous occasions.
Verse 29. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt.l
Literally, BIy hand is unto God to do you ei'il : i. e. I have
vowed to God that I will pmli^h Hiee for thy flight, and
the stealing of my teraphim ; but the God of YOUR father
has prevented me from doing it. It is a singular instance,
that llic plural pronoun, when addressing an individual,
shoidd be twice used in this place — the God of your father,
DD'3.S' abiccm, for "1'3^* "i''-'a. thy father.
Verse 32. Let him not live'] It appears from this, that an-
ciently iheft was punished by death ; and we know that the
patriarchs had the power of life and death in their iiands. But
previously to tli€ law, the punishinent of death was scarcely
ever inflicted but for murder. The llulibins consider thai this
was an imprecation used by Jacob, as if he had said — Let
God take away the life of the person who has stolen them !
And that this was answered shortly after, in the death of
Rachel, chap. xxxv.
Verse 35. Tiie custom of women is upon me] This she
knew must be a satisfactory reason to herl'atlur; for if the
teraphim were used to any religious purpose, and they seem
to have been used in this way, as Laban calls them his "■()(/.•!,
ver. 30. he therefore, could not suspect, that a woman in such
a situation, whose touch was considered as defiling, would have
Jacob chides rvith him.
displease my lord that I cannot
" lise up before thee ; for the cus-
tom of women is upon me.
but found not the images.
36 ^ And Jacob was wroth, and chode with
Laban : and Jacob answered and said to La-
ban, Wiiat is my trespass ? what is my sin,
that thou hast so hotly pursued after me ?
37 Whereas tli.ou hast searched all my stuff,
what hast thou found of all thy houshold stufT?
set it here before my brethren and thy brethren,
that tliey may judge betwixt us both.
38 This twenty years have I bee?i with thee 4
thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast
their young, and tlie rams of thy flock have
I not eaten.
39 ' That which was torn of beasts I brought
thee ; I bare the loss
of it ; of ^ my
"whether stolen by
not unto
hand didst thou require it,
day, or stolen by night.
40 This I was ; in the day
sumed me, and the frost by nio-ht ; and
sleep departed from mine eyes-
the drought con-
my
" Exod. 20. 12. Lev. 19. 32. ' Exod. 22. 10, &c. 'Exod. 22. 12.
sat upon articles, that were either the objects of his adoration,
or used for any sacred purpose. The stratagem succeeded to
her wish, and Laban departed without suspicion. It seems
very natural to suppose that Rachel did believe that by the
use of these teraphim, Laban could find out their flight, and
the direction they took, and therefore she stole them, and
having stolen them, she was afraid to acknowledge the theft,
and probably might think that they might be of some use to
herself. Therefore, for these two reasons, she brought them
away.
Verse 36. And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban]
The expostulation of Jacob with Laban, and their consequent
agreement, are told in this place, with great spirit and dig-
nity. .Jacob was conscious, that though he had made use of
cunning to increase his flocks, yet Laban had been on the whole,
a great gainer by his services. He had served him at least
twenty years, fourteen for llachel and Leah ; and six for the
cattle; and some suppose he had served him twenty years
besides the above, which is not unlikely, see the remarks at
the conclusion of this chapter. Forty, or even twenty years
of a man's life, devoted to incessant labour, and constantly
exposed to all the inclemencies of the weatlier, see ver. 40.
deserve more than an ordinary reward. Laban's constitu-
tional sin was covetonsness ; and it was an easily besetting sin;
for it appears to have governed all his conduct, a- d to have
rendered him regardless of the interests of his children, so
long as he could secure his own. 1 hat lie had <'r(C|nently
falsified his agreemoiit with Jacob, though the particulars arc
not specified, we have already had reason to conjecture fxom
Ja^ccA eTpostidales ic/th Laha», CHAP,
A. M.«2(^. 41 Thus have I been twenty years j
^ ^' "^^- in thy house; I 'served thee four-
teen years lor tliy two daut;htcrs, and six years
lor thy cattle : and '' thou hast clianged my
wages ten times.
42 'Except the God of my father, tlic God
of Abraham, and ''the tear of Isaac, had ])cen
with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now
empty. 'God hatli seen mine attliction and the
labour of my hands, and ' rebuked thee yester-
night.
4.'3 ^ And Lallan answered and said unto
Jacob, Tliexe daughters are my daughters,
and these children are my children, and these
cattle arc my cattle, anil all that thou seest is
mine : and what can I do this day unto these
jny daughters, or unto their children which
tliey ha\e borne ?
4-i Now therefore, come thou, ^let us make
XXXI. Thcjj set vp a monument.
ia covenant, I and thou; "and let a.m.s^ss.
it be for a witness bet^veen me and
thee.
B. C. 17j9.
Cli.
2P. £7
, «B
i>
vfr.
7.
^Vi
1-24.
1.2-
-<■ ver.
5.5.
Isai.
8
13.
-'c
1. 29.
ii.
Exud
3.
7.
.flChruii
V2.
17.
Jude
9.-
Be
1.
26.
KB.
» J«bli.
■ii.
'JT.
rer. 1. and with this Jacob charges his father-in-law, in the
most positive manner, ver. 41. Perhaps some previous un-
fair trau.'^actions of this kind, were the cause wliy Jacob was
led to adopt llie txpechent of out-witling Laban in tlie case of
the spnitcci, spangk-J, ring-stmLrd, and griskJ cat/lg. Tliis, if
it did take place, thougii it cainiot jui-tify tlie measure, is some
palliation of it: and almost the whole of Jacob's conduct, as
far as relates to Laban, can be better excused, than his in-
juring; Laban's breed, by leaving- him none but the weak,
unhealthy and degenerated cattle. See on chap. xxx. 43.
\'erse ^9. 'J'lial ivliicli ivns torn — of my hand didsl thou re-
quire u] Tliisniore particularly marks the covetous and rigor-
ens di.'-ptisition of Laban ; for the law of God required that
what bad been torn by beasts, the sliejiherd should not be ob-
liged to make good. Exod. xxii. 10, 13. And it is very
likely t'liat this law was in force from the earliest times.
Verse 41. Twenty years\ See the remarks at the end.
Verse 42. The fear of Isaac] It is strange that Jacob
»lioul<l .'ay, the Got) of Abraham, and the I-'EAR <f hauc,
when both words are nuant of the same Being. The reason
perhaps was this : Abraham was long since dead, and God
was his unalienable portion for ever. Isaac was yet alive, in
a state o{ probation, living in the fear of God; not exempt
from the danger of falling, therefore God is said to be his
fiar, not only the object of his religious worship in a general
way ; but that holy and just God, before w houi he was still
vorking out his salvation wilh ftar and trcnibluig — fear, lest
lie should fall; and trembling, lest he should otRnd.
\'ei"se 46. Jlade a heaj)] hi gal, translated heap, signifies
properly a round heap, and this heap was pivbaUly made for
the tlouble purpose «f an akar <nid a table ; and Jacob's stone
or pillar was set on it, for the purpose of a manoiial.
45 And Jacob ' took a stone, and set it up Jbr
a pillar.
4G And Jacob said unto his brethren, Ga-
ther stones ; and they took stones, and made
a heap : and they did eat there upon the
heap.
47 And Laban called it *' Jcgar-sahadutha :
but Jacob called it ' Galeed.
48 And Laban said, '" This heap is a witness
between me and tlice this day. Therelbre was
the name of it called Galeed
49 And "Mizpah"; for he said, The Lob»
watch between me aiul thee, when we are ab-
sent one from another.
50 If thou shalt aihict my daughters, or if
thou shalt take other wives beside my daugh-
■Cl). t'8. 18. "That is, thf heaji i>f wilnesi. Clia!d, 1 That is, the
'if op of wUiKss. Hcb. ".fo!,!!. 24. 'Jr. " JiKlg. 11. ita iSiioi. 7.5.
° riiat IS a beacon, or wateh-towcr.
Verse 47. Laban called it] NnnnC "IJ' Yegar Sahadutha,
the heap, or round lieap of xvitneis — but Jacob called it "V hi
Gal ed, which signifies the same thing. The first is pure
Chaldee, the second jnire Hebrew. i;x agar signifies to
collect, lienre 1J» yegar, and 1J1N ogar, a collection, or Iicap
made up of gathered stones : and hence also ^m;^{ egora, an
altar used frequently by the Chaldee Paraphrast, ste 1 King*
xii. 33. Judg. vi. 31. 2 Kings xxi. 3. Jerem. xvii. 1. See
Caxtel's Lexicon. From this example we may inli-r, that the
Chaldee language was nearly coeval with the Hebrew. A
i gloss made by St. .ferom, and which was probably only en-
tered by him in his margin, as a note, has crept into the text
of the Vulgate ; it is found in every copy of this version, and
is as follows, ulerque juila proprictutem lingua: suie. Each,
according to the idiom of his own tongue.
Verse 48, 49. I think these two verses are badly divided,
and should be read thus :
Verse 43. And Laban said : This heap is a ti:itness bctveen.
me and thee this day.
Verse 49. Therefore vms the name of it called Galeed and
Mizpah; for he said: The Lord viatch bettxeen me and thee,
when ive are absent one from another.
Mizpah, TSSO mitspah, signifies a viatcli-tower, and Labare
supposes, that in consequence of the consecration of the place,
and the covenant now .solemnly made and ratified, that God
would take possession of this hea[), and stand on it as on a
watrh-towtr, to prevent either of them from trenching on the
conditions of their covenant.
\'erse 50. JSIo man is -with us] Though all were present at
the sacrifice offered, yet it appears that in making the con.
tract, Jacob and Laban withdrew, and transacted the buiine*
in private, calling on God to witiiess it.
A.M. 2*65.
J3. C. 3759.
Tfiey make n covenant.
ters, (no man w with us;) see, God
is witness betwixt nie and thee.
51 And Lalwn said to Jacob, Behold this
heap, and behold i/iis pillar, which I have cast
betwixt me and thee;
52 This hea]i be witness, and this pillar be
witness, that L will not pass over this heap to
thee, and that thon shalt not pass over this
lieap and this pillar unto me, for liarm.
53 The God of Abraham, and the God»of
Nahor, the God of their lather, * judge betwixt
'Ch. 16. 5. — ^''ch. 21. 23. "^ver. 42. •> Or, lillcd beasts.
Jacob liad alicady four wives, but Laban feared tbat he
might take others whose children would naturally come in for
a share of the inheritance, to the prejudice of his daughters
and grandchildren. Though the Koran allows a man to
Lave four ivives, if he can maintain tliem, yet we learn, that in
many cases where a man takes a wife, the parents or relatives
of the woman stipulate that the man is not to take another
during the lifetime of that one whom he now espouses; and
notwithstanding the permission of the Koran, he is obliged to
fulfil this agreement.
Verse 51. Ami 1/iban said to Jacob — behold this pillar,
loltidi I HAVE CAST beiwixt me and tlice'] But this pillar, not
cast, but set up, was certainly set tip by Jacob; for in ver. 45.
we read, /liul Jacob took a stone and set it up for a pillar: 'tis
therefore for the honour of one Hebrew and one Samaritan
1VI.S. that they have preserved the true reading in ver. 51.
ivyi jjarita, THOU hast set up. Kennicoit. Instead of eitlier
of the above readings, the Samaritan text has AA-'M7r3'«'«'"j
The pillar vihich thou SEEST betwixt me and thee.
Verse 53. The God of their father} As Laban certainly
speaks of the tme God here, with what propriety can he say,
that this God was the God of Terah, the father of Abram
and Nahor? It is certain that Terah was an idolater: of
thi> we have the most positive proof. Josh. xxiv. 2. — Because
the clause is not in the Septuagint, and is besides wanting in
si>mc MSS. Dr. Kcnnicott considers it an interpolation.
But there is no need of having recourse to this expedient,
if we adopt the reading D3»3t< abicem.YOVn father, for Dn'3N
abihcm, TIU-AR father, which is supported by .several of Kenni-
coU's and ])c Rossi's MSS. and is precisely the same form
made use of by Laban, ver. 29. when addressing Jacob ; and
appears to me to be used here in the same way : for he there,
most manifestly, uses the plural pronoun, when speaking only
to Jacob, himself. It is therefore to be considered as a form.
of speech peculiar to Laban ; at least we have tu-o instances of
his use of it in this chapter.
Jaccjb s:vure by the fear of his father Isaac] See on ver. 42.
Verse 54. Offered sacrifice upon the mounti It is very
likely that LaVian joined in this solemn religious rite; and
lliat" having otiercd the blood and fat to Gud, they feasted
npon the sacrifice. Here it is said, he called his brethren.
Verse 55. Kissed his sons and his daus;hters] That is, his
■wandchildren, Jacob's eleven sons with Dinah their sister, and
A. M. 2265.
B. C. 1739.
GENESIS. Tlicy part in a friendly manner.
us. And Jacob *" sware by ' the fear
of his father Isaac.
.54 Then .lacob ''offered sacrifice upon the
mount, and called his brethren to eat bread :
and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in
the mount.
55 And early in the morning Laban rose up,
and kissed his sons and his daughters, and
"^ blessed them: and Laban departed, and '^re-
turned unto his place.
' Cli. 28. 1.-
-fch. 18. 33. & 30. 23.
dieir mothers, Lta/i and Rachel. All these he calls his chil-
dren, ver. 4.3. And blessed them — prayed heartily for their
prosperity, though we find from ver. 29. that he came, having
boiuid hnnself by a vow to God, to do tliem some injuiy.
I'hus God turned his intended curse into a blessing. .
The most important topics in this chapter have already been
considered in the notes, and to those tlie reader is referred.
Jacoli's character we hine already seen ; and hitherto have
met in it little to admire; but we shall soon find a blessed
change both in his mind and in his conduct. Laban's cha-
racter appears in almost every instance to disadvantage — he
does not stem to be what we commonly term a wicked man;
but he was certainly both weak and covetous ; and covetous-
ness extinguished in him, as it does in all its votaries, the prin-
ciples of righteousness and benevolence; and the very charities
of human life. Provided he could get an increase of property,
he regarded not who was wronged, or who suffered. In this
case, he hid himself even from his own bowels, and cared not
that his own children should lack even the necessaries of life,
provided he could increase his own store ! How watchful should
we be against this destructive, unnatural and degrading vice!
It is impossible for a man who lores money, to love either
God or man. And consequently he must be in the broad
way that leads to destruction.
For the difficulties in the chronology of Jacob's, sojourning^
in Padan-aram, I beg leave to refer to the following remarks.
Remarks ujion Gen. xxxi. 38, &c. relative to the time spent
by Jacob in the service of his father-in-law Laban, in
]Meso[)otamia, from Dr. Kennicott.
" If every reading, which introduces but a single difTiculty
demands our attention; much greater must that demand be,
when several ditriculties are caused by any one mistake, or
any one mistranslation. Of this nature is the passage before
u.s, which therefore sball be here considi red more fully : es-
pecially, as I have not already subnuttcd to the learned any
remarks upon this subject. Jacob's age, at the time of his
going to Laban, has (till very lately) been fixed, perhaps uni- .
versallv, at seventy-seven years. But I think, it has bcei^
shewnby the karned Mr. Skinner, in an excellent disscrta- ■
tion (Ito. 1165) that the number sevcniy-scveii cannot here
j be right.
Reasons to prove that Jacob had
CHAP. XXX L
been ttiih Laban 40 yeafi.
" Jarob was one hunt/red and tliirij/, when lie went down
(wiili sixij/ six person?) Into K^jypt. Joseph Iiad then heen
governor ifu years; and wliin made trovernor was ifiirfi/ :
therefore Jacob rould not he more than iiinetj/, at the liirth of
Joseph. Now, upon supposition tha( Jacob was sizi-iilj/-!ieve>i,
at Gfin;; to La!)aii ; and that he had no son till he \ias
cigUtii-fivc ; and thai he, with e/arn sons, left Laban at 7!/Hf/j/-
stven : there will follow these, ambn!>st other strange con:.L'-
quences, which are eninner jtcd by Mr. Skinner, page 11, &e.
1. Tliout;h Isaac and h.sau married at forty ; Jacob goes, at
sevcn'x/scvcn, to look for a wife ; and agrees to marry her
Ktfn years after. '2. Issachar is born alter the afVair of I hi
niaiulrakcs, which Renhcn finds, and brings home, «licn he.
(Rcub'-n) was about four years old : that is, if Issachar was
horn before Joseph, agreeably to Gen. xxx. IS and 25. 3.
Jiidah begets Er, at thirteen. For in the first of the following
tables Judah is born in Jacob's year eiglily-ei;^ht, and Er in
one liunclred and two. 4. F",r manie'? at nine, and is deslroy-
ed for profligacy. Er, born in one hundred and ln-o, niarries in
one hundred and eleven. Sec also (ien. xxxviii. 1. 5. Onan
Uiarrics at eii;lit. For Onan, horn in one hundred and three,
marries in one hundred and eleven. (>. Shelah, being grown
at ten, ought to be married. For Shelah, born in one hun-
dred and four, is marriageable, but not married to Tamar,
in one hundred and fourteen. See (Jen. xxxviii. 14. 1.
Pliarez ke[!t from marrying whilst young, yet has a .son al
thirteen. I' or Pharez, born in one hundred and fifteen, had
two sons at going to Egypt, in one hundred and thirty. 8.
Esau goes to I^hniarl, and marries his daughter, after Jacob
went to Laban at. .sctcnty-set'en ; though Ishniael died when
Jacob was sixty-three, see Gen. xvi. 16. xxv. 17. and 2f>.
xxviii. 9. 0 If Jacob had no son till he was eiy^htyfive, and
if Joseph, the youngest except lienjamin, was born when his
father was ninety, then ihf elmn sons, and Dinah, v tfe born
in five years. Lastly, if Jacob had no son till eiqhtyfive,
and he went to Egypt at one hundred and thirty, w ilh sixty-
six persons, only Jor/y-./ife years are allowed for his family:
whereas the larger sum of sixty five years seems necessary for
the births of so many children and grand-children. On this
suhjccl Le Cierc has pronounced — Hisce in rebus occurriint
nodi, quos nemo hactenus solvit ; neque porro, ut opinor,
solvet. There are di^iculties here i^hich have lu'vcr been ex-
plained ; and in my opinion, never can be explained. Hut
«pon die single principle of Mr. Skinner, that Jacob went
to Laban at fifty-seven, (instead of seventy-seven) these diffi-
culties are solved. And it only remains to wish, that some
authority may be found to support this conjecture, thus
strongly founded on llie exigcntia loci. The common opi-
nion is formed by reckoning back from the age of Joseph,
when governor of Egypt, to the time of his birth, and from
the twenty years which the text says Jacob was with Laban.
This number, Mr. Skinner thinks, was originally /or(y ; and
I 1 think, that the Hebrew text, as it now stands, confirms the
i fonjeclurc, and furnishes the very authority which is so much
j wanted.
I " After Jacob had served Laban fourteen years for his two
H'ivcs, where was Jacob to reside ? Esau was still living; and
Jacob might well be afraid of returning to him, till more
years of absence had disarmed his resentment : and had the
death of Esau happened, Jacob would then have been secure.
But let us also renieiiiber, that Isaac was still alive; and that
Esan had determined to kill Jacob, whenever their father
-lioiild die. It would, therefore, be no vponder, if Jacob
>h(/uld have desired to continue longer in Haran. And, to
carry this point more efl'ectually, he might oiler to take care
of Laban's cattle, and to live in his neighbourhood, upoi^
such terms of advantage to Laban, as could not easily be
withstood. Lastly, when the good effects to Laban from
this connection, had been experienced, without profit, nay,
with some losses, to .lacob for fu:enty years, Jacob might na-
liiratly grow tired of thus assisting Laban, without providing
for his own growing family. Accordingly we find, that
' Jacob covenants with Laban for six years of more close «t-
I tendance and service in Laban's own house, for which the
wages were expressly settled. Agreeable to the preceding
])03sibilities this seems to have been the fact; Jacob living in
Warau forty years, and in this manner:
1 !■ years in Laban's house, a covenant servant for Rachel
[ and Leaii.
20 ill Laban's neighbourhood, as a friend.
6 in Laban's house, a covenant servant for cattle.
I 40
" Now the tiu.-nty concuiTent years of neighbourly assist-
ance, and the disjumttd twenty of cotenant scnice, seem both
of them mentioned, and both of them di>tinguished, in the
history itself. J'or, upon Laban's pursuit of Jacob, when
Jacob is vindicating his past behaviour, he mentions tiuenty
years tivicc ; which two sets of twenty, if really different,
m<\ke forty. Each mention of the twenty years is introduced
, with the word nj zch ; which word, when repealed, is used
i in opposition, or by way of distinction : as, when we say
this and that, the one or the other. Thus, Exod. xiv. 20.
i .so that the one came not near the other. Eccl. vi. 5. this
j hath more rest than the other. And, with tlie two words at
a great distance. Job xxi. 23. one dieth — 25. and another
dieth, &c. So here in Gen. xxxi. at verse 38. Jacob says
to Laban, "pv »3:N* PJi:' Dntt'i; nr zeh hri?n shauah anoci
uncha — during the OSE .••ei <f twenty years I uas with thee, Sfc.
meaning the time in which he lived, not in Laban's house,
but in his neighbourhood ; not as a servant, but a friend:
after he had served, in Laban's house, fourteen years for his
daughters, and before he served six years for his cattle. But
then, as to tlie other twenty, he tells Laban, at verse 41,
varying the jdirase very remaikably — rjtt^ D'lUV 'S "I
■'nnay^n'Sa zch U i-sr"" shanah beheiteca ahadteyca — during the
other twenty years ('*? li) FOR i\lYSt:LF (for my own benefit)
IN THY HOUSE, Isencd thee fourteen years — and six yeurs, !fc.
And, during this last period, though only .«.r years, he charges
Laban with changing his wages ten times. So that Jacob
insists upon having well earned his wages through the twenty
years, \\ hen he served for hire : but he makes a far freattr
merit of having, f()r another twenty yeui-s, assisted him with-
out wages, and e\ en with some losses: and, therefore, with
particular propriety, he reminds Laban of that set of /'.vctitj/
years in the first place.
7 <*
Reasons tending to prove that Jacob GENESIS. had been xcith Lahan 40 year$^
The true Chi-onolo^ of Jacob will be greatly elucidated by the following Tables, taken chiefly from Mr. Skinner.
TABLE I. On Jacob's being at Haran only 20 years.
0 Jacob (and Esau) born.
40 Esau marries two wives, Hittites -.--.--. Gen. xxvi. 34.
63 Ishmael dies, aged 137---- Gen. xxv. 17.
77 Jacob goes to Haran.
84 marries Leah and Rachel Gen. xxix. 20, 2 1, 27, 28.
85 KiiUBEN born, of Leah. -\
86 Simeon ( Gen. xxix. 32-35.
87 Levi 1
88 JuDAH y
89 Dan born of Bilhali.
Naphtali
G«f/ born, ofZilpah
Ashcr V .----• Gen. xxx. 6 — 24.
IsSACHAR born, of Leah.
Zebulun and Dinah.
91 Joseph born, of Rachel.
97 Jacob returns from Haran.
98 dwells in Succoth.
§9 comes to Shalem, and continues there eight years.
101 Judah marries Shuah's daughter.
102 F.r born — 103 Onan — 104 Shelah.
106 Shechemites destroyed, by Simeon and Levi.
107 Benjamin is born, and Rachel dies.
lOS Joseph sohl, when seventeen ---------- Gen. xxxvii. 2.
1 1 1 Tamar married to Er, and immediately afterwards to Onan.
114 Tamar's incest with Judah.
1 15 Pharez and Zarali born to Judah.
120 Lsaac dies, aged 180 -- Gen. xxxv. 23.
121 Joseph is made governor of Egypt -------- Gen. xli. 4G.
130 Jacob gofs into Egypt ..---....-.-- Gen. xlvii. 1'.
147 and dies - - .- - . . 28. & xlix. 33.
TABLE II. On Jacob's being at Haran 40 years,
O Jacob (and Esau) born.
40 Esau marries two wives, Hittites - . - - -
57 Jacob t;oes to Haran.
58 Ksaii goes to Islmiael, and marries his daughter
63 Ishmael dies, aged 1 37 -------
64 Jacob marries Leah and Rachel ------
65 Reuben born of Leah'N
« ^ 66 Simeon — f
67 Levi C
63 Judah J
RatlKl, not bparing, gives Bilhah. "
6.0 Dan l>orn, of Bilhaii.
71 Naphlali
Leah, not bearing, gives Zilpah.
72 Gad born, ofZilpah
74 Aslier
78 Reuben, at 1 3, finds the mandraltes.
^ «( 7.9 Issachar born, of Leali.
£ 81 Zebuhm 82 Dinah.
86 Judah, at 1 8, man'ies Shuah's daughter*.
87 Er bom 83 Onan— 89 Shelaii.
9 1 Joseph born, of Rachel.
■ -------- years service for cattle.
♦ Not placed ill urJ«r of lime, Gen. xxxviij. See Skinner, p. 93i
Gen. xwi. 3 k
Kjen. xxviii. ^^
Gen. x\v. 17.
Gen. xxix. 20, 2 1
27, 28.
7en. xx:x. 32 — jo.
Gen. xxx. 6 — 2*.
i
Reasons to prove that Jacob
CHAP. XXXII.
had been tvith Lahan 40 yeai'S,
9T Jacob comes from Ilaran to Succolh and Slialem.
Dinah ikfiltd, and the Sliecliemitcs destroyed.
93 Benjamin is born, and Rachel dies.
103 Ikriah, fonrtli son of Asher, born.
105 Taniar married lo It — 106 to Onan.
1C8 Joseph, at seventeen, is can'ied to Egypt - - - -
109 81)clah, at tvsenty, not given to Tamar.
110 Pharez and Zarah born of Tamar, by Judah.
120 Isaac dies, a^ed 180 ---------
I'il Joseph, at thirty, oovcrnor of Egypt - . . - -
123 Beriah, at twenty, marries.
125 Heber — 127 Malchiel — born, to Beriah.
128 Pliarez, at ei^liteen, marries.
129 Hezron — 130 Hamul — born to Pharcz.
130 Benjamin, at tliirty-two, has ten sons.
Jacob goes to Egypt ------------
147 and dies - ------------
Gen. xxxvii. 2.
Gen. Txxv. 28.
Gen. xh. 46.
Gen. xlvii. P.
28. & xlix. 33.
" Our translation now is — xxxi. 33. THIS TWENTY YEARS
have I been WITH THEE; thy ewes and thy she-goats have
not cast their young, and the rams of tliy JJock have I not
eaten. 39. That ivhich was torn of hea»is I brought not unto
thee; I bare the loss of it: of my hand didst thou require it,
■whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40. T/ius I was; in
the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night ; and
my sleep departed from mine eyes. 41. Tlais HAVE I BEEN
TWENTY YEARS IN THY HOUSE: / served thee fourteen years
for thy two daughters, and si.\: years for thy cuttle ; and thou
hast changed my nages ten times.
" The alteration here recommended is this. xxxi. 38.
During the one twenty years i was with thee; thy
ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams,
tfc. l)c. 41. During the other twenty years, for
XIYSELF, IN I'HY HOUSE; I served, ^c. The same distinction
is expressed in xxx. 29. — Thou Knoiuest how I have served thee,
and how thy cuttle was with me; i. e. how I behaved, during
the time 1 was with thee, as thy serrant; and how thy cattle j
fared, during the time they were with me as thy friend.
" It must not be omitted, that Archbishop Usher and Bishop-
Lloyd ascribe sons to Jacob very soon after his coining to
Laban; nay, assert that he was married almost as soon as lie
came to Haran, instead of waiting seven years, as he most
evidently did. And Mr. Jarkson allows, that some of the
sons of Benjamin, who are expres-ly numbered as going into
Egypt with Jacob, might be born in Egypt! From such
distresses, and such contradictions, does the distinction of
the two sets of twenty years happily deliver us."*
* Hoc temporis intervallo nemo concipere poteril tot res contin-
gere potuisse. SPINOSA.
" In such a short space of time, it is Impossible that so many
transactions could have taken place."
I shall leave this subject with chronologists and critics, and
shall not altempt to decide on either opinion. That of Dr.
Kennicolt I think Ihe most likely, and to it I have ailapted
the chronology, in those cases, to which it relates.
CHAPTER XXXII.
JacoTi, proceeding on fiis joiirne)/, is met by the ati gels of God, 1, 2. Sends mesaeitgers hefore him lo liis brother
Esau, requesting to be favourably received, 3 — 5. The messengers return rciihout tin aimrer, but zcith the
inteUigcmx that Esau, rcilh four hundred men, teas coming to meet Jacob, 6. lie ^^ greal/i/ alarmed and
adopts prudent means J'or the safety of himself and familt/, 7, 8. His ajj'cctiiig prai/er to (iod, g — 1'2. Pre-
pares a present of Jive droves of different cattle for his brother, l,j — 15. Sends ihetnfoncard before him, at a
certain distance from each other, and insfi'ucts the drivers rchat to say tchen met by Esau, 15 — 20. Sends Iiis
Ktves, servants, children, and baggage, over the brook Jabbok, by night, 21 — 28. Himself stai/s behimt, and
urestles zcith an angel until the break of day, 24. He prevails, and gets a new name, '25 — '20. Calls the
name of the place Peniel, 30. Is lame in his thigh in consequence of his zcrtstlin^ with the angel, 31, 32.
Jacoh meets angels at Mahanahn i
A.M. 2'^65.
B.C. 1739.
GENESIS.
3 If And
sends messengers to Esaiu
^ ^ I, .^..ux.v. Jacob sent messengers
j before him to Esau his brother "unto
the land of Scir, 'the '^ country of Edom.
A. »I cir a.'S.'i.
BC cir.l/Sg.
AND Jacob went on his way, and
• the angels of God met him.
2 And when Jacob saw tliem, he said. This is
God's "host: and he called the name of that j 4 And he commanded them, saying, ^ Thus
place '^lahanaim.
•Ps. 91. 11. Hcbr. 1. 14. "Josh. 5. 14. P». 103. 21. & Hfi. g.
Luke 2. 13. "^Tliat is, two hoits, or, camps.
NOTES ON CH.i.P. XXXII.
Ver.ie 1. The angels of God met him] Our word Angel
comes from the Greek AyyiXaq angelos, wliicli litoially signi-
fies, a nic.'isenger, or as translaleJ in some uf our old Dibles
a tidings-hringer. The Hebrew word "jSTJ ntaluk, from "]N'?
Inac to send, miiihter to, employ, is nearly of the same mi-
port; and hence we may see the propriety of St. Augustin's i
remark, Nonicn noa natimc scd officii^ " it is a name, not of
nature but of ollice," and hence it is apphed indilleiently to
a human agent or messenger, 2 Sam. ii. 5. xi. 19, 22, 23, 25
Prov. xiii. n. to a prophet, Ha^;";. i. : 3. to a priest, Mai. ii.
7. compare Kccles. ii (i. to celestial spirits, Psal. ciii. 19, 20,
22. civ. 4. cxlviii. 2, 3, 4. Jub iv. 18.
We often, says Mr. Parkhurst, read of the rUH' ixbo ma-
lak Yehovah, or D'H^X 'ixVo mttlakey Elohim, the angel of
Jehovali, or the angels of God, that is, his agent, personatoi-,
mean of fi^ihiliij/, or action; what was employed by God to
render liiin>elf visible and approacliable by flesh and blood.
This angel was evidently a liKuian form, surrounded or ae-
€onipanied by /i'^/i; or g/o»3^, with or in which, Jehovah was
present: see Gtn. xix. 1712, 16. Judg. xiii. 6. 21. Exod. iii.
2, 6. By this vision, says Mr. Ainsworth, God confirmed
Jacob's faith in him vho commanded his angels to keep his :
people in all their ways, Psal. xci. 11. Angels are here called j
Cod's host, camp or unny, as in wars; for angels are God's I
soldiers, Luke ii. 13. horses and chariots of fire, 2 Kings ix.
1"?. fighting for God's people against their enemies, Dan. x.
20. of them there are thousand thousands, and ten thousand ■
times ten thousand, Dan. vii. 10. And they are all sent forth I
to minister for them that shall be heirs of salvation, Heb. i. I
14. And they pitch a camp about them that fear G<id, i
P.snl. xxxiv. a. (jne of the (ililest of the Greek Poet.s, He- |
friod, seem."; to liavo* iiad a tokrably correct notion of the an-
gelic ministry.
AuTap fSStiKzv Touro ysvoi Kara yaia x.a!^l;4-fv
Toi /xiv Aaifiovii ii<n, Aiof i^zyaXou dia ^ou>.ai
liy^AOi CTTix^ovioi pv\aii£; fo»Twy avfcai7ra)V" n. t, >..
HkSII)I>. Op. & Dies. 1. i. V. 120.
When in the grave this race of men was laid,
Soi.n was a world of ln^ly D-.enions made
Aerial spirits, by great .love design'd.
To be on earth tUc guard /a ni of mankind:
Invisible to mortal eyes they go,
And mark our actions uood <>r bad below;
Th' iuunortal spies, with wttchfnl care preside
And thrice ten tiiuusund, round their charties jjlide;
They can nuard with glory </r with gold,
A power, itiey i>j divine permission hold. COOKE.
shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant
"Ch 33. 14, 16.-
— 'cli 3v fi, 7 8. DcEt. 2. .5.
•HeU.peU. *Prov. la. 1.
Josh. 21. 4,-
Verse 2. Blahanaim."] The two hosts, if read by the
points, the angels forming one, and Jacob and his company
forming another, or sunply hosts or camps in the plural.
There was a city buildcd afterw:irds here, and inhabited by
the priests of God, J-^h. xxi. 38. For what purpose tlie
angels of God met Jacob does not apjjear from the text:
probably it was intended to shew him that he and all his com- ■
paiiy were under the care of an especial Providence; and
con.sequeully to excite and confirm his trust and confidence
in God.
The doctrine of tlie ministration of angels has been much
abused, not only among the heathens, but also among Jeivs
and Christians; and perhaps most among the latter. An-
gels with feigned names, titles, and influences have been,
and still are invoked and worshipped by a certain class of
men ; because they have f >und that God has been pleased
to employ them to minister to mankind, and hence they have
made supplications to them to extend their protection, to
shield, defend, instruct, &c. Tiiis is perfectly absurd. 1.
l^hftj' are God's instruments, not self determining agents. 2,
They can only do what they are appointed to perform ; for
there is no evidence that they have any discretionary power.
3. God helps man by ten thousand means and instruments,
soxTiie intellectual ; as angels; some rational, as men; some e>-
rationul, as brutes; and some merely material, as the sun,
wind, rain, food, raiment, and the various productions of the
earth- He theiefoie, helps by whom he will help, and to
him alone, belongs all the glory; for should he be determined
to destroy, all these instruments collectively, could not save.
Instead therefore, of worshipping them, we should take then-
own advice, Rev. xxii. 9. See thou do it not — Worship
God.
Verse 3. Jacoh sent messengers] 0'3S?0 malacim, the same
word which is before translated angels. It is very likely that
these messengers had been sent, some time before he had this
vision at Mahanaim; for they appear to have returned while
Jacob cneaiiiped at the brook .labbok, where he had the vi-
sion of angels; see ver. 6. and 23.
The land of Seir, the country of Edam] This land which
was, according to Dr. Wells, situated on the south of the
Dead .Sea, extending from thence to the Arabian Gidph,
1 Kings ix. 26. was formerly possessed by the Iloriles, Gtn.
xiv. 6. but Esau with his chiMren drove thein out, destro)'ed
them, and dwelt in tlieir stead, Deut. ii. 22. And thither
Esau went from the face of his brother Jarob, chap, xxxvi. 6,
1. 'I'hus wc find, he verified the prediction, by thy sword
shuU thou live, chap, xxvii. 40.
Verse 4. Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau] Jacob
acknowled jes the «/j;cno;7fy of his brothei' ; lor the time was
Esau and 400 men come to meet Jacob, CHAP.
A.M.W65. Jacob saith tlms, I have sojourned
^^ ^ '^'^' with Laban, and stayed there until
now :
5 And "I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and
men-servants, and women-servants : and I have
sent to tell my lord, that ^ I may find grace in
thy sight.
6 IT Aiid the messengers returned to Jacob,
saying. We came to thy brother Esau, and also
'he comcth to meet thee, and four hundred
men with him.
7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and ''dis-
tressed : and he divided the people that ixris
with him,- and the flocks and herds, and the
camels, into two bands ;
8 And said. If Esau come to the one com-
1 pany, and smite it, then the other company
■ which is left shall escape.
•Ch. 30. 43.-
-"■ch. 33. 8, 15. "^ch.
15. fell. 28. 13.—
33. 1. '•cIi. 35. 3.-
-t ch. 31. 3, 13.
-'Va. 50.
not j'et come, in which it could be said, the cider shall serve
the yoiim^er.
Verse 6. Esau — coyneth — and four hundred men v:hh him.']
Jacob, con.scious that he had injured his brother, was now
apprehensive that he was coming witli hostile intentions, and
that he had every evil to fear from his displeasure. Conscience
is a terrible accuser. — It was a fine saying of a heathen.
-Hie miirus aheneus esto.
Nil conscire sibi, nulla pallesccre culpa.
IIOR. Ep. 1. i. E. i. V. 60.
Be this thy brazen bulw ark of defence.
Still to preserve thy conscious innocence.
Nor e'er turn pale with guilt. FRANCIS.
• In other words. He titat has a ^ood conscience, has a brazen
j vail for his defence ; for a guilty conscience needs no accuser ;
' sooner or later it will tell the truth, and not only make the
.man turn pate, whu has it; but alsio cause him to tremble,
and to be greatly afraid, even while hi> guili is known only to
himself and God.
I It does not appear, that Esau in this nieelin;;- had any hos-
'tile intention; Init was jeally coming with a part of his ser-
ivants or tribe, to do his brother honour. If he had had any
; contrary intention, God had removed it; and the angelic host
which Jacob met with before, might have inspired him vitli
'sufficient confidenrs in God's protection. But v.e find, that
when he needed failh most, he appears for a time, to have de-
Tived but little benefit from ils influence; partly from the sense
|he had of the injury he had done to his brother ; and partly
;from not attending sufiiciently to the assurance which God
jbad given him of his gracious protection.
I Verse 7. He divided the people, Sfc] His prudence and cun-
Ining were now turned into a right channel, for he took the
|iuost eflectual method to appease his brother, had he been irri-
XXXIf. Jacob's praj/er to God.
9 IF 'And Jacob said, ' O God of A.M.2?es.
my lather Abraham, and God of my "' ^ ^'"^-
father Isaac, the Lord ^ which saidst unto me,
Retiun luito thy countrj-, and to thy kindred,
and I will deal well with thee :
10 '' I am not worthy of the least of all the
' mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast
shewed unto thy servant ; for with " my staff I
passed over this Jordan; and now I am become
two bands.
1 1 ' Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand
of my brother, fi-om the hand of I'^saii : for I
fear liim, lest he will come and smite me, and
'" the mother " with the children.
12 And "thou saidst, I will surely do thee
good, and make thy seed as the sand of the
sea, which cannot be numbered for multi-
tude.
» Heb. I am less than all, 4c. ' cli. 24. 27. ^ .Tub 8. 7. ' Ps. 59. 1, 2.
"> Hos. 10. 14. "yeb. upon. ^"cli. 28. 13, 14, 15.
tated ; and save, at least, a part of his family. This dividing
and arranging of his flocks, family, and domestics, has some-
thing in it, highly characteristic. To such a man as Jacob
such expedients would naturally present themselves.
Verse 9. 0 God of »ij/ father Abralutm, i^c.] This prayer
is remarkable for its simplicity and energy : and it is a model
loo for prayer, of which it contains the essential constituents.
I • Deep self-abasement. 2. Magnification of God's mercy.
3. Deprecation of the evil to which he was exposed. 4.
Pleading the promises that God had made to him, and 5.
Takmg encouragement from what God had already wrouglit.
Verse 10. I am not ivorthy of the least of all the mercies.l
The marginal rcadmg is more consistent with the original :
noxn Ssoi O^nzinn '?2D TMVp katoneti micol ha-chasadim
u-7nicol ha-emeth. I 'am less than all the compassions, and than
all the fdithfulness — which thou hast sheiued unto thy servant.
l^robably St. Paul had his eye on this passage, when he wrote
Eph. iii. S. — unto mc icho am less than the least of all .taints.
A man who .sees himself in the light of God, will ever feel
tliat he has no good but what he has received, and that he
deserves nothing of all that he has. The Archangels of God
cannot use a ditlL'rent language ; and even the spirits of just
men consummated in their plenitude of bliss at God's right
hand, cannot make a higher boast.
For with mi/ staff] i. e. mi/sclf alone, without any attendants,
as the Chaldee has [ji'opcrly rendered it.
Verse II. And the mother with the children] He must
lia\e had an awful opinion of his brother, when be used this
expression, which implies the utmost cruelty, proceeding in,
the work of slaughler, to total extermination ; see Hos. x. 14.
Verse 12. Make th/ seed as the sand"] Having come to
\\\e promise by which the Covenant was ratified both to Abra-
ham and Isaac, be ceased ; his faith having gained slion;;
confinnation in a jironiisc which he knew could uot fail, and
Jacob prepares and sends fonvard GENESIS.
A.M. 2i65. ]3 ^ And he lodged there tliat
"•^'•^^■''-'' same night; and took of that whicli
came to his hand •" a present for Esau his bro-
ther;
14 Two hundrctl she goats, and twenty he
goats, two hundred evrcs, and twenty nixm,'
15 Thirty milch camels v/ith their colts, forty
kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten
Ibles.
16 And he delivered tliem into the hand of
his servants, every dro\'e by themselves; and
said unto his servants, Pass oxev before me, and
put a space betwixt drove and drove.
17 And he connnanded the foremost, saying,
When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and ask-
eth thee, saying. Whose art thou ? and whither
goest tliou ? and whose are these before thee ?
18 Then thou shalt say. They be thy servant
Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord
Esau: and, behold, also he ?« behind us.
tt present for his hmlher Esau,
A.M. 21205.
B. C. 1739.
19 And so commanded he the se-
cond, and the third, and- all that fol-
I lowed the droves, saying. On this manner shall
I ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.
I 20 And say ye moreover. Behold, thy servant
! Jacob is beliind us. For he said, I will "ap-
I pease him with the present that goeth before
I me, and afterward I will see his tiice ; pcrad-
i venture he will accept ' of me.
21 So went tlie present over before him : and
himself lodged that night in the company''.
22 And he rose up that night, and took
his two wives, and his two women-servants,
and his eleven sons, " and passed over the ford
Jabbok.
23 And he took them, and ''sent them over
the brooJc, and sent over that he had.
24 % And Jacob was left alone; and there
' wrestled a man with him until the ^ breaking
of the day.
»Cli. 43. 11.
Prov. 13 16 —
Job 4-2. H, 9.
-i>Prov. 21. 14. "^Ileb. mijface.
"Ueut. 3. )6.
which he found was made over to Iiini, as it had been to his
father and iriandfaiher.
Verse lo. And took of that which came to his handl N3n
TT3 ha-ba b.' tj.'ido, which caine under his hand, i. e. what, in
the course of CJud's providence, came under his poioer.
Verse 14. Two hundred she-goats, S)-c.] This was a
princely present, and sucii as was sufficient to have compen-
sated F.sau, for any kind of temporal loss he might have sus-
tained in being deprived of his birth-right and blessing. The
tliirly milch camels «ere particularly valuable; for milch camels
amoufi tlie Aj'abs, constitute a principal part -of their riches,
the creature being every way ,so serviceable, that tlie provi-
dence of God appears jjcculiarly kind and wise in providing
such a beast for those countries, where no other aniinal
could be of equal service, " The she-camel give? milk con-
tinually, not ceasing even when with young; the milk of
which," as Pliny has remarked, "when mixed with tiiree
parts of water, alltirds the mosl pleasant and wholesome be-
verage." Camcli lac liabent, donee iterum gravescant, sua-
vissiniunjqno hoc existimatui; ad luium mcnsurum tribus a(jiia:
.xidditis. Hi.^t. Nat. lib. xi. cap. 41.
Verse 15. Ten bulls] Tlie Syriac and Vulgate have twenty;
but ten is a sufTicicnt proportion to Ihcforiy kine. By all tliis
we see that .Jacob was led to make restitution for the injury he
bad done to his brother. Restitution for injuries done to man,
is essentially itqui-silc if in our power. He who can, and will
net make restitution for the wrongs he h^ done, can have
CO claim even on the 7itercy of (iod.
Vtr-iC 22. Passed oxer the ford Jabbok.] This brook or ri-
videt rJsfs in the mountains of Galaad, and falls into the Jor-
oai) at the south extremity of the lake of Gencsaret.
' lleb. caused f pass. 'IIos. 12. 3, 4. Eph. 6. 12. sHeb. ascendmg
of' tlie mornittg.
Verse 24. And there ivrestled a man •aiith him.] This was
doubtless the Lord Jesus Christ, who, among the Patriarchs,
assumed that human form, which in the fulness of time he
really took of a woman; and in which he dwelt thirty-three
years among men. Me is here stj'lcd an angel, because he was
/Acya^ns PouXng AyyEXos, (see the Septuagint, Isa. \k. 7.) the 7)/«»
scn'.;er of the srreut counsel, or design, to redeem iiiUen man frotu
death, and bring him to eternal glory ; see chap. xvi. 1.
But it may be asked. Had he here a real human body,
or only its/onu ? — The latter, doubtless. How then could
he wrestle with Jacob ? It need not be supposed that this
angel mu.-^t have assumed a human body, or something analo-
gous to it, in order to render himself WnwiWe by Jacob; for
as the soul, which is pure spirit, operates on the body by the
order of God, so could an angel operate on the body of Jacob,
during a whole night, and produce in his imagination, by
the eflfect of his power, every requisite idea of corporeity ; and
in his nerves, every sensation of substance, and yet no sub-
stantiality be in the case.
If angel.s in ap|iraring to men, borrow human bodies, as i«
thought, how can it be supposed that with such gross sub-
stances, they can disappear in a inotnent ? Ceiiainly they du
nott;iJce these bodies into the invisible world with them ; and
the established laws of matter and motion require a gradual
di.sap|xaring, howsoever swiftly it may be effected. But
this is not allowed to be the case; and yet they are reported
to vanish instantaneoushj . Then they must render themselves
invisible by a cloud, and this must be of a very dense nature,
in order to hide a huiiuin body. But this very expedient
would make Xheir departure still more evident, . as the cloud
must be more dense aiid ajiparent than the body, in order t«
Jacob •wrestles "uitk an angel, CHAP.
A. M. 2-'65. 25 And when lie saw that he pre-
c^i7;». vjiilecl not ac-aiust him, he touched
the hollow of his thij^h ; and ' the hollow of
Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled
with him.
26 And * he said, Let me go, for the day
breaketh : And he said, ' I will not let thee go,
except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, "What is thy name ?
And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, '' Thy name shall be called
• Sec Matt. 26. 41. 2C«r. 12. 7. >> Sec Luke •ii. i'8. = Hos. 1". 4.
* cli. 3.1. 10. li Kiii!;j 17. H. -= That IS, <i /;riiiCL' o/' (■"!(/. 'Ilos.
Ij. ;;, i. s ch. SJj. 31. '& 5!7. 33 ^ Judg. 13. ]« ' Tliat is, the face
XXXII. and is surnamed Israel.
no more Jacob, but ' Israel : for as a a. M..^^65.
prince hast thou ' power v.ith (Jod ' ' '' ^'
and * with men, and hast prevailed.
29 And Jacob asked liini, and said, Tell me,
I pray thee, thy name. And he said, " Where-
fore is it that thou dost ask after my name ?
And he blessed him there.
I SO And .lacob called the name of the place
i ' Peniel : for " I have seen God lace to face, and
my life is preserved.
31 ^ And as he passed over Penuel the sua
of God. "ch. Ifi. 13 Exod. U. 11. & 33. 20. Deut, 5. 25. Judg
6. i'J. & 13. Q'i. Isai. (j. 5.
hide it. This, therefore, does not remove the difficulty. But
if they assume a quantity of air or vapour so condensed as
to become visible, and modified itito llie appearance of a hu-
man body, they can in a moment dilute and rarefj/ it, and so
disappear ; for when liie vehicle is rafL-fied beyond the power
of natural vision, as their own substance is invisible, they can
instantly vatiish.
From Hos. xii. 4. we may learn, that the wrestling of
Jacob, mentioned in this place, was not merely a corporeal
exercise, but also a spiritual one ; He wept and made iupplica-
tion unto liiin ; see the Notes there.
Verse 25. TIte hollow of Jacob's thigh i:-as out of Joint] i
What this implies is dilVicult to find out : it is nut likely that '.
it was a complete luxation of the thigh bone. It may meaivl
no more than that he received a stroke on the sjroin, not a ]
touch, for the Hebrew word ysi nas;a often signifies to smite |
with violence, which stroke, even if comparatively slight, on \
such a part, would effectually disable him for a time, and !
cause hiiii to halt for many hours, if not for several days. I |
iDight add, that in this place, the groin, a blow might be of i
fatal conieijuence ; but as the angel gave it, only as a proof
of his power and to siiew that he cottld not prevail, because;
he would not, hence the blow was only disabling, without
being dangerous ; and he was probably cured by the time the j
sun rose; see verse 31. i
Verse 26. L^t me '^o, for the day hreaketli] Probably j
meaning, that as it was now morning, .lacob mu.^t rejoin his i
wives and children, anil proceed on their jcjurney. 'I'hougli ,
phantnins ate supposed to disappear xvhcn titc sun rises, that j
could be no rea-on in this case. Most of the angelic appear-
ances mentioned in the Old and New Testaments, took place
in open day, which put their reality out of question.
\'erse 28. T/iy name shall be called no more Jacob, but
Israel] 7X~U" Yisrael, from T,:' sar, a prince, or niiy sarnh,
lie ruled as a prince, and "tlS* el, God; or rather, from l^'X
ish, a man, (the N alepli being dropped) and n.S"l raah, he
»aw bx* el, God; and tliis corresponds with the name which
Jacob imposed oti the place, calling it bii''2-i peniel, the faces
of God, or of Elohim, which faces or appearances being ma-
iiifesled to Inm, caused him to say, verse 30. D'nVx Ti'Nl
O'lfi 7K DOD raiihi Ehhim panim el panim, i. e. " / have seen
the Elohim faces to faces, (i. e. fully and completely, without
' any medium,) 'B'£J VsOHl iw tinnalsel naphshi, and my soul
is redeemed "
We may learn from this, that the redemption of the soul
will be the blessed consequence of wresthng by prayer and
supplication with God : " The kingdom of heaven sutlereth
violence, and the violent lake it by force." From this time
•Jacob became a new man : but it was not till after a severe
struggle, that he got his name, his heart, and his character
changed. After this, he was no more Jiicob the supplanter ; but
Israel, ihe man who prevails ivith God, and sees him face to face.
And hast prevailed.] More literally, thou hast had power
xeith God, and wilh man thou shall als i prevail, 3'nTN Off tin
elohim, wilh the strong God : D''iyjN DV im anashim, with
weak feeble man. There is a beautiful opposition here be-
tween the two words : seeing thou hast been powerful with
the Almighty, surely thou shalt prevail over perishing mortals.
As thou hast prevailed wilh God, thou shalt also jirevail
with men, God calling the things that were not, as though
they had already taken place : because, the prevalenc)- of this
people, the Israelites, by means of tiie Messiah, who should
proceed from them, was already determined in the Divine
Counsel. He has never said to the seed of Jacob, seek ye
my face in vain. He who wrestles must prevail.
Verse 29. Tell me, J prat/ tliee, tliy name] It is verj' likely
that Jacob wished to know the name of this angel, that he
might invoke him in his necessities; but this might have
led him into idolatry, for the doctrine of the Incarnation
could be but little understood at this time; hence, he refuses
to give himself any name, yet shews himself to be the true
God, and so Jacob understood him, see verse 28. but he
wished to have heard from his own lips, that name by which
he desired to be invoked and worship])ed.
Wht-rrfure la it that thou dost ask after mj/ name ?] Canst
thou be ignorant who I am .? And he blessed him there : gave
him the new heart, and the new nature, which God alone can
give to fallen man : and by the change he wrought in him,
sufficiently shewed who he was. After this clause, the Aldine
edition of the Septuagint, and several MS8. add o eitti 6aa-
/xaa-rov, or, kai toi/to eitti iaunaarov, which is wonderful : but
this addition seems to have been taken from Judges xiii. 18.
GENl'^SIS. Of the smew that shrank.
" rose upon him, and he halted upon I hollow of the thigh, ^ unto this day :
his thigh. because he touched the hollow of
32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not .; Jacob's thiirli in the sinew tliat shrank.
0/ the sinew which slirank, v.'liich «y upon the
Jacob halls on his thigh.
A. M. «S(.-3,
B C. 17;5i».
A ;\I -2.'f,i.
H fJ. 17:19.
'MM -I
V<rs'; 31. Y'/if Sim resc upon him} Did the prophet Ma-
larhi rciei' to this, chap. iv. 2. Unto you that j'cur my name
shall the Smt of ri'^htmuincsi arise with healing in hii •.uini;s ?
Possibly with I'.ic nsin;; of the siin, ivhirli Liiay here be uii-
(lerslond as fnibieinatical of the Sun of rii^hieousnesn, thr Lord
Ji-mts, the pain anil weakness ofhis lliii^li (ias-wl away; and he
fcit b<nh in Soul and liody thai he was iieuk-d o!' his plag^ues.
V'tr^e 32 T/mnfore the children of hrncl cat not of the ti-
nt,^] What thi.'i ^inew was, neither .fy; nor Christian can tell ; |
U'.'ii it can a'ld nothing eitluT to science, or to a true iinder-
siandmi; of the Text, to multiply coniectures. I have already
supposed that the part which the ana:el tonched or struck, was
the ^roin ; and if thi> be ri;j:ht, the .5/nr.i-, 7ierre or muscle i\iAl
sliraiil:, must be sought for in that place.
The serious reader must meet with much instruction in this
chapter.
1. After his reconciliation with I-r.ban, Jacob proc^ds on
his way to Canaan, and as God, who was continually watch-
in;;- for his welfare, saw the trials to which he would shortly
he fxposed, thtrefore hf provided for him the instructive vi-
sion of anpfcls, that he niiglit tee that those who were for
him, were n ore, than those who could be against him. A
proper consideration of Gud's omniscience is of the utmost I
advantage to every i^i nuine Christian. He knows whereof we |
are made ; be remombers that we are but dust, he sees our ]
trials and difhcuities. and his eye affects his heart. Hence ,
he is < v( r devising means that his baiiisiii d be not expelled |
from hirn.
2. Jacob's recollection of his !/ni/nJ«c.si and /H/!M/2ce to his
brother, when he bears tliat he is comin<j- to meet him, fills j
his soul with fear, and obliques him to betake himself to God ;
by prayer and supplication. How important is the office of
conscience? And how necessary are times of trial and dijfi- !
culty when its voire is loudest, and the heart is best prepared I
*o receive its reproofs! In how many cases ha:> conscience 1
*• 1 Sari). .5. 3.
ulunibered, till it pleased God to send siime trial by which il
has been power. ully awakened, and the salvation of the sin-
ner, was the result. Before I ivas afflicted J iceitl astray.
3. Thoiip;h salvation be the free gi't of God, yet he g-ives
it not to any who do not earnestly seek it. The dccprr the
conviction of t;uilt ami helplessness is, the. more earnest the
apphcati<in to Ciod for mercy is likely to be. They, "whose
s:\lvaiion costs tiicm strong crying- and tears, are not likely,
iumianly speaking, to part witii it ligluly : they remember
the vinegar and the gall, and they watch and pray that they
enter not into temptation.
4. In the strife and agony requisite to enter in at the
straight gate, it is highly necessary that we should know, that
the grace and salvation of God are not purchased by our tears,
&c. for those things, which are only proofs and arguincnts
that we have sinned, can never remove the iniquity of our
transgressions. A sensible and pious man observes on this
subject, " That prayer and wrestling with God should he
made, as though no other means were to be practised ; and
tiien, the best means be adopted, as tliough no prayer or
wrestling had been used." God marks evru this strife,
tliough highly pleasing in his sight, with such proofs of its own
utter insufllciency, that we iriay carry about witli us the memorial
of our own weaknesii, worlhlessness, and slowness of heart to
believe. God smote the thigh of Jacob, 1. That he might
know he had not prevailed by his n-xn strength, but by the
power and mercy of his God. 2. I'bat he might have the
most sensible evidence of the reality of the divine interposi-
tion in bis behalf. 3. That he might see God's displeasure
ag.iinst his unbelief And, 4. That men in general might
be tau;ht, that those who will be the disciples of Christ must
deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and mortify their
members which arc upon the earth. Those who have not cut
oif a right band or fool, or plucked out a right eye, for the
kingdom of heaven's sake, are never likely to see God, The
religion that costs us nothing, is, to us, xvorth nothing.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
T'.Hi(t, liil/ijoiir hunrhed men meets .Jacob, 1 . l(e places his children under their respective mothers, passes over be'
fore iherii, and bo;cs himself to his brother, <2, :^. Esau receives him zcith great affection, 4. lieeeives the
homage oj the handmaids, Lc.ili, li.icliel and their children, .5 — 7- Jacob offers him the present of cattle which
he at first rejascs, but after mn-li eiilreati), accepts, 8 — 1 1. Invites .Jacob to accompany him to mount Scir, 12.
Jacob eiTuses himsclj' because uf his Jlochs and his children, but promises to follow him, 13, 14. Esau offers to
leave hiinr some of his attendants, uhich Jacob declines, \b. Esau returns to Scir, \6, and Jacob journies to
Siiccotli, 17, and to Shalom in the land of Canaan, 18. Bui/s a parcel oJ' ground from the ckildven (j/'llamot,
I;), and rrfJ- int ultar tiitich he calls El-elolie-Israc!, 20.
£.sau and 400 men meet Jacob.
A. M.«.S
D ''. 17 9
A.
Niy Jacob lifted ii]) liis eves,
/\ an^! looked, and, bcliokl, "Esau
came and with him lour hundred nien. And
li:; divided the children unto Leah, and luito
Rachel, and unto the two handmaids,
2 And he put the handmaids and their chil-
dren foremost, and Leah and her children alter,
and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
3 And he passed over before them; and ''bow-
ed hiniself to the jTromid seven times, until he
came near to his brother.
4 'And F.sau ran to meet him, and embraced
him, "^ and till on his neck, and kissed him :
and they wept.
5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wo-
liien and the children; and said. Who are those
*with thee? And he said. The chiklren Svhich
God hath a;raeiousIy G,iven thy servant.
(J Then the handmaidens came near, they and
their children, and they bowed themselves.
7 And Leah also with her children came near,
and bowed themselves : and after came Joseph
near, and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
CHAP. XXXIII. Their conversation about tf/e present.
8 And he said, *What meanest thou
A.M.'.2r.5.
B.C. 17:;?.
•Cli. 3?. 6 "cli. 18. 2. & 4«. f>. k 43. 2fi. =cli. 3». «B icli. 4.5.
U, 1.5. 'Meb. tn (Ace 'cli. 48. !'. )'» V/T. .'5. ijiii. b. 18.
t llcb. I(7iu< is uU this bund tu thvef ''cli. 32. 16. 'cli. 32. 5.
NOTF.S ON CII.\P. XXXIII.
\''( r~c> I . Dc/iolil, Es'tii came, and vjii/i him four humhed
wfii] It li.is been trcnci-ally siippojcil that Ksaii came with
an intention to dt-.'-lroy liis lii-ollier ; and for that purpo'-c
bronniit will) liirn four linndrcfl armed men. I'lit, 1. tliere
is no kind of evidcnic of this prttrndtd lioslility. 2. There
is no proof iliat ihe four hundred nun that Ksaii brought with
him wern :it ail armed. '.). Hnt titrre is every proof that lie
acted towards his hrollitr .lacoh willi all openne.-;s and ean-
donr; and witli such a ((>ri;el!Mlne.ss of past injuries, as none
but a iireat mind could have been capable of ^V'lly then
should ihc character of ihis man he perjietiially vilified }
Here U the -secret. V/ilh some people, on ihc nio,-l un-
grounded assumption, L'^sau is a rcprohntc, and the type and
figure of all reprobates; and thereiorc he must he every thing
that is bad. This s-ervts a syxiem; but, whether true or false
in ib-elf, it has neither countenance nor .support from the cha-
racter or conduct of Ksail.
Verse 2. lie put the hand/iiaids and their children foremost']
1 here is something 9o artificial in tlii't arranijenient of Jacob's
fannly, that it must ha,ve had somn peculiar dexitpi. Was
Jacob still appreheasivc of danger, and )mt ilmsc foremost
whom he least esteemed,' thai, if the ibremost met «ith any
evil, those who were behind mii;ht escape on iheir swift
biass? ch. x.\.Kii. 7, 8. Or d:d he intend to keep his
cuoiccit treasure to the last, am! exhibit Lis beautiful Kachcl
by "all this drove which I met? And
he said, T/tcsc arc ' to find grace in the siglit
of my lord.
9 And Esau said, I have enough, my brother;
"keep that thou hast unto thy.scU!
10 And Jacob .said. Nay, 1 pray thee, if no\f
I ha\e ibiind grace in thy sight, then receive
my present at my hand ; lor therefore I ' have
seen thy face, as though I had seen the face ol"
God, and thou wast pleased with me.
1 1 Take, I pray thee, '" my blessing that is
brought to thee ; because God hath dealt gra-
ciously with me, and because 1 have " enough.
"And he urged him ; and he took //.
12 And he said. Let us take our journey, and
let us go, and I will go before thee.
13 And he said unto him. My lord knowelli
that the children are tender, and the flocks and
herds with young are with me : and if men
should over-drive them one day, all the flock
will die.
14 Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before
i^Heb. be that to thee that is thine. 'cIj. 4'?. S. 2Sam. 3. Vi. & 14. S4.
V8, :«. Mult. lii. 10. "' Jud^. 1. 13. 1 Sam. ^'.5. 27. & 30. .:C. 2Kio(J»
5. 15. " llcb. all things, riiil. 4. 18. ° 2 Kings b. 2j.
and favourite Josqdi, after K.«au had .<:een all the rest, in
order to make the epcr impression on his mind?
Verse 4. Rsau . t to mat him] How sincere and p;en!iine
is tiiis conduct of j-.sau, and at the same time how magnani-
mous! He had buried ail his resiiitment, and foi';;ottcn all
his injuries; and receives his brotliir with the strongest de-
monstiations not only of forgiveness, but of fiaternal aj-
feciion.
And kissed him] irpa"1 raii/ishukehu. In the Masoretic
Bible?, each 1< tti r of tins wnrd is noted wiih a point over it,
to make it emphatic. And by this kiud of notation, the Hah-
bins wished to draw the attention of the ri'ad<r to the change
that had taken place in Ivsau, and the ainceriiy with whicU
he received his brother Jacob.
Verse 10. Receive my present at my hand] Jacob could
not be certain that he had found favour with huau, un-
less the present had been received: for, in acceptinj^ it,
Esau necc-ssardy became his friend, aecordin;.^ to the custom
oV tiio.se times, and that country. In the eastern countricit,
if your present Ix: received by your su])crior, you m-iy rely
on his friendship; if it be not received, you have every thiii{^
to fear. It is on this irruund l)iat Jacob was so urj^ent with
E-au to receive his present, because he knew that, after this,
he must treat him.as a friend
Ver-e 14. Until I come unto mi/ lord unto Scir] li !< very
likely that Jacob was perfeeily sincere in his expressed pur-
A a 2
Usau returns to mount Seir.
A. M 2265. his servant; and I will lead on softly,
^•^- '''^^- according *as the cattle that goeth
before me and the children be able to endure,
until I come unto my lord ''unto Seir.
15 And Esau said. Let me now "leave wth
thee some of the folk that arc with me : And he
said, "What needeth it? 'let me find grace in
the sight of my lord.
16 So Esau returned that day on his way unto
Seir.
,*Hcb. accordinf^ to the fo*t af tht worli, S-c. and accfn-diii*^ to the foot of
ihe rhitiiriu. *• ch. 3t?/5. "^ Heb. St/, or ylnce,- '' Heb. Whercferc Is
Ihnf '■ cli. o4. 11. & ■J7, '-'5. Rulli a. 13. '^.Tosli. 13. 27. Judg. 8. 5.
pose of visiting Esau at Seir; but it is as likely, that circum-
stances afterwards occurred, that rendered it either ini)5roper
or impracticable ; and we find that Esau afterwards removed
to Canaan, and lie and Jacob dwelt there together for several
years. See chap, xxxvi. 6.
Verse 17. Jourmytd to Succolli] So called from rSO suc-
coth, the booths or tents, which Jacob erected there for the
restin;! and convenience of his family, who, in all probabdity,
continued there for some considerable time.
Verse 1 8. And Jacob came to Shulan, a city of Sheclicm]
The \(ord ohv Slialtin, in the .Sauiaritan DlSs^ Shalom, should
be translated here in peace, or in safety. iVfter resting some
time at Succoth, which was necessary for tlie safety of his
flocks and the comfort of his fannly, he got safely to a city
of fShechera, in heahh ot body, without any loss of his cattle,
or servants; his wives and children being also in safety.
Coverdulc and Matthevcs translate this woni as above, and
with llieui agree the Clialdee and the Arabic: it is not likely
to have been the name of a city, as it is no where else to be
found. iSliechem is called, in Acts vii. 16. Sychem, and in
John iv. 5. Sychar — in the Arabic it is called Nablovs, and
to ihe present day Neapolis. It was near to Samaria, and
the place where the wretched remains of the sect of the Sa-
maritans were lately found, and from whom Dr. Huntington
received a perfect copy of the Samaritan Pentateuch.
Verse 1 9. Fur a hundred pieces of tnotiey] The original
PD'iJ'p nN03 be-mtah ktsitali, lias been a matter of long and
learned (ll■>cu^si(ln among critics. As Lesitah signifies a lamb,
it may imply that Jacob gave the Ilamorites one hundreil
lambs, for the field; but if it be the same transaction that St.
Stephen refers to in Acts vii. 16. it was money, ri/j-y); a^yu^iou,
a sum or price of silver, which was given on the occasion. It
has been conjectured that the money had the figure of a lamb
stamped on it, liecause it was, on an av( rage, the value of a
lamb; and hence it might be cidled a Lesitah or lamb from the
impression it bore. It is certain that in many countries, the
coin has had its name from the ima^e it bore : so among our
ancestors a coin was called an ant^el because it bore the image
of an angi 1 : hence also a Jacobus, a Carolus, a Leicis, (Louis
d'Or) a Joe, because certam coins in England, Spain, France,
and Portugal bore on one side the image of the kings of those
couDtrics, James, Charles, Lewis, Joseph. The Athenians had
A M.<,'265.
15 . C. 1739.
name
GENESIS. Jacob journies to Shalem,
17 5[ And Jacob journeyed to 'Suc-
coth, and built him a house, and
made booths tor his cattle : therelbre the
of the place is called "Succoth.
18 ^ And Jacob came to "Shalem a city of
'Shechem", Vvhich is in the land of Canaan,
when he came from Padan-aram; and pitched
his tent before tlie city.
19 And ' he bought a parcel of a field, Avhere
he had spread his tent, at tlie hai:id of the chil-
Ps. 60. fi. 8 Tliat is, booths. >> John 3. 23. ' Called, Acts 7. 16.
Sychem. >= Josli. S!4. 1. Judg. 9. 1. ' Josh. iti. 32. John -1. 5.
a coin called Sou;, an ox, because it was stamped with the
figure of an ox: hence the saying in Mschylus,
T(X 0 aKKa iiyio, Qov^ iTTt "/Tidtth; /yteyag
BE^jiKfv. Agam. v. 36.
" I must be silent concerning other matters; a great ox walks
upon my tongue;" to signify a person who had received a
bribe for secrecy; i. e. a sum of money, on each piece of
which an ox was stamped; and hence called Sou;, an ox.
The word opes, riches, is a corruption of the word oixs, sheep,
because these animals in ancient times, constituted the prin-
cipal riches of their owners : but when other cattle were
added, the word pccunia, {\'vo\-apecus, cattle) which we tran-
slate money, and from which we still have our English term
pecuniary, ajipears to have been substituted for otes; because
pecus, pecoris, and pecus, pecudis, were used to signify all kinds of
cattle, large and smnll. Among our British and Saxon an-
cestors, we find coins stamped with the figure of an o.r, horse,
hog, goat, i;c. and this custom arose in all probability, both
among them and other nations, from this circumstance, that
in primitive times, the coin was the ordinary value of the
animal whose image it bore. It is, all circumstances weighed,
most likely that a piece of money is here intended ; and possi~
bly marked with the image of a lamb; but as the original word
ntS'li'p Lesitah, occurs only here, and in Josh. xxiv. 32. and
Job xlii. 15. this is not sufficiently evident, the word itself
beinir of very doubtfiil signification. Mr. Parkhurst is of
opinion that tlie kesitah bore the image of a lamb; and that
these lamb-coins of the ancient Hebrews, typified the Lamb of
God, who, in the divine purpose, was considered as slain from
the fmindation of the world; and who purchased us unto God
with bis own blood. The conjecture is, at least, pious, and
should lead to useful reflections. Those who wish to see
more on this subject, may consult the writers in the Crilici Sa-
cri, and Calmet.
Verse 20. And he erected there an altar] It appears that
Jacob had a very correct notion of the providence and mercy
of God ; hence he s.ays, ver. 5. The children luhich Ood hath
GKACIOUSLY given thy servant — and in ver 11. he attributes
all his substance to the bounty of his Maker — Take, I pray
thee, my blessing — because God hath dealt ciRAClOUSLY i^ith
me, and because J hate enow^h. Hence he viewed God as the
Buys afield ofHamor,
CHAP. XXXIV.
and builds an altar.
A.M.i'265. jirgn of >Hamor, Shechcm's father,
^i^LlIl'll for an hundred ■" pieces of money.
'Called, Acts 7. 16. Evimor. '' Or, lambt.
a. ■
God of all grace, ami to him be erects an altar, tledicalinn; it
to God, the God of Israel, referring particularly to tlie cluin:^e
ot his own name, and the niacies which he then received :
and hence, perhaps, it would be best to translate the words,
Tlie stro!l!^ God (i>) llie God of Israel ; as by tiie power of his
grace and goodness he had rescued, del'eiided, blessed and
siipiwrled hiui from his youth up, until now. The erecting
altars with particular names, a])pears in other places: so Exod.
xvii. 15. ISIoses calls his altar, Jtlwvali-nisst, " tiie Lord is my
banner."
I . \\"hen a man's ways please God, lie maketh even his
enemies to be at peace with him. W lirn Jacob liad got recon-
ciled to God, God reconciled his brother to him. The hearts
•fall men are in the hands of God, and he turns them how-
soever he will.
A M.V.65.
B.C. 173?.
20 And he erected there an altar;
and 'called it " El-elohe-Israel.
'Cli. 35. 7. "That is, God the God tf Israel.
1 2. Since the time in which Jacob Mrestlcd with the angel of
I the covenant, we see in him much dependance on God, accom-
; panicd with a spirit of deep humility and gratitude. God's grace
alone can change the heart of man ; and it is byk that grace only,
that we get a sense of our oliligations ; this lays us in the dust,
I and the more we receive, the lower we shall lie.
j 3. " The first thing," >ays good Bishop Wilson, " that
] pious men do, is to proride for the honour and worship of
God." Jacob buys a pifce of ground and erects an altar on
I it in the land of a heathen, that he might acknowledge God
I among his enemies, and turn them to the true faith : and
there is every reason to believe that this expedient vould have
been sucressiiil, had it not been for the base conduct of bis
sons. How true is the saying, one sinner spoileth much
. good. Riader, beware lest thy conduct should become a
j stumbling block to any.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Dinali, the daughter of Jacob ami Leah, going out to see the daughters of the land, is ravished hi/ Shechem,
the son of llanior, 1, 2. He entreats his father lo get her for him to Tcifc, 3. Jacob and his sons hear of the
indiguittf offered to Dinah, 5 — 7- llamor proposes the suit of Shechan to Jacob and his sons, and off'ers
them a rarieti/ of advantages, 8 — 10. Shechem himself comes fom-ard, begs to have Dinah to uife, and offers
dotcry lo any exteid, 11, VI. The sons of Jacob pretoul scruples of conscience to give their sister to one tcho
nas iincirciuncised ; and require, as a condition of this marriage, and of intermarriages in general, that all the
Shecheinilcs should be circumcised, 13 — 17- Ilamor and Shechem consent, 18, 19- They lay the business before
the elders of their city, dxcell on the advantages of a connection zcilh Jacob and his family, and propose to
them the condition recjuired by the sons if Jac(d>, 0.0 — 2,'3. The elders consent, and all the males are circum-
cised, '24. While the Shechemiles arc incapable of d fending themselves, on the third day after their circumcuion,
Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, came upon the city, slew all the males, sacked the city, took the
women and children captives, and seized on all the cattle belonging to the Shechemiles, 25 — '29. Jacob is "reatlu
displeased and alarmed at this treachery and cruelty oj his sous, and lays before them the probable consequences,
30. Thcij endeavour to vindicate their conduct, 31.
A.M c\r.2'>66.
B.C.cir.l7j8.
A
ND * Dinah
Leah, which
tlic daughter
she bare
of
unto
Jacob, " went out to sec the daughters of the
^and.
»Cii S'l. 21.-
-"Tit. !i. 5. ' ch. 6. 2. Jiidj;. H. 1.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXIV.
Vtrse 1. And Diniili — -jnent out to see the daus^htcrs of the
land] It is supposed, that Jacob had been no» about s< ven
or eight years in Ihr land, and that Dinah, who was but abuut
seven years of age when Jacob came to C.uiaan, was now
A.M.eir.2266.
B.C. cir. 1738.
2 And when Shechem the son of
Hamor the Hivite, prince of the
country, 'saw her, he "took her, and lay witli
her, and 'defiled her.
" Cli. I'0. 2. ' Heb. Ittmtbled her. Deut. 22. i.9.
about fourteen or fifteen. Why, or on what occasion, she
went out, v.e know not ; but tiie reason given by Josephus i»
very probable, viz. that it was on one of tlieir/<r.vaia/«.
Verse 2. Priixe >f the'cowitry] i. e. Haniov was prince;
Shechem was the son of the prince, or chief. Our versioo
2
B'lmeon and Levi propose tlmt all tJie GENESIS
A..M.cir.2«6d. 3 ^^■^n\ ^is s()ul clavG \into Dinah
^!!l'!f!: the daughter of JacoV) ; and h- loved
the damse], and .spake "kindly unto the damsel.
J- % And Shecheni "spake unto his father Ha-
mor, saying, Get nie this damsel to wife.
5 And' Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah
his daugliter : now his sons were with his cattle
in the riekl, and Jacob ''held his peace until
they were come
6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out ; sister:)
Shechernites shall be circumciseSi
unto her brethren. Let me find grace A.M.cir.a3C6.
in your eyes, and what ye shall say ^- '^■^•"' '^"»-
unto me I will gi\'e.
12 Ask me never so much ''dowry and gift,
and I will give according as ye shall say unto
me: but ffive me the damsel to wife.
13 ^ And the sons of Jacob answered She-
chem and Hamor his father ' deccitfiilly, (and
said, because he had defiled Dinah their
unto Jacob to commune with him.
*7 And the sons of Jacob came out of the field
when they heard it : and the men were grieved.
iuid they " were very wroth, because he ' had ' us
wrought folly in Israel, in lying v/ith Jacob's
daughter; *■ which thing ought not to be done.
8 And Hamor conmumed v/itii them, saying.
The soul of my son Shechem longeth ii)r your
daughter : I pray you give her him to wife.
9 And make ve marriages with us, a?id give
14 And they said unto them. We cannot, do
this thing, to give otu' sister to one that is un-
circumcised ; for "^that were a reproach unto
15 But in this Viill v'e consent unto ycu: If
ye will be as ^ve be,- that every male of you be
circumcised;
16 Then will wc give our daughters unto you,,
and we will take your daughters to us ; and we-
\ will dwell with a ou, and we wiii become onet;
your daughters unto us, and take our daughters |' people.
unto you. 1: 17 But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be
10 And ye shall dwell 'with us: and ^ the land j circumcised; then will we take our daughter,.
shall be botbre you; dwell and " trade ye there- { and we will be gone.
in, and ' get you possessions therein. I 18 And their words pleased Hamor, and She-
ll And Shechem said unto her father and ; chem Hamor's son.
»Ilcb. til the heart of tht linmscl. Sec Isiii. '10. 2. llos. 2. 1-1. >> Jiidi;. 14.
t>.- — .ciSam. 111. vr y Saiu. )3. 2'J. ■= cli. 40.7. i,' Saii:. IJ. 'il.
^Jo3h. 7.1J. Juds;. ■,'(). 6.
appears lo represent Sliec hem as prince : but liis fatiiur was
the diief of the couiUry. — See ver. 6, 8, &c.
Verse 3. SpaLe Idnilly uiUo tite (bniisel.'] Literally, he spake
io the heart of the damsel — endfavoured to gain her nflcclions,
and to reconcile her to hei- disijrace. It iippcyr.s Munciently
evident from tliis and the preceding verse, that there had heen
no consent on ilie part of Dinah, that tlic whole was an act
of violence, aiul tiiat, she wuj now detained bj force in ihi;
house of Shechem. Here she was found, when Simeon and
Levi sacked the city, ver. 2o.
Verse 7. IL hud lerowrhtfoi'ij in Iircef] The land, afier-
^vards gfcnerally lalkd hrael, was not as yet so named; and
the sons of J.icob were neillier called hriid, hruelitea, nor
»/tu;s, till lonjr afier llii-: how, then, can it he ."^aid tliat
i^heellem had u-roiightfultij in Israel ? The woids arc capable
of a mote literal Iranslaliou — 'pS'-.C'O be-yisrocl, may be
translated, a<;tiin.st hrnel. 'I'lie annxl had said, Tliy name
sluilt b- called no mure Jacob — not onlj/ Jacob — but hrael.
It was this that aitu^ravaied the oftiEnce of Shei hem : he
wrought f.i'y against hrael, tlie prince of God, m lying with
the <laujbter of .lacob. Here both the names are given —
Jacob, who'e daughter was dented — and Lsruel, ihc prince nf
iiO'l, agr.insl whom the of'ience was cominitted.
\'er3e V2. Ask me never so much do\ur/\ See on chap.
♦ Ucut. £3. jr. 2 Sinn. 13. IS! 'di. 13. 9. & 20. 1 5. " cli. 42. S4.
'cli. 47. 27. 1* K.\uil. 2'i. 16, 17. Daut. 2i. SiJ. 1 Sam. 13. 2.7 —'Sea
2 Saiu. 13. 24, &c. ™ Josli. 5, "J.
xxi.K. 20, &c. — See the law relative to this. F.xod. xxii.
It), n.
Verse 1 3.- Answered— dcceitfnllii] \^ liich nothing: could
e.\cuse; yet, !o shew tliat ihey had had much provoeaiion, it
is immediately subjoined, 113T1 vu-yedaberu, thcj/ spuLc thus,
because he had defied Dinah titcir .sis'.er ; for so this parenthesis
should be rca<J.
Verse 14. That weve a reproach unto us.] Becau^^e the un-
circumcisi'd were not in the covenant of God; and to have
given an heiress of llu' promise,, to one who had no kind of
riylit to its spiritual blfs<inu,'s, Irom v;huni might sprin"' chil-
dren who would natvu'ally wa'k in the way of their fatl.c r,
\^oi'.Jd have been aLsurd, reproachful, and icickid. Thus iiiC
they were perfectly rii-ht ; but to iiiake this holy principle a
I hike for their deceitful and murderous ])urposes, was the full
smn of wii'kedncss.
Verse 17. Then xcill ice lake nur daughter, and ;-:• ii'ill be i;om:1
It is natural to supp'ose, that the tribe of Hauior was very in-
considerable, el..^e,they would not have sounht an alliance with
the family of Jacob, and have come .*o readily into a pain'iil
disgraceful jneasure, without liavin^ either I'.ie sancti(m of
divine auihorit!/ or reason; for it does pot appear that the
sons of Jacob urged eitl^ier. And they are thrsufenr.d here,
thai if thoy do not aijrte to be circuiiicised, Daiah shall be
air freacfierousli/ murdered.
J'he Shechemites consent and CIIyVP. XXXH'.
A.5I c.r.-".6(;. 19 And the young man deferred 1, of his city: and every male was cir
not to (h> the thing, because he had
B.e
'.bt>.
. ir I7:j8
' cumcised, ali that went out of the
A.M. ir ■.'.&;.
L.C.cir IT.-W.
dehght in Jaeoh's daughter: and he Jew? ' nioreji
honourable th.an all fhe house of his tiither. !|
20 % And llanior and Shechcm his son came;;
unto the gate of their city, and communed with ii
the men of their city, saying, |j
21 These men are peaceable witli us; there- 1
fore let them dwell in the lanrl, and trade there- ;]
in; for the land, behold, it is large enough for,
them; let us t;il;e their daughters to us lor wives,
and let us give them our daughters.
22 Only herein will the men consent unto us
for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every
male " among us be circiunciscd, as they are
circumcised.
23 Shall not their cattle and their substance
and every beast of their's be our's? only let us
consent unto them, and they will dwell Y\ith
us.
24 And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his
son hearkened ali that " went out of the gate
•Num. £2. 1.5.
Si Chrou. 4. u. Isai. 3. 3—3.-
Uo«ii. Sf. 28. 9?.
-' ch. £3. 10. Mat. 7. 6.
gate of his city.
25 % And it came to pass on the third day,^
wh.en they were sore, that two of the sons of
Jacob, 'Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren,
took c:\eh man. his sword, and came upon the
city boldly, anil slew all tlie males,
26 And they slew Hamor and Shechem his
son with the" "* cdoc o\'^ the sword, and took
Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went
out.
27 The soiis of Jacob came upon the slain,
and spoiled the city, because they had detiled
their sister.
28 They Uio\ Jieir sheep, and tlieir oxen, and
their asses, ta<X that which k'«a- in the city, and
that whi<'i. iC'fi'. in the field,
29 Ani ?\\ their wealth, and all their little
ones, and ;heir wives took they captive; and
spoiled even all that ivas in the hou.se.
30 ^r And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi,
< eii. 'ly. 5, 6, 7.
-''lleb mirntd. Deut. 32.-42. 2 Sam. 2. 26.
Isai. .SI. 8.
taken iVom them, and re.^tored to Ikt fiininy.; and ths is
proUahly wliaf. tlio Shecliemiies saw lliey had mil power at
prtscnt to prtvcnt.
Verse 2.'5. Sliall not tJicir ciiltle tnid their fubslnwe — be
ours?] Tliis was a bait htid out for the poor unsuspecting-
people of Hamor, by their princ-e and his son, who were not
Dnicii less deceived than the people themselves.
Verse 24. Eveiy male k/is circumcisedj These simple ■
people must have had very great afiection for tiieir ciiief and ;
hi> .<on, or have been nnder the influence of the most passive ;
obedience, lo iiavo come so nadily into this r.iea.sure, and to
have submitted to tins rite. Bist llie pe/li/ prinres in Asiatic
countries have ever been absolute and dcspoiic, their subjfcis
payinsi^ tiiein tlie most prompt and uiind obedience. I shall
give a few examples from Mr. llichard.^on's Di?.~ertalions.
" Aim T/iulier, chief of the Carmatlduns, about the year
nine hundred and tliirtj', ravaged the territory of Mecca, de-
fded tlie temple, and destroyed nearly 40.000 jieople. With
only 500 l^or^e he w(nt to lay siege to l}a.t;hd.>d — the califlP's
general, at ll;e head of 30,000 nn n, mnrched out to seize hiui;
bi:t bf fore he attacked him, he sent an oflScer to siiciiuon him
to surrender. ' How niany iniii has the califf's j^i-neral ?'
saiil Aim Tliahcr. — ' Thiity thoii.-and,' replied the offictr. —
'Among them all,' says the Carniathian rhiefj 'has he got
three like mine.?' — Then ordering his (bllowers to ap]'roath,
lie conimandid one to stab himseltj another to throw iiimselt
from a |.rtcipice, and a third to plunge into the Tigris —
all iliree instantly obeyed, and perished. Then turning to
the oflieer, he said — ' He who has such troops, needs not
Value the number of his enemies !'
'• Hassan Sabat, one of those petty princes formerly known
in Asia and Europe by the title Slieekli-itl-jibel, or old man of
tlie mcuntam, being required by an ambassador to do homage
to his master, the Sultan Jlalcksiiali Jelaleddin, without giving
any ansvser, ordered one of his attendants to poniard hitn-
se.f, and another to leap from the b.iitlemtnts of the tower;
and he was instantly obeyed! Then turning to the ambassa-
dor, he said — ' Seventy thousand are thus attentive to my
commands. Let this be my answer."' — On a principle of
this kind, we may account fur the prompt obedience of the
people of H-.mior.
Verse 25. On the third dai/, ivlt-n they trcre sore] W'hen
the inflammation was at the height, and a fever ensued, which
rendered the person utterly helple-s, and his state critical —
Simeon and Levi — the half brotliers of Dinah — took each
man his stvord — probably assi.sted by that portion of the
servants which l-.elped them to take care of the flock — came
on the citj/ fcoW/y — nci bctach, securrly, without being si(S-
pecled, and l>cing in no ilaugerof meeting with nsi.stanci- — and
slevi all the males. Greut as the provocation was, and it
certainly was very great, this was an act of unparalleiled trea-
chery and cruelly
V'( Tse 27. The sons of Jacob] The rest of Jacob's son*, tlie
pmaining brothers of Simeon and Levi — spoiled tite city.
Tiion>.;ll. the others couid .slay the defenceless male.s, it was-
lot likely that lliey could have c.irried away all the booty,
with the women, children, and catile: it is therefore most na-
tural to suppose, that the rest of the sons of Jacob as-'isted at
last, in this business.
Verse 30. Ye have troubled me] Brought my mind into
Jacob expostulates tvith his sons GENESIS.
A.M.cir.;?.66. a yg havc " troublcd mc " to make
Bc.cir.i7j8. j^^^ j.^ stink among the inhabitants
of the land, among the Canaanitcs and the
Perizzites: "^ and I, being few in number, they
shall gather themselves together against me, and
»C!i. 49. 6. " Josh. 7. 25.
great distress, and endangered my jiersonal safety — to viake
tne to stink ; to render nie odious to the surrounding tribes,
so that there is every reason to suspect, tiiat when tliis deed
is come abroad, they will join in a confederacy against me,
and extirpate my whole family. And had lie not been under
the peculiar protection of God, this, in all human proba-
bUity, would have been the case: but he had prevailed with
God, and he was also to prevail with men. That Jacob's
resentment was not dissembled, we have the fullest proof in
his depriving these two son» of tlie birth-right, which other-
wise they had doubtless enjoyed. — .See ch. xlix. 5, 7. where
"some additional circumstances are related.
Verse 31. Sliouid lie deal with our sister as with a harlot?]
On this outrage alone they vindicated their flagitious conduct.
Tlie word harlot first occurs here : the original is not B'jVfi
pilgnsh, which we reader concubine — see its explanation, th.
xxii. 21-. — but rUIT zonah, which ordinarily signifies, one
who prostitutes herself to any person fur hire. Our word
harlot is said to have been derived from a very odd circum-
stance:— Riibert, duke of Normandy, seeing a fine looking
country girl dancing with her companions on the green, took her
to his bed. She was the daughter of a skinner, and her name was
Arlotta; and of her, Williiim, surnamed tite Conqueror, was
born. Hence, it is said, all such women were from her called
harlots, as William himself was usually termed the Bustard.
But Horelet, the diminutive of whore, is not a less likely
derivation.
Solomon has very properly said — My son, enter not into
the path of tlie wicked, and go not in the way of evil wen;
avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away, Prov. iv.
14-, 15. Had not Dinah gone out to .see the daughters of
the land, and very possibly at one of their idolatrous festi-
vals, she had not sulli'red the foul disgrace meulioiicd in tliis
chapter. Not only prudence dictutes, that young women
should keep at home, but God expressly commands it, Til. ii. 5.
Dinah got among idolaters, and thus partook of their ini-
quities, and this led to the most base and cruel transaction
upon record. How true is the saying — Those who wander
out of the iviiy of understanding, shall abide in the congrega-
tion of the dead! In the case before us, blame stems to attach
to all parties.
1. It was wrong in Jacob to suffer his daughter, alone and
unprotected, to visit the daughters of the land.
2. It was excessively wicked in Sheche/n to take this ad-
vantage of tlie daughter of a respectable stranger, who had
souglit his friendship, and came to sojourn among his people;
and whose righteous dealing they must have witnessed for at
least seven years past. In his behalf we may say, and it
would be unjust not to say it, that having done the mischief,
on tlie iniquiti/ of their conduct.
slay me; and I shall be destroyed, ^M.cir.saes-
1 and my house. B.c.c.irss.
31 And they said. Should he deal with our
sister as with a harlot?
' Exod. 5. 21. 1 Sam. 13. 4. « Deut. 4. 27. Ts. 105. 12,
and sinned deeply against the laws of hospitality, he wished
to make all the reparation in his power; and therefore, in
the most fiank and liberal manner, he not only ofl'ered, but most
pressingly entreated permission, to take Dinah to wife. This
was the utmost he could do in such a case. And in this he is
a saint of the first order, when compared with the noble and
ignoble profligates, who, while blaspheming the Christian name
by continuing to assume it, commit all kinds of breaches on the
virtue of simple females, and the peace of respectable families,
and not only make no reparation, but glory in their shame.
3. It was diabolic in Jacob's sons to slay a whole tribe for
the ofience of one man; and specially, as that one had of-,
fered to make all the restitution in his power. They required
that Hamor, Shechem, and all their sul)jects, should be cir-
cumcised, before they could conscientiously consent to give
their sister to Shechem in marriage. This required confor-
mity, was made the cloke of the most base and infamous de-
signs. The simple unsuspecting Shechemites agreed to the
proposal; and when rendered, by this religious rite, incapable
of defending themselves, they were basely nuirdered by Si-
meon and Levi, and their city destroyed. Jacob, to his
great honour, I'emonstrated against this barbarous and bloody
act, committed apparently under the sanction of religion;
and God shewed his abhorrence of it, by directing the j)a-
triarch, in his dying moments, to proscribe them from the
blessings of the covenant, so that they barely retained a name
among the tribes of Israel, being in general small, and ever
disreputable, except merely in tlie service of the sanctuary, in
which Levi was employed. How often since, notwithstanding
this solemn warning, has the pure and benevolent religion of
God been made, by wicked and designing men, a political
stalking-horse to serve the basest purposes, and a covert to the
worst of crimes! But shall we find fault with the holy re-
ligion of the blessed God, because w icked men have abused
it f God forbid ! Were it not so good as it really is, it would
be incapable of such abuse. An evil cannot be abused — a
good may; and the greater and the more acknowledged the
good, the more liable to abuse. As every good is so capable
of being abused, does he act wisely who argues against the
use of the thing on this account.' Shall we say, that various
kinds of gi'ain, fruits, and aliments, are a curse, bec.iuse
wicked men abuse them to the purposes of drunkenness and
gluttony? This would argue an utter ptrvsrsion of all reason:
and is it not on such a pretext as this, that many persons have
vcnSircd to call in question even the truths of Chiistianity!
Whatever such men may be determined to think on the
subject of this chapter, with the unprejudiced reader the
ample and detailed relation which we have here of this bar-
barous transaction, will appear an additional proof of the
veracity and impartiality of the sacred historian.
Jacob purges his famili/ from fahc gods, CHAP. XXXV.
and from supersiilloiis ornamer.
CHAPTER XXXV.
Jacob is commantWi cfGod to go to Beth-el, and to build an altar there, 1. Ilis exhortation to his faviify to put
anay all strange gods, 6iV. '2, 3. The/ deliver them all up, and Jurab hides them in the earth, 4. Thn/ coinme)tre
thfir journej/,5.tome tuLiV/., 6. biii/dt/iei-e the tdlar l'A-hex\\-L-\,7. Burial place of Debotnh, liebekah's muse, 8.
Cod appears again unto Jacob, 9. Blesses him and renetcs the promises, K) — 13. To commemorate this manifest-
ation of (iod, Jacob sets up a pillar, and calls the place Bcth-e], 14,15. Thei/journej/ to Lpliiatli, K7«f7-f liachel,
after hard labour, is delivered of Benjamin, and dies, \G — 19- Jacob sets up a pil'ar on her grave, GO. 27«y
journei/ to Ldar, '21. While at this place, Ucubcn defiles his father's bed, 22. Jccount of the children of Jacob,
according to their mothers, 2.3 — 26. Jacob comes to MaiTire,io his father Isaac, zcho Kasprobahlij, then in the one
hundied and ffty-ei^hth year of his age, 27. Isaac dies, and is buried by his sons Esau and Jacob, 29.
N D God said unto Jacob, I' swercd me in the day of my distress,
J\.M.ciV.5'.'fi6.
B.f.cir. I73«.
unto
Bctii-cl, and
there : and make there an altar unto
'' that appeared unto thee " vhcu thou
A'
Arise, go up to
A.M.cir.2»e6.
B.C.cir. 1-j8.
jdvvel]
. God,
[flcddest liom the tiice of Esau thy brother
" and was with me in the way Ashich
I went.
4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange
gods which tcerc in their hand, and all their 'ear-
rings, which xvere in their ears; and Jacob hid
them under "the oak which tcY/.v
5 And they joiu-neyed: and
God was upon the cities that were round about
and go up to Beth-el; and them, and they did not pursue after the sons of
Jacob.
2 Then Jacob said imto his '' houshold, and
to all that Kcrc v.ith him. Put away "the strange
gods that arc among you, and ' be clean, and
change your garments :
3 And let us arise
I will make there an altar unto God, ^ who an
)y Shechcm.
' the terror of
•Cli. i8. -^9. '-cli. '>8. 13. ^=ch. 27. 43. ich. 18. 19. .Tosli. 24.
15. 'cli. 31. IP, .SJ.. .Toili. y4. S, 23. 1 Sam. 7. 3. f Exod. 19. 10.
«cli. 3V>7, 24. Ps. 107. 6.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXV.
Vcri;e 1. Arise, "o up to Bel/i-el.] The transaction that liaJ
i lately taken place, rendered it unsafe for .lacob to dwell any
'lunger at the city of Sheciiem ; and it seems that, while he
iwas reflcctins: on the horrible act of Simeon and Levi, and
;nnt knowincj what to do, (iod graciously appraretl to him, and
|Comnianded him to sfo up to Heth-el, build an altar there, and
jlliiis ptrforpi the vow lie had made, ch. xxviii. 20, '2'2.
I Verse 2. Put uv:iiy the strtinge godi] "'Jjn TlVs Elo/iei/ lia-
Inecar, the gods of tlie foreigners which were among them.
iJacob'.s .servants nt re all Si/rians, and no doubt were addicted
jless or more to idolatry and superstition. These gods might
|belong to ilii-it! ; or, as some have conjectured, they were the
ymipliiiit wiiich Rachel stole : but tliese have ahvaily been
;Mippose<l to be astrological tables, or something of this kind,
lalkd by Lab.Tn his gods, because by them he supposed he
jfoiild predict future events, and that they referred to certain
iastral ami planetary intelligences, by whose influences sub-
jlunary things were regulated. But it is more natural to
jMippose that these gods, found now in Jacob's tainily were
iiina^-es of silver, gold, or curious workmanship, which were
found among tiie spoils of the city of Shechcm. Le.st these j
should become incitements to idolatry, Jacob orders them to
lie put away.
Be clean, and change your garments] Personal or outward
" Oil. 28. 20. & 31. 3, 42. ' Hos 2. l.S. " .losli. 24. 26. Judg. 9. 6 —
'Exod. 15. 16. & 23.27. & 34. 24. Beiit. 11. 35. Josli. 2. 9. & 3.
1 Sam. 14. 13. 2 Chroji. 14. 14.
purification, as enriblematical of the sanctification of tbe sou],
has been ifi u.se among all the true worshippers of God from
the beginning of the world. In many case.«, the law of
Moses more solemnly enjoined rites and ceremonies wiiicb had
been in use from the earliest ages.
Verse 3. Anni-ered -me in the day of iny distress] Xot only
when he fled from the face of his brother, but more particu-
larly, when he was in his greatest strait, at the brook of Jabol".
Verse 4. Jlnd ear-rings -ichich were in their ears] Whether
these rings were in the ears of the gods, or in those of Jacob's
family, we may rest assured that they were not mere orna-
ments, but served for superstitious purposes. Ear-rin^s were
certainly worn as amtdcts and charms, first consecrated to
some Aod, or formed under some con.stellation, on which
magical eharaclers and images were drawn. A very ancient
and beautitul one of this kind, brought fiom Kgypt, cut* out
of a solid jiicce of cornelian, now lies before nie. It was
evidently intended for the ear, as the opening is too small
for any human finger; and it is engraved all over with i-trann-e
characters and images, which prove that it was intended for
a talisiiKtn or anmlct. It seems to be such an one as St. Au-
gustin describes, Epis'l. 73d. which was suspended from the
tip of the ears both of men and women, not for the purpose
of ornament, but, through an execrable superstition, for the
service of dauiions, Execranda superstitio ligatururum, in
a b
Jacob journics to Beth-el,
6 5r So Jacob came to
GENESIS.
'wJiere God appears to him^
A.M.cir.L'2'"6.
Ji.C.cir.l7:i8.
Luz, (that
IS, Beth-el) which is in the land of
Canaan, he and all the people that xvere with
him.
7 And he '' built there an altar, and called
the place " El-bcth-el : because '' there God ap-
peared unto him, when he fled from the face of
his brother.
8 % But " Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and
she was buried beneath Beth-el under an oak :
and the name of it was called ^ Allon-bachuth.
9 % And ^ God appeared unto Jacob again
when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed
him.
»Ch. 28. IP, ii2. ''Eccles. 5. 4. ^=That is, The God if Bcth-el.
■'cli. iS. 13. ^'cli. £4. 59. ''Tliat is, the oak of weeping.- eHos.
n.4.
quibus etinin bmurcs virorum in smnmis ex una parte auriculi
suspeiisie deputaiUur, non ad placenJiim Itoiitinibas, sed ad serz'i-
endum demonihus. See the notes on cb. xxiv. 22.
Verse 5. The terror of God'] A supernatural awe, sent bj'
the Almiglity — vjas upon the cities that were round about — So
that they were not molested in their departure. Tiiis could
be owing to nothing less than the especial providence of God.
Verse 1 Et-btth-el] hn n>3 Sx the strong God — the house
of the strong God. But the first ^H el, is wanting in one of
De Rossi's MSS. as it is also in the Septuagint, Vulgate,
Syriac, and some copies of the Arabic. The sentence reads
much better without it, and much iiiore consistent with the
parallel passages.
V^erse 8. But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died] She was sent
with Rebekah, when taken by Abraham's servanMo be wife
to Isaac, ch. xxiv. 59. How she tame to be in Jacob's
family, expositors are greatly puzzled to find out: but the
text does not state that she was in Jacob's family. Her death
is mentioned merely because Jacob and his family had now
arrived at the place where she was buried, and the name of
that place was called Allon-bachulh, the oak of weeping, as it
is likely her death had been greatly regretted, and a general
and extraordinary mourning bad taken place on the occasion.
Of Rebekah's death we know nothing. After her counsel to
her son, ch. xxvii. we hear no more of her history from the sacred
writings. Her name is written in the dust. And is not this
designed as a mark of the disapprobation of God } It seems
strange, fliat such an inconsiderable person as a nurse should
be mentioned, when even the person she brought up is passed
by unnoticed ! It has been observed, that the nurse of /Eneas
is mentioned nearly in the same way by the poet Virgil; and
in the circumstances, in both cases, there is a striking re-
semblance.
Tu auoque littorihus noslris, Mntia nittrix,
JUlernam vioriens fanium, Ca'iela, dcdisti :
Et nunc servat honos scdcm tuus ; ossuque nomen
Hesperia in magna, (^i qua est ea gloria) signal.
A.M.ch.nee.
B.C.cir.l738.
10 And God said unto him. Thy
name is Jacob : " thy name shall not
be called any more Jacob, ' but Israel shall be
thy name : and he called his name Israel.
1 1 And God said unto him, " I am God Al-
mighty: be fruitful and multiply; 'a nation
and a company of nations sliall be of thee, and
kings sliall come out of thy loins ;
12 And the land " wliich I gave Abraham
and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy
seed after thee will I o-ive the land.
13 And God "went up from him in the place
where he talked with him.
14 ^ And Jacob "set up a pillar in the place
h
Ch.
17
.5. * ci).
3«
28.—
_k
ch.
17.1
. &43
3,4.
Exod. 6
3.-
'cl
. 17.
5,
6, 16 Sc W
.3.
&18
4.
-'" cli.
is;. 7.
& 1:3.
15. & 26.
3, 4.
&
ts.
13.-
."ch. 17. 22.-
"
-" ch.
.'0.
18.
At pius e.vequiis JEneas rile solutis, • ^
jl^gcre coinposito tiuntdi, poslqvaiii alia quienmt
^quora, tendit iter vctis, portuniqne relinipdt.
/En. lib. vii, V. 1, &c.
" Thou too, Cajcta, whose indulgent cares
Nurs'd the great chief, and fbrir.'d his ti^nder years.
Expiring here (an ever-honour'd name !)
Adorn Hesperia with immortal fame :
T"j/ name survives, to please thy pensive ghost; '
Thy sacred relics grace the Latian coast.
Soon as her fun'ral rites the prince had paid.
And rais'd a tomb in honour of the dead;
The sea subsiding, and the tempests o'er.
He spreads the flying sails, and leaves the shore." — PiTT.
Verse 9. God appeared unto Jacob again] He appeared
to him first at Shechem, when he commanded him to go to
Beth-el ; and now that he is arrived at the place, God ap-
pears to him the second time, and reconfirms to him the
Abrahainic ble.ssing. To Isaac and Jacob these frequent ap-
pearances of God were necessary ; but they were not so to
Abraham : for him, one word was sutlicient — Abraham be-
lieved God.
Verse 13. And God ivcnt up from him] This was not a
vision, nor a strong mental impression, but a real mani-
festation of God. Jacob saw and heard him speak ; and be-
fore his eyes he went up — ascended to heaven. This was no
doubt the future Saviour, the angel of the covenant. — See
chap. xvi. 7.
Verse 14. y4 drink-ojfering] "ysi nesec, a libation, ^hese
were afterwards very common in all countries. At first they
consisted, probably, of water only ; afterwards wine was used.
See on Lev. vii. 1, &c. The pillar which Jacob set up vpas
to commemorate the appearance of God to him : the drink-
offering and the oil were intended to express his gratitude and
dnotivn to his Preserver. It was probably the same pillar
RachcVs sore travail and death.
CHAP. XXXV.
A.M.cir.2^'66. wlicrc lic talkccl witli him, ex'en a
B.C. cir. 1738. pjiij^j. (,f stone: and he ])()uic(l a
dnnk offering thereon, and he poured oil
thereon.
15 And Jacob called the name of the place
where God spake Avith him, " Beth-el.
16 % And they journeyed from Bcth-el ; and
there was but ""a little way to come to E])]uath;
and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour:
17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard
labour, that the midwite said unto her. Fear
not; "thou shalt have this son also.
18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in de-
parting, (for she died) that she called his name
•Ch. 2B. 19. '>Heb. a liule piece ofgrmnd. 2 Kings i. 19. = cli.
SO. 5!4. 1 Sam. 4. iO. ''Thut is, the son of' my sorrow^ ^^Tliat is, (At-
son of the ri^ht-ltand.
A.M.cir.2!>06.
B0.nr.l7.iR.
which he ha<l set up before, which had since been tlirown
down, and which he had ronsccr;!.ted afresh to God.
Verse 16. There was but a Utile luaj/ to come to F.plmitli]
The word nt33 kihmth, translated here a little icau, has
greatly perplexed commentators. It occurs only here and in
chap, xlviii. 1. 2 Kinc^.s v. 19. and it seems to have been some
sort of mciisnre a]>plied to land, as we say a mile, an acre, a
rood, a perch ; but « hat the exact quantity of the Idhrath was,
cannot be ascertained. Ephrath, called also Bcthlchaii, and
Bethlehem Ephrata, was the birth-place of our ble.ssed Re-
deemer. See its meaning. Matt. ii. 6.
Verse 1 8. .^4- he.r soul utis in dcpariiiigl Is not this a proof
that there is an immortal spirit in man, which can exist se-
parate from, and independant of the body ? Of Rachel's
death it is said, nU'iJ flNi'D he-tsealh naphshah — vi the going
u\i-ay of her soul — her hodj/ did not go away, therefore her
soul and body must have been distinct. If her breath only
had been intended, Offi ncshcm, or fm iTiach, would have
rather been u.<ed, as the first means breath, the latter breath
or spirit indiflerently.
Hhc called his name Ben-oni] 'JIN }3 the son of my snrron;
or affliction — ^because of the hard labour she had in bringing
him into the world: but his father called him BenjaiHin.
P'l'W the son of my right-hand ; i. e. the son peculiarly dear
to me. So man of the right-hand, Psal. Ixxx. 1 8. signifies
one much loved and regarded of God. The Samaritan has
Bcn-yamim, tlic son of days; i c. the son of his old age, as
Jacob calls him, chaj). xliv. '20. and Houbigr.nl contends,
that this is the true reading, ami that the Ch ddee termination
in for im, is a corruption. If it be a corruption, it is as old as
the days of St. Jerom, who translates the place Benjamin, id
est, Jilius dextra, Benjamin, /hat is, the son of the right-hand.
Verse 20. Jacob set a pillar upon her grave] Was not
this the origin of funeral monuments.? In ancient times, and
among rude nations, a heap of stones designated the burial-
place of the chief: many of these still remain in diflerent |
countries. Afterward.s, a rude stone, with a simple inscrip-
tion was used, containing only the name of the deceased, and
Reiihen defiles his father's bed.
"Ben-oni: but his father called him
'Benjamin.
19 And ' Rachel died, and was buried in the
way to ^Ephrath, whicli is Beth-lehem.
20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave :
that is the pillar of Rachel's grax'c " uiito this
day.
21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent
beyond 'the tower of Edar.
22 % And it came to pass,, when Israel dwelt
in that land, that Reuben went and ''lay with
Bilhah his father's concubine: And Israel heard
it. — Now the sons of Jacob were twelve :
23 The sons of Leah j ' Reuben, Jacob's first-
•■Cli. 48. 7. sRiitli 1. a. & 4. 11.
10. 2. a Siuii. 18. 18. ■" Alic. 4. 8.
2 Sam. I(). ■-"^. 5c 'iO. 3. iCor. o. 1. —
Micali 5. 'i. Malt. ?. 6 " 1 Sam.
k cli. -i'J. 4. 1 Cliroii. :->. 1. Sec
-ich. 4(5.8. Exod. l.a. •
thnt of his father. But where arts and sciences flom-islied, su-
perb monuments were erected, iiighly decorated, and pompous-
ly inscribed. It is very likely from the circumstances of Jacob,
tliat a single stone constituted the pillar in this case, on
which, if writing did then exist, the name, or rather some
hierogly])hical device, was probably inscribed. That which is
now called Rachel's pillar, is allowed, by those who have ex-
amined it, to be a comparatively modern structure.
Verse 21. Toxver of Edar.] Literally, the tower of the Jlock,
and so translated Mic. iv. 8. It is su()postd, that this tower
was about a mile from Bethlehem, and to have been the place
where the angels a[)peared to the shepherds. The Targuin
of Jonathan expressly says — " It is the place in which the
King Messiah shall be manifested in the end of days." By
the ioiver of the flock, we may understand a place built b}' the
shepherd.?, near to some well, for the convenience of watering
their flocks, and keeping watcii over them by night.
Verse 22. Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's
concubine] Jonathan, in his Targum, says, that Reuben only
overthrew the bed of Bilhah, which was set up opposite to
the bed of his mother Leah, and that this was reputed to
him as if he had lain with her. The colouring given to the
passage by the Tarijumist is, that Reuben was incensed, be-
cause he found Bilhah preferred, after the death of Rach.el,
to his own mother Leah ; and, therefore, in his anger, he
overthrew htr couch. The same sentiment is repeated by
Jonathan, and glanced at by the Jerusalem Targum, ch. xlix.
•I. Could this view of the subject be proved to be correct,
both piety and candour would rejoice.
A7id Israel heard it] Not one, word is added farther in
the Hebrew text; but a break is left in the verse, opposite to
which, there is a Masoretic note, which simply states, there is
a hiattis in the verse. This hiatus the SepH!agint has thus
supplied — xai wovn^ov i^a.vi\ e\<civr:ov avTGu, and it appeared
evil in his sight.
Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.] Called afterwards the
twelve patriarchs, because they became heads or chiefs of
nunierous families or tribes, Ac ts vii. 8, and the peo2)le that
B b 2
A.M.cir.S;v65.
BC.tir.)-.;8.
Jacob's twelve sons. GENESIS.
born, and Simeon, and Levi, and
Jiulah, and Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 Tlie sons of Rachel ; Joseph, and Ben-
jamin.
25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's hand-
maid ; Dan, and Naphtali.
26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's hand-
maid ; Gad, and Asher. These arc the sons of
Jacob, which Avcrc boru to him in Padan-
arara.
• Cli. 13. 18. & 23. 2, 19.-
i>Josh. 14. 15. & 15. 13.
descentkcl from them are called tlis txvdve tribes. Acts xxvi. 7.
James i. 1. Tn-ehc princes came from Lhmael, cli. xxv. 16.
who were lieads of families and tribes. And in reference to
the twelve pniriarchs, our Lord chose tii-ehe apostles. Strictly
speaking, there were thirteen tribes among the Hebrews, as
Ephraivi and Mnnasses were counted for tribes, chap, xlviii.
5, 6. but the Scripture, in naming tliem, says Mr. Ains-
worth, usually sets down but twelve, omitting the name now
of one, then of another, as may in sundry places be observed,
Deut. xxxiii. Ezek. xlviii. Rev. vii. &c.
Verse 23. The sons of Leah} The children are arranged
here under their respective mothers, and not in order of their
birth.
Verse 26, Born to him in Padan-aram ] i. e. all but
Benjamin, who was born iil Canaan, ver. 16, 17.
It is well known tliat I'adan-aram is the sauie as RIcso-
potamia, and lience the Septuagint translate Mia-oTTOTa/na
tk; Xv^ia;, Mesopotamia of Sj/ria. The word signifies be-
luet'n the. tv;o ritcrs, fiom /otEcro;, the midst, and 7roTa/A.og, a
river. It is situated between the Euphrates and Tigris, having
Assyria on ihe east, Arabia Diserta, with Babylonia, on the
south, Syria on the ivest, and Armenia on the north. It is
now the province of Diarbck, in Asiatic Turkey, and is
sometimes called I\liii-crannaluir, tlie country beyond the
river; and Arum ynharaim, Aram or Syria of the two rivers.
It is a place sufficiently celebrated both in the Old and New
Testaments.
Verse 27. The city of Arhah, (which is Hebron)'] See
chap, xxiii. 2. It has been conjectured that Jacob must have
paid a visit to his father btfbrc this time, as, previously to this,
he had been some yearns in Canaan; but now, as he was ap-
proaching to his end, Jacob is supposed to have gone to live
with and comlbrt him in his declining days.
Verse 29. Isaac gave vp the ghost, — ajid luas gathered unto
his people'] See on chap. xxv. 8.
Esau and Jacob buried him.] See chap. xxv. 9. Esau, as
we have seen, chap, xxxiii. was thoroughly reconciled to his
brother Jacob, and now they both join in fraternal and filial
alfection to do the la-.t kind otTice to their amiable father. It
i-. generally allowed, that the death of Isaac is mentioned here
out of his chronological order, as .several of the transactions
mentioned in the succeeding chapters, especially the xxxvii.
snd xxxviii. must havC' happened during his WUi. Kut that
the history of Joseph might not be disturbed, his death is
Isaac's age and death.
I 27 % And Jacob came unto Isaac A.M.cir.szes.
iiis fiither unto ^ Mamre, unto the ^■^■'"■^'^-^-
\ ^'city of Arbali, (which is Hebron,) wliere Abra-
ham and Isaac sojourned.
j 28 i[ And the days of Isaac were a hundred
and fourscore years.
29 And Isaac gave up the
and died, and "was gathered unto
liis people, being old and full of days : and
sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
ghost
A.M. S;'J8J.
15. & !71C.
hi»
■^ Oh. 15. 15. & ?5. 8. " So ch. S5. 9. & '19. 31.
anticipated in this place. It is supposed that he lived at
least twelve years after Joseph was sold into Egypt.
This chapter contains several subjects which are well
worthy of the reader's most serious altrntion.
1. That such a family as that of ,l;icob shoidd have had
false gods m it, is a matter not less astonishing than veal : and
suppose that we allow, as is very probable, that their images
and rings were got from strangers, the Syrians and the She-
chemites, yet their being tolerated in the family thou;;h it is pro-
bable, this was for a very ^holt time, cannot be easily account-
ed for. It is true, the LAW was not then given, and the unity of
God not so particularly taught as it was afterwards. Besides, we
have already seen that certain superstitions were compati'.ile in
those early times with general sincerity and attachment to the
truth : those times and acts of ignorance were winked at, till
supi rior light shone upon the world. Between many of the
practices of Laban's family and those of the surrounding hea-
thenish tribes, there might have been but litMe dinirence; and
this was probably the reason why Dinah could so readily mix
with the daughter>of the land, chap, xxxiv. 1 which led to the
fatal consequences already reviewed. Sin is like the letting out
of water — when once a breach is made in the dyke, the stream
becomes determined to a wrong course, and its progress is
soon irresistible. Had net Jacob put away these strange gods,
the whole family m.ght have been infected with idolatry. This
saying of one of the ancients is good — Viiia transimttit ad post-
tros, <jui prcvsenlibits ciilpis i:;noscit. SexECA. " He who is in-
dulijent to prcsi nt offcnce.s, transmits sin lo posterity:" the first
motions of it should be firmly resisted, •after struggles are too
often fruitless.
2. The doctrine of a particular and especial Providence
has another proof in this chapter. Afltr the sanguinary
conduct of Jacob's .sons, is it not surprising that the neigh-
bouring tribes did not join together, and extirpate the whole
family? And so ihey certainly would, hid not the terror
of God fallen upon tlKm, ver. 5. Jacob, and the major part
of his family were innorent of this great transgression ; and
on the preservation of their lives, the accomplishment of great
events depended : therefore God vratchts over them, and
shields them from the hands of their enemies.
3. The impatience and fate of the amiable Uachcl, who
can read of without deploring! — (Hve me children, saiil she,
or else I die, chap, xxx 1. 1 ler desire was granted, and her
death wjB the consequence! God's way is evtr best. \Vs
The generatiotis ofEsait
CHAR XXXVI.
bij his Canaanitish xclves.
\ciio\v not what wc ask, nor wlial we oui;Iit lo ask, anil there-
foro often a>k amiss, wlien we petition fur such secular things
as helonp; to tlie dispensations of God's proridence. For
thin"-s of tliis kind we have no revealed directory ; and when
we a-k for them, it should be with llic deejxst submission to
the divine will, as God alone knows what is best for us.
\\"\l\\ respect to the soul, every thins^ is clearly revealed, so
we may a>k and receive, and have a fidness of joy ; but as
to our bodies, there is much ie;\son to fear, tiiat liie cmsiver
ot our petitions would be, in nunieioiis ca-^es our inevitable
destruction. How many prayers docs God in mercy shut
out!
4. The transgression of Reuben, of whatsoever kind, was
marked not only by the displeasure of his father, but by tiiat
of God also, seech, xlix. 4. It brought a curse upon him,
and he forfeited tiiereby the right of priuKHi-eniture and the
piiesthood : the lirst was given to .ludah, the second to Levi.
Is it not in rcicrence to this that our Lord addresses these
solemn words to the angol of the cliurcli of Philadelpliia—
Behold, I come tjuicLlj/ : liold that fust ivliich thou hciat, that
NO MAN TAKE THY CUOWN ? A man, by sowing a s^miti of
forbidden sweets, may reap an abundant harvest of eternal
j wretchedness. Header, let not sin rob ihcc of liie kingdom
of God.
5. Here we have the death of Isaac recorded : most that
can be said of his character has been already anticipated, see
ch. xxii. &c. He a;ipears to have been generally pious,
deeply submissive and obedient. He was rather an amiable
and ^ood, than a c;rcat and useful man. If compared with his
son Jacob, in the early part of their lives, he appears to great
advantage, as possessing more sincerity and more personal piety.
But if compared with his father Abraham, oh ! v hat a falling
off is here ! Abraham is the most perfect character under the
Old Testament — and even under the Neiv, he has no ))arallel
but St. Paul. Isaac, though falling farshort of his father's excel-
lencies, will ever remain a pattern of piety and filial obedience.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
The genealogy of Emu, i.e. his sons, by Im Cunamiitish reives AA-dh., Aholihaiiiah, ««(/ Bashematb, 1 — 3. TLe
cliililrcn of Allah enid Wi\s\\v\\u\Xh, 4. O/" Aholibamah, .i. lisuii departs from Canaan and goes to Mount Seir,
0 — 3. The generations of Esau, i.e. /(/.v grandchildren, uhi/e in Seir, y— 19. The generations of Sen the
Horlle, 20 — 30. AmiU Jiiats luulcs (^ eiaiiii) in the ccildenicss, 24. The kings zchieh reigned in Edom, 31 — 39.
The dukes that sueceeded thcni, 40 — 43.
A-iid '' Bashcmath Islimael's
A.M.cir.ii-J','5.
B.C. cir. 1779.
A.JI.cir.228B.
B.C. cir. 17 16.
'OW these are the generations [| 3
of Esau, " who is Edoni. ' daughter, .sister of Nebajoth.
2 '' Esau took his wives of tlic | 4 And '^ Athih bare to Esau Eli-
daughters of Canaan ; Adah tlie : phaz ; and Basheniath bare Reuel.
N'
dimghter of Elon tlie Hittite, and
" AiioUbainali the daughter of Anah
the daughter of Zibeon the liivite;
» Ch. 25. SO.-
-•■cli. 2(3. 3L-
' \'er, 25.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXVI.
Verse I. These are the 'generations of Esau'] ^\'e lu'.ve here
the genealogy of Esau in his sons and grandsons, and also
the genealogy of Scir the Horile. Tl)e genealogy of the
sons of Esau, born in Canaan, is related ver. 1 — 8. those of
Bis grandchildren born in Seir, 9 — 19. those of Seir the
Horite, '20 — 30. The generations of ICsan are particularly
marked, to shew how exactly God fulfilled the jiromises he
made lo him, ch. "xxv. and xxvii. and tho.sc of .Seir the
Jlorif&'jvc added, because bis family became insume measure,
blended with that of Esau.
Ver^e 2. His ieivcs'] It appears that Esau's wives went by
very difftrent names. Aholibamah is named Judith, ch. xxvi. I
!i4. J(/«/i is called Bashemath in the same place; and she ,
who is here called Basheuiath, is called 3Ia'ialulh, ch. xxviii. j
0. These arc vanations which cinuot be easily accounted
5 And Ahohbainah bare Jeush, and
Jaalam, and Korah : these are the
sons of Esau, which were born unto
him in the land of Canaan.
■i Ch. 2a. 9.-' — = 1 Cliron. 1. o5.
A.M.cir.22V5.
B.C.cir.l7?9.
A.M.cir.2.'30.
IJC.cir. 1774.
A..Al.cir.22:>t'.
BC. cir. 1712.
for ; and they arc not of sufficient importance to engross much
time. It Is Well known tliat the same jiersons in Scripture,
are often called by dill'erent nanus. See the table of variations
ch. XXV. where there are some slight examples.
Anah the daughter of Zibeon] But this same Anah is said
lo he the son of Zibeon, ver. 24. though in the second and
fourteenth verees he is said to be the daughter of Zibeon.
But the Samaritan, the SepluaginI, (and the Sj^riac, in verse 2.)
read son iristead of daughter, «hich Iloubigant and Kennicolt
contend to be the true reading. Others say, that - daughter
should be referred to Ahohbamah, who was llie daughter of
Anah, and grand daughter of Zibeon. I should rather prefer
the reading of the Samaritan, Septuagint, and Syriac, and
read, both here and in ver. 14. " Aholibamah, the daughter
of Anah the SON of Zibeon," and then the whole will agree
with verse 24.
Esau and Jacob separate.
GENESIS.
The dukes of the house of Esaui"
/V.M.cir.2266.
B.C.cir.l738.
6 if Ami Esaii took his wives, and
liis sons, and his daughters, and all
the ' persons of his house, and his cattle, and
all his beasts, and all his substance, which he
had got in the land of Canaan ; and went into
the country from the face of his brother Jacob.
7 " For their riches were more than that they
might dwell together ; and "^ the land wherein
they were strangers, coidd not bear them, be-
cause of their cattle.
8 Thus dwelt Esau in '' mount Seir : " Esau is
Edom.
9 ^ And these are the generations of Esau
the father of ' the Edomites iii mount Seir.
A,M.cir.22oO.
B.C.cir.177t.
A.M.cir.2270.
B.C.cir.l7;vl.
10 These are the names of Esau's
sons ; ^ Ehphaz the son of Adah the
wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Ba-
shemath the wife of Esau.
11 And the sons of Eliphaz were
Teman, Omar, " Zepho, and Gatan,
and Kenaz.
Timna was concubine to Eliphaz
; and she bare to Eliphaz ' Amalek :
the sons of Adah Esau's wife.
Nahath,
12 And
Esau's son
these -ii'ere
1 3 And these are the sons of Reuel ;
and Zerah, Shanmiah, and Mizzah
the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife.
these were
•Uili. soub. "cli. 13.6, 11. <:cli. 17. 8. & !;8. 4. ^i" cli. 32.3.
Dcut. 2. 5. Josh. 24. 4. ' vcr. 1. ' Heb. Edcm. « 1 Clirun. ]. 35. &c.
Verse 6. Esnu took his wires, ^c] So it appear.^ that Esau
and Jacob dwelt totrcther in Canaan, whither the former re-
moved fi'oni Seir, piobaijly soon after the return of Jacob.
That they were on liie most friendly footing, this sufficiently
proves; and Esau shews the same dignified conduct as on
other occasions, in leaving Canaan to Jacob, and returning
again to H)ountSeir; certainly a much le.ss fruitful region
than that which he now, in behalf of his brother, voluntarily
abandoned.
Verse 12. Timna ivas concubine to Elipliaz] As Timna was
sister to Lotun the Horite, ver. 22, we see how the family
of Esau and the Horites got intermixed. This might give
the .sons of Esau a pretext to seize the land, and expel the
ancient inhabitants, as we find they did, Ocut. ii. 12.
ylmalelc] 'I'he father of the Ainaltkites, afterwards bitler
enemies to the Jews, and whom God commanded to be
entirely exterminated, Deut. xxv. 17, 19.
Verse 15. Dukes nf the sons of Esau] The word duke
■comes from the Latin dux, a captain or leader. The Ht-
brew sp7N alupli, has the same signification : and as it is also
the term for a thousand, which is a grand capital or leading
number, probably the ifciVx aluphtj/, or dukes, had this name
from being leaders ofj or captains over, a company of one
A.!\'I.cir,22P2,
E.C.i;ir.l71'J.
First nrislo-
cracyutdukcs.
From
A.M rir.2429.
to
A.M. cir. 2471.
Froiri
B.C. cir. 157:5.
to
15. C. Lir. 153^.
titat came
these "dcere
14 And these were the sons of
Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah
the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife :
and she bare to Esau Jeush, and
Jaaiam, and Korah.
15 ^ These tcrye dukes of the sons
of Esau : the sons of Eliphaz the
firstborn son of Esau ; duke Teman,
duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke
Kenaz.
16 Duke Korah, duke Gatam, and
duke Amalek : these are the dukes
of Eliphaz in the land of Edom :
the sons of Adah.
17 And these are the sons of Reuel Esau's
son ; duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Sham-
mah, duke Missah : these are the dukes that
came of Reuel in the land of Edom : these are
the sons of Bashemath Esau's wite.
18 And these are the sons of Aholibamah
Esau's wife ; duke Jeush, duke Jaaiam, duke
Korah : tliese xvere the dukes that came of Aholi-
bamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife.
19 These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom,
and these are their dukes.
20 '51 ''These are the sons of Seir A.M.cir.sigs.
' the Horite, who inhabited the land j
B.C.
■, 18(16.
" Or, Zcpki. 1 Chron. 1. 36. ' Exod. 17. 8, 14. Numb. 24. i.0. 1 Sam. 15.
2, 3, &c. 1< 1 Chron. 1. 38. ' ch. 14. 6. Deut. 2. 12, 22.
thousand men, just as those among the Greeks, called chili-
archs, which signifies the same ; and as the Romans called
those centurions who were captains over one hundred men,
from the Latin word centum, which signifies a hundred. The
ducal government was that which prevailed first among the
Idmneans, or descendants of Esau. Wtve fourteen dukes are
reckoned to Esau, seven that came of his wife Adah, four of
Basliemath, and three of Aholibamah.
Verse 16. Duke Korah] This ]3r. Kennieott pronounces
to be an interpolation. " It is certain, from verse 4. that
Eliphaz was Esau's son by Adah ; and from verse 11, 12.
that Eliphaz had but six sons, Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatan,
Kenaz, and Amalek. It is also certain, from verse 5, and 14.
that Korah was the son of Esau, (not of Eliphaz) by Ahnli-
bamah ; and as suth, he is properly mentioned in vcr. 18.
These are the sons oi' Aholibamah, Esau's wife — duke Jeush,
duke Jaaiam, DUKR KoR.VH. It is clear, therefore, that
some transcriber has improperly inserted duke Korah in the
16th verse; from which interpolation both the Samaritan
text and the Samaritan version are free." KennicOTT's
Remarks. — Every thing con.sidered, I incline to the opinion |
that these words were not originally in the text. [
Verse 20. These arc the sons of Seir the Horite] These I
Descendants of Seiv the Horile. CHAP.
A.M.cir.-ii'm. Lotan, and Shobal, and ZIbcon, and
A.M.cirf.'W. 21 And Dishon, and Ezer, and
ac^rMsoa j)ij^i,a„. tijese ^^^ tlnj jukes of the
Horitcs, tlic cliildren of Seir in the
land of Edoni.
A.M.cir.2<?i3. 22 And the children of Lotan were
KC^cir^. jj^j.j^ ,^,j^^ a llcman ; and Lotan's
sister xvas Timna.
23 And the children of Shobal ivere these ;
^ Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, " Shepho,
and Onani.
'Or, Homam. 1 Cliron. 1. 39. "Or, Aiian. iCliron. 1. 40. "^ Or
Shephi. 1 Cliron. 1 . 40.
Horites were the original inhabitants of the country of Scir,
called the land of the Horites, and afterwards the land of
the Iduineans, when the descendants of I'lsaii had driven tiiem
out. These people are first mentioned ch. xiii. 6.
Verse 2 I . These are the didces of the Ilnrilcs] It appears
pretty evident that the Horites and the descendants of Esau
were mixed together in the same land, as before observed;
and Caluiet has very properly rem.irked, that if we compare
this verse with ver. 30. there were princes of Seir, in the
country of Seir, and in tliat of Kdom; and in comparing
the generations of Seir and I'.sau, we are obliged to consider
these princes as conteiiipnriuy.
Verse 2 P. This was that Anah that found the mules in the
iiildernesi] The words DO'n ^^f cth hu-i/emim, here translated
mules, has given rise to a great variety of conjectures and
discordant opinions. St Jtroin, who renders it aquas calidas,
warm sjirin'^s:, or hot baths, say>, tliere are as many opinions
concerning it as there arc conmientators.
The Scptuagint have rov la//.£iv, which seems to be the
name of a man; but this is expressed in a great variety of
ways in diflerent MS.S. of that Version.
The Striae renders it ^io niaye, waters; the author of
this version having read in tlie Hebrew copy from whicli he
translated, D'O mayim, H'aters, for Dti' i/emint, the two first
letters being transposed.
Onketos translates the word N'naj gibaraya, giants, or
strong or powerful men.
The Samaritan text has iafTf!i5nT/f?! ha-uimim, and the
Samaritan version flTA-iilfKA^ iiSV ""' aimai, the Emim, a
warlike people, bordermg upon the Horitcs.
The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases the place
thus — " This is the Anah who united the onager with the
tame ass, and in process of time he loimd mules produced by
them." R. D. Kimchi says, that " Zibeon was both the
father and -brulhcr of Anah; and this Anah, intent on he-
terogeneous mixtures, caused asses and horses to copulate, and
80 produced mules." R. S. Jarchi is of the same opinion. —
See his comment on this place.
Bochnrt believes the Emim are meant; and argues forcibly,
1. That NSO matsa, he found, never signifies to intent, but
A..M.<ir.*'48.
B.C.cir.ir.io.
XXX"\'I. Anah finds mules Ci/emim.J
i! 24 And these are the children of
1 Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah: this
ijcas that Anah "that found " the mules in the
wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his
father.
25 And the children of Anah a-ere these; Di-
shon, and Ahohbamah the daughter of Anah.
26 And these are the children of Dishon ;
' Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Che-
ran.
27 The children of Ezer are these; Bilhan,
and Zaavan, and ' Akan.
"I See Lev. 19. 19. ^^ Or, Ammm. 1 Chron. 1. 41.-
1 Chron. 1. 4.;.
-' Or, Jakan.
rather the meeting with, or happening on, a thing which al-
ready exists. 2. That mules are never called DO' yemim \n
the Scriptures, but D'TID pheredim. 3. That Anah fed
ASSES only, not horses. 4. And that there is no mention of
mules in Palestine till the days of David.' From the whole,
he concludes that the Emim are meant, with whom Anali
fought; and he brings many places of Scripture, where the
same form of expression, lie or tlfy found, signifies the onset
to battle, Judg. i. 5. 1 Sam. xxxi. 3. 1 Kings xiii. 24.
2 Chron. xxii. 8. Num. xxxv. 27. Gen. iv. J 4. with many
others. — See the Hierozoicon, vol. I. cap. 21. p. 238.
edit. 1692.
Gusset, in Comment. Heb. Ling, examines what Bochart
has asserted, and supposes that mules, not the Emim, were
found by Anah.
Wagenseil would credit what Bochart has asserted, did not
stronger reasons lead him to believe that tiie word means a
sort of plant!
From the above opinions and versions the reader may chuse
which he likes best, or invent one for himself. My own
opinion is, that mules were not known before the time of
Anah, and that he was probably the first who coupled the
horse and ass together, to produce this mongrel; or was the
first who met with creatures of this race, in some very secluded
I)art in the wilderness. Is it not probable that from tliis
Anah, ruj? or enah, the Enetm derived at least lluir fabulous
origin, whom Homer mentions as famous for their race of
wild mules.^
^«lf^a!yo^av J' nytno IIuXat//.iVBc; J^ajtov xnp.
El EyfTMi/ oflfv v/J-iovuiv ysvof ayfort^aav.
IL. lib. ii. v. 852.
The ruphlu'^oniuns ryUtmcne-s rules.
Where rich HtNtTlA breeds her SAVAGE MULES. POPE.
The Eneta, or Ilcnela, who were a people contiguous to
Paphlagonia, Cappadocia, and Galatia, might have derived
their origin from this Anah, or llcnah, out of which the
EiEToi of the ancient Greek writers might have been formed;
and according to Theophrastus, Slrabo, and Plutarch, the
first mules were seen among these people. — See Ludvv, Ve.
Dieu If Schtuclizer.
Dukc^ of the Horites, GENESIS.
28 The children of Dishau are
these; Uz, and Aran.
29 These are the dukes that came of the Hor-
ites; duke Lotan, duke Shobal, duke Zibeon,
A.i\I.cir.'i2«.
BC cir 1736.
duke Ezcr, duke Dishan
from
A..M.cir.yii93.
iJ.C.cir.iyil.
to
A.M.cirii29.
li.C.tir.1.77.1.
A.:M.cir.'2UUi
B.C.cir 1911.
A.;\r.cir.?l'i5.
B.C.tir.lJl59.
A.AJ.cir.^l??.
B.C dr. 18'.'7.
A,!\I.cir.92l9.
B.C. cir. 1785.
reignea any
the kings
of Edom,
over
:ing
of Beor
name of
Temani reigned in his
duke Anah.
SO Duke Dishon,
lliese are the dukes that came of Ilori, among
their dukes in the kind of Seir.
31 % And " these are
that reigned in the land
before there reigned
the children of Israel.
32 And Bela the son
reigned in Edom: and the
his city Xi-as Dinhabah.
33 And Bela died, and Jobab the
son of Zerah of Bozrali reigned in
his stead.
34 And Jobab died, and Husham
of the land of
stead.
35 And Husham died, and Hadad
the son of Bedad, who smote Midian
• 1 Chron. 1. 43. ^ 1 Cliron. 1. 50. Hadad Pai. After liis death was
Verse 31. Before tliere reigned any khhj; over — Israel'] 1
suppose all the vcrse.s from this to tlie .39tli inclusive, have
been transferred to this place from 1 Chron. i. 43 — 50. as it
is not likely they could have been written by Moses; and it is
<iuite possible they might have been, at a very early period,
written in the margin of an authentic copy, to make out the
regal succession in Edom, prior to the consecration of Saul ;
■which words being afterwards found in the margin of a va-
lu ibki copy, from which others were transcribed, were sup-
posed by the copyist to be a part of the text, vhich having
been omitted by the mistake of the oiigaial writer, had been
since added to make up the deficiency: on this conviction, he
would not hesitate to transcribe them consecutively in his copj'.
In most MSS. sentences and paragraphs have been left out
by the copyists, which, when perceived, have been added
in the margin, either by the original writer, or by some
later hand. Now, as tiic margin was the ordinary place
where glosses or explanatory notes were written, it is ea^y
to conceive how the notes, as well as the parts of the original
text found in the margin, might be all incorporated with the
text by a future transcriber; and his ?.i.SS. being often copied,
would of course multi))ly tlie copies with such additions, as
we have much reascjn to believe has been the case. This
appears very ficf|Ment!y in the V^ulgale and Sei)luaglnt ; and
an Lnirhth J'ible now before me, written some time iii the
fourteenth cenlm-y, exhibits several proofs of this principle. —
bee the I'refnce to this work, p. I .
I know there is another way of accounting for those words
on the ground of their being written originally by Mosc.*,
and Iibigs of the Edomites.
his
reigned in
in the field of Moab,
stead: and the name of his city ivas
Avith.
36 And Hadad died, and Samlah
of Masrekah reigned in his stead.
37 And Samlah died, and Saul of
Rehoboth, by the river, reigned in
his stead.
38 And Saul died, and Baal-hanan
the son of Achbor reigned in his
stead.
39 And Baal-hanan the son of Ach-
bor died, and '' Hadar reigned in his
'stead: and the name of his city tvas
Pan ; and his wife's name teas Mche-
tabel, the daug;hter of Matred the
■ daughter of Mezahab.
I 40 *j[ And these are the names of
I " the dukes that came of Esau, accord-
ing to their families, after their places,
by their names; duke Timnah, duke
" Alvah, duke Jetheth.
A.M.cir.2«19.
B.C.cir.l785.
A.M.cir.226I.
B.C.cir. 1743.
A.M.cir.230S
B.C. cir. 1701,
A.JM.cir.23-15.
B.Ccir.ie.59.
AM cir.2387.
B.C.cir. Ifil?.
Second aris-
tocr.icy of
diilces.
From
A.M. cir. 2 171.
B. C. cir. 1533.
to
A.!\I.cir.2513.
B. C. cir.1491.
an aristocracy. Exod. 15. 15. ' 1 Chron. 1. 51.- — ^ Or, Aliah.
but to me it is not satisfactory. It is simply this; the word
king should be considered as implying any kind of regular
go-cerninent , whether by chiefs, dukes, judges, &c. and, there-
fore, when Moses says, these are the kings which reigned in
Edom, before there was any king in Israel, he may be only
understood as .saying, that these kings reigned among the
Edomites before the family of Jacob had acquired any con-
siderable power, or before the time in which his twelve sons
had brciiine the fathers of those numerous tribes, at the head
1 of which, as king himself /;/ Jeslturun, he now stood.
I Esau, after his dukes, had eight kings, who reigned suc-
cessively over their people, while Israel were in affliction in
Egypt.
Verse 33. Jahab the son of Zerali'] Many have supposed
that Jobali is the same as Job, so remarkable for his afflictions
and putitnce; ariA (\i\\. Eliphaz, mentioned ver. 10. &c. was
the same who in the book of Job is called one of his friends:
but there is no proper proof of this, and there are many rea-
sons against it.
Verse 35. Smote Midian in the field of ISIoah] Bishop
i Cumberland supposes that thi.s was Midian, the son of Abra-
ham, by Kelurah, and that he was killed by Hadad, some
time before he was one hundred and nine years of age; and
that Moses recorded this, probably, because it was a calamity
to the ancestor of Jelhro, his father-in-law. — Orig. of I^at.
p. IK
Verse 40. These are the names of the dukes that came of
Esau] These dukes did not govern tlie whole nation of the
Idumeans, but they were chiefs in their respective families— r
Co)itinua[ion of the
A.M.Lir.'.'4?i. 41 Duke Aholibamah,
CHAP, xxxvr.
duke Klali,
42 Duke Kcnaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,
43 Duke Magdie], duke Iram : " these be the
■ Vcr. 31. Eiud. 15. 15. Num. 50. 11. i^ter. 7, 8. Deuf. 2. 5. Gen. 25. 12.
in iheir pfnces, the districts tliey govcnn d, and to uhicli they
^i\e their 71/tmcs. Cahnct lliinks that tiiose mentioned ahovc
were dukes in Edoni, or Iduiiica, at the time of the Kxodus
of Israel from I'a^ypt.
Vcrie 4:{. Jit: is E.<au the father of the Edomites.l That is,
tlie preceding list contains an account of the posterity of
Esau, who was the father of F.dom. — Tims ends Ksaii's
hislori/ ; for afttr this there is no farther account of his life,
actions, or death, in the Pentateuch.
1. As Esau is so considerable a person in polemic divinity,
it may be necessary, in this place especially, to say sonie-
tliing farther of his conduct and character. I have already,
in several places, endeavoured, and I hope successfully, to
wipe off the odium that has been thrown upon this man —
(see the notes on cli. xxvii. and eh. xxxiii.) — without attempt-
ing lo lessen Iiis faults; and the unjirejiidiced reader must see
that, previously lo this last account we have of him, his cha-
racter stands without a blot, except in the case of sellin<^' his
birth-right, and his purpose to destroy his brodier. To the
first he was led by his famishing- situation and the unkindness
of his brother, who refused to save his life but on this con-
dition ; and the latter, made in the heat of vexation and
passion, he never attempted to execute, even when he had
tlie most ample means and the faireit o]ipoi'tuiiity to do it.
Dr. Shuekf id has dr;.wn an imjiartial char.ieter of Esau,
from which I extract the fallowing jjarticulars : — " Esau was
a plain, generous, and honest man ; for we have no reason,
from any thing that appears in his life or actions, to think
him -xicl^ed beyond other men of his age or times; and his
generous and good temper appears from all his behaviour
towards his brother. When they first met, he was all hu-
manity and aflection ; and he had no uneasiness when he
found that .Jacob followed him not to Seir, but went to live
near his father. And at Isaac's death, we do not find that
be made any diiTiculty of quitting Canaan, which was the
Tcry point which, if he had harboured any latent (evil) in-
tentions. Would have revived ;dl his resentments. He is in-
deed called in Scripture the (irofane Esau; and it is written,
Jttcub hare J loied, and Esau have I hated : but there is, I
think, no reason to infer, from any of those expressions, that
ICsau was a verij wicked man, or that Goel hated or punished
him for an immoral life. For, 1. tlie sentence here against
bim, is said expressly to be founded not upon his actions,
for it was lietermined before the chihlren had done good or
exit. 2. God's hatred of Esau was not a hatred wliieh in-
duced him lo ]ninish him with any evil ; for he was as happy
in all the blessings of this life, as either Abraham, Isaac, or
Jacob: and his posterity had a land designed by God to be
their possession, as well as the children of Jacob, and they
were put in possession of it much sooner than tlie Israelites;
Edomitisli duJces.
dukes of Edoin, according to their A.M.dr.LMTi.
habitation-s, ill the land of their ""pos- ^'•^' '^'^'^";
.session : he is Esau the " father of the
Edomites.
' Ch. 123. SO. & 45. 8. U S6. 4.5. 1 Clir. 4. 11. Mcb. EA<m.
and God h as pleased to protect them in the enjoyment of it,
and to caution the [sraelites against invading thein, with a
lemarkablc strictness, Deut. ii. 4, 5. And as God was
pleased thus to bless Ksau and bis children in the blessings
of this life, even as much as he blessed Abraham, Isaac, or
Jacob, if not more, why may we not hope to find him with
them at the last day, as well as Lot or Job, or any other
good and virtuous man, who was not designed lo be a par-
taker of ihe b/cssiiii^ given to Abraham ? 3. All the punish-
ment inflicted on Esau was an exclusion from being heir to
the blessing promised to Abraham and to his seed, which
was a favour not granted to Lot, to Job, to several other very
virtuous and good vien. 4. St. Paul, in the passage before
cited, only intends to shew the Jews, that God had all along
given the favours that led to the Messiah « here he pleased :
to Abraham, not to Lot — to Jacob, not to Esau, as at the
time St. Paul wrote, the Gentiles were made the people of
God, not the Jacs. 5. Esau is indeed called profane (ffffuXof);
but I think that word does not mean xiicked or immoral,
aaiQ-ni or ai/.a^Tu>,o;: he was called profane, for not haying that
due value for the priest's office which he should have had ;
and, therefore, though I think it does not a]ipear that he
w as cut ofl' from being the heir of the i)romises by any par-
ticular action in his life, yet his turn of mind and tliouglits
(111 appear to have been such, as to evidence, that God's pur-
])ose towards Jacob was founded on the truest wisdom." —
SmuckFOUD's Connections, vol. II. p. 174, &c.
The truth is, the Messiah mu.-,t spring from some ONE
family ; and God chose Abraham's, through Isaac, Jacob, &c.
rather than the same through Ishmacl, Esav, and the others
in that line : but Irom this choice it does not follow, that
the first were all necessarily saved, and the others 7ieccssarily
lost.
2. To some the genealogical lists in this chapter will
doubtless appear uninteresting, especially those which con-
cern Esau and his descendants: but it was as necessary te
register the generations of Esau, as to register those of Jacob,
in order to siiew that the i^Jessiah did not spring from the
former, but that he did spring from the latter. 1 lie gene-
alogical tables, so frequently met with in the sacred writings,
and so little regarded by Christians in general, are extremely
useful. I. As they are standing proofs of the truth of the
prophecies, which stated that the Messiah should come from
a particular family ; which prophecies were clearly fulfilled
in ihe birth of Christ. 2. As they testify, to the conviction
of the Jews, that the INIessiah, thus promised, is found in
the person of Jesus of Nazareth, who incontestibly sprang
from the last, the only remaining branch of the family of
David. These registers were religiously preserved .imnnT
the Jews till the destruction of Jerusalem, after which they
were all destroyed; insonmch, that there ib not a Jew in the
C C
CommencemeM of
GENESIS.
the history of Joseph.
universe who can trace himself to the family of David: con-
sequently all expectation of a Messiali to come, is, even on
tlieii- own principles, nugatory and absurd ; as nothing re-
mains to legitimate his birth. \\'lien Christ came, all these
reo-isters were in existence. When St. TVIatthew and St.
Lute wrote, all these registers were stdl in existence ; and had
they pretended, what coiiM not have been supported, an ap-
peal to the registers would have convicted them of a false,
hood. But no Jew attempted to do this, notwithstanding
the excess of their malice against Christ and his followers;
and because they did not do it, we may safely assert, no Jew
could do it. Thus the foundation standeth sure.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Jticob continues to fojourn in Carina?!, 1. Joseph being seventeen years of age, is emploijed in feeding the flocks of
his father, '2. Is toted Ity Itis father, more than the rest of his brethren, 3. His brethren envy him, 4. His
dream of the sheaves, 5 — 7. His brethren interpret it, and hate him on the account, 8. His dream of the
sun, moon, and c\Q\-e\\ stars, 9, 10, 11. Jacob sends him to visit his brethren, zvho were zcith tliefoclcin Slie-
chem, 13, 14. He icanders in tite field, and is directed to go to Dothan, rchitlier his brethren had removed the
fiocks, 13 — 1". Seeing him coming, tiiey conspire to destroy him, IS — 20. Reuben, secretly intending to deliver
him, coitnsels his brethren not to kill, but to put him into a pit, '21, CC. Tliey strip Joseph of his coat of mnni/
colours, arulput him into a pit, 23, '2-1. They aftericards draie him out, and sell him to a compani/ of Ishinaelite
merchants, for ticenty pieces cf silver, iclio carry liim into Egypt, 25 — 28. Reuben returns to the pit, and not
tinding Joseph, is greatly affected, 29, 30. Joseph's brethren dip his coat in goat's blood to persuade his father
tliat he liad been devoured bi/ a leild beast, 31 — 33. Jacob is greatly distressed, 34, o5. Joseph is sold in Egypt
to Potiphar captain cf Pharaoh's guard, 36.
AND Jacob dwelt in the land ' wherein " [I with the sons of Zilpah, his father's a.m. sots.
his father was a stranger, in the land of, W'ives: and Joseph brought unto his ' ^^'^^'
Canaan. I father " their evil report.
2 These are the generations of Ja- i 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all
cob. Joseph, being seventeen years ! his children, because he iccts '^ the son of his
A. i\I i.'2T(3.
B C. 1728.
old, was feeding the flock with his brethren ;
and the lad xt-as with the sons of Bilhah, and
» Heb. of his I'dthci's iojoumitigs.—'' ch. 17. 8. & 23. 4. &
i: 36. 7. Hel). 11. 9.
KOTES ON CHAP. XXXVII.
Verse 1. U'ltercin his father -^as a stranger] V2S '"llj'J nte-
gurey ubaiv, Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojourn-
in;;s, as the margin very properly reads it. The place was
probably the ivi/e o/" //eftron, see vcr. 1 1.
Verse 2. The.se are the c^cneraiiotis] nnSn toledoth, the
history of the lii-es and actions of Jacob and his sons : for in
this general sense the original must be taken ; as in the whole
of the ensuing history there is no particular account of any
genealogical succession. Yet the words may be understood as
referring to the tables or genealogical lists in the preceding
chapter; and if so, the original must be understood in its
common acceptation.
The lad was with the sons of Bilhah] It is supposed that our
word tad comes from the Hebrew lS' yeied, a child, a son,
and that luss is a contraction of ladess, the female of lad, a
girl, a young '..I'oinan. Some have supposed that King James
desired the translators to insert this word : but this must be a
inistikc, as the word occurs in this place in £din. Beck's
Bible, printed in 1549.
old
colours.
age:
and he made him a coat of mani/
' 1 Saiu. e. i2«, 23, 24. ■'cIi. 4-1. 20. -^Or, jtieces. Judg. o. 30.
2 Saiii. 13. 18.
Uroii'j^ht unto his filhcr their ci-il report.] Conjecture has beeil'
busily employed to find out what this evil report might be:
but it is needless to enquire what it was, as on this head, the
sacred text is perfectly silent. All the use we can make of
this informalion is, that it was one cause of increasing his bro-
ther's hatred to him, which was first excited by his father's
partiality, and secondly by his own dreams.
Verse 3. A coat of many colours.] D'DB rjn3 kctonct
passim, a coat made up of stripes of diflerently coloured cloth.
Similar to this was the tos^u prcetcxta of the Rouian youth,
which was white, striped or fringed \\'\\.\\ purple ; this they wore
till they were seventeen years of age, when they changed
it for the toga virilis, or toga pnra, which was all txhite.
Such vestures, as clothing of distinction, are worn all over
Persia, India and China to the present day. It is no won-
der that his brethren should envy lum, when his fiahcr had
thus made him such a distinguished object of his puitial love.
Wt have already .seen some of the evils produced by this un-
warrantable conduct of parents in preferring one child to
all the rest. The old fable of the ape and her favorite
Joseph relates his two dreams CHAP.
A.M. 2iT6. 4 ^4,1,1 when his brethren saw that
BX'M728. i]-^q[y father h:)ved liini more than all
his brethren, they ' hated him, and could not
speak peaceably unto him.
5 if And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he
told it his brethren : and they hated him yet
the more.
6 And he said imto them. Hear, I pray you,
this dream which I have dreamed :
7 For, "^ behold, we icere binding sheaves in
the held, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also
stood uj)right ; and, behold, your sheaves stood
round about, and made obeisance to my
sheaf.
8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou
indeed reign over us ? or shalt thou indeed have
dominion over us? and they hated him yet the
ImoBe for his dreams, and for his words.
f 9 % And he dreamed yet another dream,
land told it his brethren, and said. Behold, I
'. liave dreamed a dream more ; and, behold, ' the
XXXVII. to his father and brethren.
sun and the moon and the eleven a.m.:»7«3.
] , • , B.C. 17. '8.
stars made obeisance to me. -.
10 And lie told il to his father, and to his
brethren: and his fatlier rebuked him, and said
unto liini. What is this dream that thou hast
dreamed? Shall I, and thy mother, and "thy
brethren, indeed come to bow down ourselves
to thee to the earth ?
11 And 'his brethren envied him; but his
father ' observed the saying.
12 % And his brethren went to feed their fa-
ther's flock in Shechem.
13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy
brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and
I will send thee unto them. And he said to
him. Here am I.
14 And he said to him. Go, I pray thee, ^see
whether it be well with thy brethren, and well
with the flocks ; and bring me word again. So
he sent him out of the vale of '' Hebron, and
he came to Shechem,
■ Ch. -l'. 41. & 49. W
^ ch. -K. 6, 0. & 4,j. 'iG. & 44. 14.-
' cli. 27. «9.
-' cli. 46. 29.
eu'j, which slie hugged to death through kindness, was directed
against such foolish parenlal fondnesses as these.
Verse 4. And could not speak peaceably unto /liw;.] noes not
this imply, in om- use of the term, that they were continually
qudvrcllhig with him ? but this is no meaning of llie original ;
sSc'S n3T iSs' N71 I'lo yakelu dahcro lesliulom, they could not
sptak peace lo him, i. e. ihey would not accost liiin in Afriemlly
manner. They would not even wish him well. The eastern
method of salutation is. Peace be to thee ! "|S QlVty shalom
/ecfl, among the Hebrews; and JXjMsalam, ^jukAi» jiLL*. saliim
hehihi, peace, or peace to thee my friend, among the Arabs.
Now as peace among those nations comprehends all kinds of
blessings spiritual and temporal; so ihcy are careful not to
say it to those whom they do not cordially wish well. It
j is not an unusual thing for an Arab or a Turk to hesitate to
; return the salaw, if given by a Christian, or by one, of whom
he has not a favourable opinion : and this, in ihcir own
I country, may be ever considered as a mark of host Hilt/, not
, only as a proof that they do not wish you well, but that if
' they have an opportunity, they will do you an nijury. lliis
: was precisely the case with respect to Joseph's brethren; they
i would not give him the lalam, and therefore felt themselves at
liberty to take the first opportunity to injure him.
Verse 7. We were binding sheaies in the field] Though in
tliese early times we read little of tillan;e, yet it is evident
I from this circums!ance, that it was practised by Jacob and
liis sons. Tlie whole of this dream is so very plain as to
require no comuKnt, ludess we could suppose that the sheaves
of grain might have some reference to the plenty in Kgypl
under Joseph's supcrintcndance; and the scarcity in Canaan,
' Acts 7. 9.-
-•"Dan. 7. 28. Luke 2. 19, 51. » Hob. sec the peace f ih\j
brethren, <Sc. cli. 29. 6. '' ch. 35. 27.
which obliged the brethren to go down to Egypt for corn,
where the dream was most literally fulfilled; his brethren
there, bowing in the most abject manner before him.
Verse 9. He dreamed yet another dream] This is as char
as the preceding. But how could Jacob say, Shall 1 and thy
mother, Ifc. when Rachel his mother was dead, some time be-
fore this .'' Perhaps Jacob might hml, by this explanation,
the impossibility of such a dream being fulfilled ; because one
of the j)ersons who should be a chief actor in it, was already
dead. But any one wife or concubine of Jacob was c)uite
sufficient lo fulfil this part of the dream. It is possible, some
think, that J().seph may have had these dreams before his mo-
ther Rachel died ; but were even this the case, she certainly
did not live to fulfil the part which appears to refer to her-
self.
The sun, and the moon, and the elnen stars] Why eleven stars ?
Was it merely to signify that his broiUtrs uiiulit be repre-
sented by stars.? Or does he not rather there allude to the
Zodiac, his eleven brethren answering to eleven of the celestial
signs, and himself to the twelfth F This is certainly not an
unnatural thought, as it is very likely that the heavens were
thus measured in the days of Joseph ; for the zodiacal con-
stellations liavc been distinguished among the ea«tcrn nation*
from time iimiiemorial. — See the notes at the end of chaj).
xlix.
Verse 14. Co — see whether it be ivell with thy brethren]
Literally, Go, I beseech thee, and see the peace of thy
brethren, and the peace of the flock. Go and see whether
they are all in prosperity. — See on ver. 4. As Jacob's sons
were now gone to feed the flock on the parcel of ground they
C C 2
A.iW.2W6.
B. c.ires.
•Cant. 1. 7. '■eKiiigs 6. 13. ' 1 Sam. 19. 1. Ps. 3J. 13. & .37.
].) -;./ Jo U4. 21. Blatt. i7. t. iMirkll.-l. John 11. 53. Acts 23. 12.
' Hcb. m/slfj- n/ dreams. '■ Pruv. 1. U, lo. & d. 17. & '.i7. -1. ^ tli. -12.
22. eOr, pieces.
had bought from the Shechcnnites, .see chap, xxxiii. 19. and
■where they had committed such a horrible slaughter, their
lather migiit feel more solicitous ahout their welfare, lest the
neighbouring: tribes should rise against them, and revenge the
murder of the Shechcmites.
As Jacob appears to have been at this time in the vale of
Hebron, it is supposed that Shechcm was about sixty English
miles distant from it, and that Doth.an was about eight miles
farther. But I mui^t again advertize my readers, that all
these calculations are very dubious ; for we do nut even know
that the swne place is intended, as there are many proof-, that
difierent places went by the same names.
Vei-se 19. Behold, this dreamer comelh.] T\KhT^nhv2 baal
hachalumoth, this master of dreams, this master dreamer. A
form of speech which conveys great contempt.
Verse 20. Come Jioit: — and let us slay him] What unprinci-
pled savages these must have been, to talk thus coolly about
cmbruing their hands in an innocent brother's blood! How
necessary is a divine revelation, to shew man what God hates
and what he loves. Ferocious cruelty, is the principal charac-
teristic of the nations and tribes who receive not the law at
his month.
Verse 2 1 . Reuben heard it] Though Reuben appears to
have been a transgressor of no ordinary magnitude, if we take
again.
Tfiet/ conspire against his life. GENESIS
15 And a ceilain man found him,
and, behold, he teas wandering in
the field: and t!ic man asked him, saying,
AVhat seekcst thou ?
16 And he said, I seek my brethren: ' tell me,
I pray thee, where they feed their JiocJcs.
17 And the man said. They are departed
hence ; for I heard tliem say, Let us go to Do-
than. And Joseph went after his brethren, and
found them in '' Dothan.
18 ^ And when they saw him afar off, even
before he came near unto them, "they conspired
against him to slay him.
Id And they said one to another. Behold, this
* dreamer cometh.
20 " Come now therefore, and let us slay him,
and cast him into some pit, and we will say,
Some evil beast hath devoured him : and we
shall see what will become of his dreams.
21 And '^ Reuben heard it, and he delivered
him out of their hands ; and said, Let us not
kill him.
22 And Reuben said unto them. Shed no
blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the
wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that
They sell him to the Ishmeeliles.
he might rid him out of their
hands, to deliver him to his father
.•>..M.2276.
r.. C. l7■.^•^,
23 ^ And it came to j*)ass, when Joseph was
come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph'
out of his coat, his coat uf inanij ^ colours that
was on him ;
24 And they took him, and cast him into a
pit : and the pit "U-'as empty, there n-as no water
in it.
2,5 "And they sat down to eat bread: and they
lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold,
a eom})any of ' Ishmeelites came from Gilead,
with their camels bearing spiceiy, and " balm
and myrrli, going to carry it down to Egypt.
26 And Judah said unto his bretlu'en. What
profit is it if we slay our brother, and 'conceal
his blood.''
27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeel-
ites, and '"let not our hand be upon him; for
he is " our brother and ° our flesh- And his
brethren ''were content.
28 Then there passed by '' Midianites, mer-
chantmen ; and they drew and lifted up Joseph
out of the pit, "^and sold Joseph to the Ish-
» Prov. ?0. SO. Amos 6. 6.
111. vcT. iO. .Tob 16. 18 —
It. f Hcb. hcarhened. — '
Wisd. 10. 13. Ads 7. 9.
'■ See ver. 28. :?6. ' .Trr. 8. S2. ' k1i. 4,
— " 1 Sam. 18. 17. "ch. •I-,'. -U. ° cli. «9.
-"•Juds. d. 3. ch. 45. 4, 5. 'Ps. 105. IT.
chap.
22. according to the letter, yet his bosom wa»-
not the habitation of cruelty. He determined, if po.-^sible, to
save his brother from deatli, and deliver hiin safily to his fa-
ther, with v.liose fondness for him he was sufficiently acquaint-
ed. Josrphiis, in his usual waj-, puts a long flourishing'
speech in the mouth of Keuben on the occasion, spoken in
order to dissuade his brethren from their barbarous purposej ,
but as it is totally unfounded, it is worthy of no regard.
Verse 23. They stript Joseph out of his coo/] This pro-
bably was done, that if ever found, he might not be discerned
to be a person of distinction, and consccjuently no eufjuiry
made concerning him.
Verse 25. They .sat down to eat bread} Every act is per-
fectly in character, and describes forcibly the brutish and dia-
bolic nature of their ruthless souls.
A company of Ishmeelites'] We may naturally suppose that
this was a caravan, composed of diflerent tribes, that, fur their
greater safety were travelling /o^c'/icr, and of uhich h!:ii:edite»
and Jlidianites made the chief. In the Chal Ice ihey are
called Arahian.%, which liom 311? drab, to mingle, was in all
probability used by the Tari^umist, as the word .Inibians it
used among us, which comprehends a vast number of clans, or
tribes of people. The Jerusalem Targuin calls them j'pTtj
Scrakin, what we term SurazensF In the Persian, the clause
Make their father believe him dead. CHAP. XXXVII.
meclites for ' twenty pieces of sil-
ver: and they brought Jo-scpli into
A.M.t':T:,
E<rypt.
'29 ^ And Reuben returned unto the pit :
and behold, Joseph "icas not in the pit ; and he
'rent his clothes.
30 And he returned unto his brethren, and
said. The child " is not ; and I, whither shall I
go?
31 IT And they took '' Joseph's coat, and
killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat
in the blood ;
32 And they sent the coat of manj/ colours,
and they brou^-ht it to their father; and said.
This have we ibund : know now Avlicther it Oe
thy son's coat or no.
•S.-e ftlatl. ',-7. 9. ''Job 1. !?(l.-
< VC-. M3. =^er. -.0. ch. 4-t. '.'U -
I'A 17. '' ch. 42. 38. & 41. 'J9, ol.
-" ch. 4','. l", .S(). ,Ier. 31. 1.5.
-"■yer.SS. Si Sam. 3. 31. « 5; Sam,
llands ibus L! ,.\jfS' »>Jlji^! _jU,L^3 karavanec i^hinda-
lecm diuhan nj/a. " A caravan of Llimaelite Arabs came."
This seems to give the true sen^e.
Verse 28. ¥or tv^eiiiy pieces o/jt'fcer] In the Am^Jo Saxon it
is fjiRijum penejum thirtT/ pence. This, 1 think, is tiie
first instance on record of selHnii' a man for a .^lave : but the
praclite certainly did not commence now; it iiad doubtless
been in u^e long before. Instead of j)icce<:, which our transla-
tors supply, the Persian has JljiJ^ mUkal which was pnjba-
bly intended to signify a i/ie.W, and [(shekels be intended, tak-
ing them at three s/iillitigs each, Joseph was sold for about three
pounds sterling'. I have known a whole cargo of slaves,
amounting lo eight hundred and thirteen, bought by a slave
captain in I'onny river, in Africa, on an average, for .«.r
pounds C3.ch ; and this payment was made \n guns, gunpoxed^r
and trinkcls ! As there were only ten of the brethren present,
and they sold Joseph for twenty shekels, each had two shekels
as his share in this most infamous transaction.
Verse '29. Reuben relumed unto ih^ pi'] It appears he was
absent when the caravan passed by, to whom the other brethren
had sold Joseph; probably some of tiiem ted their flocks sepa-
ralelii ; though this does not appear to iiave been a general case.
Verse 30. The child is not ; and I, whither shall I go .?]
These words in the original are very ])laintive, 'JX1 UJ'S "iS'n
K3 'JN* rUN ha-j/eled einennoo, weanee anah, anee ba !
\ er-^e 32. Sent the coat of many colours — lo their father]
What deliberate cruelly to t(;rture the feelings of their aged
father, and thus harrow up his soul !
Verse 33. Joseph is u-ilhoul doubt rent in pieces .'] It is likely
he inferred this from the lacerated st.ite of the coat ; which,
in order, the belter to cover their wickedness, they had not
only besmeared with the blood of the goal, but it is probable
reduced to tatters. And what must a father's heart have I'clt
in sueli a ease ! As this coat is rent, so is the body of nty be-
l«ved ton rent in pieces ! and Jacob rent Itts ctcthes.
lie is sold to Potiphar.
33 And he knew it, and said, // is
my son's coat ; an " evil beast hath
devoured him ; Josepii is without doubt rent
in pieces !
34 And Jacob "^rent his clothes, and put sacl:-
cloth upon his loins, and mourned lor his sou
many days.
3.5 And all his sons and all his daughters
"rose up to comfort him ; but he refused to be
comforted : and he said, For " I will go down
into the g-ra\'e Avith my son mourning. Thu.s
his fither wept for him.
36 If And ' the Midianites sold him into
Egypt, unto Potiphar, an " ofliccr of i'haraoh,
and ' captain of the guard '".
' Cli. 39. 1. — ~'^ llil). eimwh. But llie word dotli s'u'nifv nut only
tuiinchs, lull also Wi./micrdiii/s, cMurti. r.(. and o/fiii-ys. I'mU.' 1. 10.
' Hsb. chUfifihc stuui^lilenneii, or eiLCulionei-^. — —"' Or, chiij m<irshal.
Verse 33. //// his sons and all his daughters] I!e had only-
one daughter, Dinah, but his son's leives may be here in-
cluded ; but wiiat hypocrisy in his sons to attempt to comfort
him concerning the di ath of a son whom ihcy knew was
alive ; and what cruelty to put their aged fallur to such tor-
ture, when, properly speaking, there was no gromid for it !
Verse 36. Polipkur, an officer <f Pharaoh] 'V\\c word
D'lD saris, which we translate q/Ziccr, signifies properly a eu-
nuch, and lest any person should imagine, that because tliis
Potiphar had a ivife, therefore it is absurd to suppose him lo
have been a eunuch, let such persons know, that it is not un-
common in the east, for eunuchs to have xvives, nay some of
them hive even a harem or seraglio, «here they kicp many
women, though it does not appear that they have any pro-
geny: and probably discontent on this ground, might have
contributed as much lo the unfaithfulness of I'otiphar's wife,
as that le.ss principled motive, through which, it is commonly
believed, she acted.
Captain of the guard.] D»ra*«sn 1U? sar ha-tabiichim, "chief
of the butchers," a most appropriate name for the guards of
an eastern despot. If a ])erson oflend one of the despotic
eastern jirinces, the onler to one of the life guards is. Go and
bring me his head, and this command is instantly obeyed, with-
out judge, jury, or any form of law. Potiphar," we may
therefore suppose, was captain of those ;■■«<■()■(/.'! whose business
it was to take care of the royal person and execute his sove-
reign will on all the objects of his displeasure. Reader, if
thou hast the hu])piiiess to live umhr the British constitution,
be thankful to God. Here, the will, the power, and utmost
inlluence of the king, were he even so disposed, cannot de-
prive the meanest subject of his property, bis liberty, or his
life. All the solemn, legal forms of justice must be consult-
ed ; the culprit, however accused, be heard by himself
and his counsel; and in the end, twelve honest, impartial
men, chosen from among his fellows, shall decide on tlie va-
J lidity of the evidence produced by the accuser. Per the
The history qfjudah
GENESIS.
and Tmnar his dmighter-in-law.
trial by jury, as well as for innumerable political blessings,
may God make the inhabitants of Great Britain thankful !
I. 'With this chapter the history of Joseph commences,
and sets before our eyes such a scene of wonders, wrought by
divine Providence, in such a variety of surprising in-
stances, as cannot fail to confirm our faith in God, shew the
propriety of resignation to his will, and confidence in his dis-
pensations, and prove that all things work together for good to
them that love him. Joseph has often been considered as a
type of Christ ; and this subject, in the bands of different per-
sons, has assumed a great vaiiety of colouring. The follow-
ing parallels appear the most probable, but I shall not pledge
myself for the propriety of any of them. " Jesus (^hrist, pre-
tiguiid by Joseph, the beloved of his father, and by bun sent
to visit his brethren, is the innocent person whom his brethren
sold for a few pieces of silver, the bargain proposed by his
brother Jiidah (Greek Judas) the very namesake of that dis-
ciple and brother, for so Christ vouchsafes to call him, who
sold bis Lord and master ; and who, by this means, became
their Lord and Saviour ; nay, the Saviour of strangers, and of
the whole world ; which had not happened but for this plot
of destroying him, the act of rejecting, and exposing hiui to
sale.^ — In both examples we find the same fortune and the
same innocence : Joseph in the prison between two criminals ;
Jesus on the cross between two thieves: Joseph foretells deli-
verance to one of his companions, and death to the other,
from the same omens : of the two thieves, one reviles Christ,
and perishes in his crimes ; the other believes, and is assured
of a speedy entrance into Paradise. Joseph requests the per-
son that should be delivered to be mindful of him in his
glory: the person saved by Jesus Christ, entreats his deliverer
to remember him when be came into his kingdom." See Pas-
cal's Thoughts — Parallels and coincidenciesof this kind should
always be received cautiously ; for where the spirit of God has
not marked a direct resemblance, and obviously referred to it
as such, in some other part of his word, it is bold, if not dan-
gerous, to say " such and sueh things and persons are types of
Christ." We have instances sufficiently numerous, legiti-
mately attested, without having recourse to to those which are
of dubious import, and precarious application. — See the ob-
servation on chap. xl. ^
'2. Envy has been defined, " Pain ft It, and nfialignity,
conceived, at the sight of excellence or happiness in another."
Under this detestable passion, did the brethren of Joseph la-
bour; and had not God particularly interposed, it would have
destroyed both its subjects and its object. Perhaps there i*
no vice which so directly filiates itself on Satan, as this does.
In opposition to the assertion that we cannot envy that by tvhich
we profit ; it may be safely replied, that we may envy our
neighbour's wisdovt, thongh he gives us good counsel ; his
riches, though he supplies our wants, and his greatness, thougU
he employs it for our protection. '
3. How ruinous are family distractions ! A house divided ;
against itself cannot stand. Parents should take good heed I
that their own conduct be not the first and most powerful (
cause of such dissentions, by exciting envy in some of their (
children, through undue partiality to others: but it is in vain
to spiak to most j)arents on the subject; they will give way
to foolish predilections, till, in the prevailing distractions
of their families, they meet with the punishment of their
imprudence, when regrets are vain, and the evil past remedy.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Jiidah marries tJie daughter of a Canatiiiite, 1, 3, and begets of her Er, 3, Onan, 4, and Shclah, .5, Er
marries Tamar, Q, is slain for his zcickediiess, 7- Ona>i required to raise up seed to his brother, refuses, 8, 9.
lie also is slain, 10. Judah promises his son Sliclah to Tamar, u'hen he should be of age ; but performs not his
promise, II. Judah's rcife dies, 12. Tamar bi disguise, receives htr father-in-law, he leaves his signet, bracelets
undstufin her hand, and she conceives by him, 13 — 23. Judah is informed tliat his daughter-in-law is Kith child, and
not knowing tluit himself was tlie father, condemns her to be burnt, 24. She produces the signet , bracelets and
staf, and convicts Judah, 2.5, 26. She is delivered of twins who are called Pharez and Zarali, 27—30.
A.M.cir.'.i2.il.
B.C. cir. 1753.
A
ND it came to pass at that time,
that Judah went down from his
• Ch. 19. 2, 3. Jud. 4. 18. 2 Kings 4. 8. Prov. 13. i'O.
NOTES OK CH.41'. XXXVIII.
Verse 1. And it came lo pass at that lime] The facts men-
tioned here, could not have happened at the times mentioned
in the preceding chapter, as those times are all unquestion-
ably too recent, for the very earliest of the transactions here
recorded, must have occurred long before the selling of Jo-
seph. Mr. Ainsworlb remarks, " that Judah and his sons
must have married when very young, else the chronology will
)i)Ot agree. For Joseph was born six years before Jacob left
brethren, and ^ turned in to a certain
*" Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
A.M.cir.^eSl.
B.C. cir. 17.53.
'■ Jos. 13. 35. 1 Sara, 22. 1. 2 Sam. 23. 13. Mic. 1 . 1.5.
Laban, and came into Canaan, xxx. 25. xxxi. 41. Joseph
was seventeen years old when he was sold into Egypt, xxxvii.
2, 23. be was thirty years old when he interpreted Pharaoh's
dream, chap. xii. 46. And nine years after, when there bad
been seven years of plenty and tivo years of famine, (hd Jacob
with his family go down into Egypt, chap. xli. 53, 54. and
xlv. 6, 11. And at tlieir going down thither, Pharez, the
son of .fudah, whose biitli is set down in the end of this chap-
ter, had two snos, Hezron and Hamul, chap, xlvi, 8, 12.
Judah begets Er and Onav.
CHAP. XXXVIII.
A.M.I if ?J.il-
IJ.C.cir ir.W.
2 And Juchih ' saw there a daugh-
ter of a certain Canaanite, whose
name tvas " Shuah ; and he took licr,
and went in unto her.
3 And .she concei\ed, and bare a
son; and he called liis name ' Er.
4 And she conceixed again, and
bare a son, antl slic called his name
" Onan.
5 And she yet again conceived,
and bare a son, and called his name
' Shelah: and he was at Chezib,
when she bare him.
6 f And Judah ^ took a wife for
Er his tirstborn, whose name Kcis
Taniar.
I 7 And ^ Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in
the sight of the Lord ; " and the Lord slew him.
A.M.cir.«'>5?.
H.C. cir. 175?.
A..M.cir.««^3.
B.C. cir. 17 J1.
A.M.cir.2-.'.T6.
B.C. cir, 17 18.
A.l\I.cir.!V"3.
BC.cir. 1731.
' "Ch. il. 2. >> 1 Chron. 2. 3. =ch. 46. 12. Numb. ?6. 19. "ch.
>4«. 1-.'. Nunilj. 2(i. 19. ^= ch. 46. 12. Numb. i.'6. iiO. — -fell il 21
f«ch. 40. IJ. Numb. 2ti. 19.
i Seeing tlien from the selling of Joseph unto I.sracl's goino-
down into Egypt, there cannot be above twenty-three years ;
I how is it possible that Judah should take a wife, and have by
I her three sons successively, and Shelah the youngest of the
three, be marriageable when Judah begat Pliarez of Thamar,
chap, xxxviii. 14, 24. and Pharez be grown up, married,
and have txi.o sons all within so short a space? The time
therefore here spoken of, seems to have been soon after Ja-
cob's coming to Shecheni, chap, xxxiii. IS. before tlie history
^ of Dinah, chap, xxxiv. though .Mose.s, for special cause, relates
jit in this place." — I should rather suppose that this chapter
; originally stood after chap. .Kxxiii. and liiat it got by accident
jinto this place. Dr. Hales oliscrving that some of Jacob's
■sous uuHt have married remarkably young, says that "Judah
was -dhowlfoi-ty-seven years old when Jacob's family settled in
; Egypt. He could not tiieiefore have been above yi/Vcert at the
birth of his eldest son Er; nor Er more tlian fifteen at his
1 marriage with Thamar; nor could it have been more than
.two years after Er's death, till the birth of Judah's twin sons
by his daughter-in-law 'I'hauiar; nor could Pharez, one of
I them, be more X.\\in fifteen at the birth of his twin sons Ilczron
and Hamul, su|)posin',r they wen: twins, just born before the
I departure from Can:ian. For liic aggregate of these numbers,
i 15 X 1 5 X -' X 1 5 = 47 years, gives the age of Judah, compare
I chap, xxxviii. with chap. xlvi. 2."
! AduHumite] An inhabitant of Adullam, a city of Canaan
:after\v;irds given for a possession to the sons of Judah, Josh.
ixv. I, 3j. It appears as if ihis Adullaniite had kept a kind
I of lodiTing-house, for Hirah the Caiiaanile and his fa-
imily lodged with him; and llicrc Judah lodged also. As the
iwoniau was a C'anaanit.ss, Judah had the example of his fa-
jthers, to prove at least, tlic impropriety of such a connec-
tion.
Verse 5. And he (Judah) was at Chezib when she hare him.]
Being both xcicked God slays them.
8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in A^ic.r.2274.
unto ' thy brother's wife, and marry "•^'•"^■'73»-
her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
9 And Onan knew that the seed should not
be "his; and it came to pass, when he went in
unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on
the ground, lest that he should give seed to his
brother,
10 And the thing which he did ' displeased
the Lord: wherefore he slew " him also.
11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter
in law, " Remain a widow at thy father's house,
till Shelah my son be grown: (for he said. Lest
peradventure he die also, as his brethren did.)
And Tamar went and dwelt " in her lather's
house.
12 ^ And ''in process of time the A.M.cir.2277.
daughter of Shuah, Judah's wfe died ; ^:^]^]^-
" 1 Cliron. 2. 3. ' Ueiit. 2i. 5. Mutt. 22. 24. ^ Deut, 2i. C-
'Mcb. ivus evil in the eyes of the LUJW. ■" ch. 4<i. 12. Nimib. *'tj IM -
"Ruth 1. 13. "Lev. 22. 13. ' Ilcb. tite days iccre multiiilirtl'
This town is supposed to be the same with Achzib, which fell
to the tribe of Judah, Josh. xv. 44. The name, says Ains-
wordi, has in Hebrew the signification of li/irf^; and to it the
prophet alludes, saying the houses of Achzii shall be (Achzab)
a lie to the kings of Israel. Mic. i. 14.
Verse 7. Er — was wicked in the sight of the Lord] ^Vhat
this wickedness consisted in, we are not told; but the phrase,
scght of the Lord, being added, jiroves that it was some very
great, evil. It is worthy of remark, that the Hebrew word
used to express Er's wickedness, is his own name, the letters
reversed. Er, -\p, wicketl, n rd. As if the inspired writer
had said, " Er was altogether wicked, a completely abandoned
character."
Verse 9. Onan knew that the seed should not be his] That is,
that the child begotten of his brother's widow, should be reck-
oned as the child of his deceased brother; and his name,'
though the real father of it, should not appear in the genealo-
gical Tables.
Verse 10. Wherefore he slew him aho] The sin of Onan
has generally been supposed to be Silf-polliuion. But this is
certainly a mistake; his crime was his refusal to raise up seed
to his brother; and rather than do it, he by the act mentioned
above, rendered himself incapable of it. VV( find from this
history, that long before ihe Mosaic law, it was an established
custom, probably founded on a divine piece])!, th.U if a man
died childlcs.s, his brother was to take his wife; and the child-
ren produced by this secnml marriage, were considered as the
children of tlie first husband, and in consequence inherited his
possessions. ■
Verse 12. Jn process of time] This phrase, which is in ge-
neral use in the IJible, needs explanation; the or'-inal n 13-i>>
D'O'n vuiyirbu ha-yainim and the days werj multiplied, though
it implies an indefinite time, yet it generally embrac's a pretty
long period, and m this place, may mean several years.
Tamar deceives her father-in-Jaxc ;
A.M.cir.aerr. a,nd Judah * was comforted, and
B.c.cir.i7a7. ^,^^^ j^p ^jj_|^Q |j-j^ sheep-shearers to
Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adul-
lamite.
13 And it was told Taniar, saying. Behold
thy father in law goeth up ^ to Timnath to shear
his sheep.
14 And she 'put her widow's garments off
from her, and covered her with a vail, and
wrapped herself, and "* sat in ' an open place,
which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw
' that Shelah was grown, and she was not given
unto him to wife.
IJ When Judah saw her, he thought her to be
a harlot; because she had covered her fivce.
16 And he turned unto her by the way, and
said. Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto
thee; (for he knew not that she kt/.? his daugh-
ter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give
me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
17 And he said, ^I wU send thee "a kid from
the flock. And she said, ' Wilt thou give me a
pledge, till thou send it?
•2 Sam. l). 39. '■Josli. 15. 10, .57. .Tudg. 14. 1, = .ludilh 10. .3.-
'• Prov. 7. 12. ^'Heb. iht door oj' eyes, or, (</' Eiinjim. 'vei: 11. 'JC.
GENESIS.
she carries axoay his pledge.
thee? And she said, "Thy
15 C. cir.lTSr.
signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that
is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and
came in unto her, and she conceived by
him.
19 And she arose, and went away, and 'laid
by her vail fi-om her, and put on the gar^^ents:
of her widowhood.
20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of
his friend the AduUamite, to receive his pledge
fl'om the woman's hand: but he found her
^ not.
I 21 Til en he asked the men of that place, sav-
'. ing. Where is the harlot, that teas "" openly by
the way side? And they said. There was no
harlot in this place.
22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I '
cannot find her; and also the men of the place
said, that there was no harlot in this jjlace. ^
23 And Judah said. Let her take // to her,
lest we "be shamed: behold, I sent this kid,
and thou hast not found her.
Verse 1 5. Thcifj^ht her to be a Imrlol] See the orioinal of tliis
term, chap, xxxiv. 3 1 . The Hebrew is nJIT Zonu/t, and sig-
nifies generally a person who prostitutes herself to the public
for hire; or one who lives by the public; antl hence very likely
applied to a puhlican, a tavern-keeper, or hos'ess, .losh. ii, 1.
translated by the Sepluagint and in the New Testament,
TTCfVii from ■TTe^vaco to sell, which certainly may as well apply
to her goods as to her person.
It appears that, in very ancient times, there were public
persons of this description : that they generally veiled them-
selves; sat in public places by the liiglnvay side; and re-
ceived a certain hire. '1 hough adulter!/ was reputed a very
flagrant crnne, yet this public prostitution was not: for persons
whose characters were, on the whole morally good, had connec-
tions with them. But what could be expected from an age,
in which there was no written dinnc revelation; and conse-
quently the bounds of right and wrong not sufficiently a.scer-
tained. This defect was supplied in a considerable measure
by the law and the propltets; and now, completely, by the
gospel of Christ.
Ver.se 17. Wilt thou give mc a pledge till thou send il}'\
The word ps^;; urabon signifies an eamtsi of something pro-
nii.-'ed — Zi part of the price agreed for. betv.een a buyer and
seller, by giving and receiving of which, the bargain was rati-
fied ; or a deposit, which was to be restored, when the thing
promised shouhi be given. St. Paul uses the same word in
Greek letters, a^^aSav, 9. Cor. i. 22. Ephcs. i. 14. From
the use ol llie term in tliis history, we may at once see what
18 And he said, V/liat pledge shall A.M.cir.2277
' Ezek. 16. 3:5. ^ Heli. a l<itl of ihe ^onts. ' ver. '20. '^ vf r. Jo.-
ver. 14. "^ Or, in Ejiajim. " lleb. become a cojitcutpt.
the Apostle means by the Holy Spirit being the EAKNEST,
a^^a?ciiv, of the ])rondsed inheritance ; viz. a security given in
hand for the fulfilment of all God's promises relative to grace
and eternal life. We may learn from this, that eternal life will
be given, in the great day, to all who can produce this arahon
or pledge: he «ho has the earnest of the Spirit then in his
heart, shall not only be saved from death, but have that eter^
nal life of which it is the pleds^e, and the evidence. What
the pledge given by Judah was, see on ver. 25.
Verse 21. Where is the harlot that was openly by the way
side .f ] Our translators often render different Hebrem words
by the same term in English: and thus many important
shades of meaning, which involve trails of character, are lost.
In ver. 1.5. Tamar is called a //((Wo< njH coj?«//, which, as we
have already seen, signifies a person who prostitutes her-
self for money. In this verse she is called a harlot in our
version, but the original is not ruit zonah, but nu'^p
kedeshah, a holy or consecrated person, from li*"ip kadasfi,
to make holy, or to consecrate to religious purposes. And
the word here must necessarily signify a person consecrated
by prostitution, to the worship of some impure goddess.
The public prostitutes in the temple of Venus arc called
npo$ou\ot yuvxiH^i, holy or conseciuted female servants, by
Strabo: and it appears from the words zonah and kedesha
above, that impure rites and public prostitution prevailed in
the worship of the Canaanites, in the time of Judah. And
among these people, we have much reason to believe, ihatAs-
turte and Asleroih occupied the same place in their theology.
A.M.ii...i/7r,
B C rir 17ar.
Jttdah's rash judgment.
24 And it came to pass about three 1
months after, tliat it was told Jndah,'
saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath " played i
the harlot; and also, behold, she ix with cliild'
by whoredom. And Judah said, Ering her forth,'
"and let her be burnt. I
25 V.'hen she xcas brought forth, she sent to!
her father in law, saying. By the man, -whose j
these are, am I with child : and she said, 'Dis-
cern, I pray thee, whose are these, ''tlie signet,
and bracelets, and str.if.
26 And Judah "acknowledged them, and said,
^Shc hath been more rigliteous than I ; because
that ^ I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he
CHAP. XXXVIIL
Pharez dnd Zarah bom.
knew her agani
no more.
•Jurt-t. IV. ?. 1" Lev. SI. 9. Dour. S2. i;l. tcli.37. 3'J. "vcr. 18.
! «cli. oT. aj. ' 1 Sum. tl. 17. B ver. 14. >■ Jub S'l. 31, 3'.i.
as Venus did anions; llie Greeks and Romans; and were wor-
shipped wltli tlie same iiniiure rites.
Ver.'se 23. Leal ii-c be slimiied] Not of the act, for tliis lie docs
not appear to have thoii!>ht criminal ; but lest he should I'all un-
der the raillery of his companions and neiglihours, for having;
been tricked out of his signet, bracelets, and staft'by a prostitute.
Verse 24. Brins; Iter forth,- and let iier he bunit.l As he had
ordered Tamar to live as a widow in her own father's house
till his son Shelah should be marriageable, he considers her,
therefore, as the wife of his son ; and as Shelah was not yet
given to her, and she is found with child, she is reputed by
liim as an ucliiltivss : and hiirnimr, it seems, was anciently the
punishment of this crime. Judah, bcinj; a patriarch or head
of a family, had according to the custom of tiiose time.*, the
supreme magisterial authority over all the branches of his own
family ; therefore, he only acts here in his juridical capacity.
How strdnge, that in the \ery place whei'e adulieiu was
punished by the most violent death, pro^ilulion for iiionei/,
and for religious purpo>es, should be considered as no crimes!
Verse 25. Tlii: .s/i^nel] r\i3r\r\ cliotente'fi, properly a seal or
instrument with which iniprcusiuns were made to ascertain
property, &c. These exist in all countries.
- Bnicctci\] D'VrS/wi/w/, from Sr^S ;;«/«/, to twist, wreathe,
twine, probably signifies a girdle, oi a collar by which precc-
•dcncy. &.C. might be indicated* not the muslin, silk, or linen
vreaihe of fais tmban, as ^Ir. Harmer and others have conjec-
■turcd.
SinJ'.] TTiO maitch, cither what we would call a common
walk.iii>^ slick, or the staffwhich wi'.sthe ensign of his tribe.
Verse 2b. She tiatli been more righteous than /] It is pro-
tialile that Tamar was influenced by no other motive than
Ihat which was common to all the Israelitish women, tlie
' c to have vhlidirn %c/u> nd'^ht he Iteiis nf the promise miide
'■'irahuni, ^c. And as .ludah had obliged her to continue
i:i her widowhood, under the promise of giving her his son
Shi'lah, v, hell he sliould be of age ; consequently, hi^ refusing
laying to accomplish this promise, was a breach of truth,
an iniurv diii;r to Tamar.
27 IT And it came to pass' in the A..M.c:ir.ss7H.
time of her travail, that, behold, ^■^■'=""'^-
twins ?iw<? in her womb. '
28 And it came to pass, when she ti'availed,
that ths one put out Iiis hand : and the midvvile
took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread,
saving. This came out first.
29 And it came to pass, as he tlrew back hi.s
hand, that, behold, his brother came out : and
she said, ' How iiast thou broken forth ? thi.f
breach be upon thee : " therctbre his name was
called "Pharez'.
30 And afterward cam.e out his brother, that
had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his
name w^as called Zarah.
'Or, inii;ri>/«rc' hmt thmi marfc tins brearl, n^amst thee? ''Tlial i«,
breach. 'cli. 'Iti. 12. JMumb. S6. aO. 1 Ciiruu. '.'. -t Mutt. 1. 3.
Verse 28. The viidxeife — bound upon his hand a t-cavlc!
thread] The binding of the scarlet thread about the wrisl of
the child, whose arm ap]Kartd first in the birth, serves to
shew us how solieitotislj/ the privileges of the birth-riglu were
preserved. Had «ot this caution been taken by the midwife,
Pharez would have had tlie right of primogeniture to llie pre-
judice of his elder brother Zaruh. And yet Pharez is usually
reckoned in the genealogical tables, before Zarah ; and from
him, not Zarah, does tlie line of our Lord proceed, ir-ee
Matt. i. 3. Probably the two brothers as being twins, were
conjoined in t!;e privileges belonging to the birth-right.
Verse 29. Hoiv hast thou broken fortli] nS"i3 no niah phi-
ratsla — This breach be upon thee — p3 "J'^J? alcijca pktrets —
Thou shalt bear the name of the breach thou hast made, i; i.
in corning hist into the world. Therefore his name was
called jnfi J'harcts, i. e. the jicrson who mads the breach, as
the word literally signifies. The brcuch here mentioned,
refers to a certam circumstance in parturition, whicii it is
unn< cessary to explain.
Verse 30. His /uime was called Zarah.] ."il? Zarach, risen
or sprung up, applied to the sun, rising and diflusing his
light. " He h«d this name," says Ainsworih, " because he
should have risen, i. e. have been born first, but fi)T the breach
which his brother made."
There are several subjects in th.is clip.'pter on which it may
not be unprofitable to spend a few additional moments.
1. The insertion of this chapter is a farther proof of the
imparl ialiti/ of the sacred writer. The facts detailed, con-
sidered in thanseltcs, can reflect no credit on the jiatriarchnl
history : but Judah, Tamar, Zarah, and Phart: «ere pro-
genitors of the Messiah, and therefore tiieir birth must be re-
corded; and, as the birth, so also the circumstances o\' \\\\\x.
birth, which, even had tliey not a higher end (n view, would
be valuable as casting light upon some very ancient custom =,
which it is interesting to understand. These are not fon.'oi-
ten in the preceding notes.
2. On what is generallv renutcd to be i-'.\^ n„ ..;" i'.'«o,,
' D d
A grievous sin described :
GENESIS.
solemn W',7r»/;'?o-5 aj^ainst it.
something very pointed shoukl be spoken ; but '.vfio dares and
y,\\\ do it; and in suck lan^^uage ihul it may neither pollute the
ear by describing the evil as it is, nor fail of its efliict by a
language so refined and so laboriously delicate as to cover
the sin, vliich it proCesses to disclose ? Eld'orale treatises
on the subject "ill never be read by those who need them
most : and unomjmous painphkts are not likely to be re-
garded.
The sin of self-pollution, vhich is generally considered to
be that of Onan, is one of the most destructive evils ever prac-
tised by fallen man. In many respects it is several degrees
worse than common whoredom, and has in its train more aw-
ful consequences, though jiractised by numbers who would
shudder at the thought of criminal connections with a prosti-
tute. It excites the powers of nature to undue action, and pro-
duces violent secretions, which necessarily and speedily exhaust
the vital principle and enersy: hence the muscles become flac-
cid and feeble, the tone and natural action of the nerves re-
laxed and impeded ; the understanding confused, the memory
oblivious, the judgment perverted, the will indeterminate and
wholly witl'.out energy to resist : the eyes appear languishing,
ar.d without expression, and the countenance vacant. The
appetite ceases, for the stomach is incapable of performing its j business. See the remarks at the end of chap, xxxis,
proper oflice; nulritioti fails, tremors, fears and tenors are ge-
nerated, and thus the wretched victim drags out a most
miserable existence, till superannuated ^ven b-.-fore he had
lime to arrive at man's estate, widi a mind often debilitated
even to a state of idiotism, his worthless body tumbles into the
grave, and his guilty soul (ijuilty of self mijrder) is hurried in.
to the awful presence of its Judge ! Reader, this is no cari-
caturc : nor are the colourings overcharged in this shocking
picture. Worse woes than my pen can relate, I have wit>
nessed in those addicted to this fascinating, unnatural and
most destructive of crimes. If thou hast entered into this
snare, flee from the destruction both of body and soul that
awaits thee ! God alona can save thee. Advice, warnings,
threatenings, increasing debility of body, mental decay,
checks of conscience, expostulations of judgment and medi-
cal assistance will all be lost on thee : God, and God alone,
can save thee from an evil which has in its issue the destruc-
tion of thy body, and the final i)erdition of thy soul ! Whether
this may have been the sin of Gnan, or not, is a matter at
present of small moment, it may be ihy sin : therefore take
heed, lest God slay thee for it. The intelligent reader will
see that prudence forbids me to enter any further into this
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Joseph heirt" hrought to Poliphars house prospers in all his undertakings, 1 — 3. Potiphar makes him his overseer,
4. Is prospered in all his concerns for Joseph's sake, in ichom he puis unlimited conjiiience, 5, 6. The mfe
oj' Potiphar solicits him to criminal correspondence, 7- He refuses, and makes a fine apology for his conduct, 8,
f). She continues her solicitations, and he his refusals, 10. She uses violence, and he escapes from her hand, 10^
I.'!. She accuses him to the domestics, 14, 15, and afterward to Potiphar, \G — 18. Potiphar is enraged, and
Joseph is cast into prison, 19, 20. The Lord prospers him, and gives him great favour in the sight of t/ie keeper
of the prism, 21, icho intrusts him with the care of the house and all the prisoners, 22, 23.
A. iM. 2'J76.
B. C. 1728.
A
N D Joseph was brought down
_ _ to Egypt ; and * Potiphar, an
officer of Pliaraoh, captain of tlie guard, an
Egyptian, "bouglit him of the hands of the
IshnieeHtes, whiclt had brought him down
thither.
2 And "the Lord was with Joseph, and he
was a prosperous man ; and he was in the house
of his master the Egyptian.
•Ch.37. .-Sfi. Ps. 105.17. "ch. S7.?8 'ver. ?1. cli.Sl. 25. & 26.
24, V8 i au. 15. 1 Sam. 16. 18. & 18. 14, 28. Acts 7. 9.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXIX.
Verse 1. An offi-er of Pliaraoh, captain of the guard] Mr.
Ainsworth, supposing that his office merely consisted in
having charge of the king's prisoners, calls Potiphar provost
manliut.' — See on ch. xxxvii. 36. & xl. 3.
3
3 And his master saw that the a.m. 2^76.
Lord teas with him, and that the _;_li.l_
Lord "^ made all that he did to prosper in his
hand.
4 And Joseph ' found grace in his sight, and
he served him : and he made him ^ overseer
over his house, and all that he had he put into
his hand.
5 And it came to pass from the time that he
•I Ps. 1. 3. 'ch. 18. 3. & 19. 19. ver. 21. 'Gen. 24. 2.
Verse 4. He made him overseer] TpSn hipekid, from ipB
pakad, to visits take care of, .superintend; the same as
ETTKrHOTTo;, overseer, or bishop, among the Greeks. This is
the term by which the Septuagint often express the meaning
of the original.
Joseph advanced in Potiphar's house : CHAP. XXXIX.
sirongh/ tauptcd lij hii t7usircss.
AM j.-ni. ■j^-^-i niiuio li'r.i overseer in his house,
^!!i and over al! Miat he luid, ihat ' the
Louo blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's
sake ; and tlie blessin'j, of the Lord was upon
all that lie Iiad in the house, and in the rield.
6 And he left all that he had in Joseph's
luuid ; and he kne-v not ought he had, save tlie
' was a
9 IViere is none
greater
in this A.M.rir 2-C5.
broad whicii he did eat. And Joseph
goodlv person, and well ilivoured.
A..M.cu.,.hj. Y ^ And it came to pass after
MC.arm9. jj^^^^ things, that his master's wife
cast her eyes up.on Joseph ; and she said, ' Lie
with me.
8 But he refused, and said unto his master's
wife. Behold, my master wotteth not what is
with me in the house, and he hath committed
all that he hath to my hand j
■Ch.30. 27. ' 1 Sam. 16. 12. '2 Sam. 13. 11. « Prov. 6. 29, 32.
Verse C. Joseph ivas a goodly person, and well favoured.]
DNIO nSM ^Nn n£' ycpch tour, la-yipcit march, beautiful in
hii penoti, and beautiful in his coiinleiiance. Tlie same ex-
pressions are used relative to Rachel : see them expluined,
cli. xxix. 17. The beauty of Joseph is celebrated overall
the East; and the Persian poetJ vie with each other in de-
scriptions of his comeliness. Mohammed spends the tuelfili
chapler of the Koran entirely on .Joseph, and represents him
as a perfect beauty, and the most accomplished of mortals
From his account, the passion o( Zuleckha (lor so the Asiatics
call I'otiphar's wife) being known to the ladies of the court,
they cast the severest reflections upon her : in order to ex-
cu.se herself, she invited forty of them to dine with her, put
knives in their hands, and j^ave them oranges to cut, and
caused .Joseph to attend ; when they saw him, they were
struck with admiration, and so cimfo'inded, that, instead of
cutting their (^ranges, tlicy cut and hacked their own hands,
crying out, ijj *j^^) viCX-o ^I I3oJ> fj \juii^ IJSJt Lo aJJ ^y«Cii»
lia>.ha liilahi »iti liudlia basliarun in hndlui ilia maiukon har-
eeinan. — " O (>od! this is not a human being, this is none
other than a glorioui angel !" — Sural, xii. ver. 32.
Two of the finest poems in the l\rsian language were
written by the ])oets Jatuy and liizaruy on ihe subject of
Joseph and his mistress : they are both entitled Yuscf li'c
Zuleeklui. These poems represent Joseph as the most beauti-
ful and pious of men ; and Zulcekha the most chaste, virtuous,
and excellent of women, previous to her having seen Joseph :
but they state, that when she saw him, she was so deeply
atlccted by his bi auly, that she lost all self-governnit nt, and
became a slave to her pa.-sion. llahz e.\i)resses this, and
ajiologizes for her con<luct in the following elegant couplet :
3[cn az an busn-i rooz afioon keh Yuscf daiht dunistan
Kch dyshk az pardch-i dsmat beroon urd Zukekhura.
cJtXC.£ iS
Ij house than I ; neither hath he kept ^±J1!!':
back any thing from me but thee, because thou
art his wife : '' how then can I do this groat
wickedness, and "^ sin against God i*
10 And it came to pa.ss, as she spake to Jo-
seph day by day, that he heurkencd not unto
her, to lie by lier, or to be with her.
11 And it came to pass about this time, that
Joseph went into the house to do his business ;
and there icas none of the men oi" the house
there within.
12 And
^ she caught him by-
saying. Lie with me : and he
'ft'
ment in
out.
13 And
his garment,
left his gar-
and got him
her hand, and fled,
it came to pass, when she saw that
'Oil. so. 6. Lev. 0.2. 2 Sam. 12.
Ps. 51. 4. ' Prov. 7. 1."., &C.
" I understand, from the daily increasing beauty which Joseph
possest.
How Love tore away the veil of chastity from Zuleekha."
The Persian poets, and easlern historian.s, however, contrive
to carry on a sort of guiltless passion between them till the
death of I'otiphur, when Zuleekha, grown old, is restored to
youth and beauty by the power of God, and becomes the wife
of Joseph. What traditions they had beside the Mosaic test for
what they say on this subject, are now unknown : but the whole
story, with innumerable embellishments, is so generally ctiv-
rent in the East, that I thought it not amiss to take tliis
notice of it. The twelfth chapter of the Koran, which cele-
brates the beauty, piety, and acts of this patriarch, is allowed
j to be one of the finest specimens of Arabic composition evtr
f(>rii.ed : and the history itsi If, as told by Moses, is one of
the most s.mpli", natural, aOecting, and well-told narratives,
ever published. It is a master-piece of composition, and
never fails of producing its intended effect on the mind of a
careful reader. The Arab lawgiver saw and felt the beauties
and exctllencics of his model, and he certainly put forth all
the strength of his own language, and all the energy of his
mind, in order to ri\al it.
\'erse 8. Dly master -wotteth not] Knoweth not, from the
old Anglo-Saxon piran, iiitan, to know: hence pir, nit, in-
tellect, understandim^, n'isdoni, prudence.
Verse P. JJoiv then?] yn) ve aik, and hoiu ? Joseph gives
two most powerful reasons for his non-compliance wilii ilic
wishes i)\' his unstress. 1. Gratitude to his master, to whom
he owed all that he had. 2. His/enro/ GW, in whose sight
it would be a heinous oflence, and who would not fail to
'punish him for it. With the kindness of his master, and the
displeasure of God before his eyes, how could he be capable
of committing an act of transgression, which would al vner
ha\e distiiiguished him as the most ungrateful and the mort
liorthless of lueii .'
p d 2
B.Ccir.lTliJ.
lis garment m
GENESIS,
her hand,
She accuses him to her husband
he had left
and was fled forth,
14 That slie called unto the men of her house,
and spake uuto them, saying. See, he hath
brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us :
he came in unto me to He with me, and I cried
with a ^ loud voice ;
15 And it came to pass when he heard that
I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left
his garment with me, and fled, and got him
out.
16 And she laid up his garment by her, until
his loixl came home.
17 And she "^ spake unto him according to
these words, saying. The Hebrew servant which
thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to
mock me :
1 8 And it came to pass as I lifted up my voice
and cried, that he left his garment with me, and
fled out.
it came to pass,
heard the words
he is cast into prison,
when
of his
A.M,cir.i"i3S.
BC.cir. 17I9'
19 And
his master
wife, which she spake unto him, saying. After
this manner did thy servant to me ; that his
^ wrath was kindled.
20 And Joseph's master took him, and ■*
him into tlic "prison, a place wliere the
prisoners wrre bound : and he was there in the
prison.
21 % But the LoKD was with Joseph, and
put
king's
Ikb. preat.-. " Exod. 2,5. 1. Ps. 120. ."?.-—' I'rov. 6. 34, 35.-
■i I's. 105. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 19. 'cli. 40. 3, 15. & 41. 14.
Verse 14. He hath brought in a lltbrew unto us] Polipliar's
wife aflects to throw great blame on her husband, whom we
may reasonably suppose she did not greatly love. He hath
brought in — he hath raised this person to all his dignity and
eminence, to give him the greater opportunity to mock us. pTTSb
le-tstidiuk, here translated to mock; is the same word used in
ch. xxvi. 8. relative to Isaac and Rebekab, and is certainly
used by Potiphar's wife in ver. n, to signify some kind of
familiar intercourse, not allowable but between man and wife.
From this we may .it once see, why il was that Abimelech knew
(having seen them through a window) that Isaac and Rebekah
were inarried.
Verse 20. Put him into the prison] iriD nO beith sohar,
literally the round-house — in such a form the prison «as pro-
bably builded.
Verse 21. The Lord %vus leitk Joseph] It is but of little
consequence where the lot of a servant of God may be cast :
hke.ioscph, he is ever employed for his master, and God
honours him, and prospers his work.
1. He who acknowledges God in all his ways, has the
promise that God shall direct all his steps. Joseph's cap-
tivity shall promote God's glory; and to this end, God works
2« him, for hiui, and bj/ him. Kven the irreligious can see
when the .Mobl High dislingnishes his followers: .Joseph's
master saw that Jehovah iiaa "xith him ; and iVom tliis we
may learn, that the knowledge of the true God was in Egypt,
even before the time of Joseph, though his worship was
neither eslablislitd, nor even tolerated there. Both Abraham
and Isaac had been in Egypt, and they had left a savour of
true godliness behind them.
'^ shewed him mercy, and
him favour in
the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22 And the keeper of the prison *■ committed
to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that wei-e in
the prison ; and v/hatsoever they did there, he
was the doer of it.
23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any
thing that was under his hand ; because 'the
Lord was with him, and that which he did, the
Lord made it to prosper.
^IJeh. cxtemled kiiidticss nntfi Jiiin. 5 "KxoH. .*>. 21.
Ps. 106 46. Piov. le. 7. Dan. I. 9. Acts ?. 9, 10.-
' vcr. 2, :>.
& 11. 3. & 12. S6.
— I" til. 40.3, 4.
2. Joseph's virtue in resisting the solicitations of his mis-
tress, was truly exemplar}'. Had he reasoned after the manner
of men, he miL;ht iiave soon found that the proposed intriguis
might be carried on with the utmost secrecy, and greatly to his
secidar advantage. Hut he chose to risk all, rr.ther than injure a
kind benefactor, defile his conscience, and sin against God.
Such conduct is so exceedingly rare, that his example hns stood
on the records of time, as ahnost without a parallel, admired by
all, applauded by most, and in similar circumstances, I am
afraid, imitated by f^w. The fable of the brave and virtuous
Bellerophon and Sthenoba;a, wile of PrsDtus, king of this
Argives, was probrJjly (bunded on this history.
3. Joseph Jled and got him out. To know ivhen to fght, and
when to Ji^/, are of great importance in the Christian life.
Some temptations must be manfully met, resisted, and thus
overcome : from others we must Jly. He who stands to contend
or reason, especially in such a ease as that mentioned here, is
infallibly rmned. I'rincipiis obsla — " resist the fust overtures
of sin," is a good maxnn. After remedies come too late.
4. A woman of the spirit of Potiphar's wife is capable of
any sjjecies of evil. AVhen she could not get her wicked
ends answered, she began to accuse. This is precisely Satan's
custom : he first tempts men to sin, and then accuses them an
having committed it, even where the temptation has been
faithhilly and ptrsuveringly resisted ! By this means he can
Iroulde a tender conscience, and weaken faitl), by bringing
confusion into the mind. Thus the iiiexptrieneed especially,
are oi'len distracted and cast down — hence Satan is properly
viiWcA the accuser of the brethren. Rev. xii. 10.
Very useful lessons may be drawn from every part of the
relation in this chapter : but detailing the facts and reason-
The prophetic dreams of the
CHAP. XL.
chic/butler and the chief baker.
in" upon them would be more' likely to produce than prevent
(be evil. An accmmt of this kind cannot hi; touched wiUi
too gentle z hjiiu\. Others have been pro/kre here, I chose to
he pnrsimom'ous, for reasons which the intelligent reader will
feel as well as myself. Let this remark he applied to' what
has been said on the sin of Onan, ch. sxxviii.
CHAPTER XL.
Pharaoh's chief hwlkr and /lis chief bixkci- /uning offi'iided their lord, are put in prison, 1 — 3. The cnptaiii of the
guard, gives them into the care of Joseph, 4. Each of litem has a dream, 5. Joseph seeing them sad, qtiations
than on tie safijert, 6, ?■ Their ansicer, 8. The chief butler tells his dream, 9—11. Joseph interprets it, 12,
": '?. Gives a slight sketch of his hislnri/ to the chief butler, and begs him to think upon him tchen restored lo his
■lice, 14, 15. The chief baker tells his dream, l6, 17. Joseph interprets this also, 18, If). Both dreams are
fnljilled according to the interpretation, the chitf butler being restored to his office, and the chief baker hanged,
' 10 — C'2. The chief batter tnakes no interest for Joseph, CS.
A.M.cir.'^5u6.
RC.cir.l718.
AND it came to pass after these
things, that tlie ^ butler of the
iking of Egypt and ///*■ baker had ofi'endcd their
ilord the king of Egypt,
f 2 And Pharaoh was '' wrotli
against
two of
and
ihis officers, against the chief of the butlers,
'against the chief of the bakers.
3 ' And he put them in ward in the house of
the captain of the guard, into the prison, the
l^lace where Joseph rcas bound.
4 And tlie captain of the guard charged Jo-
seph with them, and he served them: and they
continued a season in ward.
A..M.c,r.«^'«r. 5 ^ ^,^^1 j],(^y dreamed a dream
■ ', ''"'' '''." both of them, each man his dream
■Nel). 1. 11. » i'rov. 16. 11. 'c!i. 59. £0, 'S3. " llcl>. are pour faces
NOTES ON CIIAI*. XL.
Verse I. T/ie huilfr'\ npU' sh(/cc/i, the same as ^ ^[m
Sttky among the Arabians and Persians, and signifies 'a cup-
iKarer.
Balcer] nC!* ojilicli, rather, cook, cnnfectioner, or the like.
: Hud qlfcmlcd] They had probably been accused of at-
temptinn to take away the kinf>','i life, one by poisoning his
drink, ihe otiu r by poisoning his bri^ad or conjectionarics.
Verse 3. H'liere Jo.vpit was tiourul] The place in which
Josepli was now confined — tins is what is implied in being
bound; tor, without doubt, he had his personal liberty. As
the butler and ihe baker were ^tate crmiinals, they were put in
the same (irison with .Joseph, which we learn from the preced-
ing chapter, vcV. 20. was the Icin-^'s piison. All the offieers in
the employment of the ancient kings of Kgypt were, .accord-
ing to Diodorus S/ciilus, taken from tiie most illustrious fa-
milies of the pr-iestliood in the country — no slave or common
person being ever permiltc<l to serve in the prc.-ence of the
king. As these pei-son.s, therefore, were of the most noble
in one night, each man
to the interpretation of his dream ;
according
.a.M.cir.i.'-.'87.
P.C.ciM717.
the butler and the baker of the king of Eg'ypt,
wiiich iverc bound in the prison.
6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morn-
ing, and looked upon ihem, and, behold, thcy
rcere sad.
7 And he asked Pharaoh's officers that icere
with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying,
Wherefore '' look ye so sadly to day ?
8 And they said unto him, " We have dreamed
a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And
Joseph said unto them, '' Do not interpretations
belong to God ? tell me Ihcin, I pray } du.
9 And the chief butler told his dream to Jo-
en/.? Nell. 2. 2. 'cli. 41. 15. 'See cli 11. Iti Dm. '.'. 11, 28,47.
families, it is natural to expect tiiey would be put, when ac-
cused, into the s/a/e/)moH.
\^erse 4. They continued a seawn} D''3» vaniini, Iiteral'v
days; lioiv long, we cannot tell; but many suppose the word
signifies a complete year: and as Pharaoh called tlieni to an
account on his hirtlt-duy, ver. '20. Cahiiet .suppo.ses tht^' had
offenikd on the preceding birth-day, and thus had been one
whole year in prison.
Verse 5. Each man according to the interprelalioH] Not
like dreams in general, the disordered workings of ihe min<l;
the consequence of disease or repletion : these were dieuins
that had an interpretation; that is, that were prophetic.
Ver.se 6. T/r.y were sad.] Tliey concluded tiiat their dreams
portended something of great importance, but they could not
tell ii-hat.
Verse 8. There is no inlcrprclei] They either had access
to none, or those to whom they ajiplied could give thrui no
consistent satisfactory meaning.
Do not in'.ci pretations belong to God?"] God alone, the
A.IM.cir.2.87.
B.C. cir. 1717,
Joseph interprets the dreams
seph, and said to him, In my dream, j
behold, a vine wa^ before me ; I
10 And in the vine rocre three branches: and j
it icas as though ih budded, and her bkissoms j
shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought
forth ripe grapes:
11 Ami Pharaoh's cup u-as in my hand: and I
took the grapes, and pre.ssed them into Pharaoh's
cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.
I'i And Joseph said unto him, ^ This is the
interpretation gf it: The three branches ^ are
three days: |
13 Yet ^vlthin three days shall Pharaoh '^lift'*'
up tiiine head, and restore thee unto thy place: |
and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his i
hand, after the former manner when thou wast,
his butler. |
14 But ' think '^ on me when it shall be well ;
with thee, and ^ shew kindness, I pray thee,
unto me, and make mention of me unto Pha- ,
raoh, and bring me out of this house:
15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the
land of the Hebrews: "and here also, have I
G ENESIS. of the chief hutkr and h nlcr.
done nothing that they should put A.M.cii.s?a7.
me into the dungeon. ' ^'"If^
16 When the chief baker saw that the inter-
pretation was good, he said unto Josq)h, I also
ivas in my dream, and, behold, / had tiu'ee
' white baskets on my head :
17 And in the uppermost l)a'ket (here teas o?
all manner of '' bakemeats lor Pharaoh; and the
birds did eat them out of the basket upon my
head.
18 And Joseph answered and said, ' This is the
interpretation thereof: The three baskets are
three days:
19 "'Yet within three days shall Pharaoh "lift
up thy head from off" thee, and shall hang thee
on a tree; and tlie birds shall eat thy flesh fi-ora
off thee.
20 % And it came to pass the third day, tchich ,
was Phara(jh's ° birth-day, that he '' made a feast '■
unto all his servants: and he ''lifted' up the
head of the chief butler and of the chief baker
among his servants.
21 And he ' restored the chief butler unto
"Ver. 13. cli 41. I'J. '^5. Jiid?.
' ell. 41. 2ti. ■•■'2 lvirli;5 'A). ■iT. P>. :;.
^ ! Tel), rtiiitmher me wiih Oicf. ' Liiki'
11, 1.5. \i Shiu, 9. 1. 1 Kcn>:» ■.'. 7. '
'. 14. Dan. 2. 36. & 4. 19.
;>. Jer. 32. 31- ''Or, nckov.
2,1. 42 « Joih. 2. 12. 1 Sam. 20.
ch. 39. 20.
supreme Bcmii^, know.s wliat is in futurity; and if lie have
sent a si^nifitunt dieani, lie alone can give the solution.
^'tl■.'e 11. And I look the grapes, and pressed tliem into
I'liaidoli's cii[>] Frum lhi.s we find that ivine anciently was
the 7nere expressed juice of the grape, without fermentation.
The snky, or cup-bearer, took the bunch, pressed the .juice
into the cup, and instantly delivered it into the hands of hi.s
master. This was anciently the J"j/«ym of the Hehmvs, the
sivo; of the -Greeks, and the niiutlnm of the ancient Latins.
Verse \'l. The three hranches are three dai/s'] That is, the
three branches signify three days — so, this is nii/ hndij; that
is, this bread sii^nifies or represents my body — this cup IS viy
blood, RKPItKSKN'lS inv blood — a form of speech freiiuently
tised in the sacred writings; for the Hebrew has no proper
word by which our terms sii^nifies, represents, &c. are ex-
pressed; therefore it says, such a thing IS, for represents,
points out, &c. And because several of our ancestors would
understand such words in their true, genuine, critical, and sole
meaning, <|ueen Mary, bishops Gardiner, Bonner, and the
rest of that d'.i.'inuBiacal crew, reduced them to ashes in 8iiiilh-
lield, and elsewhere!
Verse 1 +. ^lukv lumtion of me unio i'liuraoli] One would
have suppo.sed, that the very circumstance of his restoration,
according to the prediction of Josei)h, would have almost
Dece')sahly prevented him from forgetting so e.vtraordinaiy
' Or, full of hflks. — — "^ Heb. ment of Pharaoh, the "work of a huher, of,
rook. 'vet. 1-^. -''Mer. 13 -°Oi-, rrchotj thee, and litke XUy ortira
from Ihee. "MM. l^. 6. P Mark 6. 21. — — "i ver. 13. jy. Matt. 2a.
19. ' Or, reckoned. ' > tr. 13.
a person. But what have mere courtiers to do either witU
gratitude or kindness?
Verse 15. Fur indeed I ivas .stolen] — TISJJ 3JJ genoh genahti,
stolen, I have been stolen — most assuredly I was stolen — and
here also have I done nothing. These were .simple assertions,
into the proof of which he was ready to enter, if called on.
Verse 19. Lift up thy head from off' thee] Thus we find
that beheading, hanging, and gihl)eting, were modes of punish-
nient among the ancient Kgyplians: but the criminal wa,s
beheaded befiire he was hangeil, and then, either hanged on
hooks, or by the hands. — .'^ee Lain v. 12.
Verse 20. I'hnraoh's birth-duij] I'lie distingui.-.hing a birth-
day by a feas't, appears from this place to have been a very
ancient custom. It probably had its origin from a correct
notion of the immortality of the .soul, as the commencement of
life must appear of great consequence to that person who be-
lieved he was to live for ever. St. Matlh. xiv. (i. mentions
Herod's keeping his birth-day; and examples of this kind
arc frequent to the present time, in most nations.
Lifted up the head of the chief butler, ^-c] By lifting up
the head, probably no more is meant than bringing tlietn to
trial, tantamount to what was done by .lezebil and tlie nobles
of Israel to Nabolh ; Set Nahotli on high among the people, and
set ixvo men, sons of Belial, to hear \.i'itness against him, &c.
1 Kings xxi. 9, &c. The issue of the trial was, the baker
The hutkr h restored.
CHAP. XLT.
7V/e bah'cr is hansed.
A.M.'ir2 87. ijis butlovship ftgaiii *, and "he gave
H c; rir 17.7 ^jj^ ^.^,j, jjj,^, I'luu-aoii's hand :
22 But he ''liaii^cd the chict baker, as Jo-
scpli had interpreted to them.
• Nch. 8. 1. ' ver. 19.
akine was fbimd guilty and hanjed ; and the butler being «c-
quitled was reslorcil to his office.
Verse 2\i. \\t did not tite chief butler remember Josepli}
Had he nieiitioned tlic tircuiiistancc lo Pliaraoh. there is nu
doubt tliat Joiej)h's case would have been examined; and he
would, in conscqut lice, have been restored to his liberty: but
owing to the ingratitude of the chiet butler, he was left tivo
years longer in prison.
Many commentators have seen in enry circum/tiance, in the
history of Joseph, a parallel between him and our blessed
Lord. So, " Joseph in piison represents Christ in the cus-
tody of the Jews; the eh ef butler and the chief bai;er repre-
sent the two thieves which were crucified with our Lord: and
as one thief was pardoned and the other ]ei\ to perish, so the
chief butler was restored to his oflice, and the chief baker
liangcd." I believe GoD never designed such parallels ; and
23 ^ Yet did not the chief but-
ler remember Joseph, but ' fbrgat
him.
A. i\I cir.'-a87.
B.C.cir. 1717.
'Job 19. 14. Ps. 31. 12. Eocles. 9. 15, 16. Amos 6. 6.
I am astonished to find comparatively grave and jmlicioui
men trifling in this way, and forcing the features of tntili int.»
the most distorted ananior|)liosis ; so that even her friends
blusli to acknoukd^e her. This is not alight matter: we
should beware how we attribute designs to God that he never
had; and em]))oy the Holy S|)irit in forming trifling and unim-
portant similitudes. Of ])laMi direct truth we shall lind as
much in the sacred writings as we can receive and compre-
hend : let us not therefore hew out unto ourselves broken
cisterns that can hold no water. Interpretations of this kind
only tend to rtnder the sacred writings uncertain, to expose to
ridicule all the solemn types and figures which it real/i/ con-
tains, and to furnish pretexts to infidels and irreligious people
to scotVat all spirituality, and lead them to reject the word of
(iOD entirely, as incapable of being interpreted on any fixed or
rational plan. The mischief done by this system is really
incalculable. See tl>e observations on chap, xxxvii.
CHAPTER XLI.
Pharaoh's dream of the seven -aeJl favoured and se-jen ill favoured kinc, 1 — 4. His dream of the seven full and
seven thin ears of earn, 5 — 7. The magicians and zcise-men applied to for the interpretation of them, bnt conld give
no solution, 8. The chief butler recollects, and recommends Joseph, 0 — 13. Pharaoh commands him to be brought
out of prison, 14. Joseph appears before Pharaoh, 1,5, l6. Pharaoh repeats his dreams, )7 — 24. Joseph in-
terprets them, 0.5 — 32, and gives Pharaoh directions hojo to provide against the approaching scarcitt/, 33 — 36.
J'haruoh, pleased uith the counsel, appoints Joseph to be superintendant of all his affairs, 37 — 4 1 . Joseph
receives the badges of his neu' office, 42, 43, and has his powers defined, 44 ,■ receives a new name, and marries
Ascnnth dawj^hter of I'oti-I'licnih priest of ON, 4.5. Joseph's age xihen brought before Pharaoh, 46. Great
fertility of E^jpt in the seven plenteous years, 47- Joseph hoards up the grain, 48, 49. Ephraim and Manas-
seh born, 60 — 52. The seveti years (f famine commence with great rigour, 53 — 55. Joseph opens the store-
houses to the Egyptians, 56. People from tlie neighbouring countries come to Egypt to buy corn, the famine being
in all those lands, o7-
A. M. ■i'A'J.
B.C. 1715.
4 N D it came to pass at the end || 2 And, behold, there came up out
of two full jears, that Pharaoh
* dreamed : and, behold, he stood by '' the river.
1 "Ch. 37. 5.— 10. k 40. 5. E»th. 6. 1. Dan. '1. 1—3. k 4. 5. Matt. 27. 19.
NOTES ON CHAP. Xt.I.
Verse 1. Tim full years'] Z^K'> Q^IMV s/ienatayim yamim,
two years of days, t«o complete solar revolutions, after the
•vents mentioned in the preceding chapter.
of the river, seven well favoured ' kine
and fat-fleshed ; and they fed in a meadow.
,^.^.•.'989.
B.C. 1715.
" Ezek. 29. 3, 9. ' See ver. 17— '.'7.
The river ] Tlie NlLE, the great source of the furtility of
Egypt.
Verse 2. There came up out of the riicr .Kven ncll fatoured
kine.] This must certainly wfer to the Hippopotamus on- River
Pliaraoh^s prophefic dreams GENESIS.
.•\.Ji.2280. 3 And, behold, seven other kine j rank and
bjC. iri£. ^..^j^^g yp jjff^.^. iiiQm out of the river,
ill favoured and lean-Hcshcd ; and stood by the
oiher kine upon the brink ot the river.
4 And the^ ill favoured and lean-fleshed kine
did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine.
.So riiaraoh awoke.
5 And he slept and dreamed the second time :
and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon
one stalk, ' rank and good,
6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted
with the east Avind sprung up after them,
7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven
of the kine and ears of corn.
full ears. And Pharaoh
awoke, and, behold, it zcas a dream.
A. M. i.'>89.
B. C. 1715.
8 And it came to pass in the morning, " that
his spirit was troubled ; and he sent and called
for all " the magicians of Egypt, and all the
'' wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his
dream ; but there was none that could interpret
them luito Pharaoh.
9 % Then spake the chief butler unto Pha-
raoli, saying, I do remember my i'aults this day:
10 Pharaoh was .''wroth with his servants,
•^and put me in ward in the captain of the
guard's house, botli me and the chief baker :
'Heb./..t. "Dan. (2. 1. & 4.5, 19.-— 'Exod.7. 11, 22. tai. 29. 14.
Hor.<e, as the circuiii5laiK-es o^ coming vp out of the rlter, sin<l
' fixdiir^ in the JkUt, cliaracierize that animat alone. The hip-
popolmnus is the well known inhabitant of the Nile, and fie-
qiienlly by night, comes out of the river to feed in the fields,
or in the sedge by the river side.
Verse 6. Blasted with the east tdml] It has been very pro-
perly observed, that all the mischiefs done to corn or liiiit, by
biasiin"-, smuttin'j, mildew?, locusts, &c. are attributed to th-
eti-it liind. — See F.xoil. x.
13. xiv. 21. Psal. Ixviii. 26.
E!zek.
xvii. 10. Jon. iv. 8. In Egypt it is peculiarly destructive,
because it comes through the parched desarts of Arabia, often
destroying vast numbers of men and women. The destructive
nature of the simoom, or smoom, is mentioned bj- almost all
travellers. Mr. Bruce thus speaks of it in liis Travels in;
Eoypt. On their way to Syene, Idris their guide seeing
one of these destroying blasts coming, cried out with a loud ,
voice to the company, " I'all upon your faces, for here is the \
simoom !" " I saw," says Mr. B. " from the S. East a haze ;
come, in colour like the purple part of the rainbow, but not
so comnres<ed or thick. It did not occupy fo;eniy yards in
hreadltl, and was about iiue/i-e feet high from the ground. It
was a kind of blu^h upon llie air, and it moved very rapidly,
Ibr I scarce could turn to fall upon the ground, with my hiad
northward, wiioii I fe't the heal of iLs current plainly upon
luv face. We all lay fiat uywn ihe ground as if dead, till
hlris told IIS it was blovm over. 'I'lie meteor, or purple liaze
which I saw, was indeed passed, but the light air that .^tiU
blew, was of a heat to threaten suffocation. For my part, I
friiuid distinctly in my breast that I had imbibed a part ef
it ; nor was 1 free from an asthmatic sensation till I had been
some monlhs in Italy, at the ballis of I'oretta, near two years
afi<rrwards." Travels, vol. vi. p. 402. On another occa-
sion, iHie whole company were made ill by the etVects of oiio
of these pestilential blasts, so that they had scarcely strength
siiflkicut left to load their camels. Il>. p. 484. The action
of this destructive wind is particularly referred to by the pro-
phet Hosea, chap.'xiii. 15. Tho-tgk he be fruitful umon^^
his bielhren an liAST WIND shall come, ihetvindof the Lord
.'h'd! come up FltOM -rnF. WlLDi-nNtisJS, itml his spring shall
BKCO.MK DRY, und his fountain shall be DRIED vj}, he shall
spoil the treasure ol' (,ll pleasant fields.
4
Dan. 1. 20. & 2. ?. & 4.7. » .Malt. 2. 1. 'cli. 40 2, 3.^ — 'tli. 39. 20. "
Verse 8. Called for all the ma^iciuns'\ D'Oti"*!! clutrelnmniim,
the word liere used, may probably mean no lu'Se ihan./K.:)-
prcters of abstnise and dijicult siihjccts ; and especially of the
Egyptian hierogfyj.-hics, an art which is now entiivly lost. It
is most likely, that th.e term is Egyptian, and consequently
its etymology must remain unknown to us; If Hi brew, i\'r.
Parkhurst's definition may he as good a^ any, " vn cliaret,
a pen or instriuuent to write or dra-j> v.itii, and Dn tarn, lo
perfect or accomplish, those who were perfect in liravviug their
sacred, astfologioal, and hieroglyiihical figures or characters,
and who, by means o! them, pretended to extraordinary feats,
among which was the interpretation of dreams. They seem
to have been such persons as Josephus, (Ant. lib. ii. c. 9. s. 2.)
calls 'l£f07fa:.«,aaT£i; sacred scribes, or professors of sacred
learning."
Wise men] TVCZn chacumei/ah, the persons, who, according
to Porphyry, " addicted themselves to the worship of God
and the study of wisdom, passiug their whole life in the
contemplation of divine things. Contemi>latioti of tiie
stars, sell-purification, arltlimelic and geometry ; and sing-
ing hymns in honour of their gods, was tlieir continual
employment." — Sec Dodd. It was probably among these
that Pvthagoras conversed, and from whom he borrowed that
modest name by which he wished his coimtryuicn to dis-
tinguish him : viz. ^iM-o^o^, a Philosopher, simply, a lover
of wisdom.
Verse y. / do remember my faults] It is not possible he
could have forgotten the circum-tance to which he here al-
ludf;s ; it «as too intimately connected with all that was dear
to him, to permit hiui ever to forget -it. — But it was not
convenient for him to remember this before ; and probably he
would not bive reinembcred it now, had he not seen, that
giving tills information in such a case, was likely to serve his
<)vvn interest. ^\ e are justified in thinking evil of this man,
because of his scandalous neglect of a person who foretold
the rescue of liis life from imminent deslruciion, and who
being unjustly confined, prayed to have his case fairly repre-
sented to the king, tlul justice nnght be done him; but this
courtier, though then in tbe same circumstances himself,
found it convenient to forget the poor, frieudlcis, Uebrevi
iluve! -*
The butler recommends Joseph to Pharadh : CHAP. XLI.
/le interprets the /aO dreams.
A.M.'.'Wii.
B.C in 3.
11 And "wc dreamotl a dream in
one night, I and he; we dreamed
each man according to the interpretation of his
dream.
12 And there xcas there with us a yonng man,
a Hebrew, "servant to the captain ofthe guard;
and we told him, and he "interpreted to us our
dreams ; to each man, according to his dream,
he did interpret.
13 And it came to pass, ""as lie interpreted to
us, so it was ; me he restored unto mine oiiice,
and liim he lianged.
14 ^ "Tlien Pharaoh sent and called Joseph,
and they ' brought^ him hastily '' out of" the
dungeon : and he shaved himself, and changed
his raiment, and came in nn.to Pharaoh.
15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have
dreamed a dream, and there is none that can
interpret it: 'and I have heard say of thee,
that " thou canst understand a dream to inter-
pret it.
IG And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying,
^ It is not in me: "God shall give Ph
answer of peace.
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,
an
In
my
•Ch. -10. 5. '■ch. 37. 36. =ch. 40. 12, &c. " cli..40. 2?. 'Vs.
lUi. 20. fOan. 2. 2a. e Heb. muilc him run. ' 1 S.im. 2. 8. Ts.
113. 7, 8. ' vcr. 12. Ps. 25. 14. Dan. 5. 16. '' Or, when thou hearest
Verse 14. T/iey brought him hastily out of the dun;^eon\
Pharaoh \va.s in- ptrplexity on account of his dreams; and
when he heard of Joseph, he sent i?iimcdialclj/ to get him
brought before him. He shai^ed himself, — having let his beard
tjrow all the time lie was in prison, he now trimmed it, for it is
not likely that either the Eijyptians or Hebrews shaved them-
fhes, in our sense of the word : the change of raiment, was,
no doubt, furnished out of the king's wardrobe; as Joseph in
his present circumstances, could not be supposed to liave any
changes of raiment.
Verse IG. It is not in me, Ifc.l npVa bilddi, without, or
independuntli/ of me ; I am not essential to thy comfort, God
himself has thee under his care, and he iiill send thee, or, an-
swer \Xif:e. peace ; thou shalt have prosperity (oh^lf shelom,) how-
soever ominous thy dreams may appear. By this answer he
not only conciliated the mind of the king, but led him to
expect hjs help from that GoD, from whom alone, all com-
fort, protection and prosperity must proceed.
Verse 1 S. Snen kine, fat-jleshed] See on verse 2. And
observe farther, that the seven fat and the seven lean kine
coming out of the same river, plainly shew, at once, the cause
both of the plenty and the dearth. It is well known that
there is scarcely any rain in Egypt; and that the country de-
jiends for its fertility, on the overflowing of the Nile; and that
the fertility is in proportion to the duration and quantity of the
OTerflow. We may therefore safely conclude, thai the seven
A.M.2.8ii.
B.C. 171.1.
dream, behold, I stood upon the bank
of the river.
18 And, behold, there came up out of the
river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well favoured ;
and thev led in a meadow :
19 And, behold, seven other kine came up
after them, poor, and very ill tiivomed and
lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the
land of Egypt for badness :
20 And tlie lean and the ill favoured kine, did
eat up the first seven tat kine :
21 And when they had "eaten them up, it
could not be known that they hail eaten them ;
i)ut they n'ere still ill favoured, as at the begin-
ning. So I awoke.
22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, se-
ven ears came up in one stalk, full and good :
23 And, behold, seven ears, '' withered, thin,
and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after
them :
24 And the thin ears devoured tlic seven
good ears: and ''I told this unto the magi-
cians ; but the7'e teas none that could declare it
to me.
25 ^ And Joseph said \uito Pkaraoh, The
a dream than cumt interpret it. ' Dan. 2. SO. .'Vcli 3. 12. 2 Cor. .". ,'i,
■"ch. 'Kl. 8. Dan. 2. 22. 28. 47. & 4. 2. °vcr. 1. ^" Heb. come to the
inward parts of them. P Or, smalt. 1 vcr. 8. Dan. 4. 7.
years of plenty, were owing to an extraordinary ovetfioviing of
the Nile; and that the .seven years of dearth were occasioned
by a very partial, or total want of this essentially necessary
inundation. Thus then, the ixuo sorts of cattle signifying
years of plenty and uant, might be said UK.cnmc out of the
same river, as the inundation was either complete, partial, or
wholly restrained; see on ver. 31. ^
Verse 21. And when they had eaten them up, t;c.'] No-
thing can more powerfully mark the excess and severity of the
famine than creature.? of the beeve or of the hippopotamus kind,
eating each other, and yet without aiTy eflect; remaining as
lean and as wretched as they were bctbre. A sense of want
increases the appetite, and stimulates the digestive powers to
unusual action; hence the concoction ofthe food becomes very
rapid, and it is hurried through the intestine.', before its nutri-
tive particles can be sufficiently absorbed; and thus, though
much is eaten, very little nourishment is derived Irom it And
when they had eaten them up, it could not be known tliat they
liad eaten iliem; but they were still ill favoured as at the be-
ginning. A most nei-vous and physically correct description.
Verse 25. God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to
do.] Joseph thus shews the Eg-j-jiiian king, that though the
ordinary cause of plenty or want is the river Nile, yet its
inundations are under the direction of God — the dreams are
sent by him, not only to signify before hand, the plenty and
want, but to shew also, that all these circumstances, however
E e
The seven years of plenty and famine.
A.MKRQ. dream of Pharaoh is one: " God hatli
^•^•^^'^' shewed Pharaoh what he is about
to do.
26 The seven good kine are seven years; and
the seven good ears are seven years: the dream
is one.
27 Am\ the seven thin and ill favoured kine
that came up after them, j/v seven years; and
the seven empty ears, blasted witli the east wind,
sliall lie '' seven years of tamine.
28 " This is the thini>; v.iiich I have spoken
unto PJiaraoh: What God is about to do, he
sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29 Behold, there come ^ seven years of great
plenty throughout all the land of Egypt :
30 And there shall " arise after them, seven
years of famine; and all the plenty shall be for-
gotten in the kind of Egypt; and the fiuiiine
' shall consume the land;
31 And the plenty shall not be known in the
land by reason of that famine following; for it
shall be very ^ grievous.
GENESIS. Joseph's prudent counsel.
32 And, for that the dream was A.M.2m
doubled unto Pharaoh, twice; it is ^L^ll!^
because the " thing is ' established by God, and
God will shortly bring it to pass.
S3 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man
discreet and wise, and set him over the land of
Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint
" officers over the land, and ' take up the fifih
part of the land of Egypt in the seven plente-
ous year? :
3.5 And ■" let them gather all the food of those
good years that come, and lay up corn under
the hini.d of Pharaoh, and let them keep food
in the cities.
36 And that food shall be for store to the land
against the seven years of famine, which shall
be in the land of Egypt; that the land " perish*
not through the famine.
;;7 And ''the thing was good in the eyes of
Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
58 % And Pharaoh said unto his servants.
'Dan. 2. J8, 29, 45. Rev. 4. 1. ''2 Kings 8. 1. 'ver. 2.S. * vcr.
47. "= ver. bi. f cli. 47. 13. s Hcb." heavy. 1" Numb. 23. 19.
Isai. 46. 10, 11.
Cortuitoiis they may appear to man, are under the chrection
of an ovemilinfj Providence.
Verse 'M. The plenty shalt not he known in the land, ly rea-
son of that famine folloiving] As Egypt depends for its
{'erlihty on the flowing of the Nile, and this flowing is not
always equal, there must be a point to which it must rise, to
■saturate the land sufficiently, in order to produce grain suf-
ficient for the support of its inhabitants. Pliny, Hist. Nat.
lib. V. cap. 9. has given us a scale, by which the plenty and
dearth may he ascertained; and from what 1 have been able
to collect from modern travellers, this scale may be yet con-
sidered as perfectly correct. JusHim incrementum ext ciihito-
riim xvi. 31inons aqjiic non omnia rigant, anipUorcs detinent,
tardius recedcndo. H/E serendi tempora ubsnmunt, solo ma-
denle, ILI..B non dant, sitiente. Uiruiiiqne reputat provincia.
In xii. cubitis funitm senlir. In xiii. etiammim esiirit. xiv. ot-
hitu kilaritalem ufferunt, xv. scciiritatcm, xvi. ddicias. " 1 he
ordinary height of the inundations is sixteen cubits. When
the waters are lower than this .'tandnrd, they dd not overflow
the whole ground: when above this standard, they are too
long in running off'. In the first ease (he ground is not satu-
rated; by the second, the waters arc detained so long on the
ground, that seed-time is lo.=t. Th< province marks both. If
it rise only twelve cubits, a famine if- the consct|uence. Even
at thirteen cubits, liiinger prevails; fouiteen cubits produces gc-
neral rejoicing; fifteen, perfect security, and sixteen, all the
hiivries of life."
When the Nile rises 1o eighteen cubits, it prevents the sow-
' Or, prepared of C\)d. '' C'r, uveneers. ' Piov. 6. 6, 7, 8. "^ ver.
48. °Heb. be not cut of. " cli. .17. 15, 19.— J" fs. Kb. 19. AtU
7. 10.
ing of the land in due season, and as necessarily produces a
famine, as when it does not overflow its banks.
Verse 33. A man discreet and wjjx-] As it is impossible
that .loseph could have foreseen his own elevation, conse-
quently he gave this advice without any reference to himself.
The counsel therefore was either immediately inspired by
God, or was dictated by policy, prudence, and sound
sense.
Verse 34. Let him appoint officers] DnpS pckadim, visi-
tors, overseers: translated by Ainswoith, bishops; see chap,
xxxix. 1.
Take up the fifth part of the /««rf] What is still called the
IMcery, or that jiart of the produce which is claimed by the
king, by way of tax. It is probable, that in Joseph's time,
it was not so much as affth part, most likely a tenllt; but as
this was an extraordinary occasion, and the rartii brought
forth by handfuls, ver. 41. the king would be justified in re-
quiring a fifth, and from the great abundance, the people
could pay this increased tax without feeling it to be op-
pressive.
VirfC 3.'i. Under the hand qf Pharaoh] To be completely
at the disposal of the king.
Verse 3T. The thing tvas good] Pharaoh and his coup-
tiers saw' that the counsel was prudent, and should he care-
fully followed.
Verse 38. In tvhom the Spirit of God isr] D'H^N Hn r«-
nch elohim, the identical words used chap. i. 2. and certainly
mu5t be understood here, as in the preceding place. If the
2
A. M- K89.
B C. Kl.'>.
Joseph advanced hy Pharaoh :
Can we find such a one as this is, a
nnin * in whom the Spirit of God /.v ?
39 And riiaraoh said unto Joseph, Foras-
mnch as Cjod liath sliewcd thee all this, there is
none so discreet and wise as thou art :
40 *" Tiioii shalt be over my house, and ac-
cording unto thy word shall all my people ' be
ruled : only in the throne will I be greater than
thou.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I
CHAP. XLI. he is made governor of Egypt.
have '' set thee over all the land of
•Nuni.J7.1R. Job 32. 8. Vrov. 2. 6.
6. -X ' Ps. 105. il, 2-.'. 1 Mac. 'L bS.
m hi>s. ^ Dmi. (3. i.
Dan. 4. 8, IB. & S. 11, 14. &
Acts 7. 10. 'llcb. be armed.
Esryptians v.'cre idolaters, they acknowledged Joseph's God :
and it is not to be su[)posed tlial they only became acquainted
with hin:i on tiii.s ccasion. The knowledge of the true God
was in Egypt long belbre ; but it is very likely that though
they acknowledged his influence with respect to Joseph, as
they saw most clearly that he acted under an influence far be-
vond that of their magicians, for lie interpreted dreams, which
(/«7 could not ; yet liiey n)ij;ht, notwithstanding, have their
gods many, and tlieir lords many at this time ; for we know
tiiat in religious matters, they were exceedingly corrupt after-
wards.
Verse 40. According un'.o thy word shall all my people be
ruled] Literally, At thy mouth shall alt nuj people kiss. — In
the eastern countries it is custor.iary to kiss any thing tliat
comes from a superior, and this is done by way of testifying
respect and submi>sion. In this sense the words in the text
are to be understood. All the people shall pay the profotind-
est respect and obedience to all tliy orders and commands.
Only in t/ie throne will I be greater than thou.] This in one
word, is a perfect description of a prime minister — Thou shalt
have tiie sole management, under me, of all slate-atFairs.
Verse 42. ^liid Pharaoh look off his ring — and put it upon
Joseph's hand] In this ring was probably set the king's «<;;/;£?,
by wliich tlie royal instrunienls were sealed ; and thus Joseph
was constituted, what we would call Lord Chancellor, or
Lord- Keeper of the Privy Seal.
Vestures of fine linen] U'lf sJiesh. Whether this means
linen or cotton is not known. It seems to have been a term
by which both were denominated : or it may be some other
.substance or clotb with vhicli we are unacquainted. If the
fine linen of Fgypt was such as that which invests the bodies
of t'l'C mummies, and these in general were persons of the
iirst distinction, and consequently were enveloped in cloth
of the finest qualitj', it was oidy fine comparatively speaking;
Egypt being the only place at that time, wh."re suih cloth
■was manufactured. I have often examined tlie cloth about
Ibe bodies <if the most splendidly ornamented mununies, and
found it sack-cloth, when compared with the fmc Irish linens.
As tins shesh appears to have been a part of the royal clothing,
it was probably both scarce and costly. By comparing, says
Parkhurst, Exod. xxv. 4. xxvi. 1. with 2 Chron. ii. 14. and
Exod. xiLvi. 31. with 2 Chron. iii. 14. it appears that I'D
Egypt.
42 And
-•V M. 2-.S9.
U. C. 1715.
Pharaoh ' took off his rin^ from his
hand, and put it upon Joseplt's hand, and ' ar-
rayed him in vestures of ^ fine linen, "and put
a gold chain about his neck ;
43 And he made him to ride in the second
chariot wliich he had ; ' and they cried before
him, "^ Bow the knee ' : and he made him ruler
■"ovei" all the land of Egypt.
' I;mIi. S. 10. & a 2, 8. ' Eslh. R. 15. " Or, iilh. " Dan. H. 7, 25.
-' Kstti. 6. y. " Or, Tin:ler t'niher. cli. -io. 8. ' Heb. Abrcch.
" ch. 4:>. 6. Si 45. !!, 26. Acts 7. 'lO.
huts, cotton, is called, 'C'Z' shcsh; and by comparing Exod.
xxviii. 42. with Exod. xxxix. 28. that na bad, linen, is also
called VTiff sheih : so that shesh seems a name expressive of
either of these, from their cheerful vivid whiteness.
Put a gold chain about his neck] This was not merely a
badge of office. The chain might be intended to point out
the union, which should subsist between all parts of the go-
vernment— the king, his ministers, and the people; as also
that necessary dependancc which they had reciprocally on each
other, as well as the connection which must be preserved be-
tween the diflerent members of the body politic, and the laws
and institutions by which they were to be governed. Its
being of gold, might be intended to shew the excellence,
utility, and permanence of a government constituted on wise,
just, and equal laws. We are justified in drawing such infe-
rences as these; because, in ancient times, in all nations,
every thing was made an emblem or representation of some spi-
ritual or moral subject. It is strange, that, probably without
adverting to . the I'easons, the chain of gold worn about the
neck, is, in different nations, ^r\ cmhlevtx oi civil authority.
Verse 4.3. He made him to ride in the second chariot'\
That which usually followed the king's chariot in public ce-
remonies.
Boiv l/ie knee] ^2N ahrec, which we translate, bow the
knee, and which we might as well translate any thing else, is
probably an Lj^yptian word, the signification of which is utterly
unknown. If we could suppose it to be a Hebrew word, it
might be considered as compounded of 3N ab, father, and "p
rak, tender; for Joseph might be denominated a father, be-
cause of his care over the people, and the provision he was
makiog for their preservation ; and tender, because of his
youth. — Or, it may be compounded of 3X ab father, and
■pa barek, blessing, the latter 3 bctk being easily lost in the
preceding one. And Joseph might have this epithet as well as
the other, on account of the care he was taking to turn aside
the heavy curse of the seven years of famine, by accumuhiting
the blessings of the seven years of plenty. Besides, father
seems to have been a name of office, and probably father of
the king, or father of Pharaoh, might signify the same as the
king's minister among us; see on chap. xlv. 8. But if it be
an Egyptian word, it is vain to look for its signification in
Hebrew.
E C 2
Joseph is married to Asenath.
A.M. 2289.
B. C. 1715.
44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,
1 am Phanioh, and without thee shall
no man \\it up his hand or foot in all the land
of Egypt.
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name ' Zaph-
nath-paaneah ; and he gave him to wife, Ase-
nath, the daughter of Poti-pherah, ''priest of
On. And Joseph went out over all the land of
46 And Joseph kus thirty years old when
he ^ stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And
Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh,
and went throughout all the land of Egypt,
A mT'w '*■" ^^'^^ "^ *^^^ seven plenteous
Ti.'c'.xhi. years, the earth brought forth by
A. i"M.°^jr6. handfuls.
B^c^mw. ^g ^^^^ Y\Q gatliered up all the
food of the seven years, which were in the land
of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities :
the food of the field, which xvas round about
every city, laid he up in the same.
" Which in the Coptic signifies, A rerealer of secrets, or. The man tn whom
secrets arc revealed, '' Ur, jirince. Exod. '2. 16. ^ Sam. ii. 18. & 'M. M.
' 1 Sam. 16. ai. 1 Kings 12. 6, 8. Daii. 1. 19.
Verse 44. / am Pharnol'] The same as if he had saifl,
/ am the king ; (or Fharaoh was the common title of the so-
vereigns of Egyi>t.
Verse 45. Zaphnath-paancah'] Tiie meaning of this title
is as little known, as that of Ahreck in the preceding verse.
Some translate it, The reiealev of secrets ; others. The trea-
sury of glorious comfort. St. Jeront translates the whole verse
in a most arbitrary manner. Vcrlique noinen ejus, ct vocai-lt
cum lingua Mgypiiitca, Sulvatorem mundi. " And he changed
liis name, and called him in the Egyptian language. The Sa-
viour of the luorld." None of the Asiatic Versions, acknow-
ledges this extraordinary gloss, and it is certainly worthy of
no regard. The Anglo-Saxon nearly copies the Vulgate : •]
nembe hine on Gjiprij-c, ODibbaneapbej* )5a;lenb. And
named him in Egyptian, The healer of the world. All the
rtymologies hitherto given of this word, are, to say llie
least of them, doubtful, /believe it also to be an Egyp-
tian epithet, designating the office to which he was now
raised : and similar to our compound terms, Prime-Minister,
Lord- Chancellor, High-Treasurer, Chief-Justice, Ifc.
Asenath, the daughter of Poti-pherali] There is no likelihood,
that the Poti-pherah mentioned here, is the same as the Poti-
phar who had purchased Joseph, and, on the false accusation
of his wife, cast him into prison. I. The Scripture gives no
intimation that they were one and the same person. 2. Poti-
pherah had children, and Potiphur was a eunuch ; see on chap,
xxxvii. 36. i'or though eunuchs often kept women, there is no
proof that they had any issue by them.
Priest of On] For the signification of the word }n3 cohen
or priest, see on chap. .xiv. 18. ON is rendered lleliopolis,
GENESIS. Eph'aim and Manasseh are horn.
49 And Joseph gathered corn " as A.M.cir.sasg.
the sand of the sea, very much, ^'^' "'' "^'':
until he left numbering j for it was without
number.
50 ^[ "■' And unto Joseph were born two sons
before the years of famine came, which Ase-
nath, the daughter of Poti-pherali, ' prie.st of
On, bare unto him.
51 And Joseph called the name of A-M^^wa
the first-born « Manasseh : for God, ^'Jlflt
.said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and
all my father's house.
52 And the name of the second A.M.cir.ggps,
B.C.<;ir.l7ll.
called he " Ephraim : Eor God hath
caused me to be ' fruitful in the land of my af-
fliction.
53 5[ And the seven years of plen- A.M.sass.
teousness, that was in the land of ^£:i!^
Egypt, were ended.
54 "^ And the seven years of dearth began to
come, ' according as Joseph had said : and the
<> Cb. 22. 17. Jiidg. 7. 12. 1 Sam. 13. 5. Ps. 78. «7. ' ch. 46. 20. &
48. 5. ■''Or, prince, ver. 45. 2 Sara. 8. 18. sTIiat is, forgettiiig.-
" Tliat is, fruitful. ' cli. 49. 22. ^ Ps. 1U5. 16. Acts. 7. 11. ' ver.
ver. 30.
(the city of the sun, Sunnan hupt) by the Septuagint and
Anglo-Saxon : and it is very likely tliat this Poti-pherah was
intendant of that name or province, under Piiaraoh.
Josepli leent out over all the lamf] No doubt for the build-
ing of granaries, and appointing proper officers to receive the
corn in every place, as Dr. Dodd has very properly conjectured.
Verse 46. Joseph was thirty years oW] As he was sex^en-
teen years old when he was sold into Egypt, chap, xxxvii. 2.
and was now thirty, lie must have been thirteen years in slavery.
Stood before Pharaoh] This phrase always means admis-
sion to the immediate presence of the sovereign, and having
the honour of his most unlimited confidence. Among the
Asiatic princes, the privilege oi coming even to their seat, oi standi
ing before them, ^-c. was granted only to the \\\g\\e&t. favourites.
Verse 47. The earth broughtforth by handfuls.] This probably
refers principally to rice, as it grows In tufts; a great number of
stalks proceeding fioni the same seed. In those years we may.
reasonably suj)pose, the Nile rose sixteen cubits ; see on ver. 3 I .
Veise 50. Tico sons] \Vhoni he called by names expres-
sive of God's particular and bountii'ul Providence towards
him. Man.^SSEH, niS'JO menasheh ugmfies forgetfulness, from
nC'J nashah to forget. And EPHIIAIIVI D'lSN ephrayim, fruit-
fulness, from mS puruh, to be fruitful; and he called his
.sons by these name.s, because God had enabled him \.o forget
all his toil, disgrace and affliction, and had made him fruit-
ful in the very land in which he had suffered the greatest
inlslbrlune and indignities.
Verse 54. The seven years of dearth began to come] Owing
in Egypt, to the Nile not rising more than twelve or thirteen
cubits ; see on ver. Z 1 . but there must have been other causes
All the coitnlries round about.
CHAP. XLIL
A.M. 2^9(3. dearth was in all lands ; but in all the
t^l- land of Egypt there was bread. j
55 And when all the land of Egypt was fa-
mished, the people cried to Pliaraoh tor bread:
and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go ;
unto Joseph ; what he saith to you, do.
56 And the famine was over all the face of
■Ileb. all whert'in was.
which affected other countries, not immediately dependant on
tlieNile, though remotely with I'^fiypt and Canaan.
Tlie dearth n'as in all lands] All the countries dependant
on the Nile. And it appears that a general drought had
taken place, at least throuy;h all Kgypt and Canaan ; for it is '
said, ver. 51. that the /amine ivas sore in alt lands; Egypt,
and Canaan, and their respective dependarices.
Verse 55. When all the land of Egypt 'vas famished] As
Pharaoh, by the advice of Joseph, had exacted a.ffth part ofi
all the grain- during the seven years of plenty, it is very likely
that no more was left than what was merely necessary to sup-
ply the ordinary demand, both in tiic way of home consump-
tion, and for the purpose of barter or sale to neighbouring
countries.
Verse 56. Over all the face of the earth] The original
fwn 'JD Sa col peney ha-arets, should be translated, all the face
of THAT LAND : viz. Egypt, as it is explained at the end of
the verse.
Verse 57. All countries came into Egypt — to buy] As
tliere had not been a sufficiency of rains, vapours, &c. to
swell tiie Nile to eflect a proper inundation In Egypt, tlie
»ame cause would produce drought, and consequently, scarcity
in all the neighbouring countries ; and this may be all that is
intended in the Text.
1. As the providence of God evidently led the hitler and
baker of Pharaoh, as well as the king himself, to dream the |
prophetic dreams mentioned in this and tlie preceding chap-
ter; so his spirit in Joseph, led to the true interpretation of
them. NVhat a proof do all these things give us of a Provi-
dence that is so general as to extend its influence to every
part; and so particular, as to notice, influence, and direct the
co7ne to Egypt to huij corn.
the earth: And Joseph opened \ill A.M.2i96.
the store-houses, and " sold unto the ^'^' '^°^'
Egyptians ; and the finiinc waxed sore in the
land of Egypt.
57 'And all countries came into Egypt, to
Joseph, for to buy corn ; because that the fa-
mine was 60 sore in all lands.
" Cli. i-J. 6. & 47. It, 24. 'Deut. 9. 28.
most minute circumstances. Surely, God " has way every
where ; and all things serve his will."
2. Dreams have been, on one hand, superstltiously regard-
ed; and on the other, sceptically disregarded. That some
are prophetic, there can be no doubt; that others are idle
none can hesitate to- believe. Dreams may be divided into
the six following kinds: 1. Those which are the mere nightly
result of the mind's reflexions and perplexities during the bu-
siness of the day. 2. Those which spring from a diseased
state of the body, occasioning starlings, terrors, &c. 3.
Those which spring from an impure state of the heart, mental
repetitions of those acts or images of illicit pleasure, riot, and
excess which form the business of a profligate life. 4. Those
which proceed from a diseased mind, occupied with schemes
of pride, ambition, grandeur, &c. These, as forming the
characteristic conduct of the life, are repeatedly reacted iu
the deep watches of the night, and strongly agitate the soul
with illusive tnjDymcnts aud disappointments. 5. Those
which come immediately from Satan, which iiistd thoughts
and principles opposed to tnith and righteousness, leaving
strong impressions on the mind suited to its natural bent and
turn, which in the course of the day, by favouring circum-
stances, may be called into action. ~6. Those which come
from God, and which necessarily lead to biin, whether pro-
phetic of future good or evil; or Impressing holy purposes,
and heavenly resolutions. Whatever leads away from God,
truth, and righteousness, must be from the source of evil :
whatever ka<ls to obedience, to God, and to acts of benevo-
lence to man, must be from the source of goodness, and
truth. Reader, there is often as much superstition in disre-
gardiitg, as in attending to dreams : and he who fears God
will escape it in both.
CHAPTER XLH.
Jacob sends his ten sons to Egypt to buy corn, 1 — 3, but refuses to permit Benjamin to go, 4. They arrive in
Egypt, and bow l/iemsehes before Joseph, 5, 6. He treats them roughly, and culls them spies, " — 10. Thei/
defend themselves, and give an account of titeir family, 11 — 13. He appears unmoved, and puis them all iu
prison for three dai/s, 14—17. On the third day he releases them on condition of their bringing Benjamin, 18
—20. Being convicted by their consciences, they reproach themselves Kith their cruelly to their brother Joseph,
and consider themselves under the displeasure of God, 21 — 23. Joseph is greatly affected — detains Simeon as a
pledge J'or Benjamin, orders their sacks to be filled with corn, and the purchase money to be put in each man's
sack, 24, 25. 1\ hen one of them rras going to give his ass provender, he discovered his money in the mouth of
his such, at zdiicli they zcerc greatljj alarmed, 2G — 28. They eoiuc to their father in Canaan, and relate
Jacob sends his ten sons GENESIS. to Egypt to buy food.
Ti-Jiat happened to them in their joiiniey, Gj; — 34. On emptying their sac];s, each man's monti/ is found in his
sack's mouth, which causes alarm both to Ihem and their father, 35. Jacob deplores the loss of Joseph, and
Simeon, and refuses to let Benjamin go, though Reuben offers his Ixco sons as pledges for his safety, 36 — 38.
A.M. 2297. IVT^^^ \\hQn ^ Jacob saw that j 7 AndJoseph saw his brethren, and a.m. 2297.
^^ there was corn in Egypt, Ja- 1 he knew them.
B. C. 17W.
but made himself
B.C. 1707.
cob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one strange unto them, and spake ^ roughly unto
upon another ? j them ; and he said unto them, Whence come
2 And he said. Behold, I have heard that ye ? And they said, From the land of Canaan
there is corn in Egypt : get you down thither, to buy food.
and buy for us from thence; that we may ''live, (8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they
and not die. : knew not him.)
3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to | 9 And Joseph "^ remembered the dreams which
buy corn in Egypt. he dreamed of them, and said unto them. Ye
4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent ai^e spies ; to see the nakedness of the land ye
not with his brethren ; for he said,
adventure mischief befal him.
Lest per- are come.
10 And they said unto him. Nay, my lord.
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn but to buy food are thy servants come
among those that came : for the famine was "in
the land of Canaan. |
6 ^ And Joseph ivas the governor ' over the
land, and he it icas that sold to all the people ;
of the land : and Josejjh's brethren came, and !
' bowed down themselves before him xiilh their
faces to the earth.
"Acts 7. ^•2.-
-"cliiS. 8. Ps. 118. 17. Isai. 38. 1.-
"Acis?.!!.
-■^ver. 3a.-
NOTES ON CHAP. XLll.
Versie 1. Jacob saw that there was coni] That is, Jacob
heard from the report of oUiers, that there was plenty in
E'Typt. The operaiions of one sense, in Hebrew are often
put for \\m>e of another. Before a<;riciilture Mas properly
known and practised, famines were (ieqiicnt : Canaan seems
to have lieen peculiarly vexed by them : there was one in this
land in the lime of Abraham, chap. xii. 10. another in the
days of Isaac, chap. xxvi. 1. and now a third in the time of
Jacob: to this St. Stephen alludes. Acts vii. 11. there was
great affiietion : and our FATHERS/oe/nt/ no snsleriance.
Verse 6. Jose/ih was the gmrrnor] IS'h'Sf shallit, an intcnd-
ant, a protector, from dW skalat, to be over as n protector;
bence D'DVc shiltim, sliitlds, or arms for protection and de-
fence, 2 Sam. viii. 1. and pt07B' shilion, power, and authority,
Eccles. viii. 4. A. and hente the Arabic (^lUJU. siillUn, a
lord, prince, or king, from laJLu sulyia, he obtained, and ex-
trcised dominion, he ruled. Was it not from this very cir-
cumstance, Joseph beintf shalit, that all the Mohammedan
governors of Egypt, &c. took the title of Sultan ?
Boiued dotuii themselves before A/m] Thus t'lilfillinG^ the pro-
phetic dream, (hap. xxxvii 1, 8. which tluy had taken every
precaution to render nu'l and void. But there is neither
might nor counsel against the Lord.
Verse 9. Joseph reritembered the dreamt-] When he saw
they were his own brethren, and saw them boning down ihem-
selves before him with their faces to the earth, vtr. 6.
1 1 AVe are all one man's sons ; we are true
men, thy servants are no spies.
1 2 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see
tlie nakedness of the land ye are come.
13 And they said. Thy servants are twelve
bretliren, the sons of one man in the land
of Canaan ; and, behold the youngest is
'Ch. 41 41.-
fch.
37 7 ^5 llelj. hard tlwig$ with thtm.-
"ch. 37..i,y.
Ye are spies] OHN DvJ"iO nieragh'm atem, ye are footmen,
irampers about, footpads, vagabonds, lymg in wait for the
property of others. — Persons, who, under the pretence of
wishing to buy corn, de-ire only to find out whether the land
be so defenceless that the tribes to which ye belong, (see ver.
1 1 ) may attack it successfully, drive out the inhabitants, and
settle in it yourselves; or having plundered it, retire to your
desarts. This is a frequent cu^lolu among the Arabs, to the
present day. Thus .luseph spaLe i-oughly to Iheni, uicrtly to
cover, for the time being, that warmth of alll'ctioii which he
felt towards them ; and that being thus brought, apparently,
into straits and dangerous circumstances, their consiiences
might be awakened, that they might reflect on, and abhor
their own wickedness.
Verse 1 1. JVe are all one mans so\is\ ^V'e do not belong
to different tribes, and it is not likely '-hT^i one family would
make a hostile attempt upon a whole kiiiLcdom. I'his seems
to be the very jJTound that Joseph took : viz. that they were
persons belonging to dilRrent tribes. — Again.-t this particu-
larly, they set up their delencc, asserting in the most posi-
tive manner, tluit thty all belonged to one fmuly; and it is
on the proof of this, that .losepli puts them, ver. 15. in ob-
liging them to lea\e one as a hostage, and insisting on their
bringing their remaining brother; so that he tiok exactly
the same precautions to detect them, f,s if he had had
no acquaintance with them, and had every reason to be sus-
picious.
Joseph dealt roughly "with them.
CHAP. XLII
tins day \n\h our father, and one
not.
ts
A. M- '-"J97.
B.C. 1707.
14 And Joseph said unto them. That is //that
I .spake unto you, saying. Ye are spies : I
m Hereby ye shall be proved : *" 7i// the hfc
of Pharaoh yc shall not go tbrth henee, exeept j
yonr youngest brother come hither.
IG Send one of you, and let him fetch your'
brother, and yc shall be ' kept in prison, that ;
your words may be ])r()ved, whether there be\
any truth in you : or else bj the life of Pharaoh
siu'cly ye rre spies.
17 And he "^ put them all together into ward
three days.
15 And Joseph said unto them the third day,
This do, and live ; "for A fear God :
19 If ye be true men, let one of your brethren
be bound in the house of your prison : go ye,
carry corn tor the famine of your houses :
20 But ' bring your youngest l)rother unto
jiie : so sliall your words be ^'erificd, and ye
shall not die. And they did so.
'Ch.ST. .so Lam.. 5.7. Seech. 14. 20. "See 1 Sam. 1. '26. & 17. .^.5. Judith
11. 7. -'Htrb. hotini '' Heh. gatherfd. '^ Lev. SJ3. 4.'3. Neh .'>. 15.
■ Ver. 34. th. i3. 6. & 44. 23. e Job 36. b, 9. Hos b. 15
Vin-se 13. Ohc i-- »o/ ] An elliptical sentence — oneisno; alive.
Vers 1 3 Ijy ihi life of I'hurno/i] niTlD 'H c'ley Pharvh,
Pharan/i (tri./.':— as if le harl said, as surely as the king' of
Egypt lives, so surely shall ye not go hence, unless your
brollitr come hitiier — lure lh< icfore is no oul/i ; it is just what
they tlicm>elvc-s m;»ke it in tlitir leport to their father, chap.
Jtliii. ;'). llic man did ^oirmniy itmttst unto vs ; and our transla-
tors should not liave put it in lhe./b?-m of iui oath, c-pciially
a? the Original not only will hear anothtr Vtrsion, but is ab-
solutely rtpuijnant to this in our sense of 'he word.
Verse 1 8. / fear God] tO' 'JX O'nVn nx eth lia-dohim
nni yore, literally translated, \\v pas.-S'^e V'.:n» thus, 1 akofiar
the ^ods ; Imt the cuiphalu: in) ha is ])r()l>ably aildtd by .fo-
seph, both here and in his conversation with Phar'ioh, the
hftore particularly to point oitf the cniinttice and perfection of
the .Supreme lieinp;, as conlradisli:iq;uished from the gods of
Egypt. He seems to say to his brethren, / «m a worshipper
•t the true God, and ye have nothing to fear.
Verse 21. We are ferity guilti/l I low tiiiely arc the office
and influence of conscience txcmplified in these words ! It
was about ni:cnty-ni;o years smcc they bad sold their brother,
and probably their conscience had iiefn lulltd asleep to the
present lioiir. God combines and brin;»s about those favour-
uhlfc circumstances, which produce ulientiou and reftexion, and
give weight to the expostulations of conscience. How neces-
iary to hear its voice in time, ii^r htrc, it may be the instru-
ment of salvation; but if not heard m this world, it must be
feeard in the next ; and thire, in association with the !i?i-
and puts Simeon in priso7i,
21 ^ And tlicy said one to another, a.m.«97.
^ We arc verily guilty concerning "" ^" '^"^-
our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his
soul, when he besought us, and we would
not hear ; " therefore is this distress come upon
us.
22 And Reuben answered tliem, saying, 'Spake
I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the
child ; and ye would not hear ? therefore, be-
hold, also his blood is " reciuired.
23 And they knew not that Jose|)h understood
th&m ; for ' he spake unto them by an inter-
pretei\
24 And he turned himself about from them,
and wept ; and returned to them again, and
communctl with them, and took from them
Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.
25 % Then Joseph commanded to fill their
sacks with com, and to restore every man's
money into his sack, and to give them pro-
vision for the way : and '" thus did he unto
them.
>■ Prov. at. 13. Watt. 7. 2. ' ch. 37. yi.-
2Chron. 21. ■i'i. I's. 9. 12. Luke U. .^0, 51.
hctwmi tliem. ■" AlaU. 5. 44. Rom. 12. 17, 2U, 21
ch. 9. .">. 1 Kings 2. 32.
Heb. an inlerpreter was
quendmhle fire, it will be the ne-rer dyiwj; norm. Header, has
not thy sin as j'et found thee out.? Pray to God to take away
tile veil from thy heart, and to give thee that deep sense of
guilt which shall oblige thee to flee for refuge to the hope
which is set before thee in the Gospel of Christ.
Verse 23. h'or lie spake uitto them by an interpreter.] Either
there was a very great duKrence between the two languages
as then spoken, or .Foscph, to prevent all suspicion, might af-
fect to be ignorant of both. We have many evidences in this
book, that the Egyptians, Hebrews, Canaanites and Syrians,
could understand each other in a general way ; though there
are also proofs, that there was a con.eiderable difference be-
tween tlitir dialects.
Verse 24. Took — Simeon, and hound him before their eyes.]
This was retaliation, ifj as the Rabbins suppose, it was
Simeon who bound .Foscph, and put him into the pit. A
recollection of this circumstance, nuist exceedingly deepen
ihe.scnse he had of his guilt.
Verse 25. Commanded to fill their sackx] 3n>73 keley-hem,
their vessels, probably large woollen bags, or baskets lined with
leather, as Sir John Cliardin says, arc still in use through all
Asia, and which are called tumbellit; they are covered with lea-
ther, the better to resist the wet, and to prevent dirt and sand
from mixing with the grain ; these resfels, of whatever sort, must
have been different from those called piy sak in the 27th and
following verses, which was probably only a .small taek or bag, in
which each had reserve d a sufliciency of corn for his ass dur-
ing the journey ; the larger vessels or bags, serving to hold
Tlicy return to Jacob, and give him GENESIS
A.!\i.t":9r. 26 And they laded their asses witli
^- ^- "^- the corn, and departed thence.
27 x\nd as ^ one of them opened his sack to
give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his
money ; for, belaold, it teas in his sack's mouth.
28 And he said unto his brctlu'cn, IVIy money
is restored ; and lo, it is even in my sack : and
their heart " foiled tl/aii, and they were airaid
saying one to another. What is this that God
hath done unto us ?
29 % And they came unto Jacob their father
unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that
befell unto them ; saying,
30 The man, rclio is the lord of tlie land,
*" spake "^ roughly to us, and took us for spies
of the country.
31 And we said unto him. We arc true jnen :
we are no spies ;
32 We be twelve brethren, sons of our father ;
one is not, and the youngest is this day with
our father in the land of Canaan.
33 And the man, the lord of the country, said
^Soe cli. iS. 'il. ^^ Ileb. vent finlh. "^ Ver. 7.-
hard thincs.
-"" IJcb. with us
an account of tJieirjoumerf.
unto us, ' Hereby shall I know that
ye ffrc true men; leave one of your bre-
A. M.SS'Pr.
B. C. 1707.
the u'Aefli er rice they had brought, and their own packages.
Tlie reader will at once sec, that the English word sack is
plainly derived from the Hebrew.
\''erse 26. Tlic); Irulcd their asses] Amoimting, no doubt, to
several scores, if not hundreds; else tliey could not have brought
a sufficiency of corn for llie support of so large a family as
that of Jacob.
Verse 27. One of them opened his sack] From ver. Z5, we
learn, that each of the ten brethren, on emptying his sack
when he returned, found his money in it : can we suppose
Uiat this was not discovered by them all before ? It seems not :
and the reason was probably this; the moiiey was put in the
mouth of the sack of one only ; in the sacks of the others it was
placed at or Jiear to the bottom : hence only one discovered it
on the road ; the rest found it when tliey came to empty their
sacks at their father's house. .
Ill the inn] jlVoS bu-malon, from f> Ian, to lodge, stay,
remain, 6;c. The place at which they stopped to bait or rest
themselves and their asses. Our word inn gives us a false
idea here — there were no such places of entertainment at that
time in the desart over which they had to pass; nor are there
any to the present day. Travellers generally endeavour to
reach a well, where they fdl their girbahs, or leathern bottles,
with fresh water, and having clogged their camels, asses, &c.
permit them to crop any little verdure there may be in the
place, kttping watch over them iy turas. This is all we are
to understand by the 7nalon, or inn, in the text; for even
caravun-seruis were not then iu use, whicii are generally no
1
thren here wth mc, and takejhodjbr the famine
of your housholds, and be gone :
34 And bring your youngest brother unto
me : then shall I know that ye are no spies, but
(hat ye fire true mcN : so will I deliver you your
brother, and ye shall ' traffick in the land.
as ^ And it came to pass as they emptied
their sacks, that, behold, ^ every man's bundle
of money roas in his sack : and when both they
and their fitther saw the bundles of money, they
were afraid.
36 And Jacob their father said unto them,
Me have ye " bereaved of' my children : Joseph
is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take
Benjamin aioay : all these things are against
mc.
37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying.
Slay my two sons, if I bi-ing him not to thee :
deliver him into my hand, and I will bring hira
to thee again.
' ver. Ij, 19, eO,-
-fch. 34. 10. E See cl>. 43. 21. " ch. 43. 14.
more than four walls perfectly exposed, the place being open
at the top.
Verse 28. Their heart failed them] CDsV NS»1 va-yetse lib-
ham, their heart went out — this refers to that spasmodic affec-
tion which is felt in the breast at any sudden alarm or fright.
Among tlie common people in our own country, we find an ex-
pression exactly similar — " My heart was ready to leap out at
my mouth;" used on similar occasions.
What is this that God hath done unto us?] Their guilty
consciences now thoroughly awakened, were in continual
alarms ; they ■felt that they deserved God's curse ; and
every occurrence served to confirm and increase their sus-
picions.
Verse 33. .^s they emptied their sacks] See on ver. 27.
Verse 36. All these thiiigs are against me.] ruVo Vn '7J>
dli haiu cullanuh ; literally, all these things are upon me. 'Not
badly translated by the Vulgate, In me hac omnia mala reci-
derunt. " All these evils fall back upon me." They lie upon
me as heavy loads, hastening my death ; they are more than
I can bear.
Verse 37, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee"]
What a strange proposal made by a son to \ih father, concern-
ing hk grandchildren! But they shew the honesty and affec-
tion of Reuben's heart — he felt deeply for his father's distress,
and was determined to risk and hazard every thing in order
to relieve and comfort him. There is scarcely a transaction
in which Reuben is concerned, that does not serve to set his
character in an amiable point of view, except the single in-
Jacob irfuses to send
CHAP. XLIII.
Beujamin to Egypt.
38 And he said. My son shall not { him by the way in the which ye go,
go down with yiiu ; for ' his brother | then shall ye ' bring down my gray
is dead, and he is lett alone : " if mischief beiall j hairs with sorrow to the grave.
H. C. IT 07.
A.iM.2i!9r.
B.C. 1707.
• Ver. 13. & cl.. 37. 33. & 14. '-'8. >■ vcr. 4. & cli. 44. •i'3.
Stance inentioned chap. xxxv. 22. and which, for the sake of
tlecency and pirty, we should wish to understand as the Tar-
guniisis have explained it ; see the notes.
Verse 38. lie is left aloyic'] i. e. Benjamin is the only re-
maininp; son of Hachel : for he supposed Joseph, who was the
other son, to be dead.
Ye shall bring do'j:n my gray hairs with sorrovj, S(c.] Here
he keeps up the idea of the ojipvessive burden nientioniid on
»er. 36, to which every occurrence was adding an addi-
tional weight ; so tlwt he felt it impossible to support it any
longer.
1 lie following observations of Dr. Doild on this verse are
I'ery appropriate and judicious. " Nothing can be more
tender and picturesque tiian the word* of the venerable pa-
triarch. Full of aflcction for his beloved Rachel, he cannot
tliink of parting with Benjamin the only remaining j)ledge of
that love, now Joseph, as he supposes, is no move : we seem
to behold the grey-headed venerable father, pleading with his
sons; the beloved Benjamin standing by his side: impatient
sorrow in iheir countenances, and in his, all the blee<ling
anxiety of paternal love. It will be diflicult, I believe, to
find in any author, ancient or modern, a more exquisite
picture."
1. There is one doctrine relative to the opconomy of divine
Providence, little heeded auumg men : 1 mean the doctrine of
Restitution. ^V hen a man \v\% done wrong to his neighbour,
though on his repentance, and faith in our Lord Jesus, God
forgives him his sin, yet he requires him to make restitution to the
person injured, if it lie in the cotnpass of his power. If he do not,
God' will take care to exact it in the course of his Providence.
Such respect has he liir the dictates of infinite justice, that no- '
thing of this kind shall pass unnoticed. Several instances of this ,
have already occurred in this history, and we .-hall see several j
Ch. 37. 35. & 44. 31.
more. No man should expect mercy at the hand of God, who
having wronged his neighbour, refuses, when he has it in his
power, to make restitution. AV'ere he to weep tears of bleed, both
the justice and mercy of God would shut out his prayer, if he
made not his neighbour amends for the injury he may have
done him. The mercy of God, through the blood of the cross,
can alone pardon his guilt ; but no dishonest man can expect
this; and he is a dishonest man who illegally holds the propertjr
of another in his hand The unnatural brethren who sold their
brother into captivity are now about to be captivated them-
selves ; and the /xnrfcr himself is bound in his turn; and though
a kind Providence iJocs not permit the evil to fall upon them,
yet, while apprehending it, they Icel all its reality ; conscience
supplying the lack o( prison, jailor, and bonds.
2. The ways of Providence are often to us dark and per-
plexed, so that we are ready to imagine, that, good can never
result from what appears to us to be directly contrai^y to our
interest ; and we often are tempted to think, that those very
providential dealings o( God, which have for their object our
present and eternal welfare, are rather proofs of his displea-
sure, or evidences of his vindictive judgments. All these
things are against me, said poor desponding Jacob. ^Vhere-
as, instead of being against him, all these things were for
him; and by all these means, was the merciful God working
for the preservation of himself and his family, and the fulfd-
ment of his ancient promise, that the posterity of Abraham
should be as the stars of lieaven for midtitude. How strange it
it that our faith, after so many evidences of his goodness,
should still be so weak ; and that our opinion of him should be
so imperfect, that we can never trust him but while he is
under our own eye ! If we see him producing good, we can be-
lieve that he is doing so, and this is all. If we believe rjot,
he abiiles faithful ; but our unbelief must make our own way
extremely perplexing and ditbcult.
CHAPTER XLHI.
TItc famine contimiiji^, Jacob desires his sons lo rro wj^aiii lo Kgtfpt and Int^ some food, \, 1. J udah shezcs the ne-
cessity of Bejijamiti's accompanyitig llicni, ultliont tchom it would be useless to return to Egypt, .3 — 5. Jacob
eipostiilates uilh him, 6. Judith replies, and afers to become surety for Benjamin, 7 — 10- Jacob, al last, con-
sents, and desires them to take a present rcilh them for the governor of Egi/pt ; and double money, that zchich they
had brought back in their sack's mouth, and the price of the load thci/ K'ere iiozv to bring ; qud having prayed for
them, sends I hem ate ay, 1 1 — I j. They arrive in Egypt, and are brought to Joseph's house to dine ttithhim, at
lihich they are greatly alarmed, Ui — 18. Thiij speak to the sIcKard of Joseph's house, concerning the monei/ re-
turned in their sacks, If) — 2'2. lie gives thcnt encouragement, 2,3, 24. Having made ready the present, they
bring it to Joseph iclien he came home to dine, 15, 'IQ. He speaks kindly to them, and enquires coiicerni7ig their
health, and that of their father, C7> J2H. Joseph is greatly affected at seeing his brotherBenjamln, 29 — 31. They
dine zcith him, and are distinguished according to their seniority, but Benjamin receives marks of pecitliar
favour, 32—34.
Pf
Jtidah sJiews the necessity of going dotvii GENESIS.
A.M.2i97. A ND i\^Q famine 'was ' sore in thei words
^L^li!^ /V land.
2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten
up the corn which they had brought out of
Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again,
buy us a httle food.
3 And Judah spake unto him, saying. The
man " did solemnly protest unto us, saying. Ye
shall not see my fiice, except your " brother be
with you.
4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we
will go down and buy thee food :
But if thou wilt not send him, we will not
for the man said unto us. Ye shall
not see my face, except your brother be with
you.
6 And Israel said, Wlierefbre dealt ye so ill
with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet
a brother ?
7 And they said. The man "asked us straitly
of o'j.r state, and of our kindred, saying, /*•
'' could
that he would say
immediately to Egypt for corn,
we certainly know
Brina;
a your
bro-
A. M. <i?97.
B. C. 1707.
go down
your father yet alive ? have ye another brother
and we told him according to the
tenor of these
»Cti.41.5-l,57. >> Heb. pTotcillitg proUsteil '^cl).42.20. & 44. 2:3.
^ Hel). asking; ashed us. •' Heb. moidh. ^ Heb. kjiouing could uc know ?
NOTES ON CHAP. XLIII.
Verse 8. Send the lad ivith inc] As> the original is not 17'
yeled, from wliicli we have derived our word lad, but 1I?J
wtar, it would have been belter, bad our translators rendered
it by some otlier term, sueb as the youth, or the young man,
and thus the distinction in the Hebrew, would have been better
kept up. Benjamin was at this time, at least twenty-four
years of age, some think thirti/, and had a family of his own.
See ch xlvi. 21.
That ive may live and not rfj'e] An argument drauii from
self-preservation, what some have termed the first law of nature.
By your keeping Benjamm, we are prevented from going to
Egypt — if we go not to Egypt, we shall get no corn — if we
get no com, we shall all perish by famine, and Benjamin
himself, who otherwise might live, must, with thee and the
whole family, infallibly die.
V^erie 9. Let me bear the blame for ere?-] Vs "iV TlSEini
D'O'n vccluitati leca col ha-j/imiim : then .shall I sin against
thee all my days; and consecjuenlly be liable to punishment
for violating my faith.
Verse 1 1 . Curry doivn the man a present] From the very
earliest times, presents were used as means of introduction to
great men. This is particularly notiied by Solomon : A
inan's gift nialcelh room for him ; and bringcth him hrfore great
men, Prov. xviii. 16. But what was the present brou^jht to
Joseph on this occasion ? After all the labour of commenta-
tors, we are obliged to be contented with probabilities and
ther down ?
8 And Judah said unto Israel his father. Send
the lad witli me, and wc will arise and go ; that
we may live, and not die, both we, and thou,
and also our little ones.
9 I will be siu-ety for luiu ; of my hand shalt
thou require him : ^ if I bring him not unto
thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear
the blame for ever :
10 For except we had lingered, surely now
we had returned ^ this second time.
1 1 And their fatlier Israel said unto them. If
it must be so now, do this ; take of the best
fruits in the land in your \essels, and ' carry
down the man a present, a little " balm, and a
little honey ; spices, and myrrh, nuts, and al-
monds :
12 And take double money in your hand; and
the money ' that was brought again in the mouth
of your sacks, carry it again in your hand j
peradventure it teas an oversight :
-eCh. 44. 32. Pliilcm.' 18. 19. "Or, twice by this.-
Prov. 18. 16. " cli. 37. 25. Jer. li. i^'i. -I cli. 42
— 'cli. 32. 20.
25, 35.
conjecture. According to our translation tlie gifts were balm,
honey, spices, myrrh, nuts, and almonds.
n.\LM ns tsori, is supposed to signify resin in general, or
some kind of gum i.ssuing from trees.
IJONEY li"3T dthasl:, has been supposed to be the same as'
the rob of grapes, called in Egypt dibs ; others think that ho-
ney, in the couunon sense of the term, is to be understood
here.
SPICES nX3J nccoth, is supposed to mean Gum Storax,
which niigiit be very valuable, on account of its qualities as a
perfume.
MYKRU dS lot, supposed by some to mean Stacte, by
others to signify an ointment made of myrrh.
MUrs D'Jt33 batunim, by some rendered pistachio nuts,
those produced in Syria being the finest in the world ; by
others dates, others xoulnuts, others pine-apples, others the nuts
of the teribinlh-tree.
.4LMONDS Dnp'd? shekcdim, correctly enough translated,
and perhaps the only article in the collection of which we
know any thing with certainty. It is generally allowed that
the land of Canaan produces the best almonds in the East;
and on this account, they might be deemed a very acceptable
])rcsent to the governor of Egypt.
Those who wish to see
this subject exhausted, must have recourse io the Physica Sa-
cra of Schcuchzer.
Verse 12. Double momy] What was returned in their
sacks, and what was farther necessary to buy aiiotber load.
Benjamin accompanies them, CHAP
A.M. 2'.;97. 1 3 Take also your brotlicr, and arise,
"•^'- ^"''" go again unto the man :
14 And God Almighty give you mercy before
the nun, that he may send away your other
brother, and Benjamin. ^ If"" I be bereaved o/?«^
children, I am bereaAcd.
1.5 % And the men took that present, and they
took double money in their hand, and Benja-
niin ; and rose up, and went down to Egypt,
and stood before Joseph.
16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them,
he said to the " ruler of his house. Bring these
men home, and " slay, and make ready ; for
these men shall ' dine with me at noon.
1 7 And the man did as Joseph bade ; and the
man brought the men into Joseph's house.
18 A\v\ the men were afraid; because they
were brought into Joseph's house ; and they
said. Because of the money that was returned
in our sacks, at the first time, are we brought in ;
that he may ^ seek occasion against us, and fall
upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
19 ^ And they came near to the steward of
Joseph's house, and they communed with him at
the door of the house.
» F*tlicr4. Ifi. ^ Or, and l.iis I Iwte iccn, irc. ^ cli. ','-1. 2. & 39. 4.
4- +i. 1. " Heb. hWl a kilting. 1 Sam. 25. 11. ' Heb. eat. fHcb.
toW himselj upon us, Job 30. 11.
Verse 14. This verse may be literally translated thus:
" And God, the All-sufficient, shall ^'wc you tender mercies
before the man, and send to you your otiier brother, and
Benjamin : and I, as I shall he childless, so I shall i)e child-
le.ss." I'hat is, I will suljiiiiL to this privation, till God shall
restore my children to me. It appears to me, that this verse
is spoken prop/iclically, and ihat God at this lime, gave
Jacob a supernatural evidence, that his children should be
restored.
Verse 1 G. .Slaj/ and nude rcaclj/] flDD rt3l3 tehoch tchacli
shy a sltiyiiiff, or make a u^ivat .slaic^lilcr -. let preparations be
made for a great feast or enterlainnient. See a similar form
of speech, Frov. i.x. •!. 1 Sam. xxv. 1 I. and Gen. xxxi. 54.
AVrse 1 8. And the men were afraid] A guilty conscience
treds no accuser. Every thing alarms them ; they now feel
that God is exacting retribution, and they know not what the
decrees shall be; nor where it siiall stop.
Full upon us] ■u<V:> V*7Jr\n Inlhgolel dlainu, roll liim.self upon
us. A metaplior taken from lurcstler.i ; when a man has over-
thrown his antagonist, he rolls himself upon liini, in order to
keep him down.
And our asses] Which they i)robably had in great num-
ber with them ; and which, if captured, would have been a
great loss to the family of .Jacob, as such cattle must have
consitiluled a principal part of its riches.
XLIII.
and they go dozen to Egypt.
.■\..M.«<n-.
IV C. 1707.
20 And said, O sir, ^ we ^ came in-
deed down at thefirst timetobuy food :
21 And ' it came to pass, when we came to
the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold,
every man's money "icas in the mouth of his sack,
our money in full weight : and we have brought
it again in our hand.
22 And other money have we brought dovax
in our hands to buy fixxl : we cannot tell who
put our money in our sacks.
23 And he said. Peace I>e to you, fear not :
your God, and the God of your father, hath
given you treasure in your sacks : " I had your
money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
24 And the man brought the men into Jo-
seph's house, and ' gave them water, and they
washed their feet ; and he gave their asses pro-
vender.
j 25 And they made ready the present against
Joseph came at noon : for they heard that they
should eat bread there.
26 % And when Joseph came hoine, they
brought him the present w'hich was in their hand
into the house, and "' bowed themselves to him
to the earth.
E cli. 4?- .I. Kl. " Heb. combig dmun we came down. ' ch. -12.
•7^ as. ' Hfl). your money came lo me.——' ch. 18. 4. & M. 32.
■" ch. 37. 7, 10.
■ Verse 20. 0 sir, we came Indeed — to buy food] There is a
frankness now in the conduct of Joseph's brethren, that did
not exist before : they simply and honestly relate the whole
circumstance of the money being found in their sacks on their
return from thfir last journey. Afflictions from the hand of
God, and under his direction, have a wonderful tendency lo
humble the soul. Did men know how gracious his dtsigns
are in sending such, no murmur would ever be heard against
the dispensations of Divine Providence.
Verse 23. And lie said] The address of the steward in
this verse, plainly proves that the knowledge of the true God
was in Kgypt. It is probable that the steward himself was a
Ilehrcii', and that Joseph had given him intimation of the
whole affair; and though he was not at liberty to reveal
it, yet he gives them assurances tliat the whole business
would issue happily.
/ had your ?nnmy.] 'Ss* X3 D32D3 caspecem ba elai ; your
money comes lo me. As I am the stewai'd, the cash for tlic
corn belongs to me. Ye have no reason to be apprehensive
of any evil ; the whole transaction is between myself and
you ; receive therefore the money as a present from the God
of your father, no matter whose hands be makes use of
to convey it. The conduct of the steward, as well as his words,
had a great tendency to relieve and comfort their burlhened
minds.
P f 2
Their i?iten'iew mth Joseph.
A. M. 2^97. 27 And lie asked them of their *\vel-
^- ^ ^'"'"- fare, and said, " Is yoiu* father well,
the old man " of" whom ye spake ? Is he yet
alive ?
28 And they answered. Thy servant our fa-
th.er is in good health, he is yet alive. '' And
they bowed down their heads, and made obei-
sance.
29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his
brother Benjamin, " his mother's son, and said.
Is this vour vounoer brother, ^ of whom ve
spake unto me ? And he said, God be gracious
unto thee, my son !
30 And Joseph made haste ; for ^ his bowels
did yern upon his brother : and he sought Kliere
to weep ; and he entered into his chamber, and
"■ wept there.
* Hcb, peace, ch. S7. 14— — ''Is there peace to your father ? ^cli.42.
li, ]j. ■i ch. 37. 7, 10. ' ch. JO. 17, 18 f ch. i->. 13.
G ENESIS. They dine with hinu
31 Andhe washed his face, and went a, m. '.^w.
out, and refrained himself, and said, '''^ ' "'•
Set on ' bread.
32 And they set on for him by himself, and
for them by tliemselves, and for die Egyptians,
which did eat with Jiim, by themselves: because
the Egyptians might not eat bread with tlie
HabrevvS ; for that is ^ an abomination unto the
Egyptians.
33 And they set before him, the first-born ac-
cording to his birthrigiit, and the youngest ac-
cording to his youth : and tlie men marvelled
one at another.
34 And he took and sent messes unto tliem
from before him : but Benjamin's mess was ' five
times so much as any ot' their's. And they
drank, and " were merry with him. fl
Verse 27. And he usiced than of tlieir xvelfart] This verse
may be thus translated : — " And lie asked them concerning
their prosperity : And he said. Is your father prosperous,
the old man who ye told me was alive 1 And they said, 'I'hy
servant our father prospers ; he is yet alive."
Verse- 29. Ht: lifted up hi^- eyr-s, and smv his brother Ben-
jamin'] They ^vere probably introduced to him succcssivelj/,
and as Benjamin was the joungest, he would of course be
introduced last.
God he gracious ttnto thee, my soil] A usual salutation in
the East from the a<jed and superiors, to the youns^er and to
inferiors; which, though very emphatic and expressive in
ancient times, in the present day means no more than " I am
your hunjble servant ;" or, " I am exceedingly glad to see you ;"
words, which among us mean — just notiiing. Even in
David's time, they seem to have been, not only devoid oi'
meaning, but to be used as a cloak for the basest and most
treacherous designs. TItey bless with their mouths, but they
curse inmardly. Hence Joub salutes Ainasa, kisses him with
apparent aSFeciion, and stabs him in the same moment ! The
case of Judits, betraying the Son of Man with a hiss, will not be
forgotten.
Verse 32. They set on for him by himself, i;c.] From the text
it appears evident, that there were three tables, one for .foseph,
one for the Egyptians, and one for tlie eleven brethren.
The Egyptians might net eat bread mith the }Iebreu.-s] There
might haft: been some political reason for this, wiih whicli
we are unacquainted j but independantly of this, two may
be assigned. 1. The Hebrc;^s were shepherds, and l''gypt
had been almo.st ruined by hordes of lawless wandering ban-
ditti, under the name of Hycsos, or King-shepherds, who had
but a short time before this been expelled from the land by
Amuna, after they had held it in subjiction for 2.59 years,
according to Manetho, committing the most wanton cruelties.
2. The Hebrews sacrificed those animals which the Egyptians
e 1 Kings 3. 26.—
■ oil. 45. S2.-
-"•cli 4:' 3!. *\cr.'Zb. ''eh. 46 St. Esod 8 25.
— '" Deb. drank lurgdy : See Hug. 1. C. .lohii 2. 10.
held sacred, and fed oii their fle>h. The Egyptians were, in
general, very superstitious, and would have no social inter-
course with people of any other nation : hence we are in-
formed, that flu y would not even use the knife of a Greek,
because they might have reason to suspect it had cut the Jiesh
of some of those animals ieliich they held sacred. Some are of
opinion that the Egyptian idolatry, especially their worship of
Apis uniier the figure of an oi, was posterior to the time of
.losepli : ancient monuments are rather against this opinion ;
but it is impossible to decide either way. The clause in the
Alexandrian Septuagint stands tlni.s, Bh^vy/Aa yao ea-nv toij
Aiyvvnioi; [ytai; wcifirii' w^oSart.'v.] " For [every siiepherd] is
an abomination to the Egyptians;"' but this clause is probably
boiToued from chap. xlvi. 34. wiiere it stands in the Hebrew,
as well as in the Greek. — See tiie note on ch. xlv. 34.
Verse 33. The first-bom according to his birthright"] This
must greatly astonish these brethren to find themselves treated
with so much ceremony, and at the same time with so mu'-h
discernment of their res|.iective ages.
Verse 34. Beiijumin's mess uias five times so much as any of
theirs.] Sir John Chardin observes, that " in Persia, Arabia,
and the Indies, there are several houses where they place
several plates in large salvers, and set one of these before each
person, or before two or three, according to the niagnificenci;
of each liou*e. The great men of the state are always served
by themseltes, in the fea>ls that are made for them; and with'
greater profusion, their part of each kind of prox-ixion being at-
vjays DO^jBLL^, TRKBLK, or a L.'^ItUER proportion of each kind
of meat." The circumstance of Benjamin's having a mess
I''1VE times as large as any of his brethren, shews the peculiar
honour which Jo.seph designed to confer upon him. See
several useful observations on this subject in flarmcr's Obsetv.
\'ol. ii. p. 101, &c. Edit. 1808.
I 1. The scarcity in Canaan was not. ak^olute ; though they
Joseph's cup is put in
CHAP. XLIV.
Benjamin's sack.
had no corn, they bad honey, nuts, nlmoniU, &c. In the
midst of jiii(i;iiie"t. God reitiembers mercy. If there was
sciircili/ in Cumiioi, tlierc was plenlj/ in TLgijpt; and thougli
bis Pnividi nee had denied one country corn, and accunuilated
it in tlie other, hU bounty liad placed in the former monej/
edou'di to procure it from llie latter. How true is the say-
ing, " It is never ill with any, but it might be worse."
Let us be deeply think'ul to God tiiat we Jiave any t/iin<^,
seeing we deserve vo good at his hands.
2. If we examine our circumstances closely, and call to re-
membrance the dealings of God's l^rovidence towards us, we
shall find that we can »ing much, bo'li of tnercy and of jmlg-
ment. For one day of absolute unavoidable want, we shall
tind Wf had three hundred and sixty- four, if not of fulness,
yet of ;i competency. Famines, though rarely happening', are
every where recorded ; iwuimerahle years of abundance are
scarcely ever regisierid! such is the pcrverseness and ingrati-
tude of man !
CHAPTER XLIV.
Joseph commatuh his steward I o pit I Ills cup secrctli/ in Boijamin's sac/c, \, 2. The sons of Jacob depart tcith the
corn theij hud purchased, 3. Josejih commands his sU'icard to pursue them, and charge them zvith haviti" stolen his
cup, 4 — G. The brethren cxcii.se tliemsehes, prolcst their innocence, and offer to submit to be slaves should the cup
be found with any of them, 7 — 9. Search is made, and the cup is found in Benjamin's sack, iO — 12. They are
brought back and submit themselves to Joseph, 1 rf — 1 G. He determines that Benjamin alone, ztith zihotn the cup aas
found, shall remain in captiilli/, 1 7. Judah, in a most ajfeeting speech, pleads for Benjamin's eidargemeiit,
and ('(i'ers himself to be a oond-man in his stead, 18 — o4.
A. M. ---
15. C. 17
/
V
ND he commanded "the steward
of his house, saying. Fill the
men's sacks "ccith food, as much as they can
cany, and put every man's money in his sack's
mouth.
2 And ])nt my cup, the silver cup, in tlte
sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn
money. And he did according to the word
that Joseph had spoken.
3 As soon as the morning was light, the men
* Heb. liini that was over his bouse.
NOTES ON CHAP. XLIV.
^'^ersc 2. Put my cup — in tlie sack's mouth of the yount^esl^
The stialagcm of the cup, seems to have been designed to
I bring Joscpli's brethren into the highest state of perplexity and
■ distress, that their deliverance by the discovery that Joseph
I was tlieir brotliei, might liave its highest clject.
Verse 5. Whereby — he divvtetli] Divination by cups, has
been from time immemorial prevalent among the Asiatics;
1 and for ^ant of knowing lliH, commenluiors liave spent a pro-
I fusion of Itarncd hibour upon these words, in order to reduce
them to that kind of meaning, which would at once be con-
sistent with the scope and design oi the history, and save
Joseph from the impeaclmient of sorcery and divination. I
take the word liTJ tiacliaji here, in its general acieptation,
to viexu attentively, to emjuire. Now there has been in the Kasi
a tradition, the CBinmencemt nt of which is lost in immemorial
time, that there was A CUP, which had patsed succef.sivel-.
into the hands of diUerent potentates, which possessed tht
strange property of rep|•e^ellUllg in it, the ~j;hole xsiorld, and all
the things •,i:hich x^'erc then doing in it. The cup is called
sent away, they and their
.4. M. 2S9r.
B. C 1707.
were
asses.
4 And when they were gone out of tlie city,
and not j/ct far off, Joscpli said unto liis steward.
Up, foHow after the men : and when thou dost
overtake them, say unto them, \\lierefore have
ye rewarded evil ibr good ?
5 Is not this // in which niy lord diinketh, and
whereby indeed he "divineth .? ye have done
evil in so doing.
"■ Or, malieth trial.
iSfJii..^ J.s> Jttmi Jemsheed, the cup of Jemsheed, a very an-
cient king of Persia, whom late historians and poets have con-
founded with Bacchus, Solomon, Alexander tlie Great, &c. This
CUP, filled with the elixir of immonalcty, they say was dis-
covered when digging to lay the foundations of i-t/w/jo/w. The
Per^ian poets-are full of allusions to this cup, which, from its pro-
perty of representing the u hole world and its transactions, is sliled
by them l^ (j'4^ f^> ■^""' i<^/'«» nima; " the cup
shewing the universe," and to the intelligence received
by means of it, they attribute the great prosperity of their
ancient moharchs, as by it they understood all events, past,
present, and to come. Many of the Mohammedan princes
and governors aflect still to have information of futurity by
means of a cup. When Mr. Norden was at Dcrri in the
farthest part of Egypt, in a very dangerous situation, an ill-
I natured and {wwerful Arab, in a threatening way, told one
' of their people whom they sent to him, that " He knew w'hat
sort of people they were, for he had considted his cup, and
; 'bund by it, that they were those of whom one of their pro-
phets had taid, that L'ranks (Europeans) would come in dis-
The cup is found in Benjamin's sack.
6 ^ And he overtook them, and
he spake unto them these same
A.M. 2297.
B.C. 1707.
GENESIS. JudaWs affecting speech.
16 And Judah said, What shall we a.m.ssst.
say unto my lord ? what shall we ^^' ""^'
speak ? or how shall we clear ourselves ? God
words.
7 And they said unto him, Wherefore saith hath found out the iniquity of thy servants:
my lord these words .? God forbid that thy ser-
vants should do according to this thing :
8 Behold, " the money, which wc found in our
sack's mouths, wc brouglit again unto thee out
of the land of Canaan : how then should we
steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold ?
9 With Vi\\om-soever of thy servants it be
found, '' both let him die, and we also Avill be
my lord's bondmen.
10 And he said. Now also kt it he according
imto your words : he, with whom it is found, shall
be my sen'ant ; and ye shall be blameless.
1 1 Then they sjieedily took down e\'ery man
his sack to the ground, and opened every man
his sack.
12 And he searched, and began at the eldest,
and left at the youngest: and the cup was found
in Benjamin's sack.
13 Then they 'rent their clothes, and laded
every man his ass, and returned to the city.
14 ^ And Judah and his brethren came to
•Joseph's house ; for he li'as yet there : and they
* fell before him on the ground.
15 And Joseph said unto them. What deed
is this that ye have done ? wot ye not that such
a man as I can certainly 'divine?
»Ch. 43. 21,-
-b ch. 31.32.-
" ch. 37. 7.-
-<^ ch. 37. a9, jl. Nnnib. 14. C. 2 Sam. 1. 11.
— ^^Or, make ttinl. ver. 5.
guise, ami passing e^■cry where, examine the state of tlie
country, and aftervvarcU, bring over a great number of other
Franks, conquer the country, and exterminate ail." By this
we see that tlie tradition of the divining cup still exists, and
in the very same counliy too, in which Joseph fbnnerly ruled.
Kow though it is not at all likely that Joseph practised any
kind of divination, yet probably, according to the super.^itition
of those times, (for I suppose the Iradition to be even older
than ihe time of Joseph) suptrnatur.".! inlluence miaht be at-
tributed to Ills cup; and as the whole transaction related here,
was merely intended to deceive his brethren for a short time,
he might as well aflect divination by his cup, as he affected to
believe they had stolen it. The steward therefore uses the
•word \ifn nuchash, in its proper meaning. /,v not this it out
of uhich my lord drinlcetlt, and in iihich he inspectcth ticcti-
rutely? ver. 5. And hence Joseph «ays, ver. 1.5. Wot ye
not, did ye not know, then such a person as I [having such a
cup] would accurately and attentively look into it ? As I con-
sider this to be the true meaning, 1 shall not trouble the reader
•M'ilb other mode* of interpretation.
behold, ^ we are my lord's servants, both we,
and he also with whom the cup is found.
17 And he said, ^God forbid that I should do
so: hi(ti\\(i man in whose hand the cup is found,
he shall be my servant ; and as for you, get you
j up in peace unto your father.
I 18 1[ Then Judah came near unto him, and
said, Oh my lord, let thy ser\ant, I pray thee,
speak a word in my lord's ears, and ^ let not
thine anger burn against thy servant : for thou '
: a7't even as Pharaoh.
I 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have
ye a father, or a brother?
20 And we said unto my lord, We have a fa-
ther, an old man, and 'a chikl of his old age, a
little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone
is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.
21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, ^ Bring
him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes
upon him.
22 And we said unto my lord. The lad can-
not leave his father: for ?/"he should leave his
father, his father would die.
23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, ' Ex-
cept your youngest brother come down \d\h you,
ye shall see my face no more.
fVer.9.-
-s Prov. 17. 15. >> cli. 18. 30, 32. E.\nd. .",2.
*■ cli. 4.'. 15, i'O. ' th. 43. 6, 5.
-'cli. ,37. 3.
Verse 16. What shall ikc say, tS'(".] No words can more
strongly mark confusion and perturbation of mind — They, no
doubt, all thought that Benjamin had actually stolen the
cup; and the probability of this guilt might be heightened by
the circumstance of his having that very cup to drink out of
at dinner: for as he had the most honourable mess, so it is
likely, he had the most honourable cup to drink out of at llie
entertainment.
Verse 1 S. Thou art even as Pliaraoli] As wise, as power-
; ful, and as much to be dreaded as he. In the Asiatic coun-
tries, the reigning monarch is always considered to be the
_putlfrn of all perfection, and the highest honour that can be
j conferred on any person, is to resemble him to the monarcli;
I as the monarch him.sclf is likened, in the same complimentary
I way, to an angel of God. — See 2 Sam. xiv. IT, 18. Judah is
the chief speaker here, because it was in consequence of his
becoming surely for Benjamin, that JaC' b pcrnutted him to
accompany them to Egypt. — See chap, xliii. 9.
" Every man who reads," says Dr. Dodd, " to the close
He offers to become a bondman CHAP. XLV.
A. M. -isr. 24 And it came to pass when we
came up vmto thy servant my father.
ij. c iro7.
we told liiin the words of my lord
2a And ^ our father said, Go again, and buy
us a httlc food.
26 And wc said, ^Ve cannot go down: if our
voungcst brother be with us, then will we go
down: for we may not sec the man's face, ex-
cept our youngest brother be witli us.
27 And thy servant my fiither said unto us.
Ye know that " my wife bare me two sons:
28 And the one went out from me, and I
!«aid, ' Surely he is torn in pieces: and I saw
liim not since:
29 And if yc '' take this also from mc, and
mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my
jirav hairs with sorrow to the grave.
30 Now therefore, when I come to thy scr-
in place of Benjamin.
vant my father, and the lad be not
with us; (seeing that 'his life is bound
up in the lad's life;)
A..M '.>■.;>?.
li. C. 17(»?.
"Gil. 43. 2.
-'' ell. 16. 19. "^ cli. 57. 33. ^ cli. 42. 36, 38
'ISain. 18. 1.
of this chapter, tniist confess:, that .Judah acts here the part
hotli of the atlectionate brother, arul of the dutiful son, who,
ratlier than behold ills father's miser}' in case of Benjamin's
being left behind, submits to become a bondman in his
stead : and indeed there is such an air of candour and gene-
rosity runs throuL,!) the \vhole strain of this speech; the senti-
ments are so tender and affecting, the expressions so pas-
sionate, and flow so much from artless nature, that it is no
wonder if ihey came home to .Joseph's heart, and forced him
to throw o(F the mask." " When one sees," says Dr. Jack-
!K)n, " such passages related by men who affect no art, and
who lived lon;;^ after the parties who first uttered them, we
cannot conceive how all particulars could be so naturally and
fully reconlL-d, unless they had been suggested by his Spirit,
who gives mouths and speech unto men; who, being alike
present to all successions, is able to communicate the secret
ilioughts of forefathers to their children, and put the very
words of the deceased, never registered before, into the mouths
or pens of their successors for many ages after ; and that as
exactly, and distinctly, as if they had been caught in cha-
racters of sled or brdss as they issued out of their months,
rurit is plain, that every circumstance is here related with
31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that
the lad is not with us, that he will die : and
thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs
of thy servant our father with sorrow to the
grave.
32 For thv .servant became surctv for the lad
unto my father, saying, ' If I bring him not
unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my
father for ever.
33 Now therefore, I pray thee, ^let thy ser-
vant abide, instead of the lad, a bondman to my
lord ; and let the lad go up with his brctiuen.
34 For how shall I go up to my father, and
the lad be not with me? lest perad venture I see
the evil that shall " come on my father.
fCI:. 43. 9. sExod. 32. 32. " Hel>. find my father. Exod. 18.
Job 31. 29. Ps. 116. 3. & 119. ilc'.
such natural sperilk-utions, as if Moses had heard them talk ;
and therefore could not have been thus represented to us, un-
less they had been written by his direction, who knows all
things, as well fore-past, present, or to come."
To two such able and accurate testimonies I may be per-
mitted to add my own. No paraphrase can heighten the
eflect of Judah's address to Joseph. To add, would be to
diminish its excellence — to attempt to explain, would he to
obscure its beauties — to clothe the ideas in other language
than that of Judah, and his translators in our Bible, would
ruin its energy, and destroy its influence. It is perhaps one
of the most tender, ail'ecting pieces of natural oratory ever
spoken or penned : and we need not wonder to find that
when Joseph heard it, he could not refrain himseltj but wept
aloud. His soul must have been insensible beyond w hat i*
common to human nature, had he not inmiediately yielded to
a speech so delicately tender, and so powerfully impressive ;
and we cannot but deplore the unnatural and unscientific divi-
sion of the narrative in our common Bibles, which obliges ua
to have recourse (o another chapter, in order to witness the
effects which this speech produced on the heai't of Joseph,
CHAPTER XLV.
[Joseph, deeply affected with the speech of Judah, could no longer conceal himself, but discovers himself to his breth-
I reii, 1—^4. Excuses their conduct tozcards him, and attributes the whole to the providence of God, 5 — S. Order$
I them lo hasten lo Canaan, and bring up their father and their own families, cattle, 2^r. because there nerc five
\ years oj the famine yet to come, 9 — 13. lie embraces and converses with all his brethren, 14, 15. Pharaoh
I hearing that Joseph's brethren were come to Egypt, and that Joseph had desintd thim to return to Canaan an*
Joseph, deeply affected, GENESIS. makes himself knomi to his brethren.
bring bad; their familks, not only cnnfirms the order, but promises them tin btst part of the hind of Egypt to
due// in ; and provides them carriages to transport themsehes and their households, l6 — 20. Joseph provides them
ziilh laiggons according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and having given them various presents, sends tliem away
with suitable advice, 21 — 24. They depart, arrive in Canaan, and announce the g/ad tidings to flicir father,'
K'/tO for a time be/ieves not, but being assured of the truth of their relation, is great/y comforted, and resolves to
visit Egypt, 2,5 — 28.
A.M.?297.
B. C. 171.7.
THEN Joseph could not refrain
himself before all them that
stood by him ; and he cried. Cause every man
to go out from me. And there stood no man
with him, while Joscpii made himself known
unto his brethren.
2 And lie "" wept aloud : and the Egyptians
and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, '' I
am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his
A. M. Se97.
B. C. 1707.
' brethren could not answer him ; for
they were "^ troubled at his presence.
4 And Joseph said unto his brethren. Come
near to me, I pray you. And they came near.
And he said, I am Joseph your brother, '' whom
i ye sold into Egypt.
5 Now therefore ' be not grieved, ^ nor angry
with yourselves, tliat ye sold me hither : ^ for
God did send me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years hath the tamiae been in
' Heh. gave forth his voice in weeping. Numb. 14. 1. "^ Acts 7. 13.-
' Or, tcnified. Job l. 5. & 23. 15. Malt. 14. 26. Mark 6. 50. " cli. 57. 28.-
NOTES ON CH.VP. XLV.
Verse 1. Joseph could riot refrain iiimaelfl The word
p5Jfnr\ liithapliek, is very fiiiplialic ; it signifies to force one's
ftlf — to do somel/iing against nature — to do violence to one's
.«7f. Joseph could no longtr constrain himself to act a
feigned part — all the brother and the son rose up in him at
once, and overpowered all his resolution : he felt for his
father — he realised his disappointment and agony, and he
felt for his brethren, " now at his feet submissive in distress," —
and, that he might give free and full scope to his ftelings, and
the most ample play to the workings of his aflectionate heart,
he ordtred all his attendants to go out, Kltile he made himself
knoien to his brethren. " The beauties of this chapter," .says
Dr. Dodd, " are so striking, that it Mould be an indignity
to the reader's judgment to point them out : all who can
read and feel, must be sensible of them, as there is, perhaps
nothing in sacred or prophane history more highly v\rought
up, more interesting or affecting."
Verse 2. T/ie Eyjptians and the house of Pharaoh /leard]
It seems strange that .JosL-ph should have wept so loud, that
his cries should be heard at some considerable distance, as we
may suppose liis dwelling was not very nigh to the palace !
" But this," says Sir .lohn Chardin, " is exactly the genius of
the people of Asia — their sentiments of joy or yrief are pro-
perly transports, and their transports are iingoverncd, exces-
■sive, and truly outrageous, ^\'hen any one returns from a long
journey, or dies, his family burst into cries that may he heard
t-wenty doors off; and this is renewed at diflerent times, and
continues manj' day.s according to the vigour of the pa.ssion.
Sometimes they cease all at once, and then begin as suddenly,
with a greater shrillness and loudness than one could easily
imagine." This circumstance, Sir .John brings to illustrate
the verse in question. See Harmer, vol. iii j). 17. Rut
the house of Pharaoh may certainly signify I'harao/i's servants,
pr any of the members of his household, such as those whom
' Isai. 40. 2. 2 Cor. '2. 7. ^ Heb. neither let Ihcre be auger in vonr eyes.-
8 cli. .M). 20. I's. 105. 16, 17. See a Siim. 16. 10, 11. Acts 4. 24.
Joseph had desired to i\ithdraw, and who might still be
within hearing of his voice. After all, the words may only mean,
that the report was brought to Pharaoh's house. — See ver. 16.
Ver.se 3. / am Joseph] Mr. Pope supposed, that the dis-
covery of Ulysses to his son Telemachus, bears some resem-
blance to Joseph's discovery of himself to his brethren. The
passage may be seen in Homer, Odyss. 1. xvi. ver. 186 — 218,
A few lines from Caliper's translation, will shew much of
the spirit of the original, and also a considerable analogy be-
tween the two scenes.
" T am thy father, for whose sake thou lead'st
A life of woe by violence oppress'd.
So saying, he kiss'd his son, while from his cheeks
Tears trickled, tears till dien perforce restrain d.
Then tlirew Telemachus
His arms around his father's nee/c, and wept.
Pangs of soft sorrow, not to be siipprcss'd,
Seiz'd both.
So ihey their chttks with bi^ round drops of woe
Bedciein!!; stood.-. — See the note on ver. I.
I forbear to quote Pope's translation, because it bears little
or no resemblance to the original — it seems rather to be formed
for the parallel he had in view.
V'tise 5. Be not grieved nor angry :;/(/( yourselves] This i
discovers a truly nohle mind — he not only fon^ives and for- ■
gels, but he wishes, even those who had wiongetl him to ic_irget !
the injury they had done, that they might not sufler distress
on the account; and with deep piety he attributes the whole i
to the Providence of Gud: lor, says Ir", God did send nie i
before you lo- preserve life. On every word here a strong |
emphasis may be laid. It is not you, but God — it is not you i
that sold me, but God who sent me — I'gypt and Canaan inu^t I
both have perished, had not a merciful provision been madt—
you were to come down hither, and God sent me before you—
2
A. M. 2-"J7.
J{. C. 1707.
Joseph setids Ms hrethren to Canaan and
the land : and yet there are five
years, in the wliicli, there s/iall neither
be caring, nor harvest.
7 And God sent me before you * to preserve
you a posterity in the earth, and to save jour
lives by a great dehverancc.
8 So now it xcas not you that sent me hither,
but God : and lie hath made me ""a father to Pha-
raoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler
throughout all the land of Egypt.
9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say
unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath
made me lord of all Egypt : come down unto
me, tarry not :
10 And ' thou shalt dwell in the land of Go-
shen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou,
and tliy children, and thy children's children,
and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou
hast :
• Heb. to put for you a remnant. *> cli. 41. 43. Judg. 17. 10. Job 29. 16.
death must have been the consequence of this famine, had^
not God sent me here to preserve life.
Verse 6. There shall neither be eariin; nor harvest] E.\R1NG
has been supposed to mean codieclinir the ears of corn; which
vould confound it with liarvest : the word, however, means
ploiii^hiiig or seed-time, from the Anglo-.Saxon ejiian, erian, pro-
bably borrowed from the Latin aro, to plough — and plainly
means, that there should be no seed-time, and consequently no
harvest; and why? Because there should be a total want of
rain in other countries, and the Nile should not rise abo\e
tX!:elve cubits in Egypt; see on cliap. ,\li. 3 1. But the ex])res-
eions here must be qualified a little, as we find from chap, xlvii.
19. that the Egyptians came to Joseph to buy seed; and it is
probable, that even during this famine they sowed some of the
ground, particularly on the borders of the river, from which a
crop, thougli not an abundant one, might be produced. Tlie
passage, however, in the above cliaptei-, may refer to the last
year of the famine, when Ihey came to procure seed for the
e!imin<^ year.
Verse 8. He hath made me a father to Pharaoli] It has al-
ready been conjectured, that father was a name of office in
Egypt, and that father of Pharaoh might, among them,
signify the same as prime minister, or the king's minister, does
among us. Calmet has remarked, tliat aijiong the Phoeni-
cians, Persians, Arabians, and Romans, the title of./«(/(er
was given to certain officers of state. The Roman emperors
gave the name of father to the prefects of the Rrsetorium, as
appears by the letters of Constantine to Ablavius. The
Calill's gave the same name to their prime ministers. In Judges
xvii. 10. Rlicah says to the young Levite, Dxeell %vilh me,
and be unto me a FATHER and a priest. And Diodorus Si-
culus remarks, that the teachers and counsellors of the kings
of Egypt were chosen out of the priesthood.
Verse 10. Thou shalt diu-ll in the land of Goshen] Pro-
CHAP. XLV. desires them to return mth their father.
II And there will I nourish thee; -■^•^i-a^?-
(for yet there are five years of famine ; ) "• ^ ^''"^-
lest thou, and thy houshold, and all that thou
hast, come to poverty.
12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes
of my brother Benjamin, that // is " my moiilli
that speaketh unto you.
13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory
in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen ; and
ye shall haste and ' bring down my fiither
liither.
14 ^ And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's
neck, and wept ; and Benjamin wept upon his
neck.
15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and
wept upon them : and after that, his brethren
talked with him.
1 6 % And the fame thereof was heard in Pha-
raoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are
' Ch. 47. 1. n ch. 42. 23. ' Acts 7. 14.
bably this district had been allotted to Joseph by the king of
Egypt, else we can scarcely think he could have promised
it so positively, without first obtaining Fiiaraoh's consent.
Goshen was the most easterly province of Lon-er Egypt, not
far from the Arabian, Uulph, lying next to Canaan; for
Jacob went directly thither when he came into Egypt, from
which it is supposed to have been about fourscore miles dis-
tant, though Hebron was distant from the Egyptian capital
about three hundred miles. At Goshen Jacob staid till Joseph
visited iiim, chap. xlvi. 28. It is also called the Laiid of Rameses,
chap, xlvii. 1 1. from a city of tlial name, which was the me-
tropolis of the country: Josephus, Antiq. 1. ii. c. 4. makes
Heliopolis, the city of Joseph's father-in-law, the place of the
Israelites' residence. As DB^J Geshem, signifies rain in Hebrew,
St. Jerom, and some others, have supposed that ]tyj Goshen,
comes from the same root, and that the land in question was
called thus, because it had rain, which was not the case with
Egypt in general : and as it was on the confines of the Arabian
Gulph, it is very probable tliat it was watered from Iteaven; and
it might be owing to this circumstance, that it was peculiarly
fertile, for it is stated to be the best of the land of Egypt. — -
See chap, xlvii. 6, 11. See al.so Calmet and Dudd.
Verse 1 2. That it is tny mouth that speaketh unto you] The
Targum of Jonathan ben L'zziel renders the place thus —
" Your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that
it is my own mouth that speaketh with you, in the language
of the houie of the sanctuary" Undoubtedly Joseph laid
considerable stress on his speaking with them in the Hebrew
tongue, without the assistance o{ an intcrpi-eCer, as in the case
mentioned chap. xlii. 23.
Verse 11. He fell upon his brother Benjamins neck] Amonn-
the Asiatics, kissing the beard, the neck, and the shonldeis,
is in use to the present day; and probably falling on the neck,
signifies no more than kissing the tieck or shoulders.
C 2:
They return and annoutice tlie GENESIS.
A.1M. 2'2?7. come : and it " pleased Pharaoh well,
^L^ and his servants.
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto
thy brethrcji, This do ye ; lade your beasts, and
go, get you unto the land of Canaan ;
18 And take your father, and your housholds,
and come unto me : and I will give you tlie
good of tlie land of Egypt, and ye shall eat
* the fat of the laud.
19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye;
take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for
your little ones, and for your wives, and bring
your father, and come.
20 Also " regard not your stuff"; for the good
of all the land of Egypt is your's.
21 ^ And the children of Israel did so: and
Joseph gave them wagons, according' to the
'' commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them pro-
vision for the way.
22 To all of them, he gave each man, changes
of raiment ; but to Benjamin he gave three
hundred pieces of silver, and " five clianges of
raiment.
' Heb. was good in the eyes •/ Pharaoh, cli. 41. 37. i" cli. 27. 28.
Numb. 18. 12, S;9. '^ Heb. let not your eye spare, <^-c.
Verse 20. Res^ard not your stvjj-'] Literally, fet not your
eye spare your inslrunien'.s or vessels, uyh'2 ktkycem, a general
term, in which may he included household furniture, agritul-
Uiral utensils, or iinpleuients of any description. Tiiey were
not to delay, nor enruniber themselves with articles which
could be readily found in Egypt; and were not worth so long
a carriage.
Verse 21. Joseph gave them wagons'] jyhiV dgaloth, from
Vjy %"'> which, though not used as a verb in the Hebrew
Bible, evidently means to turn round, roll round, be circular,
&f. and hence very ))ropcrly applied to wheel carriages. It
appears from this, that such vehicles were very early in use,
and that the road from I'-gypt to Canaan must have been very
open, and mnch frequented, else such carriages could not have
passed by it.
Verse 22. Changes of raimeni\ It is a common custom
with all the Asiatic sovereigns to give both ganiients atid
momy to ambassador.'^, and persons of distinction, whom they
particularly wish to honour. Hence they keep in then
wardrobes several hundred changes tf raiment, ready made
up, for presents of this kind. That such were given by way
of reward and honour, sec Judges xiv. 12, 19. llcv. vi. 11.
and vii. 9, 14.
Verse 23. Meat for his father by the way] Jito mazon,
from n zan, to prepare, provide, S(c. Hence prepared meat;
some made-up dish, delicacies, coifcclionaries, iff. As the
word is used, 2 Chron. xvi. 14. ^or aromatic preparation.'!, it
muy be restrained in its meaning to something of that kind
glad tidi^igs of Joseph's prosperity,
23 And to his father he sent after ^- '*'• '■''^•
this manner ; ten asses ^ laden witli ^'^' ""^^
tlie good things of Egypt, and ten she asse*
laden witli corn and bread, and meat for his
father by the way.
24 So he sent his brethren away, and they
departed : and he said unto them. See that
ye fltll not out by the way.
25 % And they went up out of Egypt, and
came into the land of Canaan unto Jacod) their
lather,
26 And told him,
and he is governor over all
^ And '' Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed
them not.
27 And they told him all the words of Jo-
seph, Avhich he had said unto them : and when
he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent
to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father
revived :
28 And Psrael said. It is enough ; Joseph my
son is yet alive : I will go and see him before I
die.
saying, Joseph is yet alive,
the land of Egypt.
^ Ilcb. mouth. Numb. 3. 16. = ch. 43. 24. —
6 Job 29. y4. Vs. 126. 1. tuke 24. 11, 41.
Heb. carryina..
■■ Heb. his.
here. In Asiatic countries they have fe^■eral curious me.
thods of preserving flesh hy potting, by which it may be kept
for any reasonable length of time, sweet and wholesome. Some
delicacy, similar to the savoury food which Isaac loved, may
be here intended ; and this was sent to Jacob in consideration
of his age, and to lc^■tify the respect of his son. Of other kinds
of meat he could need none, as he had large herds, and
could kill a lamb, kid, sheep, or goat, whenever he pleased. ^
Verse 24. See that ye fall not out by the way] This pru-
dent caution was given by Joseph, to prevent his brethren from
accusing each other for having sold liim; and to prevent them
from envying Benjamin, for the superior favour shewn him by
his brother. It is strange, but so it is, that children of the
same parents are apt to envy each other, fall out, and con-
tend ; and therefore the exhortation in this verse, must be al-
ways seasonable in a large family.
Verse 26. Jacob's heart fainted] Probably the good news
so overpowered him, as to cast him into a swoon. He be.
licved thou not — he thougiit it was too good nezvs to be true;
and though it occasioned his swooning, yet, on his recovery,
he could not fully credit it. See a similar case, Luke xxiv. 41.
Verse 27. }Vhen he saw the wagons — the spirit of Jacob
revived] The wagons were additional evidences of the trutli
of what he had heard from his sons; and the consequence
wa.s, that he was restored to fresh vigour — he seemed as if he
had gained neiu life — Vim va-techi, and he lived— revixil, says
the Vulgate, he lived afresh. I'he Septuagint translate the
original word by a,nia7cvpyi(n, which signifies the blowing, and
Joseph's conduct ioxcards
CHAP. XLVI.
his bfcfhren excmned'
stirrin" up, almost extinguished embers, that bad been buried
I under the ashes, «liich word St. Paul uses 2 Tim. i. 6. for
I stirrinz "p the gift of God. The passage at once sliews us the
; debihtatcd state of the venerable patriarch, and the wonderful
eflect, the news of Joseph's prcser\ation and glory, had upon
. his mind.
I Verse 28. It is enough ; Joseph my son hyel «//rc.] It was
' not the state o^ digniii/, to which Joseph had arisen, that par-
liciilarly aflected Jacob, it was the consideration that he was
.still alive. It was this that caused liim to exclaim 31 mb.'
! " mueh! multiplied .' my son is yet alive! I will g'o and see
' him, before I die." None can realize this scene — the words,
the circumstances, all refer to indescribiible feelings.
' 1. In Joseph'? conduct to his brethren there are several
I things for which it ii difficult to account. It is strange, kiiow-
I ing how much his father loved him, that he never took an
j opportunity, many of which nui>t have offered, to acquaint
I hnn that he was alive; ami that self-interest did not dictate
I the propriety of this to him, is, at first view, surprising; as his
^fklier would undoubtedly have paid his ransom, and restored
Lhim to liberty: but a little reflection will .shew that prudence
jdictatcd secrecy. His brethren, jcalof.s and envious in the
? extreme, would soou have found out other methods of de-
fstroying his lift, had they again got him into their power.
[Thcretbre, for his personal safety, he chose rather to be a
I bond slave in Egypt, than to risk his life by returning home.
1 On this ground it is evident, that he could not with any
! safety, have discovered the place of his residence.
I 2. His carriage tu his brethren, previous to his making
1 himself known, appears inexcusably harsh, if not vindictive:
, but when the men are considered, it will appear sufficiently
{evident, that no other means would have been adequate to
1 awaken their torpid consciences, and bring them to a di;e
I sense of their guilt. A desperate disease requires a desperate
! remedy. The event justified all that he did, and God ap-
I pears to have been the director of the whole.
I 3. His "conduct in requiring Benjamin lo be, as it were,
torn away from the bleedmg heart of an aged desolate father,
in whose affection he himself had long lived, is the most
'difficult to be satisfactorily accounted for. Unless the spirit
[of prophecy had assured him that this experiment would
terminate in the mo;.t favourable manner, his conduct in
making it, cannot well be vindicated. To such prophetic in-
timation this conduct has been attributed by learned men ;
-!nd we may say that this consideration, if it d les not wuie
the hiot, at least cuts it. Perhaps it is best to say. that in all
these things Joseph acted as he was directed by a Providence,
under the inlhience of which he might have Iwcn led to do
many things, which lie had not previously designed. The
issue proves that the hand of God's wisdom and goodness
du-ected, regtdated, and governed every circumstance; and
the result was, glory to God in the highest, and on earth
;i peace and good-will among men.
)| 4. This chapter, whicli contains the unravelling of the
|i plot, and wonderfully illustrates the mysteries of these par-
il ticular providences, is one of the most interestinir in tlif
whole account: the speech of Joseph to his brethren, ver. I. —
l.'J. is inferior only to that of Juilah, in the precedin;^ chap-
ter. He saw that his brethren were confounded at his pre-
sence— that they were struck with his present power — and
that they keenly remembered, and deeply deplored, then-
own guilt. It was absolutely necessary to comfort. them, lesl;
their hearts should have been overwhelmed witirover-much
sorrow. How delicate and finely wi'ought is the apology he
makes for them! the whole heart of the pious and aifectionale
brother is at once seen in it — art is confounded, and swal-
lowed up by nature — " Be not grieved, nor angry with your-
selves— it was not you that .sent me hither, but God." What
he says also concerning h\s father, shews the warmest feelings
of a benevolent, pious and filial heart. Indeed the whole
chapter is a master-piece of composition ; and it is the more
impressive, because it is evidently it simple relation of facts just
as they occurred; for no attempt is made to heighten the
f fleet, by rhetorical colouring, or philosophical reflections; it is
all simple sheer nature, I'rom beginning to end. It is a history
that has no fellow, crouded with incidents as probable as they
are true; where every passion is called into action, where
every one acts up to its own character, and where nothing is
outre in time, or extravagant in degree. Had not the history
of Joseph formed a part of the Sacred Scriptures, it would
have been jMibliihed in all the living languages of man, and
read throughout the universe ; but it contains the things of
God, and to all such, the carnal mind is enmity.
CHAPTER XLVI.
Jacob begins his journey to Egi/pt, comes to Beer-aheba, and offers sacrifice* to (iod, I. God appears to him in «
vision, gi-ces him graciotis promises, and assures him of his protection, '2 — 4. He proceeds zcith his famili/ and
their cattle, on his journey torrards Egypt, 5 — 7. yl genealogical enumeration of the seventy persons rvlio zeent
down lo Egypt, 8, <^c. The posteritij oj Jacob by Leah. Keubcii and his sons, 9. Simoon and his .wns, 10.
Lc\\ and his sons, 11. Judah and his sons, 12. Issachar a?jrf his sous, \3. And Zebulun and his sons, 14.
All the posterity o/Jacob by Leah, thirty and three. The posterity of Jacob by Zit.pah. Gad and his sons,
16. Asher and his sons, 17. All the posteritij o/" Jacob by Zilpah, si.xteca. The posteritij o/' Jacob by
Rachel. Joseph and his sons, 19,20. Benjamin wwfi A/.? so««, 21. All the posterity of Jacob bij Ravhei,
fourteen, 22. The posteritij of Jacob by Bilhah. Dan and his sons, 23. Naplitali and his sons, 24. All
the posterity of Jacob iy Bilhah, seven, 25. All the immediate descendants of Jacob by his Four mv('>,
Gg2 ■ -
Jacob and his family GENESIS. come into Egtjpt.
threescore and six, 'l(^. And all the descendants of the house of Jacob, seventy souls, 27- Judah is sent
before, to in/'orm Joseph of his father's coming, 28. Joseph goes to Goshen to meet Jacob, 29. Their affecting ■
interviea, 30. Joseph proposes to return to Pharaoh, and inform him of the arrival of his family, 31, and of
their occupation, as keepers of cattle, 32. Inatnicts them what to sajj zchen called before Pharaoh, and questioned
by him; that they might be pe)-mit fed to dwell unmolested in the land of Goshen, 34.
A. M. KiU!.
B.C. 170G.
AN D Israel took his journey with
all that lie had, and came to
' Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices "^ unto the
God of his father Isaac.
2 And God spake unto Israel " in the visions
of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he
said. Here am I.
3 And he said, I am God, '' the God of thy
father : fear not to go down into Egj^t ; for I
will there, ' make of thee a great nation :
4 ^ I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I
will also surely ^ bring thee up again : and '' Jo-
seph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.
.5 5F And ' Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba :
and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their
father, and their little ones, and their wives,
in the wagons "which Pharaoh had sent to carry
him.
» Ch. 2T.3),3j. &28. 10.-
' ch. Ij. 1. Job 33. 14, 15.-
fell. 28. 15. & 48. Ml
>> cli. 50. 1. ' Acts 7. 15.—
'■ cli. 26. -24, S5. & 28. 13. & 31. 42.
— '' ch. 28. 13. = ell. 12. 2. Dent. 26. 5.
-E ch. 15. 16. k 50. 13, 24, 2.5. E.tod. 3, 8.
-i'ch.45. 19,21. 'Ueut. 26.5. Josh. 24.4.
NOTES ON CHAP. XLVl.
Verse 1. And came to Beer-sheba'] This jjlace appears to be
menlionttl not only because it was tlie way from Hebron,
where Jacob resided, to I'^sypt whither he was going, but be-
cause it was a consecrated place — a place where God had ap-
peared to Abraham, chap. xxi. 33. and to Isaac, chap. xxvi. 23.
and where Jacob is encouraged to expect a manifestation of the
same goodness: he chuses therefore to begin his journey with
a visit to God's house; and as he was going into a strange land,
lie feels it right to renew his covenant with God by sacr?Jice.
There is an old proverb which applies strongly to this case;
" Prayers and provender never hinder any man's journey."
He, who would travel safely, must take God with him.
Verse 3. Fear not to go down into £s^pt} It appears that
there had been .^ome doubts in the patriarch's mind relative
to the propriety of this journey; he found, from the confession
of his own sons, how little they were to be trusted. But
every doubt is dispelled by this divine manifestation. 1. He
may gn down conlidenlly, no evil shall befal him. 2. Even
in Kyypt the covenant shall be fulfilled — God will make of
him titere, a great nation. 3. God himself will accompany
him on his journey, be with him in the strange land, and
even bring V>ack his bones to rest with those of his fathers. 4.
He shall .sec Joseph, and this same beloved son shall be with
him in his last hours, and do the last kind office for him : Joseph
shall put Itis htinds upon tliy eyes. It is not likely that Jacob
would have at all attempted to go down to Egypt, had be not
B-C. 1706.
6 And they took their cattle, and
their goods, which they had gotten
in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt,
' Jacob, and all his seed with him :
7 His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his
daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his
seed brought he with him into Egypt.
8 ^ And " these ar-e the names of the
children of Israel, which came into Egypt,
Jacob and his sons : " Reuben, Jacob's lirst-
born.
9 And the sons of Retiben ; Hanoch, and
Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.
10 And "the sons of Simeon; '' Jemuel, and
Jamin, and Ohad, and '' Jachin, and ' Zohar,
and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.
1 1 And the sons of ' Levi ; ' Gershon, Ko-
hath, and Merari.
Ps.
105.
23. Isai
.52.4-
— ™Exod.l
1.
& 6. 14.—
1
Numb. 26.
5. 1 Chron.
.5.1
." Kxod.
6. 15.
1 Clirun. 4.
24
P Or,
We
muct. '
Or, J.nib.
-'0
r, Zerult
1 CI
rou. 4. 2t.-
' 1 Chron.
6.
1,
16.
-' Or, Ger-
skum.
received these assurances from God; and it is very likely, that
he offered his sacrifice merely to obtain this information. It
was now a time of famine in Egypt, and God had forbidden
his father Isaac to go down to Egypt when there was a famine
there, chap. xxvi. 1 — 3. besides, he may have had some
general intimation of the prophecy delivered to his grandfather
Abraham, that his seed should be afflicted in Egypt, chap. xv.
ver. 13, 14. and he also knew that Canaan, not Egypt, was
to be the inheritance of his family, cliup. xii. &c. on all these
accounts, it was necessary to have the most exphcit directions
from God, before he shoidd take such a journey.
Verse 1. Alt his seed brou'j;ht he xvilh him into Egypt]
When Jacob went down into Egypt, he was in the one hun-
dred and thirtieth year of his age ; two Imndred and fifteen
years after the promise was made to Abraham, chap. xii. I — 4^.
in the year of the world 2298, and before Christ 1706.
Verse 8. These are the names of tlie cliildren of Israel] It
may be necessary to observe here. First, that several of these
names are expressed differently elsewhere; Jemuel fyr Nenniet,
Jachin for Jarib, Gershon for Gershom, &c. compare Numb,
xxvi. 12. 1 Chron. iv. 21.. But it is no uncommon case for
the same person to have different names, or the same name to
be differently pronounced, see chap. xxv. 1 5. Secondly, that
it is probable that some names in this list are brought in by
prolcpsis or anticipation, as the persons were born (probably)
during the seventeen years which Jacob sojourned in Egypt,
oee vcr. 12. Thirdly, i\i^\. the families of some are entered
Genealogy of Jacob's sons and
A.M.-i'jw, 12 And the sons of * Judali ; Er,
IL^y^ and Oiian, and Sholah, and Pharez,
and Zarah : but ''Er and Onan died in the land
of Canaan. And "■ the sons of Fharez were
Hezron and Hamul.
CHAP.XLVI.
1.3 " Anil tlic sons of Issachar
Tola, and
Sered,
and
' j'huvah, and Job, and Shinnon.
14 And the sons of Zebulun ;
Elon, and Jahleel.
15 These be the sons of Leah, which she bare
unto Jacob in Padan-aram, with his daughter
Dinah : all the souls of his sons and his daugh-
ters jvere thirty and three.
16 And the sons of Gad; "^ Ziphion, and
Haggi, Shuni, and ^ Ezbon, Eri, and " Arodi,
and Aieli.
17 'And the sons of Asher; Jiinnah, and
Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and 8erah tlieir
sister : and the sons of Beriah ; Heber, and
Malchiel.
MCliron. 2.3. &4. 21. "ch.SS. 3,7, 10. 'cli.38. 29. 1 Cliron. 2.5.
—<' 1 Chroii. 7. 1. ' Or, fiuih, and Jashnh. ' Numb. Vli. l.i, fte. Ze-
fhon. EOr, 0:iii. ''•Or, Aiod. ' 1 Cliron. 7. 30. I'd!. 3:1. 10.
1 'ch. 29. •■li. "> ch. 44. ii7. " ch. '11. 30. " Or, prince.
more at larp;e than others, because of their peculiar respect-
abihty, as in the case of Judah, Joseph and Benjamin; but see
the tables under ver. 20.
Verse 12. The sons of Pharez xaere Hezron and Hamul.]
It is not likely that Pharez was more than ten years of age
when he came into E^ypt, and if so, he could not have had
children ; therefore it is necessary to consider Hezron and
Hamul as being born during the seveniecti years that Jacob
sojourned in I'-gypt, see on ver. 8. ; and it appears necessary,
for several reasons, to take these seventeen yeans into the ac-
count, as it is very probable that what is called l/ie going dnivn
into Egi/pt, includes the seventeen years which Jacob spent
Ihere.
Verse 20. Unto Joseph — icere horn Manasseh and Ephruim]
There is a remarkable addition here in the .Sepluagint which
must be noticed ; EysrovTO Se utoi Mai/ao-tr», ov; etexev auTco
» TtaXaxvi » Hupa, rov Max'?' Max'? ^e syiWY>ai rov FoiXaa^.
Tioi Je Efifai|i* a^sX/pou M.a.vaT(jy[' Xourahaa/x,, Hat Taa:/.c.
Tioi Je 'Loura'Saa|^^ EjE/it. These 'xere the sons of Manasseh
vshoni his Sj/rian concubine bore unto him, Macliir ; and Machir
begot Ctdaad. The sons of Ephraim, IMunasstli's brother, rvere
Sutulaani and Tuam : and the sons of Suiulaam, Edem. These
add Jive persons to the list, and make out the number given
by Stephen, Acts vii. 14. wh"ich it seems he had taken from
the text of the Septuagint, unless we could suppose that the
text of .Stephen had been altered to make it corre>])ond to the
Septuagint, clwhich there is not the slightest evidence from an-
cient MSS. or versions. The addition in the Septuagint is not
found in either the Hebrew or the Samaritan at present ; and
■ome suppose that it was taken either fi'om Numb, xxvi. 29.
pah,
daughter
-A.IM. 2.'98.
li.C. ir(H5.
grandsons hij hisfow "wives.
18 " Tlicse are the sons, of Zil-
' whom Lahan gave to Leuh his
and tliese she bare unto Jacob, evtm
sixteen souls.
19 The sons of Rachel ""Jacob's wife ; Joseph,
and Benjamin.
20 " And unto Josepli in the land of Egypt
were born Manasseli and Ephraim, which Ase-
nath the daughter of Poti-pherah " priest of On
bare unto him.
21 '' And the sons of Benjamin rccre Belah,
and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman,
'' Ehi, and Rosh, ' JMuppim, and ' Huppim, and
Ard.
22 These are the sons of Rachel, which were
born to Jacob : all the souls -were fourteen.
23 ' And the sons of Dan ; " Hushim.
24 ^ And the sons of NaphtaH ; Jahzeel, and
Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.
25 ' These are the sons of Bilhah, ^ which La-
fl Cliron. 7. 6. & 8. 1. 1 Numb. 26. ."8. Ahiram.^—' Numh. 26. 39.
Shuiyhum. 1 Cliron. 7. l*.i. ahiiiipijit. ^ Hnp}tam, Numb. 26. 39. * I
Cliron. 7. 12. "Or, fihuliam, Numb. 26. ii. "1 Cliron. 7, 13 y cb.
30. 5, 7. ^ cli. 29. 29.
35. or 1 Chron. vii. 14' — 20. but in none of these places
does the addition appear as it stands in the Septuagint ;
though some of the names are found interspersed. Various
means have been proposed to find the sevenlj/ persons in the
text, and to reconcile the Hebrew with the Septuagint and
the New Testament.
A table given by Scheuchzer, extracted from the Memoires
de T7-evoux gives the following general view.
The tivelve sons of JACOB with their children and grands
children.
Reuben and his four sons - - . 5
Simeon and his six sons . - - - ^
Levi and bis three sons - - - . 4
Judah and his seven sons and grandsons 8
Issachar and h'\s four sons - - - 5
Zcbidon and liis three sons - - - 4
Total sons of Jacob and Leah 33
Gad and his seven sons - - - - 8
Asher and his seven sons and grandsons 8
Total sons of JACOB and ZlLPAH
Joseph and his tv:o sons - . - - 3
Benjamin and his ten sons . . - 11
Total sons of Jacob and Rachel
Dan and his son ------ 2
Naphtali and hi.^ /our sons - - - 5
Total sons of JACOB and BlLH.iH
Total sons o( Jacob and \iis fotir viivca
3
16
14
7
70
Their number, Joseph
^. M. 2298.
B.C. 170G.
ban gave unto Rachel his daughter,
and she bare these unto Jacob : all
the souls were seven.
26 * All the souls that came with Jacob into
Egypt, which came out of his ^ loins, besides
Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls "icere threescore
and six ;
27 And the sons of Joseph, which were born
him in Eg^^it, "were two souls : ' all the souls
» Exod. 1. 5. '' Hub. lliM. ch. 35. II. ' Ueut. 10. 32. See Acts 7. 14.
GENESIS. goes to meet his father,
of the house of Jacob, which came
"To harmonize thi.s: with the Septuacint and St. Stephen,
AcU vii. 14. to the number sixty-six, (all the souls that came
out of Jacob's loin.s, ver. 20,) add nine of the patriarcli's
wives, Judaii's wife being already dead in Canaan, chap,
xx.wiii. 12. Benjamin being supposed to be as yet unmarried,
and the wife of Joseph being already in Egypt, is out of the
case, the number will amount to seventy-five, wliich is that
found in the Acts." Universal History.
Dr. Hales' method is more simple and I think, more satisfac-
tory. " Moses states that all the souls that came wilh Jacob
inlo Egypt, which issued from his loins, (except his sons' wives)
were sixty-six souls. Gen. xlvi. 26. and this number is thus
collected :
Jacob's children, eleven sons and one daughter - - 12
Reuben's sons •----.-_-... 4
Simeon's sons -..-.-_..... g
Levi's sons A... .....,_... 3
Jiidtih's three sons and two grandsons ----- 5
Issachur's sons ----- .--....- 4
Zcbulun's sons -.----.--... 3
Gad's sons ------------- 7
Asher's four sons, one dauglitei", and two grandsons - 7
Dan's son ------------- 1
l^aphtali's sons ---.-.----. 4
Benjamins sous --»-.._-.._ 10
Total
66
" If to thc.^e sirly-s!x- children, and grandchildren, and
great-graiidcliildren, we add Jacob himself, Joseph and his
tivo sons, Ihe amount is seventy, the whole amount of Jacob's
family which settled in Egypt.
Jn this statement the wives of Jacob's sons, who formed
part of the household, are omitted ; but they amounted to
nine; for of the fuxlve wives of the twelve sons of Jacob,
Judah's wife was dead, chap, xxxviii. 12. and Simeon's
also, as wc may collect from his youngest son Shaul by a
Canaanitess, ver. 10. and Joseph's wrfe was already in
Egy])t. Tliese nine wives, therefore, added to the sixty-six,
gi\e ia('Hi'j/-_/itr souls, the whole amount of Jacob's household
that went down with him to Egypt : critically corresjjonding
with the statement in the New Testament, that " Joseph sent
for his father Jacob and all his kindred, amounting to sevaity-
fze souls." The expression all his kindred, including the
rwives whicli were Joseph's kindred not only by affinity, but
A M.2'.'98.
into Egypt, were threescore and ten. '. '.. '.
28 ^ And he sent Judah before him unto Jo-
seph, •■ to direct his face unto Goshen ; and
they came ^ into the land of Goshen.
29 And Joseph made ready his chariot, and
went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen,
and presented himself unto him ; and he "^fell 011
his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
"Ch. 31. 21. ^ oil. 47. 1.-
-fSocli. 45. 14.
also by consanguinity: being probably of the families o? Esau,
hhmacl, or Keturah. Tlius does the New Testament fumi.sh
an admirable comment on the Old." — Analysis vol. ii.
p. 159.
It is necessary to observe that this statement, which appears,
on the whole, the most consistent, supposes that Judah was
married when about fourteen years of age, his son Er at the
same age, I'harcz at the same, Asher and his fourth son Bcriah
under tiuenly, Benjamin about fifteen, and Joseph's sons and
grandsons about txi:enty. But this is not improbable; as the
children of Israel must all have married at a very early age,
to have produced in about two hundred and fifteen years, no
less than six hundred thousand persons above twenty years old,
besides women and children. See Exod. xii. 37. Numb,
i. 3. and see the note on ver. 8.
Verse 28. He sent Judah before him unto Joseph"] Judah
was certainly a man of sense and also an eloquent man; and
of him, Joseph must have iiad a very favourable opinion from
the speech be delis'ered before him, chap. xliv. 18, &c. he
was therefore chosen as the most proper person to go before,
and announce Jacob's arrival to his son Joseph.
To direct his face unto Goshen] The land of Goshen is the
same, according to the Septuagint, as the land of Rameses,
and Goshen ilsclf the same as Heroopolis, Hpoiav ttoM;
Heroon-polis, the city of Heroes, a name by which it went
in the days of the Septuagint; and which it still retained in '
tiie time of Joscplius; for he makes use of the same term
in speaking of this place. See on ver 34.
\'erse 29. And Joseph made ready his chariot] ^^\^yyO
merecaboto. In chap. xli. 43. we have the first mention of a
chariot; and if the translation be correct, it is a proof that the
arts were not in a rude state in Egypt even at this early time.
When we find wagons used to transport goods from place to
place, we need not wonder that these suggested the idea of
ionn'mg chariots {or ca.rry\ng persons, and especially those of
high rank and authoritj'. AVc««(y produces arts; and arti
and science ])roducc not only an increase of the conveniences,
but also of the rcfinanents and luxuries of life. It has been
supposed that a chariot is not intended here : for as the word
naano meracabot, which we, and most of the ancient versions
translate chariot, comes from 2T\ racab, he rode, saddling
his horse may be all that is intended. But it is more likely
to signify a chariot, as the verb 1D^f osar, which signifies to
hind, tie or yoke, is used ; and not fiH chabash, which sig-
nifies to saddle.
Their qffhctirtg infcrz-iexc. Joseph tcUs CHAP.
SO And Israel said unto Joseph,!
Now let nic die, since I have seen;
A.i\i s.n'i.
B. C. 1706.
thy face, because thou art yet ahve
SI ^ And Joseph said unto his brethren, and i
unto his father's house, '' I will go up, and shew ;
Pliaraoh, and say unto him. My brethren, and |
mv lather's house, which were in the land of
Canaan, are come unto mc. \
32 And the men are sliepherds, for "■' their
trade hath been to feed cattle j and they have
XLVI. tlicm "dhat tlicij should say to Pharaoh
brought tlieir flocks, and their herds,
and all that they have.
A.M. saps,
li. C. I70ri.
" So Luke 3. t9, 30. >■ cli. 47. 1. = Hub. Ihrj a>e men of c«Hle.-
a ch. 47. 2, 3.
Fell on hisncckl See chap, xl v. 14.
Verse 30. Noiu let me die since 1 have seen iJij/ /«a] Per-
haps old Siv.eoit liad this place in view, when seeing the Sal-
vation of Issue', he said, Lord, nozv lettest thou thy servant
depart in peace, tVc. Luke iii. 21).
Verse li 4. T/ij/ sen-ants' trade liuth been about cattW] "The
land of Goshen, called also the land of liameses, lay East of
ilie Mile, by which it was never overflowed, and was bounded
by the mountains of the Tliebaid on the South, by the Nile
and Mediterranean on the West and North, and by the Red
Sea and Desart of Arabia on the East. It was the Heliopoli-
tan nonie or district, and its capital was called ON. Its
proper name was Geshen, the country of grass or pasturage,
or of the shepherds, in opposition to the rest of the land which
was so-wn after having been overflowed by the Nile." Bruce.
As tins land was both fruilml and pleasant, Joseph wished
to fix his family in that part of Egypt. Hence he advises
them to tell Pharaoh that their trade had been in cattle from
their youth ; and because every shepherd is an abomination
to the Egyptians, hence he concluded, tliat there would be
less difficulty to get them quiet settlement in Goshen, as
they would then be separated from the Egyptians, and con-
sequently have the free use of all their religious customs.
Tliis scheme succeeded, and the consequence was the j)re-
servation both of their religion and their lives ; though some
of their posterity did afterwards corrupt themselves; see
Ezek. XX. S. Amos v. 26. As it is well known that the
Egj'ptians had cattle andjhch themselves, and that Pharaoh
even requested that some of Joseph's brethren should be
made rulers over his cattle, how could it be said, as in ver. 34.
Everj/ shepherd is an abomination unto the Jitr/ptians ? Three
I reasons may be assigned for this. 1. Sheplu'rds and fccdirs
; of cattle were usually a sort of lawless freebooting banditti,
' frequently making inroads on villages, &c. carrying off cattle,
; and whatever spoils they could find. This might ])robal;ly
have been the case formerly; for it is well known it has
often been the case since. On this account, such persons
j must have been universally detested. 2. They nui>t have
I abhorred shepherds, if Manetho's account of the hj/cso.i, or
; king-shepherds, can be credited. Hordes of marauders under
I this name, from Arabia, Syria, and Ethiopia, whose chief
I occupation, like the Bedouin Arabs of the i)rescnt day, was
' to keep flocks, made a powerful irruption into Egypt, which
S And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh
shall call you, and shall say, '' What is your oc-
cupation .''
34 That ye shall say, Thy servants' ' trade
hath been about cattle ' fiom our youth even
until now, botli we, and also our fathers : that
ye may dwell iu the land of Goslien ; for every
shepherd is ^ an abomination unto the Egyptians.
-f cl.. 30. .-55. & SI. 5. & 37. I'J
; cb. 43. 3i. Eiiid. 8. !!6.
they subdued and ruled with great tyranny for 259 years.
Now, though they had been expelled from that land some
considerable time before this, yet their name, and all persoFis
of a similar occupation, were execrated by the Egyptians,
on account of the depredations and long continued ravage.s
they had committed in the country. 3. The last, and pro-
bably the best, reason why the Egyptians abhorred such
shepherds as the Israelites were, was, they sacrificed those
very animals, the OX particularly, and the SHEEP, which the
Egyptians held sacred. Heiice the Reman historian Tacitus,
speaking of the Jews, says — " Ctcso AlUETE velut in con-
tumelia A.MMONIS ; Bos quoque immolatur, quem Egyptii
Al'IM colunt." — " They sacrifice the ram, in order to insult
Jupiter Amman ; and they .sacrifice the ox, which the Egyp-
tians worship under the name of Apis." Though some con-
tend, that this idolatry was not as yet established in Egypt,
and that the king-shepherds were either after the time of
Joseph, or that 3Ianet ho by them intends the Israelites them-
selves; yet, as the arguments by which these conjectures are
supported, are not sullicient to overthrow those which are
brought for the support of the contrary opinions, and as there
was evidently an established religion and priesthood in I'^gvpt
before Joseph's time; for we find the priests had a certain
portion of the land of Egypt, which was held so sacred, that
Josejih did not attempt to buj' it in the time of the famine,
when he bought all the land which belonged to the people,
ch. xlvii. 20 — 22. And as that established priesthood was -
in all likelihood idolatrous, and as the worship of Apis, under
the form of an o.r, was one of the most ancient forms of
worship in Egypt, we may rest tolerably certain, that it was
chiefly on this account, that the shepherds, or tliOoe who fed
on and sacrificed the,«e objects of their worship, were an
abomination to the Egyptians. Calmet has entered into this
subject at large, and to his notes I must reler those reader*
who wish for farther information. See on chap, xliii. 32.
On the ])rincipal .subject of this chapter, the going down
of Jacob and his family into Egypt, Bishop Warburton, in
his Divine Legation of Moses, makes the following judicious
retlections. " I'he promise God made to Ahraham, to give
his posterity the land of Canaan, could not be performed
tillthat fannly was grown strong enoug!) to take and keep
possession of it. In the mean tune, therefore, ihey were
Joseph tells Pharaoh that his
GENESIS.
father and brethren are arrived.
necessitated to reside amonff idolater?, and to reside un-
mixed; but whoever examines their history, will see that the
Israelites liud ever a violent propensity to join themselves to
Gentile nations, and practise their manners. God, there-
fore, in his infinite wisdom, broucrht them into Egypt, and
kept them there during- this period, the only place where they
could remain for so long a time safe and unconfounded witli
the natives, the ancient Egyptians being, by numerous in-
stitutions, forbidden all fellowship with strangers ; and bear-
ing, besides, a particular aversion to the profession of the
Israelites, mIio were shepherds. Thus tlie natural disposi-
tions of the Israelites, which in Egypt occasioned their su-
perstitions, and in consequence the neccs^iity of a burthen-
some ritual, would, in any other country, have absorbed tlieiu
into ge7Uilism, and confounded them with idolaters. Prom
the Israelites going into Egypt, arises a new occasion to adore
the footsteps of Eternal \Visdom, in his dispensatiohs to hit
chosen people."
CHAPTER XLVII.
Joseph informs Pharaoh that his father and brethreti are arrived in Goshen, 1. He presents Jive of his brethren
before tlie king, 2, icho questions them concerning their occupation ; they inform him that they are shepherds, and
request permission to duett in the land of Goshen, 3, 4. Pharnoti consents, and desires that some of the most
active of tliem sliould be. made rulers over his cattle, 5, 6. Joseph presents his father to Pharaoh, 7, tc'ho ques-
tions him concerning his age, 8, to which Jacob returns an affecting answer, and blesses PJiaraoli, 9, 10. Joseph
p/iircs his father and famili/ in the land of liameses (Goslien) and furnishes them ziith provisions, II, 12. Ttie
famine prevailing in the land, tlie Egi/ptians deliver up all their money to Joseph to get food, 13 — 15. T/ie
next year, thejj bring their cnttle, l6, 17. The third, their lands and their -persons, 18 — 21. Tlie land of the
priests, Joseph does not buy, as it was a royal grant to them from Pharaoh, 22. The people receive seed to sow
the land on condition that they shall give a fifth part of the produce to the Icing, 23, 24. The people agree, and
Joseph makes it a lata all over Egypt, 25, 26. The Israelites multiply exceedingly, 27- Jacob having lived
seventeen years in Goshen, and being one hundred and forty-seven years old,Q.'Si, makes Joseph promise not to bury
him in Egypt, but to carry him to Canaan, 29, 30. Joseph promises and confirms it uiith an oath, 31.
A.M.st'fs.
B. C. 17(16.
T
HHEN Joseph ' came and told
Pharaoh, and said, My father
and my brethren, and their flocks, and their
herds, and all that they have, are come out of
the land of Canaan ; and, behold, they are in
'' the land of Goshen.
2 And he took some of his brethren, even five
men, and " presented them unto Pharaoh.
3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, " W[\a.t
'Cli.4G. 31. *> cli.^Jo.lO. &46.28. ' Acts 7. 18.-
' ch. 46. 34.
-■'cli. '16. S:3.
NOTliS ON CHAP. XLVII.
Verse 2. He took some of his brethren] There is something
very strange in the original : literally translated, it signifies,
" from the end or extremity, nxpD inikctsnh, of his brethren,
lie took five men." lliis has been understood aix diftijrent
ways. 1. Joseph took five of his bretliren that came first
to hand — at random, without design or choice. '2. Joseph
took five of the meanest-looking of his brethren to present be-
fore Pharaoh, fearmg, if he had taken the sightliest, that
Pharaoh would detain them for his service, whereby their
religion and morals niigiit be corrupted. 3. Joseph look
five of the best mudc and finest-looking of his lirethren, and
piesenlcd iheni before Pharaoh, wishing to impress his mind
with a favourable opinion of the family which be had just
A. M. 2??8.
B. C. 1706.
is your occupation ? And they said
unto Pharaoh, ' Thy servants are
shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.
4 (They said moreover unto Pharaoh,) '^ For to
sojourn in the land are we come ; for thy ser-
vants have no pasture for their flocks ; ^ for the
fiunine is sore in the land of Canaan : now
therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants " dwell
in the land of Goshen.
fell. 15. 1.";. Deut. 26. 5. 6 cli. 43. 1.
* ch. 46. 34.
Acts?. 11.
now brought into Egypt, and to do himself honour. 4.
Joseph took five of the youngest of his brethren. 5. He
took five of the eldest of his brethren. 6. He took five from
the exlremilj/ or end of his brethren ; i.e. some of t\\e eldest,
and ^oMt of the j^owiiijc.s.', viz. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Issachar,
and Benjamin. Rah. Salomon. — It is certain that, in Judge*
xviii. 2. the word may be undtr.stood as iuiplying dignity,
valour, excellence, and pre-eminence. And the children of Dan
.se?U of their family FIVE men — OniSpD miketsotam, not from
their coasts, but of the 7nost eminent or excellent they had :
and it is ])robable, that they might have had their eye on
what Joseph did here, when they inado their choic chusiniy
the same number, five, and of their principal men, as did
Joseph, because the mission was important — to go and search
A.M. S2'.»8.
B. C. 170J.
Jacob is introduced to Pharaoh.
5 And Pharaoh spake unto Josepli,
saying, Thy father and thy brethren
are come unto thee :
6 'The land of Egypt is before thee; in the
best of the land make thy father and brethren
to dwell 5 ''in the land of Goshen let them
dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity
among them, then make them rulers over my
cattle.
7 And Joseph brought in
and set him before Pharaoh:
Pharaoh.
8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, 'How old
art thou ?
9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, ""The days of
the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and
thirty years : '^ few and evil have the days of the
years of my life been, and Miave not attained
unto the days of the years of the life of my fa-
thers, in the days of their pilgrimage.
Jacob his father,
and Jacob blessed
CHAP. XLVn. //(? and his sons are placed in Goshen.
10 And Jacob ^blessed Pharaoh, a.m.kw.
and went out from before Pharaoh. " ^'' "^-
11 ^ And Joseph placed his father and his
brethren, and gave them a pos.session in the
land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the
land of " llameses, 'as Pharaoh had com-
manded.
12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his
brethren, and all his father's household, with
bread, '' according to their families'.
13 ^ And there was no bread in all the land ;
for the famine xcas very sore, " so that the land
of Egypt, and all the land of Canaan fainted, by
reason of the famine.
14 "And Joseph gathered up all A.M.cir23oo.
the money that Avas found in the ^^""•"'^
land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan,
for the corn which they bought : and
Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's
house.
•Cli. 20.
1.5.
''ver
.4
-<^Hcb
How
ma}ni are
the
days of the
yeitrs
of
thy life!—
— « Heb.
11.
9,
13.
Ps. t
9. n.
'Job
14.
1. —
-'ch.
23.7.
iL
Jj. KB.
.Ever. 7.
out the land. But the word may be understood simply as
lignifying some. Out of the whole of liis brethren he took
onlj/ five men, &c.
Verse 6. In the best of the land inake thy father and bre-
thren to divell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell] So it ap-
pears that the land of Goshen was the best of the land of Egypt.
Men of activity] 7'n 'U'JX anshey chayil, stout or robust
men — such as were capable of bearing fatigue, and of rendering
their authority respectable.
Rulers over my cattle] AJpO mikneh, signifies not only ca«/e,
but possession or properly of any kind, though most usually,
cuule are intended ; because, in ancient times, they consti-
tuted the principal part of a man's property. The word
may be taken here in a more exten.sive sense, and the circum-
stances of the case seem obviously to require it. If every
shepherd was an abomination to tlie Egyptians, however we
may understand or qualify the expression, is it to be supposed
that Phataoli should desire that tiie brethren of his prime
minister, of his chief favourite, should be employed in some
of the very meanest offices in the land ? We may therefore
safely understand Pharaoh, as ex])ressing his will, that the
brethren of .loseph, should be appointed as overseers and su-
perintendunis of Iiis domestic concerns, while Joseph super-
intended those of the stale.
Verse 1. Jacob blessed Pharaoh] .Saluted him on his en-
trance with — Peace be unto thee, or some such expression of
respect and goodwill. For the meaning of the term to bless,
as applied to God and man, see on ch. ii. 3.
Verse 9. The days qf the years of my pilgrimage] v^yo
megurai, of my sojourning or icandering. Jacob liad always
lived a migratory or wandering life, in different partji of
' Exod. 1. 11. & 1?, 37. ' ver. 6. ^ Or, as a Utile child is nourished.
' Heb. urcordirig to the little ones. cli. 30. 21. "• ch. 41. 30. Ac(» 7. Ui
"ch. 41.3ti.
Canaan, Mesopotamia, and Egypt, scarcely ever at rest;
and in the places where he lived longest, always exposed to
the fatigues of the field and the desart. Our word pilgritn
comes from the French pelerin and petegriit, which are cor*
rupted from the Latin peregrinus, an alien, stranger, or
foreigrter, from the adverb peregre, abroad, not at home. The
pilgrim was a person who took a journey, long or short, on
some religious account, submitting during the time to many
hardships and privations. A more appropriate term could
not be conceived, to express the life of Jacob, and the motive
which induced him to live such a life. His journey to Padan-
aram, or Mesopotamia, excepted, the principal part of
his journies were properly pilgrimages, undertaken, in the
course of God's providence, on a religious account.
Have not attained — to the life of my fathers] Jacob lived
in the whole one hundred and forty- seveu years; I.saar, his
father, lived one hundred and eigluy ; and Abraiiam, hi? grand-
father, one hundred and seventy-five. These were days of
years, in compari.son of the lives of the preceding patriarchs,
some of whom lived nearly ten centuries !
Verse 14. Gathered up all the money] i. e. by sellinij- com
out of the public stores to the people; and this he did till
the money failed, vtr. 15. till all the money was exchanged
for corn, and brought into Pharaoh's treasury. Besides the
ffth part of the produce of the seven plentiful years, Joseph
had iwught additional corn, with Pharaoh's tnomy, to lay up
against the famine that was to prevail in the seven years of
dearth; and it is very likely that this was sold out at the
price for which it was bought, and the./f/M part, which be-
longed to Pharaoh, sold out at the same price. And a»
money at that time, could not be plenty, the cash of the
H h
Xhc Egyptians give, their tnonei/, cattle.
A.M. MOl.
B.C. 17(«.
\5 And when money failed ia the
land of Egypt, and in the land of
Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph,
and .said, Give us bread: for "why should we
die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and
I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
17 And they brought their cattle unto Jo-
seph : and Jcjseph gave them bread in exchange
for horses, and tor the flocks, and for the cattle
of the herds, and for the asses : and he ^ fed
them with bread for all their cattle, for that
year.
A.M. 2.'.n.'. 18 When that year was ended, they
B.C. 170i. i 1 • II 1 1
came unto hnn the second year, and
said unto him. We will not hide it ti'om my
lord, how that our money is spent ; my lord
also hath our herds of cattle ; there is not
ought left in the sight of my lord, but our
bodies, and our lands :
19 Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes,
GENES IS. and land, and et'en sell themselves for bread.
both we and our land ? buy us and
our land for bread, and we and our
"Ver. 19. ^ Heb. Ud them. 'Ezra 7. 24.
whole nation was thus exhausted, as far as that had circulated
among the common people.
Verse 1 6. Give me your cuttle] This was the wisest mea-
'sure that could be adopted, both for the preservation of the
'jicopk, and of the cattle also. As the people had not grain
for their own sustenance, consequently they could have none
for their cattle ; hence the cattle were in the most imminent
danger of starving, and the people also were in equal danger,
as they must have divided a pt)rtion of that bought for them-
selves, with the cattle, which, for the sake of tillage, &c. they
wished of course to preserve till the seven years of famine should
■end. The cattle being bought by Joseph, were supported
at the royal expence, a.id very likely returned to the people
at the end of the famine; fir how else could they cultivate
their ground, transport tlieir merchan<lize, &c. &c. ? For this
part of Jost-ph's conduct, he certainly deserves high praise,
and no censure.
Verse 18. When that year was ended] The sixth year of
the famine, they came unto him the second year, which was the
hst or seventh year of the famine, in which it was necessary
to BOW the land, that there might be a crop the succeeding
year; for Joseph, on whose prediction they relied, had fore-
told, thut the famine should continue only seven years; and
con.scqiiently they expected the eis,luh ytar to lie a fruitful
year, provided the land was sowed, without which, though
the inundation of the land by the Nile, might amount to the
Bixteen requisite cubits, there could be no crop.
Verse 21. And as for the people, he removed them to cities]
It ift very likely that Joseph was influenced by no political
motive in removing the people to the cities; but merely by a
Hiolivc of humunitj/ and prudence. As the corn was laid up
A..M. »S()».
15. C. 17112.
land will be servants unto Pharaoh : and give
US seed, that we may live, and not die, that the
land be not desolate.
20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt
for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold eveiy man
his field, because the famine prevailed over
them : so the land became Pharaoh's.
21 (And as for the people, he removed them
to cities, from one end of the borders of EgyjH
even to the other end thereof.)
22 ^ Only the land of the " priests bought he
not; for the priests had a portion assigned than
of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which
Pharaoh gave them : wherefore they sold not
their lands.
23 % Then Joseph said unto the people. Be-
hold, I have bought you this day and your land
for Pharaoh : lo, here is seed for you, and ye
shall sow the land.
" Or, princes, ch, 41. 45. 2 Sam. 8. 18.
in the cities, he found it more convenient to bring them to
the place where they might be conveniently fed ; each being
withm the reach of an easy distribution. Thus then the coun-
try which could allord no sustenance, was abandoned for the
time being, that the people might be fed in those places
where the provision was deposited.
Verse 22. The laud of the priests boiis;ht he not] From this
verse it is natural to infer, that whatever the religion of Kgypt
was, it was established by law, and supported by the state.
Hence when Joseph bought all the land.s of the Egyptians for
Pharaoh, he bought not the land ot the pr.est.s, for that was
a portion assigned them hy Pharaoh ; and thy did eat, did
live on \.\iAt portion. 1 his is the e;jri:est account we have of
an established re'it^ion, supported by the slate. ^
Verse 23. / hate bouj^ht you this day, and your land for
Pharaoh.] It fully appears that the kingdom o Egypt vvas,
previous to the time of Joseph, a very limited monarchy.
The king had his estates ; the priests had their lands ; and
the common people their patrimony, independently of both.
The land of Kameses, or Goshen, appears to have been the
king's land, verse 11. The priests had their lands, which
they did not sell to Joseph, ver. 22, 26. and that the people
had lands independent of the crown, is evident from the pur-
chases Joseph made, ver. 19, 20. and we may conclude from
those purchases, that Pharaoh had no power to levy taxes
upon his subjects to increase his own revenue, until he had |
bought the original right which each individual had in his j
po.ssessions. And when .loseph bought this for the king, he |
raised the crown an ample revenue, (thougii he restored !
tlic lands,) by obliging eacii to pay one fifth of the product j
to the king, ver. 24. And it is worthy of remark, that the i
i A fifth fart of the produce is given to CHAP
I A.M. -iioi. 24 And it shall come to pass in the
I ^f— increase, that ye sliall give the fifth
\ part unto I'haraoh, and fonr parts sliall be your
, own, for seed of" the field, and for your food,
and for t'lem of your housholds, and for food
■ for your little ones.
I 25 And they said, Tliou hast saved our lives :
; Met us find grace in the sight of my lord, and
we will be Pharaoh's servants.
26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of
Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have
the fifth jort/'/ ; "'except the land of the "priests
only, ivliicli became not Pharaoh's.
27 ^ And Israel '' dwelt in tlie land of Egypt,
in the country of Goshen ; and ihey liad pos-
sessions therein, and "grew, and multiplied ex-
; ceedingly.
XLA'^II. Pharaoh. Jacob's death dt'ctcs nigh,
A.M. 2315.
B. C. )o89.
' Cli. 3."} 15. "■ vcr. 29. "^ Or, princes, ver. a?. "ver. 11 « cli.
46. 3. — —^ Hel). the days of the years oj'hii life. See ver. 9. ' So Deut. 31.
14. 1 Kings -J. 1.
people of Egypt well understood the distinction between sub-
jects and sa-x'ums ; for when they came to sell their land, they
ofiered to sell thcmstlies a\so; and said, buj/ us and our land,
and we and our land ivUl be servants to Pharaoh, vcr. 1 9.
Diodoius Sicuhis, lib. i. gives the saiue account of tlie
ancient constitution of E^ypt. The land, says he, was di-
vided into //(ra- parts : 1. (7nc belonged to the nil ESTS, with
which they provided all sacrifices, and maintained all the
ministers of religion. 2. A second part was the king's, to
support his court and family; and to supply expenses for wars,
if tliey should happen. Hence there were no taxes, the king
having so ample an estate. 3. The remainder of the land
I)clonged to the SUIUF.CTS; who appear, from the account of
Diodorus, to have been all soldiers, a kind of standinn^-militia,
liable, at the king's expense, to serve in all wars for tlie pre-
servation of the slate. This was a constitution something
like the British ; the government appears to have been mixed,
and the monarchy properly limited, till Joseph, by buying
the land of the peo[)lc, made the king in some sort despotic.
But it docs not appear that any improper use was made of lliis,
as in inucii later tiuics, we find it stdl a comparatively limited
monarchy.
Verse 26. And Joseph made it a lavj'] That the people
should hold their land from the king, and give him the fifth
part of the produce, as a yearly tax. Beyond this it appears
the king had no farther demands. The whole of tiiis con-
duct of Joseph has been as strongly censured by some, as ap-
plauded by otiicrs. h is natural for men to run into extremes
in attacking or <lcfending any position. Sober and jntlieious
men will consider nhui .loseph did by divine appointment, as
a prophet of God ; and what he did merely as a statesman
from the circumstances of the case, the complexion of the
times, and the character of the people over whom he presided.
VV'hcn this is dispassionately done, we shall .'ite much reason
to adore Ood, applaud the man, and i)erhaps in some cases.
I 28 ^ And Jacob lived in the land
of Egypt seventeen years : so ' the
M'hole age of Jacob was an hiuulrod forty and
j seven years.
! 29 And the time ^ drew nigh that Israel must
die : and he called his son Joseph, and said
; unto him. If now I have found grace in thy
sight, "put, I pray thee, thy hand imder my
thigh, and 'deal kindly and truly with me;
bury me not, I pray thee, in Egj-pt :
50 But ' I will lie with my fathers, arfd thou
I shalt carry me out of I'^gypt, and "' bury me in
I their burying-place. And he said, I will do as
thou hast said.
51 And he said. Swear unto me. And he
sware unto him. And "Israel bowed himself
upon the bed's head.
" ch. 21. 2. '■ ch. 24. 49.-
'" ch. 49. '£>. & 50. 5, 13.-
11. at.
-" So ch. .tO. 2.5. ' a Sam. 19. ."•T.
— ° ch. 48. a. 1 Kmg5 1. 47. flebr.
censure the minister.' Joseph is never held up to our view as
an ttnerring prophet of God. He was an honoured instru-
ment in the hands of God of saving two nations from utter
ruin ; and especially of preserving that family from which
the Messiah was to spring; and of perpetuating the true reli-
gion among them. In this character he is represented in the
sacred pages. His conduct, as the prime minister of Pha-
raoh, was powerfully indicative of a deep and consummate
politician, who had high notions of prerogative, which led him
to use every prudent mean to aggrandize his master ; and at
the same time to do what he judged best on the whole, for the
people he governed. See the conclusion of the 50th chapter.
Verse '29. Put thy hand under my thigh] See on chapter
xxiv. 'J.
Verse 30. / will lie ivith my fathers] As God had pro-
mised the land of Canaan to Abraliam and his posterity,
Jacob considered it as a consecrated place, under the particu-
lar superintendance and blessing- of God : and as Sarah,
Abraham, and Isaac, were interred near to Hebron, he, in
all probabdity, wished to lie not only in the same place, but
in the same grave : and it is not likely that he would have
been solicitous about thi.s, had he not considered that pro-
mised land as being a type of the res! that remains for the
people of God; and a pledge of the inheritance among the
saints in light.
Verse 3 I. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head]
Jacob was now both old and feeble, and we may suppose
him reclmed on his couch when Joseph came, that he after-
wards sal up erect (see chap, xlviii. 2.) while conversing with
his .son, and receivmg his oath and promise ; and that, when
this was finished, he bowed himself on the bed's head; exhausted
will) the conversation, he again reclined himself on his bed
as before. This seems to be the simple meaning, which the
text, unconnected with any religious system or prejudice, natu-
rally proposes. But because r\r\^ shatach, signifies not only
H h 2
Joseph vbits Iiis dying father. Jacob
GENESIS. relates God's gracious dealings xdth him.
to ho-jj but to worship, because acts of religious worship were
performed by boixing or prostration : and because flDO mittah,
a bed, by the change of the points only, becomes maleh, a
start', in which sense the Septuagint took it, translating the
orio'inal words thus, km 'jt^ojiicuvyiijiv lix^aiiX ctti to an^ov
T>if fa(3Joi/ auTOv, and Israel worshipped upon the top of
liis starti which the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews,
chap. xi. 21. (\wo\.ei literatim, therelbre some have supposed
that .Tacob certainly had a carved image on the head or top
of his stafli to which he paid a species of adoration; or that
! he bowed himself to the staff or sceptre of Jose|.>h, thus ful-
filling the prophetic import of bis son's dreams! The sense
of the Hebreiu text is given above : if the reader prefers the
sense of the Septuagint, and the Epistle to the H ebrews, the
meaning is, that Jacob through feebleness supported himself
with a st;ilV; and that when he got the requii.il e assurance
from .Joseph that his dead body should be carried to Canaan,
leaning on his stall", he bowed his head in adoration to God,
who had supported hiin all his life long, and hitherto fulfilled
all his promises.
CHAPTER XLVIII.
Josepli hearing that hii fattier Tufis near death, tooh liis tzco sons Ephraim and ]Mati;issel>, and zcent to Goslica to
visit him, 1. Jacob streiigtfieiis himself to receive tliem, 1. Gives Joseph an uccount of God's appearing to him at
Luz, and repeating the promise, 3, 4. Adopts Ephraim and Maiiasseh as Ids own sons, 5, 6. Mentions the death
of Rachel at Ephraih, 7. He blesses Ephraim and Manasseh, preferring t/ie former uho ic as the younger, to
his elder brother, 8 — 17. Joseph supposing his fatlier tiad mistaken, hi giving the right of primogeniture to
the youngest, endeavours to correct him, 18. Jacob shezcs that he had done it des\gned]y, prophesies much good
e<mcernin<r both; but sets Ephraim the youngest before Manasseh, 19,20. Jacob spealis of his death, and
predicts the return of his posterity from Egypt, Q I . yJnd gives Joseph a portion above Ids brethren, zchich he had
taken from the Amorites, 22.
A flf. 2315.
B. C. 16S9.
AND it came to pass after these
things, that one told Joseph,
Behold, thy father is sick : and he took with
him his two sons, Manasseh and Epliraim.
2 And one told Jacob, and said. Behold, thy
son Joseph cometh unto thee : and Israel
strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
3 ^ And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Al-
mighty appeared unto me at ^ Luz in the land
of Canaan, and blessed me,
4 And said unto me. Behold, I will make
thee fruitfid, and multiply thee, and I will make
of thee a multitude of people ; and will give this
land to thy seed after thee, ^for an everlasting
possession.
•oil. 28. 13, 19. & 35. 6, 9, &c. ''cli. 17. 8.
A.M. 2315.
15 C. 1639.
NOTES ON CHAP. XLVIII.
Verse 1. One told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick'] He
was ill before, and Joseph knew it : but it appears that a
messenger had been now dispatched, to inform Joseph that
Ins father was apparently at the point of death.
Verse 2. Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.]
lie had been confined to his bed before, see chap, xlvii. 31.
And now hearing that Joseph was come to see him, he made
what efforts his little remaining strength would admit, to sit
up in bed to receive his son. This verse proves that a bed, |
not a staff, is intended in the preceding chapter, ver. 31.
1
5 And now thy "" two sons, Ephraim
and Manasseh, which were born un-
to thee in the land of Egypt, before I came
unto thee into Egypt, are mine ; as Reuben
and Simeon, they shall be mine.
6 And thy issue, which thou begettest
after them, shall be thine, and shall be called
after the name of their brethren in their in-
heritance.
7 And as for me, when I came from Padan,
" Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan
in the way, when yet there Xims but a little
way to come unto Ephrath : and I buried her
there in the way of Ephrath ; the same is Beth-
lehem.
'Ch. 41. 50. & 46. 20. Josh. 13. 7. & 14. 4. " cli. 35. 9, 16, 19.
Verse 3. Ood Almlghly] nu," Ss El Shaday. The All-
sufficient God, the oiit-poiircr and dispenser of mercies ; see
chap. xvii. 1. appeared to me at Luz, allcrwards called J3<;//(-
El; see chap, xxviii. 13. xxxv. 6, 9.
Verse 5. And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh,
arc H«ne] I now adopt tliem into my own family, and they
■shall have their place among my twelve sons, and be treated
in every respect as those, and have an equal interest in all the
spiritual and temporal blessings of the covenant.
Verse 7. Rachel died by me, c\c.] Rachel was the wife
Ephraim and Manasse/i are blessed CHAP
A.M.iii.. 8 \iy\ Israel beheld Joseph's sons
BX.jr89. g^j^j j.^jjj^ -^YYio are these ?
9 And Joseph said unto his father, * Tiiey are
my sons, whom God hath given me in thh jjlace.
And he said, Bring thein, I pray thee, unto
ine, and "^ I will bless tiieni.
10 (Now "^ the eyes oi'Israel were '' dim for age,
so tluit he could not see.) And he brought them
near unto him j and " he kissed them, and em-
braced them.
•Su cb. 3j. 5. ^ ch. 'iT. 1. = cli. 'J7. 1. * ileb. hcavii : Un. 6. 10.
of Jacob's choice, and the ohjert of his iinvaryiiijj afiection ;
be loved licr in life ; he loves her in death : many waters can-
not quench love, ueitlier can the floods drown it. A match
of a man's own making', when guided by reason and relif;ion,
will necessarily be a happy one. W hen fathers and mothers
make matches for their children, whicii are dictated by mo-
tives, notof utfction, but merely of convenience, worldly ijain,
&c. &c. sucli matches are gvneralh' wretched. It is Lcali in
the place of R-ichel to the end uf liie's pdgriinage.
Verse 8. Who are lliese ?] At ver. 10. it is said that Ja-
cob's eyes were dim ibr age, that he could not see; could
not discern any object unless it were near him ; therefore,
though lie saw Ephraim and Manasseh, yet he could not dis-
tinguish them till they were brought nigh unto him.
Verse J 1. / h-ad not thought to sec tliy face] There is much
delicacy and much tenderness in th'se expressions. He
feels himself now am|)ly recomp;-nsed, for his long grief and
trouble, on account of the supposed death of Joseph, in seeing
not only himself, but his two sons, whom God, by an especial
act of favour, is about to add to the number of his own. Thus
we find, that as Reuben and Simeon were heads of two dis-
tinct tribes in Israel, so were Ephraim and Manasseh ; be-
cause Jacob, in a sort of sacramental way, had adopted them
with equal privileges to those of his own sons.
Verse 12. Joseph boxved liiinself with his face to the eartli.]
This act of Joseph has been extravagantly extolled by Dr.
Deltiney and others. " When I consider him on his knees
to God," says Ur. Delaney, " I regard him as a poor mor-
tal in the discharge of his duty to his CuKATOK. When I
behold him bovving before Pharaoh, I consider him in the
dutiful posture of a subject to his prince. But when I see him
bendinti '" ^hc earth before a poor, old, blind, dccrepid father,
' 1 behold him with admiration and delight. Mow doth that
lumiiliation exalt him !" — T his is insutlerable ! for it in efl'ect
■ says, that it is a wondrous condescension in a young man, who in
the course of God's providence, with .scarcely any efforts of his
own, was raised to affluence and uorldly grandeur, to shew
respect to hh father f And that resjKct was the more gratui-
] ioui and condescending, Ijecausc that lather was poor, old,
blind, and decrepid ! The maxim of this most exceptionable
j flight of admiration is, that " children who have risen to afflu-
i ence are not obliged to reverence their parents when reduced in
' their circumstances, and brought down by llic weight of yeriis
and infirmities to the sides of tlxe grave : and should they ac-
end made tribes in Israel.
said nn'o Jos;>i)h, A.M.5315.
U. C. U-80.
XLVIIT.
11 And Israel
'I had not thought to see thy face:
and lo, God hath sliewed me also thy seed.
12 And Joseph brought them out Ironi be-
tween liis knees, and he bowed himself with his
fttce to tlie earth.
13 And Joseph took them botli, Ephraim
in his right hand toward Israel's left hand,
and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's
right hand, and brought ilicjn near unto him.
& 59. 1.-
-" cli. 27. '-?.-
-fell. 43. 26.
knowledge and reverence them, it would be a mark of singu-
lar goodness, and be highly meritorious." Should positions of
this kind pass without reprehension? I trow not. By the law
of God and nature, Joseph was as much bound to pay his
dying father \.\m fiHul respect, as he was to reverence his kin.;,
or to worship his (iod. As to myself, I must freely confess that
I see nothing pcculiarlj/ amiable in this part of Jo-^eph's con-
duct: he simply aciiuitted himself of a duly which God,
nature, decency, and conmion sense, imperiously demanded of
him, and all such in his circumstances, to discharge. To
the present day, children in the East, next to God, pay the
deepest reverence to Xhtxr parents. Besides, before xvhom was
Joseph bowing .? not merely his /a^/icr, but a most eminent
P.^TRIARCH; one highly distinguished by the Lord; and one
of the tliree of whom the Supreme Being speaks in the most
favourable and aflectionate manner : the three who received
and transmitted the true faith, and kept unbroken the divine
covenant : I AM the GoD o/ ABRAHAM, the GOD of ISAAC,
and the GoD o/" Jacob. He has never said, I am the God of
Joseph. And if we compare the /;v(/(fi' and these;?, an men,
we shall find that the latter was exceeded by the former in
almost endless degnes. Joseph owed his advancement and
his eminence to what some would call good fortune, and «hat
xve know to have been the especial providence cf God, woi king-
in his behalf, wholly iudepcndunt of his own industry, &.c.
every event of that providence issuing in his favour. Jacob
owed his own support and preservation, and the support and
preservation of his munerous family, under God, to the con-
tinual exercise of the vast powers of a strong and vigorous
mind, to which the providence of God seemed exer in opposi-
tion ; becau.se, God chose to try to the uttermost the great gifts
which he had bestowed. If therefore, the most humble and
abject inferior, .should revei'ence dignity and eminence raised
to no common heiglit^ — so should Joseph, bow down Ills fac€
to the earth, before JACOB.
Besides, Joseph in thus reverencing his father, only Ibl-
lowed the custom of the Egyptians among whom he lived,
who, according to Ilerodtitus (Euterpe, c. SO.) were par-
ticularly remarkable for the reverence they paid to -old age.
" For if a young person meet his senior, he instantly' turns
aside to make way tor him ; if an aged person enter an apart-
ment, the youth always rise from their seats;" and ]\Ir. .SV(-
vary oliserves, that the reverence mentioned by Herodotus, is
yet paid to old age, on every occasion, in Egypt. 1b Mo-
The form of the blessing pronounced
A.M.M15. 14 And Israel stretched out liis
"• ^' '^^^- right liand, and laid // upon Ephraim's
head, who xvas the younger, and his left hand
upon Manasseh's head, "guiding his hands wit-
tingly ; for Manasseh xvas the first-born.
15 And "he blessed Joseph, and said, God,
" before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac
GENESIS. 071 Ephrahn and ManasseJu
, the God which fed me all
•Ver. 19.-
-i" Heb. 11. 21. ■= cli. 17. 1. & 24. 40 " ch. S8. 15.
& 31. 11, 13, 24. Ps. 34. 22. & 121. 7.
hammedan countries, the children sit as if dumb, in the pre-
sence of their parents, never attempting to speak, unless
spoken to. Among the ancient Romans it was considered a
crime, worthy of death, not to rise up in the presence of an
a5;ed person ; and acting a contrary part, was deemed an aw-
ful mark of the deep degeneracy of the tim-es. Tiius tlie satirist :
Credehant hoc grande ntfas, if utorle piandum,
Si Juvenis VF.TULO non assurrexerat ; et si
Barbate cuicumque puer. JUV. Sat. xiii. v. 54.
And had not men the horny heads revered.
Or boys paid reverence when a vian appeared.
Both must have dy'd. DRYDEN.
Indeed, though Dr. Delaney is much struck with what he
thinks to be great and meritorious condescension and humility
on the part of Joseph, yet we find the thing itself, the deepest
reverence to parents and old age, practised by all the civiliEed
nations in the world, not as a matter of meriLorious courtesy,
but as a point of rational and absolute duty.
Verse 14. Isruel stretched out his ri^ht hand, 6|-c.] Lay-
ino hands on the head was always used among the Jews in
giving blessings, designating men to any office, and in the con-
secration of solemn sacrifices. This is the first time we
find it mentioned : but we often read of it afterwards. See
Numb, xxvii. 18, 23. Deul. 34. 1'. Matt. xi.v. 13, 15.
Acts vi. 6. 1 Tim. iv. 14. Jacob laid his right hand on the
head of the younger, which we are told he did ivitlingly (well
knowing what he was about) /or, or although Manasseh was the
first-born, knowing by the spirit of prophecy, that Ephraim's
posterity would be more powerful than that of Manas-
.seh. It is observable, how God from the beginning lias pre-
ferred the younger to the elder, as Jbel before Cain ; Shetn be-
fore Japhclh ; Isaac before Ishmael : Jacob before Esau : Ju-
duh and Joseph before Reuben: Ephruiin before Manasseh:
Moses before Aaron : and Daiid before his brethren. " This
is to be resolved entirely into the wise and secret counsel of
God, so fur as it regards temporal blessings and national pri-
vile"-es, as the apo.^tle tells us, Rom. ix. 11. see the notes
on chap. xxv. 23. But this preference lias no concern with
God's conferring a greater measure of his love and approba-
tion on one person more than another; — compare Gen. iv. 7.
with Heb. xi. 4. and you will see tiiat a diflerence in moral
character was the sole cause why God preferred Abel to
Cain." — Dodd. Tlie grace that converts the soul, certainly
conies from the mere mercy of God, without any merit on
man's part, and a sufficiency of this is ofllred to every man.
Tit. ii. 11, 12. But, it is not less certain, that God luixs
tltosa best, who are mosi faithful to this grace.
A. M. 2315.
B. C. 1689.
did walk
my lite long unto this day,
16 The angel "which redeemed me fiom all
evil, bless the lads ; and let " my name be named
on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham
and Isaac ; and let them ^ grow into a multitude,
in the midst of the earth.
Amos 9. 12. Acts IS. 17.-
-f Heb. as fishes do increase :
& 26, 31, 37.
See Numb. 1. 46.
^
Verse 15. He blessed Joseph] The father first, and then"
the sons afterwards. And this is an additional proof to what'
has been adduced under vcr. 12. of Jacob's superiority ; for
the less is always blessed of the greater.
The God who fed me all 7iiy life long] Jacob is now stand-
ing on the verge of eternity, and his faith strong in God.
He sees his life to be a series of mercies : and as he had been
aflectionately attentive, provident and kind to his most help-
less cliild, so iias God been unto him ; he has fed him all '
his life long ; he plamly perceives that he owes every morsel
of food vehich he has received, to the mere mercy and kindness
of God.
Verse 16. The cn^el luhich redeemed vie from all evil]
7NJn ^N7Dn hamulac hagoel. The messenger, the Re-
deemer or kins»ian ; for so 7SJ goel signifies : tor this term
in the law of Moses, is appHed to tiiat person whose right it
is, from his being nearest akin, to redeem or purchase back a
ftirfeited inheritance. But of whom does Jacob speak .^ We
have often seen in the preceding chapters, an angel of God
appearing to the Patriarchs, see particularly chap. xvi. T. and
the note there ; and we have full proof that this was no created
angel, but the Messenger of the Divine Council, the Lord
Jesus Chrisi. Who then was the angel that redeemed .Jacob,
and whom he invoked lo bless Ephraim and Manasseh? Is it
not.IF.SUS.? He alone can be called Goel, the redeeming
kinsman, for he alone took part of our flesh and blood, that
the right of redemption might be his. And that the forfeited
possession of the favour and image of God might be redeemed,
brought back, and restored to all those who t>elieve in his
name. To have invoked any other angel or messen<^cr in such-'
a business would have been impiety. Angels bless not : to
God alone diis prerogative belongs. "With what confidence ,
may a truly religious father use these words in beiialf of his
children : " Jesus, the CHRIST, who hath redeemed me, bless
the lads, redeem them also, and save them unto eternal life!"
And let my name be named on them. " Let ihem be ever
accounted as a part of my own family. Let them be true
Israelites, jjcrsonswho shall prevail with God as I have done;
and the name of Abraham, bemg partakers of his fauh, and
the name of Isaac, let them be as remarkable for submissive
obedience as he v\as. Let the virtues of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, be accumulated in them, and invariably displayed
by them !" These are the very words of adoption ; and by the
imposition of hands, the invocation of the Redecntcr, and the
solemn blessing |ii:oucunced, the adoption was completed.
From this moment, Kphraim and Manasseh had the same
rights and privileges as Jacob's sons; which, as the sotis of.
Joseph, they could have never possessed.
Ephrabn jtrejerred before his eldest CHAP.
A. M i-.ii. 17 And when Joseph saw that his
g:^'"""- father ' laid his right hand upon the
head of Ephraim, it '' dispU-ased him: and ho
held up his father's hand, to remove it from
Ephraini's head unto -Manassch's head.
IS And Josci)h said unto his fiithcr, Xot so, my
fatlier : for this is the first-born ; put tiiy right
hand upon his head.
19 And iiis father refused, and said, "I know
it, my son, I know ;/ .• lie also shall beeome a
people, and he also shall be <i;reat : but truly
"liis younger brother shall be greater than he,
• Ver. 14.^— •■ Was eiH in his etia. cli. VB. 8 ^^ ver. 14. ■" Numb. 1.
33,35, i« 2. 19, 21. Deut. 33. 17. Rev. 7. 6, 8. 'Ilch.fidiiesi.
X LVI 1 1, hrolhcr. Jacob gives a portion to Joseph.
I and his seed shall become a "multi- a.m.'.'3i5.
j tude oi nations.
20 And he blessed them that day, saying, ' In
thee shall iMael bless, saying, God make thee
as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Eph-
raim bef()re Manasseh.
21 ^ And Israel said unto Jose])!), Behold, I
die : but '^ God shall be with you, and bring
you again unto the land of your lathers.
22 Moreover "I have given to thee one portion
above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand
'of the Amorite, witii my sword and with my bow.
fSi
And let than grow into a multitude] 'Z'b IJI'i Ve-i/ideggu
la-rob: Let i/iem increase like fishes into a mnltitude. FlSH
are tlie most prolific of all animals; see the instances pro-
duced on chap. i. ver. 20. This prophetic blcssinjj was veri-
fied in a most remarkable manner; see Num. xxvi. ,34, 37.
Dtut. xxxiii. n. Josli xvii. 17. At one time the tribe of
Ephraim amounted to 40,500 eflective men ; and that of
Manasseh to 52,700, amounting in the uhoh; to 93,200.
Sec tiie notes on Num. i. 46. and xxvi, 2.
Verse i8, Joseph said — Not so, ?iij/ father] Joseph supposed
that his fathfr had made a mi^take in layinij his right hand
on (i)e head of the younijest, because the rii^ht hand v»as con- i
sidered as the most nohle, and the instrument of conveying the
hiijiiest dignities; and thus it has ever been considered among
all nations, though the reason of it is not particularly obvious.
Even in tlie heavens, the right hand of God is the place of
the most exulted dignity It has bi en very proi)erly observed,
that Joseph -poke here as he was moved by natural affec-
tion; and that Jacob acted as he was influenced by the Holj/
Spirit.
Verse 20, Jn thte shall Israel bless] That is, in future
generations the Isracliies shall take their form of wishing pros-
perity to any nation or fauuly, from the circumstance of the
good vnIiIcIi it shall be known that God has done to Ephraim,
and Manasseh. Rluy Uod make thee as fniiiful as Ephraim,
and muliip!i/ thee as Manasseh ! 8o, to their daughters, when
married, tlie Jewish women are accustomed to say, God make
line as Sarah and Rebecca! These forms are still in use.
Verse 2 I. Behold, J die] With v. hat composure is this
most awful word expressed ! Surely of Jacob it might be now
said, "He turns his sight undaunted en the tomb." For
though it is not said that he u-as full of days, as were A bra- '
ham and Isaac, yet he is peifcctly willing to bid adieu to i
earthly lhiiig,>, and lay his body in the grave. Could any
person act as the Patriarchs did in their last moments, who j
had no hopes of eternal life, no belief in the immortality of the
ioul? Impossible! With such a conviction of the being of
God, with such proofs of his tenderness and regard, with
such fsperience of his providential and miraculous interference
in their behalf, could they suppose, that they were only crea-
tures of a day ; and that God Iwd wasted 80 uvucU care, at-
>u Riitli 4, 11 , 12, E ell. 4*^, 4, & 50 2 1. " Josh. 24, 32. 1 Clirou. 5. ?.
John 4, 5. ' cli. 15. 16. & 34. 28. Josli. 17. M, iec.
tention, providence, grace and goodness, on creatures, vvhe
were to be ultimately like the beasts that perish? The suppo-
sition, that they could have no correct notion of the immor-
tality of the soul, is as dishonourable to God as to themselves.
But what shall ue think of Christians who have formed this
hypothesis into a system, to prove — what ? Why that the
Patriarchs lived and died in the dark ! That either the soul
has no imn:ortalily, or that God has not thought proper to
reveal it. Away with such an opinion! It cannot be said to
merit serious refutation.
Verse 22. Moreoier I have given to thee (Joseph) one portion']
nrtX □311' Shecem acliad, one shechem, or one shoulder. We
have already seen the transactions between Jacob and his
family on one part, and Shechem and the sons of Hainor on
the other; see chap, xxxiii. 18, 19. and chap, xxxiv. As lie
uses the word Shechem here, 1 think it likely, that he alludes
to the purchase of the field or parcel of ground mentioned
chap, xxxiii. 18, 19. It has been supposed that this parcel
of ground which Jacob bought from Shechem, had been takes
from him by the Amorites ; and that he afterwards had re-
covered it by his sieord and by his boxu ; \. e. by force of arms.
Shecliein appears to have fallen to the lot of Joseph's sons;
see Josh. xvii. 1. and cliajt. xx. 7. and in our Lord's time
there was a parcel of ground near to Sychar, or Shechem,
which was still considered as that portion which Jacob gave
to his son Joseph, John iv. 5, and on the whole it was pro-
bably the same that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of money,
chap, xxxiii. 18, 19. Hut how it could be said that he took this
out of the hand of the Amorite ivith his staord and hiS boiu ? we
cannot tell. Many attempts have been made to explain this
abstruse verse, but they have all hitherto been fruitless. Ja-
cob's words were no doubt perfectly well understood by
Joseph ; and probably alluded to some transaction that is not
now on record, and it is much better and safer for us to con-
fess our ignorance, than to hazard conjecture after conjecture
on a subject in which we are not interested, and of which
we can know nothing certainly.
1. On filial respect to aged and destitute parents we have
already had occasion to speak, see ver 11. The duty of
children to their parents, culy ceases when the parents are
Jacob t^atliers his sons togetfwr in order
GENESIS.
to give them his dying blessing.
laid in tbeir graves; and this duty, is the next in order and
importance to the duty we owe to God. No circumstances
can alter its nature or lessen its iuipoitance; Honour thy fa-
tlier and thy viother is tlie sovereign, everlasting command of
God. \V hile the relations of parent and child exist, this
commandment will be in full force.
2. The Redeeming Angel, the Messenger of the covenant in
his preserving and saving influence, is invoked by dying Ja-
cob, to be the protector and saviour of Ephraim and Manas-
seh, ver. 16. With what advantage and elYect can a dying
parent recommend the Lord Jesus to his children, who can
testify with his last breath, that this Jesus has redeemed him
from all evil ? Reader, canst thou call Christ thy Redeemer ?
Hast thou, through him, recovered the forfeited inheritance ?
Or dost thou expect redemption from all evil, by any other
means? Through him, and him alone, God will redeem thee
from all thy sins ; and as thou knowest not what a moment
may bring forth, thou hast not a moment to lose. Thou hast
sinned, and there is no name given under heaven among men,
whereby thou canst be saved, hut Jesus Christ. Acquaint
thyself now with him, and be at peace, and thereby good
shall come unto thee.
3. We find that the Patriarchs ever held the promised land
in the most sacred point of view. It was God's gift to them :
it was confirmed by a covenant that spoke of, and referred to
better things. We believe that this land typified the rest,
which remains for the people of God ; and can we be indif-
ferent to the excellence of this rest .' A patriarch could not die
in peace, however distant from this land, without an assurance
that his bones should be laid in it. How can lue live, how can
we die comfortably without the assurance that our lives are hid
with Christ in God, and that we shall dwell in his presence
for ever ? There remains a rest for the people of God,
and only for tlie people of God : for those alone who love,
serve, reverence, and obey him, in his Sen Jesus Christ, shall
ever enjoy it.
CHAPTER XLIX.
Jacob about to die, calls his ions together that he may bless them, or give prophetic declarations concerning theit
posterity, 1, C. Prophetic declaration concerning Keuhen, 3,4. concerning Simeon and her'i, 5 — 7- concent'
ing Judah, 8, 1'2. concerning Zebulon, 13. concerning Issachar, 14, 15. concerning Dan, 16 — 18. con'
cerning Gad, IQ. concerning Asher, 20. concerning Naphtali, 21. concerning Joseph, 22 — 26. concerning
Benjamin, 27. Summary concerning the 12. tribes, 28. Jacob gives directions concerning his being buried in
the cave oj' Machpelah, 29 — 32. Jacob dies, 33.
A.M. i'3l5.
B. C. 1C89.
A
N D Jacob called unto his sons,
and said, Gather yourselves to-
» Deal. 33. 1. Amos 3. 7. '' Deut. 4. 30. Numb. 24. 14.
NOTES ON CHAP. XLIX.
Verse 1, That ii-hich shall befal you in the last days.] It is
evident from this, and inoleed from the whole complexion
«f these important prophecies, that the twelve sons of Jacob
had very little concern in them, personally considered; as
they were to be fulfilled in the last days; i. e. in times
remote from that period, and consequently to their posterity,
and not to themselves, or to their immediate families. The
whole of these prophetic declarations, from \er. 2. to ver. 27.
inclusive, is delivered in strongly figurative language, and in
the poetic form; which, in every translation, should be pre-
served as nearly as possible, rendering the version line for
line with the original. This order I shall pursue in the
succeeding notes, always proposing the verse first, in as
literal a translation as possible, line for line with the Hebrew,
after the hemistich form, from which, the sense will more rea-
dily appear; but to the Hebrew text, and the common ver-
. sion, the reader is ultimately referred.
2. Come together and hear, O sons of Jacob .'
And hearken unto Israel your father.
Bishop Newton has justly observed, that Jacob had re-
gether, that I may 'tell you /^ff^ which
shall befal you '' in the last days.
A.M. 2315.
B. C. 1689.
Isai. 2. 2. & 39. 6. Jer. S3. 20. Dan. 2. 28, 29. Acts 2. 17. Hebr. 1. ».
ceived a double blessing; spiritual and temporal: the pro-
mise of being /)?o^e/jiVor of the Messiah, and the promise of the
land of Canaan. The promised land he might divide among
his children as he pleased ; but the other, must be confined to
one of his sons; he therefore assigns to each son a portion in
the land of Canaan, but limits the descent of the blessed
seed to the tribe of Judah. Some have put themselves to a
great deal of trouble and learned labour, to shew, that it was a
general opinion of the ancients, that the soul a short time pre-
vious to its departure from the body, becomes endued with a
certain measure of the prophetic gift, or foresight : and that
this was probably the case with Jacob. But it would be
derogatory to the dignity of the prophecies delivered in this
chapter, to suppose, that they came by any other means than
direct inspiration, as to their main matter; though certain cir-
cumstances, appear to be left to the Patriarch himself, in which
he might express his own feelings both as a fatlier, and as a
judge. This is strikingly evident. I . In the case of Reuben,
from whom he had received the grossest insult, however the
passage relative to lllm, may be understood, and 2. in the
case of Joseph, the tenderly beloved son of his most beloved
ivife Rachel, in the prophecy concerning whom, he giv«s
Tlie prophecy concerning CHAP.
A.M.a'ii- 2 Gather yourselves together, and
"• ^- ""''•': liear, ye sons of Jacob ; and ' hearken
unto Israel your father. *
3 % Reuben, thou art " my firstborn, my might,
'and the beginning of my strength, the excel-
lency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
4 Unstable as water, "^ thou ' shalt not excel ;
because thou "^wentest up to thy father's bed ;
•Ps. 34. 11. 1' cli. 29. 3?. = Deut. 21. 17. Ps. 78. 51. " Hcb. do vol
ihon eicd. ' I Cliroii. 5. 1. *■ cli. 36. 5i2. 1 Chron. .5. 1. Deut. SI7. 20.
«0r, my couch is gone. " cli. 29. 33, 34. ' Prov. 18. 9.
full vent to all Ihe tender and aflectionate emotions, which
as i father and a hiabund do hiui endles.s credit.
3. Reuhen, my firstborn art thou /
3Ii/ misiht, and the prime of my strength.
Excelling in eminence, and excelling in power :
4. Pouring out like the waters : — t/iou shall not excel.
For thoti uentest up to the bed of thy father,—
Then thou didst defile : — to my couch he went tip !
Verse 3. Reuben as the firstborn had a right to a double
portion of all that tlie I'atlier had, see Deut. xxi. 17.
The eminence or dignity mentioned liere, may refer to the
priesthood, tlie jioxver, to the regal government or kingdom. In
this sense it has been understood by all the ancient Targum-
ists ; the Targum of Onkelos paraphrases it thus ; " Thou
shouldst have received three portions, the birth-right, the priest-
hood, and the kingdom :" and to this the Targums of Jona-
tlianben Uzziel, and Jeriisalem add, but because thou hast sinned,
the bWlh-ri'^ht is given to .Joseph, ?//e kingdom <o .ludah, and
priesthood to Levi." That the birth- right was given to the
sons of Joseph, we have the (lillest proof from 1 Chron. v. 1.
Verse 4. Pouring out like uatersl This is an obscure
sentence, because unfinished : It evidently relates to the defile-
ment of his father's couch, and the word jnS pachaz, here
translated poj^nng- out, and in oiu' version unstable, has a bad
meaning in other places of the Scripture, being applied to
dissolute, debauched, and licentious conduct; see Judg. ix. 4.
Zcph. iii. 4. .lerem. xxiii. 14, 32. xxix. 23.
Thou shalt not excell This tribe never rose to any emi-
nence in Israel ; was not so numerous by one tiiird, as either
Jud^h, .loseph, or Dan, when Moses look the sum of them
in the wilderness. Num. i. 21. and was among the frst that
■was carried into captivity, I Chron. v. 26.
Then thou didst defile^ Another unfini.shed sentence simi-
lar to the former, and upon tlie same subject, passing over
a transaction covertly, which delicacy forbad Jacob to en-
large on. — For the the criuie of Reuben, see the notes on chap.
XXXV. 22.
5. f^imcon and Levi, brethren :
They have accomplished their fraudulent purposes.
6. Into their secret council my soul did not come:
In tlu-ir confederacy my honour ■aas not united.
For in their anger they slew a man ('U?'N ish a noble)
And in their self-will they murdered a prince.
XLIX. Reuhen^ Simeon, and Levi
then defiledst thou it': ^ he went up
to my couch,
5 '% "" Simeon
"^ instruments
tions.
6 O my soul, " come not thou into their se-
cret ; " unto their assembly, ° mine honour, be
not thou united : for '' in their anger they slew
.A. M. 2315.
M. C 1089.
and Le\-i are ' brethren ;
of cruelty are in their habita-
'^ Or, their siuortU are vieopnns ofrnolenee. 'ch. 34. S5.j "Prov. 1. 15,
16. "Ps. 2d. 9. Ephcs. o. U. ° Ps. 16. 9. v\;30. 12. & .57. 8. Pcli.
34. 26. *
1. Cursed was their an^er, for it was fierce!
And their excessive wrath, for it was inflexible.'
I wilt divide them out in Jacob,
And I will disperse them in Israel.
Verse 5. Simeon and Levi are brethren"] Not only spring-
ing from the same parents; but they have the same kind of
disposition, headstrong, deceitful, vindictive, and cruel.
They have accomplished, ^-c] Our margin has it. Their
svjords are weapons of violence, i. e. Their swords which they
siiould have used in defence of their persons, or the honour-
able protection of their families, they have employed in the
base and dastardly murder of an innocent unoffending people.
The Septuagint gives a different turn to this line, from out"
translation, and confirms the translation given above; atn-
ittXii^av ci^iKiav s^ai^etrEa; auTav. They have accomplislied the
iniquity of their purpose, with which the Samaritan version
agrees. In the Samaritan text we read X2.ii calu, they hare
accomplished, instead of the Hebrew »V3 celi, weapons, or in-
struments, which reading mo.st critics prefer: and as to
Dn'm20 mecaroteyliem translated above, their fraudulent pur-
poses, and which our translation, on almost no authority, ren-
ders their habitations, it must either come from the Ethiopia
"130 macar, he counselled, devised stratagems, !(c. see Castel,
or from the Arabic J^ macara, he deceived, practised de-
ceit, plotted, &c. which is nearly of the same import. This
gives not only a consistent, but evidently ihe true sense.
■ Verse 6. Into their secret council, ^t.] Jacob here excul-
pates himself from all participation in the guilt of Simeon
and Levi, in the murder of the Shechemites. — He most so-
lemnly declares that he knew nothing of the confederacy by
which it was executed; nor of the secret council in which it
was plotted.
If it should be said that the words N3ri tabo, and inn
techad should be translated in the future tense, or in the impe-
rative, as in our translation, I shall not contend, though it is
well known that the preter is often used for the future m He-
brew, and vice versa. Taken thus, the words mark the
strong detestation which this holy man's soul felt for the vil-
lany of his sons. " My soul shall not come into their secret
council — My honour shall not be united to their confederacy."
For in their anger they slew a 7imn. tt^X Ish, a noble, an
honourable man, viz. Shechem.
And in their .iclf-ivill.] jyi retsnn, pleasure, delight. This
marks the highest degree of wickedness and settled malice — they
I i
Tfie prophecy GENESIS.
and in their selfwIU they:| 8 %
concerninrr Jndat,
A. M. au.i.
B. C. 16£9.
a man,
"" digged down a wall
7 Cursed he their anger, fur it was fierce ; and
their wrath, for it was cruel: " I will divide them
in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
* Or, hm^licd oxen.-
— "'.Tosli. 19. 1.&21. 5, 6, 7.
' cli. i9. 35. JJeut. ag. 7.
1 Chrou. 4. 24, 39.
Judah, thoji art lie whom thy amk;!,-;.
brethren shall praise: " thy hand !l^'i^^:
shall be in the neck of thine enemies; ''thy fa-
ther's children shall bow down before thee.
9 Judah is ' a lion's whelp ; fiom the prey, my
WTTc del/i^Iitcd with tlieir Jeed. A similar spirit, Saul of Tar-
sus pDi-sesseil, previous to his conversion; speakinji; of the mar-
tyrdom of St. Stephen, St. l.uke says, Ailsviii. I. EauXo; ^i
W (TuvEuioKuv Tn avaicECEi auTou. And Smil ivas gladlj/ conscnthii^
to his death. He was, uith the others, hii^hbi delighted with it :
and thus tlie prediction of our Lord was i'ulfilled, John xvi. 1.
Yea, the time cometh, that whosoercr killeth you, nill think that he
doth Cod service. And it is represented as the highest pitch of
profligac}' and wickedness, not only to sin, but to delight in it;
see Rpni. i. 32. y\s the Hebrew word jiJT retion, signifies, in
general, pleasure, benevolence, delight, ^x. neither self-rjitl, nor
leilfidness, as some have translated it, amounts to the full mean-
ing of the original ; delight or pleasure comes nearer, and tlie
reasons appear sniiiciently obvious. — Thet/ murdered a prince —
Hamor, the father of Shechcm, instead of IW shor, which wc
ha\e translated a ivall, and others an ox; I read "V! sar a prince,
whicii makes a consistent sense; see Kennicott's t'lrst Disserta-
tion, p. 56, &c. — As there is no evidence v\hatever, that Sim-
con and Levi either dug doiun a ii-ull, or houghed the oxen, as
some have translated the passage, see the margin; on the con-
trary, the text, chap. xxxv. 28, 29. proves that they had taken
tor their own use, the sheep, oxen, asses, all the xueulth, the xi'ives,
and the little ones of the Shecheniitcs.
Verse 7. Cursed v:as their anger'\ The first motions of
their violence were savage — and their excessive or oreijloiving
ivruth rroy aherat, for it v.-as inflexible; neither the suppli-
cations of the males, nor the entreaties, tears, cries and shrieks
of the helpless females, could deter them from their murderous
purpose; for this, ver. 5. they are said to have accomplished.
I will divide them out DPtTIS' achalekam, I ivill make them
into lots, giving a portion of them to one tribe, and a portion
to another — but they shall never attain to any political conse-
quence. This appears to have been literally fulfilled. Ixvi
bad no inheritance except forty-eight cities, scattered througli
diflerent parts of the land of Canaan ; and as to the tribe of
Simeon, it is generally believed among the Jews, that they
became school-masters to the other tribes: and when they
entered Canaan, they had only a small portion, a few towns
and villages in the worst j)arl of Judah's lot, .losli. xix. 1.
which afterwards finding too little, they formed different colo-
nies in districts which they conquered from the Idumeans and
Amalekites, 1 Chron. iv. 39, &c. Thus these two tribes were
not only separated from each other, but even divided from
themselves, according to this prediction of Jacob.
S. Judah! thou! Thy brethren shall praise thee.
Thy hand, in the neck of thine enemies:
The sons vf thy father shall bow themselves to thee.
S, A lion's tiihelp is Jrdah :
I'rom the prey my sort, thou hast ascended.
«!'?. IE. 40. 'Oil.
7. --1. 1 Cl:i(ill. 5.
Rev. j. d.
-f Ho;.. 5. 4.
lie couched, lying duii'n like a stroyjg lion.
And like a lioness ; vAio shall arouse him f .
10. From Judah the sccpire shall not depart,
Nor a teacher from his offspring.
Until that Shiloh shall come,
And to him shall be assembled the peoples.
Binding his colt to the vine.
And to the choice vine, the foles of his ass.
lie ivaslied his garments in wine.
His clothes in the blood of the grape.
With wine shall his eyes be red.
And his teeth sliull be while tvilh rnilk.
n.
12.
Verse 8. Thy brethren shall jiruise ihce"] As the nam«
Judah signitles praise, Jacob tukes occasion i'rom its meaning,
to shew that this tribe should be so eminent and glorious, that the
rest of the tribes should praise it; that is, that they should ac-
knowledge its pre-eminence and superiour dignity; as in its
privileges, it should be distinguished beyond all the otlicrs. On
the prophecy relative to Judah, Dr. Hales has several judici-
ous remarks, and has left very little to be further desired on
the subject. Every reader will be glad to meet with thcai here.
" The prophecy begins witli his name JuiiAU, signifying
the praise of the Lord, which was given to him at his birtli
by his mother Lecili, chap. xxix. 35. It then describes the
warlike character of this tribe, to which, by the divine ap-
pointment, was assigned the first lot of the promised land,
which was conquered accordingly hy the pious and heroic
Caleb; the first who laid hands on the necks of his enemies^
and routed and subdued them. Josh. xiv. 1 1. xv. 1. Judg. i.
1, 2. and led the way for their total subjugation under i>.-;r/ii;
who in allusion to this prediction, praises God, and says.
Thou hast given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might
destroy them that hate me. Psalm viii. 40. In tlie difttient
stages of its strength, this tribe is compared to a lion's w'help,
to a full i^roien lion, and to a nursing lioness, the fiercest of
all. Hence a lion was the standard of Judah; compare
Num. ii. 3. Ezek. i. 10. The city of Uavid, where he re-
posed himself after his conquests, secure in the terror of his
name, 1 Chron. xiv. 17. was called ylriel, the lion oj' God,-
Isa. xxix. 1. And our Lord himself, his most illustrious de-
scendant. The Lion of the tribe of Judah, Rev. v. 5.
The duration of the power of this famous tribe is next de-
termined— " The sce])tre of douiinioii," as it is understood,
F.slh. viii. 4. Isa. xiv. 5, &c. or its civil govemnient, was not
to cease or depart from Judah, until the birth or coming of
SlIILOH, signifying the Apostle, as Christ is stilcd, Heb. iii. I.
nor was the native lawgiver, or expounder of the law, teacher
or scribe, intimating their ecclesiastical polity, to cease, until
Shiloh should have a congregation of peoples, or religious fol-
The prophecy
son, thou art gone up : ' he fitooped '
down, he couclied us a lion, and as
A.M. ii3)3.
li.C. IfiSi'.
CHAP. XLIX. concenihrA' Jt(duh
an old lion; who shall rouse liini
•Surab. «a 24.
lowers, alta'Iieil lo Inni. Aiul how accuraltly wa* tlii.s ful-
fillod in Ixilli ihefe ri'^|Kcts !
1. Slioilly btlore the biiUi of (Mirist, a decree wa.s issued
bv AiigusliH C'oesar, that all llic land of .liidea and Galilee
should be enrolled ; or a re;;i^try ot ])t isuns taken, in which
Ciiri-< wa5 included ; Luko4i. I — 1. whence Julian tlie apos-
tate, unwittinirly olijectcd to his title of Clilils'l' or KiNG, that
" he was born a suhjecl of Ca-sar!" About eleven years after,
Judca was made a Roman pmvince, attached to Syria on the
dejjosal and banishment of Arclicluus, tlie son of llerod the
Great, for maladministration, and an assessment of proper-
ties, or laimg was carried into tllect by t'l/renius, then go-
vernor of Syria, the same, who before, as the Emperor's pro-
curator, had made the enrollment, Lnke ii. 2. Acts v. 37.
and thenceforth Judea was governed by a Roman deputy ; and
tlie judicial power of life and death taken away from the Jews,
John xviii. 31.
2. Their ecclesiastical polity ceased with the destruction
of their city and temple by the Romans, A. D. 70. At
which lime the gospel had been preached through the known
world by the Apostles, " his witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea, and in Suiimriu, and unto the uttermost parts oiihe earth,"
Matt. xxiv. 14. Acts ii. 8. Rom. x. 18. And avast congrega-
tion of Christians then formed, both among Jeii's and (^entiles.
Our Lord's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, before iiis
crucifixion, " riding on an uss, even a colt, the fole of an
ass ;" which by his direction, his disciples brought to him for
this purpose : — " Go into the village over against you, and pre-
sently ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her, loose
them and bring them to me," Matt. xxi. 2 — S. remarkably
fulfdliiig the prophecy of Zecliariah ix. 9. is no less a fulfill-
uient of this prophecy of Shilnli, " binding or lying hk fole to
tlie vine, even his ass's colt to the cltoicc tine." In ancient
times, to ride upon lettite asses, or ass cults was the privilege
of [lersons of high rank, princes, judges, and prophets, Judg.
y. 10. X. 4. Num. xxii. 22. And, as the children of Israel
were symbolized by the vine, Psal. Ixxx. 8. Hos. x. 1. and
the men of Judah, by " a (choice) vine of Sorck," in the
original, both here and in the beautiful allegory of Isaiah,
V. 1 — 7. adopted by Jeremiah ii. 21. and by our Lord,
IMatt. xxi. 31. who stiled himself the true vine, John xv. 1.
so, the union of both these images, signified our Lord's assutnp-
lion, as the promised Shiloh, of the dignity of the kin-; of the
Jcru'i; not in a temporal, but in a spiritual sense, as lie de-
claredto Pilate, John xviii. 36. as a ])rclude to his second
couiing in glory, " to restore again the kingdom to Israel,"
Matt, xviii. C)4. Acts i. (S.
The vcn'j^eance to be then inllicted on all the enemies of his
clmrch, or congregation of faithful C7^^/i<^■a(^•(, is expressed by
llie symbolical imagery of " washing his garments in u>ine,
and his clothes in the blood of grapes;" which, to understand
literally, would be incongruoits, and unusual any where ;
while it aptly represents his garments crnnsoned in the blood
up
o
A M. '.'31.-..
B.C. I68'>.
& 21. 9.
of his foes, and their immense .slaug:lifer ; an imagery fre-
quentlj' adopted in the /)ro/)//c//c Scripture, see I^a. Ixu. 11.
Ixiii. 1 — G. Rev. xix. 11 — Ij. xiv. 20.
The strength and wholesomenc.ss of .Shiloh's doctrine arc
next represented, by having '■ his eyes red with nine, and his
teeth white with milk." And thus the evangelical prophet,
in similar strains, invites the world to embrace the uosi't-:!,;
Ho, every one that thirsleth, come to the waters.
And he that hath no money, come buy and cat :
Yea, come buy wine and milk,
IVtthout money and tiilhout price. Isa. Iv. I.
On the last day of the feast of tabernacles, it was customary
among the Jews, for the people to bring water from the foun-
tain of Siloah, or Siloai;i, which they poured on the altar,
singing the words of Isaiah xii. 3. Withjoy shall ye Jratti water
from the fountain of salvation, which the Targuin interprets,
With joy shall ye receive a new doctrine from the ELECT ol'
the JO.ST ONE; and the feast itself was also called Hosanna,
sate, ive beseech thee. And Isaiah has also described the
apostacy of the Jews from their tutelar God Im.M.\NUEL, under
the corresponding imagery of their " rejecting tlve gently low-
ing'waters ot' Siloah," Isa. viii. 6 — 8.
Hence our Lord, on the last day of the feast, significantly
invited the Jews to come unto him, as the true and living foun-
tain of waters, Jer. ii. 13. " If any thirst let him come to ME
and drink," John vii. 37. He also compared his doctrine to new
ivine, which required to be put into neiu bottles, made of
skins, strong enough to contain it. Matt. ix. 17. while the
gospel is repeatedly represented as aflbrdinj milk for babes, or
the first principles of the oracles of God for novices in the
faith; as well as strong meat [and strong wine] for masters
in Christ, or adepts. Matt. xiii. 11. Ileb. v. 12 — 14.
And our Lord's most significant miracle was wrought at
this fountain, when he gave sight to a man of forty years old,
blind from his birth, by sending him, after he had anointed !iis
eyes with moistened clay, to wash in the poo\ of Siloani, which
is the Greek ])ronunciation of the Hebrew ri/l? Siloah, or
Siloh, Isa. viii. tj. where the Scptuat^int version reads 'LiXaaiJ.:
signifying, according to the Kvangclist, amrahixcioi, sent
Jorth, and consequently deri\ed trom nSc Shalach, to send,
John ix. 7. Our Lord thus assuming to himself, his two lead-
ing titles of MESSI.\n, signifying anojn/frf, and Shiloh, sent
forth, or delegated from God ; as he had done before at the
opening of his mission. " The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he halh anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor ;
he hath sent vie forth [aTrtixXxi) to heal the broken-hearted,"
&c. Luke iv. 18.
And in the course of it he declared, I was not sent forth,
{aTnraMv) but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israeli
Matt. XV. 24. by a twofold reference to his character in Jacob's
prophecy of SuiLOH and SaEI'HEUU OF ISR,\EL, Gen. xlix.
10 — 24. "This is lite eternal, to know thee the only true-
I i 2
Shiloh promised. The prophecy
10 ' The scepter shall not depart
from Judali, nor ^ a lawgiver ' tiom
between his teet, ''until Shiloh come; 'and
A. M. 2313.
B.C. 1689.
GENESIS.
12 His
wine,
milk.
unto him shall the gathering of the people he.
1 1 ' Binding his tble unto the vine, and his
ass's colt unto the choice vine; he wasiied his
garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood
of grapes :
•Xmnb. t'+. 17. .Ter.30. 21. Zecb. ID. 11. "Ps. 60. 7.& 10!i. 8. or.Numh.
i!I. IH ' Dent. i8. 57. •' Isa. U. 1. St 6t. 11. Ezek. ai. -il. Dm\. 9. 25.
Jliilt. 21 9. Luke 1. 32, S3.
Goil, and Jesus Christ wliom thou sentest forth," [wTTzmT^a^)
to instruct and save mankind, John xvii. .'5. and he thus dis-
tinguishes liis own superior mission, from his commission to his
Apostles, " As 'fHE FATHER hath sent ME aTrirahxt /ae, so I
send you," in^jLTta ufiag, John xx. 21. Whence St. Paul
expressly stiles " Jesus Christ the Apostle (O A'tcotoXo?) and
high-priest of our profession," Heb. iii. 1. and by an elabo-
rate argument, shews the superiority of his mission above tiiat
of Moses; and of his priesthood above that of Aaron, in the
sequel of the epistle. His priesthood was foretold by David
to be a royal priesthood, after the order of BIdchiscdek, Psalm
ex. 4. but where shall we find his mission or apostleship fore-
told, except in Jacob's prophecy of Shiloh .? which was evi-
dently so understood by Moses when God offered to send
him as his ambassador to Pharaoh, and he declined at first
the arduous mission, O my Lord, send I pray thee by ihe
band of Him ■uihom thou -wilt send, or by the promised Shiloh,
Esod. iii. 10. iv. 13. by whom in his last blessnii^ to the
Israelites, parallel to that of Jacob, he prayed that " God
would bring back Judah to his pi-ople," from captivity, Deut.
xxxiii. 1.
Here then we fr.id the true me.ining- and derivation of ihe
much disputed term Shiloh in this prophecy of Jacob, which
i« fortunately preserved by the Vnlsute, rendernig qui niittoi-
diis est. He that is to be sent, and also by a Itabbiiucal com-
ment on Deut. xxii. T. " If you keep this precept, you hasten
the coming of the Messiah, who is called Sent.
This ini;;oriarit prophecy concerning Judab, intimates :
]. The warlike character and cnnquests of this tribe. 2. The
cessation of their civd and religi(>us polity at the first coming
of SMoh. ?•■ His meek ami lowly inauguration at that
time, as spiritual king of the Jajs, riding on an tiss like the
ancient judges and prophets. 4. His second coming as a
warrior to trample on all his foes: And^ 5. To save and in-
struct his tailhlul people.' — Hides' Analysis, Vol. ii, p. 167,
&.C.
Verse SO. From Judah the iceptre shall not depart] The
Jews have a quibble on the word {331? shebel, M'hich we tran-
slate sceptre; ibfv say it signifies a stuff' or rod, and that the
ineanin'T of it is. ibat " offiictions shall iu;t depart from the
Jews till the Messiah comes;" that they are still under afflic-
tion, and therefore the Messiah isnot come. This is a miser-
able sh>Jt to save a lost cti'ue. Tiieir chief Targuniist, Onkelos,
undersUiod and tran^laled the word nearly as we do, and the
tame nieanmg is adopted by the Jemsaiem Targuin, and
eyes
and his
concaming Zebulun and Issachnr.
shall he red with
teeth white with
.\ M. »S15.
IV C. 16i9.
13 ^ " Zcbidun shall dwell at the liaven of
the sea ; and he shall he for an haven of ships ;
and his border shall be unto Zidon.
14 ^ Issachar is a strong ass, couching down
between two burdens:
' Isa. 2. 2. & It. 10. & 42. 1, 4. & 49. 6, 7. 22, 23. & 55. 4, 5. & fO. 1, .S, 4,
5. Has. 2. 7. Luke 2. 30, 31,32. >2 Kings 18.32. sFrov. 23. 29 .
"Deut; j'd. 18, 19. Josh. 19. 10, 11.
by all the ancient versions, the Arabic excepted, which has
,_<sA>aS kazech, a rod; but in a very ancient MS. of the
Pentateuch in my own possession, the word tuu*. sibt is
used, which signifies a tribe. Judah shall continue a distinct
tribe till the Messiah shall come; and it did so; and after
his coming, it was confounded with the others, so that all
distinction has been ever since lost.
Nor a teacher from his offspring."] I am sufficiently aware
that the literal meaning of the original vVj"^ f'30 mi-beyn
ragelaiv, is, from betiveen his feet ; and 1 am as iuUy satisfied
that it should ne\er be so translated; — from betiieen thefeet, and
out of the thtgh, simply iwtAnprogeni/, natural offspring; for rea-
sons, which surely need not be mentioned. The Targuin of
Jonathan ben Uzziel, and the Jerusalem Targum, apply the
whole of this prophecy in a variety of very miiuite particulars,
to the Messiuh ; and give no kind of countenance to the fic»
tions of the modern Jews.
1 3. At the haven of the seas shall Zebulun dlcell.
And he shall be a liut'enfor ships. _^
And his border shall e.vtend unto Sidon. i
Verfe 13. Zebulun's lot or portion in the division of the
promised land, extended from the Mediterrarifan Sea oa
the West, 10 the lake of Genne.>.areth on the i' asl ; sec his'
division, Josh. xix. 10, &c. The Targum of J. ben VziieVj
paraphrases the passage thus : " Zebulun shall be on the'
coasts of the sea, and he shall rule over the liavens; he shall'
subdue the provinces of the sea with his ships; and his border
shall eitt-nd unto Sidon."
1 4. Issachar is a strong ass
Couching between two burthens.
15. And he saw the resting place , that it \\>&sgood.
And the land, that it xuis pleasant ;
And he inclined his shoulder to the load.
And became a servant unto tribute. ,
Verse 1 i-. Issachar is a strong ass] D"iJ "TOn chamor gtrtm
is properly a strong limbed ass — Couching hetxceeit tu-o burthens;
bearing paliently, as mo.st iindirstaiid it, the fatigues of agri-
culture, and submitting to exorbitant taxes, rather than exert
themselves to drive out the old inhabitants.
Ihe t-ao A!()///f«s literally mean \.\\e two sucks or panniers,
one on each side of the animal's body ; and couching down be-
j twecn these, refers to the well known propensity of the a««.
J
A.M. '-'ST'.
B. C. itr.o.
The prophecy
\5 And he saw that rest tvas good,
and the hmd that it "was pleasant ;
and bowed ' his .shoulder to bear, and became
a servant nnto tribute.
16 f "Dan shall judge his people, as one of
the tribes of Israel.
CHAP. XLIX
• 1 Sam. 10. 9. '' Dent. 53. ii. Judg. 18. 1,». ^'Judg. 18. 27.
whenever wearied or overloaded, to lie down even with its
burthen on its hacl;.
Verse 1.^. He saw th^ rext] Tlie inland portion that was
as.'iigjncd to him between tlie otlier tribes; Ik inclined Ids
thoutdiT to the load ; The Ciialicc paraplirast gives this a
widely difl'erent turn to that given it by most conuntntalors.
" He saw his portion that it was good, and the land that it
was fruitful ; and lie shall subdue the provinces of the people,
and drive out their inhabitants, and those who are left shall
l)e his .servants and Ins tributaries." Grotius understands it
nearly m the .«ame way. The piisHtaniniity which is generally
attributed to this tribe, certainly does not agree widi the light
in which they are exhibited in Scrii ture. In the song of
Deborah, this tribe is praised lor the powerful aasisiuncc which
itthen aflorded, Judg. v. 15. And in 1 Cbron.vii. 1 — 5. they
are expressly said to have been valiant men of might in alt
iheir families, and in all their gcneraliona ; i. e. through every
period of their history. It appears they were a labor:ous,
hardy, valiant tribe, patient in labour, and invincible in uar;
bearnig both these burdt ns wilii great constancy, whenever it
was found necessary. V\'hfn Tola of this tribe, judged Israel,
the land had rest twenty-three years, Judg. x. 1.
16. Dan shall judge his people
As one of the tribes of Israel.
1 7. Dan shall be a serpent on the le-i!/,
A cerastes upon the truck.
Biting the heels of the horse,
And his rider shall fall backwards.
Verse 16. Dan shall judge'] Dan, whose name signifies
judgment, was the eldest of Jacob's .sons by Dilhah, Kaclrel's
maid; and he is here promised an equal rule, with those
tribes that sprung from either Leah or Rachel, the legal wives
of Jacob.
Some Jewish and some Christian v.'riters understand this
prophecy of Samson, who sprang from this tribe, and judged,
or as the word might be translated, avenged the people of
Israel, twenty years; see Juilg. xiii. 2. xv. 20.
Verse 17. Dan shall be a serpent] The original word is
ICTU naehash, and we have seen cm chap. iii. tiiat this has a
great variety of signification,-. — It is probable that a serpent is
here intended ; but of what kind we know not — yet as the
principal relerence in the text is to guile, cunning, ifc. the
same creature may be intended as in chap. iii.
A cerastes in the truck] The woi d |ia'3li' shcphiphon, which
is no where else to be found in tlie IJibIc, is llu;s translated
by the Vulgate ; and Bochart approves of the translation. The
caaues has its naiue from two little horns upon its head, and
concerning Dan.
17 'Dan shall be a serpent by the
way, '' an adder in the path, that
biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall
backward.
18 'I have waited for thy salvation, O
Lord.
■"Ilch. «?; arn/te-snuke. ^= Ps. 25. 6. & 119. 166, 174. Isa. 25. 9.
is remarkable fur the property here ascribed to the shephiphon.
The word mx orach, which we translate path, signiiies the
track or rut made in the ground by the wlieel of a curt,
wagon, Sfc. And the description that iV(V«»rff;- gives of this
serpent in his Theriacci, pcrli;ctly agrees with what is here
said of the shephiphon ;
H >cat anar^oxiWi "Ka^a (tti^ov ev^vxci avsi. v. 262.
It lies under the sand ; or in some cart-rut by the way.
It is intimated that this tribe should gain the principal part
of its conquests, more by ainning and stratagem than by valour ;
and this is .seen particularly in their conquest of Laish, Judges
xviii. and even in some of the transactions of Samson, .such as
burning the corn of the Philistines, and at last pulling down
their temple, and destroying three thousand at one time; see
Judg. xvi. 26 — 36.
18. For thy salvation, have I \iaited, 0 Lord f
This is a remarkable ejaculation, and seems to stand per-
fectly unconnected with all that went before, and all that fol-
lows. Though it is probable that certain prophetic views,
which Jacob now had, and which he does not explain, gave
rise to it : and by this he at once expressed both his faith
and hope in God. Both Jews and Christian commentators
have endeavoured to find out the connection in which these
words existed in the mind of the patriarch. The 'J argum of
Jonathan expresses the whole thus: " \\'heD Jacob saw
Gideon the son of Joasli, and Samson the son of Manoah,
which were to be saviours in a future age; he said, I do not
wait for the salvation of Gideon, I do not expect the salvation
of Samson, because their salvation is a temporal salvation ;
but 1 wait for and expect thy salvation, O Lord, because thy
salvation is eternal." And the Jerusalem Targum much to
the same purpose. " Our father Jacob said : Wait not, my
soul, for the redemption of Gideon the son of Joash which is
temporal, nor the redem]>tion of Samson which is a created
salvation, but for the salvation which thou hast .slid by THY
WulU) should come to thy people, the children of Israel : my
soul waits for this thy salvation." Indeed these Targums
refer almost the whole of these ))rophccies to the Mes-
siah, and especially what is said abovt Judah; every word of
which, they apply to him. Thus the ancient Jews convict the
moderns of both false interpretations and vain expectations.
As the tribe of Dan was the first that appears to have been
seduced from the true worship of God, see Judg. xviii.
30. some have thought that Jacob refers particularly to this ;
and sees the end of the general apostacy only in the redemp-
2
Tlie prophecy concenting Gad, GENESIS.
19 ^ ^ Gad, a troop shall overcome
him: but he shall ' overcome at the
is. C. ltB9.
last.
20 % " Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and
he shall yield royal dainties.
' Deut. 33. 20. 1 Cliroii. 5. 18. 1- Deut. 33. 21. .Tosh. 19. S4.
tion ,by Jesiis Christ : considering- the nnchash above as tlie
fejiiccr ; and the Messiah, the promised ^eed.
19. Gad, an army shall attack him.
And he sIiiiU attack in return.
This is one of the most obscure prophecies in the whole
chapter ; and no two interpreters agree in the translation of the
original words, which exhibit a most singular alliteration :
1J11J' nnj -M Gad i^edud yemulenu :
2pi; nj' JCmi I'ehu yagtid akab.
The prophecy seems to refer generally to the frequent
ilisturbauccs to which this tribe should be exposed, and
their hostile, warlike disposition that would always lead
them to rejiel every agt;ression. It is likely that tlie pro-
phecy had an especial fullilment, when this tribe, in conjunc-
tion with that of Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh,
got a great victory over the Hagarites, taking captive one him- ,
dred thousand men, ttio thousand asses, ^^liftj/ thousand camels, j
and t'.vo hundred and fiftij thousand sheep, see I Chron. v. 18.'
— 22. Dr. Durell and others translate the last word 2,TiV
akab, rear — "He shall invade their rear;" \ihich contains
almost no meaning, as it only seems to state, that thou'^h the
army that invaded Gad should be successful, yet the Gadites
would harass their rear as they returned : but this could
never be a subject of sufficient consequence for a prophecy.
The word apj; ukab is frequently used as a particle, signify-
ing in conscijuence, because of, on account of. After the
Gadites had obtained the victory above mentioned, they con- i
tinned to possess the land of their enemies till they were
earned away captive. The Chaldce paraphrasts apply this to ;
the Gadites going armed over Jordan before their brethren,
discomfiting Iheir enemies, and returnini^ back with much
fpoil. See Josh. iv. 12, 13. and xxii. 1, 2, 8
20. From Asher his bread shall be/«;.
And he shall produce royal daintiest j
This refers to the great fertility of the lot that fell to'
Asher, and which appears to have corresponded with the name,
which signifies happy, or blessed, and whose great prosperity
Moses describes in this figurative way — " Let Asher be
blessed with children, let him be acceptahle to his brethren,
and let him dip Ids foot in oil," Deut. x.\xiii. 24.
21. yaphtali is a spreading oak.
Producing beautiful brunches.
1 his is Bochari's translation ; and perhaps no man, who
nnderstands the genius of the Hebrew language, will attempt
to disjuite its propriety : it is as literal as it is correct. Our
wvn translation scarcely gives any sense. The fruitfiilness
1
Asher, Naphtall, and Josepit,
21 f ' Naphtali is a hind let loose : a. M.2315.
he giveth goodly A\-ords. i^.K_e9.
22 ^ Joseph is a friiitfiil bough, even a fruitful
bough by a well ; ivhose '' branches run over the
wall :
' Deut. 33. 2.). ' Heb. daughters.
of this tribe^ in children, may be here intended : from his
four sons, Jjhzcl, Guni, Jezcr, and Shilkm, which he took
down into Egypt, ch. xlvi. 24. in the course of two hundred
aiid fil'teen years, there sprung of ellective men, 53,400 ; but,
as gi-eat increase in this way, was not an uncommon case in
the descendants of Jacob, this may refer particularly to the
\fndtf<dncss of their soil, and the special providential care
and blessing of the Almighty; to which, indeed. Moses
I seems particularly to refer, Deut. xxxiii. 23. — 0 Naphtludi,
I satisfied ivith favour, and full u-ith the blessing, of the Lord.
I So that he may be represented under the notion of a tree
■planted in a rich soil, growing to a |>rodigious size, extending
i its numerous branches in all directions, and becoming a shads
for 7ncn and cattle, and a harbour for the fowls of heaven.
22. The son of a fruitful (w'me) is Joseph ;
The son of a fruitful (vine) by the fountain:
The daughters (branches) shoot over the tcull.
23. They .'.orely aflicted him, and contended with him ;
The chief archers had hint in hatred.
24. But his bow remained in sti-ength.
And the arms of his hands xvere made strong.
By the hand of the JMighly One of Jacob,
By tlie name of the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel.
25. By the God of thy father, for he helped thee.
And God All- sufficient, he blessed thee.
The blessing of the heavens from above.
And the blessings couching in the deep beneath ;
The blessings of the breasts a}id of the womb.
26. The blessings of thy father have prevailed
Over the blessings of the eternal mountains,
And the desirable things of the everlasting hills.
These shall be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of his head who ivas separated from
his brethren.
Verse 22. Tlie son of a fruitful vine] This appears to ine to
refer to Jacob himself, who was blessed with such a nume-
rous posterity, that in two hundred and fifteen years after this,
his own descendants amounted to upwards of 600,000 eflPective
nun ; and the figures here are intended to point out the con-
tinual growth and increase of his posterity. Jacob was a fruitful ■
tree, planted by a tbuntain, which, because it was good, would
y\c\A gnodfndt ; and because it was planted near a /omi^ajn,
from being continually watered, \\ou\d he perpetually fruitful, i
The same is used and applied to Jacob, Deut. vxxiii. 28. —
The FOUNTAIN of JaCOB shall be upon a land of corn and
wine and oil, i)C. ,
The daughters] — r>y3 benoth, put here for branches — shoot
over, or run upon the wall Alluding probably to the case of t
CHAP. XLIX. extiaordinm-i/ privUcgcs.
sorely jl '25. ^ Even by tlie God oi" thy father
A .AJ.V.-.I5.
li.C. lli.lC.
Joseph is blessed xvith
A.AK'.V'i.s. 2;j 'I ho archer? have
^^ "'"^ grieved him, and shot at liini, and | who shall help thee ; ^ and by the
hated him : ' Almighty, ' who shall ])less thee with blessings
24 Jkit his '' bow abode in strength, and the ot" heaven al)ove, blessings of the deep that
arms of his hands were niade strong by the | lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of liie
hands of 'the -mighty God of Jacob; (" from vvomb :
thence "is the shepherd, ' the stone of Israel :) | 26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed
•til 3( 4, 'ii, 2S. & rP. '.'O. &: 4.'. 21. IV. 1 1fi. I.*?. ''.Tot) iV. 50. Vs. 57.
l.V tl'>. ISV. if, j. ° ill. 13. II. St '17. U. & all. 2i.
llic vine, whicli requires to lit; supported liy a wall, trees, &c.
Some commentators have iinderstuoil this literally, and have
applied it to the Kijvptian women, who were so struek with
the beauty of Joseph, as to get upon walls, the tops of
houses &c. to see him as he passed by. This is agreeable
to the view taken of the subject by the Koran. — See the notes
on chap, xxxix. 7.
Verse 23. TIte cltU-f aix/iers] ZD'Sn hv2 baahy chatsim,
tlie muslers of (tnov:s, Joseph's bretiiren, who eitiier used
such wea[)ons, uhile feeding their Hocks in the desarts, lor
the protection of themselves and cattle; or lor the purpose
of hunting, and probably excelled in archery. It may, how-
ever, refer to the bitter spuecke.i and harsh viords that they
spoke to and of him; for thty hated him, and could not speak
peaccabti) to him, chap, xxxvii. 4. Thus they sorely afflicted
him, and were inces.santly scoldina- or finding fault.
Verse 24. Bttt his box-j uliode in strcn<;lh~\ The more he
was persecuted, either by his brethren, or in F.jypt, the more
resplendent his uprightness and virtues shone ; and the arms —
his extended power and injluencc — of his hands, plans, designs,
ar:d particular opert^tions of his prudence, judgment, discre-
tion, iVf. Mere all rendered successful by the liand, the power-
ful succour and protection of the Mighfj/ One of Jacob — that
God who blessed and prospered all the counsels and plans of j
Jacob; and protected and increased hiin also, when he was
in a strr.nge land, and often under the power of those \iho
sought opportunities to oppress and defraud hiiri.
i-'rotn thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel^ Jehovah,
and Et-Eluhey hrael, see chap, xxxiii. 20. This appears to
me to refer to tlie subject of the xxxiind. chapter, where
Jacob wrestled with God, had God's name revealed to him,
and his own name changed from Jacob to Israel ; in conse-
quence of which, he bnilded an altar, which he dedicated to
God, who had appeared to him under the name of Elohiy-
Israel, the stronq God of Israel; which circumstance led him
to use the term Rocic, which, as an emblem of poii;er and
strength, is frequently given to God in the sacred writings,
and which may here refer to the stojie which Jacob set up,
and which was called Beth-el, see chap, xviii. 13, 19. It is
very probable that the woril Shepherd is intended to apply to
our blessed Lord, who is the Shepherd of Israel, the geoel J^iiep-
herd, John x. 11 — 17. and who, beyond all controversy,
was the person with whom Jacob wrestled. — See the notes on
chap. xvi. 7. and xxxii. 24.
Verse 25. The God of thy father] How frequently God
is called the God of Jacob, none needs be told, who reads the
Bible.
'Ps. 80. 1.-
-•■I«ai. ','8. IG. «cli. 28. l.'i, 2i: & 3.5 .".
"ch. 17. 1. & 35. 11. 'Ueat. 33. 13.
& 4:5.
God All-sulTicienl] Instead of niy nx Et Shaday, 'llir.
Almighty, or All-sufficient, I road nU' Sx I'lL Shaday, CJoii
Atl-sulficient, which is the reading of the Samaritan, Sepina-
gint, Syriac, and Coptic, and of three reputable MSS. in
the collections of Kennicott and De Rossi. The copies used
by those ancient versions had evidently h^ El, (lod, in the
text, and not ns* et, TilK, a mistake produced in later times.
On the ^^oI•ds niy bx El Shaday, see the note on chap,
xvii. 1.
Tlie blessings of the heavens from above] A generally pure,
clear, serene sky, frequently dropping down fertilizing showers
and dews, so as to make a very fruitful soil and salubrious
atmosphere.
Blessijigs lying in the deep beneath'] Whatever riches could
be gained from the sea or rivers, from mines and minerals in
the bowels of the earth, and from abundant springs in diflt.-r-
ent parts of his inheritance. Our translation of this line is
excessively obscure.
Blessings of the deep that lieth under] What is it that lie*
itnder the deep? — By connecting r3^3 birecoth, blessings,
with nS31 robetseth, lying or couching, all ambiguity, is avoided,
anel the text speaks a plain and consistent .sense.
The blessi/igs of the breans and of lite ivomb] A numerous
offspring, and an abundance of catje. The progeny of
Joseph, by Kphraim anil Manas.seh, amounted at the firjt
census, or enumeration. Numb. 1. to 75,ytX) men, which ex-
ceeded the sum of any one tribe; Judah, the greatest of the
others, amounting to no more than 74,600. Indeed, Ephraiui
and Manassch had multiplied so greatly in the days of Joshua,
that a common lot was not sutricienl for ihein. See their
complaint. Josh. xvii. 14.
Verse 26. The blessings of thy father, !fc.] The blessings
which thy lather now prays lor and pronounces, are neither
temporal nor transitory — they shall exceed in tlicir duration
the eternal mountains, and in their value and spiritual nature
all the conveniencies, comforts, and delicacies, which the ever-
lasting hills can produce. They shall last when the heavens
and the earth are no more, and shall e:':tend throughout eter-
nity. They are the bU.ssings wiiieh shall be communicated to
the world by means of tiie IMessiah.
The Jerusaieni Targum paraphrases the place thus : " The
blessings of this father shall be added unto the blessings
wherewith thy fathei-s Abraham and Isaac, who are likened
to mountains, have Idessed thee; and they shall exceed the
blessings of the four mothers Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and
Leah, who are likened lo llie hills: all these blessings shall
be a crown of uiaguilicencc on the head of Joseph, and cu
A. M. 2315.
B. C. 1689.
The prophecij concerning Benjamin. GENESIS
above the blessings of thy progeni-
tors, '' unto the utmost bound of the
everlasting hills : '' they shall be on the head of
Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him
that was separate fi-om his brethren.
27 ^ Benjamin shall "ravin as a wolf: in the
morning he shall devour the prey, ^ and at night
he shall divide the spoil.
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel :
and this is it that their father spake unto them,
and blessed them ; every one according to his
blessing he blessed them.
29 ^ And he charged them, and said unto
them, I ' am to be gathered unto my people :
^ bury me with my fathers ^ in the cave that is
in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
A.M. S3l3.
B. C. 16R9.
• Deut. S3. 15. H:ib.3. 6. ^ Deut. 3r5. 16. '^ Jndff W. 21, 2.5. Ezck. S
05, 27. i Numb. 23. 24. EstlierS. II. Ezek. 39. 10. Zecli. 14. 1, 7.
the crown of the bead of him who was a prince and governor
in the land of Egypt."
27. Bevjamin is a ravenous wolf:
In the morning he shall devour the prey.
And in the evening he shall divide the spoil.
This tribe is very fitly compared to a ravenous iiolf, because
of the rude courage and ferocity which they have inva-
riably displayed, particularly in their war with the other tribes,
in which they killed more men than the whole of their own
numbers amounled to.
" This last tribe," says Dr. Hale.s " is compared to a wolf
for its ferocious and martial disposition, such as was evinced
by their contests with the other tribes, in which, after two
victories, they were almost exterminated," Judg. xix. 20. Its
union with the tribe of Jiidah seems to be intimated in their
joint conquests, expressed nearly in the same terms — " Judali
went up from the prey" — " Benjamin devoured the prey."
Moses, in his parallel prophecy, Deut. xxxiii. 12. confiims
this, by signifying that the sanc/uaiy should be fixed in his
lot, and that he should continue as long as the existence of
the temple itself.
The BELOVF.D of the Lord shall duel! with him in S({fetj/,
And shall cover him all the day long ;
And shall dwell between his sliotilders. Deut. xxxiii. IS.
In the morning, ^'c] These expre-ssions have been viirionsly
understood. The sense given above is that in which the
principal interpreters agree; but Ilnubiz'int protests against
the prophecy signifying the continuance of tiiis tribe, as the
words, " in the morning devouring the prey," and " m the
ercnw^: dividing tlie spoil," are supposed to imply; because
he observes, " that after liie return from the Babylonish cap-
tivity, this tribe is no more mentioned." But this may be
accounted for from the circumstance of its being associated
■with that of Judah, see 1 Kings xii. 21 — 24. after which it
Jacob's dj/ing request.
30 In the cave that is in the
field of Machpelah, (which is be-
fore Mamrc, in the land of Canaan,) ''which
Abraham bought with the field of Ephron
the Hittite> for a possession of a burying-
pjace
31 ('There they buried Abraham and Sarah
his wife ; " there they biu-ied Isaac and Rebekah
his wife ; and there I buried Leah.)
32 The purchase of the fi^ld and of the
cave that is therein, was from the children oi
Heth.
33 And when Jacob had made an end of com-
manding his sons, he gathered up his feet into
the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and ' was
gathered unto his people.
= Ch. 15.15. &25.8. fcli.47.."0. vSarnJ9.3r ecli.50. 13. I'd!.
16. ' cli. 23. 19. & 25. 9. " cli. 35 i'S. ' ver. 29.
is scarcely ever mentioned but in that union. Being thus
absorbed in the tribe of Judah, it contmued from the morning
till the evening of the Jewish dispensation, and consequently
till the Lion of the tribe of Judah was seen in the wilderness
of Israel.
In the morning, according to Mr. Ainsworth, " signifies
the first times: for Ehud of Benjamin was the second judge
that s.ived the Israelites from the hands of the Moabites,
Judges iii. 15, &c. 8aul of Benjamin was the first king of
Israel : he and his . son were great warriors, making a prey
of many enemies, 1 Sam. xi. 6, 7, 11. xiv. 13, 15, 47, 48^
And the evening, the latter times; for Mordecai and Esther
of Benjamin delivered the Jews from a great destruction, and
slew their enemies, Fsth. viii. 1,9, 11. ix. 5, 6, 15, 16."
Verse 28. Every one according to his blessin^^ That is,-
guided by the unerring spirit of prophecy, .Jacob now fore-
told to each of his sons all the important events which should
take place during their successive generations, and the pre-
dominant characteristic of each tribe; and, at the same time, .
made some comparatively obscure references to the advent of.
the Messiah, and the redemption of the world by him.
Verse 29. Bury me with jny fathers, (^Y.] From this it ap-
pears, that the cave at Machpelah was a conimon buiying-placc
for Hebrews of distinction ; and, indeed, the first public btiry-
ing-place mentioned in history. From ver. .31. we find that
Abraham, Sarah, Lsaac, Rebekah, and Leah, had been already
deposited there, and among them Jacob wished to have his
bones laid ; and he left his dying charge with his children to
bury him in this place, and this tlicy conscientiously per-
formed.— ISee chap. 1. 13. and the Note on Extid. iii. 19.
Verse 3.3. He gathered up his feet into the bedl It is very
probable, that while delivering these prophetic blessings, Ja-
cob sat upon the side of his bed, leaning upon his staff; and
having finished, he lifted up his feet into the bed, stretched
himself upon it, and expired:
And was gathered unlo his people.] The testimony that this
Joseph and his brethren supposed lo CHAP. XLIX. have given rise to tlie ancient Zodiac,
place bear* to the immortality of the soul, and to its existence
tepurute from the body, .'•liould not. he lightly regurded. In
the saivic moment, in wliieli Jacob is said to have s^atiieied up
his feel into the bed and to have expired, it is added, and ivas
gathered unto /ii» people. It is certain that his body was not
then ^iithered to his people, nor till seven weeks ailer ; and it is
not likely that a circumstance, so distant in point both of
time and place, would have been thus anticipated, and asso-
ciated with facts that took place in that moment. I cannot
help, therefore, considerinfj this an additional evidence for
the immateri<ilily of the soul ; ami that it was intended by the
Holy Spirit to convey this grand and consolatory sentiment,
that when a holy man ceases to live among his fellows, his
soul becomes an inhabitant of another world, and is joined
to the spirits of just men made perfect, — See the notes on
chap. XXV. 8.
I. It has been conjectured, (see the note ch. xxxvii. 9.) that
the eleven stars that bowed down to Joseph might probably re-
fer to the signs of the Zodiac, which were very anciently known
in Egypt, and are supposed to have had their origin in Chaldea.
On this supposition, Joseph's eleven brethren answered to
elaen of these signs, and himself to the twelfth. General
Valiancy, well known for his curious antiquarian researches,
has 'endeavoured, in his Collectanea de Reims Hibemicis,
vol. vi. part ii. p. 343. to trace out the analogy between the
twelve sons of Jacob and the twelve signs of the Zodiac,
which Dr. Hales {Amilysis, vol. ii. p. 165.) has altered a
little, and placed it in a form in which it becomes more ge-
nerally applicable. As this scheme is curious, many readers,
who may not have the opportunity of consulting the above
works, will be pleased to find it here. That there is an
allusion to the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and probably to
their ancient asterisins or characters by which they were dis-
tii^guished, may be readily credited : but how far the peculiar
characteristics of the sons of Jacob, were ex-pressed by the
itnimals in the Zodiac, is a widely diilerent question.
1. Reuben — " Unstable (rather pouring out) as waters" —
the sign AQUARIUS, represented as a 7uan pouring out
waters from an urn.
2. Simeon and Levi — " The united brethren" — the sign
Gemini, or ihe Twins.
3. JUDAH — " The strong lion" — the sign LeO.
4. Asher — " His bread shall be fat" — the sign ViRGO, or
the Virgin, generally represented as holding a full car
of corn.
5. TsSACIIAR — " A strong ass," or ox, both used in hus-
bandry— the sign Taurus, or the Bull.
6. and 7. DaN — " A serpent biting the horse's heels" —
Scorpio, the Scorpion. On the celestial sphere, the
Scorpion is actually represented as bitin<^ the heel of the
/ior«e of the archer, Sagittarius: and Chelce, " his claws,"
originally occupied the space of Libra.
8. JOSEI'II — " His bow remained in strength" — the sign
SAtilTTARIUS, the archer or bow-man, eonmionly repre-
sented, even on the Asiatic Zodiacs, with his bow bent,
and tile arrow drawn up to the head — the bow in full
strength.
9. Naphtali — by a play on bis name, nho talch, the Ram —
the sign Aries, according to the Rabbins. See Bux-
toif's Rab. Lex.
10. Zebulun— " A haven for ships"— denoted by Cancer,
the Crab.
1 1. Gad — " A troop or armjr" — reversed. Dag, a Jish — the
sign Pisces.
12. Ben,iamin— " A ravening wolf"— Capricorn, which
on the Egyptian sphere was represented by a goat, led by
Pan, with a -wolf's head.
What likelihood the reader may see in all thLs, I cannot
pretend to say : but that the twelve signs of the Zodiac were
even at that time known in Egypt and Chaldea ; and that
the twelve sons of Jacob were likened to them, in the pro-
phetic dream already referred to, there can be little room to
doubt.
2. We have now seen the life of Jacob brought to a close ;
and have carefully traced it through all its various fortunes,
as the fiicts presented themselves in the preceding chapters.
Isaac his father was what might be properly called a good
man ; but in strength of mind, he appears to have fallen far
short of his father Abraham, and his son Jacob. Havini^ left
the management of his domestic concerns to Rebekah his
wife, who was an artful and comparatively irreligious woman,
the education of his sons was either neglected or pen'erted.
The unhappy influence which the precepts and example of
this mother had on the mind of her son, we have seen and
deplored. Through the mercy of God, Jacob outlived the
shady part of his own character; and his last days were his
brightest and his best. He had many troubles and difficulties in
life, under which an inferior mind must have necessarily sunk ;
but beinga worker together with the providence of God, his diffi-
culties only served in general to whet his invention, and draw
out the immense resources of his own mind. He had to do with
an avaricious procrastinating relative, as destitute of humanity as
he was of justice.-— Let this plead something in his excuse.
He certainly did outwit his father-in-law, and yet probably
had no more than the just recompense of his long and faithful
services, in the successful issue of all his devices. From the
time in which God favoured him with that wonderful mani-
festation of his power and grace at Peniel, chap, xxxii. he
became a new man. He had frequent discoveries of God
before, to comfort and to encourage him in journies, secular
affairs, &c. but none in which the lieart-chnnging power of
divine grace was so abundantly revealed. Happy he whose
last days are his best ! We can scarcely conceive a scene
more noble or dignified, than that exhibited at the death-bed
of Jacob. This great man was now one hundred and forty-
seven years of age : though his body, by the wastes of time,
was greatly enfeebled, yet with a mind in perfect vigour, and
a hope full of immortality, he calls his numerous family
together, all of them in their utmost state of prosperity, and
gives them his last counsels, and his dying blc.ssing. His
declarations shew that the secret of the Lord was with him ;
and that his candle shone bright u})on his tabernacle.
Having finished his work, with perfect jiossession of all his
facullie!-, and being determined that while he was able to help
himself, none should be called in to assist; which was one of the
grand characteristics of his life, he, with that dignity which
became a great man, and a man of God, stretched himself
K k
Joseph moitrnsjbr ihe
upon his bed, and ratlier appears to have conquered death than
to have .■nijcrcd it. W ho, sctino; the end of this ilhistrious
patriarcli, can lielp exclaimin;^, Tliere is none hke the God
of Jeshurun ! Let Jacob's God be my God ! Let j/ie die tiie
death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his !
GENESIS. death of his father,
] Reader, God is still the same : and though he may not make
thee as great as was Jacob, yet he is ready to make thee as
J good, and whatever thy past life may have been, to crown
1 thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies, that thy end
I also may be peace.
CHAPTER L.
JosepJi ben ails the death of his father, and commands the physicicuis to emtalm him, 1, 2. The Egyptians mourn
for him seventy da^'s, 3. Joseph begs permission from Pharaoh to aceompauy his father's corpse to Canaan, 4,
5. Pharaoh consents, 6. Pharaolis domestics and elders, the elders of Egypt, Joseph and his brethren, witk
chariots, horsemen, S;c. form tlie funeral procession, 7 — 9- They come to <Ae threshing floor of Atad, an4
mourn there sexen days, 10. The Canaanites call the place Ahel-Mizralm, 11. 2'hey bury Jacob in the citm
o/ Machpelali, 1'2, 13. Joseph returns to Egi/pt, 14. His brethren fearing his displeasure, send messengers to
him to entreat his forgiveness of past zcrongs, 15 — 17- They follon', and prostrate themselves before him, and
offer to he his servants, 18. Joseph receives them affectionateli/, and assures them and theirs of his care and pro-
tection, Ifli — 21. Joseph and his brethren dzvell in Egypt, and he sees the third generation of his children, 22,
23. Being about to die, he prophesies the return of the children of Israel from Egypt, 24, and causes them to
swear that they zcill carry his bones to Canaan, 25. Joseph dies, aged one hundred and ten years, is embalmed
and put in a coffin in Egypt, 2(^. '
A. M. S315. ,
13. C. I5S9.
him, and kissed him.
AN D Joseph ' fell upon his fa-
ther's face, and "^ wept upon
'- Cli. 46. 4.- — ->■ 2 Kings 13. 14.
NOTES ON CHAP. L.
Verse I. Joseph fell on his father's fiice'\ Though this act
appears to be suspended, by the unnatural division of this
verse from tlie preceding chapter, yet we may rest assured that
it was the immediate conscqntnce of Jacob's death.
Verse 2. The physicians] D'D"1 ropldm, the healers, those
vvho?e business it was lo heal or restore the body from sickness
by the administration of ])roper medicines; and when death took
place, to heal or pre serve it from dissolution, by emhalnnng ;
and thus ixive it a sort of imniortaliiy, or everlasting duration.
The original word D2n chanat, wh;c!i we translate to embalm,
has undoubtedly the same meaning with the Arabic tiai
tianalu, which also signifies to embalm, or to preserve from putre-
faction, by the application of spices, &c. and hence oUaia^ hun-
tUt, an embulmer. The wotd is usid to expvess the reddening of
leather ; and probably tlie ideal meaning may be something
analogous to our tanning, which consists in removing llie
iiioi.siure, and closing up the pores, so as to render them impervi-
ous to wet. T iiis probably is the grand principle in embalm-
ing, and whate\er tlltcts this, will preserve //fiA as perfectly
iis skin. W ho can doubt that a human imacle, undergoing
the same proce>s of tanning as the hide of an ox, would not
becon;c ccjUAlly mcorruptible. 1 have seen a part of the muscle
«1 8 hui)i;ui thigh, that having come into contact with some
4
2 And Joseph commanded his ser-
vants the physicians to " embalm his
father: and the physicians embalmed Israel.
A. M. 2313.,
B. C. 1<!89. .
' Ver. £6: SChron. 16. 14. Matt. 26. 12. Mark 14. 8. & 16. 1. Luke 24. iT
John 12. 7. & 19. 39, 40. ^
tamiittg matter, either in the coffin, or in the grave, was iit
a state of per.tct soundness, when the rest of the body had
been long reduced to earth; and it exhibited the appearance
of a thick piece of uW/ tanned leather.
In the ari of embalming the Egyptians excelled all nations
in the world : with them it was a common practice. Instances
of the perfection to which they carried this art, may be seen
in the numerous vaimmies, as they are called, which are found
in diilerent European cabinets, and which have been alj
brought from Egypt. This people not only embalmed men
and Komen, and thus kept the bodies of their beloved relatives
from the empire of corruption, but they embalmed useful
animals also. I have seen the body of the Ibis thus preserved;
and though the work had been done for some thousands of
years, the very feathers were in complete preseivation, and
the colour of the plumage discernible. The account of this
curious process, the articles used, and the manner of applying
them, I subjoin from Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus, as also
llie manner of their mournings and funeral solemnities, which
are highly illustrative of the subjects in this chapter.
A\ hen any man of quality dies, says Herodotus, all the
v:omen of that family besmear their heads and faces with dirt;
then leaving the body at home, they go lamenting up and
down the city with all their relations ; their apparel being
Jacob is emhalmcd ; and the
CHAP. L. Egijpliaiis motirlijor him 10 daifs.
A.M.isi:.. 3 And forty days were fulfilled Epfvptians 'mourned'' for him three- am.sjij
3X.u^ for him; (for so are fulfilled the score and ten days. ,. ^■^■"^^-
days of those which are embalmed:) and the, 4 % And whea the days of his mpurmug
'Heb. trfpf.
girt about them, and tlieir breasts left naked. On the other '■
hand, the men, haviii"- likewise tlieir clothes girt about them,
beat themselves. These things being dinfe, they carry the !
dead body to be fJHiw/wfc?; for which there are certain per- i
sons appointed who jrrofess this art. These, when tlie body |
is brought to thent!, show to those that bring it, certain models j
of dead persons in wood, according to any of vhieli the j
deceased may be painted. O.te of these they say is .iccinately
made hke to one, whom, in such a matter, I do not think 1
lawful to name : tow ouk oirtov rzoiiu/juii to coiofia cwt toioutu \
STfuy/iSTi ovo/j-xi'-iv (probably Osiris, one of tlie {Tiiieipnl ffods ;
of KgypI, is here intended,) then they shew a second inferior to it, !
^nd of an easier price ; and next a tliird clit aper than the
former, and of a very small value ; whic!\ bf ing seen, they ask
tlieni after which model the deceased siuill be represented ?
when they have agreed upon the price, tliey depart; and those
with whotn tlie dead corpse is left, proceed to embalm it af- j
ter the foirowing manner: first of all, Ihey vvitli a crooked iron
draw the brain out of the head through the nostrils, next with :
a sharp Elhiopic stone, they cut up that part of tiie abdomen 1
called die ilia, and that way draw out all the bowrls, whicii
having iKansied and washed w itii pnhii-wiup, they again rin.-e I
and wash uilh wine i)erfumed with |iounded odours; then |
fiiliiiij up the belly with pure mr/rrli and cassia grossly pow- ;
dercd, and all other odours except frankincense, they sew it
up again. Having so done, they salt it up close wiih JiiVre,
feven'y dai/s ; tor longer they may not salt it. Atler this:
number of days are over, they wash the corpse again, and then
K>\\ it op w itii fine linen, all besmeared with a sort of gum,
commonly used l)y the E'j^i/piians instead of glue.
Then is the body reston^ to its relations, who prepare a
wooden cofiiu for it, in the shape and likeness of a man, and
then put the embalmed body into it, and thus inclosed, place
it in a repository in the house, setting it upright against the
wall After this mannei-, the\', with great expense, preserve
their dead ; whereas tlwse, who to avoid too great a charge, j
desire a TKediiK-rilj/, thus embalm them : they neither cut the '
belly nor pluck out the entrails, but fill it \\ itii clysters of oil
of cedar injected up the anus, and then salt it the aforesaid
number of days. On the last of these they press out the
cedar clyster, by the same way they had injected it, which has I
such virtue and efficacy that it brings out along with it the
bowels wasted, and the nitre consumes the tle^h, leaving only '
the skin and bones : having thus done, they icsUin' the dead
body to the relations, doing nothing inuie. 1 he third way of
embalming is for tiiose of yet meaner circuniftances; they with |
lotions wash the belly, then dry it up with salt for seventy days,
and afterwards deliver it to be carried away. Nevertheless,
beautii'iil women and ladies of finality were not delivtrcd to be
embalmed till three or four days after tlicy had been dead ;" for
which Herodotus as'^igns a sufiirient reason, however degradmg
Itiimman nature : touto Je -jroHMcn out)) Tot/h civtHa, iva i*n
' Num. S(l. 49. . Detit. St. «;
— ^- J _________
(r(pi 01 rtzfix^urai /xitryuvTai rmrt yinaiif 7Mtif6tvai yap tivj;
tpain /UKTyo/xEvoi' vix^a Ti^OipaTm yuiaixof naTEiTrai Jt Ton
ofiOTixvov. Ea de causa J'acientes, says he, nc cum fttmi-
nis isli Salinarii concuinbanl. Depreltensumenitn quendam aiunt
coenntem cum recenti cudartre maliebri, delaliimtjiie uh ejus-
dcm arlificii socio. [The original should not be put into
a plainer language : the abomination to which it refers being
too gros-.] " Uut if any stranger or Egtiptian was either killed
by a crocodile, or tlrowned in the river, the city \ihere he was
cast up was to embalm and bury him honourably in the sacred
inonuin<nts, wiiOm no one, no, not a relation or fiiend, but
the priests of tiic A'^/e only might touch ; because they buried
one who was something more than a dead uian." Herod.
Euterpe, p. \".0. edit Gale.
Diodorus Siculus relates the funeral ceremonies of the Egt/p-
lians more distinctly and clearly, and with some very remark-
able additional circumstances. " When any one among the
Egyptians dies," says he, " all his relations and friends put-
ting dirt upon their heads, go lamenting about the city, till
such time as the body shall be buried : in the mean time, they
abstain honi baths and wine, and all kinds of delicate meals,
neither do they, during that time, wear any costly apparel.
The Hianntr of their burials is threefold ; one very costly, a
second sort less chargeable, and a third very mean. In the
first, they say, there is spent a talent of silver ; in the second,
twenty min4s; but in the last, there is very httle expense.
Thoje who have the care of ordering the body, are such as
have been taught that art by their ancestors. These shewing
each kind of burial, ask them after what manner they will
have the body piv)iared ; when iht y have agreed upon the
iiianiicr, they deliver the body to such as are usoalU" a|>-
poiuted for this office. Firsts he who has the name of
scribe, laying it upon the ground, marks about the flank on
the left side, how much is to be cut away ; then he who is
called TTa^as'x.'i'^i paruschislcs, the cutter or dissector, w ith an
Elhiopic stone, cuts aw ay as much of the flesh as the law com-
munds, and presently runs away as fist as he can ; those who
are presiiii, pursuing him, cast stones at him, and curse him,
hereby turning all the execrations, which they imagine due to
his office, u|)on him. For whosoever oflers violence, wounds,
or does any kind of injury to a body of the same nature with
himself, they think him worthy of hatred ; but those who are
called Ta^ixcTai taricheuta:, the embalmers, they esteem
worthy of honour and respect; for tiiey are familiar with their
priests, and go into the temples as holy men, without any
])r')hibilion. As soon as they come to embalm the ilissccled
body, one of them thrusts his hand through the wound into
the abdomen, and draws tijrth all the bowels but llie heart and
kidnies, which another washes and cleanses with wine, made
I of palms and aromatic odours. Lastly, having washed the
I body, they anoint it with oil of cedar and odier things for
I about tliirlv days, and afUrwards witli inyrrh, cinuamoa,
K -k 2
Joseph asks permission to GENESIS
past, Joseph spake unto * the
A. M. 2315.
B. C. 1689.
were
house
of Pharaoh,
saymg. If
I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I
you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,
5 *' My father made me swear, saying, Lo,
die: in my grave 'which I have
me in the land of Canaan, there
bury me. Now, therefore, let me
now
pray
I
digged for
shalt thou
go up, I
• Esther 4, 2. "ch. 47. 29.
and other siich like matters ; which have not only a power to
preserve it a long time, but also give it a sweet smell, after
which they deliver it to the kindred in sucii manner, that
every member remains whole and entire, and no part of it
changed, but the beauty and shape of the face, seem just as
they were before ; and the person may be known, even the
eyebrows and eyelids remaining as they were at first. By
this means, many of the Egyptians, keeping the dead bodies
of their ancestors in magnificent houses, so perfectly see the
true visage and countenance, of those that died many ages
before tliey themselves were born, that in viewing the pro-
portions of every one of them, and the lineaments of their
faces, ihey take as much delight as if ihey were still living
among them. Moreover the friends and nearest relations of
the deceased, for the greater pomp of the solemnity, acquaint
the judges and the rest of their friends with the time prefixed
for the funeral or day of sepulture, declaring that such a one
(calling the dead by his name) is such a day to pass the lake,
at which time above forty judges appear, and sit together in a
semicircle, in a place prepared on the hither side of the lake,
where a ship, provided before hand by such as have the care
of the business, is haled up to the shore, and steered by a pi-
lot whom the Egyptians in their language called Cluiron.
■ Hence they say, Orpheiis upon seeing this ceremony, while
he was in Egypt, invented the fable of hell, partly imitating
-therein the people of Egypt, and partly adding somewliat
of his own. The ship being thus brought to the lake side,
before the coffin is put on board, every one is at liberty by the
law to accuse the dead of what he thinks him guilty. If any
one proves he was a bad man, the judges give sentence, that
the body shall be deprived of sepulture ; but in case the informer
be convicted of false accusation, then he is severely punished.
If no accuser appear, or the information prove false, then all
the kindred of the deceased leave off mourning, and begin to
set forth his praises, yet say nothing of his birth, (as the cus-
tom is among the Greeks) because the Egyptians all think
themselves equally noble; but they recount how the deceased
was educated from his youth, and brought up to man's estate,
exalting his piety towards the gods, and justice towards 7>ien,
•his chastity and other virtues wherein hee)*ceHed; and lastly
pray and call upon the infernal deities (touj itaru 6sou; the
gods below) to receive him into the societies of the Just. The
common people take this from the others, and consequently all
is said in his praise by a loud shout, setting likewise forth his
virtues in the higtiest strains of commendation, as one that is
-to live tor ever willitlie infernal gods. Then those that have
7
carry his father to Canaan^
and
A. M. 'iSl.'J.
B. C. 1689.
pray thee, and bury my father,
I will come again.
6 And Pharaoh said. Go up, and bury thy
father, according as he made thee swear.
7 IT And Joseph went up to bury his father :
and with him went up all the servants of Pha-
raoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders
of the land of Egypt ;
' 2 Chron. 16. 14. Isai. 22. 16. Matt 27. 60.
tombs of their own, inter the corpse in places appointed for
that purpose, and they that have none, rear up the body
in its coffin against some strong wall of their house.
But such as are denied sepulture on account of some crime or
debt, are laid up at home without coffins; yet when it shall
afterwards happen, that any of their posterity grows rich, he [
commonly pays off the deceased person's debts, and gels his '
crimes absolved, and so buries him honourably; for the •
Egyptians are wont to boast of their parents and ancestors that I
were honourably buried. It is a custom likewise among thetn (
to puvm the dead bodies of their parents to their creditors, (
but then those that do not redeem them fall under the great-
est disgrace imaginable, and are denied burial themselves at
their deaths." Diod. Sic. Biblioth. lib. i. cap. 91 — 93. EdiL
Bipont. See also the Necrokedia, or art of embalming by Green-
hill, 4to. p. 241. who endeavoured in vain to recommend
and restore the art. But he could not give his countrymen
Egyptian manners ; for a dead carcase is to the British, an ob-
ject of horror; and scarcely any except a surgeon or an under'
taker, cares to touch it.
Verse 3. Forty days'] The body it appears required this
number of days to complete the process of embalming : after-
wards it lay in natron thirty days more, making in the
whole seventy days, according to the preceding accounts;
during which the mourning was continued. So the Egyptiant
mournedfor Jacob threescore and ten days, i. e. the whole time
in which the spices and nitre were applied to the dead body.
Verse 4. Speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh] But
why did not Joseph apply himself? Because he was now in
his mourning habits, and could not lay them off till his father
was interred, and in such, none must appear in the presence
of the eastern monarchs. See Esth. iv. 2.
Ver.se 1. The elders of his house] Persons who, by reason
of their age, had acquired 7nuch experience; and who on this
account were deemed the best qualified to conduct the affairs
of the king's household. Similar to these Mere the Galboji-
men Eldermen, or Aldermen, among our Saxon ancestor^
who were senators and peers of the realm.
The funeral procession of Jacob, must have been truly
grand. Jose]>h, his brethren and their descendants, the icr-
vants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders,
all the principal men of the land of Egypt, with chariots and
horsemen, must have appeared a veiy great company indeed.
\\'e have seen l.OKDS, for their greater honour, buried at the
public expence; and all the male branches of the royal family,
as well as the most eminent men of llie nation join
A. M.ijis.
B. C. Iti89.
Account ofthejiincral
8 And all the house of Joseph, and
his brethren, and his father's house :
only their little ones, and their flocks, and their
herds, they left in the land of Goshen.
9 And there went up with him both chariots
and horsemen : and it was a very great com-
pany.
10 And they came to the threshing floor of
Atad, which /,s- beyond Jordan, and tliere they
'mourned with a great and very sore lament-
CHAP. L.
Atad, they said.
ation: "and he n)ade a
mournnig
for his fa-
ther seven days.
1 1 And when the inhabitants of the land, the
Canaanites, saw the
moiunnig to
according as
procession to Canaan.
Tliis is a grievous
the Egyptians : where-
fore the name of it was called "Abel mizraim,
which is beyond Jordan.
12 And his sons did unto him
he commanded them :
13 For ''his sons carried him into the land
of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the
field of iVIachpclah, (which Abraiiam 'bought
with the field, for a possession of a biu^ying-
place, of Ephron the Hittite,) before Mamre.
14 ^ And Joseph returned into Egj-jit, he, and
his brethren, and all that went up with him to
mournnig
in the floor of bury his father, after he had buried his father.
•SSam. 1. 17. Acts 8. 2. •■ 1 Sam. SI. 13. Jub ','. 13. 'That is, Me
in the funeral procession, as in the case of the late Lord
Nelson; but wiiat was all this, in comparison of the funeral
solemnity now before us ? Here, is no conqueror — no mighty
man of valour — no person of proud descent — Here was only a
plain man, who had dwelt almost uU his life long in tents,
widiout any o\.\\e.v subjecls than his ca///e; and whose king-
dom was not of this world. Behold this man honoured by a
national mourning and by a national funeral ! It may be said
indeed, that "all this was done out of respect to Joseph;" —
Be it so : wliy was Joseph thus respected ? Was it because he
had comjuered nations — had made his sword drunk with blood
— had triumphed over the enemies of Egypt } NO ! but be-
cause he had sated men alive — because he was the king's
faithful servant, the rich man's counsellor, and the poor man's
friend. He was a national blessing, and the nation mourns
in his alQIction, and unites to do him honour.
Verse 10. 'ihe threshing floor of Alad} As IIDN atad, sig-
nifies a bramble or thorn, it has been understood by the Arabic,
not as a man's name, hut as the name of a place, but all
the other versions and the Targums consider it as the name of a
man. Thresbmg floors were always in a field, in the open
air ; and Atad was probably what we would call a great
farmer, or chief of some clan or tribe in that place. Jerom
supposed the place to have been about two leagues from Jeri-
cho, but wc have no certain information on this point. The
funeral procession stopped here, probably as affording pastur-
age to ihcir cattle, while they observed the seven days mourn-
ing; which termmatcd the funeral solehinities ; after which,
nothing remained, but the interment of the corpse. The
mourning of the ancient Hebrews was usually of seven days
continuance. Numb. xix. 19. Eccles. xxii. 12. 1 Sam. xxxi.
13. though on certain occasions, it was extended to thirty
days. Numb. xx. 29. Deut. xxi. 13. xxxiv. 8. but never
longer. The seventy days mourning mentioned above, was
thai of the Egyptians, and was rendcr'd necessary by the
long process of cnibabning, which obliged them to keep the
body out of the giave for seventy days, as we learn both from
Herodotus and Diodortts. Seven days, by the order of God, a
man was to mourn for his dead ; because, duiing that time
mourning of the Egyptians. ''cli. 49. 29, 30. Acts*. 16. 'cli. i3. 16,
he was considered as unclean ; but when those were finished,
he was to purify himself and consider the mourning as ended.
Numb. xix. II, 19. Thus God gave seven days, in some
cases thirty, to mourn in : man, ever in his own estimation
wiser than the word of God. has added eleven whole months to
the term, which nature itself pronounces to be absurd, be-
cause it is incapable of supporting grief for such a time, and thus
mourning is now, except in the first seven, or thirty days, a
mere solemn ill-conducted FARCE ; a grave mimicry, a tain
shew that lonvicts itself of its own hi/pocrisy. Who will rise
\ up on the side of God and common sense, and restore be-
coming sorrow on the death of a relative, to decency of garb,
j and moderation in its continuance } Suppose the near rela-
: lives of thedeceased, were lobe allowed seven days of seclusion
from society, for ihe purpose of meditating on death and eter-
nity, and after this, to appear in a mourning habit for thirty
days, every important end wouhl be accomplished, and hy-
pocrisy, the too common attendant of man, be banished, espe-
cially from that part of his life, in which deep sincerity is not
less becoming, than in the most solemn act of his religions
intercourse with God.
In a kind of politico-religious institution, formed by his
present majesty Ferdinand IV. king of Naples and the Sici
lies, I find the following rational institute relative to this
point. " There shall be no mournings among you but only
on the death of a father, mother, husband, or wife. 1^0 ren-
der to these the last duties of aflection, children, wives, and
husbands only shall be permitted to wear a sign or emblem of
grief: a man may vrcar -a crape tied round h\^ right arm ; a
woman, a black handkerchief around her neck: and this in both
cases, for only two months at the most." — Is there a purpose
which religion, reason, or decency can demand, that would
not be answered by such external mourning as this? Only such
relatives as the above, brothers and sisters being included, can
mourn : all others make only a part of the dumb hypocritical
show.
Verse 1 2 . And his sons did unto liini] This and the thir-
teenth verse have l)een sup])OKed by Mr. Ijycke and others, to
belong to the conclusion of the preceding chapter, ia which
Joseph's hreihren solicit
GENESIS.
afresh Ms forgiveness*
A. M. 2315.
t.C. 168V>.
15 % And when Joseph's brethren
saw tiiat their father was dead, ^they
said, Joseph will peiadventuie hate us, and
will certainly requite us all the evil which we
did unto him.
16 And they ^sent a messenger unto Joseph,
saying, Thy father did command before he
died, saying,
17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I
pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren,
and their sin ; "^ for they did unto thee evil :
and now we pray thee, forgive the trespass of
the servants of "the God of thy father. And
Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
18 And his brethren also went and ^fell down
before his face ; and they said, Behold, we be
thy servants.
Joseph
Hoi-
said unto them,
I in the place of
A M.2^15.
B.C. lt,89.
•.Tob l.i 21, 22 •■ Heb. charged. 'ProT. 28. 13. "Icli. 49. 25.
'cli. b7. ?, 10. fell. 45. 5. sDciit 32. .'5. Juli oi. 29. Bom. 12. 19.
lleb. 10. 30. 2 Kings 5. ?.■ "Ps-id. 5. Isai. 10. 7.
connexion, lliey certain))' read more consistently, than they
do here.
Ver^e 15. Saw iJiat tlieir fctllier lutis decuQ This at once
ara;iies both a sense of guilt in their omu con.sciences, and a
v:<tnt oi Confidence in their brother. Tiicy might have su|>-
posed that hitherto he had Ibrborne to punish them, merely on
their lather's account ; but now that lie was dead, and Joseph
havino- them completely in his power, they imagined that he
would take vengeance on them for tiieir former conduct to-
wards him.
Thus conscience records ('riminality, and by giving birth
to continual fear-: and doubtfnlness, destroys all peace of mind,
security and confidence. On this subject an elegant poet has
spoken with his usual point and discernment.
Exeiiiplo quodcumque malo comviiililiir, ipsi
Displicet auctori. Friina est luce idtin, quod se
Judice, nemo nocens absolvitur, improba quaiiwis
Gratia fallaci Praloris vicerit unid.
JUV. Sat. xiii. 1, &c.
Happily metaphrased by Mr. Diyden :
He that commits a fault shall qiiickly find
The pressing guilt lie hcttvy on his mind.
Thdiigh brihes or favour sliall assert his cause.
Pronounce him guiltless, and elude the laws;
None quits himself; his own impartial thought
Will damn, and con.scicnce will record the fault.
This, first, the wicked feels. —
We have seen thi.s, in the preceding history, often exem-
plified in the case of Joseph's brethren.
Verse 16. Thy father did command] Whether he did or
not, we Cannot tell ; some think they had feigned this story —
but that is not so likely : Jaci b might have had suspicions loo,
and might have thought that the best way to prevent evil,
19 And
•^Fear not: "lor am
God?
20 ""But as for you, ye thought evil against mej,
but 'God meant it unto good, to bring to pass,
as it is this day, to save much people alive. .
21 Now therefore fear ye not: "I will nou-
rish you, and your little ones. And he com-
j foiled them, and spake 'kindly unto them.
I 22 ^ And Joseph dwelt in Egypt,
he, and his father's house : and Jo-
seph lived a hundred and ten years.
j 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children ""of
the third generation: "the children also of
Machir, the son of Manasseh, "were ''brought
up upon Joseph's knees.
I 24 ^ And Joseph said unto his brethren, I
A. M. 2:i69.
B. C. 16.S.H.
'ch. 45. 5. 7. Acts3. 13, U, 15. i'ch.47. 12. Matt. 5. 44.^' Heb.
In their hfnrls. cli. 34. 3. ""Job 42. 16. " JSuiub. 32. 39. ^°ch. 30.
3 PHcb. borne.
was to humble themselves before their brother, and get a
fresh assurance of his forgiveness.
Verse 1 7. The servants of the God of thy father] These
words were wonderfully well chosen; and spoken at once, in
ihe most fijrcihle manner, both to Joseph's /)/c(y and to his
fdiul affection. No Wonder then, that he wept, whai they spake
to him.
Verse 1 9. Am I in the place of God ?] These words may
be understood either as a question, or an affirmative propo-
sition. How should I take any further notice of your trans-
gression } I have passed it by ; the matter lies now between
God and yo j. Or, In the order of divine Providence, I am
now in God's place : he has furnished me with means, and
made me a distributer of his bounty ; I will therefore n<Jt
only nourish you, but also your little ones, ver. 21. and
therefore, he spake comfortably uiito them, as m chap. xIt.
8. telling them, that he attributed the whole business to Ihe
particular providence of God, rather than to any ill-will or
jnalice in them ; and that, in permitting him to be brought
into Egypt, God had graciously saved their lives, the life of
their fati;er, the lives of the people of Canaan and of the
Egyptians : as therefore God had honoured him by making
him vicegerent in the dispensations of his especial bounty to-
wards so many people, it was impossible he should be dis-
pleased with the means by which this was brought about.
Verse 22. Joseph dwell in Es^ypt] Continued in Egypt
after his return from Canaan, till his death, he, and his fa-
ther's house all the descendants of Israel, till the Exodus or de-
partufe under the direction of Moses and Aaron, which was
one hundred and forty- four years after.
A'erse 23. Were brought up on Joseph's knees.] They wefe
educated by him, or under his direction : his sons, and their
cliildien continuing to acknowledge him aspalriarch, or hea^
of the family, as long as he lived.
Verse 24. Joseph said— J die] i, e. I am dying, and God
Joseph gives orders concerning
CHAP. L.
his bones, and dies.
A.M.2m (lie: and 'God will surely visit you,
^^ '""^ and bring you out of this land, unto
tJie land ''which he swfire to Abraham, to Isaac,
and to Jacob.
25 And 'Joseph took an oath of the chil-
dren of Israel, saying, God will surely visit
■Cli. 15. UM46.4. & 40. il. Ex»d. 3. 16, 17. Hebr. 11. s;2 "cli. 15.
14. J)c S>6. S. & S5. U. it 46. 4.
v)iU surely visit you, he will yet as^ain give you, in the time
when il sliall be essentially necessary, the most signal proof
of his unbounded love towards the .'ieed of Jacob.
And bring you out of tliis laud] Th(«i2:h ye have here
every tiling tliat can render life comfortable, yet this is not
the typical land, the land given by corenanl, tile laml wllicli
represents the rest that remains for tiie people of God.
Verse 25. Ye shall carry up my hones] 'I'lial I may finally
rest with my ancestors in the land which God gave to Abra-
ham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and which is a pled:;e as it is a
type of the k-ingdom of heaven. Thus says the author of the
epistle to the Hebrews, chap. xi. 22. " By FAll'H, Joseph
when he died (te^^cutuv when dyi/is:,) made mention of the
dc|wrture {EloJoyoftlie EXODL's) of the children of Israel;
and gave commandment concernin;^ his bones." From this
it is evident, that Joseph considered all these things as t>/pi-
cai ; and by this very commandment, e-tprcssed his faitli in
the immortality of the soul, and the general resurrection of
the dead. This oath, by which Joseph then bound his bre-
thren, their posterity considered as biiidin;^ on themselves ;
and Moses took care, w hen he departed irom Kgypt, to carry
up Joseph's body with him, K\od. xiii. 1''. which was after-
wards buried in Slieclient, (Josh. xxiv. 32.) the very portion
whii h Jacob had purchased from the Amorites, and which he
gave to bis son Joseph, Geii. xlviii. 22. Acts vii. 16.
Ver.<e 26. Jovp/j died, being a hundred and ten years
old] D'Jii' Tii'yi nXD p ben mi-ah te-eser slianim; literally,
the fMi of a hundred and ten yurs. Here the period of time
he lived, is personified ; all the years of which it \vas com-
posed, being represented as a 7iurse or father, feeding, nou-
rishing and supporting him to the end. This figure which is
termed by rhetoricians prosopopeia, is very frequent in Scrip-
liirc; and by this, virtues, vices, forms, attributes, and quali-
ties, with every part of inanvnate nature, are represented as
fndiied with reason, a. id speech, and pertbrming all the ac-
tions <if intelligent be:ngs.
Tluy embalmed htm] See on ver. 2. The same ]irec;uitions
were taken to ])icservc his body as to preserve that of his
father Jacob; and this was particularly necessary in his case,
because his body was to be carried to Canaan, an hundred
and forty-four years after ; which, as Eusebius observes, was
the duration of the Israelites' bondage, after the death of
Joseph.
And he iias put in a cofin in Egypt.] On this subject I
•hf.ll subjoin some useful remarks from Il.irnnr's Observations,
wl ich several have borrowed, wiiliout ackiiovvlcdgmenl. I
tjuot'i iny own edition of this ^Vcrk, vol. lii. p. 69, &c.
Lond. 18UQ.
A. iM. '.'."ioy.
B.C. 16:;5.
you, and ye shall carry up my bones
from hence.
26 ^ So Joseph died, being a hundred and
ten years old : and they ''embalmed him, and
he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
'Exod. 13. 19. Josh. 'J4. 3'J. Acts 7. 16. "vcr. 2.
" There were some methods of honouring /he dead, which
demand our attention : the being put in a cojin, has been in
particular, considered as a mark of di-slinction.
" With us, the poorest pto|)le ha\e thtir cq/lins: if the re-
lations cannot allbrd tiiem, the parish is at the ex|>ense. In
the East, on the contrary, they are not alwaj-s made use of,
even in our times. The ancient Jews probably buried their
dead in tiie same manner : neither was llie body of our Lord
put in a cojin ; nor that of Elislta, whose bones were touched
by the corpse that was let down a little after, in;o bi» se-
pulchre, 2 Kings xiii. 21. That co^Shs were anciently made
use of in Egypt, all agree ; and antique coflins of stone, and
of sycamore wood are still to be seen in that country, not to
inention those said to be made of a sort of pasteboard, form-
ed by folding and glewing cloth together, a great number of
times, which were curiously plaistered, and then pamted witb
hieroglyphics.
" As it was an ancient Egyptian custom, and was not
used in the neighbouring countries, on these accounts, the
•Sacred Historian was doiil)tless led to obs-rve of Joseph, that
he was not only embalmed, but was al.so put in a cofjin, both
being practices almost peculiar to the Egyptians.
" Bishop Patrick on this pa'^sage, takes notice of ihc
Egyptian coffins of sycamore wood, and jjtisteboard, but he
does not mention the contrary usage of the neighbouring
countries, which was requisite, in order fully to illuslrato the
place : but even this, perhaps, would not have conveyed the
ichole thought of the Sacred Authi>r.
" Rlr. Maitlet conjectures, that all were not inclosed in
coffins, which were laid in the Egyptian repositories of the
deail ; but that it was an honour ajipiopriated to persons of
distinction; for after having given an account of several
niches which are found in those chambers of death, he adds;
' But it must not be imagined, that the bodies deposited in
these gloomy apartmerits, were all inclosed in chests, and placed
in niches. 'I'iic greater part were simply embalmed, and
swathed; after which, they laid them one by llie .side of the
other, without any ceremony. Some were even put itilo
these tombs icithout any embalming at all ; or witli such a slight
one, that there remains nothing of llicin in the linen in which
they were wrapped, but the Itones; and ihssc half rotten*
It is probable, that each considerable fannly had one of these
burial places to thenisi Ives : that the niches were designed for
the bodies of the heads of the I'ainily; and that those of their
domestics and slaves, had no other care takeYi of them, than
merely laying them in the ground alter being .slightly em-
balmed, and sometimes even without that; which was pro-
bably all that was tlone to heads <A' famiUe» o£ less distinc
Observations on ancient modes
GENESIS.
of burial. Joseph^ s cliaracta\
lion.' Lett. 1. p. 281. The same author gives an account!
of a mode of burial anciently practised in that country, I
which lias been but recently discovered: it consisted in
placint>' the bodies, after they were swathed up, on a layer ot
charcoal, and covering them with a mat, under a bed of sand
seven or eight ftet deep.
" Hence it seems evident that coffins were not universalli/
used in E^typt, and were only used for persons of eminence
and distinction. It is also reasonable to believe, that in times
fo remote as those of Joseph, they might have been much
less common, than afterwards, and that consequently, Jo-
seph's being put in a coffin in Egypt, might be mentioned
with a design to express the great lionouis the Egyptians did
him in death, as well as in life ; being treated after the
most sumptuous manner, embalmed, and put into a coffin."
It is no objection to this account that tiie widow of Nain's
son is represented as carried forth to be buried, in a aopoi;, or
hier; for the present inhabitants of the Levant, who are well
known to lay their dead in the earth uninclosed, carry them
frequently out to burial in a kind of coffin, which is not de-
posited in the grave, the body being takai out of it, and
placed in the grave in a reclining posture. It is probable,
therefore, that the coffins used at Nain, were of the same
kind, being intended for no other purpose but to carry the
body to the place of interment, the body itself being buried
without them. See Russel's Hist, oi Aleppo, vol. i. p. 306,
&c.
It is very probable, that the chief difference was not in
being with or without a coffin ; but in the expensiveness of the
coffin itself; some of the Egyptian coffins being made of
granite, and covered all over with hieroglyphics, the cutting
of which, must have been done at a prodigious expense, both
of time and money, the stone being so hard, that we have
no tools by which we can make any impression on it. Two
of these are now in the British Museum, that appear to have
belonged to some of the nobles of Egypt. They are dug out
of the solid stone, and adorned with almost innumerable
hieroglyphics. One of these, vulgarly called Alexander's
tomb, is ten feet three inches and a quarter long; ten inches
thick in the sides : breadth at top five feet three inches and a
half: breadth at bottom four feet two inches and a half: and
three feet ten in depth, and weighs about 10 tons. In such a
coffin, I suppose the body of Joseph was deposited : and such an
one could not have been made and transported to Canaan at an
expencethat any private individual could bear. It was witii in-
credible labour and at an extraordinary expense that the coffin in
question was removed the distance of but a few miles from the
ship that brought it, from Egypt, to its present residence in the
British Museum. Judge then, at what an expense such a coffin
must have been digged, engraved, and transported over the de-
sart from Egypt to Canaan, a distance of three hundred miles ?
We need not be surprized to hear of carriages and horsemen,
a very great company, when such a coffin was to be carried
so far, with a suitable company to attend it.
Joseph's life was the shortest of all the patriarchs ; for which
Bishop Patrick gives a sound, physical reason — he was the
son of his father's old age. It appears from Archbishop
Usher's Chronology that Joseph governed Egypt under four
kings: Mephramuthosis, Thmosis, Amenophis, and Orus. His
government, we know, lasted eighty years : for when he stood
before Pliaraoh, he was thirty years of age, chap. xli. 46.
and he died when he was one hundred and ten, from vvhicl^
subtract thirty, and tliere remain, fourscore.
On the character and conduct of Joseph, many remaritg
have already been made in the preceding Notes. On tbe,
subject of his piety there can be but one opinion. It W9»:;
truly exemplary, and certainly was tried in cases, in which,
few instances occur of persevering fidelity. His high sense
of the holiness of God, the strong claims of justice, and the
rights of hospitality and giatilude, led him in the instance of
the solicitations of his master's wife, to act a part, which,
though absolutely just and proper, can never be sufficientlj.
praised. Heathen authors boast of some persons of such-
singular constancy; but the inteUigent reader will recollect,!
that these relations stand in general, in their fabulous histo,
ries, and are destitute of those characteristics which truth es-,
sentially requires ; such I mean, as the story of Hippolytus
and Ptaedra; Bellerophon and Antea or Sthenobasa ; Petani
and Astydamea, and others of this complexion, which appear
to be marred pictures, taken from this highly finished original,
which the Inspired Writer has fairly drawn from life.
H is fidelity to his master, is not less evident ; and God'*
approbation of his conduct is strongly marked ; for he caused
whatsoever he did to prosper, whether a slave in the house of,
his master, a prisoner in the dungeon, or a prime minister,
by the throne ; which is a full proof that his ways pleased
him, and this is more clearly seen in the providential deliver-
ances by which he was favoured.
On the political conduct of Joseph, there are conflictjtif
opinions. On the one hand it is asserted, that " he found
the Egyptians a free people, and that he availed himself of
a most afflicting providence of God, to reduce them all into
a state of slavery, destroyed their political consequence, and
made their king despotic." In all these respects, his political
measures have been strongly vindicated, not only as beinff
directed by God, but as being obviously the best, every thing
considered, for the safety, honour, and welfare of his sove*
reign and the kingdom. It is true, he bought the lands of
the people for the king ; but he farmed them to the original
occupiers again, at the moderate and fixed crown rent of one
fifth part of the produce. " Thus did he provide for the
liberty and independence of the people, while he strengthened
the authority of the king by making him sole proprietor of the
lands. And to secure the people from further exaction, Jo>
seph made it a law over all the land of Egypt, that Pharaoh
(i. e. the king) should have only the fifth part : which lawsu)><
sisted to the time of Moses, chap, xlvii, 21—26. By this
wise regulation," continues Dr. Hales, " the people had
four fifths of the produce of the lands for their own use, and
were exempted from any further taxes, the king being bound
to support his civil and military establishment out of tbe i
crown rents." By the original constitution of Egypt esta-
blished by Menes, and Thoth or Hermes, his prime minister, ■
the lands were divided into three portions, between the king, '
the priests, and the military, each party being bound to suj^
port its respective establishment by the produce. See the
quotation from Diodorus Siculus, in the Note on chap, xlvii. 23.
It is certain therefore, that the constitution of Egypt wa«'
considerably altered by Joseph, and there can be no doubt,!
that much additional power was, by this alteration, vested ip
the hands of the king; but as we do not find tliat any im»'
Sequel of Joseph* s character
CHAP. L.
Importance of tite boolc of Genesis.
proper use was made of this power, we may rest assured that
it was so qualified and restricted by wholesome rei^ulations,
. tbou^ch they are not here particularized, as completely to pre-
; Tent ull abuse of the regal power, and all tyrannical usurpa-
tion of popular riijhts. That the people were nothing but
(laves to the kiiti;, the military, and tiie priests, before, ap|)ears
from the account given by Diodorus; each of the three es-
tates probably allowing them a certain portion of land for
tlieir own use, while cultivatuii;' the rest for the use and emo-
lument of their musters. Matters however became more
regular under tiie administration of Joseph ; and it is per-
Laps, not too much to say, that previous to this, Egypt was
without a fixed regular constitution, and that it was not the
least of the blessings tliat it owed lo the wisdom and pru-
dence of Joseph, that he reduced it to a rtirulur form of go-
renimcnt, giving die people such an interest in the safety of
the state, as was well calculated to ensure their exertions to
defend the nation, and render the constitution fixed and per-
I Dianent.
I It is well known that Justin, one of the Roman historians,
! lias made particular, and indeed honourable mention of Jo-
aep/i's administration in Egypt, in the account he gives of
Jewish ailairs, lib. xxxvi. chap. 2. How the relation may
have stood in Troi^us Pompeius, from whose voluminous work
l-'in forty-four books or volumes, Justin abridged his history,
'^we cannot tell, as the work of Trogus is irrecoverably lost; but
p it is evident, that the account was taken in the main from the
Mosaic history, and it is written with as much candour as
can be expected from a prejudiced and unprincipled heathen.
i Minimus atute inter fruires Joseph fuit : ^c. " Joseph was
I the youngi't of his brethren ; who being envious of his ex-
l cellenl endowments, stole him, and privately sold him to a
I company of foreign merchants, by whom he was carried into
, Egypt, where having diligently cultivated mas;ic arts, he be-
i came, in a short time, a prime favourite with the king himself.
For he was the most sagacious of men, m explaining pro-
digies; and he was the first who constructed the science of
interpreting dreams. Nor was there any thing relative to
laws human or divine, with which he seemed unacquainted;
for he predicted a failure of the crops many years before
it took place ; and the inluibitants of Egypt must have been
', famished, had not the kmg, through his counsel, made an
■ edict to preserve the fruits for several years. And his expe-
1 periments were so powerful, that the responses appear lo have
! been given not by man, but by God." Tantaqae experi-
i Bieota ejus fuerunt, ut non uh liomine, sed a Deo, responsa
I dari vidcrenlur. I believe Justin refers here, in the word expe-
rimenta, to his figment of iuus,icul incantations, eliciting oracu-
tar answers. Others have translated the words: " So excellent
uiere his regulations, that they seemed rather to be oracular
. responses, not given by man, but by God."
i I have already compared Joseph with his father Jacob, see
chap, xlviii. 12. and shall make no apology for having given
the latter a most decided superiority. Joseph was great;
but his greatness came through the interposition of especial
Providences. Jacob was great, mentally and practically gi'eat,
under the ordinary workings of I'rovidence; and towards the
close of his life, not less distinguished for piety towards God,
tfcan bis son Joseph was, in the holiest period of his life.
Tfauu terminates the Book of Genesis, the most ancient
record in the world; including the History of two grand sub-
jects, CrE.-VTION, and PROVIDtNCE; of each of whieh it
gives a sunnnary, but astonisliingly nunute, and defaded ac-
count. From this Book, almost all the ancient philosophers,
astronomers, chronologists, and historians have taken their
resjiective data : and all the modern improvements and ac-
curate discoveries in ddferent arts and sciences, have only
served to confirm tlic facts detadcd by Moses, and to shew,
that all the ancient writers on llu«e subjects have approached
to, or receded (ioui TRUTH and the pha-nomcna of nature, in
the exact proportion as they have folloued the ^losaic history.
In this Rook the CREATIVE power and ENERGY of
God are first introduced to the Reader's notice ; and the
mind is overwhelmed widi those grand creative acts by which
ihe universe was broui^ht into being. When this account i»
completed, and the introduction of SIN, and its awful conse-
quences in the destruction of the earth by a Jhind, noticed,
then, the Almighty Creator is next introduced as the RE-
STORER and PRESERVER of the World; anil thus tlie hislory
of Providence commences — a history, in which the mind of
man is alternately delighted and confounded, with the infi-
nitely varied plans of wisdom and mercy, in preserving the
human species, counteracting the evil propensities of men
and devils, by means of gracious inlhie?tces conveyed through
religious institutions, planting and watering the seeds of truth
and righteousness, whieh hiniielf had sowed in the hearts of
men ; and leading forward and maturing the grand purpose*
of his grace and goodness, in the final salvation of the human
race.
After giving a minutely detailed account, and yet in a rery
short compass, of the peopling the earth, ascertaining and
settling the bounds of the difierent nations of mankind, the
Sacred Writer proceeds with the history of one family only ;
but he chuses that one, through which, as from an ever-durinj
fountain, the streams of justice, grace, goodness, wisdom,
and truth should emanate. Here we see a pure well of
living water, springing up unto eternal life, restrained it it
true, in its ;)a)<a7//rtr influence to one people, till in the ful-
ness of time, the fountain should be opened in the house of
David, for sin and for uncleanness in genera!, and the earth
filled with the knowledge and salvation of God : thus by
means of one family, as extensive a view of the oeconomy of
providence and grace is afforded, as it is possible for the hu-
man mind to comprehend.
In this epitome, how wonderful do the workings of Provi-
dence appear ! An astonishing concatenated train lA'stupeifloitt
and minute events is laid before us ; and every f.msaction it
so distinctly marked, as every where to exhibit Ihetinger, ihe
hand, or the ann of God ! But did (jod lavish his providen-
tial cares and attention on this one family, exclusive of the
rest of his intelligent oflspring .'' No : For the same super-
intendance, providential direction and influence, would be
equally seen in all the concerns of human life, in the preser-
vation of individuals, the rise and fall of kingdoms and states,
and in all the mighty REVOLUTIONS, natural, moral, and
political, in the imiverse, were God, as in the precedmg in-
stances, to give us the detailed history ; but what was done
in the family of Abraham, was done in behalf of the whole
human race. This specimen is intended to shew us, that God
does work, and that against him, and the operations of his
hand, no might, no counsel, no cunning of men or devils can
l1
A vindication of tlie
GENESIS.
Mosaic chronology.
prevnil — that lie who walks uprightly, walks scrureiy ; and
lliat all things work together for good to tliem who love God.
That none is so igvormit, low, or lost, that God cannot in-
smict, raise up and suit. In a word, he shews himself by this
liiilory, to he the invariable /r/enrf of mankind, — that he em-
brnrcs every opportunity to do theui good, — and, speaking
after the manner of intn, — that he rejoices in the frequent
tccurrcncc of such opportunities: that every man consid.jrnig
the subject, mav be led to exclaim in behalf of all his fellows,
BEHOLD HOW HE lovetu THEM!
On the character of Moses, as a HISTORIAN and PHILO-
SOPHER (for in his legislutii-e character, he docs not yet ap-
pear) much misT;ht be said, did the nature of thi^ work admit.
But as brevity has been every ^here studied, and minute de-
tails rarely admitted, and only where absolutely necessary,
Ilic candid reader will excuse any deficiencies of this kind
which he may have already noticed.
Of the accuracy arid impartiality of Moses as a historia?!,
many examples are given in the course of the notes, with
such observations and reflections as the subjects themselves
suggested: and the succeeding l>ooks will afFord many oppor-
tunities for farther remarks on these topics.
The character of Moses as a philosopher and clironologist,
has undergone the severest scrutiny. A class of philosophers,
professedly infidels, have assailed the Mosaic account of the
formation of the universe, and that of the general dtlutje,
with such repeated attacks, as sufficiently proved, that, in
tlieir apprehension, tlie pillars of their system must be shaken
into ruin, if those accounts could not be proved to be false.
TraditioHs, supporting difterent accounts from those in the
sacred history, have been borrowed from the most barbarous,
as well as the most civilized nations, in order to bear on this
argument. These, backed by various geologic observations,
made in extensive travels, experiments on the formation of
ddiei-ent strata or beds of earth, either by inundations or vol-
canic eruptions, have been all condensed into one apparently
strong but strange argument, intended to overthrow the
Mosaic account of the creation. The argimient may be stated
thus : " The account given by Moses of the time when God
conunenced his creative acts, k too recent ; for according to
liis Genesis, six thousand years have not yel elapsed since the for-
ination of the universe; \\htroas a variety of phcenomena
prove, that tlie earth itself must have existed, if not from eter-
nity, yet at least ^'oMcittn, if not twenty thousand years." This
I call a strange argument, because it is well known, that all
the ancient nations in the world, the Jews excepted, have, to
secure their honour and respectability, assigned to themselves
a duration of the most improbable length; and have multiplied
snonths, weeks, and even days into years, in order to suppoi-t
their pretensions to the nio»t remote antiquity. The millions
of years which have been assumed by the Chinese and the
Hindoos, have been ridiculed for their manifest ab-surdily,
even by those philosophers who have brought the contrary
charge against the Mosaic account ! So notorious are the pre-
tensions to remote ancestry, and remote aras in every false
•and fuhrieaied system, of family pedigree, and national anti-
quity, as to produce doubt at the very first view of their sub-
jects, and to cause the impartial enquirer after tnitli, to Uike
every step wuh the tsxtreuic of caution, knowing that jp jfoJn^ ,
over such accounts, he every where treads on a kind of en-
chanted ground.
When, in the midst of these, a writer is found, who, with-
out saying a word of the systems of other nations, professes to
give a simple account of the creation and peopling of the earth,
and to shew the very conspicuous part that his own people
acted among the various nations of the world, and v.ho assigns
to the earth and to its inhabitants, a duration comparatively
but as of yesterday, he comes forward with such a variety of
claims to be heard, read, and considered, as no other writer
can pretend to. And as he departs from the universal cus-
tom of all writers on similar subjects, in assigning a compara-
tively recent date, not only to his own nation, but to the uni-
ver-e itself, he must have been actuated by liiotives essentially
different from those wliieh have governed all other ancient his-
torians and chronologisls.
The generally acknowledged extravagance and absurdity of
all the chronological systems of ancient times, the great simpli-
city and harmony of that of Moses, its facts evidently borrowed
by others, though disgraced by the fables they have intermixed
with them, and the very late invention of arts and sciences, all
tend to prove, at the very first view, that the Mosaic account,
which assigns the shortest duration to the earth, is the most
ancient, and the most likely to be true. But all this reasoning
has been supposed to be annihilated, by an argument brought
against the Mosaic account of the creation, by Mr. Patrick
Brydone, F.lv.S. drawn from the evidence of different eru))-
tions of Mount ^tna. The reader may find this in his
"Tour through .Sicily and iMalta," Letter vii. where, speak-
ing of his acquaintance with the Canonico Recapcro at Catania,
who was then employed on writing a natural histovy of Mount
Mina, he says : " Near to a vault w hich is now thirty feet
below ground, arid, has probably been a burying place, there
is a draw-v.ell, where there are several strata of lavas (i. e. the
liquid matter formed of stones, &c. wh'ch is discharged from
the mountain in its eruptions) with earth to a considerable
thickne.-s over each stratum. Hecitpero has made use of this as
an argument to prove the great antiquity of the eruptions of this
mountain. For if it requires two thousand years and upwards
to form but a scanty soil on the surface of a lava, there must
have been more than that space of time, between each of the
eruptions which have formed these strata. But what shall ve
say of a |>it they sunk near to Jaci, of a great depth ? They
pierced through seven distinct lavas, one under the other, the
surfaces of which were parallel, and most of them covered
with a thick lied of rich earth. Now, says he, the eruption
which formed the lowest of these lavas, it we may be allowed
to reason from analogy, must have flowed from the mountain
at \east fourteen thousand years ago! Recupero te\h me, he
I is exceedingly embarrassed by these discoveries, in writing the
history of the mountain.— That Moses hangs like a dead
weight upon him, and blunts all his zeal for enquiry ; for that
he really has not the conscience to make his mountain so young,
as that prophet makes the world.
"The Bishop, who is strenuously orthodox — for it is an
excellent see — has already warned him to be upon his guard:
and not to pretend to be a better natural historian than
Moses; nor to presume to urge any thing, tliat may in the
smallest degree be deemed contradictory to his sacred
authority."
01gectio7ts against lite
CHAP. L.
Mosaic chronologi/ ansuered.
Though Mr. BryJoiie produces this as a sneer against
revelation, bishops, and orthodoxy, yet the sequel will prove,
that it was good advice, and that the ]}i.shop was much
better instructed than cither Uecvpao or Biydone ; and that
it would have been much to their credit, liad they taken
bis advice.
I have Riven, however, this arpfument at length ; and even
in tiie insidious dress of Mr. Brydone, wliosc lailh in Divine
Revelation, a]ipcars to have been upon a par with that of >>"■-
nior Recupero, both beins^ buildcd nearly on the same founda-
tion, to shew from the answer, how slight the strongest argu-
ments are, produced from insulated facts, by prejudice and
partiality, wlien brought to the test of sober, candid pliiloso-
phiral investigation, aiikd by ai» increased knowledge of the
phenomena of nature. " In answer to this argument," says
bishop Watson (Letters to Gibbon) " it might be urged —
that the time necessary for converting laias into fertile fields,
roust be very diderent, according to tiie difterent consistencies
of the lavas, and their diflerenl situations with respect to
eUvation and depression, or their being exposed to winds,
rains, and other circumstances; as for instance, ihe quantily
o/fliAes deposited over them, after they had cooled, &c. &e.
just as llie time in which heaps of iron slag, vvliicii resembles
lava, are covered with verdure, is different, at different fijr-
naces, according to the nature of the stag and situation of the
furnace ; and something of this kind is deducible from the
account of the canon (llecupero) himself, since the cmiccs
in the strata are often full of rich good soil, and have pretty
large trees growing upon them. But should not all this be
thought sufficient to remove the objection, 1 will jiroduce the
Canon an anuliigy in opposition to his analogy, and which is
grounded on more certain facts.
" Etna and Vesuvius resemble each other in the causes
Which produce then' eruptions, in the niuure of their laz-tis,
and in the time necessary to mellow them into soil tit (or
vegetation ; or if there be any slight difference in this respect,
it is probably not greater than what subsists between different
lavas of the same mountain. This being admitted, which no
philosopher will deny, the Canon's (Recupero's) analogy will
prove just nothing at all, if we can produce an instance of
4£ren different /a:«.v, wilh inteijacent strata of vegetable curtit,
which have flowed from mount Vesuvius within the space, not
of fourteen t!i<msand, but of somewhat less than owe thousand
snen Inindred years; for then, according to our analogy, ii
Urutum of lata may be covered u-ith vegetable soil in about fjco
hundred and fifty years, instead of requiring tteo thousand for
thai purpo.se.
" The eruption of Vesuvius, which destroyed Herculanemn
and Poiiipi'!, is rendered still more famous by the death of
I'liny, reeorded by his nephew, in his letter to Tacitus; this
event happened A. n. 79. but we are informed by unquestion-
able authority [Remarks on the nature of the soil of Naples and
its vicinity, by Sir William Hamilton, Philos. Transact, vol.
Ixi. p. 1.) that the matter which covers the ancient town of //tr-
culaneum, is not the produce of oni eruption only, for there are
evident marks that the matttr of six eruptions has taken its
course over that which lies immediately over the town, and was
the cause of its destruction. Tiicse strata are either of lava, or
burnt matter with veins of good soil between them." " You
jwrceive," says the bishop, " with what ease, a Utile attention
and increase of knoidedge, may remove a great difficulty ; but
had we been able to say nothing in explanation of this phae-
nomenon, we should not have acted a very rational part, in
making our ignorance the foundation of our infidelity, or suffer-
I ing a minute piiilosophcr to rob us of our religion." In this,
I as well as in all other ca.-es, the foundation stands sure, being
! deeply and legibly impressed with God's seal. See also Dr.
! Greaves's Lectures on tlie Pentateuch.
I The Mosaic account of the universality of the deluge, has
I been tried by the most rigid tests also, and the result has been
i in the view of every candid person, highly creditable to the
sacred historian. Every appearance in nature, in the structure
I and composition of the surface and different strata of the
! earth, has borne an unequivocal and decided testimony to the
i truth of the book of Genesis ; so that at present, there is,
on this subject, scarcely any material diftlrencc <.f ojiinioa
among the most profound philosophers, and most accurate
geologists.
I On the geology and astronomy oi the book of Genesis, much
' has been written both by the enemies and friends of revelation :
I but as Moses has said but very little on these subjects, and
I nothing in a systematic way, it is unlair to invent a sj'steni,
pretendedly collected out of his words, and thus make him
accountable for what he never wrote. There are systems of
this kind, the preconceived fictions of their authors, for
wliich they have sought su])port and credit by tortured mean-
ings extracted from a few Hebrew roots ; and then dignified
I them v.ith the title of The Mosaic system of the universe. Thia
has aflbrded infidelity a handle which it has been careful to
j turn to its own advantage. On the first chapter of Ciencsis,
I I have given a general view of the solar system, vithout pre-
tending that I had found it there : 1 have also ventured to
apply the comparatively recent doctrine of caloric to the
Mosaic account of the creation of light, previous to the forma-
tion of the Sun, and have supported it with such arguments
as appeared to me to render it at least probable ; but I have
not pledged Moses to any of my explanations, being fully
convinced, that it was necessarily foi-eign from his design to
enter into philosophic details of any kind, as it was his grand
object, as has been already remarked, to give a history of
C'RE.rriON and Providence in the most abridged form of
which it was capable. And \i ho, in so few words, ever spoke
so much ! By Creation I mean the production of every beiiiij
animate and inanimate, material and intellectual. And by
Providence, not only the preservation and government of all
beings, butal*o the variou-i and extraordinaay j)rovisions made
by divine justice and mercy tor the comfort and final salva-
tion of man. These subjects I have en<lcavourcd to trace oirt
through every chapter of this most important book, and to
exhibit them in such a manner as appeared to me the bcRt
calculated to promote c/on/ to GoiJ in the Jiiirhest ; and- upon
earth, PE.iOE AND GOOD WILL^MONC MF.N.
Observations on the Jewish manner of dividing and readii]g
the liww.and the Prophets. .
The ancient Jews divided the whole law of Moses into jf/iy-
four sections, which they read in their synagogues, in the
i course of the ffty-iwo sabbaths in the year, joining two of
the shortest twice together, that the whole might be finished
i in one year's space ; but in their intercalated ycArs, in which
I thty added a month, they had Jifly-foftr sabbaths, and then
they had a section for each sabbath : and it was to meet ike
Ll2
Jexdsh divisions of the Pentateuch. GENESIS.
exigency of the intcrcakited years, that they divided the law
into fifty-foiir sections at first. When Antiorhns Epiphanes
f srbade the Jews on pain of death to read their law, they di-
vided the prophets into the same number of sections, and read
t/ii-m in their synagogues in place of the lavj : and when un-
der the Asmontans, they recovered their liberty, and with it
-the free exercise of their religion, thou;Th the reading of
the law was resumed, they continued the use of the prophetic
sections, reading them conjointly with those in the law. To
this first division and mode of reading the law, tliere is a re-
ference. Acts XV. 21. For Moses of old time, hath, in cferi^
city, them that preach him, being READ IN TtlE SYNAGOGUES
EVERY SABBATH DAY. To the second division and conjoint
reading of the law and the prophets, we also find a reference.
Acts xiii. 15. And after the rending of the lAW, AND THE
PIIOPHF.TS, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying,
&c. And that the prophets were read in this way, in our
Lord's time, \\c have a proof, Luke iv. IG, &c. v.hei'e g-o/n<,'
into the synagogue to read on the sabbath day, as wets his
ciLitom, there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet
Isaiah — and it appears that the prophetical section, for that sab-
bath, was taken from the sixty-first chapter of his prophecies.
Of these sections the book of Genesis contains twelve :
The FIRST, called ri'!£?"l3 bereshith, begins chap. i. ver. 1.
and ends chap. vi. ver. 8.
The SECOND, called m Noah, begins chap. vi. ver. 9.
and ends with chap. xi.
The THIRD, called ^^ ']b lac leca, begins chap. xii. and
ends with chap, xviii.
The FOURTH, called NT1 vuiyira, begins chap, xviii. and
ends with chap. xxii.
The FIFTH, called rCW >>n chayey Sarah, begins chap,
xxiii. and ends chap. xxv. ver. 18.
The SIXTH, called mVlD toledoth, begins chap. xxv. ver.
19. and ends chap, xxviii. ver. 9.
The SEVENTH, called N2(>1 vayetse, begins chap, xxviii.
yer. 10. and ends chap, xxxii. ver. 3.
The EIGHTH, called nVii"1 vaiyishlach, begins chap, xxxii.
Tcr. 4. and ends with chap, xxxvi.
The NINTH, called 3ii"l vaiyisheb, begins chap, xxxvii.
and ends with chap. xl.
The TENTH, called ^•pD mikkets, begins chap. xli. and
ends with chap. xliv. ver. 17-
The ELEVENTH, called iifj'l vaiyiggash, begins chap. xliv.
ver. 18. and ends chap, xlvii. ver. 27.
The TWELFTH, called »n'1 vayechi, begins chap, xlvii.
Ter. 28. and ends with chap. 1.
These sections have their technical names, from the words
with which they commence ; and are marked in the Hebrew
Bibles with three DDD Pe's, which are an abbreviation for riii'')D
paraskah, a section or division ; and sometimes with three DDD
Samech's, which are an abbreviation for the word "MD seder, or
J^'TlD sidrah, an order, a full and absolute division. The
fcroier are generally called JlViyiS parashioth, distinctions,
Masoretical notes.
divisions, sections, — the lattei' D'TTD i^iderim, orders, arrange'
ments ; as it is supposed, tlut the sense is more full and com-
plete in these, than in [Ue parashioth.
MaSORETIC Notes on the Book of GENESIS.
At the end of all the books in the Hebrew Bible, the Mtii-
soretcs ha\'e aliixetl certain notes, ascertaining the number of
greater and smailer seciions, chapters, verses, and tetters. These
they deemtd of the greatest importance, in order to preserve
the integrity of their law, and the purity of their prophets.
And to this end, they not only numbered every verse, word,
and letter, but even went so far as to ascertain how often each
letter of the alphabet occurred in the whole Bible ! Thus sa-
credly did they watch over their records in order to prevent
every species of corruption. To some, this has appeared
trifling: others have seen it in a difierent point of view, and
have given due applause to that pious zeal and industry, which
have been exerted in so many tedious and vexatious researchesi,
in order to preserve the integrity and honour of the LAW OF
God.
The sum of all the VERSF.S in Bereshith (Genesis) is 1534.
And the memorial sign of this sum is ^^ ")X aleph X signify-
ing 1000; final caph -\ BOO ; lamed b 30, and daleth T 4.=
153k
The middle verse of Genesis is ilie fortieth of chap, xxvii
By thy sxiord shall thou lite.
The PARASHIOTH, or greater sections are twelve. The
symbol of which is the word n( zeh, THIS, Exod. iii. 15. And
THIS is my memorial to all generations. Where zuin f stands
for 7, and hi n for 5=12.
The SIDtRlM or orders (see above) are forty-three. The
symbol of which is the word DJ gam. Gen. xxvii. 33. YEA
(DJ gam) and he shall be blessed. Where gimel J stands for S,.
and D mem 40=43.
The PERAKIM, or modern division of chapters, are fifty; the
symbol of which is ~\b leca, Isa. xxxiii. 2. We have waited FOB
THEE. Where lamed b stands for 30, and caph "] for 20^50.
The open sections are 43. — The close sections 48. total 91.
the numerical sign of which is KX tse, Gi'.T THEE OUT, Exod.
xi. 8. where tsaddi J( stands for 90, and aleph X for 1=91.
The number of letteis is about 52740 ; but this last is more
a matter of conjecture and computation than of certainty ; and'
on it no dependance can safely be placed, it being a mere
multiplication by twelve, the number of sections, of 4395, the
known number of letters in the last or twelfth section of the
book: on this subject see Buxtorf's T/ienai, p. 181.
All these notes with some others of minor importance, the
Reader may find in most editions of the Masoretic Hebrew
Bibles, especially in those of Bomberg and Buxtorf, as also
in the editions which have flowed from them, particularly
in those of Van der Hooght, Simons, Sfc. Some of the un-
pointed Hebrew BiUes hare these Notes also inserted.
A CHllONOLOGICAL TABLE
OF THE
PIlINCirAL TRANSACTIONS RELATED IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS,
ACconuiso TO
THE COMPUTJTION Or JRCJIBISIIOP USfflUi,
WHICH IS CHIEFLY FOLLOWED IN THE PRECEDING NOTES;
SHEWING
IN WHAT YEAR 01' lUE WOULD, AND WHAT YEAR REFORE CHRIST, EACH EVENT HAPPENED.
The Reader will observe from the Chronological Notes in the martiin of the preceding Work,
that in a few instances, I have departed from the Usscrian computation, for which he will rind
my reasons in the Notes.
This Table I have considerably enlarged, by inserting the Edomitish Kings and Dukes, and a
few other transactions of prophane history, contemporary with the facts mentioned by Moses, by
which the Reader will have a synopsis or general view of all the transactions of the first 240O
years of the world, which stand upon any authentic records.
The^r^^ year of the world, answering to the 710th year of the Julian Period, and supposed
to be 4004 before the vulgar ^ra of the birth of Christ.
A.M.
1
First day's work : Creation of the heavens
and earth; of light, miiIi the distinction
of day and night, Gen. i. 1 — 5.
Second day: Creation of the firmament,
and separation of the superior and inte-
rior waters, i. 6 — 8.
Tliird day : The earth is drained, the
seas, lakes, &c. formed ; trees, plants,
and vegetables in general, produced, i.
9—13.
Fourth day : The sun, moon, planets, and
stars produced, i. 14 — 19.
Fifth day: All kinds of fowls and fishes
created, i. 20 — 23.
Sixth day: Beasts wild and tame, rep-
tiles, insects, and man, i. 24 — 28.
Seventh day : .Set apart and liallowed to
be a Sabbath, or day of rest for ever,
II '' *?
II. -, J.
Tenth day : The first woman sins, leads
her husband into the transgression, is
{ called Kve, iii. 1 — 20. They are both
expelled from Paradise, iii. 22 — 24.
N.B. This opinion, tliough rendered respect-
able bi/ great names, is very doubtful, and
should be received with very great caution,
I think it wholly inadmissible ; and though
I insert it as tlte generally received opi-
nion, yet judge it best to form no guesses,
and indulge no conjectures on such an ob-
scure point.
2 Cain and Abel born, iv. 1, 2.
129 Abel killed by his brotLer Cain, iv. 8.
B. C.
4004
4002
A. M.
130
325
395
460
622
687
874
930
987
1042
1056
1140
1235'
1290
1422
1536
1556
1558
Birth of Seth, iv. 15.
Enos son of Setli born, iv. 26, Hence
followed tiie distinction between tlie de-
scendants of Cain and those of Seth :
the former bein^ called sons qf men, the
latter sons of God, vi. 1 — 4.
Birtii of Cainan son ol' Enos, v. 9.
of Malialaleel son of Cainan, v. 12.
of Jartd son of Mahalaleel, v. 15.
of lOnoch son of Jared, v. i 8.
of Methuselah son of Enorli, v. 21.
of Lamech son of Methuselah, v.
25.
Death of Adam, aged 930 years, v. 5.
Enoch is translated in the 365th year of
his age, v. 24.
Seth dies, aged 912 years, v. 8.
Birth of Noah, son of Lamech, v. 29.
Enos dies, aged 905 years, v. 11.
Cainan dies, aged 910 years, v. 14.
Mahalaleel dies, aged 895 years, v. 17.
Jared dies, aged 9(i2 years, v. 20.
God commissions Noaii to preach repent-
ance to the guilty world, and to an-
nounce the deluge. He commands him
also to build an ark for the safety of
himself and his family. This commis-
sion was given 120 years before the
flood came, 1 Pet. iii. 10. 2 Pet. ii. 5.
Gen. vi. 17.
Birth of Japheth, son of Noah, v. 31.
compared with jt, 21,
of Skem.
B. C.
3874
3709
3679
3609
3544
3:582
3317
313a
3074
son
2962
2948
2864
2769
2714
2582
2468
2448
2446
CHRONOLOGY TO GENESIS.
A.M.
1560
1651
1656
1657
1658
1693
1723
1757
1771
1787
1816
1«19
1849
1878
1915
1948
1996
1997
2006
2008
2018-
2026
2049
'J079
2083
Birth of Ham.
Death of Lamecli, aged 777 years, v. 31.
of Methuselah, aged 969 years, v.
27.
Tlie general DELUGE, vii.
Noah, his family, and tiie animals to be
preserved, enter the ark, the 17th day
of the 2d month of this year, vii. 11.
The rain commence?, and continues 40
days and nights, and the waters con-
tinue, without decreasing, 150 days:
they afterwards begin to abate, and the
ark rests on mount Ararat, viii. 4.
Noah sends out a raven, viii. 7.
Seven days after, he sends out a dove,
which returns the same day — after seven
days he sends out the dove a second
time, which returns no more, viii. 8 — 12.
Noah, his family, &c. leave the ark. He
otiers sacrifices to God, viii. and ix.
Birth of Arphaxad, son of iShem, xi. 10, 11.
of Salah, son of Arphaxad, xi. 12.
of Eber, son of Sal ih, xi. 14.
of Peleg, son of Eber, xi. 16.
Building of the Tower of Babel, xi. 1- — 9.
About this time, Babylon was built by the
command of Nimrod.
Birth of Reu, son of Peleg, xi. 18.
Commencement of the regal government
of Eg-ypt, from Mizraim, son of Ham.
Egypt continued an indcpendant king-
dom, from this time, to the reign of
Cambyses, king of Persia, which was a
period of 1663 years, according to Con-
stantinus Manasses.
Birth of Serug, son of Reu, xi. 20.
of Nahor, son of Senig, xi. 22.
ofTerah, son of Nahop, xi. 25.
About this time, j^gialeus founds the king-
dom of Sicyon, according to Eusebius.
Birth of Nahor and Haran, sons ofTerah,
xi. 26.
Peleg dies, aged 239 years, xi. 19.
Nahor dies, aged 148 years, xi. 25.
Noah dies, aged 950 years, 390
after the flood, xi. 29.
Birth of Abium, son ofTerah, xi. 26.
of Sarai, wife of Abraiii.
years
Reu dies, xi. 21.
Serug dies, xi. 23.
Chedorlaomtr, king of Elam, subdues the
kings of the Penlapolis, Sodom, Gomor-
rah, &c. to whom they continued in
subjection for 12 years, xiv. 4.
The calling of Abrani out of UR of the
Chaldees, where the family had been
addicted to idolatry. Josh. xxiv. 2. He
comes to Haran in Mesopotamia, with
Lot his nephew, Sarai his wife, and his
B. C.
2444
2353
2348
2347
2346
2311
2281
2247
2233
2217
2188
2185
2155
2126
2089
2056
2008
2007
1998
1996
1986
1978
1955
1925
1921
A. M.
2083
2034
2086
2090
2091
2093
2096
2107
2108
2110
2118
fijther Terali, who dies at Haran, ag^...
205 years, xi. 31, 32.
Abram comes to Canaan, when 75 years
of age. Gen. xi. 4. From this period,
tlie 430 years of the sojourning of the
Israelites, mentioned Exod. xii. 40, 41.
is generally dated.
Abram goes into Egypt because of the
famine, xii. 10. causes Sarai to pass
for his sister. Pharaoh (Jpophis) takes
her to his house, but soon restores her,
finding her to be Abram's wife, v.
1 4—20.
Abram and Lot, having returned to the
land of Canaan, separate; Lot goes to
Sodom, and Abiam to the valley of
Mamre, near to Hebron, xiii. '
The kings of the I'eiUapulis revolt from
Chedorlaomer, xiv. 4.
Chedorlaomer and his allies make war
with the kings of the Pentapolis ; Lot is
taken captive ; Abram and his allies
pursue Ciiedorlaomer, defeat him and
tb" confedLMate king's, deliver Lot and
tlfP' other captives, and is blessed by
Melchisedek, king of Salem, xiv.
God promi-es Abram a numerous pos-
terity, XV. 1.
About this time, Bela, the first king of
the Edomites, began to reign, xxxvi. 32.
Sarai gives her maid Hagar to Abram,
xvi. 2.
Of her, Ishmael is born, xvi. 15. Abram
being then 86 years old.
Arphaxad dies 403 years after the birth
of Salah, xi. 13.
God makes a covenant with Abram —
gives him the promise of a son — changes
his name into Abraliiwi, and Sarai's in-
to Sarah — and enjoins ciicumcision,
xvi. 1,5, 6, &c. Abrahaai entertains
three angels on their way to ilestroy
Sodom, &c. xviii. He intercedes for
the inhabitants, but as ten righteous per-
sons could not be found in those cities,
they are destroyed, xix. 23. Lot is
delivered, and for his sake, Zoar is
preserved, \: 19 ^^c.
Abraham retires to Beer-sheba — afterwards
sojourns at (jerar. Abinielcch, king oi'
Gerar, takes Sarah in order to make
her his wile, but is obliged to restore
her, XX.
Isaac is born, xxi. 2, 3.
Moab and Ben-ammi, the sons of Lot,
born, xix. 36.
Abraham sends away Ishmael, xxi. 13, 14.
Abimelech and Phichol his thief captain
make an agreement with Abraham, and
CHRONOLOGY TO GENESIS.
surrender tbe well oF Beer-slicba for
si'von ewe lambs, xx. 22, &c.
Salali (lies 40'5 years after tlie birth of
I'lbcr, xi. 1.5.
About tliis time, Jobab, tlie second king
of the Kdomitcs, be^'an to rci^ii, xxxvi.
33.
Altruhain is called to sacrifiee his son
Isaac, xxii.
Sarali dies, aged 127 years, xxiii. 1.
Abrahaiu sends I'^liezer to Mesopotamia
to get a Tvife for his son Isaac, xxxiv.
About this lime, Abraham marries Kctu-
rah, XXV. 1.
SIvem, son of Noah, dies 500 years after
the birth of Arphaxad, xi. 11. •
Birth of Jacob and Esau, Isaac their fa-
tlicT li.'ing CO years of age, xv. 22, Ike.
About l!iis time, Uushani, the third king
of the Edomites began to i-eign, xxxvi.
34.
■Vbraiiam dies, aged 175 years, xxv. 7, <S.
Eber dies 430 years after the birth of
Pcleg, xi. 17."
God appears to Isaac, and gives him glo-
rious premises, xxvi. 4. He stays at
Gerar dr.ring the famine, xxvi. 6.
Esau marries two Canaanilish women,
xxvi. 34.
About this time, Hadad, the fourth king
of the Edomites, ',)egan to reign, xxxvi.
35.
Dtlio^^e of Ogyges, in Greece, 1020 years be-
; jore lite first O/i/'hpiail.
iJacob by subtlety obtains Esau's blessing,
xxvii. He goes to Haran, a:id engages
to s'. rve Laban .seven years (or Raclicl,
. xxvii. 1, 2.
Esau marries Mahalath, the diuighter of
Ishmael, xxviii. 9.
I'hnvjcl dies, aged 137 years, xxv. 17.
Jacob espouses Raciul seven years after
his engagement with Laban : Leah is
put in the place of her sister ; but, seven
days after, he receives Rachel, xxix.
Reuben is born, xxix. 32.
Simeon is born, xxix. 33.
Levi is born, xxix. 34.
Judali is born, xxix. 35.
Dan is born, xxx. 5,6.
Naphdiali is born, xxx. 7, S.
Gad is born, xxx. 10, II.
Ashcr is born, xxx. 12, 13.
Evechous begins to reign over the Chaldeans
224' years before the Arabs reigned in that
co'intry (Julius Africanus). Usher sup-
poses him to have been the same xvith Belus,
xeho was afteyd'ards luorshipped by the
Chaldeans.
R. C.
A. ?I.
1886
2247
224.0
1878
2250
2259
1869
2261
1863
2265
1859
1856
1850
1846
1836
1827
1821
2266
1817
1804
2276
1796
1785
2278
1779
2285
1773
1772
2288
2289
177!
1770
2290
1769
1768
2292
1767
1765
2296
1764
1762
2297
/
2298
Is!<acbar is born, xxx. 17, IP.
Zebulon is born, xxx. I 9, 20.
Dinah is born, xxx. 21.
.losepii is Imrn, xxx. .23, 24.
About tills time Sandali, the fifth king of
the Edornites, began to reign, xxxvi.
3t>.
Jacob and his family, imknown to Laban,
set out for Canaan ; Laban, hearing of
his departure, pursues him ; after seven
days he comes up v.itli liim at the
mountains of Galeed ; they make a
covenant, and gather a heap of stones,
and set up a pillar as a n'.emorial of the
transaction, xxxi.
Jacob wrestles with an angel, and has his
name changed to that of Israel, xxxii.
24—29.
Esau meets Jacob, xxxiii. 6.
Jacob arrives in Canaan, and settles among
the Shechemites, xxxiii. 18.
Benjamin born, and Rachel dies imme-
diately after bis birili, xxxv. 18.
Dinah defded by Sliecheui, and the sub-
sequent murder of the Shechemites by
Simeon and Levi, xxxiv. >
Joseph, aged seventeen years, falling un-
der the displeasure of his brothers, they
conspire to tal^e away his life, but after-
wards change their minds, and sell him
for a slave to some Ishr.iaelite merchants;
who bring him to Egypt, and sell him
to Potiphar, xxxvii.
Pharez and Zarah, the twin-sons of Ju-
dah, born about this time, xxxviii. 27—
30.
Joseph, through the false accusation of
his mistress, is cast into prison, where
about two years after, he interprets the
dreams of the chief butler and the chief
baker, xxxix, xl.
Isaac dies, aged 188 years, vxxv. 28.
Joseph interprets the two prophetic dreams
of Pharaoh, xli.
Commencement of the seven years of
plenty.
About this time was born Mariasseh, Jo-
seph's first-born.
About this time was born Ephraim, Jo-
seph's second son.
Comnienceinent of the seven years of fa-
mine.
Jacob sends his sons to Egypt io buy corn,
xlii. 1, &c.
He sends them a second time, and with
them his son Benjamin, xlii. 11.
Jo.seph makesliimself known to hisbrethren;
sends tor his lather, and allots him and
bis household the land of Goshen to
B.C.
1757
1755
1754
1745
1743
1739
1738
1723
172S
1719
1716
1715
1714
1712
1703
1707
1706
CHRONOLOGY TO GENESIS,
A. M.
2298
2300
2301
2302
•303
2315
2345
dwell in; Jacob being then 130 years
old, xlv, xlvi.
Joseph sells corn to the Egn^ptians, ar.d
brino's ail the money in Egypt into the
kinij's treasury, xlvii. 14.
He liuys all the cattle, xivii. 16.
All the Egyptians give themselves up to be
Pharaoh's servants, in order to get corn
to preserve their lives, and sow their
ground, xlvii. 18, &c.
The seven years offtmnne ended.
About this lime Saul, the sixth king of
the Edomites, began to reign, xxxvi.
37.
Jacob having blessed his sons, and the sons
of Joseph, J<4>hraim and IVlanasfeli, dies,
aged 147 years. He is embalmed and
carried into Canaan, and buried in the
cave of Marhpelah, xlix. 1.
About this time Baal-hanan, the seventh
B. C.
no6
no4
1703
no2
noi
16S9
1659
A.M.
2345
2369
238T
2429
2471
2474
2494
king of the Edomites, began to reign,
xxxvi. 38.
Joseph dies, aged 1 10, 1. having governed
Egypt fourscore years.
About this time, lladar or Hadad, the
eighth and last king of the Edomites,
began to reign, xxvi. 39.
About this time the regal government of
the Edomites is abolished, and the first
aristocracy of dukes begin, xxxvi. 15, 16.
About this time the second aristocracy of
Edomilish dukes begins, xxxvi. 40 — 43,
Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, born forty
years befor^^ he was sent by Woses to
spy out the land of Canaan.
liamessei Mittwun died in the 67th year of
his reign, under when), and his son
Amenophis who succeeded him, the chil-
dren of Israel endured the cruel bondage
and oppression rneniioned iu Exod, c. I.
B.C.
1659
1635
1617
1575
1533
1530
1510
PREFACE TO THE BOOK
OF
EXODUS.
1 HE name by which this book is generally distinguished, is borrowed from the Sephtagint, in
vhich it is called I'.^o^os, Exodus, the going out or departure ; and by the Codex Alexandrinus,
EfoJo? Aiy-jTrrov, the departure from Egypt, because tlic departure of the Israelites from Egypt
is the most remarkable fact mentioned in the whole book. In the Hebrew Bibles it is called
rilDw' n'pN'l ve-elli;h Shemoth, these are the names, which are the words with which it com-
mences. It contains a history of the transactions of 145 years, beginning at the death of Joseph,
j where the book of Genesis ends, and coming down to the erection of the Tabernacle in the wil-
^derness, at the ibot of Mount Sinai.
In this book Moses details the causes and motives of the persecution raised up against the
Israelites in Egj-pt— the orders given by Pliaraoh to destroy all the Hebrew male children, and the
prevention of the execution of those orders, through the humanity and piety of the mid wives
appointed to deliver the Hebrew women. The marriage of Amram and Jochebed is next related — ■
the birth of I^Ioscs — the manner in which he was exposed on the river Nile, and in which he was
discovered by the daughter of Pharaoh — his being providentially put under the care of his own
mother to be nursed, and educated as the son of the Egyptian princess— how, when fortv years of
age, he left the court, visited and defended his brethren — the danger to which he was in conse-
ijuence exposed — his flight to Arabia — his contract with Jethro, priest of Midian, whose daughter
Zipporah, he afterwards espoused. While employed in keeping the flocks of his father-in-law, God
appeared to him in a burning bush, and commissioned him to go and deliver his countrymen from
the oppression under v.hich they groaned. Having given him the most positive assurances of pro-
tection, and power to work miracles, and having associated with him his brother Aaron, he sent
tlicm first to the Israelites to declare the pui-pose of Jehovah, and afterwards to Pharaoh, to re-
quire him in the name of the Most Pligh to set the Israelites at liberty. Pharaoh, far from sub-
mitting, made their yoke more grievous ; and Moses, on a second interview to convince him by
whose authority he made the demand, wrought a miracle before him and his courtiers. This being
in a certain way imilaied by Pharaoh's magicians, he hardened his heart, and refused to let the
people go, till God, by ten extraordinary plagues, convinced him of his omnipotence, and obliged
him to consent to dismiss a people, over whose persons and properties he had claimed and exer-
cised a right founded only on the most tyrannical principles. The plagues by which God afflicted
tlie whole land of Egypt, Goshen excepted, where the Israelites dwelt, were the following ;
1. He turned all the waters of Egypt into blood. 2. He caused innumerable J/'o^gs to come
ever the whole land. 3. He aillicted both man and beast with immense sxiwms of xeimin. 4. Af.
PREFACE TO EXODUS.
terwards with a multitude of different kinds of insects. 5. He sent a grievous pestilence among
their cattle. 6. Smote both man and beast with boils. 7. Destroyed thfeir crops with grievous
storms of hail, accompanied with the most terrible thunder and lightning. 8. Desolated the whole
land by innumerable swarms of locusts. 9. He spread a palpable darkness all over Egypt: And, 10.
In one night, slerc all ihcjirsl-born, both of man and beast, through the whole of the Egyptian
territories. What proved the miraculous nature of all these plagues most particularly, was, 1st.
Their coming exactly according to the prediction, and at the command of Moses and Aaron.
2dly. Tlieir extending only to the Eg^'ptians, and leaving the land of Goshen, the Israelites, their
cattle and substance, entirely untouched.
After relating all these things in detail, with their attendant circumstances, Moses describes
the institution, reason, and celebration of the passovcr — the preparation of the Israelites for their
departure — their leaving Goshen and beginning their journey to the promised land, by the way
oi liameses, Suecoth, and Etham. _ How Pharaoh, repenting of the permission he had given them
to depart, began to pursue them with an immense army of horse and foot, overtook them at
their encampment at Baal-zephon, on the borders of the Red-sea. — Their destruction appearing
then to be inevitable, Moses further relates, that having called earnestly upon God, and stretched
his rod over the waters — they became divided, and the Israelites entered into the bed of the sea,
and passed over to the opposite shore ! Pharaoh and his host madly pursuing in the same track,
the rear of their army being fairly entered by the time the last of the Israelites had made good
their landing on the opposite coast, Moses stretching his rod again over the waters, they return-
ed to their former channel, and overwhelmed the Egyptian army, so that every soul perished !
Moses next gives a circumstantial account of the different encampments of tlie Israelites in the
wilderness, during the space of nearly forty years — the miracles wrought in their behalf — the chief of
which were the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, to direct and protect them in
the wilderness — the bringing water out of a rock for them and their cattle — feeding them with
manna from heaven, bringing innumerable flocks of quails to their camp, gi\ing them a complete
victory over the Amalekites, at the intercession of Moses, and particularly God's astonishing
manifestation of himself on mount Sinai, when he delivered to Moses jin epitome of his whole
law, in what was called the Ten Wouds, or Ten Commandments.
Moses proceeds to give a circumstantial detail of the different Zaa'5, statutes, anA ordinances
which he received from God, and particularly the giving of the Ten Commandments on mount
Sinai, and the awful display of the Divine Majesty on that solemn occasion : the formation of the
Ark, holy Table and Candlestick ; the Tabernacle, with its furniture, covering, courts, &c.
tliQ Brazen Altar, golden Altar, brazen Later, anointing oil, perfume, sacerdotal garments for
Aaron and his sons, and the artificers employed on the work of the tabernacle, &c. He then
gives an account of Israel's idolatry in the matter of the golden calf, made under the direction
of Aaron ; God's displeasure and the death of the principal idolaters ; the erection and consecra-
tion of the tabernacle, and its being filled aiid encompassed with the divine glory, with the order
and manner of their marches by direction of the miraculous pillar, with which the book con-
cludes.
THE
SECOND BOOK OF MOSES,
CALLED
EXODUS.
Year before the common Year of Christ, 1706 — Julian Period, 300S. — Cyle of the Sun, 7. — Dominical Letter, I". —
Cycle of the Moon, 2. — Indictiun, 15. — Creation from Tisri or September, 2298.
CHAPTER I.
fThe /tallies and iinmher of the children of Israel that uent douii into Egi/pt, 1 — 5. Joseph, and all his brethren
of thut geiierulion, die, ('). The great i/icre.ase of their posterittf, 7- The cruel policy of the king of Egi/pt to
destroy them, 8 — 11. Thei/ increase greatli/, notuithstanding their affliction, 12. Account of their hard bond-
age, 13, 14. Pharaoh's command to the Ilebrezi) midlives to hill all the male-children, 15, l6. The midwives
disobey the king's commandment, and on being questioned, vindicate themselves, 17 — 19. God is pleased uilh
their conduct, blesses them, and increases the people, 20, 2 1 . Pharaoh gives a general comiiiand to the Egi/ptians
to drown all the 'male children of the Hebrezcs, 22.
TOW "these are the names of
_ the children of Israel, which
i came into Egypt ; every man and his houshold
came with Jacob.
2 Rcnbcn, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3 Issacliar, Zcbulun, and Benjamin,
4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 And all the souls that came out of the '' loins
A. M.'A'98.
P. C. 1706.
• Uin. 46. 8. ch. 6. 11.-
->> ![eb. thigh.—
ncut. 10. i.'2.
-= Gen. -16. S6, 57. ver.20.
NOTTS ON CHAP. I.
Verse 1. Tlicse are ihc lumif.s] l^houi;h tliis bi.ok is a con-
tinuation of the book of Cienesis, wiih whicli probably it was in
lijrmer times conjoined, Moses thought it necessary to iniroiluce
it with an account of the names and number of the fiimily of
Jacob when they came to Egyi;f, to slicw, that thougli lliey
were then very few, yet in a short time, under liie especial
blcwiug of God, they had multiplied ex<'eediiigly ; and thus
the promise to Abraham had been literally fulftllcd. — See the
;iotes on Gen. xlvi.
, Verse 6. Joseph died, itnd all his LrcilmK] That is, Joseph
for
A. M. 2298.
B. C. ]70o.
A. Jl. i'o6i>.
B. C. 1615.
of Jacob were ' seventy souls :
Joseph was in Eg}'}it alreadij.
() And ''Joseph died, and all his
brethren, and all that generation.
7 " And the children of Israel were fruitful,
and increased abundantly, and midtiplied, and
waxed exceeding mighty ; and the land was
filled with them.
^ Gen. 50. 26. Acts 7. 15.-
-' Gen. 46. 3. Deut. 26. 5.
Acts 7. 17.
Ps. 1(»5. 24.
h.id now been some time dead, as also all his brethren; and
all the Iv^yptians, who had known Jacob and iiis twelve
sons: and lliis is a sort of reason why the important services
perfijrnied by Joseph were for^^^otten.
Verse 7. The children of Israel ivere fi-uilfiil] riS priru, a
general term, signifying that they were like heuldij/ trees,
bringin;T forth an almndunce o/fruit.
And ir.creiise<t'\ li"''-' yiskrcuu, they increased like fishes,
as the original word implies. — See Gen. i. 20. and the note
there.
Abitmluii:if\ 12T yirebu, they multiplied : this is a separate
M m 2
A new king in Egypt : EXODUS
A.M cir.c4oo. 3 -^Qyf there ' arose up a new king '
B.c.cir.icot. ^^.p^, ggypj.^ wliich knew not Joseph.
9 And he said unto his people, Behold, '' the
people of tlic children of Israel are more and
mightier than we :
10 "Come on, let us ''deal wisely with. them •,
lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that.
Acts 7. 18. » Ps. 105. '2i. ' Ps. 10 2. & 83. 3, 4. " Job 5. 13.
Ps. 105. -iO. Piov. 16. 25. & Sil. 30. Acts 7. 19.
term, and shoukl not Lave been used as an adverb by our
translators.
A>id they wared excee:lin<r mighti/] "ixo 1XC3 lOiSlM va-
yadlsmu be-mend meod, and they became stron:;- beyond mea-
sure— supirkaiixly, super tut ively — so that the land (Goshen)
U'QS filled xtiith them. This astonisliing increase was, under
the providence of God, chiefly owing to two causes ; 1 . The
Hebrew women were exceedingly fruilful, suffered very little
in parturition, and probably often brought forth t'.':iiis. 2.
There appears to have been no premature deaths among thein.
Thus in about two hundred and fifteen years they were
multiplied to upwards of 600,000, independantly of old men,
vioincn, and children.
Verse 8. There arose up a new king] Who this was, it is
diflicult to say. It was probably Rumesee.i .Viainwi, or his
son Amenophb, who succeeded him in the government of
Egypt about A. M. 2400 before Clirist, 1604.
Which knew not Joseph.'] The verb PT j/udd, which ue
translate to know, oiten signifies to ncknoivledge or apvrote,
see Judges ii. 10. Psal. i. 6. xxxi. 1. IIos. ii. 8. Amos iii.
2. The Greek verbs tiJa and yivaaiia, are used precisely in
the same sense in the New Testament, see Matt. xxv. 12.
and 1 John iii. 1. We may therefore understand by the
new king's not knovjing Joseph, his disapproving o( tliat system \
of government which Joseph bad established, as well as his i
Jiaaghtily refusing to acknowledge the obligations, under wliich 1
tlie whole land of Egypt was laid, to this eminent prime
minister of one of his predecessors. |
Verse 9. He said unto his people] He probably summoned
a council of his nobles and elders to consi<ler the subject j I
and the res(dt was, to persecute and destroy tiiem, as is alter- !
wards stated. i
Verse 10. They Join also iin/o our enemies] It has been '
conjectured, that Pharaoh Ind probably his eye on the op-
piessions which Egypt had sullered under the shepherd kings, '
wiio for a long series of years had, accordmg to Manctho,,
governed the land with extreme cruelty. As the Lsraelites-
were of the same occupation, viz. shepherds, the jealous cruel
king found it easy to attribute to tliem the same motives; |l
taking it for granted, that they were only waiting lor a favour-
able opportunity to join the enemies of Egypt, and so over-
run the whole land.
Verse 11. Set over them task-rnaslers] C'CO »12^ sarey
missirn, chiefs OT princes of burdens, works, or tribute — CTTiraras
riov t^yuv, Sept. overseers of the works. The pei-sons who
appointed them their work, and exacted the performance
of it. The work itself being oppressive, and the muimer in
A.M.cir.i40(K
B.C.cir.l60».
he oppresses the Israelites'.
when there falleth out any war, they
join also tnito our enemies, and fight
against us, and so get them up out of the land.
11 Therefore they did set over them task-
masters " to afflict them with their ' burdens.
And they built for Pharaoh, treasure cities, Pi-^
thorn ^and Raamscs.
' Gen. 15, 13. cli. S. 7.
Dcut. 'iG.Ci. fell
stJen. 47. 11.
i. 11. hS.i, 5. Ps. 31. 6.
which it was exacted still more so, there is some room to-
think that they not only workf.d them- unmrivifully, buk
alfo obliged them to pay an exorbitant tribute at the saaie
time.
Treasure citiei^ filWSO .'"'J? drey mi-scenoth, store cities —
public granaries. Culmet supposes this to be the name of"
a city, and translates the verse thus : '■' They built cities, vistt
Miscenoth, Piliiom, and lliuueses." Pithom is supposed t*
be that which Herodotus e,i!!s I'aliimos. Ruanises, or rather-
Rameses, for it is the same Hebrew word as' in Gen. xlvii. 1 1.
and should be written the lame waj' he/e as tiiere, is supposed
to have been the capital of tlie land of Goshtn, mentioned
in the book of Genesis by anticipation ; for it was probably
not erected till after the days of Joseph, wlien the Israelites
were brought under that severe oppression described in the
book of E.vodus. Tlie Sepluagint add here, xat D.v, ij crtv
H.XLCu7ro>^iS, and ON, which is HeliopoUs ; i. e. the city of
the Sun. The same reading is found also in the Coptic
version.
Some writers suppose tlat, besides these cities, the Israelites-
builded the Pyramids. If tbis conjecture be well founded,
perhaps they are intended in the word mJ3D'J miscenoth,
which from p3 racn«, io lay tip in. store, nught be intended
to signify places where Pharaoh laid up his treasures; and
from their structure, thty appear to have been designed for
something of this kind. If the history of the Pyramids be
not found in the book of Exodus,, it is no where else extant;
their origin, if not alluded to here, being lost in their very re- '
mote antiquity. Diodorus Si'culus, who has given the best
traditions he could find, relative to them, says, that there
\ias no agreement either amonir the inhabitants, or the his-* i
torians, concerning the building of the Pyramids. Bib. Hists :
lib. I. cap. Ixiv. i
Jfisepluis expressly saj's, that one part of the oppressiort I
sufR'rcd by the Israelites m Egypt, was occasioned by buitdf '
ing Pyramids.— '^iee on vcr. 14. ;
In the book of Genesis, and in this book, the word Pha- ]
raoh frequently occurs, «hich, though many suppose to be ai I
proper name, peculiar to one person, and hy tbis suppositioa. \
confound tlie acts of several Egyptian kings ; yet it is to bOr '
understood only as a name of office. ' ,
It may be necessary to observe, that all Ihe Egyptian king^ '
whatever their own name «as, took the surname of Pharaok \
when they came to the throne ; a name, which in its general i
acceptation, signified the same as king or monarch; but in its- I
literal meaning, as Bochart has am])ly proved, it signifies a j
cncodilc, wliich being- a sacred animal, among the Ejjyp*
The midu'tves are commanded CHAP. I.
12 '■ But the more they afflicted
them, the more they multiplied and
io desh-oy the male children.
A.Mcir.:irO.
B.C.cir. 1C()+.
grew. And they were grieved because of the
children of Israel.
13 And the Egyptians made the children of
Israel to serve with rigour:
14 And they "made tlicir lives bitter with
hard bondage, "in morter, and in brick ^ and in
all manner of service in the ticld : all their ser-
vice, wlierein they made them serve, v:as with
rigour.
15 if And the king of Egypt spake to the
; Hebrew mid wives, of which the name of the
* Hcb. And as then afflicted them, sn they multiplieil , ^c. '' cli. S. 23.
& (1. 9. \uiub. iO. 15. Alts 7'. 1% ,>4. " P.-. Bl. 6.
■ tians, the word might be added to their kings, in order to pro-
cure them the greater reverence and respect.
Wrso 12. But the move lluy nfflklcd thcin] The mar:;in
.has prettj' nearly preserved the import of tlie original — And
as thty (iffiicled i/iem, so llity multiplied, and so they grew.
.That is in proportion to their aftlictions was their prosperity ;
.and had their sulVerings been greater, their increase would
.have been more abundant.
Verse 13. To serve with rigovr'] "pSa be-pherec, with
cruelty, great oppression, being ferociims witli Uieui. The
word Jkrce is supposed, by some, to be derived from the He-
brew, as well as tlie Latin /crox, from which we more imme-
diately bring our English term. This kind of cruelty to
slave.e, and ferociousness, unfcelingness, and hardiicartedncss,
were particularly forbidden to the children of Israel. See
Levit. XXV. 43, 4(5. where tlie same word is used — Thou sluilt
not rule oitr him xvith UIGOUU, but shaltftnr thy God.
Verse 14. They made their lines better] So that they be-
came weary of lift.', through the severity (jf tiieir servitude.
If'ilh hard bondage] Dii'p maW be-dbndah kashah, with
grievous servitude. This was the general character of their
hfe in Egypt : it was a life of the most painful servitude, op-
pressive cn<iugh in itself, but made much more so, by the
cruel manner of their treatment, while performing their
tasks.
In morter and in briel] First in digging the clay, knead-
ing and pre]jarmg it, and secondly forming it into bricks,
drying ihem in Ihe sun, &c.
Service in the field] Carrying these materials, to the places
where they were to be formed into buildings, and serving the
builders, while employee! in those public works. Josephus
says!, the Egyptians contrived a variety of ways to afflict the
Israelites : lor they enjoined them, says he, to cut a great
number of channels for the river, and to build walls for
iheir cities and ramparts, that they might restrain the river,
and hinder its waters from stagnating, upon its over-running
itsown banks: they set them also to budd Pyramids, iru^af/.taai
T£ avoixoh/jiouvTs;, and wore them out, and forced tliem to
Icam all sorts of mechanic artji, and to accustom themselves
one "teas Shiphrah, and the name of a M<;ir..4(o.
the other Puah : i^c.ur.l»y^,
16 And he said. When ye do the office of a
midwife to the Hebrew women, and sec them
upon the stools ; if it be a .son, then ye shall kill
him : but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
17 But the midwives " feared God, and did
not ' as the king of Egypt commanded them,
but sa\-cd the men children alive.
18 And the king of Egypt called for the mid-
wives, and said unto thein, "Why have ye done
this thing, and have saved the men children
alive ?
■■ Prov. 16.6-
Dan. 3. 16, 18. & €. 13. .icts 3. 29.
to hard labour. — Antiq. lib. ii. cap. ix. sect. T. Philo bears
nearly the .same testimony, p. 8h. Edit. Mr.ugey.
Verse 15. Ifebreiv midicives] Shiphrahawl Pjiah, which are
hcra mentioned, were probably certain chiefs, under whom
all the rest acted, and by whom they were instructed- in the
obstetric art. Aben Ezra supposes, there could not have been
fewer than five hundred midwive.s among the Hebrew wo-
men at this iime ; but that very few were requisite, see proved
on ver. 19.
Verse le. Upon the stools] D'':2iin ^ dl ha-aben.'tyim. This
is a difficult word, and occurs no where else in the Hebrew
Bible, but in Jer. xviii. 3. where we translate it the potier'o-
wheels. As. ps* aben, signifies a stone, the abcnayim has been
supposed to signify a stone trough, in which they received and
washed the infant as soon as bom. Jarchi, in bis book of
Hebreia Roots, gives a very diftlrcnt interpretation of it ; he
derives it from p ben, a son ; or D'J3 banim, children : his
words must not be literally translated ; but this is the sense —
" When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew wo-
men, and ye see that the birtli is broken forth, if it be a son,
then ye shall kill him." Jonathan ben Uzziel gives us a
curious reason for the command given by IMiaiaoh to the
Egyptian women — ' Pharaoh slept, and saw in his sleep a
balance, and behold the whule land of Egypt stood in one
scale, and a lamb in the other; and the scale in which Ihe
lamb was, outweighed that in which was the land of Egypt.
Immediately he sent and called all the chief magicians, and
told them his dream. And Janes and Jimbres, (see 2 Tim.
iii. 8.) who were chief of the magician.s, opened their mouths
and said to Pharaoh, A child is shortly to be born in the con-
gregation of the Israelites, whose band shall destroy the whole
land of Egypt." Therefore Pharaoh sjiake to the midwives, IfC.
Verse 17. The midwives feared God] Because they knew
that God had forbidden murder of every kind : for though
the law was not yet given, Exod. xx. 13. being Hebrew*,
they must have known that God had from the btgimiin"- de-
clared. Whosoever sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood
be shed. Gen. ix. G. Therefore they saved the male chddrer,
of all to whose assistance they were called. See ver, 19.,
Tlie mid-iiive.s refuse, EXODUS. and God blesses tlienit
AMcirv^oi. 19 And 'the midwivies said unto jj 20 "^ Therefore God dealt well with A.i\i.cir.v4(;o.
Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew wo- • the midwives : and the people multi-
li.C.cir.K.Ol-
r>C.(ir. li-Ol-.
men are not as the Egyptian women ; for tliey
are lively, and are delivered ere the midv/ives
come iu unto them.
" See Josli. 2 4, &c.
J Sam. 17. 19, 20. >> Prov. U. 18, Ecdes. 8. 12.
Isai. 3. 10. Hebr. 6. 10.
plied, and waxed very mighty.
21 And it came to pass, because the midwives
feared God, ' that he made them houses.
Verse 19. The Hebrew women are nol as the Egyptian
' women] This is a simple statement of uhat general experience
knows to be a fact, viz. that women, who, duriiia; the whole
of iheir pregnancj', are accustomed to hard iabmir, especially
in the open air, have coniparativelj' little pain in parturition.
At this time the whole Hebrew nation, men and women, were
in a state of slavery, and were obliged to work in i7iorter and
brick, and all manner of service IN THE FIELD, ver. 14. and
this at once accounts for the ease and speediness of their
"travail. With the strictest truth, the midwives miG;ht say,
the Hebrew women are nol as the Egyptian ivomen : the latter
fare delicately, are not inured to labour, and are kept shut
up at home , therefore they have hard, difficult and dangerous
labours : but the Hebrew women are lively, r.vr\ chaiyoth,
are strong, hale, and vigorous, and therefore are delivered ere
the midwives come in unto them. In such cases, we may na-
turally conclude, that the midwives were very seldom, even sent
for. And this is probably the reason why we find but tzuo
mentioned; as in such a state of society, there could be but
very little employment for persons of that profession, as a
mother, an aunt, or any female acquaintance or neighbour,
could readily aftbrd all the assistance necessary in such cases.
Commentators, pressed with imaginary dilficultics, have
sought for examples of easy parturition in Ethiopia, Persia,
and India, as parallels to the case before us; but they might
have spared themselves the trouble, because the case is com-
mon in all parts of the globe where tl;e women labour hard,
and especially in the open air. I have known several in-
stances of the kmd myself, among- the labouring poor. 1
shall mention one : 1 saw a poor woman in the open field
at hard labour — she staid away in the afternoon ; but she
returned the next morning to her work, with I'.cr infant child,
liaving in the interim been .safely delivered ! She continued
at her daily work, having apparently suflered no incon-
venience !
I have entered more particularly into this subject, bccau.se,
through warit of proper information (perhaps from a worse
motive) certain persons have spoken very unguardedly against
this in---pired record — "The Hebrew midwives told palpable
lie.s, and God commends them for it, thus we iriay do
evil tliat good may come of it; and sanctify the means by the
/:nd." Now, I contemi that there was iii'ithcr lie direct, nor
(i\en prevarication in the case. 1 he midwive.^ boldly state to
Pharaoh a fact, (had it not been so, he bud a thousand n.eans
of a.'certaining the truth) and they state it in such a way, as
to bring conviction to his mind, on the subject of his oppressive
cruelty on the one hand, and the mercy of Jehovah on the
other. As if they iiad said, "The very oppression, under
■Hhich, through thy cruelty, the Israelites gioan, their God
<: See 1 Sara. 2. 35. 2 Sam. 7. 11, 13, 27,29. 1 Kings 2. 24. Ic 11.
Ps. 127. 1.
has turned to their advantage : they are not oniy/n«V/«/, but
they bring forth with comparatively no trouble; we have
scarcely any employment among them." Here then is a fact,
'boldly announcK* in the face of danger: and we see that
; God was pleased with this frankness of the midwives, and he
; blessed them for it.
I \'erse 20. Therefore God dealt well -with the midwives : and
the people multiplied, and waxed very ndghly.] Ilus shews an
I especial providence and blessing of God : for though in all
; cases vdiere females are kept to hard labour, they have cotn-
' paratively easy and safe travail ; yet in a state ot slavery, the
increase is generally very sm.all; as the children die for want
j of proper nursing, the women, through their labour, being
: obliged to neglect their olfspring; so that in the slave coun-
tries, the slock is obliged to be recruited by foreign imports;
i yet, in the case above, it was not so ; there was not one bar-
ren among their tribt s ; and even their women, though con-
stantly obliged to perform their daily tasks, were neither ren-
dered unfruitful by it, nor taken off" by premature deaths,
through the violence and continuance of their labour, when
even in tlie delicate situalion mentioned above.
Verse 2 1 . He made them houses.] Dr. Shuckford thinks
that there is something wrong both in the punctuation and
translation of this place, and reads the passage thus, adding
the 21st to the 20di verse. " And they multiplied and wax-
ed mighiy ; and this happened (Ti'l vayehi) because the mid-
wives feared God : and he ( I'ltaraoh) made (on? lahem,
niasc.) them (the Israelites) houses ; anel commanded all his
people, saying. Every son that is born, &c." The doctor
supposes that )!revious to this time, the Israelites had no fixed
dwellings, but lived in tents, and therefore had a better oppor-
tunity of concealing their children ; but now Pharaoh built
them houses, and obliged them to dwell in them, and caused
the Kgyi'lians lowalch over them, that all the male children
iiii,;hl be destroyed, vvliich could not have been easily effected,
had the Israelites continued to live in their usual scattered
manner in tents That the houses in question, were not made
for the midivives, but for the Israelites in general, the Hebrew -
text seems (jreity plainly to indicate : for the pronoun Orh
lahtm, to them, is the masculine gender : hael the midwives
been meant, the feminine prono'iii jn? lahen, would have been
used. Gthcrs contend, that by making them houses, not only
the midiuives are intended, but also that the words mark an
increase of their families, and that the objection taken (rom
the masculine pronoun is of no weight, because these pro-
nouns are often inierthansied : see 1 Kinsrs xxii. 17. where
D,17 lahem is written, and in the parallel place, 2 Chron. .xviiL
6. inS lahe:i is used. So Dn3 bahem, in 1 Chron. x. 1. is
written jn3 buhen, 1 Sam. xxxi. 1. and in several other
The Egyptians commanded
CHAP. I.
to droxcti the Hehreta male-chUdren.
A.M.cir.:
B.C.cir. !•»«.,
22 if And Pliaraoh charg-ed all his ye shall cast into the river, and every AM.uriM.*.
people, saying, ''Every son that is born daughter ye shall save ahvc. ' B.c.cir.ioso.
• Acts?. IS*.
places. Tliere is no doubt that God did I)lcss the midwives ;
iiis approbation of their conduce is strictly marked : and
there can be no doubt of liis prospcrins the Israelites; for it
is particularly said that the people nniltiplicd and waxed very
mighty. But tiie words must probably refer to the Israelites,
whose houses ov fumilks, were built up by an extraordinary in-
crease of children, notwithstanding the criK-l policy of the
Eg;yptian king. Vain is the counsel of man, when op-
, posed to the determinations of God! Ail the means used for
the destruction of this people, became in his hand instruments
of their prosperity and increase. Kow true is the saying, If
I God be^o;- us, wiio can be (f^ainst us ?
I Verse 22. Ye shall cast into the riicrl As the Nile, which
is here intended, was a sacred river among th.e Kgyptians, is it
' not unlikely that Pharaoh intended the young Hebrews as an
, oflVring to his god, having two objects in view, 1. to cncrease
^tbe fertility of the ctiintry by thus procuring, as he might sup-
impose, a proper and sufticient annual miuidation ; and 2. to
J prevent an increase of population among the Israelites, and in
-process of time procure their entire extermination ?
It is conjectured with a great show of probability, that the
edict mentioned in this verse, was not made till after the birth
of Aaro'i ; and that it was revoked soon after the bn'th of
Moses ; as, if it had subsisted in its rigour, durin^ the ei^hly-
six years, which elapsed between this and the deliverance of
I the Israelites, it is not at all likely that their males would
have amounted to six hundred thousand, and those all effective
men.
In the General Preface to this work, reference has been
made to OrIGEN's metliod of intei'preting the Scriptures, and
some specimens promised. On the plain account of a simple
matter of fact, related in t!ie preceding chapter, this very emi-
nent man, in his 2d homily on Exodus, imposes an interpre-
tation, of which the following is the substance.
Pharaoh, kinq of E;^ypt, represents the devil — the male
vnA female children of the Hebrews, represent the animal and
rational faculties of the soul. Pharaoh, the dtiil, wishes to
destroy all the males, i. e. the seeils of rationuHly and spiritual
science, through which the soul tends to, and .teeks heurenlij
things; but he wishes to preserve the females alive, i. e. all
those animal propensities of man, through whi( h he becomes
carnal and deviiish. Hence, says he, when ymi see a man
living in luxury, banquetings, pleasures, and sensual gratifica-
tions; kno-.v, that there the king of E:ypt has slain all the
males, and preferved all t\\t females alive. The nudii-ircs re-
prescn' the Old and iV'tU) Testaments; the one is called Sephora,
which signifies a sparrovi, and means that sort of instruction,
by which the soul is led to soar aloft, and contemplate hcav'cnly
things. The other i^ called Phwi, which signifies riiddj/ or
l/nshful, and points out the go-jtet, which is ruddy with the
Wood of Clirist, spreading the doctrine of his passion over the
•arth. By these, as midwives, the souls that are born into the
Ch. 7. 19—21. Ri-v 16 -1—6.
church arc healed ; for the reading of the Scriptures corrects and
heals, what is amiss in the mind. Pharaoh the devil, wi.slies to
corrupt those midwives, that all the males, the spiritual propen-
sities, may be destroyc d ; and this he endeavours to do, by
' bringing in heresies and corrupt opinions. But the- foundation
of God stanilelh sure. The }nidn;ivcs feared God, therefore he
' builded thiin houses. If this be taken literally, it has little or
I no meaning, and is of no importance : but it points out, that
I the miihvives, the law and the gospel, by teaching the fear of
1 God, build the houses of the c/iurch, and fill the whole earth
with houses of prayer. Therefore these midwives, because
! they feared God, and taught the fear of God, did not fulfil
the command of the king of Egypt — they did not kill the
\ fuales ; and I dare confidently aliirin, that they did not pre-
I serve ihe females alive; ibr they do not teach vicious doctrines
in the church, nor preach up luxury, nor foster sin, which
; are what Pharaoh wishes, in keeping the females alive ; for by
' these, virtue alone is cultivated and nourished. By Pharaoh's
j daughter, I suppose the clairch to be intended, which is gather-
I ed from among the Gentiles : and although she has an im-
i pious and iniquitous father, yet the j)ropliet says unto her,
; Hearken, O daughter, and consider, incline thine ear ; forget
i also thine own people, and thy father's house, so .iliall the kin"
\ greatly desire thy beauty. Psal. xlv. 10, 11. This, therefore,
I is she who comes to the waters to bathe, i. e. to the baptismal
* font, that she may be washed from the sins which ^he has con-
tracted in \kt father's house. Iinniediately she receives bowels
of commiseration, and pities the infant — That is, the church,
I coming from among the Gentiles, finds ]\loses, the law, \\-\yin-
• in the pool, cast oat, and e.rposed by his own people, in an ark
1 of bulrushes, daubed over with pitch, deformed and obscured,
by the rarnal and absurd glosses of the Jews, who are igno-
■ rant of its spiritual sense; and while it continues with them,
' is as a hclplfss and destitute infant; but as soon as it enters
I the doors of the Christian C'liurch, it becomes strong and
I vigorous ; and thus IMoses, the law, grows up, and becomes
I through means of the Christian Church, more respectable
even in the eyes of the Jews themselves, according to his own
prophecy — / will move them to jealousy with those which are
not a people ; I will provoke them to anger wi'h a foolish na-
tion, Dc'.it. xxxii. 21. Thus taught by the Christian Church,
the Synagogue foi-sakes idolatry ; for when it sees the Gentiles
worsnipjiing the true God, it is ashamed of its idols, and wor-
I ships them no more. In like manner, though we have had
Pharaoh for our father, though the prince of this world has
begotten us by wicked works, yet when we come unto the
•waters of baptism, we take unto us Jiloses, the law of God, in
its true and spiritual meaning; what is low or weak m it, we
leave ; what is strong and tier xct, we take and place in the
royal palace ol' m\r heart. Tlicn we have Moses g'-o-.cn up;
we no longer consider the law as little or mean — all is maoni-
ficent, excellent, elegant — for all is spiritually understood.
Let us beseech the Lord .lesus Christ, that he may reveal
Marriage of Aniram and Jochehed.
EXODUS.
Moses is born.
himself to us more and more, and shew us how great and
sublime Moses is; for lie, by his Holy Spirit, reveals iht-se
things to whomsoever he will. To him be glory and donii-
Tiiou for ever and ever ! Amen.
Neither the praise of pieli/, nor the merit o(in<raunti/, can
be denied to this eminent man, in siieh' interpretations as
these. But who, at the same time, does not see, that if such
a mode of exposition were to be allowed, the trumpet could
no longer give a certain sound. Eveiy passage and fact might
then be obliged to say some thing, atty tiling, every tiling, or 7;o-
tliing, according to l\\t fancy, peculiar creed, or caprice of the
interpreter.
I have given this large specimen from one of the ancients,
merely to save the niodernx, from whose works on the sacred
writings, 1 could produce many specimens, equally singular,
and more absurd Header, it is possible to trife with tiie
testimonies of God, and all the while speak serious things:
but if all be not done according to the pattern shewn in tlic
mount, mvc'a evil may be produced, and many stumbling
blocks tlir;n>u in the way of others, which may turn tl>em
totally out of the v\ ay of underslanding ; and then what a
dreadful account n)tist such interpreters have to give to that
God, who has pronounced a curse, not only on those who
take away from his word, but also on those who add to it!
CHAPTER IL
^mram and Jochebed marry, 1 . Most^s is horn, and is hid />•/ itis mother three months, 2. /s exposed in an ark
of bulrushes on the river Nile, and u-atched by his sister, 3, 4. lie is found by the daughter of Pharaoh, wlw
commits him fo the care of hi.i oicn mother, and has him educated as her oaii son, 5 — 9- When gromt up, he is
brought to Pharaoh's daughter, zcho receives iiim as her orrn child, and calls him iNIoses, 10. Finding an
Egyptian smiting a Hebretc, lie kills the Egyptian, and hides him in the sand, 11, 12. lieprovcs tiro Hebrews
that xcere contending together, one of uhom charges him with killing the Egyptian, 13, 14. Pharaoh heating
of the death nf the Egyptian, sought to slay 3Iuses, zcho being alarmed, escapes to the land of Midian, 15.
Meets zcith the seven daughters of lieuel piieit of Midian, who came to uater their flocks, and asMsts them, l6, 17.
-On their return, theij iiform their father Reue], nho invites Moses to his house, IS — 20. Moses dzvells nith
him, and receives Zipporah his daughter to trife, 2i. She bears him a son, zchom he calls Gershom, 22. The
children of Israel, grievously oppressed in Egypt, cry for deliverance, 2'J. Gud remembers his covenant tiith
ylbraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and /tears their prayer, 24, 25.
A.M.cir.24.»a.
B.
.C.cir.lj72. /\
N D there went ' a man of the
house of Levi, and took to wife
XI daughter of Levi.
:2 And the woman conceived, and bare a
' Cli. 6. 20. Numb. L'C. 59. 1 Cliron. 23. 14.
NOTES ON CII.VP. 11.
"Verse 1. There ivenl a man] vVmraM, son of Kohath, son
of Levi, chap. vi. 16—20. A daughter of I^vi — JoCHEBED,
sister to Kohath, and consequently both the wife and aunt of
her liuhband Amram, chap. vi. 20. Numb. x;;vi. 19. Such
iiiarriagcs were at this time lawful, though they were after-
•»vards forbidden. Lev. xviii. 12. But it is jwssible thai ditvgli-
ier of Levi, means no more than a descendant of that family;
and that probably Amram and Jochebed were only cousin
germans. As a nevi law was to be given, and a new priesthood
formed, God chose a religious family, out of which tiie law-
giver, and the liigh-priest, were both to spring.
Verse 2. Bare a soil] This certainly \\ as not her first child,
for Aaron was/oiirscore find three years old, when Moses was
but/oi(;vico/f, see chap. vii. 7. And there was a sister, protjably
Miriam, who was elder than either, see below, ver. 4 and set
r<iumb. xxvi. 59. Miriam and Aaron had, no doubt, been both
A. jr. 2453.
B C. Ib71.
son : and •" when she saw him that
he xi'as a goodly child, slic hici him
three months.
3 And when she could not longer hide him,
* Acts?. ::0. IIclii. 11. 23.
born, before the decree was passed for the destruction of the
Hebrew male children, mentioned in the preceding chapter.
Goodly chilli] The text simply says, MPl 31t2 O ki
tob hu, that he was gnud, which signifies that he was not only
a perfect well-formc<l child, but that he was very beautiful:
hence the .Septua<rint translate the place, i^ite; Je avTo artiov,
seeing liiiii to be beiiuliftd — whic-h St. Stephen interprets,
riv artioq Til) ®coi, he was comely to God, or divinfly beautiful.
This very circumstance was wisely ordained by the kind pro-
vidence of God, to be one means of his preservation. Scarcely
any thing interests the heart more, tlian the sight of a lovely
babe in distress. Mis beauty would induce even I'.is parents
to double their exertions to save him, and was probably the
sol. motive, Mliicli led the Egyptian jirincess to take such
purticular care of him, and to educate him as hrr own son,
which in all likelihood she would not have done, had he been
only an ordinary child.
Moses is put in an arJc,
A.M. 2ii;. she took for him an ark of buhaishes,
°'^'°''' and daubed it with sHmc and with
pitch, and put tlio child therein ; and she laid
it^n the flags by tlie river's brink.
CHAP. IL and exposed on ihc 7'iver.
4 ' And his sister stood afar off, to
wit what woidd be done to him.
5 If And the '' daughtci" of Pharaoh
down to wasli herself at the river
• Cli. 15. '.0. Numb. iC. 59.
Verse 3. An ark of huhitshes] S'ljj nan tehath gome, a
small boat or basket, inaile of the E;jyi)tiaii reed called pi'py-
luj, .«o famous in all anti(]uitj'. Tliis plant grows on llie
bank.« of tlie Nile, and in marshy grounds ; the stalk rises to
the height of str or seven cubits above the water, is triani^ular,
and terminates in a crown of small filaments, resembling hair,
which the ancients used to compare to a tliyrsis. This reed
was of the greatest use to the inhabitants of Egypt, the pith
contained in the stalk, serving thein for food, and the \^oody
part to build vessels with ; which vessels frequently appear on
engraved stones and other monuments of Egyptian antiquity.
For this purpose they made it up like rushes into bundles,
and by tying them together, gave their vessels the necessary
figure and .«olidity. The vessels of bulrushes or papyrus,
says Dr. Shaw, were no Other than large fabi-ics of the same
kind with that of Moses, D^xod. ii. 3. which, from the late in-
troduction of plank and stronger materials, are now laid aside.
Tlius I'liny, lib. vi. chap. 16. takes notice of die Naves papt/-
rauas, ar-mamesitaque Sill, " Ships made of papyru.s and the
equipments of the Nile;" and lib. xiiu chap. 1 1. he observes,
£r ipsa quidcm papyro namgia teiunt — ''Of the papyras itself
they construct sailing vessels." Herodotus and Diodorus have
recorded the same fact, and among the poet?, Lucan, lib. iv.
ver. 13o. Conseritur bibula Mempliitis ci^niba papyro — "The
Memphianor Egyptian .boat is constructed from the soaking
papyius." The epitliet bibula is particularly remarkable, a>
corresponding with great exactness to the nature of the plant,
and to its Hebrew name NQJ gome, which signifies to soak,
to drink up. i^ce ^'arkhurst sub voce.
She laid it in thejiags] Not willing to trust it in the stream,
for fear of a disaster ; and probably choosing the place to
vhieh the Egyptian princess was accustomed to come, for the
purposes specified in the note on the following verse.
Verse 4. And the daughter of Pharaoh] Josephus calls her
ThermutLis, and says, that "the ark was boiue a]ong by the
current, and that she sent one that could swim after it — -that
she was struck w ith the figure and uncommon beauty of the
child ; that she enquired for a nurse— but lliat he having re-
fused the breasts of several, his sister, proposing to bring a
Hebrew nurse, bis own mother was procured." But all this
is in Josephus's manner, as well as the long circumstantial
dream, that he gives to Amram concerning tlie future greatness
of Moses, which cannot be considered in any other light than
that of a fable, and not even a cunningly daised one.
To Hash herself at the rii-er} Whether the daughter of
Pharaoh went to bathe in the river through motives of plea-
sure, health, or religion; or whether she bathed at all, the
text does not specify. It is merely stated by the sacred
writer, that she ivent down to the river to WASH; for the word
herself, is not in the original. Mr. Manner, Observat. vol.
iii. p. 529. is of opinion that the time referred to above, was
A. .M. LM.lj.
B.C. 1571.
camo
and her
» Acts 7. »l.
that in which the Nile begins to rise ; and as the dancing girls
in E;;ypt, arc accustomed now to plunge themselves into the
river at its rising, by which act they testify their gratitude for
the inestimable blessing of its inundations, so it might have
been formerly ; and that Pharaoh's daughter was now coming
down to the river on a similar account. — I see no likelihood in
all this. If she washed herself at all, it yitight have been a re-
ligious ablution, and yet extended no farther than to the hands
and face ; for the word JTH rachals, to wash, is rejieatedly uscfl
in the I'eiUateuch to signify religious ablutions of diflcrent
kinds. Jonathan in his Targum says, that God had smitten all
Egypt with ulcers, and that the daughter of Pharaoh came to
wash in the river in order to find relief; and that as soon as
she touched the ark where Moses wa.s, her ulcers were healed.
This is all fable. I believe there was no bathing in the case,
but simply what the text states. Hashing, uot of her person, but
of her clothes, which was an employment, that even kini^s'
daughters did not think beneath them in those primitive times.
Homer, Odyss. vi. represents A'aMU'Wrt, daughter of Alciiuius.
king of the Phuacians, in company with her maidens, employed
at the sea side, in washing her own clothes, and those of her /Ire
brothers ! While tluis employed tliey find Ulysses just drives
ashore, after having been shipwrecked ; utterly helpless, naked,
and destitute of every necessary of lite. 'J'lie vihole scene is
so perfectly like that before us, that they appear lo me to be
almost parallels. I shall subjoin a few lines. The princess
having piled her clothes on a carriage drawn by several mules,
and (lri\en to A\e place of washing, commences her work,
whicli the poet describes thus :
TJti J' art' a7r>n>i(,
EifiaTa x^p'^'^ tXovro, xai Ej(popecv /ifAav ucioo.
AvTa^ EWEi 71'Kvixv Tt, KaSncav re pt/Tra vavTa,
E|£iw{ '7rcTa<7av Trapa Stv" aXog, r.xi lUaXira
AauV>aj TTort x^p^o" a7ro7r><.uveaiie SaXsara-a.
Odyss. hb. vi. ver. 90.
" Lighl'ningthe carriage, next, they bore in hand
The garments do-jsn to the unsullied xiave,
And thrust t/iem, heap'd into the pools, their task
Dispatching brisk, and with an emulous haste.
\V hen all ivere purified, and neither spot
Could be perceived or blemish more, they spread
Tlie raiment orderly alon^ the beach,
'Where dashing tides had cleans'd tlie pebbles most."
COWPER.
When this task was finished, we find the Phscacian prin-
cess and her ladies (Ksi/p J' ck BaXa/xoio — a/jt^i'7rc?<3t a\?.xi)
employed in amusing themselves upon the beach, till the "ar.
ments they had washed should be dry, and fit to be folded up>
that they might reload tlieir carriage and return. .;
N n
He is found by Pharaoh's daughter.
EXODUS, and put under the care of Ms own motlier*
A.M.S!)3j.
B C. Ii71.
maidens walked along by the river's
side ; and when she saw the ark
among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
6 And when slie had opened it, she saw the
child: and, behold, the babe wept. And siie
had compassion on him, and said, This is one
of the Hebrews' 'children.
7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter.
Shall I go and cull to thee a nurse of the
Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child
for thee ?
8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her. Go.
And the maid went, and called the child's
mother.
» Acts?. 21, *• That is, rlramt otil.
In the text of Moses, the Egyptian princess accompanied
■with her 7nrtids, n'r\ij?3 nadrouyah, comes down to the river,
not to liathe herself, iur this is not intimated, but merely to
■wash. \'TTh lirechots: at the time in which the nrk is per-
ceived, we may suppose that she and her companions had
finished their tasii, ami like tlie daughter of Alcinous, and her
maidens, were amusing themselves, walking along by the river's
side, as tlie others did by tossing a ball, atpaipn rai r'ap sTrai^ov,
when they as suddenly and as unexpectedly discovered Moses
adrift on the flood, as Nausicaa and her companions dis-
covered Ulysses, just escaped naked from shipwreck. In both
the histories, that of the ;>o« and tiiis oi' the prophet, both the
strangers, the shipwrecked Greek, and the almost drowned
Hebrew, were rescue'i by the princesses, nourished and pre
served alive ! Were it lawful to suppose that Homer had ever
seen the Hebrew story, it would be reasonable to conclude that
lie had niadL' it the basis of the 6th book of the Odyssey.
Verse 6. Slie had compassion on him] The sight of a beau-
tiful babe in distress, could not fail to make the impression
here mentioned ; see on ver. 2. It has already been conjec-
tured, that the cruel edict of the Egyptian king did not con-
tinue long in force ; see chap. i. 22. And it will not appear
unreasonable to suppose, that the circumstance related here
might have brought about its abolition. The daughter of
Piiaraoh, struck with the distressed state of the Hebrew-
children, from wliat she had seen in the case of Moses, would
probably implore her father to abolish this sanguinary edict.
Verse 7. Shall I go and call — « nurse .?] Had not the dif-
ferent circumstances marked here, been placed under the
superintendancc of an especial Providence, there is no huiuaii
probability that they could have had such a happy issue.
The parents had done every thing to save their child, that
piety, alTcctign, and prudence could dictate, and having done
MO, they left the event to Gud. By faith, says the Apostle,
Heb. xi. 23. Moses was hid, when he was born, three months of
his parents, because they saw he was a proper child ; and they
were' not afraid of the Icing's commandment. Because of the
king's commandment tiiey were obliged to make use of the most
prudent caution lo kavc the child's life; and their faitb in God
A. M. J433.
B. C. 1.W1.
9 And Pharaoh's daughter said un-
to her, Take this child away, and
nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.
And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
10 And the child grew, and she brought him
unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became ' her
son. And she called his name '' Moses : and
she said, Because I drew him out of the
water.
11 •![ And it came to pass in those a. m. 2*73.
days, ' when Moses was grown, that ^ ^' "^''
he went out unto his brethren, and looked
on their " burdens : and he spied an Egyptian
smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren. \
' Acts 7. 23, 24. Hebr. 11. 24, 25, 26. '' cli. 1. 11
enabled them to risk their own safety ; for they were not afraid
of the king's commandment — they feared God, and they had
no other fear.
Verse 10. And he became her son] From this time of liis
being brought home by his nurse, his education commenced,
and he ivas learned in all theivisdom of tlie Egyptians, Acts vii.
22. who, in the knowledge of nature, probably exceeded all
the nations then on the face of the earth.
And she called his name] rviTO mosheh, because D'On JO min
ha-mayim, out of the waters, inn'*it3 meshitihu, have I drawn
him. nWO mashah signifies to draw out, and mosheh is the
person drawn out : the word is used in the same sense, Psal,
xviii. n. and 2 Sam. xxii. 17. What name he had from his
parents we know not ; but whatever it might be, it was ever
after lost in the name given to him by the princess of Egypt.
Abul Farajius says that Thermuthis delivered him to the wise
men, Janees and Jimbrees, to be instructed in wisdom.
Verse 1 1 . When Moses was grown] Being full forty years of
age, as St. Stephen says. Acts vii. 23. it came into his heart to
visit his brethren — i. e. he was excited to it by a divine inspiration
— and seeing one of them suffer wrong — by an Egyptian smiling
him ; probably one of the task masters — he avenged him ami
smote, slew the Egyptian ; supposing that God who had given
him commission, had given also his brethren to understand,
that they were to be delivered by his hand, see Acts vii. 23 — 25.
Probably the Egyptian killed the Hebrew, and therefore on
the Nnahic precept, Moses was justified in killing him : and be
was authorized so to do, by the commission which he had re-
ceived from God, as all succeeding events amply prove. Pre-
vious to the mission of IVIoses to deliver the Israelites, Josephufi
saj's, the Ethiopians having made an irruption into Egypt,
and subdued a great part of it, a divine oracle advised them
to employ Moses the Hebrew. On this, the king of Egypt
made him general of the Egyptian forces ; with these he
attacked the Ethiopians, defeated and drove them back into
their own land, and forced them to lake refuge in the city of
Saba, where he besieged them. That Tharbis, daughter ot
the Ethiopian king, seeing him, fell desperately in love with
him, and promised to give up the city to him, on condition
Moses slaj/s an Egyptian^
A. M. 3173. 12 And he looked
"*-• '•"'^'" that way, and wlien he saw that
there was no man, he " slew the Egyptian, and
hid him in the sand.
13 And '' when he went out the second day,
behold, two men of ihe Hebrews strove to- i
pether : and he said to him that did the wrong, |
Wherefore smitcst thou thy fellow ? |
14 And he said, ' Who made thee " a prince
and a judge over us ? intcndest thou to kill
me, as (hou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses,
feared, and said. Surely tliis thing is known.
15 Nmv when Pharaoh heard this thing, he,
sought to slay Moses. But ° Moses fled from
CHAP. n. and flees to Mid'ian.
this way and the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in amsiTs.
•AcU7. M.-
Ucii.13.8.—
— >> Acts 7. 2(i. ' Acts 7. SiT, I'S. "^ Heb. a man, a jmnce.
-'Acii7.i.'9. H«br.ll.L'7. 'Geii.2-i. ll.&'iO.'J. Ccli.3. 1.
ithat he wouM take lur to wife, to v.liicli Moses agreed, and
Hie city was put into the hands of the I' iryptians. Jo». Ant.
(\\h. ii. chap. y. St. Stephen probably alluded to sonietliing'
!of this kind, when lie said, Moses was mighlj/ in deeds as
fwell as words.
[ Verse 13. Two men of ihe Hcbreui siroz-e logetlier'] How
Ittrang-c, that in the very place where they were siilFerinj^- a
heavy ptrsecution, because they were Ilcbre-^s, that the very
'persons themselves, who suffered it, should be found persc-
Icutinof each other! It has Ijcen often seen, that in those
itimft- in which the nngodly oppressed the Church of Christ,
i its own members have been separated from encii clluT, by [
(disputes concerning comparatively unessential points of <loc-
I trine and discipline; in consequence of which, both they and
Itlie truth have become an easy prey to those whose ilesire was
to waste the heritage of the Lord. The Taroum of Jonathan
says that the two persons who strove were Dutluin and Aiiiiam.
\'erse 14. And Moses feared] He saw that the Israelites
"Were not as yet prepared to leave their bondage ; and that
: though God liad called him to be their leader, yet his provi-
jdenee had not j'ot sufficiently o|5ened the way; and had he
'staid in Egypt, he must have en<langered his life. Prudence
therefore dictated an escape for the present, to the land of
IMidian,
Verse 15. Pliarrioh — sov^lit to slut/ 3Toscs — hut Moses Jled
.from the face of l'lii:nioli.] How can this be reconciled with
Heb. xi. 27. by faith he (Moses) forsook E'jypt, not feariii'jr
the v:ruth of the ki't'^ ? — Very easily : the Apostle speaks not
lof //(i> forsaking of Egypt, but of his and the Israelites' final
[departure from it; and of the b;ild and courageous manner in
iwliich Moses treated Pharaoh and the Kgyptian^^ ilisregard-
lioij his tbreatenings, and the tnidiitudes of tliciii tliat pursued
■-after the people whom, in the name and strength oi' God, he
lied, in the face of their enemies, out of Egypt.
Duelt in the land if iVlidianl A country generally supposed
to have been in Arabia Petrea, on the esstern coast of the
'Red Sea, not far from Mount Sinai. This place is still '.ailed
'by the Arabs, the Land of Midian, or tlw Land <i)' Jnhro. .
the land of Midian: and he sat ° ^ '"'*'
' down by ' a well.
16 % ^ Now the "priest of Midian had seven
daughters: 'and they came and drew waicTy
and filled the troughs to water their fiithcr's
flock.
17 And the shepherds came and drove them
away : but Moses stood up and helped them,
and " watered their flock.
18 And when they came to ' Rcuel, their fa-
ther, he said. How is it that ye are come so
soon to day ?
19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us
" Or, prince, a« Gen. •11. 15 —
k Gen. 5^9. 10 ' Numb. 10. 1
4. 13. 6t 18. 1, &o.
-'Gen. 34. 11. & 2?. 10. 1 Sam. 9. II
9. C.iiled also Jethro or Jctltcr, cli. S. 1. &
Abul Farnjius calls it the land of the Arabs. It is supposed
that the Midianites derived their origin from Madian, the
fourth son o! Abraham by Keturah, thus: Abraham, Zimran,
Jokshan, Medan and Midian, Ragiiel, Jethro; .see Gen.xxv. I.
But Calmet contends, that if Jethro had been of the fa-
mily of Abraham, either by Jokshan or Midian, Aaron and
IVliriam could not have reproached Mo^es with marrying a
i Cushite, Zipporah, the daughter of Keuel. Ke thinks there-
fore that the Midianites were of the progeny oi Cash, the son
of U(im ; see Gen. x. 6.
Vcr.se 1 6. The priest of Midian] Or prince, or both : for
the original, jro cohen, has bulb meanings. See it explained
at large, Gen. xv. 18. The trans.iction here, very nearly re-
sembles that mentioned Gen. xxix. concerning Jacob and
Rachel ; see the notes there.
Verse 11. The shepherds — droie them] The verb CIC^J'
yei^areshtim, being in the masculine gender, seems to imply
that the sliephcrds drove away theji<H-ks of Reuel's daughters,
ami not the daughters lliemsclves. The fact seems to be, that
as the daughters of Rene! filled the troughs, and brought their
flocks to drink, the shcjihcrds drove those away, and profiting
b)' the young ■women's labour, watered their own cattle.
Moses resisted this insolence, and assisted them to water their
flocks; in consequence cf which, they were enabled to return
much sooner than they were wont to do, ver. 1 8.
Verse 18. li.'uel their father] In Numb. x. 29. this person
is called Ragiie! ; but the Hebrew is the same in both places.
The reason of this difierence is, tliat the I? din in 7N'in, is
sometimes used merely as a ■unncl, sometimes as a g, ng, and
gii, and this is occasionu'd by the difficulty of the sound, which
scarcely any European organs can enunciate. As ]>ronouncc(l
by the Arabs, it strongly resembles the fust effort made by
the tliroat in gitr:;!iiig, or as Meninski says, est vox x'iluli ma-
irem roca7iti.':, ii is like the sound made by a calf in .seeking
its dam. liiigiiel is the worst method of pronouncing it;
Re-u-el, the first syllable strongly accented, is nearer to the
true sound. A pro]>cr uniformity in pronouncing the same
word wherever it may occur, either in the Old or New Tes-
N n 2
He marries Zipporali.
out of the hand of the shepherds,
and also drew water enough for us,
and watered the flock.
20 And he said unto his daughters, And where
u he I why is it that ye have left the man ? call
])im, that he may ^ eat bread.
'1\ And Moses was content to dwell with
the man ; and he gave Moses '' Zipporah his
daughter.
'I'l And she bare lum a son, and he called
his name " Gershom **: for he said, I have been
*•» stranger in a strange land.
EXODUS. God Hears the groaning of the Israelitesi
" Gen. "1. M S: 43. -iri. '■ ell 4. Si. & 18. S!. 'That is, n slravger
here. <■ ch. 18. :'. ' Acts 7. 'J9. Hclir. 11. 13, 14. fell. 7. 7. Ai;ls
r. 30.. 6 Numb. 20.16. Diuti.'67. Ps. 12. 5. '■Gen. 18.20. cli. 3.9.
A.M.c»r.S5;)4.
B.C. cir. 1500-
lament, is greatly to be desired. The person in question ap-
pears to have several names. Here be is called Reuel ; in
Kumb. X. 29. Rnguet; in Exod. iii. l.Jeiltro; in Jiidg. iv. 1 1.
Hobah, and in Judg^ i. 16. he is called 'J'p Ktyni, which in
llie 4th. chap, we translate Kenite. Some suppose that Rn-ti-d
was father to Hobab, who was also caWed Jethro. This is the
most likely ; see the note on chap. iii. I.
Ver.<e 20. Tliat lie may eat bread.] That be may be enter-
tained, and receive refreshment to proceed on his journey.
Bread, amon^ the Hebrews, was used to signify all kinds of
Jbod, commonly used for the support of man's life.
Verse 21. Zipporah his dauglder'] Abul Farajius calls her
*• Saphura the black, daughter of Rewel the Midianite, the son
of Dedan, the son of Abraham by his wife Keturah." The
Targiim calls her the grand-daughter of Reuel. It appears
that Moses- obtained Zipporah, something in the same way
that Jacob obtained Rachel ; namely, for the performance of
certairt sci vices; probably keeping of sheep, see chap. iii. 1.
Verse 22. Called his name Girshom'] Literally a stranger —
the reason of which Moses immediately adds — -for I have been
an AI.IE.S in a strange lund.
The Vulgate, the Septuagint, as it stands in the Complulen-
sian Polyglott, and in .several WSS. the Sjjrlac, the Coptic, and
the Arabic add the following words to this verse. And the
■name of the .lecitnd he culled Elicter ; fur the God ofmyfatlicr
has been- my hr'p and delivered me from the hand of Pharaoh.
These words are found in chap, xviii. 4. but they are certainly
necessary here, for it is very likely that these twosons were born
■within a sliort space of each other; for in chap. iv. 20. it is
said, I\lo^cs took his wife and his SONS, by which it is plain,
that he had both Ucrshom and Eliezer at that time. Honbi-
pant introduces this addition in his Latin version, and con-
tvnils that Ibis is its most proper place. Notwithstanding the
authority of the above versions, the clause is found in no copy
printed or I\LS. of the Hebrew text.
Vt-r.sc 23. /;) process of time the king of Egypt died] Ac-
eording to St. Stephen (Actsvii. 30. compared with E\od,
vii. 1.) the death of the Egyptian king happened about forty
years after the escape ff Moses to Wuhan. The Hebrew
words Dr\n iy3in coo 'HM va-ythi ba-yiimim ha-rabbim ha-hetn,
23 ^ And it came to pass ^ in pro-
cess of time, that the king of Egypt
died t and the children of Israel ^ sighed by
reason of the bondage, and they cried, and
" their cry came up unto God by reason of
the bondage.
24 And God ' heard their groaning, and GoA
" remembered his ' covenant with Abraham,
with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25 And God " looked upon the children o|
Israel, and God " had respect unto them °.
& 29. 23, 27. Dcut. 24. 15. .Tames 5. 4. ' cli. 6. h. " cli. 6. 5-.
Ps. 105. 8, 42:. & 106. 45. ' Gen. 1 j. 14. & 46. 4. "> cli. 4. 31. 1 Saiu.
1. 11. 2 Sam. 16. li. Luke 1. •ib. " Heb. knew.- ^" cli. 3. 7.
which we translate. And it came to pass in process of time,
signify. And it ivas in many days from these, that the king, &c.
It has already been remarked, that Archbishop Usher suj>-
poses this king to l>ave been Ramests Miamiin, who was sue-
ceded by his- son Amenopbis, who was drowned in the Red
Sea, when pursuing the Israelites;, but- Abul Farajius says it
was Amunfathis, (Amenophis) be who made the cruel edict
against the Hebrew children. tj
Some suppose that Moses wrote tlte book of Job, daring- j
the time he sojourned in Midian, and also the book of Genesis.
Sighed by reason of the bondage] For the nature of their
bondage, see on chap. i. 14.
Verse 24. God rcmetnhered his covenant] God's covenant »
God's engagement — he had promised to Abraham, to Isaac,
and to Jacob, to give their posterity a land flowing with milL
and iioney, &c. They are now under the most oppressiva
bondage, and this was the most proper time for God to shew-
them his mercy and power in fulfilling his promise. This i»-
all that is meant by God's remembering his covenant, for it wa»-
now tliat he began to give it its eO'ect. j
Verse 25. And God had respect unto theiii] D'nSsf in<1 vaiyedA [
Elohiin — God knew thein, i.e. he approved of them, ani i
therefore it is said that their cry came up before God, and he
heard their groaning. The word ^T yudd, to know, in the !
Hebrew Bible, as well as y(vu<r.<ai in the Greek Testament,. ;
are frequently used in the sense of approving; ami because
God knew, had' respect for, and approved of them, tlierefore he
was determined to deliver tlicm. For DTiSh Elohim, GOD, in-
the last clause of this verse, Houbigant reads DiTTX alihem,
UPON THEM ; which is countenanced by the Vulgate, Septua-
gint, Chaldec, Coptic, and Arabic, and appears to have been
the original reading. The ditlerence In tlie original, consists-
in the iiUercliange of two letters!, the ^j/orf and rt /le. Our
tran.slators insert unto them, in order to make up that sense,
which this various reading gives without trouble.
The farther we proceed ii» the Sacred Writings, the more ■
the history both of the grace and providence of God opens to-
our view. He ever cares tor his creatures, and is mindfal;
of his promise. The very means raad.e use of to destroy hi*
Remarks on the providence of
CHAP. ir.
God towards the Israelites,
work, are, in his hands, the instrurricntS of its accomphsh-
menl. I'haraoli orders tlic male ciiiidren of the Hebrews to
be tliroHH into the river — Moses, wlio was thus exposed, is I
found by his own daii^Miter, brought up as litr own son ; and
from his Egyptian education, becomes much better quaHfied
for the fjreat work to wliich God had called him : and his
being obliged to leave Kgypt, was undoubtedly a powerful
means to woaa his heart from a land, in which he had at his
conuTiand all the advantages and luxuries of life. His so-
journing also ii\ a strange land, where he was obliged to earn
his bread by a very painful employment, fitted him for the
perilous journey he was obliged to take in the wilderness, and
enabled him to bear the better, the privations to which he was
in consequence, exposed.
The bondage of the Israelites was also w'isely permitted,
that they might with less reluctance leave a country where
they had sufl'ered the greatest oppression and indignities.
Had diey not suffered severely, previous to their departure,
there is much reason to believe, that no inducements could
have been suflicient to have prevailed on them to leave it.
And yet their leaving it, was of infinite consequence, in the
order both of grace and providence, as it was indispensably
necessary that they should be a people separated from all the
,5 rest of the world, that ihey nnght see the promises of God
fulfilled under their own eyes, and thus have the fullest per-
; suasion that their law was divine, their prophets inspired by
': the Most High, and that the Messiah came according to the
'] prophecies before delivered concerning him.
, Prom the example of Pharaoh's daughter, (see note ver. 4.)
[ and the seven daughters of Jeihro, (ver. 16.) we learn that
in the days of primitive simplicity, and in this respect the
best days, the children, particularly the daughters of persons
1 in the highest ranks in life, were employed in the most la-
liorious offices. Kings' danghters performed the office of the
laundress to their own families ; and the daughters of princeS
tended and watered the flocks. We have seen similar in-
stances in the case of Rebckah and Rachel ; and we cannot
be too pointed in calling the attention of modem delicate
females, who are not only above serving their own parent*'
and family, but even their own selves: the consequence of
which is, they have neither vigour nor health ; their growth,
for want of healthy exercise, is generally cramped, their na-
tural powers are prematurely developf;d, and their whole
course is rather an apology for living, than a state of eflcctive
life. Many of these live not out half their days, and their
otTspring, when they have any, is more feeble than them-
selves; so that the race of man, where snch preposterous
conduct is followed, and Where is it not fofiowed ? is in a-
state of gradual deterioration. Patents, who wish to fulfil-
the intention of God and nature, will doubtless see it their
duty to bring up their children on a dilTcrent plan. A worse
than the present can scarcely be found out.
Afflictiom under the direction of God's providence, and
the influences of his grace, are often the means of leading,
men to pray to, and acknowledge God, who, in the time of
their prosperity, hardened their necks from his fear. When
the Israelites were sorely oppressed, they began to pray.
If the cry of oppression had not been among them, probably
the cry for mercy had not been heard. Though allliction«i
considered in themselves, can neither atone for sin, nor im-
prove the moral state of the soul, yet God often uses them as
nieiins to bring sinners to himself, and to quicken those, who,
having already escaped the pollutions of the world, were
falling again under the influence of an earthly mind. Of
many millions besides David, it may truly be said, before
they were afilicted, tbey went astray !
CHAPTER in.
Moses, keeping the Jlock of J ethro, at Mount Horeb, 1, the angel of the Lord appears to him in a burning bush, C,
jlstonis/ied at the sight, lie turris aside to examine it, 3, when God speaks to him out of the fire, and declares him-
self to be the God of Ahralmm, Isaac, and Jacob, 4 — 6; announces his purpose of delivering the Israelites from
tluir oppression, and of bringing litem into tin promised land, 7 — 9; commissions him to go to Pharaoh, and to be
leader of the children of Israel from Egypt, 10. Moses excuses himself , II; and God, to encourage him^ pro-
mises him his protection, IG. Moses doubts zchetlier the Israelites zcill credit him, 13, and God reveals to him
his Name, and informs him zchat he is to .sn;/ to the people, 14 — 17, and instructs him and the elders of Israel,
to apply unto Pharaoh fur permission to go three days journey into the uiUlerness to sacrifice unto the Lord, 18;
• foretells the obstinacy of the Egyptian king, and the miracles which he himself should work in the sight of the
Egyptians, 1 9, QO ; and promises, that, on the departure of the Israelites, the Egyptians should be induted to fur-
msit them with all necessaries Jpr their Journey, 21j 22.
Moses keeps the Jlock of Jethro. EXODUS.
,TOW Moses kept the flock of
Jethro his father-in-law, ' the
The burning bush.
A. Ar. ;/=,i.^,
B.C. H'^l.
N
priest of Midian : and he led the flock to the
backside of the desart, and came to ^ the moun-
tain of God, eveti to Horeb.
= Cli. a. 16. " cli. 18. X 1 Kings 19. 8.
A. M. 2.il3.
B. C. 1491.
NOTES ON CHAP. III.
Verse 1. Jethro his father-in-laxv] Concerning Jethro, see
the note on chap. ii. 18. Learned men are not agreed on
the signification of the word jnh cholen, wliich we translate
fiaher-in-ta-x, and which, in Genesis xix. 14. we translate
soii-in-laxo. ' It seems to be a general term for a relatr'e by
vmrriage, and the connection only in wliich it stands, can
determine its precise meaning. It is very possible tliat Reuel
was now dcud, it being forty years since ]Moses came to
Midian; that Jethro was his son, and had succeeded him in
his office of prince and priest of Midian ; that Zipporah
was the sister of Jethro, and that consequently the v/ord jnn
chotat, should be translated brother-iu'luiu in this place, as
we learn from Gen. xxxiv. 9. Dent. vii. 3. Jo.-h. xxiii. 12.
and other places, that it simply signifies to contract affiniiij
hj/ iiiurriagr. If this conjectiiie be right, we may well sup-
pose, that Reuel being dead, Moses was continued by his
brother-in-law Jethro in the same employment he had under
his father.
Blountuin of God] Sometimes named Horeh, at otlier
times Sinai. Tlie mountain itself had two peaks, one was
called Hon-b, the other Siiuii. Horeb was probably the
primitive name of the moimtain, which was afterwards ealle<l
the mountain of God, because God appeared u|ion it to
Moses ; and mount Sinai, 'J»D, from HJD scneh. a bush, be-
cause it was in a bush or bvaiiibie, in a flame of fire, that this
appearance was made.
Verse 2. TItc angel of the Lord] Not a created angel cer-
tainly; for he is called HTl' Jehovah, ver. 4, &c. and has
the most expressive attributes of the Godhead applied to him,
ver. 14, &c. Yet he is an angel, IxSo malac, a 7ncsi-engcr,
in whom was the name of God, ciiap. xxiii. 21. and in
whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Col. ii. 9.
and who, in all these primitive time^, was the messenger
of the covenant, Mai. ill. 1. And who was this but Jesus,
the Leader, Redeemer, and Saviour of mankind? — Seethe
note on Gen. xvi. 7.
A flume of lire out of the midst of a bush] Fire was not only
among the Hebrews, but also among many other ancient
nations, a very significant emblem of the Deity. God ac-
companied the Israelites in all their jonrneyings throuL;li the
wildernt.ss as a pillar of fire by night, and probably a fire or
flame in the Holy of Holies, between the Cherubim, was the
general symbol of his presence; and traditions of these things,
which must have been current in the East, have probably
given birth, not only to the pretty general ojilnion that God
appears in the likeness of fire, but to the whole of the Zo-
roustrian si/steni of fire-uorsliij). It has been reported of
Zoroa.ster, or Zerudusht, that having retired to a mountain
for the study of wisdom, and the benefit of solitude, the
2 And "^ the angel of the Lord ap-
peared unto him in a flame of fire,
out of the midst of a bush : and he looked,
and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the
bush was not consumed.
' Deut. 33. 16. Isai. 63. 9. Acta 7. 30.
whole mountain was one day enveloped with flame, out of
the midst of which, he came without receiving any injury;
on which he oftered sacrifices to God, who, he was persuaded,
had then appeared to him. M. Anquetil du Perron gives
much curious intijrmation on this subject in his Zend Avesta.
The modern Parsees call fire the oflspring of Ormusd, and
worship it with a vast variety of ceremonies.
Among the fragments attributed to /Eschylus, and collected
by Stanley, in his invaluable edition of this poet, p. 647.
col. 1. we find the following beautiful verses:
Xa^i^s OvYirav rov @!cv, xai f/.v 5bK£i
Ofiotov auTu (xaoxiVDv xa9^ra\<at.
Oi/K otadoi y avTov TTors /xsv ag TTvp (paivtrai
ATiXarr^v Offj.-^' 'iron J' u^'jif, tcoti Se yvcpoi.
" Distinguish God from mortal men; and do not sup.
po^e, that any thing fleshly is like unto him. Thou knowesi
him not : sometimes indeed he appears as a formless and ini-
petucus FIRE — sometimes as water — sometimes as thick dark-
-The poet proceeds :
TfE.MEi J'ojOti, Hxi yaiac, itcu 7rE\u^ia;
Oto-v iTTiQXi-^'Vi yo^yov o/x/xa oea-woTou.
" Tlie mountains, the earth, the deep and extensive sea,
and tlie summits of the highest mountains, tremble, whenever
the terrible eye of the Supreme Lord looks down upon them."
These are very remarkable fragments, and seem all to be
collected from traditions relative to the different manifestations
•jf God to the Israelites in P^gypt, and in the wilderness.
Moses wished to see God, but he could behold nothing but
an indescribable glory ; nothing like mortals, nothing like a
human body, appeared at any time to his eye, or to those of
the Israelites. " Ye saw no manner of similitude," said
Moses, " on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb,
out of the midst of the FlltE," Deut. iv. 15. But some-
times the divine power and justice were manifested by the
indescribable, formless, impetuous, consuming flume — at other
times he appeared by the uuiter which he brought out
of the flinty rock — and in the thick darkness on Horeb, when
the fierj/ law pr(iceed(_d from his right ha;ul, then the earth
ijuaked and the mountain trembled: and when his terrible eye
looked out upon the Egyptians, through the pillar of cloud
and fire, their chariot wheels were struck off, and confusion
and dismay were spread through all the hosts of Pharaoh,
Exod. xiv. 24, 25.
And the hush was not consumed.] I. -An emblem of 1]k state
of Israel in its various distresses and p-jr.-ecutions : it was i»
the fire of adversity, but was not consumed. 2. An emblem
God converses icith Moses : CHAP,
3 And Moses said, I will now turn
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1-191.
aside, and see tliis ' great sight, why
the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the Lord
aside to see, God called
saw that he turned
'' unto him out of the
midst o£ the bush, and said, Moses, Moses.
And he said. Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither : " put
off thy shoes from oflf" thy feet, for the place
whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, '^ I am the God of thy
I • Ps. 1 1 1. «. Acts 7. 31 . » Ueut. 33. 1 6.-
lActs 7. S3. " Gen. 28. 13. ver. 15. cli. 4.
16. Luke 'JO. 37. Acts. 7. 3i.
■' ch. 19. 12. Josli. 5. 15.
Matt. 22. 32. Mark 12.
I also of the state of the Church of God in the wilderness, in
persecution.s often — in the midst of its enemies — in the region
of tlie sliadow of Death — yet not consumed. 3. An em-
blem also of tlie state of every follower of Christ — cast down,
i)Ut not forsaken — grievously tempted, hut noi destroyed —
yalking through the fire, hut still unconsuined ! VV hy are
jail these preserved in the midst of those things which have a
ilnatural tendency to destroy them .? Because (jOD IS IN THE
•AllDST OF THEM — it was this that preserved the bu.sh from
destruction — and it was this that preserved the Israelites —
'and it is this, and this alone, that preserves the Church, and
holds the soul of every genuine believer in the spiritual life.
He in whose heart Christ dwells not by faith, will soon be
jconsumed by the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Verse 5. Put off thi/ shoes] It is likely, that, from this cir-
.cumstance, all the Eastern nations have agreed to perforin all
the acts of their religious worship barefoo'ed. All the Moham-
medans, Iirahmins, and Parsees, do so still. The Jews were
remarked for this in the time of Juvenal : herkce he speaks of
their performing their sacred rites bunfooted : Sat. vi. ver. 158.
Observant ubi festa mero pede sabbata reges.
The ancient Greeks did the same : Jamblichu.s in the life
!of Pythagoras, tells lis, that this was one of his ma.vims —
•amTTo^tjTOi 6us xai tt^oo'kvvsi — offer sacrifice, and worship,
Xiilh your shoes off. And Sohnus asserls, that no person was
Iperinittcd to enter into the temple of Duma, in Crete, till
ihe had taken off his shoes. " JEdtni Kuininis [Diuiitr) pnxtcr-
''fjuam nudus vestigio nullus licito ini^rcditur." Tertullian ob-
serves, de jejunio, that in a time of drought, the worshippers
!of Jupiter deprecated his wrath, and prayed for rain, walk-
jing barefooted. " Cum stupet ca>luni, et aret annus, nudi-
ipedalia denunciantur." It is probable that ohvi ntdlim, in
illie text, signifies sandals, tr.anslated by the Clialdee V^JO
taridal, and sSlJD sandula, see Gen. xlv. 23. which was the
same as the Roman solea, a sole alone, stra])ped about the
foot. As this sole "must let in dust, gravel, and .sand about
the foot in travelling, and render it very uneasy, hence the
;custom of frequently leashing the feet in those countries,
•where these san<lals were worn. Pullim^ off the shoes was,
'iliereforc, an emblem of laying aside the pollutions con- 1
ni. promises deliverance to Israel.
flither, the God of Abraham, the *• *'"'•
God of Isaac, and the Ciod of .Jacob. "'^ '*'"•
And Moses hid his face ; lor ' he was afraid to
look upon God.
7 1[ And the Loud said, I have surely seen
the affliction of my people which are in Egypt,
and "^ have heard their cry * by reason of their
taskmasters ; l()r " I know their sorrows ;
8 And ' I am come down to " deliver tliem
out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to briuL
them
up
out of that land ' unto a trood land
' So 1 Kings 19. 13. Isai. C. 1.5. Neli.9. 9. Ps. lOi. 44. Acts 7. 34.
'ch. 2. 23, 24. 8 cli. 1. 11. 1- Gen. 18. 21. cli. 8. 25. ' Gph,
1 1. 5, 7. & 18. 21. & 50. 24. " ch. 6. 6, 8. & 1 2. 51. ' Deut. 1. 25. ii 8. 7,8, 9.
traded by walking; in the ti'flj/ of sin. Let those who name
the Lord Jesus Christ depart from iniquity. In our A\'csCerti
countries, reverence is expressed by pulling off the hat ; but
how much more significant is the Eastern custom !
The place xvhcreon thou standest is holy s^round.] It was now
particularly sanctified by the Divine Presence : but if we may
credit Josephus, a general opinion had prevailed that God
dwelt on thai mountain ; and hence the shepherd.s, considering
it as sacred ground, did not dire to feed their flocks there.
Mo.ses, however, finding the soil to be rich, and the pastur-
age good, boldly drove his flock thither to feed on it. —
Antiq. b. II. c. xii. s. 1.
Verse 6. / am tlic (iod of thy father] Though the word
ON' abi, father, is here used in the singular, St. Stephen,
quoting this place. Acts vii. 32. uses the plural, o Geo; raiy
waTcoiv a-Oii, the God of thy FATHERS ; and tl»at this is the
meaning, the following words prove — The God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. These were the
fathers of Moses in a direct line. This reading is confirnif d
by the Samaritan and by the Coptic. Abr.\H.\.M was the
father of the hhniaelites, and with him was the covenant first
))mde. Is.-\AC was the father of the Edomites as well as the
Israelites, and with him was the covenant renewed. JacOB
was the father of the twelve patriarchs, who were founders of
the Jewish nation ; and to him were the promises particularly
confirmed. Hence we see, that the Arabs and Turks in ge-
neral, who are descendants of Ishmael ; the Edomites, now ab-
sorbed among the Jew.s, see the note on Gen. xxv. 23. who are
the descendants of Esau : and the Jewish people, whercsoe(er
scattered, who are the descendants of Jacob, are all heirs of
the promises included in this primitive covenant ; and their
gathering in, with the f'ldness of the Gentiles, may be con-
fidently expected.
And Moses hid his face] For similar acts, see the pas.sage»
referred to in the margin. lie was afraid to look — he was
overawed by God's presence, and dazzled with the splendor
of the appearance.
Verse 1. I have surely seeyi] 'n'NI r.X^ rcoh reiti, seeing, I
have seen — I have not only seen the afflictions of this peo])le,
because I am oumiscient; but 1 have considered their sorrow. s
and mine eye allccts my heart.
Commissions him io go to Fliaraoh.
A. M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
and a large, unto a land
flowing
with milk and honey ; unto the
phice of '' the Canaanitcs, and the Hittites, and
the Amoiites, and the Perizzites, and the Hi-
lutcs, and the Jebusites.
9 Now therefore, behold, " the
children of Israel is come unto me
also seen the '^ oppression wherewith the Egyp-
tians oppress them.
10 " Come now therefore, and I will send thee
unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my
people the children of Israel, out of Egypt.
cry of the
and I have
»Ver. J7. ch. 13. 5. -■!( 33. 3. Numb. 1.^ 27. Deut. 26. 9, 15. Jer. 1).
S. & m. ««. E/ck. 'iO. C- — •> Gca. 15. 18.^ — '^ cli. % To. " cli. 1. 11^
33, 14, tt. ' Ps. lOj. i;6. lilicih 6. 4.
A.lM.idl3.
B.C. 14yi.
EXODUS. Moset excuses himself.
11 % And Moses said unto God,
'^Who am I, that I should go unto .
Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the
children of Israel out of Egypt ?
12 And he said, ^Certainly I will be with,
thee ; and this shall he a token unto thee, that
I have sent thee : When thou hast brought
forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve
God upon this mountain.
13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, 'wJien
I come unto the children of Israel, and shall
say unto them, The God of your fathers hath
Verse 8. And I am come dox^n to deliver thenr\ This is the
very pm'pose for ^vhich I am now come down upon this moun-
tain I and for which I manifest "inyself to thee.
Lar^e land] Canaan, when compared with the small tract
of Gosiien, in which they were now situated, and where, we
karn, from chap. i. 1. they were straitened for room, mig^ht
be well called a large land : see a fine deacription of this
-Jand, Deut. viii. 7,
A landflowin'j; with milk and honey] Excellent for pasturage,
■because abounding in the most wholesome herbage and
flowers; and from the latter an abundance of wild honey was
collected by the bce.s. Though cultivation is now almost en-
tirely neglected in this land, because of the badness of the
governpient, and tiie scantiness of the inhabitants, yet it is
etili good for pasturage, and yields an abundance of honei/.
The terms used in the text to express the fertility of this land,
ore commonly used by ancient authors on similar subjects.
Jt ii a metaphor taken from a brean, producing copious
streams of milk. Homer calls Argos, cuiap apoufrj;, tlie breast
of the country, as aftbrding sireawis -of milk end honey, U. ix.
jpr, 141. So Virgil,
Prima tulit tellus, eadem vos utere lito
Accipiet. JEn. lib. iii. ver. 95.
« The land that first produced you, .fihall receive you again
into its joyous bosom."
The poets feign that Bacchus, the fable of whom they hav«
^faken from the history of Moses, produced rivers of milk and
honey, of water and wine :
Pe( Je yahMK-n vthv.
Pel J" otvu, psi ft H!>.t7a«iv
NiHTXfi. Kuuir. Bacch. EsroS'. ver. 8.
"The land flpws with milk; it flows also with wine; it
flows also with the nectar of bees (honey)." This seems to be
a mere poetical copy from the Pentateuch, where the sameness
.of the metaphor, anfl tk correspondence of the descriptions
.are obvious.
Place of the Canaanitea, &.c,] See Gen. xv. 1 S, S;c.
yerse II. W'O am./, that I should brin^] He was so satis-
fSec ch. 6. 12. 1 S»m. 1«. 18. Isai.6. 5, 3.
Deut. 31. 23. Josh. 1. 5. Rom, 8. 31.
Jer. 1. 6. ' Gen. 31. 3.
fitd that this was beyond his power, and all the means that
he possessed, that he is astonished that even God himself
should appoint hiin to this work ! Such indeed was the bond-
age of the children of Israel, and the power of the people
by whom they were enslaved, that had not their deliverance
come through supernatural means, their escape had been
utterly impossible.
Verse 12. Certainly I will be ivith thee] This great event
shall not be left to thy wisdom and to thy power — my counsel
shall direct thee ; and my power shall bring all these mighty
things to pass.
And this shall be a token] Literally, And THIS to thee for a
sign, i. e. this miraculous manifestation of the burning bush,
shall be a proof that I have sent thee ; or, my being with thee
to encourage thy heart, strengthen thy hands, and enable
thee to work miracles, shall be to thyself and to others, thft
evidence of thy divine mission.
Ye shall serz-e God on this mountain] This was not the sign,
but God shews him that in their return from ICgypt, they
F.hould take this mountain in their way, and should worship
him in this place. There may be a prophetic allusion here
to the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. As Moses received
his commands here, so likewise sliould the Israelites receive
theirs in the same place. After all, the Divine Being .seeins
to testify a partial predilection for this mountain. See iIm:
note on ver. 5.
Verse 13. They shall say — What is his name?] Does not
this suppose that the Israelites had an idolatrous notion evenof
the Supreme Being ? They had probably drank deep into
the Egyptian superstitions, and had gods many and lords
many; and Moses conjectured, tliat hearing of a supernalural
deliverance, they would enquire who that God was, by whom
it was to be etlccted. The reasons given here by the Rabbins,
are too refined for the Israelites at ibii; time. When God, '
say they, judgeth his creatures, he is called D'hSs Elohijn.
Wlien he xvarrclh against the wicked, he is called ri1X33C tse~
booth ; but when he shevveth mercy unto the world, he is
culled nw Ychovak. It is not likely that the Israelites bad;
much knowledge of God or of his ways, at the time to which
the Sacred Text rel'eis: it is certain they had no wriuen.
5 I
God reveals his name to Moses.
A.M. 2513. sent me unto you ; and they shall
" ^ "^'" say to me, .What is his name ? what
shall I say unto tliem ?
14 And God saiil unto Moses, I AM THAT
I AM : and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto
the children of Israel, * I AM hath sent me
unto you.
15 ^ And God said moreover unto Moses,
CHAP. IH. Canaan promised.
16 Go, and 'gather the elders of aM'-JS'^.
Israel together, and say unto them, '^'^^'*^''
The LoKD God of your fathers, the God of
Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared un-
to me, saying, ■* I have surely visited you, and
seen that which is done to you in Egypt :
17 And I have said, " I will bring you up out
of the affliction of Egypt, unto the land of the
Thus shalt thou say unto tlic children of Israel, Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Aniorites,
The Lord God ol your fiithers, the God of,, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and tlie
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and
Jacob, hath sent nie unto you: this is ''my I honey,
name tor ever, and this w my memorial unto all IS And "^they sliall hearken to thy voice:
generations.
•Ch.6. 3. JolmS. 5B. 2Cor. l.'.O. Hcbr. 1.^.. 8. Rev. 8. 4. ' Fs. 135.
13. Hos. VJ. 6.
word — tlic book of Genesis, if even written (for some sup-
pose it liad been compo.^ed l>y Mases during- his residence rn
Midian) liad not yet been communicated to the people; and
being so lon^ witliout any revelation, and j)erhaps widiout even
the form of divnie worship, their minds being- degraded bj*
the state of bondage in whicli they had been so long held,
and seeing and hearing little in religion, but the super-
stitions of those among vhom they sojourned, they could
have no distinct notion of the Divine Being. Moses himself
iliight have been in doubt at first on this subject; and he
seems to have been greatly on his guard against illusion :
hence he asks a variety of questions, and endeavours, by all
prudent means, to assure, himself of the truth and certainty
of the present appearance and commission. He well knew
the power of the Egyptian magicians, and he could not tell
from these first views, whether there might not have been
Rome delusion in this case. God, there'ore, gives him the
fullest proof, not only for the satisfaction of the people to
whom he was to be sent, but for his own full conviction, that
it was the supreme God who now spoke to him.
Verse 14. 1 AM that I AM] nT.N '^tTX HTIX EnEYF.H
aslier Ehf.VEH. These words have been ^ariously under-
stood. 'I'he Viili^aie translates — E(iO SUM QUI SUM, lam
u-ho am. The Scptiut^hu — Eya ei/x( o '2v, / am, he tv/io
exixls. The Sj/riac, the Persic, and the Chuldee, presenc the
original words, without any gloss. The Arabic paraphrases
tliem — The Eternal, ivho pus.ses not au'ay ; which is the .same
interpretation given by Abid Fartijiiis, «ho al>o preserves the
original words, and gives the above as their interpretation.
J he Targiwi of Jonathan, and the Jerusalem Turt^um, para-
phra.se the \iords thus — " 1 le who spako, and the worhl was —
who spake, and all things exi.sted." As the original words
literally signify, I iiill be what I will he, some have supposed
that God simply designed to inform Moses, that what he had
been to his fathers Abraham, Isaac, r:nd .lacob, he «oukl be
to him and the Israelites, and that he would perform the pro-
mises he had made to his fathf rs, by giving their descendants
the promised land. It is dilhcult to put a meaning on the
and ^ thou shalt come, thou and the ciders of
' Cli. i. t'9. ' Gen. -0. »i. cli. S. 2.5. & 4. 31. Luke 1. f8 -
15. It, 16. vcr. 8. 'cli. 4. 31. «cl). 3. 1, 3.
= Gen.
words; thry seem intended to point out the eternity and self-
existence of ( jod. — Sec the conclusion of this chapter, and on
the word Jehovah., chap, xxxiv. 6. and 7.
Verse 1 5. This is my name for ever'] The name here re-
ferred to is that which immediately precede*, D'hSn ni.f
Yehovuh Elohiin, which we translate the LoilD GuD, the
name by which God had been known from the creation of
the world, (see Gen. ii. 4.) and the name by which he is
known among the same people to the present day. Even the
heathens knew this name of the true God ; and hence out
of our nin' Yehovah, they formed their Jao, Jeve, and Jove;
so that the word has been literally fulfilled — This is my vie-
moriul unto all generations. See the note on the word Eiohim,
(Jen. i. 1. As to be self-existent and eternal must be attri-
butes of God fiir ever, does it not follow that the oVl'S k-6iam,
for ever, in the text, signifies eternity. " This is my name to
eternity — and my memorial," m to ledor dor, " to all suc-
ceeding generations." ^\'hile human generations continued,
he should be called the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and
the (jod of Jacob ; but vhen time should be no more, he
should be .lehovah I'.lohini. Hence the first expression refers
to his eternal existence, the latter to the "discovery he should
make of himself as long as time should last. See Gen. xxi.
.'53. Diodorus Siculus says, that " among the Jews, Moses
is reported to hayc received his laws from the God named
./ao," laa, i.e. Jctie, Jove, or Jeve; for in all these ways the word
nin» Yehovah, .wny he pronounced: and in this way I have
seen it on Egypti.tn monuments. — .See Diod. lib. 1. c. xciv.
Verse IG. Elders of I.'rael] Thougii it is not likely the
Hebrews were permitted to have any regular government at
I this time, yet there can be no doubt of their having .such a
government in the time of Jo.«eph, and for some considerable
time after; the elders of each tribe forming a kind of court
of magistrates, by which all actions were tried, and legal
decisions made, in the Israelitish community.
/ have .■iurely visited you] An exact fulfilment of the pre-
diction of .losiph, Gen. I. 24. — God will surely visit you-—
and in the same words too.
O O
A.M.2MS.
B C. 1491.
Pharaoh's obduracy foretold.
Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and
ye shall say unto him. The Lokd
God of the Hebrews hatii " met with us : and
now let us go, we l)esecch thee, three days'
journey into the wilderness, that we may sacri-
fice to tl\c Lord our God.
19 % And 1 am sure that the king of Egypt
"uill not let you go, "no, not by a mighty hand.
20 And I will "^ stretch out my hand, and
EXODUS. 21ie people are not to go out empty
smite Egypt with ' all my wonders
which I will do in the midst thereof:
A. M. 5;.ii3.
B. C. i-iyi.
" Niinib. '25. S, <!, I.i, 10.-
hand. '' cli. 6. 6. Sx. l.b. I
— >> cli. 5.' i. & 7. 4. ' Or, hut hi strong
<X lo. 'ch. 7.3. Ji 11. 9. Ueut. 0.ii2.
Verse 18. They sliall hearken to thy voice] Till? assurance
was necessary to encourage him in an enteiprize so dangerous
and important.
Three daya journey into the wilderness] E^ idently intending
Blount Sinij.!, wliich is reputed to be about three days journey,
the shortest way, from the land of Goshen. In ancient times,
distances were computed, by the time required to pass over
them. Thus, instead of miles, furlongs, &c. it was said the
distance from one place to another was so many days, so many
hours journey ; and it continues the same in all countries
where there are no regular roads or highways.
\'erse 1 9. / am sure that the king of Egypt xeill not let you go,
no, not by a mighty hand] When the facts detailed in Ihis
history have been considered in connection with the assertion
as it stands in our Bibles, the most palpable contradiction
has appeared. That the king of Egypt did let them go, and
that by a mighty hand, the book itself amply declares. We
should, ilierefore, seek for another meaning of the original
word : nSi vlo, wh^ch gentrally means and not, has some-
times the meaning of if not, unless, except, &c. and in
Beck's Bible, 1549, it is thus translated — / am sure that the
kyng of Egypt wyl not let you go, F.XCIil'T uylh a myghty
hand. This import of the negative particle, which is noticed
by Noldius, Heb. Part. p. .328. was perfectly understood by
the Vulgate, where it is translated 7iisi, unless ; and the Sep-
luugint in their eav /xri, which is of the same import, and so
also the Coptic. The meaning, therefore, is very ]ilain —
The king of Egypt, who now profits much by your servi-
tude, will not let you go, till he sees my hand stretched out,
and he and his nation be smitten with ten plagues. Hence
God immediately adds, ver. 20. / will stretch out my hand,
and smite Egypt with all tuy wonders : and after that, he will
let you go.
V'erse 22. Eveiy woman shall BORROW] This is certainly
not a very correct translation : tlie original word hifOf shaal,
signifies simply to ask, request, demand, require, inquire, &c.
but it does not signify to borrow, in the proper sense of
that word, though in a very few places of Scripture it is
thus used. In this and the parallel place, chap. xii. 35.
the word signifies to ask or demand, and not to borrow,
wliich is a gross mistake, into which scarcely any of the
versions, ancient or modern, have fallen, except our own.
'i'lie SePTU.\G1NT have aiTEtrn, she shall ask ; the VULGATE
poitulabit, she shall demand; the SyRIAC, CuaLDEE, Sa-,
and ^ after that he will let you go.
21 And ^ I will give this people favour in
the sight of the Egyptians : and it shall come
to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty.
22 ^ But every woman shall borrow of her
neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her
house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold,
Nch. 9. 10. Ps. in.5. SI7. & Ijo. y. Jer. 32. 20.
ch. 1.3 fell. 1^^. 31. s cli. 11. 3 & 12. 36.
i>,Geii. In. 14. cli. 11. 2. & IJ. 3.J, So.
Acts 7. 36. Sie di. 7. to
l\. 106. 4G. Prov. )6. 7.
MARiTAN, Samaritan Version, Coptic, and Persian, are
the same as the Hebrew. The European versions are gene-
rally correct on this point; and our comwow English version
is almost the sole transgressor: I say, the co?nmon version,
which copyuig the Bible, published by Becke in 1.^4-9,
gives us the exceptionable term borrow, for the original Sxif
shaal, which in the Gcncia Bible, and Barker's Bible of
1615, and some others, is rigiilly translated a.ske. God
commanded the Israelites to ask or demand a certain recom-
pence for their past services, and he inclined the hearts of
the Egyptians to give liberally ; and this, far from being a
matter of oppression, wrong, or e\en ch:irity, was no more
than a very partial rccompcnce for the long and painful
services, which we may s-jy i/.r Inmdred thousand Israelites
had rendered to Egypt, during a considerable number of
years. And there can be no doubl, that while their heaviest
oppression lasted, they were permitted to accumulate no kind of
property, as all their gains went to their oppressors:
Our exceptionable translation of the original, has given
some countenance to the desperate cause of infidelity : its
abettors have cxultingly said — " Moses represents llie just
God as ordering the Israelites to borrow the goods of the
Egyptians under the pretence of returning them, whereas be
intended that they should inarch oft' with the booty." Let
these men know, that there was no borroiving in the case;
and that if accounts were fairly balanced, Egypt would be
t'ound still in considerable arrears to Israel. Let it also be
considered, that the Egyptians had never any right to the
services of the Hebrews. Egypt owed its policy, its opu-
lence, and even its political existence, to the Israelites, j
^Vhat had Joseph for his important services? NothingI
He had neither district, nor city, nor lordship, in Egypt ;
nor did he reserve any to Jiis children. All his services were
gratuitous ; and being animated with a better hope than any
earthly possession could inspire, he desired that even his
bones should be carried up out of Eg5'pt. Jacob and his
family, it is true, were permitted to sojourn in Goshen, but'
they were not provided for in that place ; for they brought j
their cattle, their goods, and all that they had, into Egypt, \
Gen. xlvi. 1, 6. so that they had nothing but the bare landi
to feed on ; and had built treasure-cities, or fortresses, we
know not how many ; and two whole cities, Fithom and
Raumses, besides : and for all these services they had no com-
pmsation whatever, but were besides, cruelly abused, and j
but to be supplied rcith all
and raiment : and ye shall put tJiem
upon your sons, and upon your
A.M. 'JSIS.
B. C. 1491.
CHAP. III.
daughters, and
• Job 27. 17. Ppov. 13. 22. Ezefc. 39. 10.
obliged to witness, as the sum of their calauiitie.'s, the daily
nuirilrr of their male infants. These particiilai-s considerecl,
will Infidelity ever dare to prodtiee this case again, in support
I of its worthless pretensions !
I Jenels ofsUva-, 4"c.] The word »?D kclty, we have already
! seen, signifies vessels, instruments, weapons, &.C. and may be very
: 'well translated by our Kng;lish term, articles or zonds. The
; Israelites got both gold and silver, probably both in coin and
■ in plate of dillerent kinds ; and such raiment as was necessary,
, for the journey which they were about to undertake.
I Ye shall spoil the Egi/ptiunsJ The verb 7XJ natsal, signifies
j hot only to spoil, snatch aiiay, but also to get aivui/, to
I escape, to deliver, to regain or recover. SpoiL signifies what
I is taicen by rapine or violence — but this cannot be the mean-
! ing of the original word here, as the Israelites only asked,
and the Egyptians, without ./V^r, teiror, or constraint, freely
, gave. It is worthy of remark, that the original word is used
'• 1 Sam. XXX. 22. to signify the recovery of property that had
■g been taken aiuay by violence. " Then answered all the wicked
i! men, and men of Belial, of those that went wilii David —
;• Because they went not with us, v.e will not give them ought
■ of the spoil., VWno rne-ha-SUALAL; that we have KRCOVERED,
! uVxn "HTN ashcr lUTSALENU. In this sense we should under-
! stand the word here. The Israelites recovered a part of their
I property, their wages, of which they had been most unjustly
j deprived by the Egyptians.
I In this chapter we have much curious and important in-
formation ; but what is most interesting is the ?iaine b)- which
i God was pleased to make himself known to Moses and to the
j Israelites ; a name by which the Supreme Being w as after-
wards known among the wisest inhabitants of the earth. He
I who IS, and who^\TLL BE what he LS. Tliis is a proper
j characteristic of the Divine Being, who is, properly speaking,
the only BEING, because he is indepcndant and eternal;
I whereas all other beings, in whatsoever forms they may ap-
I p€ar, arc derived, finite, changeable, and liable to destruc-
I tion, decay, and even to annihilation. When God, ihere-
' fore, announced himself to Moses by this name, he pro-
j .claimed his own eternity and immateriality ; and the very
I' name itself precluded the ])ossibiliiy oi idolatry, because it
i was impossible for the mind, in considering it, to represent
i the Divine Being in any assignable shape ; for who could re-
' present Being or Existence by any limited fonn ^ And who
I can have any idea of a form that is unlimited ? Thus then we
I find, that the first discovery which God made of himself, was in-
! tended to shew the people, the simplicity and spirituality of his
I nature; that, while they considered him as BEING, and the
I cause of all being, they might be preserved from all idolatry
I for ever. The very name itself, is a proof of a divine Re-
Egyptians.
iiecessaries by the Egyptians.
' ye shall .spoil "the ^--^i-^'-
•^ * B.C. U91.
' Or, Eg;;pt.
velation : for it is not possible that such an idea could have
I ever entered into the mind of man, unless it had been com-
municated from above. It could not have been produced by
reasoning, for there were no premises on which it could be
builded, nor any analogies by which it could have been
formed. We can as easily comprehend eternity as we can
bcin;j:, simply considered in and of itself; when nothing of
assignable forms, colours, or qualities e.tistcil, besides its
infinite and uiilimilable SELF.
To this divine discover}', the ancient Greeks owed the
inscription which they placed above the door of the temple
oi Apollo at Delphi: the whole of the inscription consisted in
the simple monosyllable EI, THOU ART, the second per-
son of the Greek substantive verb fi/ou, / am. On this in-
scription, Plutarch, one of tiie most intelligent of all the
Gentile philosophers, made an express treatise, TTffi tou EI
Ef AfX^otj, having received the true interpretation in his
travels in Egypt, whilliir In; had gone for the express purpose
of enquiring into then ancient learning ; and where he had
doubtless seen these words of God to Moses, in the Greek
version of the Septuagint, which had been current among
the Egyptians {for whose .<:ake it hhis Jirst made) about ilitu"
hundred years previous to the death of Plutarch, 'i'his phi-
losopher observes, that ■" this title is not only proper, but
peculiar to God, because He alone is being: lor mortals have
no participation of true being, because that which begins and
ends, and is continually changing, is never one tior the same,
nor in the same state. The deity, on whose temple this word
was inscribed, was called Apollo, A'ttoxxuv, from at, negative,
and vo\Ui, many, because God is ONE, bis nature siynple, his
essence uncompounded." Hence, he informs us, the ancient
mode of addressing God was — " EI 'EN, Thou art One, ot/
■yap '!ro\>,!x. to 6(.iov friv, for many cannot be attributed to tlie
divine nature : — xcu ouis srpoTffov cvhv triv, oui' unBav, ouSs
f/.i->J^ov, ouie Tra^ax^f^^yo'') ouh Tr^ecroure^ov, ouJ'e vearepov.
in which there is neither /rs< nor last, past nor future, old nor
young ; a>.>J £i; icv in rco vuv to ait TtTAijfa^f, but as being
one, fills up in one NOW an eternal duration." And he
concludes with observing, that " this word corresponds to
certain others on the same temple, viz. FNXiOI XEATTON,
Know Thyself; as if, under the name EI, Tnou Art, the
Deity designed to excite men to venerate HlM as eternally
existing, ej cvrct S'lXTravTOi, and to put thera in mind of the
frailty and mortality of their own nature."
What beautiful things have the ancient Greek philosophers
tolen from the testimonies of God, to enrich their own works,
without any kind of ackno« ledge;nent ! And, strange perver-
sity of man, these are the very things which we so highly
applaud in the heathen copies, while we neglect or pass them
by in the divine originuls .'
0 0 2
The rod changed into a serpent
EXODUS.
The leprous hand.
CHAPTER IV.
Moses continuing to express his fear that the Israelites would not credit his divine mission, 1. Cod, to strengthen
his faith, and to assure him that his countrymen would believe him, changed his rod into a serpent, and the serpent
into a rod, 2 — 5 ,• made his hand leprous, and nftertcards restored it, 6, 7, intimating that he had noie endued
him tcith pozcer to uork sueh miracles, and that the Israelites uould believe, 8 ; and further assures him that he
should have pozcer to turn the ztater into blood, Q. Moses excuses himself on the ground of his not being eloquent,
10, and God reproves him for his unbelief, and promises to give him supernatural assistance, J 1, 12- Moses ex-
pressing his utter unrcillingness to go on any account, God is angri/, and then promises to give him his brother
Jaron to be his spokestnan, 13 — Hi, and appoints his rod to be the instrument of working miracles, 17. Moses
returns to his fathcr-in-laio Jethro, u)td requests liberli/ to visit his brethren in Egypt, and is permitted, 18.
God appears to him in Midian, and assura him, that the Egi/piians who sought his life zcere dead, 19. Moses,
Tcith his Zi'ife and children, set out on their journey to Egypt, 20. God instructs him what he shall say to
Pharaoh, 21 — 2o. He is in danger of losing his life, because he had not circumcised his son, 24. Zipporah
immediately circumcising the child, Moses escapes unhurt, 25, 26. Aaron is commanded to go and meet his
brother Moses ; he goes and meets him at Horeb, 27. Moses informs him of the commission he had received from
Cod, 28. They both go to their brethren, deliver their message, and work miracles, 29, 30. The people believe
and adore God, 31.
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
AND ]\Ioses answered and said,
But, behold, they will not
believe me, nor hearken unto my voice : for
they will say. The Lord hath not appeared un-
to thee.
2 And the Lord said unto him. What is that
in thine hand ? And he said, * A rod.
3 And he said. Cast it on the ground. And
he cast it on the ground, and it became a ser-
pent ; and Moses fled from before it.
4 And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth
thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he
put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became
a rod in his hand :
» Ver. 17, 20. " cb. 19. 9. = cli. 3. 15. " Numb. 12. 10. 2 Kings
NOTES ON CHAP. IV.
Verse 1. They luill not belkve me] As if he had said. Un-
less I be enabled to work miracles, and give them proofs by
extraordinary works, as well as hy xvords, they will not believe
that thou hast sent me.
Verse 2. A rod"] HBD muttcli, a staff, probably his shep-
herd's rrook ; see Levit. xxvii. 32. As it was made the in-
strument of working many miracles, it was afterwards called
the rod of God ; see ver. 20.
Verse 3. A serpent'] Of what sort we know not, as the
word cru naehask, is a general name for serpents, and also
means several other things, see Gen. iii. 1. but it was either
of a kind ihal he had not seen before, or one that lie knew to
be dangerous; for it is said, hejledfrom before it. Some sup-
pose the stall" was changed into a crocodile, see on chap. vii. 1.
Vers* 4. Ht put forth his hand and caught it] Considering
A.M. -2513,
B. C. 1491.
5 That they may '' believe that " the
Lord God of their fathers, the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
6 ^ And the Lord said furthermore unto
him. Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And
he put his hand into his bosom : and when he
took it out, behold, his hand xvas leprous " as
snow.
7 And he said. Put thine hand into thy
bosom again. And he put his hand into his
bosom again ; and plucked it out of his bo-
som, and, behold, 'it was turned again as his
other flesh.
5. 27. = Deut. 32. 39. Numb. 12. 13, 14. 2 Kings 5. 14. Matt. 8. 3.
the light in which Moses had viewed this serpent, it required
considerable (aitli to induce him thus implicitly toobey the com-
mand of God ; but he obeyed, and the noxious serpent became
instantly tije miraculous rod in his hand ! Implicit faith and
obedience conquer all difficulties; and he who believes in
God, and obeys him in all things, has really nothing to li-ar.
Verse 5. That tliey may believe] 'J his is an example of
what is called an imperfect or unfinished speech ; several of
which occur in the Sacred Writings. It may be thus sup-
plied, Dn this before them, that they may believe that the
Lord — hath appeared unto thee.
Verse 6- His hand ivus leprous as snow.] That is, the le-
prosy spread itself over the \ihole body in thin white scales,
and from iliis appearance it has its Grci k name ^sTrpa, from |
f^ivig a scale. Dr. Mead says, " 1 have seen a remarkable |
case of this in a country-man, whose whole body was so mise-
Moses pleads his unfihiess
CHAP. IV.
Jbr the divine mission.
A.M. '-'513.
8 And it sliall come to pass, if they nor .since \hou hast spoken unto thy
will not believe thee, neither hearken servant : but ' I am slow of speech,
A. M. '-'.SIS.
Ji.c. ityi.
to the voice of tiie first sign, that they will and of a slow tongue,
behevc the voice of the latter sign. [ .11 And the Loitu said unto him, ^ Who hath
9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not ; made man's mouth ? or who niaketh the dumb,
believe also these two signs, neither hearken i or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind ? have not I
unto thy voice, that thou .shalt take of the water the Lord ?
of the river, and pour ?7 upon the dry fowrf; and j 12 Now therefore go, and I will be ^ with
*the water which thou takest out of the river l' thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say,
shall become blood upon the dry land.
10 % And Moses said unto the Lord, O my
Lord, I am not " eloquent, neither "^ heretofore.
•Cli. 7. 19. '' Heb. shall be and shall be.—
* Heb. since ijcstcrday, nor since the third da\j.-
—^ Heb. a man of words.-
— "ch.i. 12. Jer. 1. 0.-
rably seized with it, tliat his skin nvas shining as if covered with
snoic ; and as the furfuraceous scales were daily rubbed oflj
the flesh appeared quick or raw underneath." The leprosy,
at least amoiiif the .lews, was a most iaveterale and contagious
disorder; and deemed by them, incurable. Among the hea-
tliens, it was considered as inflicted by their gods, and it was
supposed that they alone could remove it. It is certain that
a similar belief i)revailed among the Israelites; hence, when
the king of .Syria sent his general, Naaman, to the king of
Israel to cure him of his leprosj-, that he rent his clothts, say-
ing, /Im I God, to kill and make alive, that this man doth send
unto me, to recover a man of his leprosy ? 2 Kings v. '". This
appears, therefore, to be the reason why God chose this sign;
as the instantaneous infliction and removal of this disease
were demonstrations, which all would allow, of the sovereign
power of God. We need, therefore, seek for no other reasons
for this miracle : the sole reason is sufficiently obvious.
Verse 8. If they will not believe — the voice of the first sign,
&c.] Probably intimating that some would be more difficult
to be persuaded than others: some would yield to the evi-
dence of the first miracle; others would hesitate till they had
seen i\\e second ; and others would not believe, till they bad
seen the water of the Nile turned into blood, when poured
upon the dry land ; ver. 9.
Verse ID. /am not eloquent] D'"i3T U"N xV lo isli deharim,
I am not a man of words— u per jihrasis, common m tlie
Scriptures. So Job xi. 2. DTSB' S"X ish sepetayim. a man of
lips, signifies one that is talkative. P.-al. cxI. 1 2. )Viy'7 U^N ish la-
shon, a man of tongue, signifies a prattler. But how could it be
said that Moses was not eloquent, when St. Stephen asserts. Acts
vii. 22. that he wnf^yn/gfity in words, as well as in deeds? There
are three ways of .solving this difficulty: 1. Moses might have had
some natural infirmity, of a late standing, which, at that time,
rendered it unposNible for him lo speak readily, and which he
aflenvards overcame ; so thai though he was not then a man
<)/■ ivords, yet he might afterwards have been mighty in words,
as well as deeds. 2. It is possible he was not intimately ac-
quainted with the Hebrew tongue, so as to speak clearly and
distinctly in it. The first forty years of his life he had spent
in Kgypt, chiefly at court ; and though it is very probable there
Was an affinity between the two lasguages, yet lliey certainly
13 And he said, O my Lord, "send, I pray
thee, by the hand q/' him ichom thou ' wilt
send.
'P.-i. 94. 9. s Isai. .TO. 4. .ler. 1. 9. Mall. 10. 19. M»rk 13. 11. Luke
la. 11, 12. & 21. 14, 1.). !• See Jonah 1. 3. > Ur, shouldest.
were not the same. The hst forty he had spent in Midian, and
it is not likely that the pure Hebrew tongue prevailed there,
though it is probable that a dialect of it was there spoken. On
these accounts, Moses might find it difficult to express himself
with that readiness and persuasive flow of language, which he
might deem essentially necessary on such a momentous occa-
sion ; as he would frequently be obliged to consult his memory
ibr proper expressions, which would necessarily produce fre-
quent hesitation, and general slowness of utterance, which, he
might think, would ill suit an ambassador of God. 3. Though
Moses was slow of speech, yet when acting as the messenger
of God, his word was with power; for at his command, the
plagues came and the plagues were stayed : thus was he mighty
in words, as well a.^ in deeds: and this is probably the mean-
ing of St. Stephen.
By the expression, neither heretofore, vor since thou hast
spoken nnto thy servant, he might possibly mean, that the na-
tural inaptitude to speak readily, which he had felt, he conti-
nued to feel, even since God had begun to discover himself:
for though he had wrought several miracles for him, yet he
had not healed this infirmity : see on chap. vi. 12.
Verse 11 If ho halh made man's mouth, &c.] Cannot he
who formed 'he mouth, the whole organs of speech, and hath
given the gift of speech also, cannot he give utterance } God
I can take away those gifts and restore them again. Do not
I provoke him : he who created the eye, the em; and the mouth,
hath also made the blind, the deaf, and the dumb.
] Verse 12. I ivill be with thy mouth] The Chaldee trans-
lates. My W Olliy, meimri, shall be with thy mouth. And
Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases, I and my VVOHD will be
with the speech of thy mouth. See on Gen. .\v. 1. and Lev.
XXV. 10.
Verse 13. Send — by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.]
Many commentators, both ancient and modern, have thought
that Moses prays here for the immediate mission of the Mes-
siah : as if he had said, " Lord, thou hast purposed to send
this glorious person at some time or other, I beseech thee send
him now, for who can be sufficient to deliver and rule this
people but himself alone." The Hebrew nVcn T3 s: n^CT
shelach na hcyad tishlach, literally translated is. Send now (or
/ beseech thee) by the hand, thou wilt send ; whicii sccuis t»
A.M. 2V,3.
B.C. 1191.
God is displeased xcith iiim, but
14 And the anger of the Lord was
kindled ac;ainst JMoscs, and he said.
Is not Aaron the Lcvite thy brother ? I know
that he can speak well. And also, behold, " he
conieth forth to meet thee : and when he seeth
thee, he will be glad in his heart. I
15 And " thou shalt speak unto him, and ° put'
words in his mouth : and I will be with thy
• Ver. 'J7. 1 Sam. 10. 2, 3, o. " cli. 7. 1, 2. ": Numb. 22. 38. & To. 3,
VJ, 16. Deal. IS. 18. Isai. 51. lii. Jer. 1. 9.
EXODUS. gives him Aaron for a spokesman.
mouth, and with his mouth, and "will
intimate. Send a person more fit for the work than I am.
So the Septuagint, Tr^oxsi^ijai duvaf/.ii'ov a^?,ov, ov a'XOTih^ii, i
Mlect another poiieiful jKison, xvliom thou wilt send. It is
right to tnul out the Me.ssiah, wherever he is mentioned in
the Old Testament ; hut to press Scriptures into this service
which have not an ohvious tendency liiat way, is both im-
proper and dangerous. I am firmly ot' opinion, that Moses had
no reference to the Messiah, \vhen he spake these words.
Verse 14. And the am^er of the Lord ivas kindled ai;ain.<<t
3Ioses] Surely this would not have been the casp, had he only
in inodesty, and from a deep sense of his own unfitness, de-
sired that tl|e Messiah should be preterred before him. But the
whole connection shews that this interpretation is unfounded.
Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother f] Houbigant endea-
vours to prove from this, that Moses, in ver. 1 3. did pray for
the immediate mission of the Messiah, and that God gives
him here a reason why this could not be, because the Le-
vitical priesthood was to precede the priesthood of our Lord.
Is not Aaron tlte Levite, &c. Must not the ministry of Aaron
be first established, before the other can take place .? \Vhy
then ask for that which is contrary to the divine counsel .'
From the opinion of so great a critic as Houbigant, no man
would wish to dissent, except through necessity : however, I
must say, that it does appear to me, that his view of these
verses is fanciful, and the arguments by which he supports it
are insufficient to establish his point.
1 Lnoiu that he can spea/c well] xin 13T 131 '0 ^r^ffn* yaddti
ki dabber yedabber hit, I know that in speakins; he will speak.
That is, he is apt to talk, and has a rea<ly utterance.
He Cometh forth to meet thee] He shall meet thee at my
mount, (ver. 27.) shall rejoice in thy mission, and most
heartily co-operate with thee in all things. A necessary as-
surance, to prevent Moses from suspecting that Aaron, who was
his elder brother, should envy his superior call and ofiice.
Verse 15. 1 will be with thy mouth and ivith his mouth] Ye
shall be both (in all things which I appoint you to do in this
business; under the continual impiration of the Most Hi"-h.
Verse I 6. He shall be thy spokesman] Literally, He shall
speak fur thee (or in thy stead) to the people.
He shall be to thee instead of a moxuh] He shall convey
every message to the people — and thou shalt be to him instead of
Ood — thou shalt deliver to him what I communicate to thee.
Versf n. nwu shalt take this rod] From the story of
Moses' rod. the heathens have invented the fables of the
Thyrsus of Bacchus, and the Caduca:us of IVIercury. Cicero
reckons five hacchuses, one of which, according to Orplieus,
A.M. 2513.
teach you v,-hat ye shall do. !i!:'J!!!:
16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the
people : and he shall be, even he shall be to thee
instead of a mouth, and 'thou shalt be to him
instead of God.
17 And thou shalt take '^ this rod in thine
hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.
"Deut. 5. 31.
-' ch. 7. 1. & 18. 19.-
ver. 2.
was born of the river Nile; but according to the common
opinion, he was born on the banks of that river. Bacchus is
expressly said to have been eiposed on the river Nile, hence he is
called Nilus, both by Diodojus and Macrobius ; and in the
hymns of Orpheus he is named Myses, because he was drawn
out of the water. He is represented by the poets as being very
beautiful and an illustrious warrior ; they report him to have
overrun all Arabia with a 7utmerous anny both of men and women.
He is said also to have been an eminent lawgiver, and to have
written his laws on two tables. He always carried in his
hand the thyrsus, a rod wreathed with serpents, and by which he
is reported to have wrought many miracles. Any person ac-
quainted with the birth and exploits of the poetic Bacchus,
will at once perceive them to be all borrowed from the life and
acts of Moses, as recorded in the Pentateuch j and it would
be losing time to shew the parallel, by quoting passages from
the book of Exodus.
The caducaus, or rod of Mercury, is well known in poetic
fables. It is another copy of the rod of Moses. He, also, is
reported to have wrought a multitude of miracles by this rod :
and particularly, he is said to kill and make alive, to send
souls to the invisible world, and bring them back from thence.
Homer represents Mercury taking his rod to work miracles,
precisely in the same way as God commands Moses to
take his.
KaAtiv, ;)(;^u(7£i>)i', T>) r avS'pciiv Ofi/Axra foAysi,
ily {SeXei, tow; J' <xutb km uTtvuovra; eysipei.
Odyss. lib. xxiv. ver. 1.
Cyllenian Hermes now called forth the souls
Of all the suitors; with his golden WAND
Of poiv'r, to seal in balmy sleep whose eyes
Soe'er he will, and open them again. COWPER.
/7r^27 copies Homer, but carries the parallel further, tradi-
tion having probably furnished him with more particulars : but
in both we may see a disguised copy of the Sacred History, from
which indeed the Greek and Koinan poets borrowed most of
their beauties.
Turn VIRGAM CAPIT : hac animas ille evocat orco
Pallentes, alias sub tristia Tartara mittit;
Dut somnos, adimitque, et bimina morte resignat.
Ill.4. fretus, agit vcntcs, et turbida tranat.
Mneid. lib. jv. ver. 243.''
Moses returns to Midian, and CI I:
A.M. a.\i3. jg ^ And Moses went au(i reftirn-
^^^■^ ed to "Jethro his f'athcr-in-iaw, and
said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and re-
turn unto my brethren ^vhiel^ are in l\c;ypt, and
see whether they be yet aUve. And Jeihro said
to Moses, Go in peace.
19 And the Lord said unto Moi=;es in Pdidian,
Go, return into Egypt : ibr ^ all tlie men are
dead which souglit thy life.
•Heb. Jct/itT. 'cli. S 15,23. Matt. 2. 20. 'cIj. 17.9. Numb. ',0.8,9.
VP. IV. hiings his 7vfje and sons to Egypt.
20 And Pluses took his wile and
sons, and set them upon
!!-h
IS
an
-A. M. lol.i.
11. C. 119).
and
But first he grasps witliin his awful hand
The mark of sovereign poui'r, the 7itagic ivand ;
With this he draws tlie ghosts I'rom hollow graves.
With this he drixesthcm dovjn the Sti/giun waves;
Whh this he seals in sleep tlie wakeful sight.
And eyes, though clos'd in death, restores to light.
Thus arin'd, the god hegins his airy race,
i And drives the racking clouds along the liquid space.
I Dryden.
5 TVIany other resemblances between the rod of the poets, and
rriiat of Mo.ses, the learned reader will readily recollect. These
^specimens may be deemed sufficient.
■ Verse 18. Let me go, I pray thee, and retin-n to my brethreni
Moses having received his commission from God, and direc-
j tioiis how to execute it, returned to his father-in-law, and asked
, permission to visit his family and brethren in Egypt, without
'giving him any intimation of the great errand on wlii.h he
Iwas going. His keeping this secret, has been attributed to
ihis singular modesty ; but however true it might be, that IMoses
jwas a truly humble and modest man, yet his prudence alone
I was sufficient to have induced him to observe silence on this
subject; as, if once imparted to the family of his fallier-in-law,
the news might have reached Egypt before he ( ould get
thither; a general alarm among the Egyptians wouh]. in all
probability, have been the consequence, as fame would not
fail to represent Mo.ses as coming to stir up sedition and re-
ibellion, and the whole nation would have been armed against
them. It was therefore essentially necessary that the business
should be kept secret.
i In the Septuagiiit and Coptic the following addition is
,made to this verse, Meto: Je rag y^/j.Fpa; rag TroWag msivx^,
■tT£^fyT>J£r£l/ 0 i3a(7i>,£!/; AiyuTrrou. After these many days, the
kiih,'' of Egypt died. This was probablj' an ancient gloss or
note, which, in process of time, crept into the text, as it
1 i'.'ared to throw light on the following verse.
Verse 19. In JMidian~\ This was a new revelation, and ap-
pears to have taken place after Moses returned to his father-in-
law, previous to his departure for Egypt.
I Ver.se 20. llis ivife and his sons] Both Gershoni and Eli-
czer, though the birth of the latter has not yet been mentioned
111 the Hebrew text; see the note on chap. ii. 22.
Set them upon an ass] The Septuagint read the word in the
iPhral, ETTi ra. uTToiuyia upon asses, as it certainly required
re than one, to carry Zipporah, Gershoni, and Eliczor,
ass, and lie returned to the land of Egypt
Moses took " the rod ofCuxl in his hand.
'21 ^ And llie Lord said unto Moses, ^Vhen
thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou
do all those "^ wonders before Pliaraoh, whicli I
have put in thine hand : but ' 1 will harden his
heart that he shall not let the people go.
" cli. 3. m ' th. 7. 3, 13. & 9. 12, 5^. & 10. 1. & 14. 8. Dcut. 2. 50.
Josli. 11.20. Isai. Gj. 17. John la. '10. Jlmu. 9. lu.
The rod of God] T'he sign of sovereign power, by which he
was to perform all bis miracles : once the badge of his shep-
hera's office, and now that, by which he is to feed, rule, and
' protect his people Israel.
j Ver.se 21. But I nill harden his heart] The case of Pha-
' raoh has given rise to many fierce controversies, and to several
I strange and conflicting opinions. Would men but look at
I the whole account without the medium of their respective
creeds, they would find little diificulty to appreliend the truth.
If we take up the subject in a theological point of view, all
sober Cbrisfians will allow ihe truth of this proposition of St.
Aiiguslin, when the subject in question is a person, who has
hardened his own heart by frequently resisting the grace and
spirit of God : Aon obdurat Dens impartiendo malitiam, scd-
non inipartiendo misericordiani. Epist. 194'. ad Sixtum. "God
does not harden men by infusing malice into them, but by
not imparting mercy to them." And this other will be as
readily credited. Non opcratur Deus in homtne ipsam duritiam
cordis, sed indurare cum dicilur qucm mollire noluent, sic ctiam
excacarc /jnem illiimiuare notuerit, et rcpeltere eum quern noluerit
vocare. " God does not work this liardne.=^ of heart in man,
but he may be said to harden him whom he refuses to soften,
to blind him whom he refii.'^es to enlighten, and to repel him
whom he refuses to call." It is but just and right that he
should wilbliold iho.se graces which he had repeatedly oilered,
and which the sinner had despised and rejected. Thus much
for the general principle. The verb pin chuuik, which we
translate harden, literally signifies to strengthen, confinn, imike
bold or courageous : and is often used in the Sacred ^A'ri lings
to excite to duty, persei^erance, &c. and is placed by the Jews
at the end of most books in the liible, as an exhortation to
the reader to take courage, and proceed w ith his reading, and
with the obedience it requires. It constitutes an essential part
of the exhortation of God to Joshua, ch. i. T. Only be thou
STR0J<G, ntn p"\ ruk ciiazak. And of Joshua's dying exhorta-
tion to the people, chap, xxiii. 6. Be yc therefore VERY COU-
U.AKEOUS, cr\Ti\'rw ve-chazaktem, to keep and to do all that is
written in the book (f the laxi. Now it would be very strange,
in these places, to translate the word harden — Unly be thou
hard — Be ye tlierefbre very hard — and yet if we use the word
hardy, 'it would suit the sense and context perfectly well:
Only be thou HARDY — Be ye therefore very li.vRDY. Now
suppose we apply the word in this way to Pharaoh, the sense
would be good, and the justice of God equally conspicuous.
I will make his heart hardy, bold, daring, presumptuous — for
A. M. 5(513.
JB.C. 1491.
The Lord meets him hi/ the 'u.'ai/.
22 And thou shalt say unto Pha-
raoh, Thus saith the Lord, "Israel
is my son, " even my fir.stborn :
23 And I say unto thee. Let my son go, that
he may serve me : and if thou reftise to let him
go, behold, "I will slay thy son, eve?i thy
fir.stborn.
2-t ^ And it came to pass by the way in the
EXODUS.
Zipporah circumcises her son*
mn,
sought to
A. M. 2513.
B. C. 149U
" Hos. 11. 1. Ili.in. 9. 4. I'Cor 6. 18. >> Jer. 3J. 9. James 1. 13..
'cli. U. 5 & 12.29.
the same principle acting againat God's order, \s presumption ;
wliicli, «hen acliiiij- accoi-dhig to it, is widminted covra^e. 1 1
is true tliat the vtrl) nCP kashah is used, chap. vii. 3. which
signifies to render sliff, tough, or stubborn, but it amounts to
nearly the same meaninsj; with the above.
All tliose who have read the Scriptures with care and atten-
tion, know well, tliat God is frequently represented in them,
as doin^ what he only permits to be done. So because a man
has grieved his spn-it and resisted his grace, he withdraws that
.spirit and grace from him, and thus he becomes bold and pre
sumptuous in sin. Pliaraoh made his own heart stubborn
against God, chap. ix. .'54. and God gave him up to judicial
blindness, so that he rushed on stubbornly to his own destruc-
tion. From the whole of Pharaoh's conduct we learn, that
he was bold, haughty, and cruel ; and God chose to permit
these dispositions to have their full sway in his heart, without
check or rf.straint from divine influence; the consequence
was what God intended, he did not immedinrclj^ comply with
the requisition to let the people go: and this was done, that
God might have the fuller opportuuity of manifesting his power
by multiplying signs and miracles ; ami thus impress the hearts
both of the F.gyptians and Israelites, with a due sense of his om-
nipotence andjustice. The whole procedure was graciously cal-
culated to do endless good to both nations. The hraclitef, must
be satisfied that they had the true God for their protector ; and
thus iheir faith was strengthened. The Egi/ptiuns must .see that
their f^ods could do nothing against the Gc<l of Israel, and
thus their dependance on them was necessarily shaken. These
great ends could not have been answered, had Pharaoh at once
consented to let the people go This consideration alone, un-
ravels the mystery, and explains every thing. Let it be
observed that there is nothing spoken here of the eternal state
of the Egj'ptian king; nor dors any thing in the whole of the
subsequent account authorize us to believe, that God hardened
Ms heart ac^ainst the influences of his own grace, that he might
occasion him so to sin, that his justice might consign him to
hell. This would V>e such an act of flagrant injustice, as we
could seap<ely attribute to the worst of men. He who leads
anotluT into an ofiifnce, that he may have a fairer pretence to
pimish him for it; or brings him into such circumstances,
that he cannot avoid committing a capital crime, and then
hangs him for it, is surely the most execrable of mortals.
What then should we make of the God of justice and mercy,
should we attribute to him a decree, the date of « hieh is lost in
eternity, by which he has determined to cut otV from the !
pQsGibility of salvation, millions of iiiiUions of unborn souls, '
that the Lord '' met him, and
kill him.
25 Then Zipporah took ^ a sharp ^ stone, and
cut oft' the foreskin of her son, and *" cast it at
his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art
thou to me.
26 So he let him go : then she said, A bloody
husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
>> Numb. 22. 2','.-
-'Gcn. 17. 14. f.7nsli 5. '2, 3.-
*» Heb. vtade it touch.
■■ Or, knife.-
and leave them under a necessity of sinning, by actually hartf-
eiiing their hearts against the influences of his own grace
and spirit, that he may, on the pretext of justice, consign
them to endless perdition .i' ^\'hatever may be pretended in
behalf of such unqualified opinions, it must be evident to all
who are not deeply prejudiced, that neither the justice nor
the sovereignty of God can be magnified by them. See far-
ther on chap. ix. 16.
Verse 22. Israel is my son, even my firsthorn\ That is, the
Hebrew people are unuiterably dear to me.
Ver^e 23. Ijet my son go that he may serve me] M'liich
they could not do in Goshen, consistently widi the jjolicy
and religious worship of the Egyjitians : because the most
essential part of an Israelite's worship consisted in sacrifice ;
and the animals wliiih they oflered tu God wore sacred among
the Egyptians. Moses gives Pharaoh this reason, chap;
viii. 26."
I will slay thy son, even thy firslhornl Which, on Pharaoh's
utter refu.val to let the people go, was accordingly done ; see
chap. xii. 29.
Verse 24. hy the way in the inn] See the note on Gen.
xlii. 27. The account in this and the two followit.g verses is
very obscure. Some suppose that the 23d verse is not a part
of the message to I^haraoh, but was spoken by the Lord to
Mcises; and that the whole may be thus para])hrased. "And
I have said unto thee (Moses) .lend forth (1t>U shalach) my
son (Gershom, by circumcising him) that he may serve me
(which he cannot do till entered into the covenant by circum-
cision) but tliou hast refused to send him forth, behold (there-
fore) / will slay thy son. thy firsthorn. And it came to pass by
the way in the inn (when he was on his journey to Egypt) that,
Jehovah met him, and sought (threatened) to k:ll him (Gershom) I
Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut aiuay the J'oreskin I
of her son, and caused it to touch /«'.s_/lt;i (Jehovah'.s, who pro-
bably appeared in a bodily 'shape, the Septuagint call iiim
the angel of the Lord J and said unto him .■ a .-iponse by blood :
art thou unto me. Then he (Jehovah) ceased from him (Gershom) '
Then she said, A spouse by blood art thou unto me, because j
of this circumcision." That is, I who am an alien, have en- 1
tered as fullv into co^enant with thte, by doing this act, as iny )
son has, on whom tins act has been performed. j
The meaning of the whole passage seems to be this. G«r»
.ihom or Elitzer, the son of Moses, for it does not appear which, I
had not been circumcised, though it would seem, that God i
had ordered the father to do it ; hut as he had neijlected this, '
thereiore Jehovah was about to have slain the child,, because I
A.M.'.'olJ.
B.C. I!91.
They address the Israelites
.■^pake all the
to meet words which the Loud had spoken
in " the ' I'.iito Moses, and did the signs in the sight of
mount of God, and kissed him. ! the people.
28 And Moses 'told Aaron all the words of j 31 And the people Miclieved : and when they
the Lord who had sent him, and all the " signs heard that tlie Loud h:ul " visited the children
Moses and Aaron meet at Horeb. CHAP. IV.
A.M.251.^.. 27 IF And the Lord said to Aaron, |l 30 'And Aaron
^l£li!!i; Go into the wilderness '
Moses. And he went, and met him
which he had commanded him
29 IF And Moses and Aaron " went and gathered
together all the elders of the children of Israel :
• Ver. 14. ^ cli. .■>. 1. "^ vcr. 15, 16. '' ver. 8, 9. ' cli. 3. Id.
iDot in covenunt with him by circumcision ; and thu.s he in-
tentleJ to liave jiunij^hcd the (hsol)edience ot" the f.ith'ji' by the
natural death of hi.s son. Zippora'i, gettinij anquiiutcd with
,tlie nature of the case, and the dan;;er to wliich her firstborn
jwas exposed, took a shaq) stone, and cut off the foreskin of lisr
Ison. By tliis act the displeasure of the Lord was tinned a.-:ide,
iand Zipporah con-idered lierself as now allied to God because
nf this eircainci>ion. Accordino- to the law, Gen. x\ii. 14. the
'ynciicwncised chUd X!as to be cut off from Ids people, .so that
ithere should be no inheritance for that branch of the family in
lisrael. Moses tlurefore, for neglecting to circumcisL- the child,
fcxposed him to this cutting of, and it was but barely prevented
jyy tile prompt obedience of Zijjpovah. As cu-ctiiiici.sioii w;i.s
hhe seal of tliat justification by faith, which comes thiouuli
[I'iirist, Bloses, by nefjlectin;; it, gave a very bad examplt-, and
JGod was about to proceed a'^ainst him with that severity which
[the law required.
' Thi nh'irp stone mentioned ver. 25. was probably a knife
;made ot'Jliiit, for such were anciently used, even « here knives
of metal nii;;ht be had, for every kind of cjjeration alrmt the
human bodj', such as embnwelinff for the yiurposc of embalm-
ing, circumcision, Sec. Ancient authors are full of proofs, of these
facts. See the note on (Icn. I. 2.
i It is probable that Zipporah being alarmeil by this eireum-
"tance, and fearing worse evils, took the j-esolution to return to
;her father's house with her two sons; see chap, xiiii. 1, ice.
; Verse 27. The Lord said to Aaron'] See vcr. 14. By some
jsccret but ]iowerful movement on .•^aron's mind, or by some
.voice or angelic nnni^try, he ^vas cow directed to go and
imeet his brother Moses, and so correctly was the information
Igiven to both, that th.^y arrived at the sa7iic time on the sacred
{aiountain.
I ^'erse 'M. Aaron spalce tdl the u-ords"] It is likely that Aaron
iwa-s better acquainted with the Hebrew tongue than his brother,
and on this accouni he became the .spokesman ; see on ver. S.
I Did the .sv;,'»,v] I'uriicd the rod into a serpent, made the hand
Jcproiis, anrl changed, tiie naier into blcod. See on ver. B & 9.
j Verse 31. The people belieied] They credited (lie aet'ount
teivcnof the divincappointment of Moses and Aaron, to be their
nlelivcrei> out of their horidaj^e, the miracles w roiighl on the
jjccasion confirming the tcstimoiiy delivered by Aaron.
Tlity boiied their heads aud 'K^orshipped] Siv a similar act
'mentioned, anrl in the same w^oiv!-, Gen. .xxiv. 26. The bow-
ling the head, &e. here, may probably refer to the eastern cus-
jtoin of bowing the head dov.n to the knee-;, then kneeling down
■and touching the earth with t!ie forehead. 'Ibis v.as a \ery
il'ainful po>turc, and the i;io,-t humble in uliieb the body could
j|)ossibly he placed. Tiiose who pretend to v.orship God, either
iiy prayer or thanksgiving, and keep tiiemselves dviringthe per-
' of Israel, and that he ' had looked upon their
alUiction, then Hhey bowed their heads and
worshipped.
f ver. 16.-
«Cli. 3. 16. vf r. 8, 9. " ch. 3. 16. ' ch. » 25. & 3. 7.-
^ Gen. 2-1. 26. eh. 12. 27. 1 Chioa. 29. 1».
fonnance of those solemn acts, in a state of perfect ease, either
carelessly standiitq, or stitpidli/ sitting, surely cannot have a dy
sense cf the majesty of God, and their own .si li fulness and un-
worthiness. Let the feelings of the body put the soul in remem-
brance of its 'sin against G<xl. Let a man put himself in such a
position [kncelijig for uvstance) a.s it is generally acknowledged a
criminal should assume, when coming to his sovereign and judge;
to bewail his sins, and solicit forgiveness.
The .Jewish custom, as we learn from Rabbi Maymon, v/as
to bend tile body, so that every joint of the back-bone became
incurvated, and the head was bent towards tlie kneeji, so that
the body resembled a bo-j.- ; and prostration implied laying the
body flat upon the earth, the arms and legs extended to the
uttermo.-t, the mouth and forehead touching the ground, in
JHatt. viii. 2. the leper is .said to xoorship our Lord, w?or-iKt»^i.
a-jT4', but in Luke v. 12. he is said to have f'Alsn on his fca,
?r:a-iv ej-i rr^omii:^-!. Tliese two accounts shew, that he first
kneeled down, probably putting his face down to b.is knees, and
touching the earth with his forehead : and tlien prostrated him-
self, his legs and arms being both extended. See on Gen.
The baeh~ardncss of Moses to receive, and execute the ce>m-
mi?>ion, to deliver the children of Israel, has something very in-
structive in it. He felt the importance of the charge, his ov.ii
insuiliciency, and the a«ful responsibility under «hich he
sliould be laid, if he receive<l it. Who then can blame him for
hcs'tati)ig y If he miscarried, and how dillicult in such a case
not to miscari}', he must account to a jealous God, who.-e justice
required him to jiuni.sh every delinquency. What should mi-
nisters of the (iospel feel on such subjects '; Is not their charge
more important, and more av/ful than that of i\Jo.ses r IIow few
consider this ! It is respectable, it is honourable to be in the
Gospel ministrj', but who is sufficient to guide and Jred the
flocl; of (iod ? if tiirough the pastor's unfitness or neglect, any
soul should go astray, or perish through want of proper spiritual
noun.4nnent, or through not getting his jiortion in due season ;
in what a dreadful state is ihc pastor ! 'iliat soul, say> God,
.shall die in his iniquities, but his blood will I require at the
watchman's hands! Were the.-:e things duly conMdcieil by
tiiose who are Candidates ibr the (ios])cl ministry, who could be
found to undertake it ! \\'e .-hould then, indeed, have (lie ut-
most occasion to pray the Lord of the harvest, ix&aXAnv, to
TiiKisT OCT labourers into the harval, as no one, duly consider-
ing those things, would go, unless thrust out bj Ciod him.self.
O ye ministers of tiie sanctuary, tremb-le for your own souls,
and the souls of those committed to your care ! and go not into
this work, unless God go \\i\\\ you. Without liis presence,
nnctii'ii. and approbation, ve can do notliiiLff.
■ P p
Thei7' message to Pharaoh.
EXODUS.
He refuses to let ihepeopk go.
CHAPTER V.
Sroses and Aaron open their commission to Pharaoh, I . He insultingly ashs zcho Jehovah is, in zihose name thev
require him to dismiss the people, 2. Thcij explain, S. He charges them with making the people disaffected, 4, 5-
and commands the taskmas'crs to increase tlieir work, a?id lessen their weans of performing it, 6 — 9. The task-
masters do as commanded, and refuse to give the people str;nv, to assist them in 7naking brick, and yet require
the fulfilment (f their daily tasks as formerly, when furnished with all the necessary means, 10 — 13. The Israelites
failing to produce the ordinary quantity of brick, their own officers, set over them by the taskmasters, are cruelly
insulted and beaten, 14. The officers complain to Pharaoh, 15, l6; but find no redress, 17, 18. The nfficeh
finding their case desperate, bitterly reproach Moses and Jaronfor bringing them into their present circumstances,
19 — 21. Moses retires, and lays the matter before the Lord, and pleads with him, 22, 23.
A.M. 2513.
B.C. 1401.
A":.
N D afterward Moses and Aaron
ent in, and told Pharaoli, TIius
saith the Lokd God of Israel, Let my people go,
that they may hold ^ a feast unto me in the wil-
derness.
2 And Pharaoh said, ^ Who is the Lord, that
I should obey his voice to let Israel go ? I know-
not the Lor.D, " neither will I let Israel go.
3 And they said, " The God of the Hebrews
("li. 10. 0 b e Kings 18. 3.5. .TobLl. 1.5.-
. in.
N'OTES ON CHAP. V.
Vcnse 1. And afla-aard Moses and Aarmt xvent'] Ttii.s chap-
frr is pro)icrly a continuation of the preceding-, as tlie suoceed-
'.n<X is a continuation of this ; and to prcserre the connection of
till- facts, they should be read tOLjether.
How simply, and yet m itli what authority, does Moses deliver
his ine>sage to the Eijyptian king ! Tims saith JEHOVAH,
( ioD of Isn.\EL, lit my people go. It is well in this as in ahnosl
••very other case, where nin' Jehovah occurs, to ]>reserve the
origmal word : our u>iDp; the \\ ord Lord, is not sutTiciently tx-
prt-s?i\e, and often leaves the sense indistinct.
^'erse 2. Ji'ho is the Lord ?] Who is Jehovah, that I should
obey his \oice .' What claims has he on me ? I am under no
obbfjation to him. Pharaoh spoke litre under the common per-
suasion that evi'ry place and people had a tutelary deity ; and
he supposed that this Jehovah nui:;ht be the tutelary deity of
file Israelites, to whom he, as an Egyptian, could lie undev no
kind of obligation. It is not judicious to bring this question as
a proof that Pharaoh was an atheist : of this the text affords no
tvidencc.
Verse 3. Three days' journey'] Tlie distance from Goshen to
Sinai; see chap. iii. 18.
Ajid sticrijice iinlo the Lord] Great stress is laid on this circum-
stance. God requu-ed sacrifice: no religious acts which they
performed, could l>e acceptable to him without this. He had
now shewed them, that it was their indispensable duty thus to
worship him ; and that if they did not, they might exyject him
to send the pestilence, some plague or death, proceeding imme-
diately from himself, or tlu: sword, extennination by the hands of
anenemy. 'Die original \,uxA -13T deber, from nni dabar, to drive
of}', draxv under, &<.<•» whicli we translate pfi<i7e»c't, from the Latin
/«.«/,<, the piagiie, signifies any kind of disease by w hich aa ex-
A. M. 2,513/
B.C. 149t.
hath met with us : let us go, we pray
thee, three days' journey into the
desart, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God ; '
lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with tlic
sword.
4 And the king of Egypt said unto them.
Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the
pcopk fi'om their works ?
' burdens.
get you unto your
"Cii. 3. la.-
= ch. 1. 11.
traordinary mortality is occa.<ioned ; and which appears from
the circumstances of the case, to come immediately from God.
The Israelites could not sacrifice in the land of Egypt, because
the animals they were to offer to God were held sacred by the
Egyptians; and they could not omit this duty, because it was
essential to religion, e\en before the giving of the law.. Thus
we find, that divine .justice required the life of the anim;d, for
tlic life of the tran.=!;'ressor ; and the people were conscious.if
this were not done, ihatGod would consume them with the pesti-
lence or the sword. Erom the foundation of the world, the
true religion required sacrifice. Before, under, and nfter the
law, this was deemed essential to salvation. Under the Chris-
tian dispensation, Jesus is the Lamb of God that taketh away the
sin of the world; and being still the Lamb newly slain before]
the throne, no man cometh unto the Father but by him. [
" In this first application to Pharaoh, A\e obsene," says Dr.j
Dodd, "that proper respectful submission, which is due from
subjects to their so\ereign. They ref^resent to him the danger:
they should be in, by disobeying their God; but do not so much!
as hint at any punishment that w ould follow to Pharaoh."
Ver.se 4. Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron] He hints that
the Hebrews are in a state of revolt, and charges Moses and'
Aaron as being ringleaders of the sedition. This unprincipled
charge has been, in nearly similar circumstances, often repeated
since. Men who luue laboured to bring the ma.ss of the com-!
mon people from ignorance, irreligion, and general profligacyi
of manners, to an acquaintance with themselves and God, and
to a proper knowledge of their duty to him and to each other,'
have been often branded as being disaffected to the state, and
as movers of sedition among the people ! See on ver. 17.
Ye — let the people] ivn-jn tapheriu, from jns phard, to hose
or disengage, which wc translate to let, from the Anglo-SascD
1
iTke Israelites cruel/j/ oppressed.
CHAP. V.
Ordered to ma/ie bricks uit/iout siraz
A. Sf. 2J1 i
B.C. 14;>1.
5 And Pharaoh said, Beliold, tiic
pcoj)le of the hmd now are * many,
'and yc make thcin rest iVom their burdens.
: 6 % And Pliaraoh commanded the same day
die ''taskmasters of the people, and their officers,
isayinp:,
7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to
make brick, as heretofore : let them go and
gather straw for themselves.
8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did
make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye
shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be
idle ; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and
i sacrifice to our God.
I 9 ' Let there more work be laid upon the men,
I that they may labour therein ; and let them not
I regard vain words.
j 10 % And tlie taskmasters of the people went
out, and their officers, and they spake to the
jpeople, saying. Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not
;^ive you straw.
I 11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find
* Ch. 1. 7, 9. " ch. 1. 11.
lercan let/an, to hinder. Ye hinder the ptnpte from woikin<r.
Gel i/e to your burdens. "Let rfcli>;ion alone, and mind your
work." The language \j')t only oi" tyranny, but of the ba.-;ist
incligion also.
Ver.-ie 5. The prnpir of the hind now are wnfiy] The wmgui-
nary edict had no doubt been k)ng before repealed, or they
could not lia\e multi|i!ied so greatly.
Ver.^e (i. The Ui.i/cnui.^ters of the people, and their officers^
The Uu^kniasters wore l''.gyptians, (see on chap. i. 11.) the
offieer.') were Hebrews, see below, ver. 14. But it is probable
that tlie taskmasters, chap. i. 11. which are called a'Da 'i;:?
sorey mi^Miii — priiicex of the burdens, or taxes, were diiitrent
from those termed laskmasters here, as the woriLs are diiKtent:
CwJj nofidshim, signifies eiaetors or oppressors, pei'sons \vho
exacted from them an unreasonable proportion either of labour
or money.
(^ict;*J S'ltlll' shoterim, those seem to ha\e been an in-
ferior sort of officers, who attended on superior officers, or
magistrates, to execute then- orders. They are supposed to
have been something like our sheriffs.
Verse 7. Straw to nitde brick'] There have been many con-
jectures concerning the use of straw in making bricks. Some
suppose it was u.-ed merely for burning them: but this is un-
founded. The liastern bricks are often made of clay and
straw kneaded together, and then not burned, but thoroughly
dried in the sun. This is expres.sly mentioned by Philo, in liis
life of Moses, who says, describing the oppression of the
Israelites in Egypt, that some were obliged to work in clay for
the formation of bricks, and others to gather straw for the same
puqiose, because straw is the bond by which the brick is
held together — t>,h6'ji/ ya^ a.y'i^a ^:o-(xoc. Phil. Oper. Edit,
Mang. vol. II. p. 86. And Pliilo's account is coniirined by
the most intelligent travellers. Dr. Shaw says, that the straw
B.C. 1491
it: yet, not ought of your work
shall be diminished.
1 2 So the jK-ople were scattered abroad through-
out all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble in-
stead of straw.
13 And the taskmasters hasted fhejn, saying,
! Fulfil your works, i/our '^ daily tasks, as when
' there was straw.
14 And the officers of the children of Israel,
which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them,
were beaten, a?id demanded, Wherefore have ye
not fldfillod your task, in making brick both yes-
terday and to day, as heretofore ?
15 ^ Then the officers of the children of
Israel came and cried mito Pharaoh, saying.
Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy ser-
vants ?
16 There is no straw given unto thy scr^-ants,
and they say to us. Make brick : and, behold,
thy servants are beaten ; but the fault is in thine
own people.
1 7 But he said, Ye are idle, i/e are idle : there-
^Ileb, hex tlic work be hettv}j upon thcTricn. ^ Jfeb.^ matter of a datj in his day.
in the bricks still preserves its original colour, which is a prcKif
that the bricks were never burnt. Some of these are still to lie
seen in the cabinets of the curious. From this we may see tlie
reason of the complaint made to Pharaoh, ver. Ui. the Egyptians
refused to give the necessary portion of straw for kneading the
bricks ; and yet they required, that the full tale or nund)er of
bricks should lie produced each day, as tiicy did when all the
necessary materials were broutfht to hand ; so the people were
obliged to jio over all the corn-fields, and pluck up the stubble,
which they were obliged to substitute for straw. See ver. 12.
Verse 8. And the tale of the bricks'] Tale signifies the number,
from the Anglo-Saxon ta-llan, to number, to count, &c.
For they be idle ; therefor^ they cry — Let us go and sacrifce.]
TIiiis tlu'ir desire tii worship the true Cwl in a proper manner,
was attrdiuted to their unwillingness to work : a reflectioa
which tile I'^gyptians (in principle) of the present day, cast
on tho.se, v.iio, while they are fervent in spirit serving the
Lord, are not slotliful in business, see below, ver. 17.
Verse 14. And the ojicers — (see on ver. G.) — were beaten] Pro-
bably bastinadoed ; for this is the common punishment in Lgyi>t
to the ])resent day, for minor ofKiu'es. The manner of it is this :
the culprit lies on his belly, his legs being turiuxl up behind erect,
imd the executioner yives him so many blows, on the soles of the
feet, with a stick. This is a very severe [lunishment, the sullerer
not being able to walk for many weeks after, and some arc
lamed by it through the whole of their lives.
Verse 1(>. The fault is in thine own people] nstin chatath, tlic
SIN is in thy own people. 1st. Because they require impassi-
bilities ; and 2dly, because they punish vis for not doing what
cannot be performed.
\'erse 17. Ye are idle — therefre ye say. Let us go and do
sacrifice] It is coniiuon for those who feci unci inc. rntd about
their own souls, tp attribute the relit,,ous ea.n'ijUi-i^ of otliersj
P p 2
The officers expostulate with Moses and EXODUS
fore ye say, Let us go and do sa-
crifice to the Lord.
18 Go therefore now, «??rfworlc; for tliere shall
no straw be given you, yet sliall yc deHver the
A. -M. '2513.
B.C. 1491.
tale of bricks.
19 And the officers of the children of Israel
did see that they tserc in evil case^ after it was
said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks
of your daily task.
20 % And tliey met i\Ioscs and Aaron, who
stood in the way, as they came forth from Pha-
raoh :
> Gh. C. 9. ^ Heb. to stmh. Gen. 31. 30. 1 Sam. 13. 4. & C7. 12.
who feel the importance of eternal thiiin;!!, to idleness, or a dis-
regard of their secTilar concerns. Strange that they cannot
see there is a medium ! He who ha^ commanded them to be
diligent in business, has also commanded tliem to be fervent in-
spirit, serving the Lord. He whose diligence in business is not
connected with a true religious fervor of spirit, is a lover of the
world ; and whatever fortn he may have, he has not the poiver
of godliness ; and therefore is completely out of the road to
salvation.
Verse 19. Bid see that thei/ were in evil case] Tliey saw-
that they could neither expect justice nor mercy ; thai Uieir
deliverance was very doubtful, and their case almost ho]>e-
less.
Verse 21. The Lord look upon you, and judge'\ These were
ha.sty and unkind expressions ; but the aillictedmust be allowed
the privilege of complaining— it is all the solace that such sor-
row can find ; and if in such distress, words are spoken which
should not be justified, yet the considerate and benevolent will
hear them with indulgence. God is merciful ; and the stroke
of this people was heavier even than their groaning.
Put a sxuord in their hand] Gi\en them a pretence, which
they had not before, to oppress us even unto death.
Verse 23. yind Moses returned unto the Lord] Tliis may
imply, either that there was a particular place into which
Jloses ordinarily went to commune with Jehovah, or it may
mean, that kind of turning of heart and aftection to God, which
every pious mind feels itself disposed to practise in any time
or pi are. The old adage will apply here — " A praying heart
wever lacks a praying place." '
Lord, ivherefore hast thou so evil intreated this people .?] It is
certain that, in this address, Moses uses great plainness of speech.
Whether the oflspring ci a testy impatience and undue fami-
liarity, or of strong faitii, which gave him more than ordinary
access to the throne of his gracious Sovereign, it would be
<!ifficu't to say. The latter appears to be the most probable,
as we do not find, from the succeeding cliapter, that God was
displeased with his freedom ; we may therefore suppose, that
It was kept within due bounds, and that the principles and
motives were all pure and good. However, it should be noted,
that such freedom of speech with the Most High siiould never
!« used, but on very special occasions, and then only by his
eitraordinary messengers.
Verffc 9-i. He hath done evil to this people] Their misery is
iftcreat'ed, instead of being dimmi^hed.
Neiificr heat thcu delix;ered thy people ut all.] T5ie marginal
Aaro7i. They lay the case before God.
21 " And they said unto them. The a.m. 2513.
Lord look upon you, and judge ; ^'^' "^^;
because ye have made our savour ^ to be ab-
horred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes
of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to
slay us.
22 % And Moses returned unto the Lord, and
said, Lord, wherefore liast thou so evil entreated
this people ? why is it /hat thou hast sent me i
'23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in
thy name, he hatli done evil to this people j
'^ neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.
2 Sam. 10. 6. 1 Ciiion. 19. 6. ' Hcb. delivsriag thou hast not delivered.
reading is botli literal and correct — And delivering, thou hatt
not delivered — Tliou hast begun the work, liy giving us counsels
and a commission, but thou hast not brought the people from
under their bondage. Thou hast signified thy pleasure relative
to their defnerance, but thou hast not brought them out of the
liands of ilieir enemies.
1 . It is no certain proof of tlie displeasure of God, that a
whole people, ac an individual, may be found in a state of
great oj)pression and distress ; nor are affluence and prosperity
any certain signs of his approbation. CoA certainly loved the
Israelites better than he did the Egyptians j yet the former
Were in the deepest adversity, while the latter were in the
height of jHospeiity.^ — Luther once observed, that if secular
prosperity were to be considered as a criterion of the Divme
approbation, then the (Jrand Turk must be the highest in-
the favour of God, as he was at that time the most prosper-
ous sovereigTi on the earth. An observation of this kind, on
a case so obvious, was really well calculated to repress hasty
conclusions draw n from these external states, and to lay down
a correct rule of judgment for all .-vich occasions.
2. In all our addresses to Gofl, we should ever remember,
that we have sinned against him, and deserve nothing but
pmiishmeiit from his liand. We should, therefore, bow before
liim with the deepest humiliation of soul, and take that caution
of the wise man — " Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not
thine heart be hasty to utter any thmg before God : for God
is in heaven, and thou upon eartli ; therefore let thy words be
few." Ecd. V. 2. Tliere is the more need to attend to this
cautiori, because many ignorant, though well-meaning people,
use very improper, not to say indecent, freedoms in their ad-
dresses to the Throne of Grace. With such proceedings God
cannot be well pleased ; and he who has not a proper im-
pression of the dignity and excellence of the Divine Nature,
is not in such a disposition as is essentially necessary to feel, in
order to receive help from God. He who knows he has sinned,
and (eels that he is less than the least of all God's mercies,
will pray with the deepest humility, and even rejoice before
God with trembling. A solemn awe of the Divine Majesty
is not less requisite to successiul praying, than faith in our
Lor.l Jesus Christ. When rve have such a commission as that
of Moses, we may make use of his freedom of speech : but
till then, the publican's prayer will best suit the generality of
tliose \vho are e\en dignified by the name of Christian — Lorp,
be merciful to me, a sinner !
4
The Lord's gracious
CHAP. VI.
promises of redemption.
CHAPTER Vr.
God encourages Moses, and promises to shetc zconders upon Pharaoh, and to bring out his people zcith a strong hand, 1 .
He confirms this promise by his essential name JEHOFAH, 2, 3. Bj/ the covenant he had made with their
fathers, 4, 5. Sends Moses Zi'ith afresh message to the Hebrezcs, full of the most gracious promises, and confirms
the zvliole by appealing to the name in tchich his unchangeable existence is implied, 0" — 8. Moses delivers the
message to the Israelites, but through anguish of spirit, they do not believe, p. He receives a veio commission to
<ro to Pharaoh, 10, 11. He excuses himself on account of his unreadiness of speech, I'J. The Lord gives I... h-
and Aaron a charge both to Pharaoh, and to the children of Israel, V.>. The gcncahgt/ of Kcuhcn, 14; of
Simeon, 15; of Le\[, from zchom descended GcrA\om, Koluith, and Meran, \6. The sons of Gcvshom, 17;
o/" Kohatli, 18 ; q/" Merari, ]<). The marriage of Amram and 3 ochehed, 20. The sons of Izznr and Vizlcl,
the brothers of Amram, 1\, G2. Marriage of Aaron and Elisheba, and the birth of their sons Nudab, Abiliu,
Eleazar, and Ithainar, <ij. The sons of Koiali, the nephew of Aaron, 24. The marriage of Elcazar to one
of the daughters of Viitlel, and the bi/th of Phinchas, 25. These genealogical accounts, introduced for the sake of
sJiezdng the line of descent of Moses and Aaron, 26, 27. ./l recapitulation of the commission delivered to Moses
and Aaron, 29 ; and a repetition of the excuse formerly made by Moses, SO.
A. .'\r. s.'ji.i.
B. C. 1 i.>i.
T
HEN the Loud said unto Moses,
Now shalt thou see what I will
do to Pharaoh : for ^ with a strong hand shall
he let them go, and with a strong hand '' shall
he drive them out of his land.
•Ch. 3. 19. "cli. 11. 1. & 1-3. 31, A\ .!!).
NOTES ON CHAP. VI.
Yerse 1. With a slroh^ hand] npTn T yad chazaka/i, the
same verb which we translate to harden; see on ehap. iv. 21.
The strong hand here means sovereijrn jiower, suddenly and
foreibly applied. God |)urposed to manifest his soverci2;n
power, in the siijtit of Pharaoh and the Esfyptians ; in conse-
quence of which, Pharaoh would nia,iife,-,t his power and au-
tliority, as soVLrein:n of Egypt, in dismissing-, and thrusting out
the people. Sec chap. xii. 31 — 33.
Verse 2. / am the Lord] It should be, / am JEHOVAH,
and without this, the reason of what is said in the 3d verse, is
not sufficiently obvious.
Verse 3. hj/ the name of God Almighii/] ■^-\\v ha El-shadav,
God All-.sufficient — God the dispenser or pourer out of gifts.
See on Gen. xvii. 1.
But lii/tn>/ name Jehovah was I not hwini to them.] Tliis pas-
sage has been a sort of crux crilicorum, and has been variously
explained. It is certain that tile name Jebo\ ah was in use long
before the days of Abraham, see Gen. ii. 4. where the words
C3'mS» nin'' Jehovah Elohim occur, as they do frequently after-
wards ; and see Gen. xv. 2. where Abraham expressly addresses
him by the namt Adonui 3 anov Mi ; and see t'ne /thvcr. where
God reveals hmiself to Abrani by this very name. And he said
unto him, / am J ehovaii, that brought thee out of Vr of the Chat-
dees — Hov/ then can it be said that by his name Jehovah, he
was not knoivn unto titem '^ Several answers have been given
to this (juo'tion : the following are the chief. 1. The words
!^hould be reail intcrrogutaety, for the negative particle i/h to,
not, has this power oflen in Hebrew. "I appeared unto Abra-
ham, Isaac, and Jacob by the name of Gotl Almighty, and by
my lawie Jthovah, w as 1 not also made known unto them :"
A.i\r. lCil3.
B. C. 14P1.
2 And God spake unto ISIoses,
and said unto him, I am " the
Lord :
3 And I appeared unto i^braham, unto Isaac,
and unto Jacob, by Ihe 7iajvc of^ God Almighty,
'Or, JEHOVAH.- — "Gcii. 17. 1. & ;55. 11. & ■18. ?,.
2. The name Jkhovah was not revealed before the time men-
tioned here, for though it occurs so fre(|uently in the book of
Genesis, as that book Wiis written long after the name had come
into common use, as a principal characteristic of (Jod, Moses
employs it ii. his history because of this circumstance ; so that
\ihen« ver it appears previonslj/ to this, it is by the figure called
/jjo/f/iiis or anticipation. 3. As the name Jehovah, nin', sig-
nifies existence, it may be understood in the text in ipu-stioii
thus : " I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by my
name God Almighty, or God Atl-sufficient, i. e. having all
power to do all good ; in this character 1 made a covenant with
them, supported by great and glorious promises ; but as those
promises had respect unto their posterity/, they coultl not be
fulfilled to those fathers : but now as Jehovah, I am alxjut to
give existence to all those promises relative to your su|>i)ort,
deliverance from bondage, and your consequent settlement in
the promised land." 4. The words may be considered as used
comparatively : Though (iod did appear to those Patriarchs as
Jehovah, and they acknowledged liim by this name ; yet, it
was but comparatively known unto them — they knew nothing
of the power and goo<lness of God, in comparison of w hat the
Israelites were now about to experience.
I believe the simple meaning is this, Tliat though from the
beginning, the name Jehovah was known, as one of the names
of the Supreme Being, yet what it really implied, they diil not
know. El-Shaday, ni' "?« God All-sufficient, they knew well,
by the continual provision he made for them, and the constant
protection he aflbrded them : but the name nin' .Iehovah is
particularly to be referred to the accomplishment of promises
already made ; to the giving them a being, and thus bringing
them into extstence, which could not have been done in the
A.M. 2513.
15. C. 1491.
was
rromises by his name Jehovah
but by my name ^ JIIHOVAII
I not known to them.
4 •* And I ha-\e also established my covenant
with them, " to give them the land of Canaan,
the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were
strangers.
5 And '' I have also heard the groaninc: of the
children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in
Kondage ; and I have remembered my cove-
nant.
6 ^Vherefore say unto the children of Israel,
' I am the Lord, and ^ I will bring you out from
under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will
rid you out of their bondage, and I will ^ re-
deem you with a stretched out arm, and with
great jud^-ments :
EXODUS.
7 And
to give eject to his cavemnf.
"Cli. .". 14. Fs. 68. 4. & 83. 18. .Tolin 8. .W. Rev. 1. 4. "Gen. 15.
18. A 17. 4, 7. 1 Gfn. 17. 8. (<< 28. 4. " cli. a. 24. ' ver. 2, 8. 29.
fch. 3. 17. & 7. 4. Dent. '26. 8. IN. 81. C. & 136. 11, 12. ^ch. 15.
13. Deut. 7. 8. 1 Cliron. 17. 21. Neli. 1. 10.
order of liis providence sooner than here specified : this name
therefore, in its poiver and sijrnificancy, 'tins jiot known unto
them ; nor fully known unto their descendants, till the deliver-
ance from Egi/pl, and the settlement in the promised lar.d. It
is surely possible for a man to bear tlic nuinc of a certain office
or dignitj/ before he fulfils any of its functions. King, mayor,
alderman, magistrate, constable, may be borne by the several
persons to whom they legally belong;, before any of the acts
peculiar to those offices is performed. The king, acknowledged
as such on liis coronation, is knoxin to be such by his legislative
acts ; the ciril magistrate, by his distribution of justice, and
issuing warrants tor the apprehending of culprits ; and the
eon.ftuble by executing those warrants. All these were knoivn
to have their respecti\e names, but the exercise of their powers
alone, shews what is implied in being king, magistrate, and
constable. Tlie following is a case in point which fell within
my own knowledge.
A case of dispute, between certain litigious neighbours, being
heard in court before a weekly sitting of the magistrates, a
woman, wlio came as an evidence in behalf of her bad neigh-
bour, finiling the magistrates inclining to give judgment against
her mischievous companion, took lier by tlie arm and said,
"' Come away ! I told you, you would get neither law nor
■justice in this place." A inagi>trate, who was as much an
honour to his function, as he was to human nature, immedi-
ately said, "Here, constable! take that woman, and lodge her
in Bridewell, that she may know there is some law and justice
m this place."
'I'lius the wortliy magistrate proved he had the power im-
plied in the ?tame, by ciecnting the duties of his office. ■ And
(j'od who tyn.s- known as JtiiovAU, the Being who makes and
j^ires effect to promises, was known to the descendants of the
twelve tribes to be that Jehov.mi, by giving effect and being
to the piomises which he had made to l\mr fathers.
Verse 4. / have also established my covaiaiit] I have now
fully ))urpi>sed to give present eilect, to all my engagements
with your (uthci's, in behalf of their ijosteiity.
\'ei"se C. Say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord,
" take you to me for
'I will be to you a
shall know that I am the
A.M. 25tr,.
B. C. 1491.
I will
a people, and
God : and ye shall know that I otw the Lord
your God, which bringeth you out ''from under
the burdens of the Egyptians.
8 And I will bring you in unto the land, con-
cerning the which I did ' swear " to give it
to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob ; and I
will give it you for an heritage : I avi the
Lord.
9 And Moses spake so unto tJie children of
Israel : " but they hearkened not unto Moses for
"anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
10 % And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
1 1 Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt,
" Dent. 4. 20. & 7. 6. & 14. 2. & 26. 18. 2 Sam. 7. 24. 'Gen. 17. 7', 8
ch. 29. 45, 4<5. Deut. 29. 13. Rev. 21. 7. kch. 5. 4, 5. I's. 81. 6.
' Heb. lift lip mil hail •!. See Gen. 14.22. Ueiit. 32.40. "Gen. 15 18
& 2t). 3. 6i 28. 13. 5c 35. 12. "ch. 5. 21. »Heb. shortness, or stmilness'.
and I will bring you out, Sfc] This confirms the explanation '
given of ver. 3. which see.
Verse 7. / will take you to me for a people, ^c] This wsas '
jn-ecisely the covenant that he had made with Abraham ; see
Gen. xvii. 7. and the notes there.
And ye shall hiow that I am the Lokd (Jehov.^h) your God.]
By thus fulfilling my promises, ye shall know what is implied
in my name. See on ver. 3.
But why should God take such a most stupid, refractory,
and totally worthless people for his people.' 1. Because he
had promised to do so, to their noble ancestors Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Judah, &c. men worthy of all praise,
because in general, friends of God, devoted to his will, and t»
the good of mankind.
3. As liishop Warburton properly observes, " that the ex-
traordinary providence by which they were protected, might
become the more visible and iikistrioiis : for had they been
endowed with the shining qualities of the more polished na-
tions, the eftects of that pro\idence might have been ascribed
to their own w isdom."
3. That God might shew to all succeeding generations, that
he delights to instruct the ignorant, help the weak, and save (
the lost : for if he bore long with Israel, shewed them especial i
mercy, and graciously received them whenever they implored !
his protection, none need despair. God seems to have chosen
the worst people in the universe, to give, by them, unto man- \
kind, the highest and most expnssive proofs, that he wills not
the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his
iniquity and live. '
Verse 8. Which I did swear"] 't nx 'nscj mishati et yadi, I
I have lifted up my hand. The usual mode of making an ay- ■
peal to (iod, and hence considered to be a form of swearing.
It is thus, that Isai. ixii. 8. is to be understood — The Lord hath j
.rworn by his ris^ht hand, and by the arm of his strength.
\'erse 9. But they hearkened not] I heir bondage was beconfie '
so extremely oppressive, that tlicy had lost all hope of ever
being redeemed from it. After this verse the Samaritan add*.
Let us alone that 'we may serve the Egyptians; for it is better for
27/(? gencalogif of Moses and Aurcfi CHAP. \"I.
AM .'.'M.-.. tluit he let tlic children of Israel
?:'-;"'"; go out of his land. j
12 And Moses spake before the Loud, saying,!
Beliold, the children of Israel have " not heark-
ened unto nie ; how then shall Pharaoh hear me,
" who am of uncircumcised lips ?
13 And the Loiin spake unto Moses and unto
Aaron, and gave them a charge luito the chil-
dren of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt,
to bring the children of Israel out of the land
of Egypt.
14 <f[ These be the heads of their fathers'
houses : " The sons of Reuben the tirstborn of
Israel ; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi :
these be the tUmilies of Reuben.
l5-% "^ And the sons of Simeon ; Jenuiel, and
Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and
JShaul the son oi a Canaanitish woman : these
are tlie funilies of Simeon,
16 ^ And tliese are the names of " the sons
1) of Levi according ±o their generations ; Ger-
^ shon, and Kohath, and Merari : and the years
i of the life of Levi icere a hundred thirty and
se\en years.
»Vcr. 9. ''ver. 30. cli. 1.10. Jcr. 1. 6. 'Gen. 4C. 9. 1 Cliron
i. X ' 1 Chron. 4. -ii. Gen. 46. 10.- — ^=Gen. 46. 11. Nunil). .>. 17.
>lChroii. 6. 1, U). ' iCliruii. 6. 1". \ s;3. 7. sNiirab. 'Z6. ST. iCIirun.
6. 2, IB. '' 1 Chron. 6. 19. U '23. Hi. 'cli. 2. 1, 2. IStiiul). 20. .W.
I/I to serze the Egyptians, than that ive should die in the vAlder-
7ICSS. This a))pe;ii-.< to he borrowed from chap. xiv. \2.
Anguish of .tpiric] nil "i'T /cdzer ranch, .•>hortnc.<is of .tpirit
or breath. The words siijnify that their labour was so conti-
nual, and their bonda^'e so ciiiel and oppressive, tlial tlioy had
scarcely time to lircathc.
Verse 12. Uncircumcised lips."] The word 'h'\^ dral, which
we tran.-late uncircumcised, seems to signify any thitiir exube-
rant or suptvflnous. Had not Moses been remarkahle f )r his
excellent beauty, I should have thought the passage might be
Temhvtd protuberant tips ; but as this sense cannot be admitted,
for the above reason, the word must refer to some natural impe-
diment in his speech ; and probably means a want of distinct and
ready utterance, either occasioned by some defect in the organs
of speech, or impaired knowledge of the Egyptian language, after
an absence effort!/ years. See the note on chap. iv. 10.
Verse 14. These be the heads] 'u;i<n rashcy, tiic chiifs or cap-
tains. The following genealogy was simply intended to shew,
that Jlotcs and Aaron came m a direct line from Abraham ;
and to ascertain the lime of Israel's deliverance. The whole
account fi oin this ver. to ver. 26. i.- a sort of parenthesis and
does not belong to the narration : and what follows from ver.
28. is a recapitulation of w l;at was spoken in the jireceding
chapters.
Verse 1& The years of the life of Levi] " Bishop Patrick
observes that I^vi is thoufjht to have lived ilic longest of all
Jic«b'» sons j none of whose ages are recorded m SJcripturc
Jrom Ihe line of Abraham.
1 7 ' Tiic sons of Gershon ; Libni, and ■'^- •"^'- '-■'^^■
Shimi, according to their fiimilies. " " "
18 And ''■ the sons of Kohath ; Amram, and
Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel : and the years
of the life of Kohath Tvere a hundred thirty and
three years.
1 9 And " the sons of Merari ; Mahali and
Mushi : these are the families of Levi according
to their generations.
20 And ' Amram took him Jochebed his fa-
ther's sister to wife ; and she bare him Aaron
and Moses : and the years of the life of Amram
were a hinidred and thirty and se\en years.
21 And " the sons of Izhar ; Korah, and Ne-
pheg, and Ziclu'i.
22 And the ' sons of Uzziel ;
Elzaplian, and Sithri.
23 And Aaron took him Elislieba, daughter
of ™ Amminadab, sister of Naasljon, to wife ;
and she bare him " Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar,
and Ithamar.
24 And the ° sons of Korah ; Assir, and Elka-
nali, and Abiasaph : these are the fiimilies of
the Korhites.
Mishael, and
kNumli. IC. 1. 1 Cliron. G,
4. 1-). ';0. 1 Cliruii. '.'. 10.
(iU. 1 Cliroii. (i. 3. & 24. 1,
.^7,.'58. 'Lev. 10. 4. Numb. 3. .10. — -■" Ruth
.Matt. 1. 4.- — • l.m-. 10. 1. KuUib. 3. 2. i 2o".
^ Numb. 26. 11.
but his and Joseph's, whom Levi survived t:::cnty-seven years,
thoutih he was much the elder brother. Kohath, the second
son of Levi, accordinij to Archbishop L'sher, w;is //iir(;/ jears
old when Jacob came into Egypt; and li\td theie one himdred
and three years. He attained to nearly the same age with
Levi, to one hundred and thirty-three years : and Ills son Amram,
the falher of ■Nlosts, lived to "the same age with Levi. We may
observe here, how the Divine promise. Gen. \v. 16. of deliver-
ing the Israelites out of Egypt in the fourth generation was
verified : for I\Ioses was the son of Amram, the son of Kohath,
the son of Levi, the son of Jacob." Uodd.
Verse 20. Jlis father's sister] irm dodato. Tile true mean-
ing of this word is uncertain. Parkhnrst observes, that -in duU
signifies an uncle in I Sain.v.x. 14. Lev. xxv. 14. and fieciuently
elsewhere. It signifies also an uncle's son, a cousiu-serman,
comiiare Jcr. xxxii. 8. with ver. 12. where the Vulgate renders
m dodi by patruelis met, my paternal cousin ; and in .\mos
vi. 10. for nn dodo, the Targuin has r.'3'ip Icaribiuk, his near
relation. So N'ulgatc, propinijuus ejus, his relative, and the
Scptuagint, oi wxsioi avriv, those of their household, 'llie best
critics .-uppose, that .lochebed was the cousin-gcrman of Amram,
and not his aunt. Sec chap. ii. 1.
Bare him Aaron and Moses] Tlic Samaritan, Scptuagint,
Syriac, and one Hebrew MS. add. And I\Iiriam their sister.
Some of the best critics suppose these words to have been ori-
ginally in the Hebrew text.
Verse 21. k'orah] 'niough lie became a rebel against Cod
Jehovah's commission.
EXODUS.
Moses makes excuse.
A.M. 2513
B. C. 1-191
wife
25 And Eleazar, Aaron's son, took
him one of the daughters of Putiel to
and "" she bare him Phinehas : these are
the heads of the fathers of the Levites according
to their famihes.
26 lliese are that Aaron and Moses, " to
whom the Lord said. Bring out the children of
Israel fi-om the land of Egypt according to their
" armies.
27 Tl\esc are they which ^ spake to Pharaoh,
king of Eg-}i)t, ' to bring out the children of
'Numb. e,"!. 7, 11. Josh, «4. S.1. <>v8r. !.■?. =
51. Numb, ta 1. "cb. 5. 1, 3. & 7. 10. 'ver. 1;?.
ill. 7. 4. Sc 12. 17,
cli. 32.7. & 3S. 1.
and Mo.-es, see Nnmb. xvi. 1 , &c. yet Moses, in his great im-
partiality, inserts liis name, amon<^ (hose of his other progenitors.
Verse 23. Vzzid~\ He is called Aaron's uikIc, Lev. x. 4.
Verse 2:?. Elishcbal Tlic oath of the Lord. It is the same
name as Elizabeth, so very common among' Christians. Slie
wa.s of the royal tribe of Judah, and was sister to Nahshon, one
of (he princes. .Sec Numb. ii. 3.
Eleazar"] He succeeded to the high-priesthood on the death
of his father Aaron, Numb. xx. 2.5, &c.
\'erse 25. P/iuielias] Of the celebrated net of this person,
and the most ho;iourable grant made to him and his posterity,
see Numb. xxv. 7 — 13.
Verse 26. According to their armies.'] anX3!» tsibotavi,
(heir Lattalioiis, regularly arranged troops. As Cod had these
particularly under his care and direction, he had the name of
i"ll>V2V nin' Yehovak tsehaoih, Lord of hosts or armies.
" The plain and disinterested manner," says Dr. Dodd,
" in which ISioses speaks here of his relations ; and the impar-
tialiiy wherewith he inserts in the list of them such, as were
afterwards severely punished by the Lord, are striking proofs
of his modesty and sincerity. He inserts the genealogy of
Reuben and Simeon, because they were of the same mother with
Levi : and tbi.-ugh he says nothing of himself, yet he relates
particularly v.liat concerns Aaron, ver. 23. who married into
an honourable family, the sister of a prince of the tribe of
Judah."
A. JI. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
day.
when
land of
Israel from Egypt ; these are that
Moses and Aaron.
28 % And it came to pass on the
the Lord spake unto Moses, in the
Egypt,
29 That the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
' I am the Lord : ^ speak thou unto Pharaoh
king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.
30 And Moses said before the Lord, Behold,
" I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Plia-
raoh hearken unto me ? >
Ps. 77. «).-
-E ver. 11. cJi. 7. i.-.
' ver. 12. ch. 4. 10.
Verse 28. And it canie to pas.^] Here the seventh chapter
.should commence, as there is a complete ending of the sixth
with ver. 27. and the 30tli verse of this cliapter is intiiiiately
coraiected with the 1st vei-se of the succeeding.
Tlie principal .subjects in this chapter have been so amply
considered in the notes, that little of importance remains to be
done. On the nature of a covenant (see ver. 4.) aaiple inform-
ation may be obtained by referring to Gen. vi. 18. &xv. 9 — 18.
which places the reader will do well to consult.
Supposing Moses to have really laboured under some defect
in speech, we may consider it as wisely designed to be a sort
of counterbalance to his other excellencies : at least Oiis is an
■ordinary procedure of Duine Providence; personal accomplish-
ments are counterbalanced by mental defects, and mental
imperfections often, by personal accompiishinents. Tlius the
head cannot say to the foot, I have no need of thee. And God
does all this in great wistiom, to hide pride from man, and that
no flesh may glory in his presence. To be contented with our
formation, endowments, and external circumstances, requires
not only much submission to the providence of God, but also
much of the mind of Christ. (Jn the other hand, should we
feel vanity because of some personal or mental accomplisha)cu^,
we have only to take a view of cur zuhole, to find sufficient
caiuse of humiliation : and after all, the meek and gentle spirit,
only, is, in the sight of God, of great price.
. CHAPTER VII.
2'he dignified mission of ^Toses mid Aaron to Pharaoh — the one to be as God, the other as a prophet of the Most
High, \,-l. The prediction that Pharaoh'); heart should be. hardened, that (jod might multiph/ his signs and
Konders in Egi/pt, that the iiihalntants might knozo he alone u-as the true God, 3 — 0. The age if Moses and
ylaron, 7. God gives them directions hozc they should act before Pharaoh, 8, 0- Moses turns his rod into a ser-
pent, 10. The vmgicians imitate this mirack, and Pharaolis heart is hardened, U — 13. Moses is commanded
to tcuit upon Plniraoh ne.rt 7norning when he should come to the river, and threaten to turn the zcaters into blood,
if he did not let the people go, 15 — 18. The UHiters in all the land of Egt/pt are tamed into Hood, 19, 20. The
fish die. 21. The magicinm imitate this, and Pharaoh';; heart is again hardened, '22, iJ3. The Egi^ptians sorelj/_disr
tressed tecause of the bloodt) xcaters, 24. This plague endures seven dai/^, 25.
^fo■<!e!t sent to Pharaoh. CHAP.
A.M. ■.•=>!;;. A f,;x) the Lonn said unto Moses,'
Ihil-': /\ 'See, I have mude tliee ' a ijod ,
to riiaraoh : and Aaron thy brother shall be ,|
'' tiiv prophet. j,
2 Tlioii ' shalt speak all tliat I command thee : I
and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pha- i
raoli, that he send the ehildrcn ot" Israel out of
his land.
3 And * I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and
'multiply my '^ signs and my wonders in the land
of E<>}i)t.
4 Put Pharaoh .shall not hearken unto you,
*that I may lay my hand u])on Egypt, and bring
forth mine armies, and my people the children
of Israel, out of the land of Egypt, '' by great
judgements.
5 And the Egyptians ' shall know that I am
tlie LoHD, when I " stretch forth mine hand up-
. VII. The rod turned to a serpent.
on Egypt, and bring out the children a-^'-ji'-
of Israel fi-om among them.
D. C. 14'.U.
•Ch. 4. IG. .Ter. 1. 10. '■ cli. 4. 16. 'rli. 4. l.!-
!'ch. 11. '.>. fell. 4. 7. Ecli. 10 1. & 11. <!. J'ch.
> cli U. i'.'. U 14. -1, la. Ps. ;>. 16. ^ ch. J. ■■M.
i
— " cli. 4. 21.— T—
6. (i. ' ver. 17.
I NOTES ON cii.\r. vu.
\ Verse 1. I have made thee a godi At l!iy word every plamie
sJiall come, und at thy comiiuiiid each sh;ill be removed. Thus
iMos-es must have apjxared as a };(k1 to I'haruoli.
Shall be ih) piopha.'] .Sliall reoehe the \\ ord iVom thy
moulli, and cctr.muiiicate it to the I'livptiaii kin"-, ver. "2.
N'ei'se 3. / v.ill harden Pharaoh's heart] I will permit his
stubbornness and obstinaey still to remain, that I m ly have
thf E^reater oi'portunity to multiply my wonders in the land,
tiiat the Egyptians may know that I only am Jehovah, the
sclt-exintent God. See on chap. iv. 21 .
Vti>e 5. ^-1 nil bring out the children of Israel] Pharaoh's
obsliuaey was eitiier caused or permitted, in mercy to the
K^yptinns, that lie and his inajxicians, heiivT Miffered to op-
JK e ]\losLS and Aaron to the uttermost of their ]iower, the
J.-raelite.s miL;ht be bn.ui^ht out ol' I'^vpt in so sigiml a
manner, in s]jite of all the opposition of the Egyptians, their
kill'.-, and thiir '^oih, tliat Jehovah might appear to be Jtl-
hiiyhli/ and Alt-siifficieiU.
\erse 7. I\Io.H-s vjus four.'core year^ old] lie wa.s fo)-ti/
years old when he went to Midiaii, and he had tarried forti/
years in Midian, see chap. ii. 11. and Aet-.vii. •>*•. And li-om
lliis verse it appear.*, that Aaron w;ls Ihrte y.M-s older than
Mores: and we Itave already seen that Miriam tiiur sister was
older than either, cha]7. li. 4.
Verse 9. She~j.' u inh-ucle for you] A miracle, rsiJO ninphelh,
a miracle, sii^nifies an eliect jiroduced in nature which is op-
|K>sed to its laws, or such as its I'owei-s are madecpiate to ])ro-
<i*ice. As Moses and Aaron professed to have a divine mis-
I Hon, and to come to Pharaoli on the most extraordinary «c-
rnision, making; a most singular and unprecedented demand ;
I it Has natural to su]ipose,* if Pharaoh should even give them
Ian auditnee, that he would require them to give him some
. j^roof, by an extraordinary sign, that their pretensions to
I such a divine mission, Were v\ell founded and ineontestii.le.
1 Jvr it aj'pears t« have ever betn the rtiisc of mai:kiiRl, that
6 And Moses and Aaron ' did as the Loud
commanded them, .so did they.
7 And Moses u-as "" ibiuscore years old, and
Aaron i()iirscore and fhree years old, when they
spake lUJto Pharaoh.
8 % And the Lord spake unto Moses and un-
to Aaron, saying,
9 ^Vhen Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying,
" Shew a miracle for you : then tliou .shalt say
unto Aaron, "Take tliy rod, and cast // beibre
Plmraoh, and it .shall become a seipeiit.
10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh,
and they did so ■' as the Lord had conunanded :
and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and
bef()re his servants, and it 'became a serpcmt.
1 1 Then Pharaoh also " called the wise men
' Vlt. 9. " T)c«t. 29. .5. Jc 31. ». & M. 7. Acts 7. 23, HO. "Tsai. 7.
Jl. Idliii '.>. 18. 6c 6. JO. »cli. 4. 2, 17. — — 'ver. 9. ^'cli. 4. 3.
■■Ueii. 41.8.
he who has a divine ^Tlis^ion to cflect .some extraordinary ])ur-
pose, can give a supernatural proof that he has got this ex-
traordinary connnission.
'I'ahr (hi/ rod] This rod, whether a common staff, an en.^ign of
office, or a shepherd's crook, « as now conseciated for the purpose
of working miracles ; and is indiiierently called the rod of God,
the rod of iMoses, and the rod of Aaron. (JckI gave it the nw-
raciilous )iower, and Moses and Aaron used it indifl.'rcnt j.
Ver.se 10. It became a yerpeiii] j'jn tannin. What kind of
a serpent is liere iiitcn<led, learned men are not agreed. From
the manner in wf.ieh the oritjinal word is used in V>,i\. Ixxiv.
lo. Isai. xxvii. 1. li. !). Job vii. 1-2. sonie very large creature,
eitlu r aquatic or an'i])hil)ious, is probably meant: some have
thought that the crocodile, a well known Egyptian sniiual, is
here inteiuled. In cha)). iv. 3. it is said that this rod was
changed into a serpent ; but the original word there is rnj na-
chash, and here p:n tannin, the same word which we tran.-lalc
ic hales. Gen. i. 21.
As ti'nj uachaxh, seems to be a term restricted to no one
])articular meaning, as lias already bten sliewed on Cicn. iii.
so the words pjn tannin, S'^jn tanninini, .~'j,-', tannini, and
run lannoth, are used to sigiiii'y dille'rent kinds of animals in
the Seriptnies. The \vord is suijposed to signify ihejaelciil,
in Job XXX. 29. Psal. xliv. 19. Isai. xiii. 22. xxxiv. \i. .xxxvii,
7. xliii. 20. Jerein.ix.il, &c. i^c. And silso a ^/m-joH, j«-
pcnt, or xihalc. Job vii. 12. Psnl. xei. 1.3. Isai. vxvii. 1. li. 9.
Jcrem. li. -i4. Ezek. xxix. 3. xxxii. 2. And is termed, in our
translation, a sca-nion^ter, l.-un. iv. -J. As it was a rod, or
.••<(///■, that was ehanged into the tannini in tlie ca^es inentiuntd
In re, it has been .vuppo.sed that an ordinary icrjte.it is v.lwt ii
intended by tlie word, because ijie>i2e of both might be then
pretty nearly eipial : but as a niirecre was wrought on the
occasion, tills eireuinstance is of no vt^eight ; it was as e-,;sy for
(;o<llo change the rod into a crocodile, or any other creature,
as to change it into an adder or connnon snake.
\er«c lU. Pharaoh culled the ivixemen] Zi^TZOn cAuetWiii/if
Tlie magicians also hum rods to serpents.
.A.M. 2513. .^j^j '^ t\vi sorcerers : now the magici-
' ans of Egypt, they also ^ did in hke
manner with their enchantments.
1 2 For they cast down e\ery man his rod, and
they became sei-pents : but Aaron's rod. swal-
lowed up their rods.
1 3 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he
hearkened not inito them ; " as the Loud had
said.
14 ^ And the Lord said unto Moses, "Pha-
raoh's heart is hardened, he refliseth to let the
people go.
EXODUS.
15 Get
Moses is sent again to Pharaoh.
mornmg ;
thee unto Pharaoh in the
lo, he Goeth out unto the
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
• 2Tiin. 3. 8. •> ver. 22.
15. i: 10. 1, 20, 27. ^
ch. 8. r, 18. ^^cli. 4. 21. ver. 4. ^ ch. 8.
the men of learning'. Sorcerers, :^'2w3 cashephim, tliose who
retecil hidden things, probably from the Arabic root i_iiii
cushafa, to reveal, uncover, &c. signifying diviners, or those
■who pretended to reveal what was in futurity ; lo cli.icover
things lost, to find hidden treasures, &c. Mugicians, 'rtsin '
c/iarelumey, deci/plierers of abstru.'e writings, see the note on
Gen. xli. 8.
T/ici/ alao did in like manner xvith their enchantments.\ The
word CTi'rn'? lahatim, comes from lan'^ lahut, to burn, to fet
on fire ; and probably signifies such incantations as re(|uired
lustral fires, sacrifices, fimi-rulions, burning of incense, aro-
inaiic and odoriferous drugs, &c. as the means of evoking de-
parted spirjts, or assistant dsmons, by whose ministry, it is ijro-
bablc, the magicians in ciuestion, wrought some of tlieir decei)iive
miracles: for as the term m/inc/f signifies projjerly something
which exceeds the powers of nature or art to produce, (see
ver. 9.) hence there could be no miracle in this case, but those
wrought through the power of God, by the ministry of
Moses and Aaron. Tliere can be no doubt that real sei-pents
were produced by the magicians. On this subject tiiere are
two oi)inions : 1st' th.it the serpents were such as they, either
by jusglin-;-, or sleight of hand, had brought to the j>lace,
and had secreted till the time of exhibition, as our common
conjurors do in the public fairs, &c. 2dly. That the sei-pents
were brought by the ministry of a familiar spirit, whicli, by
the maj^ic "flames already referred to, tliey I'.ad evoked for the
purpose. Both the.se opinions admit the serpents to be real,
and no illusion of the sight, as some have supposed.
The first opinion apjiears to me insutliciiint to account for
the phenomena of the case referred to. If the magicians
ihre-ji dou-n their rods, and tlicj/ became serpents after they
were thrown down, as the text expressly says, ver. 12. juggling
or sleig/it of hand had nothing farther to do in the busmess,
as the rods were then out of their hands. If Aaron's rod
malloiied up their rods, their sleight of hand Avas no longer
concerned. A man, by dexterity of hand, may so tar impose
on his spectators, as to appear to eat a rwl; but for rods lying
on tb.e giound to Ixcome serpents, and one of these to dcAOur
all the" rest, so that it alone remained, required .something
more than ju^gUnir. How much more rational at once to
allow, that these magicians had familiar spirits, who could
.vsume all shapes, change the appearances of the subjects on
which tliey operated, or suddenly convey one thing away.
water ; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink-
against he come; and "^the rod which was turned
to a seq)ent shalt thou take in thine hand.
16 And thou shalt say unto him, ' The Lord
God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee,
saying. Let my people go, ^ that they may sen'e
me in the wilderness : and, behold, hitherto
thou wouldest not hear.
17 Thus saith the Lord, Li this "thou shalt
know that I am the Lord : behold, I will smite
' Cli. 4. 2, 3. h ver. 10.-
^ cli. 5. 2. ver. 5.
-fell. 3. 18. Ecli. 3. 12, 18. & 5. 1, 3. ,
and sub.stitute another in its place ? Nature has no such power,'
and art no such influence, as to produce the eifccts attributed
here, and in the succeedin;- chapters, to the Egyptian ma-
gicians.
Verse 12. Aaron's rod s-xallovsed up their rods."] As Egypt
was remarkably addicted to magic, .'orcery, &c. it was ne-
cessary that (i(Hl should permit Piiaraoh's wise men to act to
the utmost of their skill, n order to imitate the work of God,
that liis superiority might be clearly .seen, and his powerful
working incontestibly ascertained ; and this was fully done,
when Aaron's rod sxi'alloiied up llttir rods. We have already
seen, that the names of two of the chief of these magicians
were Janncs snA Jamb; es-, see chap. ii.lO. and 2 Trm. iii. 8.
Many traiUtions and failles concerning tliese may be seen hi
the eastern writers.
Verse 13. And he hardcied Pharaoh's hearl] ni~i£) 3S p:n'l
vai-ijechaznk leb Parcoh, " .\nd the heart of Pharaoh was
iiardened," the identical words which in ver. 22. are thus
translated, and which should have been rendered in the same
way here, lest the hardeiiirg, which was evidently the effect
of his own obstinate shutting of his eyes against the tiuth,
should be attributed toGod, see on chap. iv. 21.
Verse 14. Pharaoh's heart is hardened] 13^) cubed, is be-
come heavy, or stupid; he receives tio conviction, notwitli-
standini;- the clearness of the light which shines upon him.
We well know the power of prejudice, where persons are de-
termined to think and act after a ])re-detcrmined plan : argu-
ments, demonstrations, and e\en miracles themselves, are lost
on them, as in the case of Pharaoh here, and tiiat of the^^b-
.stinate Jews in the days of our Lord and his Apostles.
Verse 15. Lo, he goeth out unto the xvaler] Probably for the
purpose of bathing, or of performing some religious ablution.
I Some sup])ose he went out to pay adoration to tile river ivile,
which was an object of religious worship among the ancient
I Egyptians. For, says Plutarch, De Iside. mhi ovtji npn Ar/vr-
I TioK u: 0 N£i\o-r. " Nothing is ingreater honour among the Egyp-
, tians, than the river Nile." Some of the ancient .lews supposed,
that Pharaoh himself was a magician, and that he walked by
j the river, early each merning, for the purpose of prcpai'ing
i magical rites, &c.
I Verse 17. Behold, I xiill smite] Here commences the ac-
■ count of the ten plagues, which were inflicted on the Egyp-
tians by Moses and Aaron, by the command and through the i
The FIRST PLAGUE. CHAP
A.M. '.'Mi. ^vith tlie rod, that /.•> in mine hand
"•*""'•" upon the waters which are in the river,
and ' they shall be turned ''to lilood.
IS And the H.sh that is in the river shall die,
and the river shall stink ; and the Egyptians
shall 'loath to drink of the water of the river.
19 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say
unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and "* stretch out
thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their
streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds,
and upon all their " pools of water, that they
may become blood ; and tliat there may be
VII.
IVie xcaters turned into blood.
A.M.U51J.
B. C. 1191.
•Cli. 4. 9. "Rev. IC. 4. fi.— ^vcr. 24. " cli. 8. 5. 6, 16. & 9. 22. &
10. It, 21. k 14. «1, 'i6.~ — ' Hcb. gnl/u-riiig -f their waters.
blood throughout all the land of
Egvpt, both in vessels oj' wood, and
in vessels «/" stone.
20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord
commanded ; and he ' lifted up the rod, lUid
smote the waters that -cere in the river, in the
sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his ser-
vants ; and all the ^ waters that xcere in the river,
wcj'c turned to blood.
21 And the ii.sh that tr«.s- in the nver died;
and the river stank, and the Egyptians " could
not drink of the w ater of the ri\er ; and there
power of God. According- to Archbishop Usher, these ten
|)Ia!:iies took place in tl'.o (-(jurtie of one month, and in the
ftillowinii' order :
The first, the \v.\ ters tiimied into blood, took place, he sup-
po.'ies, the liSth day of the si.xth month, ver. 20.
The seconrf, the plague, of fhocs, on the 25th day of the
■ sixth month, chap. viii. 1.
The tliird, the ])lagiie of i.ur., on the 27th day o'f the sixth
month, chap. viii. IG.
Tlie fourth, grievous swarms of flies, on the 29th day of
the sixth month, chap. viii. 24.
The fiftli, the tjricvous murkais, on tlie 2d day of the
■seventh month, chap. ix. •'>.
• The nitih, the plague of itoii.s and elains, on the •3d day
of the seventh m<iiitii, chap. ix. lO.
The scTcnlh, the i^nievoiis nAiL, on the 5th day of the seventh
'month, cha|>. ix. IS.
The ei^lttlt, the jjlap^ue of locusts, on the 8th day of the
seventh month, chap. x. 12.
TIte Hint/i, tile xnicK darkness, on the lOth day of Abih
(April ;5l)) now become the first month of the Jewish year,
chap. X. 22. But see the note on clia]). xii. 2.
• The fciit/i, the slayinc the riKST-uoriN, on the l.jth of
Ahil), chap. xii. 29. But most of these dates are destitute uf proof
\'erse IS. Ttie Egi/ptiatts s/utit toatli to drink of tlie UY/<er]
The force of tiiis expression cannot be well felt, without tukinsj
into consideration, the jieculiar jileasantness, and great salubrity
of tlie waters of the Nile. " The water of Egypt," says
the Al(be .Alaecrier, " is so delicious, that one woulil not wish
tile heat to be less, or to be delivered from the sensation of
tliii-st. The Turks find it so exquisite, that they excite theni-
I selves to diiuk of it by t atiiig suit. It is a common saying amcms;-
j them, that if Moliaminedi had drank of it, he would have
I Ixsoufjht (iovl that he might never die, in order to have had
this continual gratification. When the ligyptians undertake
the pilgrimage of Mecca, or go out of their country on any
other accoimt, they speak of nothing but the pleasure they
.shall have, at their return, in ilrinking of the waters of the
I Nile. There is no Kralitiiation to lie compared to this: it
I suriKLsscs, in their esteem, that of seeing tlieir rtlations and
I families. All those who have tasted of this water, allow that
they never nut with th'' like in any other place. When a
person drinks of it for the first time, he can scarcely be ])er-
.suaded that it is not a water prepared In art ; lor it has soine-
'Ch. 17. 5. ^«r's. 78. 44. & 105. 29. Rev. 8. 9. " ver. 18.
thing in it inexpressibly agreeable and pleasing to the taste ;
and it should have the same rank among waters, that cfiam-
\ ptigne has among ••.vines. Biil its most valuable quality is, that
it is exceedingly salutary. It never incommoiles, let it be
drunk in what quantity it may : this is so true, that it is no
unconuiion thing to see some persons drink three buckets of it
in a day, without the least inconvenience ! When I passsnch
encomiums on the water of l^gypt, it is right to observe, that
I speak only ol' that of the Nile, whiili indeed is the only
water, drinkable, for their v.cU-water is detestable and un-
wliolesoiiie. Fountains are so rare, that they are a kind of
prcxligy in that country ; and as to rain-ivater, that is out of
the question, as scarcely any falls in I'gypt."
" A person," says ^Ir. Ilarmer, " who never before heard
of the tleliciousness of the Nile water, and of the large quan-
tities which on that account are drank of it, will, I am sure,
find an energy in those words of I\Iot-es to Pharaoh — Tl'ir
Egyptians shatl toatli to drink of the water of tlie river, which
he never observed before. They will loathe to drink of that
water which they used to prefer to all the waters of the uni-
verse ; loathe to drink of that, for which they had been ac-
customed to long, and \\\\\ rather cluise to drink of well-
water, which in their country is detestable I" — Ohsei-vatiom,
Vol. III. p. 56 1.
Verse 19. Tliat tliere may be blood — both in vessels o( v.'ood,
and in vessels of stotic.] Not only the Nile itself was to be
thus changed into blood in all its branches, ;md the canals
issuing fiom it, but all the water of lakes, ponds, and n-
.servoirs, was to undergo a similar change. And this was to
extend even to the water alreadj/ brought into their houses for
culinary and other domestic purposes. As the water of the
Nile is known to be very thick and nnuldy, and the l''g)"p-
tians are obliged to filter it through jXits ot a kind of white
earth, and sometimes through a jiaste made of almonds, Jlr.
Ilarmer supposes that the vessels of wood and stone mentioned
above, may refer to the process of filtration, which no doubt
has been practised among them from the remotest period.
The meaning given above, 1 think to be more natural.
Tlie FIRST plague — Tlie vvatehs turned into dlood.
Vei-se 20. Jtl tlie waters — were turned to blood.'] Not merclv
j in appearance, but in reality ; for these changed watei-s bc-
j came corrupt and insalubrious, so that even tlie fish that w'erc
; in the river died; and the .smell became highly olleiisive, ^u
j that the waters could not be drunk, -er. 21.
Q q 2
The m^^kians (iko turn rcaler to hlooj.
i^A'ODUS,
The phgue tdxfs set-en dauit
A.M. ■?:.!.">.
was blood throughout all the hmd of house, '■'neither did lie set his heart to
Egypt.
thi^
s aiso.
A.m. s.iis.
B.C. 14'.it.
22 * And tlic magicians of Eg-yjit did so with || 24 And all the Egyptians digged round ahout
their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was , the river for water to drink; " for they could not
drink 4if the water of the riv^cr.
hardened, neither did he hearken unto tliem ;
*as the Lord had said.
23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his
'Vcr. 11. c!i. n. 7. «. Wisd. 17. ?. ""Prov. 2^. 1. Isai. 26. 11. .Tc
Verse 22. And the jna^^iciniis — did srj] 13>it if all tlie water
in Eirypt «';!.■* turned into lilood by miosis, where did the
inag;iciaTi.- ijct the water which thci/ changed into l>lood ? Tlii.s
<]iiestion is answered in vcr. 21-. The Egyptians (hij^ed round
about the river tor water to drink, and it seems tliat the water
©btaincd by this means was not bloody like that in the river :
en thin water, therefore, the majric au^ nii<;ht ojierate. Again,
though a general commission was given to Moses, not only to
turn the watei-s of the river (Nile) into blood, but also tliose
of their streams, rivers, ]>onds, and jjools ; yet it seems pretty
clear, from ver. 20. that he did not proceed thus far, at least
In the first in.-tance; for it is there ptated, that only the waters
Xf the river were turned into blood. Afterwards, the plague
<loul)tless became general. At the commencement, therefore,
of tliis plague, the magicians might obtain other water to
imitate the miracle ; and it would not be difficult for them,
hy jiia:gUtig liicki, or the nsaislatice of a faniiUar spiyit, (for
we muft not abandon the possibiiily of this use) to give it a
bloody apj.enrance, a fetid smell, and a bad taste. On either
of these grovmds, there is no contradictifm in the Mo.saic ac-
tx.uut, though some have been very studious to find one.
The plague of the bloody waters may be censidered as a
^Ii^piay of retributive justice agaia^t the Egyptians, for the
miu'derous <lecree, which enacted, that all the male children
•of the Israelites .should be drowned in tliiit river, the waters
•of which, so necessary to their support and life, were now
rendered not only insalubrious, but deadli/, by being turned
into blood. As it is well known that the Nile was a chief
object of Egyptian idolatry, (see on ver. E5.) and that annually
they sacrificed a girl, or as others say, both a boi/ and girl,
to this river, in gratitude for the benefits received from it,
(Uiiiverxdl llifl. Vol. I. p. 178. fol. edit.) God might liave
designed this ])lague as a p\iriishment for such cruelty; and
tlie contempt pound ui)on this oliject of tlieir adoration, by
turning its waters into bloo<l, and rendering them fetid and
corruijt, must have had a direct tendency to coiTcct their ido-
lations notions, and lead them to acknowledge the power and
authority of the true (.'od.
\'er.se 25. ^hd sei^eii days were fid filled'] So %ve learn, that
this plague continued at least a whole week.
The contention between Moses and Aaron and the magicians
■of Egypt, lias become famous throughout the world. Tra-
dition, in var'wus countries, lias preserved, not only the ac-
count, but al.<o the nauu* of the chief persons concerned in
tile oppo-ition m ide by the l'!gyptiaus to these messengers of
tiod. Tiiough their names are not mentioned in the sacred
texlj ytl Iniihtion had ])reserved them in tlie Jciiixh records,
from which St. Paul undoul)tedly ([notes, 2 Tim. iii. 8. where,
speaking of tl;e enemies of the Gospi I, he compares them to
Juriiei and Jambrcs, nh >..-uicltstood i\Joses. That these names
2,5 And " .seven days were iidfilled, after that
the Loud had smitten the river.
i: 36. •21.-
-" vcr. S.-
I vor. 18, 21.-
-' 2 Sain. 2». 13.
existed in the ancient .Jewish records, their own writings •
shew. In the Twgum of .Jonathan ben Uzziel on this pl-jce,
they are called 3'''n27:''l D^T Jan/.i and Jaiiibris ; and in the
Babylonian Talmud they are named Joanne and IMainbre, and
are represented as chiefs of the sorcerers of Egyjit, and us
having ridiculed Moses and Aaron for pretendnig to equal
them in magical arts. And Rab. Tancnni, in liis Coiiimeutary,
names them Jonos and Jombrus. If we allow tlie readings of
the ancient editions of Pliny to lie correct, he refers, in Hist.
Nat. 1. .\x\. c. 2. to the same i>crsona, the names being a littls
changed — Est ct aliii vui'^iccs J'ui'tio a Mose 4' Janine i!)' Jotupe
Jiidais jiendcH'!, sed mullis miltibns annorioii po^t Zoro;is/rem.
" There is also anotlier faction of magicians, which took its
origin from the Jews, Jloses, .lamnes, and Jotapcs, many
thousands of years after Zoroaster ;" where he confounds
I\Ioses with the Egyptian magicians ; for the heathens having
no just notion of the power of God, attiibuted all miracles
to the influence of magic. Plini/ al,;o calls the Egyptian ma-
gicians Je-.vs : but this is not the only mistake in his history;
and as he adds, sed niulcis millihns unnorum post Zoroastrem,
he is supposed by some to refer to \\\t i'hrisiiims, and par-
ticularly tlie Apostles, who wrought many miracles, and whom
he cons-iders to be a magical sect derived from Closes and the
Jews; because they were Jews by nation, and tpioted Moses
and the Prophets, in proof of the truth of the doctrines of
Christianity, and of the divine mission of Christ.
Kumenius, a Pythagorean j)hiloso))l'er, mentioned by Euse-
bius, names these magicians Jaiunes and Jainbres, and men-
tions their opposition to Moses; and we have already seen,
that there was a tradition among tlie Asiatics, that Pharaoh's
daughter had Moses instructed by the wise men Junnes and
Jambres : see Abut Fartije, edit. Poc'ic. p. 2Q. Here tlien is
a very remarkable fact, the principal circumstances of which,
and the chief actors in them, have l)een preserved by a sort
of universal tradition. See Ainsxvorth.
When all the circumstances of the preceding case are con-
sidered, it seems strange that God should enter into anj' con-
test with such persons as the Egyptian magicians : but a
litde reflection will shew the absolute necessity of this. Mr.
Psalmanczar, who wrote the account of tlie .Tens, in the firat
volume of the Universal llistorij, gives the following judicious
reasons fortliis: — " If it be asked," says he, " why <iod did
sutler the Egyptian magicians to borrow power fiom the devil
to invalidate, if possible, those miracles which his servant
wrought by his divine power; the following reasons may bo
given for it : 1 . It was necessary that these magicians should
be suflered to exert the utmost of their power against Moses,
in order to clear him from the uuput;\tion (i{ iiuigic or sorcery; '
for, as the notion of such an extraordinaiy art «'as very rife,
not only among the Egyptians, but all other nations ; if they
had not entered into this strenuous com^ietition with him, and
Moses is again sent to Pharaoh.
CHAP. VIIT. FiiOGs, tJie second plague, threatened.
bcon Pt length overcome by liim, both tlie Il.bnws and tliv
Ji.rvjitians would Imvc l«;en a|.tiT to Wave -.ittiibuttd all his
niTr.ii'lL> to liis fkill in ina.;ic, than to the diviii-; power.
" Secondly. It wa^ ntccssiry, in order to tonririn llio f.iith
of the wa\c"rin:r and dopon ting Israfhto.« ; by making them
fee ihc ditiirence between Mose.-' iiclini; by the power of God,
and the wreerci-s by that of .Satan.
" lliirdly. It w as necc sary, in orHer to '[)reser\-e th?m after-
ward-, froni lieinif scxluced by any false miracles fi-oin the tnie
wur.-liip of viod.' ,
To these -A fourth rea.-^>n may be added : <;od permitted lliis
in mercy to the I'l^yptians, that tb( y mi^ht sei- that the i>nd#
in whom they trusted, were utterly ineapal)le of sarins,' them ;
that they could not undo or counteract one of the plague* sent
,in them by liie power of Jehovah; the whole f.f tli'-ir in-
(luenre txtendini^ onvy to some ^uperfIcial imitations, of tile
'Tcniime miniel-.s wou^ht by -Mo es in tlu- name of the true
<.'od. By these mcins, it isnitural to conclude, that many of
the E'iyplians, and perhaps several of the servant;* of I'ha-
raoli, were cured of their idolatry ; though the king liimself Iiar-
dened his heart again.-t th- e. id.nce.s which (Vod bi ouc;ht Infofe
hi* eyes. Thu , (iod is knoivn by liis judirments : for in every
operation of his hand, his desi^o^ is to enlisjliten tlie minds
of men, to briu'r them froui false de|)endances to tru.-.t in
• . ,/. , .1,1 . a r. I :.. il,,.., ■«..,.
!•? eyes, i nu > Vioa is a-(iou"« oy lll^ juu^iiinu- . mi m otij
pcration of his hand, his desi^it is to enlisfliten tlie minds
f men, to briii'r them froui false de|)endances to tru.-.t in
himself alone ; that beiiv^ saveil from erro and sin, they may
becoute wise, holy, and" happy. When his juds^meiits are
abroad in the earth, the iiihal)it;uils learn riyhte-ou.-ness. — See
the note on chap. iv. 21.
CHx^PTER VIII.
The plugm of frogs threatened, \, C. The extent of this plague, 3, 4. Aaron cnmmauded to stretch out his hand,
liith the rod, over the river and raiters of Egi/pt, in consequence of zchich the frogs came, 5, (5; The magicians
imitate this miracle, 7. Vharaoh iutrcats Moses to remove the fogs, and promises to let the people go, 8. Moses
promises that iha/ shall lie removed from every part of Egi/pt, the river excepted, 9—11. Moses prays to God,
wtd the frogs die Ihrouglwut the ichulc land of Egi/pt, 1'2 — 14. Pharaoh Jinding himself respited, lardi-ns his
heart 1 j. The plague of lice on man and beast, 10, 17- The magicians attempt to imilate this miracle, but in
Tain, 18. Thei/ eotifess it to be the finger of God, and yet Vharaoh continues obstinate, 1<). Moses is sent agaiu
to him to command him to let the people go, and in case of disobedience, he is threatened uith swarms of 6ies, 20,
CI. A promise made that the land of Goshen, zvhcre the Israeliles dicelt, sjionid be exempted from this plague,
«2, 23. The flics are serU, 24. Pharaoh sends for Moses ami Aaron, and ofers to permit them to sacrifice in
the land, 25. They refuse, and desire to go three days' joui my into the wilderness, 20.27. Pharaoh consents
to let them go a little way, provided they ic-ould intreat the Lord to remove the flies, 28. Moses consents, prays
to God, and the flies are removed, 30, 31. After ivhich, Pharaoh yet hardened his heart, and refused to let the
people go, 32.
A. M 2513.
B.C. 14?!.
AND tlic Lord spake unto Moses,
Go unto Pharaoli, and say unto
him, Tluis saith the Loud, Let my people go,
' that they may serve me.
' Clu a 12, 18.
KOTES ON CHAP. VIU.
Tlie SECOND plugti'. — Frogs.
; Verse 1. Let my people go] GckI, in great mercy to Pha-
I raoh and the E^'yptians, jrives them notice of the evils he
bitrnded to brinjr upon them, if they continued in their oh-
iititiaey. Having had, therefore, such warnin;^-, the evil ini^ht
have been prevented by a timely hiuiiiliation oikI return ro
Goil.
Verse 2. If thou rcfiifc] Nothing can l)e plainer, than that
Phanioh had it still in his power to have (Usmissed the
people ; and that his refusal was the mere eflict of his ow n
wilful obstinacy.
li'ilh frogs] '^'imSV tseparaltim. Tliis word is of dcubt-
ful etymology : almo.=t ail interpreters, both ancie.it and mo-
I ienij agree to render it as we*lo, though some maitioned by ]
A.M. C513.
B. C. U9i.
2 And if thou " refuse to let thein
go, behold, I will smite all thy bor-
ders with ' frogs :
3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abun-
•> Ch. 7. 14. & p. 2. ' R^». 16. 18.
Aben Ezra think the crocodile is meant ; but these can ne^'cr
weiirh against the conjoint testimony of the ancient versions.
Parkliurst deri^■t^s the word from ISS l.taphur, dtaiotiiiLf tile
brisk actio.i or motion of the light, and i'T i/add, to feci, as
they seem to feci or rejoice in the light, croaking all the sum-
mer mouths, yet hiding themseU es in the winter, 'llli- Arai)ic
name lV>r this aiam.d is \ery nearly the same witli the Hebrew,
p,\ijo z.ifld, \vhere the letters are the same, the i resch
being omitted. It is used as a quadrilitcral rotit in the Arabic
langUiige, to signify frog'jy, or containing frogs, see Oolitis.
But the true etymology s-eenis to be given by Bocliart, who
says, the word is compounded of ^i^a zifa, a hanlc, and ej.
rada, mud, because tiie frog delights in muddy or niarsiiy
places ; and tUat from tliese two words, the noun cAa*3 zifda,
3
Frogs come over all the land.
A.M. 2513. dantly, which shall go up and come
^' ^' "•'^' into thine house, and into " thy bed-
chamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house
of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into
thine ovens, and into thy " kneading-troughs :
4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee,
and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants,
5 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say
unto Aaron, " Stretch forth thine hand with thy
rod over the streams, over the ri-\'ers, and over
the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the
land of Egypt.
6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the
waters of Egypt ; and ■* the frogs came up, and
covered the land of Egypt.
• Ps. 105. 30. " Or, iitu^h.-
' cli. 7. 11. Wisd. 17. 7.- — f ,
-'c1i. 7. ia "I's. 78.4.'). Jc 105. .".0.
. 9. 28. .\ 1(1. 17. ^umb. 'Jl. 7. 1 Kings
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1«1.
EXODUS. Pharaoh relents.
7 ^ And the magicians did so with
their enchantments, and brought up
frogs upon the land of Egypt.
8 % Then Pliaraoh called for Moses and Aaron,
and said, ^ Intreat the Lord, that he may take
away the frogs from me, and from my people ;
and I will let the people go, that they may do
sacrifice imto the Lord.
9 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, ^ Glory over
mc : " when shall I intreat for thee, and lor thy
servants, and for thy people, ' to destroy the
frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may
remain in the river only ?
10 And he said, " To morrow. And he said,
Be it according to thy word : that thou mayest
is formed, the j rebeinpjdropjied. In the Hatrochouiyomachia
of IIoiTier, the frofr has many of its epithets from this very
circumstance; hence Ai^-mxa^ic, delii^hline; in tlielake; BqjS'o-
foy.'A-ric, lijing ov engendering in the mud; TlrM'j- and nuAofaTnc,
belonging io the mud, walking in the mud, &c. &c.
A frog is in itself a very harmless animal : Init to most
people, who use it not as an article of foorl, excccilin^ly loath-
some. Gotl, with equal ease, could have brought crocodiles,
hears, lions, or tj/gers, to have punished these people and
their impious king, instead of frogs, lice, Jiies, &c. But had
he used any of those formidable animals, the effect would
have apjieartd so commensurate to the cause, that the hand
of God might have been forgotten in the punishment ; and
the peii[)le would have been e\as])erated, vvithout iDeing
humbled. In the present instance, he shews the greatness of
his power, by making an animal, devoid of every evil qualitjr,
the means of a terriiile alllietion to his enemies. How easy
is it, both to the justice and mercy of God, to destroy or
»ave by means of the most des]>icable and insignificant of in-
struments ! Though he is the Lord of Hosts, he has no need
of powerful anmes, the ministry of angels, or the thunder-
bolts of justice, to puni.sli a siimei-, or a sinhil nation: the
frog or the Jlj/ in his hands, is a sufficient instrument of ven-
.geance.
Verse 3. T/ie river shall bring forth frogs ainindantlj/]
river Nile, which was an object of their adoration, was
one of the instruments of their puiiishmer!.*. Tiie expre
bring forth abundantly, not only shews the vast numbers of
tho.se animals which should now infest the land, but it seems
also to imply, that all tiie spa'xa or ova of those animals,
which Mere already in tlie river and marshes, shoiild he
brought miraculously to a state of perfection. W'e may
' suppo.sc, that the animals were already in an eml)ryo existence,
but multitudes of them would not have come to a state of
perfection, lui'l it nut been for this miraculous interference.
Tills suppo.-ition will appear the more natural, when it is con-
sideied that the Nile was rcmarkal)le for breeding frogs, and
such other animals, as are principally engendere<l in such
marshy places a» must be left in the vicinity of the Nile, after
Its annual iniirtdations.
Tlie
here
ion.
1.". 6. Acts 8.24. ^Or, Have this Iwnovr i^ver me, S^-c-
when, ' Helj. (d cut itji. ^ Or, against to miirrnw.
-''Or, against
Into thine ovens'] In various parts of the East, instead of
what we call ovens, they dig a hole in the ground, in which
they insert a kind of earthen pot, which having sulliciently
heated, they stick their cakes to the inside, and when haked,
remove them, and supply their places whh others, and so on. t
To find sui;h places full of frogs, when they came to heat
! tb.em in order to bake their bread, must be both disgusting
and distressing in the extreme.
Verse 5. Stretch forth thine hand — over the streams, over
the rivers'] The streams and rivers here may refer to the grand
divisions of the Nile in the lower Ei;-jpt, which were at least
seven, and to the canals by which these were connected, a.s
there were no other streams, &c. but what proceeded from
this great river.
Verse 6. The frogs came tip, and covered the land of Egypt.]
In some ancient writers, we have examples of a similar plague.
The Abderites, according to Orosius, and the inhabitants of
Pa?onia and Danlania, according to Athenaus, were obliged to
abandon their country, on account of the great numbers of
frogs, bj^ which their land was infesteil.
Verse 7. The magicians did so] A little juggling or dexterity
of hand might have been quite sufficient for the imitation
of this miracle, because frog^ in abundance had alreaily been
proihiced; and some of these kept in readiness, might have
been brought forward by the magicians, as proofs of their
pretended jiower, and equality in intluence to Moses and
iVaron.
N'erse 9. Glori/ over me] ''"?J7 iKSnn hithpaer dlai. Tliew
words have greatly puzzled commentators in general ; and it
I is not ^ easy to as.-ign their true meaning. The Septuagint
I render the words tiius, ra^ai tt^o; p.e ■e-ote, &:c. appoint unto
' me vslieii I shall pray, &c. The constilue mihi ijnundo of the
1 11 /gate 'is exactly the same; 'and in this sense almo.'it all the
j versions understood this place. This countenances the con-
jectural emendation of Lc C'lerc, who, by the change of a
' single letter, reading "ixann hithbaer, for lK3,-in hithpaer,
! gives the same sense as that in the ancient versions, llovbi-
gimt, supposing a corruption in the original, amends the read-
l ing thus, 'TJ? nx^ HilN altah baar dlai — Die mihi tpio tempore:,
1; &e. — " Tell me when thou wisliest me to jiray f.ir thee," &C.
• 6
The frogs are removed. CHAP
A.M. •-'=-" know that " there is none like unto
^'■^■"'" the Loud our God.
1 1 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and '
JTom thv houses, and from thy servants, and j
from thy people ; they shall remain in tlie nver|
only. '
\i And Moses and Aaron went out tiom Pha-
raoh: and Moses " eried unto the Loud, beeausei
of the frogs which he had brought against Pha-
raoh. 1
13 And the Lord did according to the word
of Moses ; and the frogs died out of the houses,
MIL Lice, the third j)lagtie.
out of the villages, and out of the
A.M. 'Jjlj.
B. C. 1491.
•Ch. 9.14. Dent. 33. 26. 2 Sara. 7. 2^. 1 Cliron. 17.20. Ps. 86. 8.
liai 46. 9. Jer. 10. .6, 7.
which amounts to the same in sense, with that projiosed by
Lf Cleic. Several of our Eiitjhsh vei-sion.s preserve the same
meaning:; so in tlie Saxon Heptateuch, Eej-erri; me anne an
jbajan; so in Becke's Bible 1519 — " And Mohk s.-ycd unto
iPhdiaoli, Appoint tliou the time unto me." This appears
bo be the genuine import of the vo'^'-'*. '"'i' the sc use taken
Jin this way is stronsj and 'j>ood. We iiiav conceive Closes
iaddressinp- Pharaoh in this way — " That thou niaye.st boil
[persuaded that Jehovah alone is the inflietev of these pla^^ues; -
, appoint the time when thou wonlik>l have the ]>iesent ca- ij
lainily removed, aiid 1 will pray unto (lod, and thou .shall
plainly see, from his answer, that this is no ca««;/ alllietion, '
i.nd that \n continuing to harden thy heart and resist, thou I
art sinning against Cod." JSotliin;;^ could be a fuller proof;:
lliat this plague was supernatural, tlian the circumstance of
Pharaoh's being permitted to a.ssigTi Innistif the time of its ]\
being removed, and its removal at the intercession of Moses,;
according to that appointment. AwA this is the very use made
of it by Moses hims-elf, ver. 10. when he says — Be it <ic-
cordivif to thy \xord: that thou iiiatiesl know titut tlure is none
like unto tlie Lord o7ir God; and that, couseciuenlly, he might
no longer trust in his magicians, or in his false gods.
Verse 14. 'J/:ej/ gathered iheni together upon heaps] Tlie
killing of the frogs was a mitigation of the punishment ; but
tlie leaving them to rot in the land, w?js a continual )>roof
that such a plague had taken place, and that the displeasure
of tile Lord still continued.
I The con ecturc of Calmet is at least, rational : he sii]iposts
that the ])lague oi' Jlics originated from the plague of ./; oif-s ;
I that the former deposited their ova in the jiuliid ma.sses, and
I that from these the innumerable swarms ailer\\ards mentioned
j were hateh.ed. In vindication of this sujiposition, it may be
j observed, that Cod never works a miracle when the end can
be accomplished by merely natural means : and in the opera- i
tions of Divine Providence we always fiml, that the greatest^
number of effects po.-sible, are accoiiiplished by the fe\.i:est j
eauses. As therefore the natural means for this fourth plague
had been miraculously provided by the second, the l>ivine ]
Being had a right to lu-e the instruments which be had al-
ready prepared.
Tlie THIRD plague — Lick.
Verse IG. Smite the dust of the laud, thai it may become lice'] |
If the vermin commonly designed by this name be intended ; '
it nmst have beta a very dieadfu] and afflicting plague to the
tiehls.
14 And they gathered them together upon
heaps : and the land stank.
1.5 Put when Pharaoh saw that there was "re-
spite, '^ he hardened his heart, and hearkened
not unto them ; as the Lord had said.
1() ^ And the Loud said unto Moses, Say
unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the
dust of the land, that it may become lice through-
out all the land of Egypt.
17 And they did so; lor Aaron stretched out
» ver. 30. cli. 9. Xi. & 10. 10. k 32. 1 1. .Tames 5. 16, 17, 18. ' Ecclcs.
8. 1 1. " oil. 7. 14.
Egyptians, and es]iccially to their priests, who were obliged
to shave the hair oil' every part of their bodies, and to wear
a single tunic, that no vermin of this kind might Vie permitted
to harbour about them. See Herod, in Euterp. cli. xwvii.
p. 104. edit. (jule. Of the nature of these insects, it is not
necessary to say much. Hie common louse is very prolific.
In the space of twelve days a full-grown female lays one hun-
dred eggs, j'rom which, in the space of six days, about fifty
males, and as many females, are jnoduced. In eighteen days
the.-e young females are at their full growth, each of which
may lay one hundred eggs, which will be all hatched in six
days more. Thus, in the course of six weeks, the parent
feiiiale may see 5000 of its o\m descendants ! So mightily
does this scourge of indolence andflthiness increase !
But learned men are not agreed on the signification of the
original word a'J3 kinuim, which diflerent copies of the
Scpluagiut render o-ki?;?, o-Kirif, and a-xn'psf, gnats; and the
Vulgate renders ' 4c-/h //)/(«, which signifies the same.
Mr. Ilarmer supposes he lias found out the ti-ue meaning in
the word tarrentes, mentioned by Vini-sauf, one of. our ancient
English writers ; who, speaking of the ex|ieilition of king
Bichard 1. to the Holy Land, says, that " while the army
w ere marching from Cayphas to 0;esarea, they were greatly
"distressed every night by certain v\orms called larrentex, which
crejit on the groiind, and occr.sioned a \cry burning heat, by
mo.^^t i>ainful ininctures : for being armed with stings, they
conveyed a poison, which quickly occasioned those who were
wounded by them to swell; and was attended with the most
acute pain." All this is far fetched. Bochart has endea-
voured to prove, that the cr'JD kinnim of the text may mean
lice in the coninion acceptation of the term, and not gnati.
1. Because tho,-e in question s])rang from the dust of the
earth, and not from the ivatcrs. 2. Because they were both
on men and cattle, w hich cannot be spoken of gnats. 3. Be-
cause their name comes from the radix pj hin, which signi-
fies to make firm, fix, establish, which can never agree to
gnats, Jlies, &c. wh:cli are ever c/ianging their place, and are
almost constantly on the uing. 4. Because n:3 kinnuh, is the
' term by which the TalmudisU express the louse, &c. See his
Hicrozoicon, Vol. II. c. xviii. eol. 57 1. The circumstance of their
being in man and in beast, agrees so well with the nature
' of the acarns sanguisugtis, commonly called the tick, b^long-
j ing to the seventh order of insects called apter.a, that I am
1 ready to conclude, this is the insect meant. This animal
i'he i.iagiciam conjhwided. EXODUS. SwAnirs of flies, the fourth plagtte,
A.M. «Mr,. ijjc; hand witli his rod, and smote the 1 up early in t!ie morning, and stand
°" ^' ^^^^' (lust of the earth, and * it became lice ji before Pharaoh ; (lo, he cometh forth
in man, and in beast; all the dust of tlie huid ;| lo the water;) and sa_y unto him, Thus saith
.\.H.2.>13.
B. C. 1491.
I the Lord, » Let n^y people go, that they may
! serve me.
huKl
became lice, throughout all the land of Egypt.
18 And " the magicians did so with their en-
chantnients, to bring forth lice, but they " could j 21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, be-
not : so there were lice upon man, and upon jj hold, I will send "swarms ofjlies upon thee,
beast. I and upon thy servants, and upon thy people,
19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh,! and into thy houses: and the houses of the
This is '' the finger of God : and Pharaoh's | Egyptians shall be tiiU of swarms qf'Jlies, and
'lieart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto also the groimd whereon they arc.
them ; as the Lord had said. 22 And ' I will sever in that day the land of
20 % And the Lord said unto Moses, "^ Rise'i Go.shen, in which my people dwell, that no
"Ps. 10."). ;>1. i>cli. 7. 11. "^Lnkc 10. 18. Wisd. 17. 7. 2Tim. X
8, 9. " 1 Sam. 6. 3, 9. Ps. 8. 3. Matt. 1'.'. 28. Luke 11. au. ' ver. Vi.
buries -lioth its sucker and head equally in man or beast; and
can Avith very great (blViculty be extracted, l.>efbre it i.s srown
to its proper size, and filled with the blood and juices of the
animal on which it preys. When fully orown, it has a
glo.'sy black oval body : not only horses, cows, and shee]),
are infested with it, in certain countries, but even the com-
mon people, especially those who labour in the field, in woods,
ii;c. I know no insect to which the Hebrew term so pro-
perly applies. This is the fixed, efiablis/ieil insect, which will
permit itself to be pulled in pieces rather than let f^o its
liold ; and this is literally n?;n22i Dixn bu-itdam ubu-
hfhemah, in man find ix beast, burying- it^ trunk and head
Ui the fle.vb of both. la woodland countries, I have seen
many pcnons, as well as callle, grievously infested with these
insects.
V{:rse IS. The inagicians did .-^o] That is, they tried the
utuiivt of their .~kill, either to produce these iusi cts, or lo
remove this plague ; but thcij could not — no jugqling could
a^■ai1 here, because iivsects must be produced, which
would .5/«Vi lo and infix thimselves in man ."lid beast, which
r.o kind of fn'c/; could po-.sil)ly imitate ; and to remore tiiem,
as some v.ould translate the passage, was to their po'.\er
etinallj- imjiossible. If the magicians even acted by spiritual
agtnts, we liiid from this case, that these agents had assigned
limits, beyond winch they could not go: for every agent in
tiic universe is acting under the diieciion or contioul of the
Aknighty.
Verse 19. 7'/-/.? is the finger of God] Tb.at is, the power
ami skill of ticnl are here evident. Pioliably before this, the
magicians supposed Moses and Aaron to be coi:jurer.i, like
themselves; but now they are convinced, that -no man covdu
do these niiracles ^\hi(•il these holy men did, uule.'s {.o;!
w(ie with him. God jx-niiits evil .spirits to manifest tluin-
celves in a certain way, tt.at men may .see that there is a
ii-piritual world, and be on their guard again.st seduction. He,
at the same time, shews that all these agents are under his
I'oiitroul, that men may have contuK nee in his yoodness and
JlCVVtT.
'Hie FOiT.TH phi'^ue — Fi.ies.
Verse 21. Sxvarms of Hits upon thee] It is not easy to ascer-
tain flic precipe meaning of the original word sT.i hc-drah :
as the word comts from 31J' drol>, Ik- win^h-d, it may be
supposed to e.vpres^ a inultimde of various .loris of Uisects.
^ CIi. 7. 1.5. ^ vor. 1. ^ Or. 0 inhture if iioisoiuc bcn^ls, 5tc. — ^
' til. 9. 4, 6, 'Jo. & 10. «J. & 11. 6, 7. & 12. l.i.
.\nd if the conjecture be admitted, that the putrid frogs lie-
came tlie occasion of this plague, difl'ereni in.sccl.i laying their
t ggs in the bodies of those dead aninia s, which would soon
he hatched, (see on \ev. 14.) then the sujiposition, that a mul-
titude of dijfcrent kinds of insects is meant, will seem tlie ;
•nore probable. Though the ])lague of the loca^t.s was mi- ■
racuious, j'et Go 1 both brought it and removctl it by natural j
means. See chap. x. lo — l-S, 19. j
Bndiarl, ^vho has treated this subject with his usual learit-
ini^^ and abilily, follows tlie .Septuagint, e.xpiaiiiiiig the original
by xvmij.-ji«, the dog-fy, which must be particuhr.ly hateful to
the Egyptians, I;eci'.use they held dogs in the icigliest venera-
tion ; and worshipped Annbis under liie Ibrm of a dog. In a
case of this kind, the authority of the Sentiiagint is very high,
a,s they translated the Penl-iteuch in t!;.' vt:y pl&ce where
these plagues happened. But as the Egypt i.'^n.^ aie weli kaowa
to have ])aid religiouu veneralioii to all kinds of animals and
monsters, hence the poet,
Omnigem'mque deuin momira, tV lairator Annbis,
I am inclined to favour the literal construction of tlie word;
for as 2~ii' C!L-b, chap. xii. 3S. txprcsses that mixed vadtitnde
of different kinds of people who aceohipanied the Israelites in
their depailure from Egypt ; so here, the same term lieing
used, it may have been derigned to ixprcss a luvhiludc of
dijVcrent kinds of insects, such as ./'((.v, iu/.sps, hornets, &c. &c.
Tlic ancient .lewish interpn ters suppose, that all kinds of
beasts and reptiles are intended, such as xroh-cs, lions, bears,
serpents, Sic. Mr. Ikite thinks the rtiren is meant, because the ,
original is so understood in other places ; and thus he trans- |
kites it in his literal version of the Pmtateuch; but the mean- ■
ing'alrea.dy given is the mo>t likely. As to the otijeelion
against this o))iiii'>n, <lrawn from ver. 31. there rrniiiiried nnt
one, it can have very little weight, when it is considered, that
this nui}^ as viell he spoken of o:<c fif any of the d'fferent
kinds, as of an individual of one species.
Verse 22. / v^ill sever in thai dm;] '"'"riJ"! hiphlili, has Ix'Cn I
translated by some good critics, I -.iill niiraculoiisli/ separate — 1
so the Vulgate, faciani miyabitem—" 1 will do a manell'jus |
thing." And the Septuagiiit, ■ztxfc-.io^v.Tx, I will render illus-
trious the land of Goshen ir. that day ; and this he did, by
exeiujiting that land an<l it.-^ i!lll.lbilant^, the I>.-,ielites, from IwC
l)iagues by wiiich he alhicteii the land oi' EiiVpt.
Flies corre over all the land.
A.M. '.''1.5. swarms qfjliea sluill be ihcrc ; to the
"• ^' '^ "• end thou maycst know that I am tlie
Lord in tiic midst of the earth.
23 And I will put " a divisit)n l)e( ween my
people and thy people : '' to morrow shall this
sign be.
2-t And the Lord did so : and " there came a
grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pha-
raoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all
the land of Egypt : the land was '' corrupted by
reason of the swarm of flies.
'25 % And Pharaoh called for Moses and for
Aaron, and said. Go ye, sacrifice to your God
in the land.
26 And Moses said, It is not meet so to do ;
for we shall sacrifice ' the abomination of the
CHAP. VIIL Pharaoh praijs for their removal.
Egyptians to the Lord our God: lo, ^ ^ ;;'^,',f
shall wc sacrifice the abomination of -1-1 — —
the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they
not stone us ?
27 AVe will go ' three days' journey into the
wilderness, and sacriiice to tlie Loud our God,
us '^ he shall conmiand us.
28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that
ye may sacrifice to the Loud your God in
the wilderness ; only ye shall not go ^•ery far
away : " intrcat for me.
29 Aiid Moses said, Behold, I go out from
thee, and I will intreat the Loud that the swarms
of fies may depart from Pharaoh, from his scr-
vaiits, and from his people, to morrow : but let
not Pharaoh ' deal deceitfully any more in not
■ Hcb. a redcmpt'>o», ^^ Or. by tn.morroir.—
WisH. IC. 9. ^JOr, Jcsliot/ed.^—'Gvu. 1:5. :
So. &ia. :il.
-= Ps. 78. 45. & 10 J. .'31.
. St 4C. 34. Dent. 7. 25,
Verse 23. And I n-ill put a dn-isiou] rns pediit/i, a rcdemp-
Ulon, btt'.veen my people ami thy people: Ciod htiehy slitw-
jjing, that he had iedee\r,eil them tVoiii those plagues to which
[be had abandoned the others.
I Verse 24. Tlic land tiv/s comiplcd] F.very thlnj- \\as
spoiled, and nuuiy of the iuhahitants destroyed, being pro-
bably .stnnJ to death by these venomous insects. This sctms
I to be intimated by the Psalmist — " Tie sent divers sorts of flies
: anion;,' them, which duvouukd Ihem," Psal. Ixxviii. 45.
I h\ ancient times, when political, domestic, and personal
1 cleanliness was but little attended to, and ollal of diflerent
I kinds permitted to corru))t in the streets, and breed vermin,
j flics multiplied exceedingly; so that we read in ancient au-
I thors of whole districts bcini; laid waste by them : hence
I dilierent people had deities, whose office it was to defend them
j a{;ain?t flies. Amonj^ these wc may reckon Bcml-zehub, the
\flil-gcd of I'^kron; Hercules, ihuscanim tibacior, Hercules, the
1 expeller of (lies, of the Rom.ms ; the JIuiigrus of the Eleans,
whom they invoked ag-ain.-t jiestilential swarms of flics: and
I hence Jupiter, the supreme god of the heathen.«, had the
I epithets of Av^.ui-io?, and M'jii'i;,-, because be was supposed to
j expel Jiies, and defend his \\ors!iijij;ers against them. — See Dodd.
I Verse 23. Sacr(/ice lo your God in the land.] That is, Ye
I shall not lea^•e ligypt, but I shall cause your worship to be
tolerated here.
I Verse 2G. H'c sliall sacrifice the uhomimuion of the Egyp-
I h'««s] That is, the animals which they, hold sacred, and will
; not permit to be slain, are those which our customs re(iuire
I us to sacrifice to our Ciod; and should we do this in Egy])t,
I the peojile w ould rise in a ma-^s, and stone iis lo death, f'er-
1 haps few people wcic more superstitious than the Egyptians.
i Almost every ))reduction of nature was an object oflheir religious
.worship: the sun, nioon, planets, stars, the river Nile, ani-
; iiutis of all sorts, from the human being to the monkey, dog,
I cat, arid ibis, and even the onions aiul letks whicii grew in
I their gardens. Jupiter was adored by them under the form
; cf arflm; Apollo under the form of a crov^ ; Bacchus under
' that of a gout ; and Juno under that of a heifer. The rea-
I son why the Ejjyptians worshipped those animals, is given by
' Cb. .-5.
ver. !.">.
!».-
-8 th.
12.-
-'' vcr. 8. cli. '.'. i8. 1 Kings Vi. C.
Eusebius, vi;;. that whin the giants made war on the gods,
they were obliged to take refuge in Egypt, and assume the.
shapes, or di,sguise themselves under diflerent kinds of ani-
mals, in order to escape. Jupiter hid himself in the bwly
of a ram ; Apollo in that of a crow ; Uacchus in a goat ;
Diana in a cat; Juno in a white heifer; Venus in a fish ; and
I\Iercury in the bird ibis : all wliich is summed up by Ovid in
the following lines:
Duxque grci^is fuit Jupiter-
Deli us in Corvo, proles Seineleia, Capro,
Fele soror rhirbi, nived Saturnia vacca,
Pisce Venus tatuit, Ci/llenius ibidis alis.
Met.^m. 1. v. fab. V. 1. 326.
Tlicse animals, therefore, became sacred to them on account
of the deities, who, as -the fable rejjorts, had taken refuge in
them. Others suppose, that the reason «hy the Egyptians
« ould not sacrifice or kill those creatures, was their belief in
the doctrine of the mi terapsychosis, or transmigration of souls ;
for they feared lest, in killing an animal, they should kill a
re!ali\c or a friend. This doctrine is still held by the
Hindoos.
\'irse 27. And sacrifice to the Lord, as he shall command
118.1 It is very likely, that neither Moses nor Aaron knew as
yet, in w hat iiianiier (iod would be worshij)ped ; and tliey ex-
pected to receive a direct revelation from him, relative to this
subject, when they should conie into the wilderness.
Verse 28. i will let you go — only yc shall not go very fur
fliiY/y] Pharaoh relented, because the hand of God was heavy
iipoii him ; but he was not willing to give up his gain. Tlie
Israelites were very profitable to hitn ; thiy were slaves of
the ttate, and their hard labour was very productive ; hence
he professed a willingness, first to tolerate their religion in tlie
land, (\er. 2J.) or to permit tlieni to go into tlie wilderness,
so that they went not far away, and would stwn return. How
ready is foorish man, when the band of God presses him sore,
to compound v. ith his Maker ! He \\\\\ consent to give up some
sins, provided God will permit him to keep others.
Intrcat for jhc] Exactly similar to tlie case of Simon Magu.s,
R r
A.M. 2513,
B.C. 1491
TJie Jlies are removed,
letting the people go to sacrifice to
the Lord.
30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and
intreated the Lord.
31 And the Lord did according to the word
» Ver. 1".
who, like Pharaoh, fearhij^ the Divine judgments, begged an
interest in the prayers of Peter, Acts viii. 24.
Verse 31. The Lord did according to the word of 7I/o.''«]
1 low powerful is pr.nyer ! God permits his servant to prescribe
even the manner and time in which he shall work.
He removed the s-.i-arms] Probably by means of a strong
wind, which swept them into the sea.
Verse 32. Vhcruoh hardened his heart at this time also'] See
vcr. 15. This hardenvng was the mere eflect of his self-deter-
niiniui; obstinacy. He preferred his gain to the will and comman.l
of Jehovah ; and God made his obstinacy the means of shewing
I'orth his own power and providence, in a supereniinent degree.
1. As every false relin;ion proves there is a true one, as a
copy, however marred or imperfect, shews there was an origiiucl
from wliich it was taken ; so false miracles prove that there
were genuine miracles, and that Goil chuses, at particular
times, for the most important purposes, to invert the esta-
blished orler of nature, and thus prove his omnipotence and
universal agency. Tliat the miracles wrought at this time
wtre real, we have the fullest proof. The waters, for instance,
were not turned into blood in appearance merely, but were
really thus changed. Hence the pcojile could not drink of
them; and as blootl in a very short time, when exposed to the
air, becomes putrid, so did tlie bloody waters, therefore all the
fish that were in the river died.
2. No human power or ingenuity could produce such /;og«
as annoyed the land of Egypt. This also was a real, not an
imaginary plague. Innumerable multitudes of these animals
were produced for the jnirpose ; and the heaps of their dead
carcases, which putrefied and infected the land, at once de-
mon-strated the reality of the miracle.
3. The /ice, both on man and beast through the whole land,
and the innumerable sii-arms of Jlies, gave such jjroofs of their
reality, as to put the truth of these miracles out of question
for ever. It was necessary that this j^oint .should be fully
proved, that both the Egyptians and Israelites might see the
finger of Gotl in these awful works.
4. To supei-ficial observers only do " Moses and the ma-
i;ician.s appear to be nearly matched." The power of God
Was shewn in producing and removing the plagues. In cer-
tain cases, the magicians imitated the production of a plague ;
but they had no power to remove any. They could not seem
to remote the bloody colour, nor the putrescency from file
waters, through which the fish were destroyed ; though they
could imitate the colour itself — they could not remove the
fro<''s, the lice, or swarms of flies, though they could imitate
the" former and latter — they could by dexterity of hand,
A. M. 2513.
B. C. U91.
EXODUS. and Pharaoh hardens his heart.
of Moses; and lie removed the swarms
offties from Pharaoh , from his servants,
and from his people; there remained not one.
32 And Pharaoh '' hardened his heart at this
time also, neither would he let the people go.
" Ver. 15. cli. 4. 21.
or diabolic influence, produce serpents ; but they could not
bring one forward that could swallow up the rod of Aaron.
In every respect they fall infmitely short of the power and
wonderful energy evidenced in tlie miracles of iVIoses and
Aaron. The opposition, tiierefore, of tliose men, served only
as a foil to set oil' the excellence of that power, by which these
messengers of God acted.
5. The courage, constancy, and faith ef IMoses, are wortiiy
of the most serious consideration. Had he not been fully
satistied of the truth and certainty of his divine mission, he
could not have encountered such a host of dilTiculties; had he
not been certain of the issue, he could not have persevered
amidst so many discouraging circumstances ; and had he not
had a deep acquaintance with God, his faith in every trial
must have necessarily failed. So strong was this grace in him,
that he could even pledge his Maker to the performance of
works, concerning which he had not as yet consulted him ! He '
therefore let Pharaoh fix the very time on which he would
wi.sh to have the plague removed; and when this was done, he
went to God by faith and prayer, to obtain this new miracle; ,
and God, in the most exact and ciicunistantial manner, ful-
filled the word of his servant.
G. From all this, let us learn that there is a God uho workcth
in the earth — that universal nature is under his coiitroul — that
he can alter, suspend, counteract, or invert its general laws,
whensoever he pleases — and that he can save or destroy by
the most feeble and most contemptible instruments. We
should theretbre deeply reverence his eternal power and God-
head, and look with respect on every creature he has maile, as
the meanest of them may, in his hand, become the instru-
ment of our salvation or our ruin.
7. Let us not imagine, that God has so bound himself to
work by general laws, that those destructions cannot take place
which dosignate a particular Providence. Pharaoh and the
Egyptians are confounded, afflicted, routed, and ruined, while
the land of Goshen and the Israelites are free from every
plague! No blood appears in their streams; no frogs, lice,
nor flies, in all their borders ! They trusted in the tnie God,
and could not be confounded.- — Reader, how secure mayest
thou rest, if thou have this God for thy friend I He was the
Protector and Friend of the Israelites, through the blood of
that Covenant which is the very charter of thy salvation : trust
in and pray to him, as iVIoses did, and then Satan and hia
angels shall be bruised under thy feet, and thou slialt not only
be preserved from every plague, but be crowned with his lov-
ing kindness and tender mercy. He is the same to-day that
he was yesterday, and shall continue the same for ever.—
Hallelujah, the Lord God omnipotent rcigneth ! |
The gi-icvotis muruaik,
rilAP. IX.
the FIFTH /;/</«:?/(?, threatened-
CHAPTER IX.
The Lord senih Moses lo^P/iuraoh, to inform him that ij he did not let the hraetita: depart, a destructive pestilence
shoidd he sent among his cattle, 1—3 ,- zchile the cattle of the Lsraclitrs should he preserved, 4. The next daij,
(his pestilence, zchich n-as the fifth ptaguc, is sent, and all the cattle of the Egi/ptians die, 5, 0. Though Pharaoh
Jiuds that not one of the cattle of the Israelita had died, i/et through hardwss of heart, he refuses to let the people
go, 7. Moses and Aaron are commanded to sprinkle handfuls of ashes from the furnace, that the sixth plague,
that of boils and bhxins, might come on man and beast, S, 9 : n-hich having done, the plague takes place, JO.
The magicians cannot stand bifore this plague, xhich thei/ can neither imitate nor remove, 11. Pharaoh's heart is
again hardened, IG. God's axcful message to Pharaoh, n'ilh the threat of more severe plagues than before, 13—17.
The seventh plague of Yiiht, hail, and die threatened, IS. The Egt/plians commanded to house their cattle, that
thei/ might not be destroyed, KJ. Those tcho feared the ziord of the Lord brought home their servants and cattle,
and those rclw did not regard that zcord left their cattle and servants in the fields, 20, 21. The storm of haJl,
thunder, and lightning takes place, 22 — 24. It nearli/ desolates the whole land of Egi/pt, 25, while the land of
Goshen escapes, 26. Pharaoh confesses his sin, and begs an interest in the pratfers of Moses and Aaron, 27, 28.
Moses promises to intercede for him, and zchilc he promises that the storm shall cease, he foreteh the conlinmng
ohstinacij of both himself and his servants, 29, 30. The fax and barky being in a state of maturity, are destroijed by
the tempest, 31 ,• nhile the idieat and the rie, not being grown up, zcere preserved, 32. Moses obtains a cessation
of the storm, 33. Pharaoh and his serva^nts seeing this, harden their hearts, and refuse to let the people go, 34, 35.
A. M. 5513.
THEN the Lord said unto
Moses, " Go in unto Pharaoh,
iand tell him. Thus saith the Lord God of
[the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they
j may serve me.
1 2 For if thou " refuse to let them go, and wilt
ihold them still,
! 3 Behold, the "■ hand of the Lord is upon thy
i cattle which is \n the iield, upon the horses,
j upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen,
• Ch. 8. 1.-
' cli. 8. 2.
NOTKS ON CHAP. IX.
Vfi-fe 1. The LoKD Cud of ihe IJcbccivs] It is very likely
that the term Lord, mrr Yc/iotnli, is us;e<l here to jioiiil out
particukiiiy his ctcmal power and (^o<lhead ; and that the term
(lod, v,';x Kiel my, is intciidtd to bf understood in the ^euse of
ihipjiortiT, Dcf( nder, Proteetor, &e. Thus saith the stlf-existent,
omnipoltnt, and ( t< rnal Being, llic Sui)|iorter and Defender of
the Hebrews, " Let my [jeople go, that they may worship me."
The FIFTH pla<!ue — The Mliuiain.
Verso .1. The hand of the Lord] The power of God mani-
fested in iudijmenl.
I'pon tfic horses] :z:-:^D si/sim. Tliis is the first place the
horse \s mentioned; a creature, for whieli Egypt an<l Arabia
wero always fanK}us. dd sus, is supposed to have the same
niranincj with C!i' .««, whieli sifjnitles to he active, brisk, or
live/i/ ; all Mliich are jiroper appellatives of the horse, espe-
cially in Arabia and Kp;yiit. I?ecausc of their activity and
swit'lness, they were sacrificed and dedicated to the Sim ; and,
perhaps, it was ))rineipally on this account that God prohibited
the use of them among the Israelites.
A.M. 2.515.
IS. C. U'.'l.
and upon the sheep : there sliall be a
very grievous murrain.
4 And " the Loitn shall sever between the
cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egyj)t : and
there shall nothing die of all that is the children's
of Israel.
5 And the Loud appointed a set time, saying,
To morrow the Loud shall do this thing in the
land.
6 And the Lord did that thing on the mor-
' oil. 7. 4. " ch. 8. 32.
A very qrievous 7mnrain ] The mun-ain is a very contagious
disease amonp: cattle, the symptoms of which are a hanijing;
do^^•n and swelling of the head, abundance of gum in the
eyes, rattling in the throat, difficulty of breathini;, pal|)itatioii
of the heart, stairgerinpc, a hot breath, and a shininj; tonjfuc;
which symjitoms i)ro\e, that a general infl.innnation has taken
place. The- original word -at dcl>er, is variously translated.
The Scptiotgi'it have eavaTog, death; the Vuti[,ate has pc.<tis, a
plague or pestilence ; the old Saxon version cpealme, from
Cjealan, to die, any fatal disease. Our F.nglisb word murrniii,
comes either from tlie IVench moioir, to die, or from the (ireck
fxa^Miii, maraino, to grow lean, waste an'uy. The term mor-
taliln would be the nearest in sense to the original, as no i>ar-
ticuiar disorder is s-pecifie-d by tlie Hebrew word.
\'erse 4. The Lord shall sever] Sec on cha)). viii. 22.
Ver.se 5. To-morro\x: the Lord shall do thii] By thus fore-
telling the evil, he shewe<l his ]>resciencc and power ; and fixun
this both the ligyptians and Hebrews must see, that the mor-
tality that ensued was no ca.sualty, but the eftcct of a pre-
determined purpose in the Divine Justice.
Verse G. All the cattle of L!:j/pt died] Tlial is, :dl the eallle
R r 2
Boils and blains.
A.M.tM:!.
B. c. wn.
row,
died
and ^ all the cattle of Egypt
; but of the cattle of the cliild-
rcn of Israel died not one.
7 And Pliaraoh sent, and, behold, there was
not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And
*" the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did
not let the people go.
8 ^ And the Loud said unto Morses and unto [
Aaron, Take to you handfids of ashes of the
furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the
lieaven in the sight of Pharaoh.
9 And it shall become small dust in all tlie
land of Egypt, and sh.al! be " a boil breaking
icrth -iiiih blains upon man, and upon beast,
throughoitt all the land of Egypt.
10 And they took ashes of the furnace, and
stood before Pharaoh ; and Moses sprinkled it
up toward heaven ; and it became '' a boil break-
ing forth xcith blains upon man, and upon beast.
A. M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
EXODUS. the SIXTH phgue.
1 1 And the " magicians could not
stand before Moses, because of the
boils ; for the boil was upon the magicians, and
upon all the Egyptians.
12 And the Loud hardened the heart of Pha-
raoh, and he hearkened not unto them ; ' as the
Lord had spoken luito Moses.
1 3 ^ And the Lord said unto Moses, ^ Rise
up early in the morning, and stand before Pha-
raoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord
God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that
tliey may serve me.
I 14 For I will at this time send all my plagues
I upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and
' upon thy people ; " that thou mayest know that
tliere is none like me in all the earth.
15 Eor now I will 'stretch out my hand, that
I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence :
and thou shalt be cut off from tlie earth.
' V>. ?«. 50. ''cli. 7. 14. & 8. 32. ' Rev. 1(3. 2. <i Deiil. 28. 27.
that did die, belonfijed to the Egyptian?, but not one died that
be!oii!;ed to the Israelites, vf r. 4. and 6. That the wluile
stock of cattle belonging; to the Egyptian-:, did not die, we have
the fullest pro<jf ; because there were cattle, both to be killed
"jid saved alive, in the ensuing plague, ver. 19 — 2.5. By this
judgment, the Etiyptians must sec the vanity of the whole
of their national worship, when they Ibund the animals, which
tliL-y not only held sacred, but deified, slain without distinction,
anion'.; t e coinnon h.erd, by a pestilence sent from the hand
of Jehovah. One might naturally sujjpose, that after this, the
animal worship of the Egyptian* could never more maintain
its ground.
Verse 7. ^hul Vliaraoh sent, iV^-] Finding so many of his
cv. n cattle sn;l those of his subjects slain, he sent to see whe-
ther the mortality had reached to the cattle of the Israelites,
that he might know whether this were a judgment inflicted
by their Cod; and probably designing to replace the lost cattle
cf the Egyptians with those of tlie Israelites.
The si.KTH plague — Tlie Boils and Bl.^ins.
Verse 8. Handfuh of ashes from the fwnace'] As one part
of the oppression of the Israelites consisted in their labour in i
the brick-kilns, some have observed a congruity between the
crime and the punishment. The furnaces, in the labour of
which they oppressed the Hebrews, now yielded the instru-
ments of their punLdmunt; for every particle of those ashes,
formed by unjust and oppressive lal)our, .seemed to be a boil or a
Wain on the tyranmc king, and his cruel and hard-hearted
people.
Ver»e 9. Shall be a boil] ]^n\V shechin. This word is ge-
nerally exjiounded, an injtammatori/ fuelling, a bunting boil —
one of the nio.sl poignant allliclions, not immediately mortal,
that can well adict the surface of the human body- If a single
boil on any part of the body, throws the whole .system into
a fevc:r, what angui.h must a multitude of them on the body
at the sanie time, occasion ?
'011.8.18,19. '-'Till
fell. 4.21.-
' ch. 3. 20.
8. 20.-
.10.
-1
Breaking forth with blains] ni'3J735t ahahtioth, supposed to
come from n^'n badh, to siicll, bulge out, any inflamviatory
sxi-elling, nolle, or pustule, in any part of the body, but more
especially in the more glandular parts, the neck, arm-pits,
groin, &:c. The Septuagint translate it thus, kch ^yaiTo Ax.ri
^-XvKTiti; a.-'z^;wTCi, (Did it shall be an ulcer ivith burning pustules.
It seems to have been a disorder of an uncommon kind, and
hence it is called, by way of distinction, the botch nf Egypt,
Deut. xwiii. 37. perhaps never known before in that or any
other CI. imtry. Orosius says, that in the sixth plague, "all
the people were blistered, that the blisters bur.st \\'ith torment-
ing pain, and that worms issued out of them." Eset call
jroic fivf on bla?span, -j ^a psepon y-pi¥e hpeoj'hce bepj-teutie,
-j ¥a popni]- urj-Kintje. — Alfred's Oros. lib. I. c. vii.
Verse II. The boil was upon the magicians] They could
not produce a similar malady by throwing ashes in the air;
and they could neither remove the plague from the people,
nor from then' own tormented flesh. Whether they perislicd
in this plague, we know not ; but they are no more men-
tioned. If they were not destroyed by this awful judgment,
they at least left the field, and no longer contended with these
messengers of God. The triumi'h of God's power was now j
complete ; and both the Hebrews and Ilgyptians must see that
there was neither might, nor wisdom, nor counsel, against ]
the Lord ; and that, as universal nature acknowledged his power,
devils and men must fail belore Inin.
Verse 15. For trow I ivill ;tretch out my hand] h\ the He-
brew, the verbs are in the past tense, and not m the future, i
as our translation impro]5erly expresses them, by which means 1
a contradiction ajipears in the text; for neither Pharaoh nor his i
people iccrc smitten by a pestilence, nor was he by any knid of
mortality cat off from the earth. It is true, the firstborn were slain
by a destroying ani;el, and Pharaoh himself was drowned in the
Red sea; but these judgments do not appear to be referred to '
in this place. If the words be translated as they ou^ht, in |
the subjunctive mood, »>r in ihc past instead of the future, this j
the si'VENTii pl(i<iite.
A.AT.esil.
IJ.C. 1491.
\l[A.iL,^/ire, andihuiidcr, CHAP. IX.
, A.M. CM.-;. 16 And in very deed ibr " tliis cause'} 19 -Send therefore now, taid gather
I B.C. UM. j^,j^.g J bj..^|^^.(} ^lipp ^,p^ ^-(jj. jQ shew j thy cattle, and all that thou hast in
in tiiec my power ; and that my name may be :| the field ; Jar upon every man and beast which
' slniil be found in the iield, and shall not be
brought home, the hail shall come down upon
tliem, and they shall die.
20 lie that feared the word of the Lonn among
declared throughout all the earth.
1 17 As yet exaltest thou thyself against my
Ipcople, tluit thou w ilt not let them go ?
18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will
xausc it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath
not been in Egypt, since the foundation thereof.
even until now.
■ Horn. 9. 17. Sec cli. 11. 17.
Pr.>v. 16. 4.
1 Vet. 9. 9.
isecmin^ contradiction to facts, as well as all anilii:4'iiity, will
|be avoitled. For //" ??oiy I had sriincKED olt, ('r~iTC> shal-
Suchli, hud sent faith my hanil) iind hud smitten thee, ("jriX ^^•1
\ra-(ic vtecti) and t.'ii/ J>e<ij>le,v.:ith the pestilence, t/ioii shoii.dkst
Ihave been eiil off (nn^n ti/dached) from the earth. IG Bitt
\tnilii, on this i-cry account, hine I aiitsed thee to sijiisisr,
(TrilvJ'n lie-eniudticii) that I might cause thee to see my poiecr,
il('~3 ns inxin harcoteca et coehi) and that my name might
%)e declared throughout all the earth ; or, \'"\Nn h'2Z becol hu-
)tirets, in all this land. ,See Ainsvjorth and llouhi'^aut.
I Tluis (iod nave this impious kin^- to know, that it was in
con^eq^lC•n(•e of his especial Providence that both he and his
jieople had not been already destroyed by means of the past
jilapiics; but Cod had preserved him for this very purpose,
that he miuht have a farther oj-.i'crtunity of manifesting- that
he, .lehovah, was the only true (;od, for the full conviction
both of the llebrev^sand Eiiyptians; that the former mij^ht
follow, nnd the latter fear before him. Judicious critics of
almost all creeds, have atri eed to translate the original as abo\ e ;
a translation which it not only can bear, but reciuires; and
which is in strict conformity to both the Sep.tuagint and Tar-
KUin. Neith.cr tlic Hebrew "j'nijij'n he-cmadiira, I h:ne
cinised thee tri stand, nor the Apostle's translation of it, Rom.
ix. 17. t^r.y.t^a. a,, I hax-e raised thee — nor that of the Septua-
Ipint, f/sKiv n-jio-j J(ETi;^i-,S)i-, on this account ait thou prcscneJ,
viz. in the past plagues — can countenance that most ex-
rej)tionable nuaning put on the words by certain commen-
tator.-;, viz. "Tliat*(iod ordained or appointed Pharaoh from
all eternity, by certain means, to lliis end ; that he made him
to exist in time; that he raised him to the throne; promoted
him to that high honour and dignity ; thai b.c preserved him,
and did not cut him off as yet ; that he stniii^theiied and
hardened his heart; irritated, protohed, and stirred him up
hgainst his people Israel ; and siiilered him to go all the lengths
he did go in his obstinacy and rebellion ; all v. hich was done
ifor to slim in him his potuer, in destroying him and his host
lin the Red-sea. The sum of which is, that this man was
raised up by God, in exery sense, for G'al to shew his power
in his destruction." .So man speaks: thus, Ciuu hath not
•pokeii.
Verse 17. As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people ?]
So it appears, that al tliis time he might have submitted, and
tJiiis prevented his own- destruction.
The SEVENTH plague — The Hah..
Ver.'c IS. To-morroiu about this time] Tlic time of this
plague is njarked thus circumst.nntially, to shew I'haraoh that
Jtho\ah was. Lord of heaven and earth; and that the •u:<iler.
the servants of Pharaoh made his servants ami
his cattle I'iee into the liouses :
21 And he t'lat "^ re<rardcil not the word of the
•"Ucb. mmle Ihte sland.-
-<■ I!cb. s'( tiot his hiart unto. cli. 7. 23.
the fre, the earth, and the air, which were all objects of
Egyptian idolatry, -were the creatures of his power, and sub-
servient to his will ; and that, far from being able to help
them, they were now, in the liands of Coil, instruments of
their destruction. '
To rain a very grievous hail] To rain hail, may appear, to
some supcificial o'l.-crvei-s, a? an uni)hilosophical mode of e\-
pre.^^sion ; but nothmg can be more correct. " Drops of rain
falling through a cold region of the atmasphtrc, are frozen
and con^■erted into hail ;" and thus the hail is produced by
rain.. When it begins \o fall, it is rain ; when it is falling, it
is converted into hail: thus it is literally true, that it rain.t
hail. The fartlier a hail-stone falls, the larger it generally is ;
because, in its descent, meeting with innmneralile panicles
of water, they brcoiue attached to it, are also frozen, and
thus its bulk is continually increasing till it reaches the earth.
In the case in f|uestion, if nat;iral means were at -all used, we
may supp.ose a highly eleetriiied state of an atmosphere loaded
with vapours, which becoming condensed aiiJ frozen, aud'
having a considerable space to fall through, were of an un-
usirally large size. IIioutIi this w'as a supernatural stoi'm,
there have Ijeen many of a natural kind, tnat have been ex-
cee<lingly dreadful. A storm of hail fell, near Liverpool, in
Lancashire, in the year 17 0.'>. which greatly damaged the
vegetation, broke windows, &c. &c. Many of the stones mea-
sured five inches in eircumftrencc. Dr. Halley mentions a
similar storm of hail in l.tmcishtre, Cheshire, &c. in Hi!)?,
Aiiril 29, that for sr\ty miles in length, and tKO miles in
breadth, did im:nense damage, by splitting trees, killing
fowls and ail small animids, knocking down men anil horses,
&c. &c. Mezeray, in his lli>tory of Prance, s-ays, that in
Italy, in 1510, there was Ibr some time a horrible daikness,
thicker than that of night; after which the clouds broke into
thiuider and lightning, and there fell a shower of hail-stoncs,
which destroyed all the beasts, birds, an<l even lish of tlie
country. It was attended with a strong smell of sulphur, and
the stones were of a blueish colour, some of them weighing
one hundred pounds weight. The .Almighty says tti .lob —
" Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, whicli I have re-
served against the time of trouble, against the ilay of battle
and war?" Job, chap, xxxviii. 22,23. While God li-as such
artillery at his conmiand, how soon may he desolate a country,
or a world !
Verse 19. Send Hotf mid gather thy cattle] iki in the midst
of judgment, (iod remembered mercy. The miracle should
be wrought, that they might know he was tile Lord ; but all
the li\es, both of men and in asts, might have been saved
iiad Pharaoh and his servanli t.ikiii the warnmii so mereifuUv
Thunder^ hail, and fire sent. EXODUS,
Lord left his servants and his cattle
in the field.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch
A. M. 2513.
15. c. ivn.
22 U _
forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may
be * hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man,
and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field,
throughout the land of Egypt.
23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward
heaven : and '' the Lord sent thunder and hail,
and tlie fire ran along upon the ground; and
the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the
hail, very grievous, such as there was none like
it in all the land of Egypt, since it became a
nation.
25 And the hail smote throughout all the land
MUv. 16. 21. •'.losh. 10. 11. Ps. 13. 13. & 78. 47. & 10.5. 3?. & 14R.
a Uai. 30. .W. Ecek. /lO. ?i'. Re-. 8. 7. = I's. 10.3. 33. "cli. 8. 2i.
i 9. -1, 6. & 10. 23. &: 11. 7. & 12. 13. Iwi. 3^. 16, 19. 'cli. 10. lo.
givc'iJ them. M'hile some vegardtd not the word of the Lord,
others feared it, and their cattle and their servants were saved,
t^ee ver. 20, 21.
Verse 23. T/ie Lord .'.cut thunder — n'jp kololh, voices ; but
loud re]5eated peals of thunder are n\eant — mid hail, and
the fire ran alonir vpon the grni/nd] nvix V7N "[''^'^^ ta-tihalac
esh areisah, and the fire ieulked upon the earth. It was not a
sudden fla.sh of lighlnin^-, but a dcNourini,'' fire, Xfal/cihg
tlirouiih fc\ery part, de.-troyiui;- both animals and vegetables,
and its jirojiress w as irresistible.
Verse 24. Hail, and f.re inimyled ui/h the hail] It is gene-
rally allowed, liiat the electric fluid is essential to the furniation
of hail. On this occasion it was supplied in a supernatural
abundance ; for streams of fire seem to ha\e accompanied the
descenduig hail, so that herbs and trees, beasts and men, were
all destroyed by them.
Verse 26. Ow/y in the land of Goshen — ivas there no hail.]
\\'hat a signal proof of a most particular Prtnidence ! .Surely
both the Hebrews ami Ej^yptians profited by this display of the
goodnefs and sezxritj/ of God.
Verse 27. The Lord is riglitcons, and I and my people are
Kicked.] 'Ilse ori^uial is very emphatic — The Lord is the
RIOHTEOCS O.^K, pnjTl ha-tsadik, and I and nni people are
THE siNNEits, S'iX'l", ha-rashaim ; i.e. He is alone ri*htc-
oiiP, and we alone are transgressors. Who could laave ima-
gined that, after such an acknowlcdgenient and confession,
Pharaoh sliould have again hardened his heart.'
N'erse 28. It is enoii;^h] There is no need of any farther
plaofue ; I submit to the authority of Jehovah, and will rebel
no more.
Might)/ thunderings] ^'n'JS rilj) koloth elohini, toices of
God ; that is, superlatively loud thunder. So 7nountains of\
(iod, I'sal. xxxvi. 7. mean, exceeding high u)ountains. .So i
H prince of Cod, Gen. xxiii. G. mcais, a migluy pnnce. See
a description of thiutdcr, Psal. xxix. 3 — 8. " The voice oi
THE I.OKD is upon the waters: the (iod of glory thiindercth :
the 1.1)1(1 is upon many waters. The voice if the Lord is '
powcrivil ; the voice (f the Lord is full of majesty. The roicc '
of the Lord breakfth the cedars ; tlie voice of the Lord di-
of Egypt all
both man and
Pharaoh alarmed, relents.
that xcas in tlie field.
beast ; and tlie hail
A.M.25ia
B. C. 1491.
" smote c\ery herb of the field, and brake every
tree of the field.
26 '' Only in the land of Goshen, where the
children of Israel xverc, was there no hail.
27 IF And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses
and Aaron, and said imto tliem, "I have sinned
this time : ^ the Lord is
righteous.
and I and
my people ere wicked.
28 ^ Intreat the Lord (for // is enough) that
there be no more " mighty thunderings and
hail ; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay
no longer.
29 And Moses said unto him. As soon as I
am gone out of the city, I will ' spread abroad
fSCliron. 15. 6. P". 129 4. & l-t.i. 17. I.ani. 1. 18. Dan. 9. 14. Scb.
8. 8, 1.'8. ^ 10. 17. Acts 8. '-'4. >■ Hcb. loices of God. Ps. i9. 3, 4. — »
' 1 Kings 8. 22, 38. Pb. 143. b. Isai. 1. 13.
\ideth the flames of fire. The reice of the Lord shaketh tlie
wilderness," &c. Tlie production of rain by the electric spark,
is alluded to in a very beautiful manner, Jereir.. x. 13. When
he titterctli his voice, there is a multitude of xi-aters in the
heavens. See the note on Geq. vii. 11. and viii. 1.
Verse 29. / '^vill .spread abroad my hands] That is, I will
make supplicHtion to God, that he may remove this plague.
This may not be an improper place to make some obser^•ations
on the ancient manner of approaching the Divine lieing in
prayer. Kneeling down, stretching out tf the hands, and li.fting
them up to heaven, were in freciuent use among the Hebrews
in their religious worship. Solomon kneeled, doivn on his knees,
and spread forth his hands to heaven, 2 C'hron. vi. 13. So D.wiD,
Psal. cxliii. 6. / stretch forth my hands unto thee. .So Ezra, /
fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands iinlo the Lord my
God : chap. ix. 5. See also Job xi. 13. //" thou prepare thine
heart, and stretch out thy hands toieards him. Mo.»t nations who
pretended to any kind of worship, made use of t lie same means in '
approaching the objects of their adoration, viz. kneeling doivn, and
stretching out their hands; which customs it is very likely they
borrowed from the people of God. Kneeling wa.? ever con-
sidered to be the proper posture of supjilication, as it expres.sed
humility, contrition, and suhjectiim. If the person to whom the
su))i)lication was addressed, was within reach, the supplicant
caught him by the knees ; for as among the ancients, tlie
forehead was consecrated to genius, the ear to memory, and the
right-hand to faith, so tlie knees w ere consecrated to mercy.
Hence those who entreated favour, fell at and caught hold of
the knees of the person whose kindness they sui)|)licate(.l. This
mode of supplication is particularly referred to in the following
passages in Homer.
IliadA. ver. 407
Now therefore, of these things reminding Jove
Embrace his knees.
Confer.
To which the following answer is made :
Kai tot' irTHTO, rot f»/xt Ato^ rroT^ ;^aXxobaTE; dw.
Ka» fitv yo'jVAC'jfj.xi , xa* /uiv TTEirccTvA* oio.'.
Ihad A. ver. 426.
Moses expostulates ivith him.
A.M. 251.".
B. C 1401.
my hands unto tlic Lord ; and the
. tlmndcr sluill cease, neither shall
there be any more hail ; that thou maycst know
how that the ' earth is the Lord's.
30 But as for thee and thy servants, " I know
CHAP. IX. The barley and flax destroyed.
not vet fear the Lord
* I's. 24. 1. 1 Cor. 10. 26, 28. ^ Isai. 26. 10.
Id.
" Tlien w ill I to Jove's brazen floored abode,
Tliat I niny cl«'p /lis knees ; and much misdeem
Ol'my endt .. . our, or my pray'r shall sjiced."
See the is.<!iie oi" thus addressing Jove, Ibid. ver. 500 — 502.
and ver. 511, &:c.
In the 'aiiie manner we find our Lord accosted, Matlh.
xvii. 14. There came to him a cerluin man, kneeling tloxun to
him, yowxtivw xvTov, falling doii'u at his knees.
As to the lifting up, or itretching out the hands (often joined to
kutelin^) of win U we have seen already several instiuues, and
of x\ huh we have a very remarkable one in this book, chap.
xvii 11. where the lifting up, or stretching out of the iLtmls of
Abists was t!ie means of Israel's prevailing over Amaiek ; we
find many examples of botli in ancient authors. Thus Viucil,
Corripio e stratis corpus, tendoque supinas
Ad coiLUM cunt voce m.\.ncs, et mutieru libo.
iEncid iii. ver. i7G.
I started from my bed, and raised on high
My hands and voice in rapture to the sky;
And pour libations. Pitt.
Dire r at : et genua AiAf\.i-s.\:$, genibusque vnlutans
Haiebat. ' Ibid. ver. 607.
TTi' n kneeled the wretch, and suppliant clung around
H!j/ knees, with tears, and grovelled on the ground. Id.
media inter numina diium,
Multa Jot-em ma.nibus suppi.f.x orasse supinis.
Ibid. iv. ver. 204.
Amidst the statues of the gods he stands,
And spreading forth to Jove, his lifted hands Id.
A. 51. 25i;;.
B. C. 1491.
Et Di pi.ieEs cum race ma.nus ad sidera TENDrr.
Ibid. X. ver. 667.
And lifted both his hands and voice to heaven.
i In some cases, the person petitioning came forward, and
jcitlxr fit in the du.'t or kneeled on tlie ground, placing his
;/</? hand on the knee of him, from whom he expected the
[favour, wlnle he touched the person's chin with his right. We
Ihave an instance of this also in Homeh :
Zxam' J(|iTSfii y af vt' avSffsoivo; eXouo-a. Iliad A. Ver. 500.
S\ippliant the goddess stood : one hand .she plac'd
Beneath his chin, and one his knee embraced. Pope.
When the supplicant could not approach the person to whom
he (Tayed, as where a deitj/ was the object of the prayer, he
iwashed his hands, made an oflering, and kneeling down, either
'ilrclrhcd out both his hands to heriicn, or laid them upon the
\offering or sarr.fce, or upon the altar. Thus Homer represents
]»lie priest of Apollo praying :
that ye wil
God.
31 And the flax and the barley was smitten :
'for the barley Xi-as in the ear, and the Hax aas
boiled.
' Ruth 1. 22. & 2. 2S.
X^pvivJ-avTO *' (TEiT«, xai oi/Xc;(uTa.- anXotzo,
Toiiriv 01 X(V(Tr,; ji'yaX' ivx,''', X-'f"' "■^^'^X'^"'-
Iliad A. ver. 449.
V/ith Xiater purify their hands, and take
Tile sacred off' ring of the salted cake,
While thus with arms devoutly ruis'd in air,
And solemn voice, the priest directs his pray'r. Pope.
IIow neces.sary ablutions of the whole body and of the hands
particularly, accompanied with oilirinis and sacrifices, were un-*
der the law, every reader of tht- Bible knows : see especially Exod.
xxix. 1 — 4. where Aaron and his sons were commanded to be
washed, previously to their performing the priest's office; and
chap. XXX. 19 — 21. where it is said, " Aaron and his sons shall
Xi'ash their hands — that they die not." See also Lev. xvii. !!>.
When the high-priest among the Jews blessed the people, lie
lifted t:p his hands, Lev. ix. 23. And the Israelites, when they
presented a sacrifice to Got!, lifted up theirhands, ani plaffd them
on the head <f the victim. " If any man of you brins" an oftenng.-
unto the Lord — of the cattle, of the herd, and of the flock — he
shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering, and it shall
be accepted for him ; to make atonement fur him." Lev. i.
2 — 4. To these circumstances the Apostle alludes, 1 Tim. ii. 8.
"I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting vp holyhanfli
without wrath and doubting." In the Apostle's word, Ez-aifovrar,
lifting up, there is a manifest reference to stretching out the hands
to place them either on the altar, or on the head of the victim.
Four things were signified by this lifting up of the hands. 1 . It
was the posture of supplication, and expressed a strong invitation
— Covie to my help. 2. It expressed the earnest desireof the person
tolay hold on the help he re»(uired, by bringing him who wa.s the
object of hisprayertohisassistance. 3. It shewed the ardour of the
person to receive the blessings he ex]iected. And 4. By this act he
designateil and consecrated his oflering or sacrifice to his Goil.
Lrom a great number of evidences and coincidences, it i&
not unreasonable to conclude, that the heathens borrowed all
that was pure and rational, even in their mode ofivorshjp, from
the ancient people of d'od ; and that the preceeling quotations
arc proofs of this.
Verse 31. The flax and the barley ii-as smittenj The word
7\r\VS pisheiah, flax, Mr. Parkhurst thinks is derived from the
root CJiJ pashat, to strip, because the substance which we term
ffax, is properly the bark or rind of the vegelalvle, pilled or
stripped oft' the stalks. I'rom time immemorial, L.gypt was
celebrated for the [)roduction and manufacture of flax : hence
the linen, and fine linen of Egy[>t, so often spoken of in ancient
authors.
Barley] rnj"l7 sheorah, from "li"*' shdar, to stand on end, to
be rough, bristly, &c. hence lycf scar, the hair of the head, and
TytP seir, a he-goat, because of its shagiry hair; and hence alsrj,
barley, because of the rough and prickly beard, with which the
ears are covp-ed and defended.
Dr. Pocock hxs observed that there is a double seed time and
harvest in Egypt : rice, India xiheat, and a grain called ih*
' corn of Damascus, and in Italian, :iirgo rosso, are sown ami
B. C. 1 IPl.
The plague is removed, EXODUS.
32 But tlic Avhcat and tlic rie
were not smitten : for they icere
' not grown up,
S3 And Isloses went out of the city from Plia-
raoh, and "^ spread abroad his hands unto the
Lord : and tlic t!;undcrs and hail ceased, and
the rain was not poured upon the earth.
Old Pharaoh again hardeiis his heart
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
^ ITcb. liuJilev, or (l.-.il;.
' ver. '2V. ch. 8. I'i.
34 And when Pharaoh saw that the
rain and the hail and the thunders
were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened
his heart, he and his servants.
35 And ' the heart of Pharaoh was liardened,
neitiicr would he let the children of Israel go;
as the Lord had spoken " by Moses.
reaped at a ver\r diflerEiil tiiiie from ivhcat, barky, and flux
The first are sown in JIarc/i before the overflow inp; of the Nile
and reaped about October: whereas tlie iv/ierit siud burLij uvc
sown in Sozeitihcr and December as foon as the Nile is gosie oflj
and are reaped licfore .f/oy.
Piiny observes, Hiyt. yat. lib. xviii. chap. 10. that in Iv^ypt
the barley is ready for reapin;jf in six months after it is sov. n,
and ■a-iieut, in scicii. In jE^>/pto, hordeum scxio a sutu nicn.H\
l-RUMCNTA scpdaio nictuMur.
Thcjlux was boiled'] Meaninp:, I suppose, \ias "rown up in-
to a stalk: the original is Vj?:- g'bol, podded, or was in the pod.
The word well expresses that alobcus pod on the top of the
stalk cf flax, wliici! succeeds the ilower, and contains the seed;
very pi-operly expressed by the Septuagint, to h \im-i o-Tsp^.aTifiv,
hut thejlux ix/is in seed, or "..:■«« secdi>i>^.
Ver.--e 32- But the v.-/ieiii arid the rie '^ecre not smitten'] IVhccii
r'lTn chittah, vhich Mr. Paikhurst thinks should be derived
iVom the Chaldee and Samaritan 'un cluiti, which sigiiifHS ten-
der, delicious, delicate, because of the superiority of its ftatour,
&;c. to every other kind of cjrain. But this term in Scripture
appears to mean any kind of bread-corn. Rie, ncDO ciissemeth,
from ^ojcasam, to hdic longhair; and hence, though the
{(articular sjjecies is not known, the word must mean some
betirded grain. Tiie .Septua.;'nt call it oP.upa, the Vulgate far,
and Aquila ^to, w liich sicuify the grain called qiclt ; and some
sup])ose that }-icc is meant.
Mv. Harmer, referring to the double liarvest in Egypt, men-
tioned by Dr. Pocock, says that the circumstance of the wheat
and the rie hmv^ nS'SK npliilotli, dark cr hidden, as the
margin renders it (i.e. thty were sown, but not grov.n u|i)
shews that it v. as the Indian vjiatt, or surgo rosco, mentioned
vtr. 31. which, with the rie, escaped; while the barhy and
Jiitx were smitten, because they were at or nearly at a rtate of
maturity, f-te Hanncr's Obs. vol. iv. p. 11. edit. 1808. But
what is intended by the wcrds in the Hebrew text, vi'c cannot
posit: vily say: as there is a cieat vai'iety of opin'.ohs on this
subject, both amr n^f t!ie rersioiis and the cciiisntntators. The
Anglo-Saxon translator, probably fr.om not knowing the mean-
init of the words, omits the whole verse.
Verse ;j3. Spread abroad his iiands] Probably- with the rod
cf (jod in tl)cm. See what has been said on the spreading out
(if' the hands in prayer, ver. 29.
Verse 34. J le sinned yet more, and hardened his heart] These
were men ly acts of his own : " For who can deny," says JMr.
Psaliuanezer, " tliat what (iod did on Pharaoh w as much more
proper to soften tiian to harden his heart ; especially when it
is observable, that it was not till after seeing; each miracle, and
after the cea.-ing of each pla;4ue, that his heart is said to have
been hardened .■" The veriw here u.-ed are in the conjuga-
tions/)i7a7 and hiphil, and often sianify a bare permission, fiom
which it is plain, that the words should ha\c Ween read. (Jod
..1.01.-
-■I Ilcb. hij the hand of iUsts. cl). 4. 13.
suffered the heart of Pharaoh to be hardened." — Universal
liist. \ol. i. p. A9\. Note D.
Verse 35. And the heart <f Pharaoh luas hardened] In con-
sefpienee of his sinning yet more, and hardening his own hearty
against bc'th the judf;inents and mercies of God; we need not
be surprized, that after God had given him the means of
softtuir.a: and repentance, and he had in every instance re--
si.- ted and abused them, he should, at last, have been lett to
the hardness and daikness of his own obstinate heart, so as te
fill U!-) tlie measure of his mifjuity, and ru.^ii headlong to hi»
own destrucliou.
In the ffth, si.rth, and seventh plagues, described in this
chapter, we have additional proofs of the justice and merry
of Ciod, as well as of the .stupidity, rebellion, and ivickednciS
of Piiaraoh and his courtiers. As these continued to con-
tradict and resist, it was just that God should continue to in-
flict those punishments which their iniijuities deserved. Yet,
in the midst of judgment, he remembers mercy ; and there-
fore !iMoscs and Aaron are sent to inform th.e Egyptians that
such plagues ivould come, if they continued obstinate. Here
is mercy: the cattle only are destroyed, and the ]ieople saved!
Is it not evident, from all these messages, and the repeated
expostulaiions of Moses and Aaron, in the name and on the
authority of God, that Pharaoh was bound by no fatal ne-
cessity to continue liis ol)^tinacy ; that he might have humhied
himself belbre God, and thus prevented the disasters that fell
oii the land, and saved hiinself and liis people from destruction.
But he would sin, and therefore he must be punished.
In the sixth I'lague Pharaoh had advantages which lie had
not before. Tlic magicians, by their successful imiialicus of
the miracles wrouglit by Moses, made it doubtful to the Egyp-
tians, ^\'heth.er INIoses himself was not a ?nagieian, acting ^^ith-
oiit any divine authority ; but the j-.lagiie of the boils, which
they could ikjI iuiitate, by which they were themsehcs alilicted,
and w liicli they confes-ed to be the fnger of God, decitlcd the
business. Pharaoh had no longer any excu-c, and must know
that lie had now to contend, not wiih Moses and Aaron, mor-
tals like himself, but s\'ith the living God. How strange, thcri,
that he should continue to resist! 5iany afilct to be astonished
at this, and think it must be uttiiluted only to a sovereign
controuling influence of God, which rendered it inipo^-sibie
for him to repent, or take warning. But the whole conduct
cf God shews the improbability of this opinion : and is not
the, conduct of Pharaoh and his comtiers copied and rc-actcd
by thousancL--, who are never suspected to be under any such
necessitating decree .' Every sinner under heaven, who has the
Bible in his hand, is acting the same part. God says to the
s\iearer and the profane — Thou shall^not take the name of the
Lord thy God in vain; and yet common swearing and pro-
fanity arc most scandalously common among multitudes who
i
Pharaoh^s heart is hardened.
CHAP. X.
JVhy this "was doru:.
bear the Christian name, and who presume on the mercy of
God to Ket at last to the kingdom of heaven ! He says also —
Remember the s/ibbath-day to keep it Italy — thou shalt not kill —
thou skiilt not commit adultery — thou shall not steal — thou shalt
not bear false -witness — thou shalt not covet — and sanctions nil
these coinmandnunts with the most awful penalties; ami yet,
with all tliese things before them, and the professed belief that
they came from tied, sabbath-breakers, men-slayers, adul-
terers, fornicators, thieves, dishonest men, false witnesses, liars, j
slanderers, backbiters, com tons men, lovers of the world more i
than lovers of God, are fuvmd by inmdreds and thousands !
What were the crimes of the ])oor half-blind l-'.iiyptian kinp;,
when compared with these! He siimed against a coni|)a-
ratively unkuou-n (jod: these sin a^jain^t the (Jod of tlnir
fatiiers — against the tioil and Father of Mini whom they call
their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ! They sin with the liiblc
in their iiand, and a conviction of its divine authority in their
hearts I They sin against light and knowledge — against the
checks of their consciences, the reproofs of their friends, the
admonitions of the messengers of God — against Moses and
Aaron in the Law — against the testimony of all tiie I'rophets —
against the Evangelists, the ApostUs, the Maker of heaven
land earth, the Judge of all men, and the Saviour of the
I
world ! Wliat were Pharaoh's crimes, to the crhncs of tliese?
On comparison, his atom of moral turpitude is lost in their
world of iniquity. And yet, who supposes these to be under
any neccssiialini; decree to sin on, and go to pcr<lition? Nor
are tliey — nor was Pliaraoh. In all things, C'.od h;is proved
lx)th his justice and mercy to be clear in this pomt. Pharaoh,
through a principle of covetonsness, refused to dismiss the
Israelites, whose services he found jirofitable to the state :
these are absorbed in the love of tiie world, the love of jjU-a-
sure, imd the love of gain ; nor will they let one lust go,
even in the presence of the thunders of Sinai, or in sight
of the agony, biiwly sweat, crucifixion, and death of Jesug
Christ ! Alas ! how many are in the habit of considering Pha-
raoh the worst of human beings, inevitably cut ofl' from the
possiliility of being saved, bccaiLse of his iniquities, who out-
do him so far in the viciousncss of their lives, that Pharaoh
hardening his heart against ten plajjues, appears a saint, when
compared with those who are hardening their hearts ai;-ain-t
ten millions of mercies. — Reader, art thou of this numi er ?
Proceed no farther! Gotl's judgments linger not. Desperate
as thy state is, tliou mayest retuni; and thou, even thou, find
mercy, through the blood of the Lami>.
See the note at the conclusion of the n^xl chajtcr.
CHAPTER X.
T/ie eighth
^Mosfs is again sent to Pharaoh, and expostulates zcith htm on his refusal to let the Hehrezcs go, 1 — .
jdagite, viz. of locusts, is threatened, 4. The extent and oppressive nature of this plague, 5, 6. Pharaoh's ser-
vants counsel him to dismiss the Ilcbrezcs, ~. He calls for Moses and Aaron, and enquires zeho they are of the
Hebrews zcho zi'ish logo, 8. Moses hat i/ig anszcered that the zchole people, zcith their flocks and herds, must go ami
hold a feast to the Lord, Q. Pharaoh is enraged, and having granted permission onli/ to the^ men, drives Moses
and Aaron from his presence, 10, 1 1. Moses is commanded to stretch out his hand and bring the locusts, 12. He
does so, and an east-wind is sent, tchich bloziing all that dai/ and night, brings the locusts the next moining, IJ.
The devastation occasioned In/ these insects, 14, 15. Pharaoh is humbled, aclcnozcledges his sin, and begs ]\loscs to
intercede zcith Jehovah for him, iG, 17. Moses does so, and at his request a strong zcest-zcind is sent, nhich carries
all the locusts to the Red Sea, 18, 19. Pharaoh's heart is again hardened, 20. Moses is commanded to bring the
ninth plague, an extraordinari/ darkness over all the land of Egi/pt, 21. 'The nature, duration, and effects of this,
22, 23. Pharaoh again humbled, consents te let the people go, provided therf leave their cattle behind, 24. Moses
insists on having all their cattle, bccauxe of the sacrijices zeihich thei/ must make to the Lord, 25, 2(). Pharaoh
aaain hardened, refuses, 2". Orders Moses from his presence, and threatens him zcith death should he ever return,
28. Moses departs zcith the promise of returning no more, 29.
A.5I. 251:3.
B. C. 1491
AND the Lord said unto Moses,
Go in unto Pharaoli : * for I
have hardened his heart, and the heart of his
• Ch. 4. 21. & 7. 14.-
-"ch. 7. 4.
NOTES ON CHAP. X.
Verse 1. Hardened his heart] God suffered his natural ob-
stinacy to prevail, that he might have farther oi)portunities of
sheuiug forth his eternal power and (iodliead.
Verse 2. That thou mayest tell in the ears of thy ,von] Tliat
*he miracles wrought at this time might be a record for the
A.M. 3513.
n. C. 1491.
servants, ""that I might shew these
my signs before him :
2 And that " thou mayest tell in the ears of
« Deut. 4. 9. Fs. 44. 1. & 71. 18. k 78. 5, itc. Joel 1. 3.
instruction of the latest posterity, that Jehovali alone, the God
of the Hebrews, was the sole Maker, Governor, and Supporter
of the heavens and the earth. Thus we find, Goil so did his
marcellous icorks, that they might be hud in everlasting remem-
brance. It was not to erusli the poor worm, Pharaoh, that he
wrought such mighty wonders, but to convince his enemies, to
S S
A.-M.S51,-,.
H. (,'. 1-lPl.
Moses expostulates "with Fharaoh^
tliy son, and of thy son's son, uhat
tilings I have wrouglit in Kg^'jit, and
my signs Avliich I have done among them ; that
ye may know how that I cmi the Loitn.
3 And Moses and A^ron came in unto Pha-
raoh, and said unto him. Thus saith the Lord
God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou re-
i'use to * lumible thyself before me ? let my
people go, that tliey may serve me ;
» 1 Kings 21. e9. 2 Chmii. 7. 14. & 34. 67. Job 42. 6. Jer. 13. 18. .Tames
4. 10. 1 Pel. J. 6.
the cnJ of the world, that no oinninpr or power can prevail
aaainst him ; and to .<he\v his followers, that whosoever trusted
in him should never be eonfounded.
Verse 3. How long wilt thou refuse to liumble t/ij/sel/'r] Had
it been impoasible for Piiaraoh, in all the preceding- plairues,
to have hnmbled himself and repented, can we suppose tliat (jod
could have addressed him in such language as the precedinij?
We may rest assured, that there was always a time in \vliich
he might have relented, and that it was because he hardened
his heart at such times, that (Jod is said to harden him ; i. e.
to give him u)) to his own stubborn and obstinate heart, in
consequence of which lie i-efviscd to let the people go, so that
Cod had a fre.sh opportunity to \sork another miracle, for the
very gracious puiposes mentioned in ^■er.se 2d. Had Pharaoh
relented before, the same gracious ends would ha\e been ac-
complished by other means.
Tlie EIGHTH plague — Tlie Locusts.
Vcr.<e 4. To morroiu will I bring the locusts] Tlie word
-2iiX nrbeh, a locust, is probably from the root n3"\ rabah, he
multiplied, became great, migliti/, &c. i)ecanse of the immense
swarms of these animals, by which dillcrent countries, espe-
cially the Ea.-^!, are infested. The locust, in entomology/, l>e-
longs to a genus of insects known among naturalists by the
term grylli ; and includes three species, crickets, grasshoj)-
pers, and those connnonly called locusts ; and as they mul-
tiply faster than any tither animal in creation, they are jjro-
perly entitled to the name naiK (irbeh, ^\bich might be trans-
lated the numerous or multiplied insect. See this circumstance
refeiTed to Judg. vi. 5. vii. 12. ]\al. cv. 34. Jerem. .xlvi. 23.
li. 14. Jo( 1 i. G. Nnhuin iii. 15. Judith ii. 19, 20. where the most
numerous armies are compaied to the arbeii, or locust. The
locust has a large o]ien mouth ; and in its two jaws, it has four
incisive teeth, which traverse each other like sci.-sors, being
calculated, from their mechanism, to gripe or cut. IMr.
Voliiey, in Travels in Syria, gives a striking account of this
most awful scourge of <^iod :
" Syria partakes together with Egypt and Persia, and al-
mo.it all the whole middle part of A.sia, m that terrible scourge,
I mean those clouds of lociists of which tra\ ellers have spoken ;
the (|u:intity of which is incredible to any person who has not
hinistif seen them, the earth being covered by them for
several leagues round. The noise they make in brousing the
plants and trees, may be heard at a distance, like an anny
plundering in secret. Fire .seems to follow their tracks.
Wherever their legions march, the verdure disappears from
the Country, like a curtain drawn aside ; the trees and plants
iiespoiltd of their haves, make the hideous appearance of
EXODUS. and predicts the eighth Plagtie.-
if thou refuse to let my
A.M. 51313.
B. C. 1491.
I 4 Else,
! people go, behold, to morrow will I .
bring the '' locusts into thy coast :
5 And they shall cover the "face of the earth,,
that one cannot be able to see the earth : and
"*'""" shall eat the residue of that which is
remaincfh unto you from the
they
escaped, wliich remainctn unto you
hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for
you out of the field :
' Prov.
50. 27. Wisd. 1«. 9.
1. "".
Jod 1. 4. «c S. "'.').
vcr. 13.-
-"cli.
winter, in.-;tantly succeed to the bright scenes of spring. \Micn
the.se clouds of locusts take their flight, in order to surmount
some obstacle, or the more rapidly to cross some desart, one ;
may literally say, that the sun is darkened bi/ tlirm."
l^aron de Tott gives a similar account : " Clouds of locusfs
frequently alight on the plains of the Xoguais, (the Tartars)
and giving j/ivference to their fields of millet, ravage tbem in.
an instant. Their apjiroach darkens the horizon, and so enor-
mous is their multitude, it liides the light of the sun. They
alight on the fields, and there form a bed of six. or seien inchet
thick. To the noise of their flight, succeeds that of their '
devouring actively, which resenibles the rattling of hail-stoncs ;
liut its consequences are infinitely more destructive. Fire '
itself eats not so fast ; nor is there any appearance of vege- s
tation to be found when they again take their flight, and go
I elsewhere to produce new disasters."
I Dr. ShaM , \\ ho witnessed most formidable swarms of these
I in Barbary, in the years 1724 and 1725, gives the following
t account of them : " They were much lai'ger than our gra.ss-
hoppers, and hail lirown s|iotted wings, with legs and bodies
I of a bright yelhiw. Their first ap]xarance was towards the
latter end of .March. In tbe middle of April, their numerous
swarins, like a succession of clouds, darkened the sun. In the
month of I\Iay, they retired to the adjacent plains to deposit
their eggs : these were no sooner hatched, in June, than the
young brood first produced, while in their caterpillar or worm-
like state, formed themsehes into a compart body of more
Ulan a furlong square, and marching directly forward, climbed
over trees, walls, and houses, devouring every plant in their
way. Within a day or two, another brood was hatched,
and advancing in the same manner, gnawed off the young
branches and bark of the trees left by the former, making a
complete desolation. The iuliabitants, to stop tlieir progress,
made a variety of j)its and trenches all over their fields and
gardens, which they filled with water, or else heaped up'
therein heath stubble, &c. w liich they set on fire, but to no i
purpose ; tor the trenches were quickly filled up, and the fires
extingui.-hed, by infinite swarms succeeding one another : .
while the front seemed regardless of danger, and the rear
pressed on so close, that a retreat was altogether impossible.
hi a month's time they threw off their worm-like state ; and
in a new form, with wings and legs, and additional powers,
returned to their former voracity." — Shaw's Travels, 1S7, 188.
4to edition.
The descriptions given by these travellers shew, that Ood'$ '
army, described by the prophet Joel, chap. ii. was innume-
rable swarms of locusts, to which the account gi\en by Dr.
i Shaw and others e.xattfj' agrees.
J*haraoh's servants e.rpostii!ale xdtlihim. CHAP. X
6 And tJicy 'shall fill thy houses,
Moses briiip^s the locusts.
A.M. '-■51.).
^L^.';*"': and the hoii.scs of all thy servants,
and the houses ot" all (ho Ei>-yi)tians ; ■which
neither liiy tlithiis, nor thy lathers' liitiier.s lia\e
•seen, since the day that they were upon the
earth inito tliis day. And he turned himself,
and went out from Pharaoh.
7 ^ And Pharaoh's servants said unto him,
How loiij^ shall this nutn be "" a snare unto us ?
Jet the men go, that they may serve the Lokd
their God : knowest thou not yet, that Egypt is
•destroyed ?
8 And Moses an{l Aaron were brought again
unto Pharaoh : and he said unto them. Go,
serve the Lord your (Jod : hut 'w^ho are they
that .shall go .?
9 And Moses said, We will go with our young
.A.-M.e.M.V
WC VlltSt
'Cli. 0. ,S, 'JI. "ch. C3. ii
.To4i. 2". 1."i.
1 ( 'or. 7. :>5.
1 .Sam. 13. 21. Eccles. T. 26.
VtT.>;e 5. Tiny shall covtr tttf face of the earthl Tliey some-
time.* cover tin- whole liioiiiKl lo tile depth of six or tight
inches. Skc t!ie pnccdiii'^ ;irci)iiiit.<.
Verst: (">. 'J'hri/ shall Jill tin/ /muses] Dr. Shaw mentioiLs tliis
■cir('uui>taiKi,- : " TIk y ciitcnd," .says lie, " into our very houses
and IxiUliaiiibcrs, like so iiiauv thieves." — Ibid. \>. 187.
\'er.«e 7. llo-j; ton '2; s/iuil this iiian he a snare unto us ?] As
there is no noun in the text, the pronoun nj :eh, may either
rtf'cr to the Israelites, to the plague by which thty were then
afflietetl, or to INIo^es and Aaron, the instruments used by the
i\Io.<t lliL;h in their chastisement. Tlie Vulg-atc translates,
I'squnfto paticnatr hoc .icanJaliiin? ^" How lonif shall we
sufler this >eiindal, or reproach .'"
Let the men j^o, that they may serze the I.onn their Cod]
Miieli of the energy of .several pa.ssa^es is lost, by translalin:^
nir.' Vehoiiih, by the term Lord. Tiic Egyptians had their
gods, and they sr.p|K)sed that the Hebrews had a (iod like
uiitothiir own; that this Jehovah required their services, and
«ould continue to aHlict J'.^ypt till his people were permitted
to worship him in his own way.
E^ij/jt is destroyed] This last plague had nearly ruined the
whole land.
Verse S. Who are they that shall go ■'] Thougli the Eg-yp-
•ians, about fourscore years before, wished to de^troy the He-
brews, yet they found them now so profitable to the stiiie, that
they were \inwiliiii<j to jrart wilh them.
Verse 9. He v.ill go with our jjowf^ and -..lith our old, 4'C.]
As a feast was to Ix; cclel)rated to the honoin- of .lehovah, all
who wi re j)artakers of his bounly and providential kindiuss,
must ^o and perform tin ir p'art in the solemnity. The men
and tiie •.lonieu must nivke the feast, the children mu.st witness
it, and the cattle nuu-t be taken alon;^ with them, to furnish
the sacrifices necessary on tliis occasion. This must appear
reasonable to the I'Vyptian.s, because it was their oivn custom
in their reli';ious assemblies. 3Ien,- women, and t:hiklrcn, at-
tended iheni, often to the amount of several hundred thou-
sand. Jlerodot!is'\ul'.trmsu9, in speaking of the si\ annual feast).
ttlcbrated by llie ICgyptiaus in honour of their deities, that
and will) our old, with oiu" sons and
with our daughters, with our flocks
and with our herds will we go ; for
/to/d a fiast unto the Lokd.
10 And he said unto them. Let the Lord l)e
so with you, as I will let you go, and your little
ones : look to it ; for evil is before you.
1 1 Not so : go now ye that are men, and serve
the Lord ; for tiiat ye did desire. And they
were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
1 2 ^ And the Loud said unto Moses, ' Stretch
out thine liand over the land of Lgy[)t for the
locusts, that they may come up upon the land
of Egypt, and ' cat every herb of the land, eirn
all that the hail hath leit.
13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over
the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an
'■ ilclj. who, and wha, Sc.-
'ch. .5. 1. • ch. 7. 19. ' ver. 4, 5.
they hold their chief one at the city oTBubustis in honour of Xeith
or Diana; that they so thither by water in boats, men, women,
and eliildieii ; that during their voyage, .some of the women
play on ca-^tenets, and .*oinc of the men uponfhltes, while the
rest are eni])k)ycd in siniiing and clappiug their hands; aiid
that, when they arrive at Bubaslis, they saerifK-e a vast number
of victims, and drink KUK'h wine: and that, at one such
festival, the ijihabitaitts assured him, diat there w ere not as-
sembled fewer than 700,000 men and women, witliout reckon-
ing the children. F.uterpe, I'h. Ii\. \\.
Moses and .\aron requesting' liberty for the Hebrews to ^o
three days' journey into the wilderness, and with them all
their wives, littU- ones, and cattle, in order to hold a fe.ist unto
Jehovah their (iod, must ha\<', at kit^t, appeared ;is rca-ionable
to the Egyptians as their going to the city of l^ubiiilis with
their wive.s, littfc oties, and cattle, to hold a feast to t\eifh,
or Diana, who w as there worshipped. The puralld, in these
two cases is too >trikiiig to ja-s unnoticed.
Verse 10. Ijet the Lord be so nit/i i/oii] This is an ob-scure
senlencb. Some suppose lliat Pharaoh meant it as a curse, as
if he had said, " May your (io<l be as surely with you, as I
shall let you go !" For as he purposed not to permit them to go,
so he wi.slied ihem as much of the divine help as they .-hould
have of his permission.
Looh- — -for evil \s before you.] CT^J'JS 1JJ nvi *D 1X"1 reii ki
raiih netted paiiej/cein — See ye that evil is before yonr faces. If
you attempt to go, ye .■-hall meet with the punishment ye
deserve. Probably Pharaoh iiilended to in>iiiuate, that they
had some sinister de.-igns and that they wished to go in n
body, that they might the better accomplish iheir ])iirpo.se ;
but if they had no such designs, tin y would be <-onleuted for
the males to go, and leave their wivts and children behind ;
for he well kn( w, if the men went and left their fnnilies, they
Would infallibly return; but that, if he permitted them to
take their families with them, they would undouhlidjy make
their escape : therefore he say.s, \er. 11. do hok, j,x" that are
men, and serce the Lord.
Verse Ij. The Lord broi:^!;t an easC-iiind] As locu.st*
S S 2
The locusts cover the xvhole land.
EXODUS.
The NINTH Plague — Thick darkness.
A.M.25J3.
B.C. 1491.
east wind upon the land all that day,
and all that night ; atid when it was
morniiig, tlie east wind brought the locusts.
14 And * tlie locusts went up ovei' all the land
of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt :
very grievous xcere they ; ^ before them there
were no such locusts as they, neither after them
shall be such.
\5 For they "covered the face of .the whole
earth, so that the land was darkened ; and they
" did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit
of the trees which the hail had left : and there re-
mained not any green thing in the trees, or in the
herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
16 ^ Then Pharaoh " called for Moses and
Aaron in haste ; and he said, ^ I have sinned
against the Lord your God, and against you.
17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin
only this once, and ^ intreat the Lord your
»Ps. 78. 46: &105. 34.-
'Heb. hasttned to call,
—.'Joel 2. 2.-
-'c\>.9. 2".
— <: ver. 5. " Ps. 105. 35.-
sch. 9. 28. livings 13. 6.
abounded in those countrie?, and particularly in Ethiopia, and
more especially at this time of the year, God had no need to
create new swarms for this purpose; all that was requisite, was
to cause such a wind to hlow as would bring those which al-
ready existed, over the land of Egypt. Tlie miracle in this
business was the bringing the locusts at the appointed time,
and causing the proper wind to blow for that purpose, and
then taking them away after a similar manner.
Verse 14. Bi-fore them there it;ere no such locusts, Sfc] They
exceeded all that went before, or were since, in number, and in
the devastations they produced. Probably both these things are
intended in the passage. — See ver. 15.
Verse 15. There remained not any green thijigl See the note
•n ver. 4.
Verse 17. Forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once] What
a strange case ! And what a series of softening and hardening,
of sinning and repenting ! Had he not now another opportu-
nity of returning to Gotl i" But the love of gain, and the gra-
tification of his own self-will and obstinacy, finally prevailed.
Verse 19. A mighty strong lucst-ivind] a' nn ruach yam,
literally, the wind of the sea ; the wind that blew from the
Mediterranean sea, which lay north-west of Egypt, which had
the Red sea on the east. Here again God works by natural
means : he brought the locusts by the east-wind, and took them
away by the west or north-west wind, which carried them to
the Red sea where they were drowned.
The lied sea] «)1D 3' yam suph, the weedy sea, so called, as
some suppose, from the great cjuantity of al'^a or sea weed,
which grows in it, and about its shores; but Mr. Bruce, who
has sailed the whole extent of it, declares that he never sa\\
in it a weed of any kind ; and supposes it has its name Suph
from Uie vast quantity of coral which grows in it, as trees and
plants do on land. One of these, he observes, from a root
nearly central, threw out ramifications on a nearly circular
form, measuring twenty-six feet diameter every way. Travels,
A.M. 2513.
B, C. 1491.
God, that he may take away from me
this death only.
1 8 And he " went out from Pharaoh, and in-
treated the Lord.
1 9 And the Lord turned a mighty strong west
wind, which took away the locusts, and 'cast
them " into the Red sea ; there remained not
one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.
20 But the Lord ' hardened Pharaoh's heart,,
so that he would not let the children of Israel
go.
21 ^ And the Lord said unto Moses, *" Stretch
out thine hand toward heaven, that there may
be darkness over the land of Egypt, " even dark-
ness 'which may be felt.
22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward
heaven ; and there was a ° thick darkness in all
the land of Egypt three days :
23 They saw not one another, neither rose any
hCli. !5. 3f). 'Heb. fmtened. "Jnel 2.20. 'ch. 4.21. & 11. 10.
"» rl.. 9. 22. ' Heb. that one may feci darkness. ° Ps. 105. 28.
Wisd. 17. 2, Jcc.
vol. ii. p. 138. In the Septuagint, it is called flaXas-a-a =fvifa, the |
Red sea, from which version we have borrowed the name ; and I
Mr. Bruce supposes that it had this name from Edam, or Esau,
whose ten-itorics extended to its coasts; for it is well known
that the word Cz:tk Edom, in Hebrew, signifies red or ruddy.
Tile Red sea, called also the Arabic gulph, .separates Arabia from
Upper Ethiopia and part of Egypt, h is computed to be three
hundred and fifty leagues in length from Suez to the Straits of
Babelmandel, and is about forty leagues in breadth. It is not
very tempestuous, and the winds usually blow from north to
south, and frum south to north, six months in the year; and
like the monsoons of India, invariably detemiiiie the seasons of
sailing into or out of this sea. It is divided into two gulphs,
that to the east called the Elanitic gulph, from .the city of
Elana to the north end of it : and that to the west called the
Heroopolitic gulph, from the city of Heroopolis ; the former
of which belongs to Arabia, the latter to Egypt. Tlie Elanitic
gulph is called by the Arabians Buhr el Kolzuni, the sea of
destruction, or of Clysma, an ancient tfiwn in that quarter ; and
the Heroopolitic gulph Bahr el Akaba, the sea of Akaba, a
town situated on its most inland point.
The NINTH plague — The thick darkness.
Verse 21. Darkness which jnay be felt.] Probably this was
occasioned by a superabundance of aqueous vapours floating in
the atmosphere ; which were so thick as to prevent the rays of
the sun from penetrating through them : an extraordinaiy thick
mi.st, supematurally i. e. miraculously brought on. An awful
emhleiu (if the darkened state of tlie Egyptians and their king.
Verse 9-J. They saw not one another] So deep was the ob-
scurity ; and probably such was its nature, that no artificial
light could be procured, as the thick clammy vapours would
prevent lamps, &c. from burning ; or if they even could be
ignited, the light, through the palpable obscurity, could diffiise
itself to no distance from the burning body. The author of
Pharaoh offtrs to Jet all go hut the cattle. CHAP. X.
A.M.M13. fi-om his place for three days: "but
"•^'■^^'- all the children of Israel had light
in their dwellings.
24 ^ And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and
"said. Go ye, serve the Louo ; only let your
flocks and your herds be stayed : let your " little
ones also go with you.
25 And Moses said, Thou must give "* us also
sacrifices and burnt oftcrings, that we may sa-
crifice unto the Lord our God.
26 Oar cattle also sliall go with us ; there shall
not a hoof be left behind ; for thereof must
He dismisses Moses in uralh.
A. M. !^U!.
B. C. HSl.
• Ch. 8. 22. Wisd. 18. 1. •> ver. 8. "^ ver. 10. '' Heb. into our hands.
I the hook of Wisdom, chap. xvii. 2 — 19. gives a fearful de-
I scription of this plaijue. He says the lit^ptiaus iiere shut up
I in tlifir houses, the prisoners of darkness : and v^'ere fet/ered with
\ the bonds of a lon^ 7iight. Tliey were scattered under a dark
I vail of for<iet,fulness, being horribly astonished and troubled xvit/i
5 stranjje apparitions ; for neither might the corner that held t/iem,
ikcep them fnun fear ; but noises as of waXmxs falling doun,
\souided about them ; and sad visions appeared unto them tuitk
i; ktcaij I -luntenances. No potver of the fire could give the/zi light
L — onli/ there appeared unto them a fire kindled of itself very
f dreadful ; for being much terrified, they thought the things ii'hich
'. they savj, to be worse than the sight they saw not. — For though
' no terrible thing did scar them, yet being scared with beasts that
I passed by, and lii.sing of serpents, they died for fear : — for
[ whether he were hushandman, or shepherd, or a labourer in the
\ field, he was overtaken — for they were all bound with one chain
I of darkness. — II helher it were a whistling v^-ind — or a terrible
I iOU':d of stones cast down, or a running that could not be seen,
I of trippini; beasts ; "r a roaring voice of most savage wild
' hearts, or a reboiindim; echo from the hollow mountains, these
• tilings nuide tltem to swoon for fear. — See Psal. Ixxviii. 49.
j To thij description nothing need be added, except tliis cir-
: cuinstance, that the darkness with its attendant horrors, lasted
I for three day:.
i All the children of Israel hud light] Bj- thus distin^iishinn-
i the Israelites, God shewed the Esyptians that the darkness
I was procUiced by his power — that he sent it in jndirment
' au-ainst them for their crvielty to his peo])le — that because they
' trusted in hiin, they were exempted from tllose plagues — that
! in tile displeasine of such a Being, his enemies had every thing-
to I'eai-, and in his approbation his followers had every thing to
hope.
Verse 24. Only let your flocks and your herds be stayed]
i Pharaoh cannot get all he wishes : and as he sees it im[)ossible
j to contend with .lehovah, he now consents to give up the
I Israelites, their wives, and their children, provided he may
I keep their Jloeks and their herds. The cruelty of this demand,
is not more evident than its avarice. Had sir hundred thousand
' men, besides women and children, gene three days' journey
into Ihc wilderness, without their cattle, they must have inevi-
Itably perished, being without milk for their little ones, and
animal fo<id for their oun sustenance, in a place where little as
1 a substitute tinild p<is>ibly be found. It is evident from this,
(that Pharaoh intended the total destruction of the whole
' Lraditish host.
we take to serve the Lord our
God ; and wc know not with what
we must serve the Lord, until wc
come thither.
27 1[ But the Lord ' hardened Pharaoh's heart,,
and he would not let them go.
28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee
from me, take heed to thyself, sec my face no
more ; for in that day thou seest my tace thou
shalt die.
29 And Moses said, Tliou hast spoken well,
^ I will see thy face again no more.
«Ver. 20. ch. 4. 21. & 14. 4, 8. f Hebr. 11. 27.
Verse 26. U'e know not with what wc must serve the Lord, {fc.]
The law was not yet given — the ordinances concerning the
difterent kinds of sacrifices and oderings, not known. What
kind and «hat number of animals God should require to be sa-
cnficed, even Moses himself could not as yet tell. He there-
fore, very properly insists on taking the whole of their herds
with them, and not leaving even one hoof behind.
Verse 27. The Lord hardened Pharaoh's hea7-t] He had yet
another miracle to work forthe complete conviction of the Egyp-
tians, anil triurnjih of his people ; and till that was wrongllt, he
permitted the natural obstinacy nl' Pharaoh's haughty heart to
have its full sway, after each resistance of the gracious influence^
which was intended to soften am: bring him to rcpenlance.
Verse 28. See my face no more] Hitherto Pharaoh had left
the way open for negotiation ; but no^v, in wrath against
Jehovah, he dismisses his ambassador, and threatens him with
death, if he should attempt any more to come into his jirescnce.
Verse 29. / will see t/iy face again no more.] It is very
likely that this was the last interview that Mosfs had with
Pharaoh : for what is related, chap. xi. 4 — 8. might have been
spoken on this very occas on, as it is very possible that (lixl
j gave Moses to untlerstand his purjjose to slay the fir>t-lM.ni,
' while before Pharaoh, at this time ; so in all probability, the
I interview mentioned here, was the last which Moses had with the
i Eiryptian king. It is true, that in ver. -Jl. of chap. xii. it is
stated, that Pharaoh culled for UToses and Aaron by night, and
ordeitd thciii to lea\i- Ivgypt, and to take all their jub>tance
with lluiii, which seems to imply that there was another inter-
j view ; but llie words may imply no more than that Mo>es
and Aaron received such a message from Pharaoh. If, how-
ever, this mode of interpreting these passages should not seem
. satisfactory to any, he may understand the words of Moses
thus, I will see thy face, seek thy favour no tnore in behalf of
my people — which ^vas literally true ; for if Moses did appear
any more bel'ore Pharaoh, it was not as a supplicant, but merely
as the ambassador of 'Sod, to denounce his judgments, by
giving him the final determination of Jehovah, relative to the
destruction of the first-born.
1. To the obseivations at the conclusion of the preceding
chapter, we may add, that at first view it seems exceedingly
strange, that after all the proofs Pharaoh h:ul of the power of
God, he should have acted in the manner related in this anJ
the preceding chapters, alternately sinning and repenting : but
it is really a conuiion ease ; and nniltitudc* who eondenm the
Anolhcr Plague threatened. . The Hebrews EXODUS, receive gold and silver from the Egyptians,
conJurt of this miserable Esyi)tiaii kin^, act in a similai' man-
ner. Thf y relent wlu-u smarting vmtk-r God's jiid'^nicnts, but
harden their hearts when the'^e iud;Tnients are removed. Of
this kind, I ha\e witnessed numerous cases. To such God sa}'s
by his propP.et, J/Vy? should ye be stricken any more, ye n-ill re-
volt more and more. Reader, are not the vows of God u]ion
thee ? Oiten when afflicted in thyself or fan\ily, hast thou not
said like Pharaoh (ver. 17.) yoii; therefore J'orgire, I pray thee,
my sin only 'j his once — and ttike av.ayfrom me this death o.nly.
.\nd yet when thou hadst resjjite, didst tiioii not harden lliy [
heart, and with rcturninjj health and strcni;th, didst thou not
return unto iniquity .' Ami art thou not still iii the broad road
of transgression r — J5e not deceived : God is not mocked —
lie wants thee, hut he will not be mocked by thee. — •
IVhut tlion so^.v^.<:t, that thou must reap. Think then, what a
most tlreatlftil harvest thou mayest expect from the seeds of
vice which thou hast already sown !
2. liven in tl;c face of God's judgments, the spirit of avarice
will make its requisitiotis ! Only let your Jlocks and your herds
he stayed, says Pharaoh. The love of gain was the ruling
principle of this man's .soul ; and lie chu.ses desi)erately to con-
tend w ith the justice of his INIaker, rather than Ljive up hii
bosom sin ! Reader, is tliis not thy own case } And ai t thou not
ready with I^iaranh to say to the messeiijrer of God, who re-
bukes thee fur Ihv worldly-mindedncss, &c. (ret thee gone from
me: — I'aLe heed to thyself and see my face no more. Esau and
Pharaoh liave both got a very bad name, atid many iiersons
who are rei)eating tlieir crimes, are the foremost to cover tliein
with oblo(|ny "I When shall we learn to look at home ? to take
warning by the miscarriages of others, and thus shun the pit,
into which we have seen so many fall •' If <i(«l were to gh'e
the hi.-tory of every man who hardtns himself from his fear,
ho\v many Pharaoh-like cases sh^iuld we have on rec(jrd! But
a day is coming in wiiich the secrets of every heart .shall be
revealed, and the history e-f every man's life laid open to an
assembled world.
- CHAPTEll XL
Qod pnipones to biiric^ another plosrue vpon Pharaoh, after icliich he should let the Israelite!; go, 1. They are coni-
7naiidetl to ask gold and sdver from the Egyptians, <2. The rslimatioii in ichieh jSInses zcas held among the Kgt/p-
tians, ;). Moses prediets the destruction of the frstborn of the Egyptians, 4 — 6, and Israel's prctectioii, ~. On
seeing wl>ich, Pharaoh and his seivants should entreat the Hebrews to depart, 8. The prcdielion of his prci-iout
obstitiac)/, 9, 10.
A.M.•^51.^.
B.C. 1191.
A
N D the Lord said unto Moses,
Yet will I bring one plague
7)wre upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt ; after-
wards lie will let you go hence : '' when he shall
let J/ou go, he shall surely thrust you out hence
altogether.
2 Speak now in the cars of the people, and let
every man borrow of his neighbour, and every
woman of her neighbour, ''jewels of silver, and
jewels of gold-
• Ch. 12. 31, 33, 30.-
-'ch. r^. I'S. & 12. 35.-
Ta. iOC. 4«j.
-'ch. 3. 21. k 12.
NOTES ON CHAl*. XI.
Verse 1. TJie Lord said unto ]\Ioscs'] C'almet contends that
this should be read in the pielerplujCifcct tt.n<,e -^for the Lord
H.M) ■■,aid to Moses, as the fourth, fifth, sixth, sevenUi, and ei^htll
verses appear to ha\e been si'oke,-! when Moses bad the inter-
view with Pharaoh- mentioned ill the pr.ecedino' chapter, nee
the note there on ver. 29. U theri fore this .chaijler be con-
nected with tile preceding, as it .shoul<l be, and the first three
verses not only read in the past teIl^e, but iilso in a parenthesis,
the .sense will be much more distinct and clear than it now
ap|K;ars.
Vcr.se 2. Let every man borrow^ I'or a proper correction of
the strange mistj-anslation of tlie wokI '^iiw shaal in this ver.se,
see the note on cha|). iii. 22.
Verse -3. 'I'he man JMo.^es was very greul'^ The iniracles
vhich Piiaraoh and his scrvanLs iia<l already seen liitu woi:k,
A.>r.2.'ii;!.
V. C. 1 1'.U.
3 " And the Lord gave the people
favour in the sight of the Egyptians.
Moreover the man '' Moses was very great in the
land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's ser-
vants, and in the sight of the people.
4 ^ And ]\Ioses said. Thus saith the Lord,
" About midnight will I go out into the midst of
Egyi)t :
,5 And ' iill the first-born in the land of Egypt
shall die,from the first-boni of Pharaoh tliatsitteth
'2 Sam. 7.?. E-tlier P. 4. K<-cIii3. 4o. 1.-
5. t7. -fell. 12. 12,29.
'cli. 12. 12, 'A 29. Aiutis
Amos -1. 10.
had tloubtless impressed tliem with a high opinion of his w!.=-
doin and power. Had ht not appeared in their sight as a Acry
extraordinary person, whom it would have been very tlangerous W |
molest, we may naturally conc!ude, that some violence would 1
long ere this, have been oflered to his person.
Verse -1. Aliojit midnight xvill I go ont] Whether God did
this by the ministry of a good, or of an eiJl angel, is a in;aterof
little importance, though some commentators have greatly mag-
nifii d it. Hoth kinds of angels are under his power and juris-
diction, and he may em|)loy them as he please;. Such a work
of destruction as the slaying of the tu-.-tboi-n, is supposed to be
more proper for a bad, than for a good an^el. Put the porks
of (Kid's justice are not less holy and pure than the works of
his mercy'; and the highest archangel may, with the utmost j
propri'. ty, be eiuploved in either. !
Ver.-e 5. The Jirslbom of Vharaoh, iVc] Frcm the heir tollie
and of its effects on the Egyptians.
A prediction of tfic ri.sTH Plague, CHAP. XL
A.M.toi.?. „pon his throne, even unto the first- [ or l)cast : fi'.:it ye may know how that
S.c. 1491. horn of the maid-servant that /.vbeliincl the Lord doth put a ditiercnce be-
tween the Egyptians and Israel
A. M. ■.'•>!.•;.
Ji C. 1191.
the milly and all the first-born of beasts.
6 ' And tlicre shall be a great cry throughout
all the land of Egypt, such as there was none
like it, nor shall be like it any more.
7 " But against any of the children of Israel
'shall not a dog move his tongue, against man
•Ch. IJ. 30. Anios .5. 17.
Wisd. 18. 10. —
" cli. la. :«.
-0 ch. 8. ;;■.'
-' Josh. 10. ii.
Egyptian throne, to the .«on of the ino>t abject Aavc, or the prin-
cipal peiMjM in eaeli rainily. .'>io the note on chap. xii. ver. 'J9.
T/ie maidservant that is behind the milt~\ Tlie meanest slaves
were empluyeil in this work. In many parts of the East, they
still '.^rinii all their com with a kind of portable mill-stones, the
upper one of which is turned round hy a sort of lever fixed in
the riin. A drawinij of one of these machines as used in
China, is now lief ire me, and the person who grinds, is reprc-
ftntcd as pushing the lever before him, and thus runninj^ round
with the stone. Perhaps .something; like this is intended by
hiie expression, bkiiind the mill, in the text. On this pass;ijre
'Ik. Shaw has the followinsj observation : " ^Most families gv'm<]
: their wheat and barky at home, having tnu portable mill-
tstpnes for that pviqiosi ; the u])permo.st of which is turned
.round by a small hamlle <A' woihI or iron that is placed in the
,riin. When this stoni; is lar^re, or expedition rcfiuired, a second
^ pc rson is called in to assist ; and ils it is usual for xmmen alone
to be concerned in this employment, who .seat Ihemselve.s over
I against each other with the null-stone between them, we may
^sec, not only the propriety of the expression, J-'.xod. xi. 5. of
\sitting behind the mill, but tlli- force of another. Matt. xxiv. 40.
that fj:o -women shall be nrindini^ at the mill, the one shall be
taken and the other Irfl." Travels p. '231. 4to edit. The.se port-
,able mills, uiider the name nf (/iierns, were used among our an-
iCestors in this and the sist<'r kingdonis, and soine of thtin are in
iiise to tile prcsiiit day. Both the instrument and its name, our
itorefathirs seem to have borrowed from the continent.
\ eri-e ti. There shall be a great cry] Of the dying and for
,the dead. — See more on this subject ch. xii. 30.
: Verse 7. Xot a dog move his /o»;'(«] This passage has been ge-
;nerally understood as a proverbial erpressi on, intimating, that the
jLsraelites should not only be free from this death, but that they
4iould depart w thout any kmd of molestation. l'"or, thougii
there nni>t he much bu-tle and comparative confusion in the
;-U(lden removal of six hundred thousand persons with their
;ivives, children, gooils, cattle, &c. yet this siiould produce so
;ittle alarm, that even the dogs should not bark at them, which
t would be natural to expect, as the principal stir was to be
ibout midnight.
, After giving this ajeneral explanation from others, I may be
ixrmilted to hazard a conjecture of my own. And 1. Is it
liot probable that the allusion is here, made to a well known
Iwtoni of dogs howling when any mortality is m a village,
■treet, or even house, where such" animals arc .' There are
innumerable instances of the faithful house dog howling when
I diath happens in lh< family, as if ilistrcssed on the account,
-•eling for the loss of Ins In ncfactor : but their apparent pre-
i';'W.i,' sue, I an event by their cries, as some will have it, may
,<• attributed, not to any |)ieseience, but to the exc[uisite
ittniinis of their scent. If tjie words may bt understood in this
1 '• I
8 And " all these thy servants shall come down
unto me, and bow down themselves unto mc»,
saying, Get thee out, and all the people ' that
follow thee : and after that I will go out. And
he went out from Pharaoh in ' a ffrcat unffcr-
= Hcb. that ii at tfnj feet. .Su.Iiiiloci 4. 10. & 3. ."i. I Kings -JO. 10.
3. 9. ' Ilul). heal oj an«cr.
.'Kings
way, then the great ay througli the whole land of Egyjit may
reft r to this very circumstance : as dogs were .sacred amoiig them,
and consequently religiously preserved, they must have existed
in great nuiltitudes. 2. We know that one' of their principal
deities was Osiris, whose son, worshipped under the form of a do^-,
or a man with a dog's head, was called Annbis Uitrator, llie
barking Aniibis. May he not be represented as deploring a
calamity which he had no power to prevent amonir his wor.ship-
jjcrs, nor influence to inflict punishment upon-tho.se who set his
deity at nought. Hence while there was a great cry, nHj njDirx
tsedkah gcdolah, throughout all the land of Kgyj)!, liecausc of the
mortal.ty in every house, yet among the Israelites there was no
death, con.seqiiently no dog moved his tongue to liowl for their
calamity ; nor coiikl the object of the Kgvj^lK'.ns" wor^hip, in-
flict any similar punishment on the vorsliipptrs of Jeho\aij.
In honour of this (h)g-god, there was a city called Annbis in
Egypt, by the (iretks called Cynopolis, tlic city of the dog, the
same that is now called Menieh : m this he had atemple, and doiif
which w( IT sacred to him, were here fed v,ithco!i.secrattd victuaFs.
Thus, ;u. in t!ie first plagues, their //iai'iV;««.? were Confounded,
so in this hast, their gods were jiut to flight. And may not
this be referred to in chap. xii. 1'2. when Jehovah says, Jt^ainst
all the gods of Egypt I v.-ill execute Judgment ? Should it be
objected, that to consider the pas-age in tiiis light, would be to
acknowledge the being and deity of the fictitious Anubis, it
may be answered, that in the Sacred Writings it is not an un-
common thing to see the idol acknowledged ni order to shew
its nullity, and the more forcibly to express contempt ^•Jr U,
for its \Mirsbip[)ers, and for its worship. Thus Isaiah repre-
.sents the Babylonish idols as being endiud with sense, bowing
down under the judgments of <;od, utterly unable to helj) them-
.selves or their worshippers, and being a burdtn to the beasts
that carried thein : Bel boweth ihmn, Nebo stoopeth : their
idols tvere upon the beasts and upon the cattle . your carriat;es
■•.ierc heavy louden ; they are a burden to the \:eary beast.
ThIlV stoop, they boxi' tloiin together; they could not deliver
the burden, but themselves are gone into captiviti/. t'lian. xlvt.
1, 2. The case of Elijali and the prophets of Baal shoiild uo:
be forgotten liere : this proi'het by seeming to acknowledge the
reality of /i««/V being-, though by a strong ;;o'!y, poured the
most sovereign contempt upon him, his worshippers, and bis
worship. And Elijah mocked them and said, Cry aloud ; Fim Ht
IS .\ GOD : either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he i.i in a
journey, or peradventure he sleepeth anil must be anaked.
1 Kings xviii. 27. See the observations at the end of chap. xn.
The Lord doth put a dijlerence] See on chap. viii. 22. And
for the \ariations l)etween the Hebrew and Samaritan Penta-
teuch in this place, see at the end of the chapter.
Verse 8. And all these thy .rervauts shall come] A prediction
of what actually took plae*'. See ckap. xii. 3 1 — 33.
Pharaoh's heart is amin hardened :
EXODUS.
lie refuses to let the people g9.
A.BI.2513.
B. C. 1491.
9 ^ And the Lord said unto Moses,
i ders before Pharaoh : " and the Louo
^Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you ; hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that
A.M.SSq.
15. C. 1491,
that " my wonders may be multiplied in the land
of Egypt.
10 And Moses and Aaron did all these won-
• Ch. 3. 19. & r. 4. & 10. 1.-
-'' ch. 7. 3.
Verse 9. Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you'\ Tliough shall
and iviil are both reputed signs of the future tense, and by
many indiscriminately used ; yet they make a most essential
dillerence in composition, in a variety of cases. For instance,
if we translate j'Ku" Kb lo yishind, Pharaoh sh.'vi.l not hearken,
as in our text, the word shall, strongly intimates that it was
impossible for Pharaoh to hearken, and that God had placed
him under that impossibility^ ; but if we translate, as we should
do, Pharaoh will not hearken, it alters the case most essen-
tially, and agrees with the many passages in the preceding
chapters, where he is said to hui-e hardened his oiuit heart ; as
this proves, that he, without any impulsive necessity, obstinately
refused to attend to what Moses said or threatened ; and that
God took the ad\'antage of this obstinacy to work another
miracle, and thus multiply his wonders in the land.
Pharaoh will not hearken mito you ; and because he nonld
.not, God hardened his heart, left hun to his own obstinacy. .
To most critics it is well known that there are in se\eral
parts of the Pentateuch, considerable diflerences between the
Hebrew and Samaritan copies of this work. In this chapter,
the variations aie of considerable importance ; and com]ietent
critics have allowed that the Samaritan text, especially in this
chapter, is fuller and better connected than that of the Hebrew.
1. It is evident that the eighth verse in the present Hebrew
text has no natural connection with the seventh. For in the
seventh verse Moses delivers to die Israelites what God had
commanded him to say ; and in the eighth he appears to con-
tinue a direct discourse unto Pharaoh, though it does not ap-
pear when this discourse was begun. Tliis is ijuite contrai-y to
the custom of Moses, who always particularly notes the com-
mencement of his discourses.
2. It is not likely that the Samaritans have added these por-
tions, as they could have no private interest to .serve by so
doing ; and therefore it is likely that these additions were ori-
ginally parts of the Sacred Text, and might have been omitted,
because an ancient copyist found the substance of them in
other places. It must however be granted, that the principal
additions in the Samaritan, are repetitions of speeches which
exist in the Hebrew text.
3. The principal part of these additions do not appear to
have been borrowetl from any other (piarter. Interpolations,
ui general, are easily discerned IVoiu the confusion they intro-
duce ; but instead of deranging the sense, the additions here,
make it much more apparent : tor shoulii these not be admitted,
it is evident that some thing is wanting, without which the
connection is incomplete. See Calniet. But the reader is still
reipustod to observe, that the supiilementary matter in the
Samaritan is collected from other parts of the Hebrew text ;
and that the principal merit of the Samaritan is, that it pre-
serves the words in a better arrangement.
Dr. Kennicott hits entered into this subject at large, and by
printing the two texts in parallel columns, the supplementary
matter in the Samaritan, and the hiatus in the Hebrew text.
he woaltl not let the children of Israel go out of
his land.
« Ch. 10. 20, 27. Rom. 2. 5. k 9. 22.
will be at once perceived. It is well known that he preferred
the Samaritan to the Hebrew Pentateuch ; and his reasons for
that preference in this case, I .shall suljjoin ; as the work is exr
tremely scarce from wliich I select them, one class of readeis
especially, will be glad to meet viXh them in this place.
" Within these/ire chapters, vii, viii, ix, x, and xi, are seven
very great diflerences between the Hebrew and Saniaritan
Pentateuchs, relating to the speeches wliich denounced set-en
out of the ten judgments upon tlie Egy;)tiaii. ; viz. waters into
blood, frogs, flies, murrain, hail, locusts, and destruction of the
firstborn. Tlie Hcbreiv text gives the speeches concerning
these judgments only once at each ; but the Samaritan giv«
each speech twice. In the Hebrciv we have the speeches
concerning the five first as m command from God to Moses,
without reading that 3Ioscs delitered them ; and concerning .
the two last as delivered by Moses to Pharaoh, without reading \
that God had commanded them. Whereas in the Samaritan ■
we find every speech Twict : God commands Moses to go and ;
speak thus or thus before Pharaoh — Moses goes and denounces y
the judgment — Pharaoh disobeys, and tlie judgment takes place.
All thi^ is perfectly regular, and exactly agreeable to the double
speeches of Homer in very ancient times. I have not the
least doubt, but that the Ilelirevv text now wants many words
in each of the seven following places : chap. vii. between verses
18. and 19. end of chaji. vi). chap. viii. between 19. and 20.
chap. X. between 2. and 3. at chap. xi. at verses 3. and 4.
The reader will permit me to refer him (for all the words thus
omitted) to my oivn edition of the Hebreiv Bible (Oxford 1780.
2vols. fol.) where the whole dillcrences are most clearly de-
scribed. As this is a matter of \ery extensive consequence, I
cannot but observe here, that the present Hebrew text of Exod.
chap. xi. did /ormerly, and does still appear to me to furnish a
demonstration against itself, in proof of the double speech
being formerly recorded there, as it is now in the Samaritan.
And some very learned men have confessed the impossihility
of explaining this chapter without the assistance of the Sama-
ritan Pentateuch. 1 shall now give this important eliajiter as
I presume it stood originally, distinguishing by Italics all such
words as are added to, or differ from, our jiresent translation.
And before this chapter must be placed the two last verses of
the chapter preceding, Exod. x. 28. And Pharaoh said unto
him, Gtt thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no
more ; for in that day thou seest my face tliou shalt die. 29 And
Moses said, Thou hast well spoken : I will see thy face again
no more.
EXODUS XI.
Hebrew text and present version.
1. And the Lord said unto
Moses, Yet will I bring one
plague more upon Pharaoh and
upon.Egypt, afterwards he
will let you go hence, when
he shall let you go, he »hall
Samahitan text and new version.
1. Then .Tehovah .said unto
Mi'ses, Yet will I bring one
plague more upon Pharaoh and
upon Egy[)t, and aftt rwards he
will send yon out hence, when
he will send you away, hcwiH
The Hebrew and Samaritan
EXODUS XI
Hebrew.
stirtly thrust you out hence
CHAP. XI.
Samaritan.
surely drive you hence alto-
altocrither.
2. S|ieak now in the ears of
the people; and let every man
PORROW of his nei ^libour, and
every woman of her nei'jhhour
jewels of silver and jewels of
go!d
a. And THE LOKD GAVE the
people favour in the sight of
lie ligyptians.
i Moreover the man Moses was
i very n;reat in the land of F.jjypt,
I in the sin;ht of Pharaoh's ser-
I vants, and in the sight of the
people.
4. And Closes said, Thus
saith the Lord, About niid-
njcrjit will I go out into the
midst of Egy])f.
5. And all the first-born in
gether.
2. S]reak now in the cars of
the people; and let evt-iy man
ASK of his neighbour, and every
woman of her neighbour fi.v-
sels of silver and vessels of gold
avd raiment.
3. And I will give this peo-
ple favour in the sight of the
Egyptians, so that they shall
give them uhal ihn/ ask.
4. For alin'it midnight I xvitl
go forth into the midst qf' the
land o/E^ypt.
5. And crery first-horn in
the land of Egypt .shall die,
from the first-horn of Pharaoh
viho sitteth vpon his throne,
unto the first-born of the maid-
servant that is behind- the mill;
and ezen tinto the first-born of
even/ beast.
6. And there shall be a great
cry through all the land of
Egypt, such (7.5 there uas none
like it, nor shall be like it any
wore.
7. But again.tt any of the
children of Israel shall not a
dng move his tongne, against
man or even against beast ; that
thou mayest kno'v that Jehovah
doth put a difference between
the Egyptians and Israel.
8. And thou also shalt be
greatly honoured in the land of
Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's
servants, and in the sight of
the people.
9. Then Closes said unto
Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah,
Israel is my son my first-born ;
and I said unto thee. Let my
son go that he may serve me.
10. But thou hast refused to
let him go ; behold Jehovah
s/ayeth thy son, thy first-born.
11. And Moses said. Thus
saith Jehovah, About mid-
night will I go forth into the
niitlst (f ihe land of Egypt.
12. And every first-born in
Hebrew.
the land of l";;ypt shall die,
from Ihe first-born of Pharaoh
that sitteth u)ion his throne,
even unto the first-born of the
niaid-scrvant that isl«-hind the
mill : and all the firot-boni of
beasts.
6. And there shall be a sjreat
cry through all the land of
I'gypt, such as there was none
like it, nor shall be like it any
more.
7. 15ut against any of the
children of Israel shall not a
dog move his tongue, against
man or beast : that
ye may know how that the
Lord iloth put a differcnee
between the Egyptians and
Israel.
8. And all these thy scr-
vantsi-hall comedown unto me,
and bow do«n themselves unto
me saying, <»et thee out and all
the people that follow thee;
and after that I will go out.
And he W'ent out from Pha-
raoh in srreat ansjer.
9. And the Lord said unto
Moses, Pharaoh ,v/»i// not lieark-
en unto you, that my won-
ders may be multiplied in the
land of EgyjJt.
10. And INIoses and Aaron
did all these wonders before
Piiaraoh : and the Lord har-
dened Pharaoh's heart, so tiiat
he would not let the children
of Israel go out of his land.
texts collated and compared.
EXODUS XL
Samaritan.
the land of Egypt shall die,
from the first -Jjorn of Pharaoh
that sitteth upon his throne,
unto the first-boni of the maid-
servant that is behind the mill ;
and even unto the first-born of
every beast.
13. And there sliall be a
great cry through all tlie land
of Egypt, such as tliere was
none like it, nor shall be like
it any more. ^
1 4. Rut against any of the
children of Israel shall not a
dog move his tongue, against
man or areen against beast :
that thou mayest know that the
Lord dotli put a difterence
between the Egyptians and
Israel.
15. And all these thy ser-
vants shall come down to ma,
and bow down themselves to
nie saying. Go forth, thou and
all the people that follo\\' thee ;
and then I will go forth.
16. Tlten went he forth from
before Pharaoh in great indig-
nation.
17. And Jehovah .said unto
Moses, Pharaoh doth not heark-
en unto you, that my won-
ders may be multiplied in the
land of Egypt.
18. And Moses and Aaron
performed all these wonders
before Pharaoh : but Jehovah
hardened Pharaoh's heart, so
that he would not let the child-
ren of Israel go out of his land.
Tlie reader has now the whole of this chapter before him.
When, therefore, he has first read the 28ih and 29th verses of the
preceding chajiter, and has then observed, with due surprize,
the confusion of the Ilebrexu text in chap. xi. he will be pre-
pared to acknowledge with due gratitude, the regularity and
truth of the Samaritan text, through these many and very con-
siderable diflerences." Remarks on select passages in the Old
Testament. Svo. Oxford 1787.
The reader \\ ill pass his own judgment on the weight of this
reasoning, and the importance of the additions preserved in the
Samaritan text ; a conviction of their utility has induced me
to insert them.
CHAPTER Xn.
The month Abib is to be considered as the commencemmt of the year, 1, 2. The P.A.ss-ovEn instituted : the lamb
or kid to be used on the occasion, to he lakcnfrom the flock the tentli dai/ of the month, and eachfamih/ to provide
one, 3, 4. The lamb or kid to be a nude of the first year uithuut bkinish, 5. To be killed on the fourteenth
T t
Directions concerning the EXODUS. cekh'atim of tJie pass-over.
diiy, G, and the hlood to he sprinkled on the side-posts and li})teh of the doors, 7- The Jlesh to be prepared by
rousting, mid not to be eaten either sodden or raw, 8, 9 •• and "O P"^t of it to be left till the moriiiiig, 10. The
people to eat it 7i<ith their loins girded, <S,c. as persons prepared for a journey, 1 1. Why eullcd (he Pass-over,
le. The blood sprinkled on the door-posts, S^x. to be a token to them of preservation from the destroying angel, 13.
The fourteenth day of the month Abib to be a feast for ever, 14. Unleavened bread to be eaten seven days, 15.
This also to be observed in all their generations for ever, 17 — 20. Moses instructs the elders of Israel how they
are to offer the lamb and sprinkle his blood, and for what purpose, 21 — 23. He binds them to instruct their
children in the nature of this rite, 24 — 2". The children of Israel act as commanded, 28. Jll the Jirslborn of
E'njpt slain, 29, 30. Pharaoh and the Egyptians urge Moses, Aaron, and the Israelites to depart, 31 — 33. They
prepare for their departure, and get gold, silver, and raiment from the Egyptians, 34— 3(J. They journey frqtrt
Raineses to Succoth, in number six hundred thousand men, besides women and children, and a miied 7nultilude
37, 33. They bake unleavened cakes of the dough they brought with them out of Egypt, 39. The time in which
thetj sojourned in Egypt, 40 — 42. Different ordinances concerning the Pass-over, 43 — 49; which are all
punctuully observed by the people, zcho are brought out of Egypt the same day, 50, 51.
A^;
ND the Lord spake unto Moses
and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
Abib or Kisan.
A.M. 2513.
«. C. 1491.
Ai). E.\0(i. Isr,
saying,
2 ^ This month shall he unto you
the beginning of montlis : it shall be the first
month of the year to you.
3 ^ Speak ye unto all the congregation of
»Ch. 13. 4. Deut. 16. 1. i £5. 15. & 34. 13. Lev. 13. 3. Num. 28. 16.
NOTES ON CHAP. Xlf.
Verse 2. This month shall be unto you the begmning of
r'oitths] It is supposed that God now changed the commence-
ment of the Jewish year. The month to which this verse re-
iVrs, the month Abib, answers to a part of our March and
April ; whereas it is suppostd that previously to this, the year
began with Tisri, which answers to a part of our September ;
for m this month the Jews suppose God created the world,
when the eartii ajipeared at once with all its fruits, in per-
fection. From this circumstance, the Jews have formed a
twofold eommeneement of tiie year, which has given rise to
a twofold denomiuatiou of the year itself, to wliich they
aftenvards attended in all their reckoning;? : that wliich began
with Ti.iri or Siptcmbn-, was called tlicir civil year; that
which began with Abib or March, was called the- sacred or
ecclesiastical year.
As the Exodus of the hraclitcs formed a particular JEra,
which is refeiTed to in Jewish reckonin;rs down to the building
of the. Temple, 1 have marked it as such in the chronology in
the margin; and shall carry it down to the time in which it
ceased to be acknowledged.
Some very eminently learned men dispute this ; and especi-
ally Houbigant, who contends with great plausibility of argu-
ment, that no new commencement of the year is noted in this
place ; for, that the year liad always begun in this nwrnth,
and that the words shall be, which are inserted by diflerent
versions, have nothing answering to them in the Hebrew,
which he renders literally thus. Hie nicnsis vohis est caput
mensium ; hie vobis primus est anni ?nensis. " This month is
to you the head or chief of the months ; it is to you the first
month of the year." And he observes farther, that God only
Israel, saying, In the tenth dai/ of this ^-^^ ^•"'''
month they shall take to them every ^' ^' "7'
man a lamb, according to the house i.
of their fathers, a lamb for a house : "°":
4 And if tlie household be too little for the
lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his
house take it, according to the number of the
Esth. 3. 7. " Or, hid.
marks it thus, as is evident from the context, to shew the
people that this month, which was the beginning of their
year, should be so designated as to point out to their posterity,
on uhat month and on what day of the month they were to
celebrate the pass-over and the feast of unleavened bread. His
word.s are these : Ergo siiperest, et Hehr. ipso ex contextu
effickur, lion hie novi ordinis annum constitui, sed eum anni
mensem, qui essct pnmus, idea eommemorari, ut posteris con-
starct, quo mense, et quo die mensis pascha et azyma celebrunda
essent.
Verse 3. In the tenth day of the month] In after times, they
began their preparation on the thirteenth day, or day before
the Pass-over, which was not celebrated till the fourteenth
day, see ver. 6. but on the present occasion, as this was their
first pass-over, they probably required more time to get ready
in ; as a state of very great confusion must have prevailed at
this time. Mr. Ainsworth remarks, that on tins day the Is-
raelites did afterwards go through Jordan into the land of
Canaan. Josh. iv. 19. And Chn.st our paschal Lamb, on this
day, entered Jerusalem, riding on an ass ; the people bearing
palm branches, and crying, Hosanna, John xii. I, 12, 13, &e.
and in him this type was truly fulfilled.
A lamb] The original word ni:' sch signifies the young of
sheep and of goats, and may be indiilerently translated either
lamb or kid. See ver. 5.
A lamb for a house] The whole host of Israel was divided
into twelve tribes, tliese tribes into families, the families into
houses, and the houses into particular persons; Numb. i. Josh,
vii. 14. Ainsieorth.
Verse 4. Jf the household be ton little] That is. If there be
not persons enow in one familyj to eat a whole lainb, then
The paschal lamb described. CHAP.
eveiyman according to Iiis eat- I
ing,shall make your count fbrtlirlamb.
5 Your lamb shall be 'without ble-
mish, a male ^ ot" the first year : ye :'
shall take //out from the sheep, or from the goats : i;
6 And ye shall keep it up vintil the '' fourteenth
day of the same month : and the whole assembly
A.!M.2.ii:J. souls
B. C. 1491.
Aii.Exod.lsr.
1.
AhxhotNii.in.
■I.ev. •». 19, 20, 21. M«l. 1. 8, 14. Hebr. 9. 11. 1 I'ct. 1. 19. ' Heb.
ion of a year. Lev. 23. 12. ,
two families must join together. The Rabbins allow that there
should be at least ten persons to one paschal lamb, and not
more tlian fa-enty.
Take it accordini; to the number of the souls'] The persons
who were to eat of it were to be first ascertained, and then tlic
lamb to be slain and dressed for that rwmber.
Verse 5. Without blemish] Having no natural imperfectifin, no
disease, no deficiency or redundancy of parts. On this point, the
Rabbins have trifled most ep;rtgiou.sly, rcckoning_^//y blemishes
that render a lamb or a kid, or any animal, improper to be
sacrificed : five in the ear, three in the eye-lid, eight in the eye,
three in the nose, six in the mouth, &c. &c.
A male of the first year] Tliat is. Any age in the first year,
between eight days and tv:eh'e months.
From the sheep or from the gouts] That is, the T\z: seh means
either; and either vras equally j)roper, if without blemish.
The Hebrews, however, in general preferred the lamb to the
kid.
Verse 6. Ye shall keep it vp until the fourteenth day] The
lamb or kid was to be taken from the Hock on the tenth day,
and kept up and fed by itself till the fourteenth day, when it
was to be sacrificed. This was never commanded nor prac-
tised afterwards. The Rabbins mark four thiivjjs that were
required in tlie first pass-over, that were never required afler-
wards : 1 . The eating of the lamb in their houses dispersed
through Goshen. 2. The taking the lamb on the tenth day.
3. The striking of its blood on the door-posts and lintels of
their houses. And I. Their eating it in haste. These things
were not required of the succeeding generations.
The v.'hole assembly — shall kill it] Any person might kill it ;
the sacrificial act, in this case, not being confined to the priests.
In the eve/ling] CT'ailTi J'D beyn ka-arabayim, " between
the two cvenlntis." The Jews divided the day into 7norning
and evening : till the sun passed the meridian, all was morning
or forenoon ; after that, all was afternoon or evening. Tlieir
first evening began jii^t after tn-ehe o'clock, and continued till
lunscl ; their second evening began at sunset, and continued till
night, i. e. during the whole time ol' tivilight : — between twelve
o'clock, therefore, and the termination of tunlight, the pass-
over Tvas to be nfte-red.
" The day, among the Jews, had tivclve hours. Josh. xi. 9.
Their tint hour was about six o'clock in the morning with us.
Their sixth hour was our noun. Their ninth hour answered to
our three o'clock in the at\crnoon. By this we may under-
stand that the time in which Christ was crucified, began at the
third hour, that is, at nine o'clock in the morning, the ordi-
nary time for the daily morning sacrifice, and ended at the
ninth hour, that is, three o'clock in the afternoon, the time of
the evening sacrifice, Mark xv. 25, 33, 34, 37. Wherefore
their ninth hour was their hour of prayer, when they used to
go into the temple at the dally evening sacrifice, Acts iii. 1.
XII. Its blood must be sprinkled.
of the congregation of Israel shall kill
it '' in the evening.
7 And they shall take of the blood,
and strike it on the two side posts,
and on the upper door post of the houses,
wherein they shall cat it.
8 And they shall cat the flesh in that night,
A.M. 251.S.
B. C. 1491.
An.Eiod. Isi
1.
Akib ot Kisav .
' Lfv. 23. X Nurab. 9. ,T & 'J6. 16.
the two aeniiigs. ch. 16. 12.
Dent. 16. 1, 6. * Hcb. between
and this was the ordinary time for the passover. It \» worthy
of remark, that God sets no particular hour for the killing of
the ]>assover : any time between the two evenings, i. e. between
twelve o'Hoek in the day, and the termination of twilight, was
lawful. Tlie daily sacrifice, see Exod. xxix. 38, 39. was killed
at half past the eighth hour, that is, half an hour before three
in the afternoon ; and it was offered up at half past the ninth
hour, that is, half an hour after three. In the evening of the
passover it was killed at half past the seventh hour, and offered
at half past the eighth, that is, half an hour before three : and
if the evening of the passover fell on the evening of the Sabbath,
it was killed at half past the sixth hour, and offered at half
pa^t the SEVENTH, that is, half an hour before fjjo in the after-
noon. The reason of this was, they were first obliged to kill
the daily sacrifice, and then to kill and roast the paschal lamb,
and also to rest the evening before the passover. Agreeably
to this, Maymonidcs says, The killing of the passover is af^er
mid-day ; and if they kill it Ixfore, it is not lawful ; and they
do not kill it till after the daily evening .sacrifice, and burning
of incense : and after they have trimmed the lamps, they be-
gin to kill the paschal lambs until the end of the day. By this
time of the day, tiod fore.shewed the sufferings of Christ m the
evening of times or in the last days, Heb. i. 3. 1 Pet. i. 19, 28.
and abuut the same time of the day, when the paschal lanib
ordinarily died. He died also, viz. at the ninth hour : Matt.
xxvii. 46 — 50." See Ainsxvorth.
Verse 7. Take of the blood, and strike it on the two side
posts] This was to be done by dipping a bunch of hyssop into
the blood, and thus sprinkling it upon the posts, &c. see ver.
22. That this sprinkling of the blood of the paschal lamb,
was an emblem of the sacrifice and atonement made by the
death of Jesus Chri.st, is most clearly intimated in the Sacred
Writings, 1 Pet. i. 2. Heb. ix. 13, 14. viii. 10. It is remark-
able, that no blood was to be sprinkled on the threshold, to
teach, as Mr. Ainsworth properly obseiTes, a reverent regard
for the blood of Christ, that men should not tread vnda- foot
the Son of GOD, nor count the blood of the covenant where-
with they were sanctified, an unholy thing. Heb. x. 29,
Verse 8. They shall cat the flesh — roast luith fre] As it
was the ordinary custom of the .lews to boil their flesh, some
think that the command given here was in opjiosition to the
custom of the Egyptians, who ate j-aw flesh in honour of Osi-
ris. Ihe Ethiopians are to this day remarkable for eating raw
Jicsh ; as is the case with most savage nations.
UnleuTcned bread] msi; matsoth, from rxo matsah, to
squeeze or compress, because the bread prepared witliout leaven
or yeast, was generally compressed, sad or heavy, as we term
it. The word here pro|)erly signifies unleavened cakes ; tlie
word for leaven in Hebrew is yen chamets, wli.ch simply sig-
nifies to ferment. It is supposed that leaven was forbidden on
this and otlier occasions, that the bread being less agreeable to
T t 2
To he eaten with hitter herhs.
A.M. 2.5l:i.
B. C. 1-191.
An.Exud. Isr.
Ahih or Nhnn.
roastwith fiirc, and ^ unleavened bread ;
and with bitter /lerhs they shall eat it.
9 Eat not ol'it raw, nor sodden at all
with water, but "roastavV/ifire; hishead
witii his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
lO ^ And ye shall let nothing of it remain until
the morninsc ; and that which I'emaineth of it
until the morning, ye shall burn with fire.
EXODUS. Thei/ must be ready to depart.
11 5F And thus shall ye eat it; "doith
your loins girded, your shoes on your
feet, and your staff in your hand ;
and ye shall eat it in haste : '^ it i'*-
the Lord's pass-over.
12 For I " will pass through tlie land of Egypt
this night, and will smite all the firstborn in
the land of Egypt, both man and beast ; and
" Cli. 34. 25. Deut. 16. 3. Numb. 9. 11. 1 Cor. 5. 8. '' Dent. 16. 7.-
tlie taste, it miglit be emblematical of theiv bomlasje and bilter
servitude : as this seems to liave been one design of the hitler
herbs which were commanded to be used on this occasion ;
but this certainly was not the sole design of the prohibition :
ieaven itself is a species of corniption, being produced by fer-
meniation, whid'., in sucli cases, tends to putrefaction. In this
very light St. Paul considers tlie subject in this place : hence
alluding to the pa.-sc>ver as a type of Clirist, he says. Purge out
therefore the old leaven — for Christ our pass-over is sacrificed
for us : therefore let us keep the feast, not xvith old leaven,
neither with the leaven of malice and luickcdness, but ivith the
unleavened bread nf sinceriti/ and truth, 1 Cor. v. 6 — 8.
Bitter herbs] What kind of herl)s or sallad is mtended by
the word S'T^a merari/n, which literally i^igT.ifies bitters, is
riot well known. The Jews think cichon^, ii-ild lettuce, liore-
hound, and the like, are intended. Whatever may be implied
un<ler the term, whether bitter herbs, or bitter ingredients m
jrenerai, it was designed to jmt them in mind of their bitter
and severe bondage in the land of Egypt, from which God
was now about to tkliver them.
Verse 9. With the purtenance thereof.'] All the intestines,
for these were abused by the heathens to purposes of divina-
tion; and when roasted in the manner here directed, they
could not be thus used. The command also implies, that the
lamb was to be roasted whole ; neither the head or legs were
to be separated, nor the intestines removed. I suppose that
these last simply included the heart, hnigs, liver, kidnej/s, ike.
and not the intestinal canal.
Verse 10. Ye shall lei nothing of it remain until the morn-
ing'] Merely to prevent putrefaction ; for it was not meet that
a thing oflered to (iod should be subjected to corruption, which
in such hot countries it must speedily undergo. Thus, the body
of our blessed Lord saw no corruption, Psal. xvi. 10. Acts ii. 37.
because, like the Paschal Lamb, it was a sacrifice ofltred to <jod.
It appears that, from the Jewish pass-o\er, the heathens
borrowed their sacrifice, termed propter viam. It was their
custom, previously to their undertaking a journey, to ofler a
sacrifice to their gods, and to eat the vchole, if possible ; but
if any part was left, they burned it with fire ; and this was
called propter viam, because it was made to pro(;ure a prosper-
ous journei/. It was in reference to this, that C.'ato is said tii
Iiave rallied a person called SI. Albidius, who, having eaten up
ail liis gpoels, set fire to his house, his only remaining pro-
perty. " He has ofiered his sacrifice propter viam," said
Cute, " Ijecause he has burned what he could not eat." This
account is given by Maooiw.?, Saturn, lib. ii. 3. edit. Bipont.
voL I. p. 3o3. and is a remarkable instance how closely some
of the religii^us observances of the people of God have been
copied by the heathen nations.
Verse II. And thus shall i/e eat it ; \y'\i\i your loins girded]
Ab ill tlit Eastern coimtries they \vtiir long loose garments.
A.M. 2513.
B.C. 1491.
An. Exod.lsr.
1.
Ahlhojliiscm,
' ch. 23. 18. & 54. 2.5. " Deut. 16. 5. 'cli. 11. 4, 5. Amos 5. 17.
whenever they travel, they tuck up the fore parts of their
garments in the girdle, v/liich they wear round tluir loin.'!.
Your shoes on your feet] This ; earns jmrticularly mentioned,
because not customary. " The easterns throw oli' their .shoes
when they eat, because it would be troublesome," says Sir J.
Chardia, " to keep their shoes upon their feet, they sitting
cross-legged on the floor, and having no hinder quarters to-
their shoes, which are made like slippers : and as they do not
use tables and chairs as we do in Europe, but have their fiooi-s
covered with carpets, they throw off their shoes when they
enter their ajiartments, lest they should soil those beautiful
pieces of furniture." - On the contrary, the Israelites were to
have their shoes on, because now aljout to commence their
jom'ney. It was customary among tiie Romans to lay aside
their .-hoes when tliey went to a banquet. The servants took
theui ofl' them when tbt y entered the house; and returne4
them \i hen they departed to their own habitations.
Your fta/r in your hand] The same writer observes, that the
Eastei'n peo]>]e universally make u^e of a stqlf when they travel
on foot.
Ye shall eat it in haste] Because they were suddenly to take
their departure : the destroying Angel was at hand, their
enemies were coming against them, and they had not a mo-
ment to lose.
It is the herd's pass-ovek.] That is, Jehovah is now about
to pass over the land, and the houses only where the blood is
sprinkled, shall be safe froni the stroke of death. The He-
brew word noil pesach, which we very properly translate
PASs-ovEn, and which should be always pronounced as t-^iio
ivords, has its name from the Angel of OoA passing by or over
the houses of the Israelites, on the jiosts and lintels of which
the blood of the la.nb was sprinkled ; while he stopped at the
houses of the Egyptians, to slay their firstborn.
Verse 13. Against all the gods of Egypt, i(c.] As different
animals were sacred among the Egyptians, the slaying of the
first-born of all the beasts, might lie called executing judg-
ment upon the gods of Egypt. As th.is, however, does not
appear very clear and satisfactory, some have imagined that
the word 'n'7K tlohei/, should be translated princes, which is
the rendering in our margin : for as these princes, which
were rulers of the kingdom under Pharaoh, were equally
hostile to the Hebrews with Pharaoh himself, therefore these
judgments fell equally heavy on them also. But we may ask.
Dill not these judgments fall equally on all the families of
Egypt, though multitudes of Ihein had no particular part
either in the evil counsel against the Israelites, or in their op-
pression ? Why then distinguish those in calamities, in which
all equally shared .' None of these interpretations, therefore,
appear satisfactory. Hovhigant, by a very simple and natural
emendation, ha,-, he thinks, restored the whole passage to
seiwe and reason. He supposes, that 'n^« clohey, cods, is a
CHAP. XII.
A. M. 2313.
B. c. urn.
. An. Exod.lsr.
1 1.
I Aiib or Xism.
.IPhe pass-over a continual ordinance :
* against all the '' gods of EgNipt I will
execute judgment : ' I am the Lonu.
13 And the blood shall be to you ibr !
a token upon the houses where ye arc:
and when I see the blood, I will pass over you,
and tiie plague shall not be upon you " to de-
stroy you., when I smite tlie land of Egypt.
14 And this day shall be unto you "tor a me-
morial ; and ye shall keep it a ' feast to the Loud
throughout your generation:-; ; ye shall keep it a
feast * by an ordinance for ever.
and the feast ofunL^aiened bread.
• Xuiuh. 33. 4. ^Ot, ■prince-', ch. 21. 6. *; 29. 08. Ps. 02. l.C. Jolin
10. 'Si, 35. ■■= rh. 6. 2. '' Ueh. for a ilestrnctioii. ' di. 13. 9.
t Lev. 23. 4, 5. 2 Kings 23. 21. « ver. 24, 43. & ch. 13. 10.
mistake for '^ns «///«/, tents, ox hubitations ; the n Ite, and
tlie h lamed, being meri'l)' inlercliani^ed. Tliis certainly ijives a
very coiisi.--tent sense, and points out the universality of the
desolation, to wliieh the \\ hole context continually reiers. lie
therefore <'oi:ttnds, that the text shoulil be read thus — And
on alt tlie tents, or habitations, of Egypt I 'uill execute
judi:meiit ; by which wonts the Lord signified, that not one
du-dliiig in tlie ^vho]e land of Es^ypt should be exempted from
the juilajinent here threatened. It is but justice to say, that
howevti pr<)bable this criticism may appear, it is not supported
by any oi' the ancient versions, nor by any of the MSS. col-
lated by Kennicott and De Rossi. Tlie parallel place also,
Num. xxxiii. 4. is rather aj^ainst Iloubi^ant's interpretation —
For the Iji^i/ptians buried ali their firstborn, vjliich the Lord
had smitten among iliem : upon their gods also [:2.'\"i'rx31 u be
elohej/heni] the Lord executed Judgmctils. But llouL)igant
ain.nds the word in this place, in the same way as he does
that in Exo Uis. 'Ihere appears also to be an allusion to this
former judgment, Isai. xix. 1. Behold, the Lord — shall come
into Egi/pl, iiml the idols ['V''7s eilej/lej/'] of Egi/pt slialL be
timed at his presence. And in Jerem. x:iii. 18. The houses
of the gods ['-;S}{ »n3 ba/cij clohej/1 of the Egj/ptians shall lie
burn XL-ilh fire. The Uabbiii.- say, that " when Israel came out
of l*";iypt, the li'ily ble.-sed (iod threw down all the images
of their abominations, and they were broken to pieces." —
Wlien a nation was conquered, it "(vas always supposed that
their go's had either abaniloned them, or were overcome.
Tlius Eftyjjt was ruined, and their gods confounded and de-
stroyed IwD- Jt-hovah. — See the note on chap. xi. 7.
Verse. is.. The blood shall be to you for a token"] It shall be
the sigrfUi the destioyiiitf angel, tl'.at the house on which he
sees this blood sprinkled, is under the protection of God, anil
that no person in it is to be injured. See on ver. 1 1. -
Verse 14. A tncmorial'] To keep up a reincrnbrdnce of the
severity and goodness, or justice and mercy of t'.od. IV shall
lieep it a feast — it shall be annually observtd, and r;hal! be cele-
brated with solemn religious joy. Throughout your generations
— as long as ye continue to be a distinct people — an ordinance,
a divine appointment — an institution of Cod himself, neither to
be altered Pior set a»i<lc by any human authority.
tor ever.] aVv ~pn chukuth olai/i, an everla>ling or endless
statute, becatise lepresentative of the Lamb of (Jod who laketii
away the sin of the vvorld ; whose mediation, in consequence of
his sacnfiec, shall endure wiiile time itself lasts: and to wlio.se
Bitrito and efficiu y, the »al\ alion of tlie tcul shall be ascribable
.A. M. 2513.
1). C. 1491.
All. Exod. Ur.
1.
AliUioT Afaon.
15 ^T ^ Seven days shall ye cat un•^
leavened bread ; even the first day ye
shall put away lea\cn out of your
houses : ibr whosoever eateth leaven-
ed bread from the firtit day initil the seventh
day, ' that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
16 And in tite first day there shall be "a holy
convocation, and in the sCventh day there shall be
a holy convocation to you ; no manner of work
shall be done in them, save Ihal which every
' man must eat, that only may be done of you.
" Cli. 13. (5, 7. .t 23. 15. & 34. 18, 25. Lev. 23. 5, 6. Numb. 28. 17.
■Dfiit. Id. :>, ii. 1 Cor. 5. 7. ' Cifii. 17. 14. Numb. 9. 13. "^ Lev. 23.
7, 8. Numb. 28. 18, 25. ' Hub. soul.
throughout eternity I This, therefore, is a statute and ordi-
nance, that can have no end, either in this world or iit the
world to come. It is remarkable that though the Jews have
ceased from the whole of their sacrificial system, so that sacri-
fices are no longer ollered by them in any part of the world,
yet they all, in all their generations and in ajl countries, keep
up the remembrance of the ])ass-over, and observe the feast of
unleavened bread ! But no lamb is sacrificed. .Their s;icri-
fices have all totally ceased, ever since tlie destruction of Jerusa-
lem by the Romans. Even the flesh that is used on this occa-
sion, is partly roasted, and partly boiled, that it may not even
resemble th.e iirimitive sacrifice ; fw they deem it. unlawful to
sacrifice out of Jerusalem. The truth is, the true Lamb of Cod
that taketh away the sin of the world, has been offered ; and
they have no power to restore the ancient type. See on ver. 27.
Verse !>>. Seven days shall yc eat unleavened bread] Tliis has
been considered as a distinct ordinance, and not essentially con-
nected with the pass-over. The |)ass-over wa.? to be observed
on the fourteenth day of the first month ; the feiLst of unlea\eneil
bread began on tlie" ffieenth and lasted seven days : llie first
and last ot' which were holy convocations.
Tliut soul shall be cut off] There are thirty-six places, in
which this excision or cutting off is tlireatened against the Jews
for neglect of some particular duty ; and «hat is imi)lied in
the thing itself, is not well kno\\-n. Some think it means a.
violent death ; some a premature deadi : and some an ctern;J
death. It is \ery likely that it means no more, tlian a sepai'a-
tion from the rights and privileges of an Israelite ; *o that after
this excision, the person was ecnsidcred as a mere stranger,
who had neither lot nor part in Israel,, nor any right to the
blessings of the covenant. 1 his is probably what St. Paul means,
Rom. ix. 3. But we naturally su]jpose this punishment was not
inflicted, but on those wfio h;Vl shev-^ed a marked and obstinate
contempt ibr the divine authority This punishment appears
to have been nearly the same with excommunication amon^
tli,e Christians : and from this general notion of the cutting off,.
the Ciiristian excommunication seems to have been borrowed.
Xerm IG. In the fivt day — and in the seienth Jay there shall
be a holy convocation] This is tile first place, where we meet
with the account of aa. assembly collected for the mere purpose
of rehsious worship. Such a.--semblies are called holy conioca-
tioiis, Vhich is a very appropriate ajipellation for a religious
ass-embly : they were called togollier by the express command
of God; and \vere to be employed in a work of holiness : «-i,-3"2
mikru, coiitocalion, is a word of similar nupyrt with the Greet
Directions conceniing
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An.Etod. Isr.
1.
Abih or Nisan
1 7 And ye shall observe the feast of
unleavened bread ; for ^ in this self-
same day have I brought your armies
out of the land of Egypt : therefore
shall ye observe this day in your generations by
an ordinance for ever.
18 ''In the first vionth, 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 shall there be no leaven foi;nd
in your houses : for whosoever eateth that wiiich
is leavened, "^ even that soul shall be cut off from
the congregation of Isj-ael, whether he be a
stranger, or born in the land.
20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened ; in all your
•habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.
21 ^ Then Moses called for all the elders of
Israel, and said unto them, "^ Draw out and take
you a ^ lamb according to your families, and kill
the pass-over-
»CIi. 13. 3. ''Lev. S.T 5. Nnmh. 28. 16.
Beiit. 16. 3. iC.ir. .'5. 7, 8. " Numb. 9. 1... .^.. „. .. ..
Josh. .5. 10. 2 Kings 23. 21. Ezra 6. 20. Matt. 2G. 18, 19. Mark 1*. 12
—16. Luke 22. 7, ilicc. ^Ot.kid.
<= Exod. 23. 1.1 & M. 18.
-^ ver. 3. Numb. 9. 4.
E;cl(^tlTl-^, which we commonly translate church, and which pro-
perly signifies an assenilily convened by public call.
Verse 17. Selfsiime diiy] avi?3 beetsem — in the body of this
day, or in the strength of this day — probably they began their
march .'ibout day-break, called here the body or strenfiih of the
day ; and in Deut. xvi. 1. by night, some time before the sun
rose.
Verse 19. No leaven fonnd in your houses'] To meet the letter
of this precept in the fullest manner possible, the Jews, on the
eve of this festival, in.stitute the most rigorous search through
every part of their houses, not only removing all leavened
bread, but sweeping every part clean, that no crum of bread
shall he left that Iiad any leaven in it. And so strict were they
in their observance of the letter of this law, that if even a mouse
was seen to run across the floor with a crum of bread in its
mouth, they considered the whole house as polluted, and began
their purification afresh. Vv'e have already seen that leaien was
an emblem of sin, because it proceeded from corruption ; and
the jiutting away of this, implied the turning to God with sim-
plicity and uprightness of heart. See on ver. 8. and the note
on ver. 27.
Verse 21. Kill the pass-nver.'] Tliat is, the lamb, which wis
called the paschal or pass-over lamb; the animal that was to be
sacrificed on this occasion, got the name of the insiitnlion it-
self : thus the word covenant is put often for the sacrifice of-
fered in making the covenant — so the rock was Christ, 1 Cor.
X. 4. bread and u;ine, the body and blood of Christ, Mark xiv.
'2'3,2i. St. Paul copies the expression, 1 Cor. v. 7. Christ our
pass-over (that is, our paschal laml)) is sacrificed for us.
Verse 22. A biincfi of hyssop'] The original word ditx csob
has been variously translated >nu.ik, rosemary, polypody of the
'Mall mint, origanum, marjoram, and hyssop ; the latter seems
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An.Kxod.lsr
1.
EXODUS. both these festivals,
22 ^ And ye shall take a bunch of
hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is
in the bason, and " strike the lintel
and the two side posts with the blood
that is in the bason ; and none of you shall go
out at the door of his house until the morning.
23 ' For the Lord will pass through to smite
the Egyptians ; and when he seeth the blood
upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the
Lord will pass over the door, and "will not
suffer ' the destroyer to come in unto your
houses to smite you.
24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordi-
nance to thee and to thy sons for ever,
25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come
to the land which the Lord wll give you, *" ac«
cording as he hath promised, that ye shall keep
this service.
26 " And it shall come to pass, when your
children shall say unto you, What mean ye by
this service ?
e Hchr. 11. 28. " ver. 7. ' ver. 12, 13. " Ezek. 9. 6. Rev. 7. .1.
i: 9. 4. ' 2 Sam. 24. 16. 1 Cor. 10. 10. Hehr. 11. 23.—" cli. 3. 8, 17.
" ch. 13. 8, 14. Ucut. 32. 7. .lush. 4. fi. J's, 78 6.
to be the most proper. Parkhurst says it is named from its de-
tersive and cleansing qualities, whence it was used in sprinkling
the blood of the paschal lamb, in cleansing the leprosy. Lev.
xiv. 4, 6, 51, 52. in composing the water of purification,,
Numb. xix. 6. and sprmkling it, ver. 18. It was a type of the
purifying virtue of the bitter suflerings of Christ. And it is
plain tiom P.sal. h. 9. that the Psalmist understood its meaning.
Among botanists, Hyssop is described as " a genus of the
gyinnospermia (naked seeded) order, belonging to the didynamia
class of plants. It has under shrubby, low, bushy stalks, grow-
ing a foot and a half high ; small, spear-shaped, close-sitting,
opposite leaves, witli several smaller ones ri.sing from the same
joint ; and all the stalks and branches terminated by erect
whorled spikes of flowers of diflt:Tent colours, in the varieties
of the plant. Tlie leaves have an aromatic smell, and a warm
pungent taste. The leaves of this plant are particularly recom- -.
mended in humoral asthmas, and other disorders of the breast
and lungs, and greatly promote ex])ectoration." Its medicinnl
qualities, were probably the rea-on why this plant was so par-
ticularly recommended in the Scriptures.
Verse 20. What mean yc by this service ?] The establishment
of this service annually, was a very wise provisiuti to keep up
in remembrance this wonderful deliverance, i'roin the re-
motest anticjuity, the institution of feasts, games, &c. has been j
used to keep up the memoi-y of past grand events. Hence |
God instituted the sabbath, to keep up the remembrance of the
creation ; ami the pass-over, to keep up the remembrance of tlie
deliverance frotn Egypt. All the other feasts were instituted on
similar reasons. The .lews never took their sons to the taber-
nacle or temjile till they were tuelre years of age. nor sullercJ
them to eat of th ■ flesh of any victim, tdl they iiad thera-
selvcs oflertd a iucrifice at the temple, which they were cut
Their childi-en to be taught
27 That ye shall say, ■" It is tlie sacri-
fice of the Lord's pass-over, who jiass-
ed over the houses ol'thc cliikheii of
^orAW jgj.jjgj j^ Egyi)t, wlien lie smote the
Egj'ptians, and delivered our iiouses. And the
people " bowed the head and worshipped.
A.M. f.il3.
D. C. 1491.
An.Enod.lsr.
1.
CHAP. XII. the design of the pass-over
'J8 And the children of Israel went
• Ver. n. " cli. 4. 31. ^^ Hebr. IL 28.-
&33. 4.
-•^ cl). 11. 4. 'Naiub. 8. 17.
permitted to do before tlie twelfth year of their age. It was
at this age that Joseph and Mary took our hle.sscil Lord to the
temple, probably for the fir.st time, to ofler his sacrifice. — See
Calmet.
Verse 27. It is the sitcrificc of the Lord's pass-ovtrl Wc
have already intimated, that the pa.-cluil iamb was an illus-
trious type of Christ ; and we shall find, that every ihinij in
this account is topical, or reiiresiiitative. 1. Tht- bondage
and aftUetion of the people of Israel may be considtred as
emblems of the hard slavery and w retcheilness consequent on
a state of sinfulness. Satan reigns over both body and soul,
.bringing the whole into subjection to the law of sin and
death ; while various evil tempers, pas>ions, lusts, and irregular
.appetites, act as subordinate tormentors, making the lives of
;lhe vassals of sin bitter, because of the rigour l>y which they
'are obliged to serve. Reader, is this thy case .' The mercy
■cf Goel project* the redemption of man froni this cruel bondage
and opprtssicn ; and a sacrifict is appointed for the occasion,
by God himself; to be offered with partievilar and significant
rites and ceremonies, all of which rcprest nted the passion and
dealh of our blessed Lord ; and tlie great end for winch he be-
came a $aciijice, viz. the redemption of a lost world from the
power, the guilt, and the pollution of sin, &c. And it is ^vorthy
cf remark, 1st, That the aniiivtrsury or annual commemora-
tion of the pas-over was stnctly and religiously kept by the
Jews on the day, and hour of the day, on which the original
transaction took place, throughout all their succeeding genera-
tions. 2dly, Tliat on one of these anniversaries, and, as many
suppose, on the very day and hour on which the paschal lamb
was originally offered, our blessed Lord expired on the cross
■ for the salvation of the world. 3dly, Tliat after the destruction
of Jerusalem, the paschal lamb ceased to be otlered by the Jews
throughout the world, though they i,'ontinue to hold the anni-
i versary of the pass-over, but ■a-ilhout (int/ sacrifice, notwithstand-
ing their deep-rooted inveterate antipathy against the Author
and grace of the gospel. 4thly, That the sacrament of the
Lord's supper was instituted to keep this true jiaschal sacrifice
in commemoration, and that this has been religiously observed
by the whole Christian world (one very small class of Christians
excepted) from the foundation of Christiauity to the present
day ! 5thly, That the Jews were commanded to eat the pas-
1 chal lamb; and our Lord, commemorating the pass-over, coin-
' mjnded his disciples, saying. Take eat, riiis is iny body, which
\ is given for^ozt; do this, in reincinbranct of ME. In the com-
munion service of the Church of England, the spirit and design
bolii of the type and antitype, are most e.\pressi\ely condensed
; into one point of view, in the address to the communicant. " Take
and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee ; and
FEED upon iiiM, in thy //cart, by i.mth with rilANKSuiviNe;."
Thus, Cod continues the memorial of that grand transaction
' which lie lias said should be an ortlinance for cxct ; evi-
duitly meaning llKTcby, that the paschal lamb shoidd be the
'2
A.M.v;313.
B. C. 1401.
An. Kxnd. Isr.
away, and "did as the Lord had com-
manded Moses and Aaron, sodid they. i.
'29 ^ " And it came to pass, that at -'*''' °' •^"'"-
midnifrltt 'tiie Louo .smote all the firstborn in the
land of Eg}i)t, ' tioni the firstborn of Pharaoh
Ps. 78. 51. & 105. 30. ii 135. 8. & 136. 10.-
18. 11.
-'ch. 4. 23. .t 11.5. Wi,d.
significator till the passion and death of Christ ; and that af-
terwards bread and ii'irie taken sacranieiitally, in commemo-
ration of his crucifixion, should be the conlimial rcprcsentutivcs
of that sacrifice till the tiid of the world. Thus the pat-s-over
in itself, and in its icfcreitce, is an ordinance for ever ; and thus
the words of the Lord are literally fulfillii!. Reader, li an»
from this, L That if thou art not rescind from the thraldom
of sin, thou mu^t perish fer ever. 2. That notliing less than
the power and mercy of CJoil can set thee free. 3. That Cioel
will save thee in no other way, than by bringing thee out of
thy sinful state, and from thy wicked }iractices and com-
panions. 4. I'hat m order to thy redemption, it was absolutely
necess;iry that the Son of God should take thy nature upon
him, anil die in thy stead. 5. That unless the blood of this
.sacrifice be s|)riiikled, in its atoning efficacy and merits, on
thy heart and conscience, the guilt and [)ower of thy sin can-
not be taken away. G. That <is the blood of the paschal iamb
must be sprinkled on every house, in order to the preservation
of its inhabitants, so there must be a personal appHcalioii of
the blood of the cross, to thy conscience, to take away tliy sins.
7. As it w as not enough that the pass-over was instituted, but
the blood must be sprinkled on the lintels and door-po>ts of
every hou?e, to make the rite etlectual to the salvation of each
individual ; so, it is not enough that Christ should have taken
human nature upon him, and died for the sin of the world ;
for no man who has the opportunity of hearing the gospel, is
saved by that death, who does not, by faith, get a personal ap-
plication of It to Ins own heart. 8. That tho.-*e who wish for
an application of the atoning blood, must receive this spiritual
pass-over, with a perfect readiness to depart from the land of
their captivity, and travel to the rest that remains for the people
of God : it being impossible, not only to a gross sinner, conti-
nuing such, to be finally saved (however he may presume upon
the mercy of tioel) but also to a v:orldly-minded man, to. gel to
the kingdom of Ciod ; for Christ died to save mfrom the present
evil world, according to the xuill of God. 9. Tliat in order to
commemorate aright, in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper,
the great atonement made for the sin of the world, all leaven
of malice, bitterness, and insincerity, must be put .away ; as God
will have no man to {lartake of this mystery w ho does not fully
enter into its spirit and meaning. See 1 Cor. v. 7, S.
Verse 29. Smote till the firstborn} If we take the term first-
born ill its literal sense only, \vc. shall be led to conclude, that
in a vast number of the house* of the Egyptians there could
have been no death, as it is not at all likely that every firstborn
child, of every Egyptian, family, was still aUve; and that all the
firstborn of their cattle still remained. And yet it is .'aid vcr.
30. that there was not a house iihere there was not one dead.
The word, therefore, must not be taken in its literal sense
only. Eroni its use in a great variety of places in the Scrip-
tures, it is evident that it means the chief, most e.rcellent, best
bcloixd, most (listinguiihiJ, &.C. In this sense our blessed Lord
EXODUS.
A. M. 251S.
B.C. 1491.
An. Exod. Isr.
1.
Ahib OT Nisan.
All the fifslborn slain.
that sat on his tlirone, unto the first-
born of the captive that ii-as in the
"" dungeon; and all the firstborn of
cattle.
SO And Pliaraoh rose up in the night, he, and
all his servants, and all the Egyptians ; and there
was a '' great cry in Egypt ; for there xcas not a
house where there n'as not one dead.
31 ^ And " he called for Moses and Aaron by
night, and said. Rise up, a/id get you forth'
Israel is setU
aicay.
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1491. .
Aii.Exod. Isr,
Ahih or IVtsan.
' Heb. house nf the pit. '■ch. 11.6. Prov. CI. 1;5. Amos 5. 17. Jam.
2. 13. ' ch. 11. 1. Ps. 105. 38.
is called the firstborn nf even/ creature, Goloss. i. lo. and, die
FIRSTBORN among riUDiTj hreViren, Rom. viii. 29. diat \s, he is
more excellent than all creatures, and greater than all the child-
ren of men. In the same sense we may understand Rev. i. 5.
where Christ is called the FiRST-HEGOTTEN,f;ow the dead, i. e.
llie chief of all that have ever visited the empire of death, and
on whom death has had any power ; and the oiili/ one, who by
his own might, quickened himself. In the same sense wisdom
is represented as being brought forth before all the creatures,
and being possessed by the Lord in the beginning of his ways,
Prov. viii. 22 — 30. that is, the ivisdom of God is peculiarly
conspicuous in the production, arrangement, and government
of every part of the creation. So Ephraim is called the Lord's
FiRSTBOK.N, Jer. x.xxi. 9. And the people of Israel are often
called by the same name, see Exod. iv. 22. Israel is my son,
my riRSTUORN : that is, the people in vhom I particularly de-
light, and whom I shall especially support and defend. And
because the firstborn are, in general, peculiarly dear to their
parents, and because among the Je\vs, they had especial and
^ peculiar privileges, whatever was most dear, most valuable, and
most prized, was thus denominated. So Micah vi. 7. Shall I
give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body
for the sin of my soul ? Shall I give up the most belated child
I have, he that is most dear and. H(orf necessary to me, in order
to make an atonement for my sins ? In like manner, the pro-
phet Zech. xii. 10. speaking of the conversion of the Jews to
the gospel of Christ, represents them as looking on him ivhom
they have pierced, and being as one that is hi bitterness for his
FIRSTBORN : that is, they shall feel distress and anguish as those
ivho had lost their most beloved child. So the chinch triumph-
ant in the kingdom of God are called, Hcb. xii. 23. the general
assembly and church of the iirstbokx, i. e. the most noble and
excellent of all human, if not created beings. So Homer, II. iv. v.
102. Apvi'K fffkiToyoviv fcl-i x.?.uri'/ty.'.'.TOfj.<Siv. " A hecatonib oflanibs
aW firstlings of the flock." That is, the most excellent of thci r kind.
In a contrary sense, whra the word firstborn is joined to an-
odier that signifies any kind of misery or disgrace, it then sig-
nifies the depth of misery, die utmost disgrace. So the first-
BOR.N of the poor, Isai. xiv. 30. signifies the most abject, desti-
tute, and impovtrished. The riRsrBoRN of death. Job xviii. 1.3.
means the most horrible kind of death. So in the threatening
against Pharaoh, chap. xi. 5. where he infonns him that he
will slay all the firstborn, froin the firstborn of I'littraok that
sitteth upon the throne, to the fir.ithorn of the maidservant that
is behin I the mill, he takes in the very highest and lowest con-
ditions of life. As there was no state in Egypt superior to the
throne, so there was none inferior to that of the female slave
that ground at the mill. The prophet llabakkiik seems to fix
from among my people, " both ye and
the children of Israel •, and go, serve
tlic Lord, as ye have said.
52 ^ Also take your flocks and your
herds, as ye have said, and be gone ;
and ^ bless me also.
53 ^ And the Egyptians were urgent upon the
people, that they might send them out of tlie land
in haste ; for they said, " V^e he all dead men.
34 And the people took their dough before
" Ch. 10. 9. ' cli. 10. 2o.-
— >> (jcn. a). 3.
-f Gen. 27. 34. Sch. 11. 8. Vs. 105. 38.'
this as the sense in which the word is used here ; for speaking
of llie plagues of Egypt in general, and the salvation \vhich
God atlbrded his people, he says, chap. iii. 13. Thou wenteat
forth for the salvation of thy people — thou woundedst the head
(t'NI rosh, the chief, the most excellent) of the house of the
wicked — of Pharaoh and Uie Egyptians. And the author of'
the book of Wisdom understood it in the same way. The
master and the servant were punished after one manner ; and
tike as the king, so suffered the common people — for in one mo--
ment the noblest offspring of them was destroyed : chap, xviii,
11, 12. And in no other sense can we understand the word"
in Psal. Ixxxix. 27. where, among the promises of God to
David, we fmd the following. Also I luill make him my vm^-vJ
born, higher than tlie kings of the earth ; in which passage, the
latter clause explains the former : David, as king, should be the
firstborn of God, i. e. he should be higher than the kings of
the earth — the most eminent potentate in the universe. In
this sense, therefore, we should understand the passage in'
question : the most eminent person in every family in Egypt,
as well as those who were literally the firstborn, being slain inf
this plague. Calmet and some other critics particularly con-
tend for this sense.
Verse 30. There was a great cryl No people in the universef
were more remarkable for their mourning's than the Egyp-*
tians, especially in matters of religion: they whipped, beat,
tore themselves, and howled in all the excess of grief. When
a relative died, the people left the house, ran into the streets,
and howled in the most lamentable and frantic manner, seef
Diod. Sicul. lib. i. and Herod, lib. ii. c. 85, 86. And this
latter author, happening to be in Egypt on one of their
solemnities, saw myriads of jieople whipping and beating
themselves in this manner, lib. ii. c. GO. and see Mr. Bryant
on the Plagues of Egypt, wl'.ere many examples are given,
p. 162, &c. How dreadful then must the scene of horror and dis-
tress appear, when there was not one house or family in Egypt
where there was not one dead; and according to their custom,
all the family running out into theslreets, bewailing thiscalamityf
Verse 31. Called for Moses and Awon^ Tliat is, he sent
the me.^^sage here mentioned to them ; for it d<ies not appear that
he had any farther interview with INIoses and Aaron, after what
is mentioned chap. x. 28, 29. and xi. 8. — See the notes there.
Verse 33. The Egyptians w-ere urgent upon the people] They
felt much, they feared more; and thertlore wished to get
immediately rid of a peojile, on whose account they found they
were smitten with so many and such dreadful plagues.
Verse 34. They took their dough before it icas leavened, &C.]
There was no time now lo make any regular preparation for
t.icir dep;u"ture, such was the universal hurry and confusion;
They are favoured hy the Egyptians,
t uas leavened, tlieir
A.^r. '-VMJ.
B. C. M'.'l.
An.Exiid. l5r.
1.
Abihor \Uiin,
kneading :
troughs being bound up in ihcir
clothes upo;i their shoulders.
35 And the children of Israel did
according to the word of Moses ; and they bor-
rowed of the Egyptians ''jewels of silver, and
jewels of gold, and raiment :
36 " And the Loud gave the people favour in
the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto
A.M ssia
15. C. \i9\.
All. I-mkJ. Lsr.
CHAP. XII. 2'hey are 600,000 in mimba:
them such things as they required.
And "^ they spoiled the Egyptians.
37 If And ' the children of Israel i- .
journe}x;d trom Kameses to Succotn,
about * si.K hundred thousand on foot that rverc
men, besides children.
38 And " a mixed multitude went up also with
them ; and flocks, and herds, even very much
cattle.
• Or, (/■'Ugh. ch. 8. 3. >> ch. 3. J2. Ml. '-'. ' oh. 3. 21. & 11. 3.
<Ui.-ii. 1.1 14. ch. J. 22. Ps. lOj. JT. 'Numb. 03. 3, 5. 'Gc-ii. 47. 11.
Thft Israelites could carry but little of their hotiseliold utensils
with tiiciii ; but some, such as they kneaded their bread and
kept tiieir ineal in, they were oblisjed to carry with them. The
kneading (roug/is of the Arabs are comparatively smiiU wooden
Iwwls, which, after kneading their bread in, serve tliem as
dishes, out of which they eat iheir victuals. And as to these
beins; bo\md up in their clothes, no i,nore may be intended
than their wrapping them up in tiieir lontf loose garments, or
kin what is still used among the Arabs, and called h'/kcs, which
[is along kind of blanket, something resembling a Highland
^plaid, in which they often carry their provisions, wrap theni-
?selvcs by day, and sleep at night. Dr. .Shaw lia< been par-
ticular in his description of this almost entire wardrobe of an
Arab. He says, they are of dilicrcnt si/.es and of diflerent
'(pmlitics, but generidly about six yards in length, and five or
six feet broad. lie supposes, that what we call Ruth's veil,
Ruth iii. 15. was a hifkc, and tliat tl;e same is to be under-
stoixt of the clothes of the Israelites mentioned in this verse.
Sec his Travels, p. 224. 4to. edition.
Verse 3j. Thci/ borrowed of lite Egi/ptian.i] See the note on
chap. iii. 22. v here the very exceptionable term borrow is
j largely explained.
I N'erse 37. From Rameses to Siircothl Rameses appears to
I have been another name for Goshen, tliough it is probable,
that there might have been a chief city or village in that land,
where the cliildren of Israel rendezvoused, previously to their
depuiure, called Rameses. As the term Succoth signifies
booths, or tents, it is probable that this place was so named
I from its being the place of the first eucaiiipment of tlie
Israelites.
Six hundred thousand'] Tliat is, there was this number of
efleetive men, twenty years old and \ipwards, who were able to
I go out to war. But this was not the whole mmiber, and there-
I fore the sacred writer says, tiiey were ab'xd 600,000 ; for
when tlie nuinbers were taken about thirteen months after
this, they were found to be .v?'.r hiiiulrcd end three thousand,
fwi hundred and Ji/ti/, without reckoning those under twenty
years of age, or any of tli<' tribe oi' Levi, see Numb. i. 4a, 4C.
But besides those on foot, or foot-inen, there weie no doubt
many old and comparatively infinii pasons, Avlio rode on
camels, horses, or a>ses, I>esiues tlie immense numl)er of wo-
men and children, which must lia\e been at least three lo'one
of the others ; and tlie mixed multitude, ver. 38. probably of
refugees in Fgypt, who came to sojourn there, because of the
dearih whicii had obliged them to emigrate from their own
countries ; and who now seeing that the hand of .Tehovaii Wris
a^uiust the Egyptians, and tiiV/i tiie Israelites, availed tliein-
selves of the general consternalitm, and took their leave of
Egypt ; chusing Israel's God for thtU portion, and his people
BGen. 19. 2. k 46. 3. ch. 38. 26. Numb. 1. 46. & 11. 21. " Hcb.
a great mUlurc. Mujiib. 11. 4.
for their companions. Such a company moving at once, and
emigrating from their own country, the world never before,
nor since, witnessed; no eloubt upwards of two millions of
souls, liesiiles their /2oe^i and herds, even ten/ much cattle;
and what but the mere providence of God could support such
a multitude, and in the wilderness too, where to this day the
necessaries of life are not to be found.'
Suppose we take them at a rough calculation, thus, two
millions will be found too small a number.
Ellectivc men, 20 years old and upward .... 000,000
Two-thirds of whom we may suppose were married,
in which case their wives would amount to . . 400,000
These, on an average, might have 5 children under
20 years of age, an estimate which falls consider-
ably short of the number of children each family
must have averaged, in order to produce from 75
persons, in A. M. 2398, upwards of 600,000 ef-
fective men in A. M. 2494, a period of only 196
years 2,000,000
The Levites, who probably were not included among
the efleetive men 45,000
Their wives 33,000
Their children IGJ.OOO
Tlie mixed multitude, probably not less than . . 20,000
Total . . . 3,203,000
Besides a multitude of old and inf.rm persons, who would
be obliged to ride on raniels and asses, ttc. and who nuist,
from the ])ro|)ortion that such bear to the young and healthy,
amount to many thousands more ! Exclude even the I.evites ami
their families, and upwards of three millions will be left.
l!;;d not Moses the fullest proof of his divine mission, ht-
never could base juit himself at the head of such an iinincn>e
concourse of |K'o;)le, who, \vithout the most especial and
eileetive Providence, must all liaie perished for lack oi' food.
This single circumstance, unconnected w ith aH others, is an
ample demonstration of the divine mi.'sion of ]\lo.scs, and of
the authenticity and divine inspiration of the Pentateuch. To
suppose that an im))Oslor, or one pretendiiii^ only to a divine
call, coidd have ventured to place himself at the head of such
an immense body of yieople, to lead them through a trackless
wilderness, utterly unprovided for such a journey, to a land
as yet in the possession of several j)owerful nations, whom thej'
must txpel before they could posses., the eor.ntry, would have
implied such an extreme of madness and folly, as has never
been witnessed in an iudividuiil ; and such a blind credulity in
the multitude, as is unparalelled in tne annals of mankind 1
; The succeeding stupendous events proved, that IMoscs had the
V U
The time they had d'xelt in Egypt.
EXODUS.
The night to be commemorated.
A. HI. £513. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes jl it came to pass, that all "the hosts a.m. 2513.
B.C. ^91. ofthedoush, which tliev brono;ht forth :' of the Lord went out from the land ^' ^: ^fl'
1.
Aliib or A'/smfc
Ati.IJ.viid.Isr. ,„ , . - , „
1. •' out or Jbgypt,- tor it was not leavened ; /, of Egypt.
Ahibur ^t.~im. jjgpg^jgg "they were tlirust out of 42 li is "anigiif^ to be much ob
Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they 'served unto the Lord, for bringing them out
prepared for tlicmselves any A-ictual. i| from the land of Egypt: this i.v tiiat night of
40 % Now the sojourning of the children of . the Lord, to be observed ot' all the chiklrcn of
Lsracl, who dwelt in Egypt, xcas "^ four hundred 1 Israel in their generations.
and thirty years.
41 And it came to pass at the end of the four
hundred and thirty years, e\'en the selt-same day
"Cli. t). 1. & 11. 1. Sc ver. 33. " Gen. 15. 13. Acts 7. 6. Gal. 3. \T.
authority of God to do what he did ; and the people had, at
least, such a general conviction that lie had this authority,
that they imphcitly followed his directions, and received their
law from his moutl'..
Verse 40. Now the snjournhiQ; of llie children of Israel, kc]
Tile statement in this verse is aliowtd on all hands to be ex-
tremely diilicuit ; and therefort; the passage stands in especial
need ot' illustration. " That the descendants of Israel did not
dwell 4-30 years in Egypt," says Dr. Kennicott, " may be easily
proved ; and has often been demonstrated. ' Some therefore
imagine, that by Ei^ypt here, botli it and Canaan are to be
\uider?tood. But this greater latitude of [jlace will not solve
the difficulty; since the Israelites, inelu ling' Israel their father,
did not sojourn 430 years in both countries previous to their
departure from Ej^ypt. Others, sensible of die still remain-
ing deficiency, woukl not only have Egypt in the text to
sicjnifj' it and Canaan ; but, by a figure more comprehensive,
■would have the children of Israel to mean, israel's children,
and Lrael their father, and Lwuc the father of Israel, and
part of the life of Abraham, the father of Isaac.
" Thus indeed," says Dr. Kennicott, " wc arrive at the
exact sum, and by this method of reckoning we might arrive
at any thing — but truth ; which we may presume was ne\er
thus conveyed by an inspired writer." But can the difficulty
be removed without having recourse to such absurd shifts .'
Certainly it can. The Samaritan Pentateuch, in all its manu-
scripts and printed copies, reads the place tlius :
Bfi'" ia.Ti'^z^ am^-zn^ m'sA-^-K iv!ia •m'Y/fa
U vioshab bency Yishrael vcubolam dsher yushehu baarels
Cenadn, ubuarcts 7nitsraim ihclushim shanah learbd meoth
shanah.
" Novj the sojourning of the children of Israel, and of their
fathers, which they sojourned in tlie land of Canaan and in the
land of Egypt, iias 430 years." This same sum is given by
in. Paul, (ial. iii. 17. who reckons from the promise made to
Abraham, when God commanded him to go to Canaan, to the
piving of the law, which soon followed the departure from
Egypt ; and this chronology of the Apostle is concordant with
the Samaritan Pentateuch, which, by presening the two pas-
sages, they and their fathers, and, in the land of Canaan, which
are hn out of t)ie present copies of the Ilebrcw te.\t, has
43 fi And the Lord said unto Moses and
Aaron, This is ' the ordinance of the pass-over :
There shall no stranger eat thereof:
' Oh. 7. 4. & vcr. 51. =' Heb. a night of nhsenatiotis. ' See Reut. 16. 6,
' A'umb. 9. 11.
rescued this passage from all obscurity and contradiction. It
may be necessary to observe, that the Alexandrian copy of
the Sc]5tuagint has the same reading as that in the Samaritan.
The .Samaritan Pentateuch is allowed by many learned men to
exhibit the most correct eo[)y of the five boiiks of Moses ; and
the Alexandrian copy of the Septuagint must also be allowed
j to be one of the most authentic, as well as most ancient, copies
of this versiim which we jmssess. As to St. Paul, no man will
dis])ute the authenticity of his statement ; and thus in the
mouth of these three most respectable witnesses, the whole
account is iii(lul)itably established. That these three witnesses
have the trutli, the chronology itself ]iroves ; for, from Abra-
ham's entry into Canaan to the birth of Isaac, was 2i) years,
(len. xii. 4. — xvii. 1 — 21. Isaac was (50 years old at the birth
of Jacob, Gen. xxv. 26. And Jacob was 130 at his going
down into Egypt, Gen. xlvii. 9. M'liich three sums make 215
years. And then Jiicoli and his children having contiiiued in
ligypt 215 years more, the whole sum of 430 years is regii-
larly completed. — See Kennicott's Dissertation on the Hebrew
Text.
Verse 42. A night to he much ohserved] A night to be held
in everlasting remembrance, because of the peculiar display
of the power and goodness of God; the ol)ser\anee of which
annually, was to be considered a religious precept, \i hile the
Jewish nation should continue.
^'erse 43. This is ihc ordinance of the pass-oier'] From the
last verse of this chapter, it appeal's pretty evident, tliat this
to the 50th \ erse inclusive, constituted a part of the directions
given to INIoses, re!ati\e to the proper observance of the first
pass-over, and .should be read conjointly with the precediii;j
account, beginning at ver.se 21. It may be supposed^ that the.-c
latter verses contain such particular directions as God gave to
Moses after he had given those general ones mentionf d in the
preceding verses ; but they seem all to belong to this fust
pass-over.
No straiiger shall eat of it'\ -q: p ben necar, the son of a
stranger, ov foreigner : i.e. one who was not of the genuine
Hebrew stock, or one who hatl not received circumcision; for
any circumcised person might eat the pa.ss-over, as the total
esclusion extends only to the uncircumcised, see ver. 4S. As
there are two sorts of strangers mentioned in the sacred
writings ; one who was admitted to all the Jewish ordinances,
and another, w ho, though he dwelt among the Jews, was not
permitted to eat the pass-over, or partake of any of their
solemn feasts, it may be necessary to tliew what was tht
3
Jfho may, and uho may CHAP
A.M.J51.;. 41, But every man's scn-ant lliat is[|
B. r. M'.>i. thought tor money, when thou hast!:
An. Exod. =.r. > (.ij.^.^nj(,ised liiui, thcii shall lie eat
^!^'^^- thereof.
4.5" "A foreigner, and a hired servant shall not
«at thereof.
46 In one house shall it be eaten ; thou shalt not
carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of tiie
house •, ' neither shall yc break a bone thereof.
XII.
not eat the pass-oxer.
A.M. '.'513.
IJ. C. 1491.
Aii.Eieod.lsr
'Gill. 17. 12,13.-
-"Lc
10.-
-'Aumb. '.I. U. J Jill 19. 33, 36.
«.«,*tiitial jHiiiit of (li.stinction, through which the one wa.s ad-
uiilkrt, and the other fxchidtd.
In treatises on ttic rehgious customs of the Jew.=, we fre-
quently meet v\'illi the term pro.se/j/te, from the Greek,
v^oTnXvToc, a sli(i7iu'cr, or foixic^ner, one who i.i cnmefrom his
oun people and country to scjourn ivicJi anollia: All who
were not descendants of some one of the twelve sons of Jacob,
or of Eiihraini and Mana.sseh, the two sons of Josepli, were
reputed slraiigers, nr ,proseli/tes, among the Jews. But of
those strangers, or proselytes, there were tix-o kind.*, called
among them prosehjtcn of the gute, and proscli/les of justice, or
of the covawnt. The foniicr were such as wished to dwell
among the Jews, but wtnUd not .>.\ibmit to be circnuiciseii :
they, however, acknowledged the true Ood, avoided all idolatry,
aii<l ol)served the seven precepts of Noah; but were not
obli^red to observe any of the Mosaic institutions. The latter
submitted to be circumcised, obliged themselves to observe
all "llie rites and ceremonies of the law, and were in nothing
diiilivnt from the .lew.s, but merely in their having once been
hcatlicns. 'I'he fornur, or proH-lytc.i of t/ic gate, might not
eat the jiass-over, or partake ofanyof thesac.red festivals; but the
latttr, the pro>tli/ics of the covciuittl, had the same rights,
(Spiritual and secular, as the Jews themselves. — See ver. 48.
\ erse 45. A fori:igiu-i'\ Z'a^^\ toslnih, from D'w' yas/i/ih, to
sit dovjn, or duel/, one who is a mere sojourner, for the pur-
))ose of tralfic, merchandise, &c. but who is neither proselyte
of the gate, nor of the lovaunit.
And a hired saviinti Who, though he be Ijought with
■moiiey, or has indented himself for a certain term, to serve
a Jew ; yet has not become i.ither proncli/te of the gutc, or of
tlie covcnunt. None of the.?e slull eat of it, because not
ciraitnciscd ; not brought under the hond of the covenant;
and not being under obligation to ol).serve the ftlosaic law,
• had no ri;4lit to its privil( ges and blessing-s. Even under the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, He is the Author of eternal
salvation only to them leho obey him, Ihh. v. 9. And those
who iiecome Chri.-^tians, arc chosen to salvation throi/<^'h s.>.>;c-
Tiiic-\Tn).\ of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, a Thefs. ii.
"13. And the gxue of God, th/il bringeth salvinion to all
men, hath appeared; teaching us, that mnving iN(i0OLi.\-iiss
and wouLDi.Y lusts, lue should live soiitiu.Y, RicmcoisLY,
and coDi.v, in this present world, Tit. ii. 11, 12. Such j)er-
-sons only, walk worthy of the vocation w herewith they are
-called. ■
N erse 'IG. In one house shall it be eaten"] In one family, if
that be lar^e enough ; if not, a neighbouring i'ajnily might be
invito!, vcr.se 4.
'i'ltw shalt not carry forth oiigltt ofthffca/i] Every fainily
47 '^ AH the congregation of Israel
shall " keep it.
48 And 'whenastrangershall sojourn i.
With thee, and Will keeptliepass-overto
the Loud, let all his males l)e circumcised, and
then let Iiim come near and keep it ; and he
shall be as one that is bom in the land : for no
uncircimicised })erson shall eat thereof.
49 ^ One law shall be to him that is home-
'' Vrr. 6.
Numb. y. 1.5. ' Hel!. rf'. it. f Numb. 9. 11. sNunib.
11. le 15. 15, 16. Gal. .J. -JB.
must abide ^viihin doors, because of the destroying .mgel ;
none being permitted to go out of his house, till the next
day, ver. 22.
Neither shall ye break a hone thereof.] As it was to be eaten-
in haste, ver. 11. there was no time either to separate the
boue.'^, or to' break them, in order to extract the marrow;
and lest they should be tempted to consume lime in this
way, therefore this ordinance wa.s given. It is very likely that,
when the whole lamb was brought to table, they cut oil' the
flesh w ithout even separating any of the larije joint.s, leaving
the skeleton, w ith w halever flesh they could not eat, to be
consumed liith fire, ver. 10. This precept was also given to
point out a most remarkable circumstance, which 1,501) years
after, was to take place in the crucifixion of the .Saviour of
mankind, who was the true Paschal Lamb, that Lamb of
(lod, that ta.kes away the sin of the world ; who, though he
was crucified as a common malef.ictor, and it was a universal
custom to break the legs of such on the cross, yet so did the
pio\ideiice of (Jod order it, that a bone of him was not
broken. — .See the fvilfilmenl of this wondrously exjjrefeive
type, John xix. .Vi, :Ui.
N'erse 48. And iihen a stranger — n'ill keep the pass-orer,
&.C..] I.t't all who sojourn among you, and who desire to p.ir-
take of this sacred onlinance, not only be circumcised lluir,-
si Ims, but all tile males of their families likewise, that they
may all have an equal right to the blessings of the cove-
nant.
Verse 49. One hnv shall be to him that is home-bom, &o.]
As this is the iii^st place that the terui mi," torah, or law,
occurs, a term of the greatest importance in Divine Kevela-
tion, and on the proper understanding of which much de-
})ends, I judge it best to give its geuuine explanation once
for all.
The wonl mi.T torah, coines from the root m' yflrah,
which signities to aim at, teach, point out, direct, lead, guide.,
wake struii^ht, or even ; and from these significations of tl\e
word, and in all these seniles it is iiyed in the Bible, »ve may-
see at once, tile nature, properties, and design of the law of
God. It is a system of instruction in righteousness : it
teaches the diflference between moral good iuid evil ; ascer-
tains what is right and Jli to be done, and what should be left
undone, because improper to be performed. It continually
aims at the glory of (iod, and the luqipiness of his creaduvjs —
teaches the true knowledge of the true God, ajid the de-
structive nature of sin — points out the absolute necessity of
an atonnnent, as the only means by which (iod can be re-
<.'onciled to transgre.sh^rs ; ;uid in its very significant rites and
ctrtiiionics, points out the Son of God till he fli'>uld come to
V M 2
The Israelites act
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An. Exod.lsf
1.
Ahth utKisan*
born, and unto the stranger that so- I 51
EXODUS. as commanded by Moses.
And it came to pass the self- a.m.^is.
joiirnetn among you.
50 Thus did all tlic children of Is-
same day, t/iat the Lord did bring
the children of Israel out of the land
rael ; -as the Lord commanded Mo- ' of Egypt ^ by their armies
B.C. wyi.
All. Exod.ly,
1. ^
Ahibvr JVisuju
ses and Aaron, so did they.
»Ver. 41.
put away iniquity by the sacrifice of himself. It is a revelation of
God's wistloiii and goodness, v/onderfuUy well calculated to direct
the hearts of men into the truth : to guide their feet into the
])ath of hfe ; and to make strciiglit, even, and ])!(ii}i that vay
which leads to God, and in which the soul must walk, in order
to arrive at eternal life. It is the fountain whence every cor-
rect notion relative to God, his perfections, providence, grace,
justice, holiness, omniscience, and omnipotence, has been de-
rived. And it has been the origin whence all the true prin-
ciples of Imu and juitice have been deduced. The pious study
of it was the grand means of producing the greatest kings, the
most enlightened t-tatesmen, the most accomplished poets, and
ihe most holy and useful men that ever adorned the w orld. It
is exceeded only by the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is at
once the accompiishaitnt of its rites and predictions, and the
fulfilment of its great plan and outline. As a system of teach-
ing or in>truction, it is the most sovereign and most efifectual :
as by it is the knowledge of sin ; and it alone is the school-
master, TTCAoayayo:, that leuQ.i men to t'hrist, that they may be
justified through faith, (ial. iii. ^2i. Who can absolutely ascer-
tain the exact quantum of ohliquilt/ in a crooked line, witliout
the apphcation of a straight one ? And could sin, in all its
twistings, windings, and varied involutions, have ever been
truly ascertained, bad not God given to man this perfect rule
to judge by ? The nations who aikr.owledge this revelation of
God, have, as far as they attend to its dictates, the w isest,
purest, most equal, and most beneficial laws. The nations that
do not receive it, have laws at once extravagantly severe and
extravagantly indulgent. The proper distinctions between
moral good and evil, in such states, are not known ; hence the
penal sanctit.iis are not founded on the principles of justice,
weighing the exact proportion of moral turpitude ; but on the
most arbitrary caprices, vv'hich, in many cases, shew the ut-
most indulgence to first-rate crimes, while tiiey [junish minor
otiences witli rigour and cruelty. What is the consequence }
Just what miiilit be reasonably expected: the will and caprice
of a man btiug put in the place of the wisdom of God, the
government is ojjpressive ; and tlie people freijuently goaded
to di.-itraction, rise up in a mass and overturn it : so that the
monarch, however powerful for a time, seldom lives out half
liis days. This tea* the ca.se in Greece, in Rome, in the major
part of the Asiatic governments, and is the case in all nations
of the world to the present day, where the governor is despotic,
and the laws not ibrmed according to the revelation of God.
Tlie word lex, laxu, among the Romans, has been derived
from lego, I read ; because when a law or statute was made, it
was hung up in the most public places, that it might be seen,
read, and known by all men ; that those wlio were to obey the
Javw, might not break them through ignorance, and thus incur
the penalty. Tliis was called promulgutio legis, t\. proiulgatio,
the pron.-utgation of the law, \. e. the laying it before ihe coni-
vion people. Or from ligo, I bind, because the law binds m.en
to the strict observance of its precepts. .The Greeks call a law
iiojxcij nomos, from n^<t, to divide, distribute, minister to, or
i" Ch. 6.
serve, because the law divides to all their just rights, appointu
or distributes to each his proper duty, and thus serves or
ministers to the welfare of the individual and the support of
society. Hence, where there are either no laws, or unequal
and unjust ones, all is distraction, violence, rapine, oppression,
anarcliy, and" ruin.
Verse 51. Bt/ their armies.] onxna tsebotam, from X3S
tsaba, to assemble, meet together \n an orderly or regulated man-:
net ; and hence to loar, to act together as troops in battle :
whence niN3i tsehaoi/i, troops, armies, hosts. It is from this
that the Divine Being calls himself niN3i' mrr Yehovah tse-
haoth, the Loud q/' hosts or armies, because the Israelites were
bi'ought out of Egypt under his direction, 'marshalled and or-
dered by himself; guided by his wisdom, supported by his
providence, and protected by his might. This is the true and ,
simple reason, why God is so frefjuently stiled in Scripture,' '
T/te Lord of Hosts : for the Lord did bring the children of
Israel out of the land of Egypt by their Armies.
On this cliapter, the Notes have been so full and so explicit,
that little can be added to set the subject before the Reader, in
a clearer light. On the ordinance of tlie PAss-oviin, the
Reader is re(|uested to consult the Notes on verses 7, 14, and 27.
For the display of God's power and providence in supporting
so great a multitude, where humanly speaking, there was no
provi ion ; and the proof that the Exodus of the Israelites
gives of the truth of the Mosaic history, he is referred to ver.
37. And for the meaning of the tel-m law, to ver. 49.
On the ten plagues, it may be but just necessary after what
has been said in the Notes, to make a few general Reflexions.
When the nature of the Egyptian idolatry is considefedy and
the plagues w hich were sent upon them ; we may see at once
the peculiarity of the judgment, and the great propriety of
its being inflicted in the way related by Moses. The plagufj
were either inflicted on the objects of their idolatry, or by
their means.
1. That the river Nile was an object of their worship, and
one of their greatest gods, we have already seen. As the
FIRST plague, its waters were theretbre turned into blood; and
the fsh, many of which were objects also of their adoration,
died. Blood was particularly (.flensivc to them, and the
touch of any dead animal, rendered them unclean. When
then, their great god the ri\er, was turned into blood, and its
waters became putrid, so that all the fish, minor objects of
their devotion, died, we see a judgment at once calculated to
punish, correct, and reform them. Could they ever more
trust in gods, who could neither sa\e themselves nor their de-
luded worshippers .'
2. Mr. Bryant has endeavoured to prove that/ro^-!, the se-
cond plague, were sacred animals in Egypt, and wxic dedi-
cated to Osiris : they certainly appear on many ancient Egyp-
tian monuments ; and in such circumslances and co)ine.rions, as
to shew that they were held in religious veneration. These
therefore became an awful scourge ; first, by their numbers,
GetJeral ohservalions CHAP. XII.
ami tluir intrusion into < very place ; and secondly, hy their
drulli, anil tlic iiilecliou of the- atiiiophere which look place in
3. We have seen also, that the EyyptianF, especially the
pri* sts, afKctcd gnat clcaiiliiie.'sx, and «ould not wear woollen
parincnts, Itst any kind of vermin should harbour ahout them.
Tlie THiRii plague, by nit;'ns of tire or such like vermin, was
wisely calculated both to bumble and confound them. In
this, they immediately saw a power superior to any that could
be exerted by their s;ods or their maj^icians ; luid the lallcr
were ol)hi:;ed to confess, T/iis is the finger of (Voc/ '
4. That Jiies wire held sacred anion;;- the E;iyptians, and
among various other nations, admits of the strongest proof.
It is very probable thai liaal-zebub himself, was wor.shipped
under the form of a fy, or yreat canllutric/. These, therefore,
or some kind of win;;ed noxious insects, liecame the ])vime
agents in the foikth plague : and il" the cpiomt/ia or (log-fl>/
be intended, we have already seen in tl:e Notes, with what
propriety and eflcct this juilgment Avas inflicted.
5. The mitrrain or mortality amonj; the cattle, was the fifth
plague, and the most decisive mark of the power and indigna-
tion of Jehovah. Tliat dogs, cats, monket/s, rams, heifers, and
bulls, were all objects of their most religious veneration, all
the world knows. These « ere smitten in a most singular man-
ner by the hand of tJod; and the E^^yptians saw themselves
deprived at once of all their imaginary helpers. Even Apis,
tlieir ox-god, in whom they particularly trusted, now siifters,
groans and d:es under the hand of Jehovah. Thus does he
execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. Sec ver. V2.
6. The SIXTH plague, vu- of boils and blains, was as appro-
priate ;is any of the preceding; and the sprinkling of the ashes,
the means by wiiich it was produced, peculiarly significant.
Pharmacy, Mr. Bryant has observed, was in high repute
among the Ivgyptians, and Isis, their most celebrated goddess,
w as considered as the preventer or healer of all diseases. " For
this gotldess," says Diodorus, Hist. lib. i. "used to reveal her-
self to people in their sleep, w hen they laboured under any
disorder, and aflord them relief. Many who placed their con-
fidence in her influence, Ta^aJoJw; vyiccivi^Sai were miraculously
restored. Many likewise, who had been despaired of, and
given over by the physicians, on account of the obstinacy of
the distemper, were saved tiy this goddess. Numbers, who
had been deprived of their eyes, and of other parts of their
bodies, wae all restored on tlieir ajiplication to Isis." By this
disorder, tlit refore, which no application to their gods (-ould
cure ; antl which was upon the magicians also, who were sup-
posed to possess most power and influence, God confouiuled
their pride, shewed the folly of their worship, and the vanity
of their depenilance. The means by which these boils and
blains were inflictevl, tiz. the sprinkling of ashes from the fur-
nace, Wi\s peculiarly apiiropiiate. Plutarch assures us l)e Iside
ct Osiride, that in several cities in Egypt, they were accu^lo^lU•d
to sacrifice human beings to Typhoii, whom they burnt alive,
upon a high altar ; and at the close of the sacrilice, the priests
gathered the a.~hes of these victims and scattereil them in the
air; "I presume," says Mr. Bryant, "with this view, that
where an atom of their dust was waited, a lilessing might be
entailed. The like was done by Moses with the ashes of the
furnace, that wherever any, the smallest portion alighted, it
might prove a plague and a curse to this cruel ungrateful and
infatuated peojjie. Thus there was a designeel contrast in these
workings of Providence : an apparent oppo.sition to the super-
stition of the times."
7. The o^nVrow hail, the seventh plague, attended with rain,
thunder, and lightning, in a counb'y where these scarcely ever oc-
cur, and according to an express prediction of jMoscs, must in
Ofi the ten plagues.
the most signal mauiif r point out the power and justice of God.
F/cc and water were; some of the {irincipal objects ()f Egyptian
idolatry; and fire, as Porpliyry says, tluyconsi<lered ur'ya* ci»»» iiov,
to be a great god. To find therefore, that these very elcmenU,
the objects of their adoration, were at the command of a seirant
of Jehovah, brou;;ht as a curse and scourge on the whole land,
and uyjon men also ^nd cattle, must Iv.ivt shaken tht ir belief in
these imaginary deities, while it ))roved to th.c I,-ratiites, that
there was none like the God of Jeshunin.
8. In the i;ighth plague we see, by what insignificant crea-
tures God can bring about a general destruction. A caterpillar
is beyond all animals the most contemptible, and taken singly,
the least to be dreaded in the whole empire of nature ; but in
the hand of divine justice, it becomes one of the most formid-
able foes of the human race. I'rom the examples in the Kites-,
we see how little, human power, industry, (ir art, can avail
■against this most awful scourge. Not even the mo.'t contempt-
ible animal should be considered with disrespect, as in the hand
of God, it may become the most terrible instrument for the pu-
nishment of a criminal individual, or a guilty land.
9. The .MNTH plagtie, the total anel horrible darkness,- titat
lasted for three di.ys, afforded both Israelites and Egyptians the
most illustrious proof of the power and universal dominion of
(lod: anil was particularly to the latter, a most awful, yet in-
structi\'e lesson against a species of idolatry, which had been
long prevalent in that and other countries : viz. The woi'ship
of the celestial luminaries. The sun and tnoon were Ixith
adored as supreme deities; as, the sole dispensers of light and
hfe, and the sun was invoked as the giver of iir.mort-ility and
eternal blessedness. Porphijry, De Abstin. 1. 4. preserves the
very form used by the Egyptian i)riests in addressing the sun
on behalf of a deceased person, that he might be admitted into
the society of the gods; il ha■■^o^a. lUc, x«i ©!0» ■JnZyn;, 01 rr,*
0ioi« avmixot. " O sovereign lord the Sun, ami all ye ot-!ier
Deities v\ ho bestow life on mankind, receive me; and grant
that I may be admitted as a comjjanion with the immortal gods I"
Tliese objects if their superstitious worship, Jehovah shewed
by this plague?" to be his creatures, dispensing or withholding
their light merely at his w ill and pleasure ; and that the people
might be convinced that all this came by his appointment
alone, he predicted this awful darkness; and that their astrono-
iners might have the fullest proof that this was no natural oc-
currence, and coulel not be the eftect of any kind of eclipse,,
which even when total, could endure only about four minutes,
and this case could happen only once in a 1000 years, he caused
this paljiable darkness to continue for three daj/s !
10. The tenth and last plague, the slaying of tlie firstborn,
or </(;(_/■ person in each family, may Ix; considered in the light of
!M\i\mtretributiou ; for, after that their natiemhad becii preserved
by one of the Israehtish family, they had,says Mr. Bryant," con-
trary to all right, and in defiance of original stijiulalion, en-
slaved the people to \\liom they had been so much indebted:
and niit contented with tins, they had proceedeel to murder
their otl.^pring, ami to render the peoples' bondage intolerable
by a wanton exertion of power. It liad been told them that
the family of the Israelites were esteemed as CJod's firstborn,
chap. iv. i?i?. therefore (.>'od said. Let my son go, that he may^
ser\e me; and if thou refuse — behold, 1 will slny thy son, even
thy firstborn, ver. 23. But they heeded not this admonition,
and hence those judgments came upon them, that terminated
in the death of the eldest in each family : a just retaliation for
their disobedience and cruelty." See several curious and im-
portant remarks on this subject, in a work entitled. Observa-
tions upon the plagues irttUcted on the E^/ptiims, by Jacob Bry-
ant, 8vo. 1810.
The late concentbi^ the
EXODUS.
Jirst-horn of man and beast.
On the whole, we may say, BehiAl the gooclness and severity
of (lod! Seteritu ■ \mxi'A with goodness, even to the same
eyes. It was probably, these signal displays of God's power
and justice, and these alone, that induced them to leave E'^vpt
people. He ^iinwAcV/ and fon'erfe'rf them at the same time; for 'at his command by Moses and Aaron; otherwise, with "the
there was not one of -these judgments, that had not, from its drcadiul wilderness before them, totally unprovided for such a
pecuhar nature and circumstances, some eniendatory influence, journey, in which humanlj' speaking-, it was inipossiljle for
Nor could a more eflectual mode be adopted, to demonstrate to tliem and their households to subsist, they would have rather
that people, the absurdity of their idolatry, and the incflicacy of preferred tlie ills lliey then suffered, than have run the risk of
their dependance, than that made use of on this occasion by
tile wise, just, and merciful God. At the same time, the Israel-
ites themselves, must have received a lesson of the most im-
pressive instruction, on the vanity and wickedness oi' idolatry, to
which they vicxe at all times most deplorahiy prone ; and of
which they woul<l no doubt, have "iven many more examples,
had tliL-y not had the Egyptian plagues continually before their
;'i-eater, by an attempt to escape from tlieir present bondafje.
t lliis is proved by their munnurin;4s, chap. xvi. from which it
j-is e\idfnt that they j)referrt;d liijypt \\ith all its curses, to
their situation in the wilderness, and never could Iiave been in-
duced to leave it, liad thty not had the fullest evidence that it
was the will of GckI ; which w ill, they were oblij^ed, on pain of
1 utter destruction, to obey.
CHArXER XIIL
God establishes the laio coticeniiiig the firstborn, «;»/ commands, that all such, both of man and beast, should be sane-
tlfied unto him, 1, G. Ordars them to remember the drii/ in which iheij zc'ere brought out of Egijpt, zchen theij
should be brought to the land of Canaan ; atid to keep ihia service in the month Abib, ." — 5. Repeats the com-
mand concerning the leavened bread, 7. and orders them to teach their children the cause of it, 8. and to heep
strictlif in remembrance, that it zi-as In/ the might of God alone, the;/ had been delivered from Egypt, 9. Shcu-s
that the consecratian (f the firstborn, both of man and beast, should take place relic n. fhci/ should be settled in
Canaan, 10 — 12. Tlie firstborn of man and beast to be redeemed, 13. The reason of this also to he sli^rai to
their children, 14, 15. Frontlets or phylacteries /o;- //;e hands and forehead, commanded, \G. And the people are
not led directly to the promised land, but about through the wilderness; and the reason assigned, 17, 18. Moses
takes the bones of Joseph uith him, 19. Thei/ journei/ from Saccoth and co7ne to Ethain, 20. And the Lord
goes before them In/ daj/ in a pillar of cloud, and btj night in a pillar of fire, (21. xchich miracle is regularly
f.ontinued, both bij dai) and night, '2'2.
A.M.'jmr,.
.0. C. 1491.
All. Exod. Isr.
1.
Ahihoi XhNii.
/J
ND the Lord spake unto Mo-
_l %_ S08, saying,
2 ^ Sanctify unto me all the first-
born, whatsoever opcneth tlie womli
among the chikhvu oflsiael, (juth oi'miui and of
beast : it is mine.
3 % And Moses said unto the people, " Re-
member this day, in which ye caine out fi-om
■Vlt. 12, i:;, 15. ch. 83. eP, 30. & .'5^1. IP. Lev
8. lo, 17. & 18. 15. JJeut. 15. IP.
27. 2G. Numb. ,
iHilie Sf. 23.
i. 13. 5;
NOTES ON CHAP XIII.
Verse 1 . The Lord -spu/ce unto Moxes] The commands in this
chapter, apjieai- to have been given at Suecoth, on tlie same
•day in which they left Es;y,it.
Versed. SuiKUfi/ iinlo mt ull the fu-ftboni] To sanctify,
•cnp Liaash, si'^nities to consecrate, separate, and set apart' z
tiling or person from all secular purposes, to some reli^nous use;
and exa<:tiy answer.s to the import of the Greek ayto.'^^, from u.
privative, and yn the earth, becauje every thirig offered or con-
secrated to God, V.&S separated from uti eurt/ilt/ ttscs. Hence
£. Iwlj/ person, or saint, is termed Ayio,-, i. e. a person separated
Xrom the earth— one who lives a holy life entirely devoted to
a.:m. 2.)1.t
13. C. DPI.
All. E.vod. Isr.
1.
Abilior iV/snii,
Egypt, out of the house of 'bondage;
for " by strength of liand tlie Loud
brought you out from this place:
" there shall no leavened bread be
eaten.
4 ^ ^riiis day came ye out in the month Abib.
5 And it shall be when the Lord shall ^ bring
thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the
'' CI). 12. 12. Deiit. 1(1. 3. '^lleb. servant/:. —
* cli. 23. 15. & 34. 18. UeiU. 1(3. 1.-
-" cli. C. 1.—
— sch. 3. 8.
-"■ c-li. 12. 8.
the service of God. Thus t!ie jiersons and animals .sanctified
to (Jod, were employed in the service of the tabernacle and
temple; and the animals, such as were proper, were ollered in
sacrifice.
IVIiaisocver openeth tlie teomh'] i. e. the Jir.stliorn, if a male,
for females were not otliu'ed ; nor the th'st male, if a female
ha',1 been born previously. As;'ain, if a. man had several wives,
the firMborn of each, if a male, was to be offered to God. And
all this was done, to eominemorate the preservation of live
firstborn of the Israelites, when those of the Egyptians uere
destroyed.
Verse 5. li'/icn the Lord shall bring thee into the land] Hence
Ho-w to ohsen-e the feast CHAP
A.M.ai.5. Hittltcs, and tlie Amoritcs, and the
B.C. 1491. Hivitcs, and the Jebusites, which he
An. w . .-r. J g^ygj-g j^,^(^o t]iy f-thcrs to givc thoc,
Ajnbo^snaru ^ j^,^^| flowing with luilk aud honey,':
'that thou siialt keep this service in this month. !|
6 ' Seven days tliou shalt eat unleavened bread, ■
and in the seventh day shall be a (east to the j:
Loud. jj
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; ;
and there shall '^ no leavened bread be seen witii i,
thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with i'
thee in all thy quarters.
8 And tiiou shalt " shew thy son in that day,
Sxiying, TJtis is clone, because of that ivhich the
Lo:iD did unto mc, when I came ibrth out of
%vpt.
•Ch. 6. 8. 'ch. 12. 25, 26. «ch. 12. 1.5, Ifi. " cli. 12. 19.
•vcr. 14. ch. 12. 26. 'Seevir. 16 ch. 12. 1-1. Nunib.'l.S. .W. Di-ut.
«. 8. it 11. 18- Prov. 1. 9. Isiii. 49. Id. Jer. 22. 24. Matt. 23. 5.
\. —
'\t is jirttty evident, that the Israelites were not oWi^red to ce-
ijlehnite the pass-over, or keep the Itust of iinleavtULd bread,
[till they were brouiilit into the promistd hind.
Verse 6. Unleavened bread'] See on chap. xii. 15, IG.
Verse 9. And it shall be for a si^u—tipon thj/ handl This
direction repented and enUuffcd ver. 16. gave rise to I'ln/lactc-
ries, or Tcphillin ; and this is one of the passages whicli tiie
Jews write upon them, to tlie present day. The manner in
which the Jews understood and kept these commands may
a))pear in their practice. They wrote the following- four por-
tions of the Law, npon sUps of parchment or velknii; Sunclifj
unto me the Jirstboni, Exod. xiii. from ver. 2—10. inckisix'e.
/bid it shall be ivhen the Lord shall bring thte into the lai:d,
Exod. xiii. from ver. 11 — 16. inchisive. Hear, O Israel, the
Lord our God is one Lord, Dent. vi. from ver. 4 — 9. iiicki?i\e.
And it shall come to pass, if i/c shall hearken dilip;eiit/y, Dcut.
xi. fiom \er. 13 — 21. inchisive. These four portions n\akinn;
ill all So verses, written as mentioned above, and covered with
leather, they tied to the forehead, and to the hand or arm.
Those which ttere for the head, (the fronllds) they wroio on
tliur .slips of parchment, and rolled up each by itself, and
ipliiced them in fnur compartments, joined to!,athtr in one
jpiece of skin or leather.
I Those which were desi;,nned for the hand, were tunned of
|one piece of ])archincnt, the four portions beiii;^- written uiion
lit in four columns, and rolled up from one end to the otiier.
JThese were all correct transcripts from the Mo.-aic Text, with-
jout one i-ediindant or dtfieient letter, otherwise they were not
lawful to he M'orn. Those for the head, were tied on, so as to
jrest on the tbrehcad. Those for the hand or arm Were usually
Itied on the left arm, a litde above the elbow, on the inside,
Ithat they might be near the heart, accordin.2; to the command,
l)eiit. vi. 6. And these nords vjhich I command the:: tills day,
skull be in thine heart. These phylacteries formed no inconsi-
derable part of a Jew's reiitjion ; they wore them as a si.iii of
their obli|j;ation to God, and as representing; some future bless-
edness. Hence, tliey did nut wear them on feast days, nor on
the sabbath, because these things were, in tlieui=clves, si^ns;
XIII. of wileavened bread.
9 And it shall be for 'a sign unto a.m.25w.
thee upon thine hand, and for a mc- ^' ' ^ff'
. ,", , . ' , , An. Ltod. Is.-.
monal between tlnne eves, tiiat the i.
Loud's law may be in thV moutii : ibr ^l^'H^"^-
with a strong hand hath the Lokd brought tlice
out of I'gypt.
10 •= Tiiou shall therefore keep this ordinance^
in his season, Irom year to year.
] 1 ^ And it shall be when the Lord sIkiU
bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he
sware unto thee aud to thy tathcrs, aud shall give
it thee, .
12 "That thuii shalt ' set apart unto the Lord
all that openeth the matrix, aud every firstling,
that conicrh of a beast which thou hast ; the
males shall be tiie Lokd's.
«ch. 12. 14, 21. '■ ver. 2. ch. 22. 29. & SI. 19. T,ev. 2'. 26. Nuin'j.
8. 17. & 18. Ij. Deut. 15. 19. fLzuli. 41. JO. ' Heb. cunsc (1) iiius
over.
hut they wore tlicm always when they rend the Law, or when
they prayed ; autl hence they called tliem pT'an trphilliii,
pniyer-ornaments, oratories, or iucitemoiLs to prayer. In pi'o-
cess of time, the s[)irit of this haw was lost in the letter, and
when the word was not in their mouth, nor the I.aw in their
heart, they had their phylacteries on their heads, and on their
hands. And the Pharisei s, who in our Lord's time allectcif
extraordinary piety, made their phylacteries very broad, that,
they migJit have many sentences written upon them, or the
ordinary portions in very hirge and observable letters.
It appeal's that the Jews wore tlicse for three dilierent pur-
poses.
1 . As sipis or reniembrancer.t. Tliis was the original design,
as the institution itself suiliciently proves.
2. To procure reverence and respect in the sight of tlie hea-
then. This reason is given in the (lemarn, Beracoth. chap. 1.
" Whence is it ]iroved, that the phylacteries, or tepluUin, are
the strength of Israel? Ans. l"'rom what is written, Dcut-
xxviii. 10. All the people of the earth, .shall see that thou art
called by the name of the Lor.u [ni.^< Y.ehovah'\ and they shall
be afraid of thee."
;?. They used them as anialei.i or charms, to drive avay evit
spirits, 'i'liis ajipears Irom the Targuui on Canticles, Aiii. S.
His left hcwd is under mij head, hfC. " The congregation of
Israel hath said, I am elect above all peoi)!e, because I bind
my phylacteries on my left liaiid and on my head, and the
scroll is fixed to the right side of my gate, the third part of
\\hich looks to my bed-ehainber, that daemons may not be
permitted to injure me."
An original phylactery or j'b'Sn '-ephillin now lies before
me: it is a piece of fine vellum, about ei.^htccn inches long',
and an inch and (jHurter broad. It is divided into four unequal
compartinent-s ; the letters are very well formed, but written
with many apices, after the. manner of the German Jews. Iji
the first compartment is written the portion taken IVi'in Exod.
xiii. 2 — It). In the second, Exod. xiii. 11 — 16. In the third.
Deut. vi. 4 — 9. In the fourth, Dout. xi. 13 — 21. as before re-
lated. Tiiis had originally served for the hand or arm.
l^caSom assigr.edfor the
1 3 And * every firstling of an ass
thou shalt redeem with a '' lamb; and
if tliou wilt not redeem it, then thou
shalt break his neck : and all the
first-born of man among thy children "^ shalt thou
redeem.
l* "^ And it shall be when thy son asketh thee
' in time to come, saying. What is this ? that
A.M. 2513.
iJ. C. 14?1.
All. Exod. lar.
1
Abib or Nisan.
thou shalt say unto him, ^ By strength of
hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from
the house of bondage :
15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would
hardly let us go, that ^the Lord slew all the
first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-
born of man, and the first-born of beast : there-
A.M. 251.3. •
B. C. 1491.
An.Exod.Isr.
1.
Akibi.rNisan.
EXODUS. consecration of the Jirst-lorn.
fore I sacrifice to the Lord all that
openeth the matrix, being males ; but
all the first-born of my children, I re-
; deem.
' 16 And it shall be for "a token upon thine'
hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for
by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth
' out of Egypt.
17 *[[ And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had
let the people go, that God led them not through
the way of the land of the Pliiiistines, although
that 5XYW near ; for God said. Lest peradvcnture
the people ' rejjent when they see war, and
" they i-eturn to Egypt :
18 But God 'led the people about, through
' Ch. 34. 20 Numb. 18. '15, 1(5. '' Or, hid.—'- Numb. .". 4G, 47. &; 18
IS, 16. <'c\u 12. 26. Deut. 6. 20. .losh. 4. 6, 21. = Ilcb. tn mornio.
Tliese passap,es seem to be chosen in vindication of tlic use
of the phylactery itself, as the reader may see on consultinu-
them at large. Bind them for a sign v.j)on thy hand ; and
^r FRONTLETS Between thy eye's ; write them upon the posts
©f thy HOUSE, and cpon thy c.'vtes ; all wliich commands the
.Tews take in the most literal s*nse. To acquire the reputation
«f extraordinary sanctity, they wore the fringes of their s^ar-
Totnts of an uncommon k'n:;th. Moses had commanded them
!Num. XV. 38, 39. to put fringes to the borders of their gar-
ments, that when tiicy looked upon even these distinct threads,
thty might remember not only the Law in jjeneral, but also
the very mimitiifi or smaller jiarts of all the precepts, rites, and
eereinoriics belon^rinf^ to it. As those hypocrites, ibr sucli our
Lord pi'ovcs them to be, were destitute of all the life and
power of religion ti'ilkin, they endeavoured to supply its jilace
with phylacteries and frinsres uithout. The same principles
distiusiuivh hypocrites cvciy where, and multitudes of them
may be founil among these termed Christiuns, as well as
amonc; the Jexi-s. It is probably to this institution relative to
the phylactery, that tlie words, Rev. xiv. 1. allude; And I
looked, audio — 144,000 havintj his Father's name written on
iheir foreheads. That is, says Mr. Ainsworth, as a sign of the
profession of (iod's law ; for that which m the Gospel is called
Jiis NAME, Malt. xii. 21. in the Prophets is called his l.^w,
Isai. xlii. 4. So again, Anticl^ri^t exacts the obedience to his
precepts, by a mark on men's right hands, or on their fore-
heads. Rev. xiii. 16.
Verse \:i. Every firstling of an uss titou shalt redeem with a
lamb] Or, a kid, as in the marnin. In Num. xviii. 15. it is
said, " The firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem ; and
the firstliuu- of an unclean beii-st slialt thou redeem." Hence
ve may infer, that ass is jait here for any ttnclciin beast, or for
nnclean beasts in general. The lamb was to be given to the
Lord, that is, to his priest, JS'um. xviii. 8, 15. And then the
owner oi' the uss might use it for his own service, which, with-
out this redemption, he could not do, see Deut. xv. 19.
T/ie firstborn of 7nun — shall thou redeem.'] Tins was done,
by giving to the priests five slandaid shekels, or shekels of the
sunctuary; every shekel weighing tn-cnlj/ gerahs. What the
gerah was, see on Gen. xx. 16. And llr the shekel, see Gen.
xxiii. 15.
' Ver.S. 5ch. 12. 2". '' vcr. 9. ' cli. 14. 11, 12. Num. 14 1— t.
" Ueut. 17. 16. ' cli. 14- 2. Numb. 33 6, &c.
It may be necessary to observe here, that the Hebrcv doc-
tors teach, that ii' a father had neglected or refused thus to
redeem his fir.stborn, the son himself was obliged to do it
when he came of age. As this redeeming of the firstborn was
instituted in con-sequence of sparing the firstborn of the Israel-
ites, when the firstborn both of man and beast among the
Egyptians, was destroyed ; on this ground, all the firstborn
were the Lord's, and should have been employed in his ser-
vice; but he permitted tile firstborn of a useful unclean ani-
mal, to be redeemed by a clean aiiinitd of much less value.
And he chose the tribe of Levi in place of all tiie firstborn of the
tribes in general ; and the five shekels \\cre ordered to be paid
i in lieu of such firstborn sons as were liable to serve in the
[sanctuary; and the money was applied to the support of the
' priests and Levitts. See this subject at large, in Num. iii. 12,
113,41,43,45,47—51.
Verse IG. It shall be for a token, ^-c] See the Note on
ver. 9.
Verse 17. God led them not through the ivny of the land nf
the Philistines, ^c] Had the Israelites been obliged to com-
mence their journey to the promised land, by a military cam-
paign, there is little room to doubt, that they would ha\e been
j discouraged, have rebelled against Moses and Ar.ion, and have
returned back to Egypt. Tlicir long slavery had so degraded
1 their minds, that they were incapable of any great or noble ex-
I ertions ; anil it is only on the ground of this mental degradation,
! the infallible consequence of slavery, that we can account for
' their many dastardly act.s, murinurings, and repinings after
! their escape from Egypt. Tlit Header is requested to bear this
f in mind, as it will serve to elucidate several circumstances in
the ensuing history. Iksides, tb.e Israelites were in all proba-
bility miurmcd, and totally uneipiippcd for battle, encuiiibtrcd
with their flocks, and certain culinary utensils, which they
were obliged to carry witii them in the wilderness to provide
them with bread, &<>.
Verso 18. Bat God led the people about] Dr. .Shaw has
shewn that there were tw o roads from Egypt to Canaan ; one
through the vallies of Jendilly, Rumeleah, anil Raideah, bound-
ed on each side by the mountains of the Jower Thebais; the
other lies higher, having the northern range of the moiuitailis
of JMocatee running parallel with it, on tlie right hand, tnd
'.■>],;.
B.C. M'.l.
An.Kxod. l^^.
1
AUb or jVijoH.
Tfteu cany li'ith them the hones of Joseph. CHAP.
A. .M. •-'>];. tlic way of the wilderness of the Red
sea : and the chikh'en of Israel went
lip ' harnessed out of tlie hind of
- Egypt.
19 And Moses took tlie bones of Josepli witli
him : for he had straitly .sworn die chilihen of
Israel, haying, "God will surely xisit you ; and ye
shall carry up my bones away lience with you.
20 % And " they took their journey troni Suc-
«0r, biifee in a rank. "■ Cirii .10. W. Josli. 21 3'i. AclsT. 16.
'Numh. iO. 6. ^cii. M. 19, 'il. & H>. .fU. Nunil.. !>. 15. & II). 34. &
the fksarl of the F,'.:yiitian Anibia, which lies all the way open
to the inml of thf I'hilistim-s to tlu' Itf'l. See h'a account of
these criLiiinpinenl.^ at, the tiul of Exodus.
if'ent vj) hanieysal] cr'ii"7:n cliamii.tliim. It i.< tiuly as-
tonisiiiii'.; what a i;Tcat variety of opinions are tntertaintil re-
lative to tlie meaning of tlii • worfl. After havinij ni;'.turely
considered all that I liave met with on the siiUjcet, 1 think it
j)robable, that ibe word refers --Hni.-ly to that onlcrli/ or ncll
J arranged manner in whicli the Israelites coninRiicid their jour-
■, Bcy from l*li:\"pt. For to (tirnn^e, arrai/, or set in ortkr, seems
,'to be the ideal meanin;;' of the word wXn clnimusli. A.i it was
Uiatural to expect, that m such circuiuslance-s, there nui.^t have
r been much liurry and confusion, the ins|)ired writer particu-
* hrly marks the contiaiT, to shew tliat God had so (h.-posed
f matters, that the utmost re;^ularily and order ])re\ ailed ; and
[ had it bien otherwise, thousands of men, women ;md children
I must have been trodden to death. Our margin lias it, bj/ Jive
I ill a rank, but had they marched only live a breast, supposin<j
I only one yard for each rank to move in, it would liavt- r.
A.M.'A^l.i.
B.C. 14«.
An. E.xod. Isr.
1.
/IWIiorA'uar.
. XIII. The pillar of a cloud and fire
coth, and encamped in Etham, in
the edge ol" the wilderness.
1 1 And " the Lord went before tlicrh
by day in a pillar ol' a cloud, to lead
them the way ; and by night in a pillar of lire,
to giye tliein light ; to go by day and night :
2'J He took not away the pillar of the cloud
by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from be-
fore the people.
11 11. Dent 1. IT. Nell. 9. 1.'. 19. Vs. 78. 14. «c 99. 7. & 105. 39.
Isai. t ,5. iCor. 10. 1.
which is the second place of encampment mentione'd. See thr
Extracts from Dr. Sbaw at the end of Errxhis.
Verse 21. T/it- Lord v:eia b-.foic tlicm] lliat liy tl:>' I.r.iio
I here, is me.int the Lord Jesu.s we have the autiiority of .'^t.
' Paul to believe, I Cor. x. 9. it was he who.sc spirit they tempted
in the wilderness, for it was he who led them through tlie dc-
, sart to the promised rest.
j I'i/l.ir of a child] Tliis pillni- or column which appeared as a
; clinid by ilay, and aHic by ni^ht, was the symbol of the Divine
[ presence. 'Vliis was the Slicckiiuik or divine rlwelliiii;-place,
,1 and was the ci;ntinual proof of the presence and protectU|n ot
i (;()!). It «as necessary that they .shouKl have a guide to duTct
': them through the wilderness, eveii had they taken the mo.st direct
road; and how much more so, when they look a circuHous
jl route, not usually travelled, and of which they knew nothing
1 but just as the luininous pill;;r pointed out the way. Besides,
I it is very likely, that even :Mo,-cs himself did not know tlie
1 route which (iod had deterinineil on; nor the places of en-
'camimient, till the pillar that went before them, became .sla-
quired not'less than sixty-eight miles, for even the ()UO,0(X) to li tiuuary, and thus poiiite<l out not only the road, but the dit
jiroceed on regularly in this « ay : for r)()!),00() divided by five
! gives l"2t),000 ranks of five each: and there being only 1760
I yards in a mile, the dividing 120,000 by l/tiO will give the
I number of miles such a column of people viould take up,
which by such an operation will be found to be .something
I more than 68 miles. But this, the circumstances of the his-
! tory will by no means admit. Ilan/ier. The simple meaning
, therefore, appears to be that given above: and if the note on
! the concluding verse of the preceding chapter be considered,
I it inay serve to place this explanation in a still clearer point
i of view.
I Verse 19. ^losc; look llie bones of Jo.Hph'] .Sec the note on
Gen. 1. '■2.'}. It is supposed that the Israelites carried with
i thein the- bones or remains of all the tivcti-e ■'<ons if Jacob, each
I tribe taking care of the bones of its own jiatriarch, while Moses
j took care of the bones of Joseph. St. Stephen expressly says
1 Acts vii. I"», 16. that not only Jacob, but the ./«///(7s were
I carried from Egypt into .Syeheni ; and this, m Caliiiet remarks,
I was the only opportunity that sceins to have prescaited itself for
< doing this; and certainly the reason that rcndend it proper to
i remove the b/jiies of Joseph to the promised laud, had equal
I weight in reference to those of the other Patriarchs. See the
Note on Gen. xlix. 29.
Verse 20. Encamped in Fjluuii] As, for the reasons as-
signed en ver. 17. God would not lead the Israclittw by the way
of the Philistines' country, he directed tbein towards the wilder-
ness of .S7/!/;-, ch. XV. 22. upon the edge or extremity of which,
next to Egypt, at the bottom of the Arabian Gulph, lay Ethum,
ferent places of rest. Whether there v. as more than one iiillar
is not clearly determined by the text. If there was Ijnl one,
it certainly as-^un.ed three diffcretit appearances, for the per-
formance of riiui;!; very important oflice.s. 1. In the day nine,
for the purjiose ui' poiiitiif.^ out the nay, & column ov pillar of u,
cloud, was all that was requisite. 2. At niglit, to prevent tJiat
confusion which must otherwi.se have taken place, the pillar of
cloud became a pillar of fire, not to direct their journeymgs, for_
they seKUiin travelled by night, but logiie ligtil to every part (4
the' Israelitish camp. .J. In such a scorching, barren, thirsty
desart, .something farther was necessary than a light and a
guide. Women, children, and comparatively infirm persons,
exposed to the rays of such a liurning sun, nm-t ha\e been
dcst roy ed, if w ithout a co:rring ; hence we find lliat a cloud over-
.■iliadov.ed them; and from what St. Paul ob.sei\es, 1 Cor. x.
1,2. we are led to conclu<lc, that this covering cloud was com-
posed of aijucous purlieles for the cooling of the atmosphere,
land refVeshmenl of themselves and their' cattle ; for he repre-
' sents th<' \\ hole camp as being .sprinkled or inunerscd in Jhe
humidity of its vapours, and expressly calls it a bi-ing under
the cloud, and being baptized in the cloud. To the circum-
I stance of the cloud covering them, there are several references
il) Scripture. Thus Psal. cv. .59. he spread a cloud for their co-
' vcriiis;. And the Lord xcill create upon every dwell ing-pluce of
1 Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies \ cloud and sMOKt uv
'] DAY, and tfii: .ihiniiig of a rLAMi.so riuE hy night ; for upon all
the glory shall be h defence — or covering. Isa. iv. 5. which
words contain the most mamfc:sl allusion to the threefold
" X X
Obsewatlons on the
EXODUS
See Numb. ix. IG, 17
office of the cloud in the wilderness,
18, &c.
Verse 23. He took not a-joajj the pillitr of the cloml] Neither
Jews nor'(5entiles are ap;reed how long- the cloud continued with
the IsraeUtes. It is very piolialde that it first visited them at
Sticcoth, if it did not accompany them from Rameses ; and that it
continued with them, till they came to the river Jordan, to ])ass
over of)jio>ite to Jericho ; for after that, it appears tliat the ark
idone uas their guide, as it always marched at their liead. Sec
Josh. iii. 10, &c. But others think that it went no farther with
them than Mount Hor, and never apjieared after the death of
Aaron. We may safely assert that wliile it was indispensably
necessary, it continued with them ; when it was not so, it was
removed. But it is worthy of remark, that the ark of the Co-
Tenant became its substitute. While a miracle was necessary,
a miracle was granted ; when that w as no longer necessary, then
the testimony of the Lord deposited in the ark, was deemed s.uffi-
tient, bv Him who cannot err. .So,imder the jjospel dispensation,
miracles were necessary at its first pronuilyation : but after that
the canon of Scripture was completed, the new covenant havinij
been made, ratified by the blooil of the Lamb, and published by
the Holy Spirit ; then God withdre\\' generally, those outward
siipis, leaving his xiord for a continual testintojij/, and sealing it
©n the souls of believers by the Spirit of truth.
It is also worthy of remn.rk, that the ancient heathen writers
represent the ir j>ods, in thm- pretended manifestations to men,
as always enmnipitssed iiilh a cloud. Homer and Virgil abound
v.ith examples of this kind ; and is it not very probable, that
they borrowed this, as they did many other things in their my-
thologic theolosy, from the tradition of Jehovah guiding his peo-
ple throueh the desart, by mearis of the cloud, in and by which
ite repeatedlj' manifested himself?
1. Extraordinary manifestation-, and interpositions of Provi-
dence and grace, should be held in continual remembrance. We
are liable to forgx t the hole of the ]iit whence we were digged,
urKl the rock whence we were hewn. Prudence and pieti/ will
iu-titute their anniiersnries, that the merciful dealings of the
Lord may never be forgotten. The pass-over, and the feast
if iintearencd bread, by an annual commeinoration, became
standing proofs to the children of Israel, of the chvine origin
of their religion ; and are supportmg pillars of it to the present
day- For, when a fact is reported to have taken place, and
certain rites or ceremonies have been instituted in order to
ctommemorate it, which rites or ceremonies continue to be ob-
eei-ved through succeeding ages, then the fact itself, no matter
how remote the period of its occurrence may have been, has
the utmost proofs of authenticity, that it is possible for any
fact to have ; and such as every person, pretending to reason
and judo-ment, is obliged to receive. On this around the Mo-
Baic religion, and the facts recorded in it, are indubitably
proved; and the Christian religion and its facts, being com-
memorated in the same way, particularly by baptism, and tlie
Lord's Supper, stand on such a foundation of moral certainty,
•rtS no other records in the universe can possibly boast. Reader,
praise God lor liis ordinances, they are not only means of
"race to thy soul, but standing niefraaable proofs of the truth
of that religion, which thou hast received as from HL\I.
2. A serious public profession of the religion of Christ, lias
in all aje* of the church t>een con.idered, not only highly
preceding events.
becoming, but indispen.sably necessary to salvation. He who
consistently confesses Christ before men, shall be confessed by
him, before (^od and his angels. A Jtty W'.re his phylacteries on his
forehead, on his hands, and round his garments, that he miirhthave
reverence in the sight of the heatiun — he gloried in his law, and
he exulted that Ahraham was his father. Christian, with a
Zeal not lessbecoriiing, and more consistently supported, let the
words of th}' mouth, the acts (;f thy hands, and all thy goings,
shew that thou belongest unto (jOiI ; that thou hast taken his
s))irit for the guide of thy heart, his word for the rule of thy
life, his people for thy companions, his heaven for thy inherit-
ance, and Himself for the )jortion of thy soul. And see that
Uiou hold fast the truth, and that tliou hold it in righteousness,
•3. How nierciful is Ciod in the dispensations of his provi-
dence. He permits none to be tried above what he is able to
bear, and he proportions the burden to the back that is to bear
it. He led not the Israelites by the \vay of the Philistines, lest
seeing ii-ar, they should repent and be discouraged. Young con-
\'erts are generally saved from severe spiritual conflicts and heavy
temptations, till they have acquired a hai)it of believing, are
disciplined in the school of Christ, and instructed in the nature
of the path in which they go, and the diiheullics they may e.v-
pect to find in it. They are informed that such things may
take ]>lace, they are thus armed for the battle, and when trials
do come, they are not taken by surprise : God, the most merci-
ful and kind God " tempers even the blast to the shorn lamb."
Trust in him therefore, with all thy heart, and never lean to
thy own imderstanding.
4. The providence and goodness of God are equally ob-
servable in the pillar of cloud, and the pillar of fire. The
former was the proof of his providential kindness by day, the
latter by night. Thus he adjusts the assistances of his grace
anil spirit, to the exigencies of his creatures; giving at some
times, when peculiar trials require it, more particular mani-
festations of his mercy and goodness; but at all times, such
evidences of his approbation, as are sufficient to satisfy a pious
faithful heart. It is true, the pillar of fire was more observable
in the night, because of tlie general darkness, than the pillar
of cloud was by day ; yet the latter was as convincing and as
evident a proof of his presence, approbation, and protection,
as the former. It is the duty and interest of every sound be-
liever in Christ, to lia\c the witness of God's spirit in his souf
at all times, that his spirit and ways please his IMaker; but in
seasons oi peculiar difficulty, he may expect the more sensible
manifestations of God's goodness. A good man is a temple of
the Holy Spirit ; but he who has an unholy heart, and who
lives an unrighteous life, though he may have an orthodox
creed, is a hold of unclean spirits, and an abomination in tlie
sight of the Lord. Reader, let not these observations be fruit-
less to thee. God gives thee his \vord and his spirit : obey
thi.s word, that thou grieve not this spirit. Ilie following- figu-
rative saying t)f a Jewish Rabbin is worthy of regard. " God
addresses Israel and says, IMy son, I give thee my lamp, give
me thy lamp. If thou keep my lamp, I will keep thy lainpf
l)vU if thou quench my lam]), I will extinguish thy lamp." j. e,
I give thee my word and ■•spirit, give me thy heart and soui :
if thou carefully attentl to my word, and grieve not my spirit,
I will preserve thy soul alive ; but if thou rebel against my
word, and quench my spirit, then thy light shall be put out,
and tby soul's blessedness extinguished in erolasting darkueasir
3
The Israelites encamp at Pi-hahiroth. CHAP. XH'. Pharaoh prepares to pursue them.
CHAPTER XIV.
J'/it' Israelites arc commanded lo encamp before Pi-luihimlh, 1, '2. God predicts Uic pursuit of Pliaraoh, 3, 4. P/ia-
rao/t is informed tlial llie Israelites are fied, and regrets that he suffered them to depart, 5. lie musters his troops
and pursues them, 6 — 8. Overtake^ them in their encampment hi/ the Wed sea, <). The Israelites are terrified at his
approach, 10. They murmur against Moses for leading them out, 11, VI. Moses encourages them, and assures
them (f deliverance, 13, 14. (ind commands the Israe/iles to adianre, and Mose$ to stretch out his rod Over the
sea that it might he divided, 1.), l6. and promises uttcrli/ to discomfit the Egi/ptiuns, 1", IS, The angel of God
places himself hetzceen the Israelites and the Egi/pdans, U>. The pillar of the cloud becomes darl;ne.:s to the Esi/p-
tinns zi'/iile it gives light to the Israelites, '20. MoSes stretches out his rod, and a strong east wind bloivs, and the
routers are divided, 'il. The Israelites enter and tmIIc on dri/ ground, G2. IVte Egi/ptians enter also in pursuit
of the Israelites, 23. The Lord looks out of the pillar of cloud on the Egi/ptians, terrifies them and disjoints
their chariots, 24, 2j. Moses is commanded to stretch forth his rod over the rcaters that thei/ may return to their
former bed, IG. lie docs so, and the rchote Egyptian army is overuhelmed, 1' , 28, u-hile every Israelite escapes,-
29. Being thus saved from the hand of their adversaries, theif acknowledge the pouer of God, and credit the mis-
sion of Moses, 30, 31.
I sliall follow after them ; and I '' will be
A.M. 2513.
B.C. ijyi.
Au. Es'id. Isr.
1.
Abibox N'tmn.
A
N D tlie Lord spake unto Mo-
ses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of" Israel,
that they turn and encamp ))efbre
* Pi-hahiroth, between ' Migdol and the sea,
over against Baal-zephon ; before it shall ye en-
camp by the sea.
S For Pharaoh will say of the children of
Israel, " They are entangled in the land, the
wilderness hath shut them in.
4 And " I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he
A.M.'il.-!.
B.C. 1101.
Ar.Exod.lsr.
AhlborWisan.
honoured upon lliaraoli, and upon all
his host; ^that the Egyptians may know
that I am the Loiiu. And they did so.
5 % And it was told the king of Egypt that
] the people fled : and " the heart of Pharaoh, and
of his servants, was turned against the jjeoplc,
and they said. Why have we done this, that wc
have let Israel go fi'om serving us ?
6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his
people with him :
'CIj. 1:!. 10. '■>unib.
"^Jer. 4-1, 1.-
','1. & 7. J.
-1 Ps. 71. 11.
-' cli. 4.
NOTES ON CH.\P. XIV.
Verse 2. Encamp hrfore Pi-ha/urn/It] "ITin '3 pi ha-chi-
Todi, the mnntli, ttrait, or bay of Cliiroth. Between, I\Ii;^dol,
■JUa migdol, the tower, })robal)ly a fortress that served to defend
the bay. (htr agaiiisl Baal-zeplioit, pv Vi"^ ba<d /■■^cp/ioii, the
lord or master of the watch, probably an idol temple, wiiere
acoutmual iruard, watcii or iit,d)t, was kept up, for the defence
of one part of llie liavcn, or as a guide to .-hips. Dr. Shaw
thinb' that chiroth may denote the valley uhich extended itself
from the wilderness of Ktliain to tin- Kid sea ; and that the part
in which the Israelites encauip(d war- called J'i lai-chirotit, i.e.
the mouth or bay of ('hirolh. .See his Travcl.s, p. 310, and his
uctoiint at the end of Mxodns.
Verse 3. TIkijavc entangled in ihc/tind'] (lod himself brous;ht
them into straits, fW.in which no human power or art could
extricate tluni. Consider iheir situation whin once broujjht
out of the open country, where alone thty had room either
to fi'^ht or fly. -Now lluy had the Red sea" before tlicm, I'iia-
raoh und his host behind them, and on their ri_i;ht and left
hand, Jhrlrcsxc.i of the Egyptians to ]>revcnt their escape: nor
had they one boat or transport prepared for their passai^e ! If
they Ik- fiow saved, the arm of the Lord must be seen, iuid the
fCli. 9. 16. ver. 17, 13.
Itom. 9. 17,
1115. 25.
a, 2J.-
■■ cli. 1
-" Vs.
vanity and nullity of the Egyptian idols be demonstrated. By
brinuing them into such a situation, he took from them all
ho]5e of human help, and save tlieir adversaries every advanl-
as;e ai;"iinst them, so that they diemselves said: thej/ are ai-
ian:;lcd in the land, the -.lilderness hiith shut them in.
\'erse 4. / xvill harden Pharaoh's heart'] After relentin'i'
and jjiving them permission to depart, he now changes his
mind and determin s to pn vent them, and without any further
restraining grace, (Jod [jermits him to ru-h on to his tiuul
ruin : for the cup of his iniquity was now fiUl.
Verse .5. And it leas told the hing — that the people fled] Of
their departure he could not be ignorant, because himself had
given them liberty to depart ; but the word fled hero, may Ije
understood as implying, that they had utterly left Ji^ypl, willi-
out any intention to return, which is probably what he did
not expect ; for he had only given them permission to go three
days journey into the wilderness, in order lo sacrifice to Jeho-
vah ; but from the circumstances of their departure, and the
property taey had got froai the Egyptians, it was taken for
<;'rauted, that they had nu design to return ; and this w:ls in all
likelihood, the consideration that weighed most with this avari-
cious king, and determined him to pursue, aud either recover
X X 2
The Egyptians overtake them. EXODUS. The Israelites are greatly terrijied.
A.M. ioi.i. y ^jjfi }jg took '■ six hundred cliosen I away to die in the wilderness ? where- "^- J^^ '^^la
B. c i-iyi.
Ai». Kxod. l^r,
J
j4fcifi or A':5««,
chariots, and all the chariots of Ejjypt,
and capUiins over every one of them.
8 And the Lord ''hardened the heart
fore hast thou dealt thus with us, to
carry us forth out of Egypt ?
12 ^ Is not this the word that we
B. C. J4M.
All. Exod.lsr.
1
AUb uiNoan.
of Phai-aoh kinjf of Egypt, and he pursued after j' did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone,
the children of Israel : and "" the children of Israel tiiat we may serve the Egyptians ? For it had
went out with a high hand. || beefi better tor us to serve the Egyptians, than
9 But the "^ Egyptians pursued after tliem, (aE v that we should die in the wilderness ?
the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and hislj 13 ^ And Moses said unto the people, ^ Fear
horsemen, and liis army,) and overtook them en- 1' ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the
camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before
I3aal-zephon.
10 ^ And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the chil-
dren of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold,
the Egyptians marched after them ; and they
were sore atiraid : and the children of Israel
' cried out imto the Lord.
I Lord, which he will shew to you to day : ' for
the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall
I sec them again no more lor ever.
I 14 *" The Lord shall %ht tor you, and ye shall
'I ' hold your peace.
ij 15 ^ And the Lord said unto Moses, Where-
fore cricst thou unto me ? speak unto the chil-
11 ^ And they said unto Moses, Because tlierei dren of Israel, that they go tbrward
-uere no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us 16 But "lift thou up th.y rod, and stretch out
» Ch. 15. 4. » ver. i "^ cli
l.'j. 0. .To>h. 24. G. 1 -Mun. 4. <l.—
& 107. 6. "■ Ps. 106. 7, U
6. 1. & 13. 9. Numb. r.3. 3. "ch.
-< Josh 24. 7. Neh. 9. 9 I's. SI. 17.
tlie spoil, or brinLf them back, or both. Tliu.* the heart
of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people,
and they said, u-hy hare tit; let Israel go from sen-ing us?
Here was the grand incentive to pursuit ; their sen ice
was profitable to the state, and thcj- were determined not
to give it up.
Verse 7. !>ix hundred chosen chariots, &c.] According; to
the most authentic accounts we have of ivar chariot, they were
frequently drawn by iivo, oThyfour liorses, and carried three per-
.sons, one wa.^ ctiarioteer, w]lo^e bu-incss it was to a;uide the horse.s
but he seldom fou;iht ; the second chiefly defended tlie cha-
rioteer, and the third alone was properly the combatant. It
appears that in this case Pharaoh had collected all the cavalry
of Egypt, see ver. 17. and thougii these might not have been
very numerous, yet humanly speaking-, they might easdy over-
Come (he unarmed and encumbered Israelites, «ho could not
be supposed to be able to make any resistance against cavalry
and livjr chariots.
Verse 10. The children of Israel cried nnlo the Lord'\ Had
their prayer been accompanied with faith, we should not have
found them in the next verses murmuring against Closes, or
rather against the Lord, throuuh whose goodness they were
now brought from under that bondaije, from which they had
often cried for dcUverance. Calmet thinks that the most
pious and judicious cried unto God, while the unthinking and
irreligioiis murmured against J\Ioses.
Ver^e 13. Moses said — Fear ye not'] This exhortation was
not given to excite them to i-esist, for of that there was no
iiope : they were unarmed, they had no courage, and their
minds were deplorablj' degraded.
Stand f'ttll] Yc shall not be even workers together with
God ; only be quiet, and do not render j'ourselvcs wretched by
your fears and jour confusion.
See the satiation of the Lord] Behold the deliverance
eCh. .5. 21. ?•: 6.O.- >• 2Cliron. I'D. 1.5, 17. Tsai. 11. 10, 13, 14. 'Or.
for ivJiireas iir have seen the Fs^'iittUiits ta Wcu, S-c. — —^ ver. t.'.5. Dt-nt. 1, oO.
& o. 5!'i. fc '20. 4. .lush. 10. 14, 1% & 2.5. 3. 2Cliroii. 2'). 29. Nell. 4. 20.
Isai. 31. 4. ' Isai. 30. 1 j. ■™ ver. 21, 26. ch. 7. 19.
which God will work, independently of all human help and
means.
Ye shall see them again no more] Here was strfmg faith, Imt
this was accom()ani!(l liy the spirit of ]Mophecy : (iod shewed
Moses what he would do, he bL-lieved, and therefore he spoke in
the encoura2:ing m*mer related above.
Verse 14. Tlie Lord shall fight for you] Ye sliall have no
part in the honour of the day — Gotl alone shall bring you olJj
and defeat your foes.
Ye shall hold your peace.] Y'our unbelieving fears and cla-
mours shall be contbunded ; and ye shall see, that by /night
none shall be able to prevail against the Lord ; and that the
feeblest shall take the prey v,hen the po\ter of Jehovah is
exerted.
Verse 15. Wherefore crycst thou unto me?] We hear not
one word of Moses' prayiiig ; and yet here, the Lord asks him
why he cries unto him .' From which we may learn, that the
heart of Moses was deej)!}' engaged with tiod* though it is
probable, lie did not articulate one word ; but the language of
sighs, tears, and desires is equally intelligilile to God, with that
of I'jords. This consideration should be a strong encourage-
ment to every feeble discouraged mind — Thou Canst not pray
— but thou canst lic/; ; if even tears are denied thee, for there
may be deep and genuine re])entance, \vhere the distress is so
great as to stop up those channels of relief, then thou canst
sigh : and God, whose Spirit has thus convinced thee of sin,
righteousness, and judgment, knoivs thy unutterable groanings,
and re.ids the inexpressible wish of thy burthened soul: a wish,
of which himself is the author, and which he has breatlied
with the purpose to satisfy it.
\'eri;e 10. Lift thou np ihy Tod] Neither Moses, nor his rod
could be any eftective instruments in a work, which could be
accomplished only by the omnipotence of God ; but it was
neccssarv that he sliould appear in it, in order that he niighl
4
The sea is divided, and the
CHAP,
Israelites enter into it.
B.C. 1401.
An. KxotI Isr,
and the children of Israel shall go
ground through the midst of
thine hand over the s^, and divide
it
1 on dry
^^^'^'"^ the sea.
17 And I, behold, I will " harden the hearts
of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them :
and I will '' get me iionour upon Pharaoh, and
upon all his host, upon his chaiiots, and upon
his horsemen.
18 And the Egyptians "shall know that I am
the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon
Piiaraoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horse-
men.
19 % And the angel of God, '^ which went be-
fore the camp of Israel, remove<l and went be-
hind them ; and the pillar of the cloud went from
• \'er. R. cli. 7. 3. —
3S!. .'U. Numb. '.'O. 16.
'rer. 16. « Ps. 6<j. C-
-b ver. 4. =ver. 4 '' ch. 1:3. 21. & 23. 20. &
Isai. 63. 9. ' See Isai. 8. 14. 2 Cor. 4. 3.
"ch. 15. 8. Jojli. 3. 16. & i. 23. Ni-li. 9. 11.
have credit in the sight of the Israelite.s ; and that they miijht
sec that God had chosen him to be the in.stnunciit of their
deliverance
Yer^e IS. They shrill knoxu that I am the I.oiid] Pharaoh
had just reruvercd from the consternation and coni'iisioii with
v'bieh the late plapjues had overwhelmed hiin ; and now he is
(iiibvldcned to pursue after Israel, and God is delernuji: il to
make his overthrow so signal hy sueh an cNertion of onuupo-
ttnee, that lie shall <;et himself honour by this m.iraculoiis
act ; and that the r'.siyptiaiis shall kno\i , i. e. ac/cnoxi-ledge, that
he is Jehovah, the onmipotent, self-existiii^r, eternal God.
Verse 19. The angel of Goil\ It has been thoiiijht by some
that the cim^clj i. e meisctiffvr, of the Loril, and tlie })iilar of
eloud mean here the same tiling. An an»el miL;ht assume the
appearance of a cloud ; and evm a material cloud thus parti-
cularly a|ipointed, mi<iht be calkd an an;rel or rue.'isoi^^cr of the
Lord ; for sueh is the literal import of the word "inVq Jiialac
an anyel. It is however most probable, that the anj;el of the
Covenant, the Lord Jesus, appeared on this occ;u-ion, in behali
of the people : For, as this deliverance, was to be an illustrious
type of the deliverance of man from t!ie powtr and f;uilt of
sin, by his incarnation and death ; it miiiht have been deemed
necessary, in the judgment of divine wisdom, that /« should
appear ihief n'j^ent in this most important and momentous
crisis. On the word an^el, and ani,^l of the e<.^\tnant, sie the
! notes on (ien xvi. 7. xvlii.
I.J.
I'-.xod.
.^..M.2.M:!.
11. C.14'.>I.
An. Kxod.lsr.
1.
AUb ur A'iion.
XIV.
before their fitce, and stood behind
them :
20 And it came between the camp
of the Egyptians, and tlic cam}) ot
Israel; and ' it was a cloud and darkness to
them, but it <>:ave li<;ht bv night to these : so that
the one came not near the other ail the mght.
2 1 If And jNIoses ' stretched out his hand over
the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back
by a strong east wind all that night, and ^ made
the sea dry land, and the waters were '' divided.
22 And' 'the children of Israel went into the
midst of the sea, upon the dry ^7-(»/«f/.- and the
waters xcere " a wall unto them, on their right
hand, and on their left.
23 "[[ And the Egyptians pursued, and went
Verse '20. It xvas a cloud and darl:na>s to them, &:c.] That
the Israelites mii;ht not be dismayed at the icipairunce of their
enemies, and that these niii,dit not be able tu iliseern the ob-
ject of their pursuit, the ]jillar of cloud ino\ed from the front
to tlie rear of the Israelitish camp, so as perfectly to separate
bclwirn them and the Kgyp'ians. It a[ipears also, that this
cloud bad tuo sides, one dark and the other luminous : the
luminous side i.;ave li'j;ht to the whole camp of Israel, during
the nii;lit of pass-a;j:e ; and the dark side turned towards the
pursuing I'.gyptians, (jrevented them from receiving any b. nc-
fit from that light. How easily can God make the same thing
an instrument of destruction or :alvation, as seems best to his
godly wisdom! II? alone can work by all agents, and pro-
Ps. 74. 13. & 100. 9. k 114. 3.
Numb. :«. 0. Ps. 6G. 6. & 78. 13.
1.'9. K Hab. 3, 10.
Isai. 63. 12.-
Isui. &i. 13.
'vcr. 29. ch. 15 19.
1 Cor. 10. 1. Hi-br. 11.
duce any kind of eflect, even by the same instrument ; for all
things serve the jmrposes of his will.
Verse 21. The Lord caused the .'ca to go back] That part of
the sea over which the Israelites p.Lssed, wa.e, according to Mr.
Bruce and other travellers, about ./'o;;;- /frt^;(fs across, and there-
fore might easily be crossed in one night. In the dividing of
the sea, nvo agents appear to be employed, though the (fleet
produced can be attributed to neither. By stretching out the
rod, the waters were divideil ; by the lilowing of the >eiiemcnf,
ardent east-wind, the hed of the sea was dried. It has been
observed, that in the place where the Israelites are sitppo.-td
to have passed, the water is about Jourteen fathoms or taentj^i-
etght yards deep : had the wind mentioned here been strong
enough, naturally speaking, to have divided the waters, it must
have blown in one narrow track, and continued blowing in the
dntction in which the Israelites pa.ssed; and a wmd sufficient
to have raised a mass of water tueniy-eight yarils deep, and
<;rf/re miles in Ungth, out of its bed, woiJd necessarily hav^
blown the whole six hundred thousand men away, and utterly
destroyed them and their cattle. I therefore conclude that the
east-wmd, which was ever remarked as a parching, burning
w ind, was used after the division of the waters, merely to dry
the bottom, and render it jiassable. lor an account of the hot
drying winds in the Mast, see the Note on Gen. viii. 1. Goil
( ver puts the highest honour on his m.strumeiit, ?>'uli re, and
where it can act, he ever empluys it. . .No natural agent could
divide these waters, and cause them to staiul as a null upon
the right-hand and upon the left ; therefore t.od did it by his
own sovereign power. When the waters were thus ihvided,
there was no need of a miracle to dry the bed of tlie sea, and
make it passable ; thcrelore the strong desiccating east-wind
was brought, which soon aceoinplished this object. In thi<
light 1 suppose the text should be under.-.tooil.
\'erse 'ii. /lad the dialers were a i::att unto thcyn, on their
right hand and on their left.] This verse demonstrates that the
passage was miraculous. Some have supposed that the Israel-
ites had passed through, favoured by an extraordinary ehb, w Inch
happened at that tunc to be produced by a strong wind, which
happened just then to blow I Had this been the case, there
A.ai.2.5l3.
B. C. 1491.
An. Exnd. Isr.
1.
Abib or Nisd'i.
The Egyptians folloxv tliem,
in after them to the midst of the sea,
even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots,
and his horsemen.
24 And it came to pass, that in
the morning watch, ' the I-ord looked unto the
host of the Egyptians, through the pillar of lire
and of the cloud, and troubled the host of tlie
Egyptians, . •
25 And took off their chariot wheels, ^ that
they drave them heavily : so that the Egyp-
tians said. Let us flee from the face of Israel ;
for the Lord ' tighteth tor them against tlie
Egyptians.
26 % And the Lord said unto Moses, " Stretch
out thine hand over tlie sea, that tiie waters may
come again upon the Egyptians, upon their cha-
riots, and upon their horsemen.
"See Ps. 77. 17, &c. ^ Or, and made them tn go heaiiik/. "^ver. 14.
" ver. ft. = Josli. 4. 18. f ch. 15. 1, 7. -s Heb. shooh tf. Dent.
•could iK)t have l)ecn waters standin^^ on the right hand and on
ihe left : much less could those waters, coutraiy to every law
of fluids, have stood as a \\ all on either side while the Israelites
passed throufjli ; and then hiijipcn to Income obedient to the
laws of gravitation, «hen the Enyptians entered m ! An in-
tidel may deny the revelation in toto, and from such we ex-
pect nothing; better ; hut to hear those w ho profess to believe
this to be a divine revelation, endeavouring- to prove that the
passa:^e of the Red sea had noihing tiiiroculous in it, is reallj'
intolerable. Such a mode of interpretation requires a miracle
to n-.ake itself credible. Poor infidelity ! hou' miserable and
despicable are thy shifts .'
Verse 24. The morning uy/^c//] A iiritch was the fourth
part of the time from sun-scttin;;' to sun-risinj;; ; so called from
."oldiers keepinij s'uard by night, who, beinjj changed four times
during tlie night, the periods came to be called icalches. Dodd.
As here and in ISam. xi. 11. is mentioned the morning
ivatch ; so in Lam. ii. 19. the beginning of the ivatrlie.i ; and in
Judg. vii. 19. the middle vjatch is spoken of: in I.nke xii. 38.
the second and third 'watch ; and in Matt. xiv. 25. the fourth
watch of the night : which in Matt. xiii. S5. are named even-
ing, midnight, cock-crovjing, and day-daivning. Ainsxvurth.
As the Israelites went out of Egypt at the vernal equinox,
the morning watch, or according to the Hebrew, '\^2T\ rncii'xn
be-asheiiiroth hn-hokcr, the luatch of dny-l>reak, would answer
to our f'jiir o'clock in the morning. Catniet.
The Lord looked out] This proliably means, tlwt tlie cloud
suddenly assumed a fieiy appeaianee where it had been dark
before ; or they «'ere apjialled by violent thunders and lightning,
which we are assured by the P.salmist did actually take place ;
together with great inundations of rain, &c. The clouds
POURED OUT w.vrEK, the skies scut out a sound, thine aiuiows
also went abroad. The voice of thi/ thundek itv/v in t/ie
heavens, the LiGnrxiNos lightened the xuortd, the eartlj ruEM-
BLED UJid SHOOK. Thy tcay is in the sea, and tin/ jiuth in the
great waters. Thou leddest tlii/ people like a Jlock, bjj the hand
vf Moses aud Aaron. Psal. l.\x\u. 14 — iO. Sucli tempests
EXODUS. and are totally destroyed.
I 21 And Moses stretched forth his
! hand over the sea, and the sea " re-
I turned to his strength, when the morn-
; ing appeared ; and the Egyptians fled
against it; and the Lord 'overthrew^
the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
28 And "■ the waters returned, and
A.M. 251;;.
B. C. 1491.
An.Exod.Isr.
1.
AbihorNisim.
covered
horsemen, and all the
came into the sea after
not so much as one of
the chariots, and the
host of Pharaoh, that
tjiem ; there remained
them.
2y But " the children of Israel walked upon
dry land, in the midst of the sea ; and the waters
xvere a wall unto them, on their right hand, and
on their left.
30 Tlius the Lord ' saved Israel that day,
out of the hand of tlie Egyptians ; and Israel
11.4. P.=. 78. .«. Neh. 9. 11. Hebr. 11. 29.-
106. 11. ^ ver. 22. Ps. 77. 20. & 78. 52, 53.-
-" Hab. 3. 8, 1.1-
-'l^s. lOti. 8, 10.
'Ps.
as these, would necessarily terrify the Egyptian horses, and
produce general confusion. Bj' their dashing hither and
thither, the wheels must be destroyed, and the chariots broken ;
and loot and liorse must be mingled together in one universal
ruin : see ver. 25. During the time that this state of horror
and confusion was at its summit, the Israelites had safely passed
over, and then Moses, at the command of God, ver. 20. having
stretched out his rod over the waters, the sea returned to its
strength, ver. 27. i. e. the waters by their natural gravity re-
sumed their level, and the whole Egyptian host were com-
pletely overwhelmed, ver. 28. But as to the Israelites, the
w aters had been a wall unto them on the right hand and on
the left, ver. 29. Tliis, the w aters could not have been, unless
they had been supernaturally supported, as their own gravity
would necessarily have occasioned them to have kept their
level ; or, if raised beyond it, to have regained it, if left to
their natural law, to v.h'.eh they are ever subject, unless in
cases of miraculous interference. Thus, the enemies of the
Lord peri>htd ; and that people v\ ho decreed that the male
chile Ireh of the Hebrevvs shoukl be droiined, were themselves
destroyed in the pit which tluy hail destined for others. God's
ways are all ecjual ; and he renders to every man /iccordiug
to his icorks.
^'er^e 28. There remained not so much as one of them] Jo-
•sephiis says, that tlu- ai'my tif Pharaoh consisted oi'ffti/ thousand
horje, and tivo hundred thousand fo<t. of whom not one re-
mained, to carry tidings of this mo.st extraordinary catastiophe.
Verse -JO. Israel sa-c the Egyptians dead upon ihe na shore.] By
the extraordinary agitation of the waters, no doubt multitudes
of the dead Egyptians were cast on the shore, and by their spoils,
the Israelites were probably liirnisheil with considerable riches,
and especially clothing and arms ; which latter were essentially
necessary to them in their wars with the Anialekiies, Easnnites,
ami Ainorctcs, &c. on their «ay to the [jromised land. It they
did not get their arms in this way, we know not how they got
tiieiu ; as there is not the slightest reason to believe, that they
brought any with them out of Egypt.
'fhe Israelites fear the Lord, CHAP. XV
' saw the Egyptians dead upon the ! tians
B.C. IJi'l.
An.E«o(l.lsr
1.
sea-shore.
31 And Israel saw that great ^ work
which the Lord did upon tiic Egy^)-
and credit the viission of Moses.
and tlie people feared the a.m. jji.t
' Ps. .58. 10. & 59. 10.-
-"■Heb. hand.
=t
Verse 31. Tfic people feared the Lord] Tlify were <'oiivinced
by the interference of Jt-luivah, that his power was unlimiteil ;
anil tliat he could do whatsoever he pleased, both in the way
: oi jiidi^ment and in the way of mercy.
I And believed the Lord and /lii sertaiit J)Iose.i.'] They now
tlearlv discerned, that God iiad fulfilled all his promises ; and
that not one thi»g had failed, of all t!i<.- j^ood which he had
spoken concerning Israel. And Mfy believed hit servuiil yioscs.
They had now the t'ulkst proof that he was divinely appointed
to work all tluse miracles, and to brin^f them out of Egypt
; into the promised land.
I Thus God got himself honour upon Pharaoh and the Egyp-
I tians, and credit in the siglit of Israel. vMler this overthrow
of thtir king and his host, the Egyptians interrupted them no
nioie i:i their journeyings, couMnccd of the omnipotence of
■) tlicir protector : and how s^trange, that after such disjilays of
'the justice and mercy of Jehovah, the Israelites should ever
J have been deficient in faith, or have given place to iiuirmurmg !
1. The events recorded in this chapter are truly astonishing ;
J aiid they strongly mark what God can do, anil what he il'HI
'•: do, both against his enemies, and in bciialf of his followers.
' In vain are all the forces of Egypt united to destroy the Israel-
! itcs : at the breath of (iod's mouth tliey perish : and his feeble,
' discouraged, uiianned l'ollo«'ers take the prey ! Witii such a
Loud, and M)eheved the Loud, and ^ ^ 'T'
, ■ . » , Aii.E\od.Is
his servant Moses
An.Exod.Isr,
1.
Abib or Nisan*
'Ch. 4. 31. & 19. 9. P». 10(1. 12. John 2. 11. & 11. 45.
history before their eyes, is it not strange that sinners should
run on frowardly in the path of transgression ; and that those
who are redeemed from the world, should ever doulst of the
all-sufTTciency and goodness of their (.Jod ! Mad we not already
known the sequel of the Israelitish history, we should have
been led to conclud! , that this people would have gone on their
way rejoieinj-, trusting in (Jod «ith their \vhole heart, and
never leaning to their own understanding : but alas ! we find
that as soon as any new dilliculty occurred, they murmured
against God and their leaders, despised the pleasant land, and
gave no credence to his word.
2. Their case is not a solitary one : most of those who are
called Cliri.stiaiis, are not more remarkable for faitli and patience.
Every reverse will necessarily pain and discompose the people
who are seeking their portion in this life. And it is a sure
mark of a worldly mind, when we trust the God of providence
and grace no farther than we see the operations of his hand in
our immediate supply ; and murmur and repine when tlie
hand of his bounty seems closed, and the influences of his
spirit restrained ; though our unthankful and unholy carriage
has been the cause of this change. Those alone who humble
themselves under the mighty hand of God shall be lif\ed up in
due season. Reader, tho.u canst never be deceived in trusting
thy all, the concerns of thy body and soul, to Ilim who divided
the sea, saved the Hebrews, and destroyed the Eifvptiani.
CHAPTER XV.
Moses ami the Israelites si/)g a song of praise to^ God for their late deliverance, in ichich they celebrate the poser of
j (^od, gloriously manifested in the destruction of Pharaoh and his host, 1, eiprc^s their confidence in him as their
\ Strength and protector, 2, 3, detail the chief circumstances in the overthrozc of the Egpt/lians, 4 — S, and relate
the purposes ihei/ had formed, for the destrnction of God's people, <), and hoxo he destroyed them in the imaginations
of their hearts, 10. Jehovah is celelnated, for the perfections of his nature and his Kondrous zcorks, 11^13. yl
prediction of the effect, nhich the account of the destruction of the Egyptians should have on the Edomites, Moab-
ites, and Canaanites, 14— 1(). J prediction of the eslulillshment of Israel in the promised land, 17. The full
cho7-us of praise, 18. Recapitulation of the destruction of the Egyptians, and the deliverance of Israel, iQ.
Miiiani and the women join in and prolong the chorus, '10, 'Jl. The people travel three days in the wilderness
of Siiur, and find no xcater, 22. Coming to Mtirali, and fnding bitter waters, they murmur against Moses, 23,
44. In ansK'cr to the prayer of Moses, God shews him a tree by which the ziaters are szceetened, 25. God gives
them statutes and gracious promises, 26. Theij come to Eliin, where they find twelve wells of water, and seventy
palm trccii, ami there they encamp, 27.
The triumphal song of
THEN sang 'Moses and the j
ciiildren of Israel, this song |
unto the Lord; and spake, saying,!
I will " sing unto the Loud, for he '
A.M.S.^1.;.
B.C. 1.191,
All. Exod. [sr
1.
Ahibot .Vi,Mi7i
EXODUS. Moses and the Israelites.
hath triumphed gloriously : the horse A.Ji.aaia.
and his rider, hath he thrown into i^cw'Jl
.1 All. Exod.Isf,
the sea. i.
2 The Lord is my strength and ■'^'^'"^"<^-
'Jii(l2. 5. 1. 2 Sam. 2!,'. 1. I's. lOG. 12. Wisd. 10. 'iO.
NOTES ON CIl.Vl'. XV.
Verse 1. Then sn«tf .1/o.s-f.s and the children of Israel this
soit'^] PoETTiV liiis betii cultivated in all ages, and amonij all
peu]jle, from the most refined to the most barbarous ; and to
it, jirincipally, under the kind providi.iiee of Cod, wc are in-
debted for most of the oiii^inal accounts we have of the ancient
nations of tlie universe. Equally measured lines, with a har-
monious coJlociition of expressive, sonorous, and sometimes
highly metapliorical terms, the alternate lines either answer-
in|r to caeh other in sentc, or ending' with similar soimd.t, were
easily committed to memory, and easily retained. As these were
often accompanied with a ])leasinar air or tune, the subject
lieinij a eoncattnation of strikin;^ and interesting events, his-
lorles formed thus, became the amusement of youth, the sof-
teners of the tedium of labour, and e-ven the solace of age. In
such a way the histories ot most nations have been preserved.
The interesting events ce'lebrated, the rj/tliin or metre, and the
accompanying' tune or recitativo air, rendered them easily
transmissible to posterity ; and by means of tradition, they
pass-eil safely from father to son, through the times of com-
parative darbtess, till they arrived at those ages in which the pen
and the /);y.«.n, have given them a sort of deathless duration and per-
manent stability, by miiltiijlying the copies. i\Iany of the ancient
historic and heroic British tales, are continued by tradition,
among tlie aboriginal inhabitants of Ireland to the present da\' ;
and the repetition of theni constitutes the chief amusement ot'
the winter evenings. Even the prose histories, which vere
written on the gr-Mind of the poetic, copied closely their ev-
enij^lars ; and the hijtorians themselves were obliged to study
ail the beuutics and orn/nncnts of style, that their works might
heccme popular ; and to this circumstance we owe not a small
measure of what is termed refinement of lavguai^c. How ob-
servable is this in the history of Herodotus, who aj^pears to
have closely copied the ancient poetic records, in his inimitable
and harmonious prose ; and that his books might bear as near
a resen.iblance as possible, to the ancient imd popular originals,
he divided them into jiine, and dedicated each to one of the
7IIIISC.1. His \iork therefore seems lo occupy the same place
between the ancient poetic compositioyis and mere prosaic his-
tories, as the poli/pe does between plants and animals. jMuch
even of our sacred records, is written in poetry, which Go'l has
thus consecrated to be the faithful transmitter of remote and
important events; and of this, the sonir before the reader is a
proof in point. Though this is not the first specimen of [loetry
we have met with in the Pentateuch, see Lamech's .speech to
his wives, Gen. iv. 2o, 24. Noah's propliecy concerning his
sous, ,chap. ix. 25 — 27. and Jacob's blessing to the twelve
patriaj-chs, chap, xli.x. 2 — 27. and the notes theie; yet it is the
firet regular ode of any cimsiderablc length, having but one
subject.; aiidttisali written in /i(v,;z.<'k7(,'.-, or half lines, the usual
J'onu m 1 lebrew poetry ; and though this form fretju<'ntly occur.-,
it is ml attended lo in om- common printed Hebrew Bibles,
fxcepl in this and three other places, Ueut. xxxii. Judg. v. and
2 Sam. xxii. all of wiiich siiall be noticed as they occur. But
ill Dr. Kennicott's edition of the liebrew Bible, all the poetry,
u'heruBucver it occurs, ispriuted in its own hewistich form.
"■Ver. 21.
After ^^hat has been said, it is perhaps scarcely necessary to
observe, that as sucli ancient poetic histories commemorated
great and extraordinary displays of ]'rovidcnce, coitrage^
strength, fidelity, heroism, and Jiicty ; hence the origin of epic
poems, of which the song in this chapter is the enrliest speci-
men. And on the principle of preserving the memory of .such
events, most nations have had their epic poets, who have gent-
rally taken for tlk-ir .-ubject, the most splendid or most remote
events of their coimtry'.s history, which either referred to the
formation or extension of their empire, the e.rploits of their
aiice.''tors, or the establishment of their religion. Hence the
ancient Hehrews had their Shir ha ?,Iosheh, the piece in ques-
tion : the (lUEEKs iheir Ilias : the Hindoos their J'ahtdmrat;
the RoJiANs their JEncis -. the !SroRWEni.\NS thtir Kdda : the
Ini'-H and .Scotch their Fingal and Chronological Poems : the
W F.Lsn their Taliessin and his Triads : tlie'AuABS tlteir i\'ebiiin-
Ntriich (exploits of Mohammed) and Hamleh Heedry (exploits
of .\ly :) the Pkrsi.vns their .Sh.\h IS'aineh (hook of kings:)
the Tr.ii.i.ANstheir Gerusalenunc Liberata: the Portcgcese their
Liisiad : the English their Paradise Lost: and, in humble
I imitation of all the rest (etsi • on passihus ccquisj the French
I their Jlcuriade.
The song of Closes has been in the highest repute in the
(,'hureli of (Jod from the beginning : the author of the Book
I of IVisdom attributes it in a particular maimer to tlie wisdom
'of(Joci; and says that on this occasion, God opened the mouth
of the dund>, and made the tongues of iifanls eloi/uenl : ch. x. 2J,
j As if lie had said, I'lvery ])erson felt an interest in the great
I events which had taken place, and all laliourcd to give Jehovah
that prai.se whuh was due to his name. " With this song of
I victory over Pharaoh," says ;\Ir. Ainsworth, " the Holy Ghost
I compares the eong of those who have' gotten the victory over
the spiritual Pharaoh, the beast (.\ntichrist) when they stand
by the sea ofgluss mingled ivithfire (as Israel stood here by the
Red sea) having the harps of (iod (as the women here had
timbrels, ver. 20.) and they sing the .song ef Moses, the serrtait
of God, and the song of the Lamb, the .Sun of God." Rev. x?.
2—4.
/ vjill sing unto the Lord] Moses begins the song, and in
the two first hemistich.s states the subject of it ; and these two
jfii St lines became the L,'rand chorus of the piece, its we may i
learn from ver. 21. See Dr. Kennicott's arrangement and I
tran.slation of this piece at the end of this chapter.
Triumphed gloriously'] ns: nx: *3 hi guoh gaah, he is exceed-
ingly exalted ; rendered by the .Septuagint, ■vJolv,- ya^ o:Jofa-3u,
he is gloriously glorified. And surely this was one of the most
signal disjilays of the glorious majesty of (iod, ever exhibited
since the creation of the world. And when it is coujidereil,
that the whole of this ti'ansaclion shadowed out the redemption
of tin- human race, fi'oin (he thraldom and pov.er of sin and
iuiijuili/, by the LrniD Jesls, antlihv fi.iut triumph of the ehurek
of (.'od over all its enemies, we may also jo;n in the song,
and celebrate him wlio has trinmjihcd so gloriously, having
conquered death, and opened the kingdom of heaven lo all
behevei's. ',
Verse 2. The Lord is my strength and my song] IIow jiiili- '
li. C M'l.
All. Kiiuil- I^r-
God is praised for his CHAP. XV. potcer, eacellenci/, andjiisticx.
A. M. iii.!. "song, and he is become my salva- | 5 ' Tlic tlcptlis have covered them : A.M.esii
tion: he w my God, and I will pre- ji" they sank into the bottom, as a
])are him ''a habitation; mv "fa- 1| stone.
f^i^'^'i""- ther's (iod, and J ' will exalt him. | 6 ' Thy right hand, () Lord, is
3 The Louu is a man of'' war: the Lokd 75 (become glorious in power: thy riglit hand, O
Lord, hath dashed in pieces tiie enemy.
7 And in tliC greatness of thine " excellency.
B.C. 11<.U.
An. Kxnd. Isr.
1.
Ahib or T^isrm,
f
= rh
his ■ name.
4 '"' riiaraoh's chariots and his host, hath lie
cast into the sea : " his chosen captains also, are 1
drowned in the Red sea.
• Deiil. 10. 21. IN. 18. 2. & 23. 3 & .59. 17. & C2. 6. & 109. 1. *; 118.
14. .<c WO. 7. Isai. V> ti. Uali. .i. 18, 19 '' Ueii. xJB. 21, 22. 2 Sam. 7.
5. l'>. 132. 5. ' ch. ;!. 15, 16. ' 2 Sam. 22. 47. Ts. ^i. f,. St. HIS. 28.
ck)iisly arc the members of this sentence arrana^cd ! He who
hiis (iod tor his straiirili, will have him tor his song ; and he
to wlioni Jehovah is hicoiuc salvation, will exult Itis name. \
Miserably, and imtuneably in the ear.< of (Jod, docs that man j
shi^ praises, who is not suicd by the grace of Christ, nor '
htrenglhcned by the poicer of his miglil. |
It is « ovthy of oliservation, tluit the word which we trans- '
.late Loitu here, is not ni~' Jehov.^h in the original, but n'
■J.41! ; as if l)y abbre\iati(>n, says Mr. Parkhurst, for n'~'
ftfclicich, or V,' r/d'.i. It .si^nifu's the Kssence, lie who IS,
(simply, ab-ohittly, and indejjcndantly, O r>N. The relation
llKtvveen n' Jali, an:] the verl) n'n to siih.'dst, exist, he, is inti-
'inatcd to us, the first time n' Jiih is used in Scripture, (Exod.
XV. '_'.) " ;\ly stren^^tli and my son;^ (^is) n' Jau, ti'I vajehi
and he is become to me s;ilvation." — See Psal. Ixviii. 5. Ixxxix.
9. .\CiV. 7. cxv. 17, 18. cxviii. 17.
Jaii n' is several times joined with the name Jehovali nin',
so that we may bo sure that it is not, as some have supposed,
a mere abbreviation of that word. See Isai. xii. 2. xxvi. 4.
Our IJcs.scd Lord solemnly claims to himself, v hat is intended
ill tills divine name n' Jah, Jolm viii. 5S. Before Abraham
was {y.mixi 1VUS born) '.yw rif.ii, I AM, not / was, but / am,
plainly intiraatini;' his divine, eternal existence : compare
Isai. xliii. 1-3. And the Jews appear to have well understood
him ; for tlien took lliei/ up stones to cast at him, as a blas-
iphemer: comjiare Coloss. i. 10, 17. where the Apostle Paul,
I after assert iir^- that all thin»s that are in heaven, and that are
I in earth, visible iuid invisilile, were created, fy.nrKi, by and for
jClirist, iidds, .-bill HE IS, a.v~oc sri, not nv, :vi(s, before all
I iJdni^.--, and by him all thin^.':, <j\m<nr,:'.i, have subsisted, and
1 still snbs/rl. Set PurlJiursl. ■
I'rom Ibis divine name, rr Jah, the ancient Creeks h^d their
h, Iv,, in their invocations of the ^ous, particularly oi Apollo,
(the iineompoundi'd one) the h;;Iit ; and hence yi, written
aficr the oriental manner from right to It ft, afterwards EI,
was in.scr;b(d over the oreat door of the temple at Dilplii! —
Sec the iwjte on chap. iii. vcr. 14. and the concluding' obser-
vations there.
I will prepare him a habitation'] imJKl ve anevchu. It has
j been siippfpsed that Mo>ts, by tliis expre.ssioii, intended the
I building of the tubernuele ; but it seems to come in very
I strau'^ely in this place. Most of the ancient versions, undev-
j stood the orit;inal in a very ditiereiu sense. The i'ltlsrale has
i ft glorificabo eum ; the Sej>lnagint oo|i«ri) ccvto-i, J ifiV/ (;lokify
• liim, \Mih which the Si/riac, i'optic, the Targum oi Jonathan,
and the Jerusalem 'I'urgum, ajjree. I'roiii the Targui/i of
' Onkelos the present traiisldtion seems to have been «>riu;nallv
derived : he has tiaii.4ated the i)lacc, t'-ipJi ri'7 '■i^Kl if ebnei
thou hast overthrown them that rose up
against thee : thou sentcst forth thy wrath.
Isai. 25. 1. = Ps. 24. 8. l^c. 19. If. f cli. 6. .1. Vs. SB. 18. ■
K cli. 14. 28.^ — -i> cli. M. 7. ' cli. I'l. 28. " Nfli. 9. U. ' 1'.. 118.
1 j, 16. "" Dent. 33. 2().
leyh makedash — " And I will build him a sanctuary," which
! not one of the other versions, the Persian cxceptei), acknow-
led;4es. Our ov.ii old translations are <;eiierally difterent from
the present : Matthevj's, Cranmer's, and the Bishop's Bible,
render it gtoiifji, and the sense of the place seems to ret]uire
it. Calmet, Iloubigant, Kennicott, and other critics, contend
for this translutiou.
jl/y father's Cod] I believe Ilotibigant to be rii;lit, who
translates the orii^inal, <2X 'nVx Klohei/abi, Dens inens, pater
mens est — " My <iod is my Father." Every man may 'call
the Divine Being' his God ; hut only those who are his chil-
dren by adoption tiiroui^h <>race, can call him their FA-riiEH.
This is a privilea;o which God has given to none but his chil-
dren.— See (ralat. iv. 6.
Verse 3. The Lord is a man of iuar] Perhaps it would be
better to translate the words, Jehovah is the man, or, hero of
the battle. As we scarcely ever apply the term to any thing
b\it first-rate anned vessels, the change of the translation .seems
indispensable, thoui;'h the' common rendering is literal enough.
Besides, the object of Moses was to shew, that man hail no
])art in this victory, but that the wl'.ole was wrought by the
miraculous power of God, and that therefore he alone s-liould
have all the glory.
The Loud (i. e. Jeuovau) is his name.] He has now, as the
name implies, given comjilete existence to all his promises. — .
See the notes on Gen. ii 4. and Exotl. vi. 3.
Verse 4. I'haraoh's chariots — his host — his chosen captains']
On such an expedition, it is likely that the principal Egyptiaa
nobility accompanied their king, and that the overthrow they
met wnh here, had reduced i'.'iypt to the lowest extrcmitj-.
Had the I.^raelites been intent on plunelcr, or had iMoscs been
I intlucuced with a spirit of ambition, how easily might botii
have gratified themselves, as, had tliey returnee!, they might
have scon over-run anel subjugatcel the whole land.
Verse 6. Tin/ right-hand] Thy omnipotence, manifested in
a mast extraordinary way.
Verse 7. In the greutne-'is of thine ercelleno/] To this wonder-
ful dehverance the prophet Isaiah refev.s, chap. Ixiii. 11 — 14.
— " Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his
people, .laying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea
with the shepherd of his flock.' where is he that ])ut his holy
Spirit widiin him' That led them by the right hand of Moses
with his glorio.is arm, dividing the water before them, to
make himself an everla.sting name ? That led them througli
the deep, as a horse in the w iUlerncss, that tliey slioukl not
stumble .' As a beast goelli down into the valley, the Spirit,
of the l.oi'.D ca\ised him to rest : so didst thou lead thy people,
to make thyself a glorious name." . . ./
Y
y
The counsels of their enemies
A.M. 25i;>.
a. c. 141)1.
An.E.\nd./^r.
1.
ylhih or X'»m.
coiisumed them ^ as
"iVhic/L
bio.
8 And " with the blast of tliy
nostrils, the waters were gathered
together, '' the floods stood upright as a heap,
and the depths were congealed 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 satisfied upon them ; I will draw my sword,
my hand shall ^ destroy them.
10 Thou didst " blow with thy wind, ' the sea
covered them : they sank as lead in the mighty
waters.
EXODUS.
stub-
' Ps. .5". 13. " Isai. 5 24. Si 47. 14. < cli. 14. 21. 2 Sam. 22. 16.
Joh4. P. illiess. 2.8. '' Ps. 78 lA Hat>. ,'?. 10. ' .hnlz .'). I'.ll.
f Uen. 49. 27. isai. ft;*. 12. Luke 11. 22. ^ Or, repossess. " cli. 14.
i'l. Ps. 147. 18. i ver.5. ch. 14 2«. " 2 Sam. 7. 22. livings 8. 23.
Ps. 71. 19. & at), a. & 89. 6, 8. Jer. 10. C. & 49. 19. ' Or, m/^'/ili/ iwts.
Verse 8. The depths xi-ere congealed] The strong east-wind,
chap. xiv. 21. employed to dry the bottom of the sea, is here
represented as the blast of Ciod's nostrils, that had cougeuled
or frozen the waters, so that they .stood in heaps like a wall,
on the ri.;lit hand and on the left.
Verse 9. The enemy said] As this sonn; was composed by
divine inspiration, we may rest assured, that these words were
spoken hy Pharaoh and Ins captains ; and tiie passions they
describe, fell in their utmost sway in their hearts : but how
soon was their boasting' confoun<led } Thou didst blow with
thy wind, and the sea co\ered theui — tliey sank as lead in the
mia;hty waters !
Verse 11. Who is like viilo thee, 0 Lord, among the gods .?]
We have already seen that all the Egyptian gods, or the objects
of the Egyptians' idolatry, ^vere confounded, and rendered
completely (lespicable, by the tea plagues ; which appear to
have been directed principally against them . Here the people
of God exult over them afresh — Who among the.ic gods is
like unto TuF.E? They can neither sate nor destroy — Thou
dost both, in the most signal manner.
As the original words niH' c::'?X3 n2?D3 'a mi camocah
baelim Yehovah, are sujiposed to have constituted the motto,
on the ensign of the Asmoneans; and to have furnished the name
of Maccahcns to Judas, their grand captain, from whom they
were afterwards called Maccabenns; it may be necessary to
say a few words on this subject. It is possible that Judas
Maccabeus might have had this motto on his ensign, or at
least the initial letters of it, for such a practice \vas not un-
common. For instance, on the Roman standard the letters
S. P. Q,. R, stood for Senatus PopulusSue Romanus ; i. e.
the Senate and Roman People; and ' 3 3 O M. C. B. I. might
have stood for /)/< Camocah Uaelim Jehovah — Who among the
gods, or strong ones, is like unto thee, O Jehovah! But it
appears from the Greek Maxxaoaio:, and also the Syriac,
^.■-)qv. mukabi, that the name was written originally with
p koph, not 3 caph ; it is most likely, as Miehaehs has
©bserved, that the name must have been derived from
ipo makkab, a hammer or nialkl : hence Judas, because of
his bravery and success, might have been denominated the
1
Wlio
hke
the '
ere broiighl to nought.
unto thee, O
igods ? who is
glorious in holiness, fear-
s'
-■\.JI. g.")!:!,
13. C. 1491.
An. Ksud. Isr,
yl/>i7<orA'isiiit
11
Lord, at
like tiice, ^^^.^k,^^c xw xxvy...iv,o.j,
fiii in praises, " doing wonders ?
12 Thou stretchedst out "thy right hand, the
earth swallowed them.
13 Thou, in thy mercy, hast ''led forth the
people "it/lick thou hast icdecmed: tiiou hast
guided iliem in thy strength, unto '' tiiy holy ha-
bitation.
14 'The people shall hear, and be afraid:
^ sorrow .shall take hold on the inhabitants of
Palcstina.
15 ' Then " the dukes of Edom shall be amaz-
^ Isai.(i. 3. -° P-s. 77. 14. " ver. 6. P P5.77. 1.5, 20. &: 78. .52.
i\ 80. 1. & llHi. 9. Isai. (B. 12, VV .Tcr. 2. (i. 1 Ps. 78. .54. ' Nuiiib,
14.14. Deiit. 2. 25. Josh. 2. 9, 10, ^ Ps. 48. 6. ' Gen. 36. 10. ■
" Deut. 2. 4.
hammer or mallet, by which the enemies of God had been
beaten, pounded, and broken to pieces. Judas, the hammer of
the Lord.
Glorious ill holiness] Infinitely resplendent in this attribute,
es.sential to the perfection of the divine nat.ure.
Fearful in prai.-ie.i] Such glorious holines.^ cannot be ap-
proached without the deepest reverence and fear, even by
angels, who veil their faces before the majesty of God. How
then should man, who is only sin and du.<^t, approach the pre-
sence of his Maker !
Doing wonders ?] Every part of the \i ork of God is wonder-
ful— not only miracles, which imply an inversion or .suspen-
sion of the laws of nature, but every part of nature itself.
Who can conceive how a single blade of grass is formed, or
how earth, air, and water, become consolidated in the body
of the oak ! And who can comprehend how the diderent
tribes of plants and animals are preserved, in all the distiAetive
characteristics of their respective natures } And who can con-
cei\e how the human being is formed, nourished, and its
difterent parts developed.' What is the true cause of the
circulation of the blood } or, how different aliments produce
the solids and fluids of the animal machine ? What is life,
sleep, death .'' And how an impure and unholy soul is re-
generated, purified, refined, and made like unto its gr^at-
Creator } These are wonders wiiich God alone works, and to
Himself only, are they fully known.
Verse 12. The earth swallowed them.] It is very likely there
was also an earthquake on this occasion, and that chasms
were made in the bottom of the sea, by which many of them
were swallowed np, tiiough multitudes were overwln lined by
the waters, whose dead bodies were iiflerwards thrown ashore.
The Psaimi.sl strongly intimates, that there was an earthquake
on this occasion — The voice of thy thunder wis in the heaven,
the lightnings lightened the world, the earth trembled and
SHOOK, Psal. Ixxvii. 18.
Verse 13. Thoti hast guided them in thy strength nnto thy
holy habitation.] As this ode was dictated by the Spirit of
God, it is most natural to uadersland this and the following
verses, to the end of the 18th as containing a prediction of
The nalions niUfear, -jjhen they CHAP,
A.M.eM.;. td ; 'the niigJity mon of Moab, I'
B.C. M'.'l.
trembling shall take hold upon thciii;
1. " all the inhabitants of" Canaan sliall
i 16 'Fear and dread shall fall upon ihem ; by
the greatness of thine arm, they shall be as still
" as a stone ; till thy people pass over, O Loud,
till the people pass over, " 'which thou liast pur-
chased.
1 7 Thou shalt bring tliem in ; and ' plant them
in the mountain of tiiine inheritance, in the
place, O Lord, ivhich thou hast made for thee
I • Kiimh. ea. .3. Ilab. 3. 7.—
I Josh. '.'. y. " 1 Sam. y5. 37.-
j Ps. 74. '1. Isai. 4j. 1, 3. & 51,
-" .Io>li. .5. 1. = l>ut. 2. ",'). Jt n. S.').
— ' ch. 19. .I. Dent. 3'.'. l>. '.•Sum 7. L'.3.
10. Jer. 31. 11. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 9.
■what God uould do for this people, which he had so miracu-
lously redeemed. Osi this mode of inter|)retation, it would
be better to read .several of the \crbs in \\\t: future tinse.
Verse 15. The dukx^ of Edom] Iduniea was <,roverned at
this time, liy those called ^'s'jx atiipliim, licails, chiifs, or
captain f.- — See the note on Gen. xxxvi. 15.
Ver.^e IG. Till th/ ptopk jmiss over] Not over the Red Sea,
for that event had been already celebrated ; but over the de-
siirt, and Jordan, in order to be bro I'^jht into the promised land.
Verse 17. T/iou shalt hi-iiiq them in] liy thy strength and
mercy alone, shall they ^et the promised inlieritance.
Thou shall plant them] Give them a. fixed habitation in Ca-
naan, after tlieir urisettled wandering life in the wilderness.
In the mountain] Meaninu; Canaan, which was a very inotin-
ttiinous country, Deut. xi. 11. or probably JMount 2ion, on
which the temple was built. Where the pure worship of
Gotl was established, there the people miijht expect both rest
and safelj/. Wherever the purity of religion is established
and preserved, and the high and the low endea\onr to regulate
their lives according to its precepts, the govermiient of that
country is likely to be permanent.
Verse 18. The Lord shall reign for cier and cxer.] This is
projitrly the grand chorus, in which all the ))eople joined.
The words are expressive of God's everlasting dounnion, not
only in the xvorld, but in the church ; not only under the
lavj, but also under the c-oj/)f/ ; not only \\\ time, but through
eternity. Tlie original li'i zz'r'jh IcClum vadd, may be trans-
lated for ever and onivard ; or, by our very expressive com-
pound term, for evekmoue, i. e. for et-er, and more — not only
through time, but also through all duration. Mis dominion
shall be ever the same, active and infinitely extending. With
this verse the song seems to end, as with it the heinistichs or
poetic lines terminate, llie 20th, and beginning of the 21st,
are in plain prose ; but the latter partof the 21st is in hemistichs,
as it contains the lesponse made by Miriam and the Israelitish
women, at diflerent intervals during the song. — See Dr. Kenni-
cott's Arrangement of the Parts, at the end of this chapter.
Verse 20. And Miriam the prophetess] We have already
seen, that Miriam was older than either Moses or Aaron; for
when Moses was exposed on the Nile, .she jjas a young
girl, capable of managing the stratagem, used for the pre-
servation of his life ; and then Aaron was only three years
and three months old, for he was fourscore and three yeai's old
when Moses was hui fourscore, see chap. vii. 7. so that Aaron
X). C. IISW.
An.Kxod. I>r.
1.
AbibntSimn.
XV. hear rcliat God has done for his jieople.
to dwell in, in the ^sanctuary, O Lord, ^•^'- -'•''•
Xi'hich thy hands have established.
1 8 " The Loud sliall reign, lor ever
and ever.
19 For the 'horse of Pharaoh went in with
his chariots and with his horsemen into the
sea, and "the Loiu) brought again the waters
of the sea upon them; but the cliildren of
Israel went on dry land, in the midst of the
sea.
20 ^ And Miriam ' the prophetess, " tlie sister
of Aaron, " took a timbrel in her hand ; and all
2 Tot
y. 1. —
_f p.
•14.
o
&' 80. 8.-
1
]>s.
78. .'>!.—
h
Ti.
10.
16. Ac S9.
10. &
iki. 10.
Um
.W.
1.=.
' ch.
14. ■
33.
I'rov. ei
31
-k I
h. 14.
£8,
yO.
-'Judg.
4.4.
iSa
111.
10. 5. —
m Js;
iiiul
. '.'6. 59.-
__
" 1 Sara
18.6.
was older than Moses, and Miriam considerably older than
either, not less probably, than nine or ten years of age. — See
on chap. ii. 2.
There is great diversity of opinion en the origin of the
name of Miriam, which is the same with the Greek Mafict^,
I the Latin Maria, and the English Mary. Some suppo-^c it to
be compounded of -js mar, a drop, (Isai. xl. 15.) and D'
i/am, the sea ; and that from this efymolog}-, the healhens
ibrnicd their Venus, whom they feign to have .■.prung from the
sea. St. .lerom gives several etymologies for the name, which
at once shew how difficult it is to ascertain it — she who en-
lightens me — or she who enlightens them, or the star of the sea. —
Others, the lady of the sea, the bitterness of the sea, IfC. It is
probable that the first or the la.st is the true one ; but it is a
matter of little importance, as we have not the circumstance
marked, as i^i the case of Moses, and many othei-s, that gave
rise to the name.
The prophetess] riN'DJn ha nebiah. For the meaning of the
word prophet, n'dj i^abi, see the note on Gen. xx. 7. It i«
very likely that ^Miriam was inspired by the Spirit of God, to
instruct the Helirew woinen, as Moses and Aaron were to
instruct the men ; and when she and her brother Aaron
souglit to share in the government of the people with Moses,
wo find herlaying claim to the prof.hetic influence. Numb. xii. 2.
Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses J" Hath he not
SPOKEN ALSO Bv US? And that she was constituted joint leader
of the jieople, with her two brothers, we have the express;
worel of God by the prophet Micah, ch. vi. 4. For I brought
thee tip out of the land of Egypt — tind I sent before thee Moses,
Aaron, and Miriujn. Hence it is very likely, that she was tlie
instructress of the women, and regulated the times, places, &c.
of their devotional acts; for it appears that from the beginning
to the jnesent day, the Jewish women all worshipped upart.
A timbrel] t)n toph, the same word which is friitislated
tabret, Gen. xxxi. 27. on which tlie reader is desired to
consult the note.
And with dances] thrJ2 mecholoth. Many learned meu
suppose, that this word means some instruments of wind
music, because the word comes from the root bVn chalal, the
ide.il meaning of which is, to perforate, penetrate, pierce, stab,
and hence to leound. Pipes, or hoHoia tubes, such as flutes.
hautboys, and the like, may be intended. Both the Aral ,^
and Persian, understand it as meaning, instruments of mi'- -cof
the pipe, drum, or sistrum kind, and this seems to cr ^p^,rt
y y 2
Miriam leads the chorus of "Women.
the women went out after her
timbrels and with dances.
2] And Miriam ''answered them,
' Sing ye to (he Lord, iox he hath
triumphed gloriously : the horse and his rider
hath lie' thrown into the sea.
22 % So Moses brought Israel from tlie Red
sea, and they went out into the wilderness of
■" Shur; and they went three days in the wilder-
ness, and found no water.
23 ^ And when they came to 'Marah, they
could not drink of the waters of Marah, for
EXODUS. The biiter xcalers of Marah.
with i they "arre bitter : therefore the name
of it vv'as called ' Marah.
people
» Judjr. 11. 34. & 2t. 21. 2Sam. 6.16. Ps. 68. 11, Q5. iz 149. 3. & 1,60.
4. *■ 1 San>. 10. 7. ver. 1. " Gen. 16. 7. &£ U5. 18. = Numb. 33.
B. f Tiial 15, bitterness. Kuth 1. 20. « cli. Id. 2. & 17. 3. <> ch. 14.
V)etter with the fcope and design of the place, than the term
dances. It mus-t however he allowed that religions dances have
been in use from the remotest times; and yet in most of the
J)lades where the term occurs in our translat'itjn, an instrument
of music, bids as fair to be it.* meaning-, as a dance of any kind.
Miriam is the fii>t prophetess on record : and by this u'e find
that God not only jioured out his spirit upon men, b'.it upon
ti:omen also; and we learn also that Miriam was not only a
prophetess, but a poetess ako, and must have had considerable
skill in music, to have been able to conduct her part of these
solemnities. It may appear strange, that during so long an
oppression in Egypt, the Israelites were able to cultivate the
fine arts ; but that they did so, there is the utmost evidence
from the Pentateuch. Not only architecture, weaving, and
such necessary arts, were well known among them, but also the
ai ts that are called omatnentnl, such as those of tlie goldsmith,
lapidary, embroiderer, furrier, &c. of which we have ample ]>roof
in the construction of the tabernacle and its utensils. However
ungrateful, rebellious, &c. the Jews may have been, the praise
of mdustry and ccconomy can ne\er be denied them. In
former ages, and in all tilaces even of their dispersions, they
appear to have been frugal and industrious, and capable of
gi-eut proficiency in the most elegant and curious arts ; but
'thej' are now greatly degenerated.
Verse 22. The wilderness of Shiir] This was on the coast
of the Red Sea, on their road to mount Sinai. — See the innp.
Verse 23. Marah'] So called from the bitter waters found
there. Dr. Shaw conjectures, that this place is the same as
that now called Corondcl, where there is still a small rill,
which, if not diluted with dews or rain, continues brackish. —
See his account, at the end of Exodus.
Verse 2i. The people murmured] Tliey were in a state of
^reat mental degradation, owing to their long and o]jpressi\e
vassalage, and had no tirmness of character.^See the note on
chap. xiii. 17.
Verse 25. He cried nnto the Lord] Moses was not only
their leader, but also their mediator. Of prayer and de-
pentlance on the Almighty, the great m;iss of the Israelites
ap[>car to have had little knowledge at this time. JMoses,
tlicre((>re, had much to bear from their weakness ; and the
merciful Lord was long-suOering'.
Tlie Lord shelved him a tree] What tliis tree was, we know
yjt : .some tiiink that the tree was extremely bitter itself, such
'<is '^*= qtmsia ; and that God acted ia this as fac generally
sayiiiT
o'
^ murmured
What shall'
1 24 And the
; against Moses,
i we drink ?
i 25 And he '" cried unto the Lord
Lord shewed him a ' tree
A.. M. 251.3.
E. C. 1491.
All. Kxiid.lsr.
1. .
Abib or Hfsaif.
and the
*■ xchich when he had
cast into the waters, the waters were made
sweet. There he ' made for them a statute and
an ordinance, and tliere "'he proved them,
26 And said, " If thou wilt diligently hcarkcnn
to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do
10. & 17. 4. Ps. 50. 15.—
41 1 Sre .T(,5]!..24. '^H.—
3,1,4. Ps. 66. 10. &81.7.
-■ Eccliis. 33. .') >■■ See 2 Kirgs S. 21. & 4.
-" ch. 16. 4. IJoHt. 8. 2, 16. Jiidg. 2. 22. k
« Dcut. 7. 12, 1.3.
does, correcting contraries by contraries, which, among the
ancient physicians, was a favourite maxim — Clatis claro exr
pellitur. The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem say, that
v\'hen Moses prayed, " the word of tb.e Lord shewed him the
tree, 'janN ardiphiiei/, on which lie wrote the great and
precious name (Jehov.\u) and tlien threw it into the waters,
and the waters thereby became sweet." But what the tree
ardiphnej/ was, v.e are not informed.
Many su])pose that this tree, which healed the bitter water.',
■\(as synibolical of the cross of our blessed Kedeemer, that
has been the means of healing iniccted nature ; and through
the virtue of which, the crils and bitters of life are sweetened,
and rendercrl subservient to the best interests of God's fol-
lo\vers. ^Yhate^■cr may be in the metaphor, this is true in
fact; and hence the greatest of Apostles glorie-d in the cro.is
of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world was crucified
to him, and he unto the world.
It appears that these waters were sweetened only for that
occasion, as Dr. Shaw reports them to be still brackish, ^\hich
appears to be occasioneelbythe abundance of natron, which pre-
vails in the surrounding soil. Thus we may infer, that the na-
tural cause of their bitterness, or brackishness, was permitted to
resume its operations, when the occasion, that remtered the
change necessary, had ceased to exist. Thus Christ simply chang-
ed that water into wine, which v. as to bo drau-n out to be carried
to the masttr of the le;ist : the rest of the v^■ater in the pots, re-
maining as before. As the water of the Nile was so peculiarly
excellent, to vvilich they had been long accustomed, they could
not ea.-ily put up with what was imlillLient. — See the note on
chap. \ii. ver. 18.
TJicre lie made for them] Though it is probable that the
Israelites are here intended, yet the word -h lo, should not
be translated them, but tn him ; for these statutes were gi\cn to
.Moses, that he might deliver them to the people.
There he proved them] incJ vissahu, he proved iwa. By
this murmuring of the people, he proved INIoses, to see,
speaking after the manner of men, whether he would be
faithful, and in the midst of the trials to which he was likely j
to be expof-ed, whether he would continue to trust in the i
Lord, and seek all his help from liim.
Verse 26. If titou wilt d:ii:.;entli/ hearhcti] What is con-
tained in this Terse, appears to be what is intended by tire
.statute and ordinance mentioned in the j receiling — // thoii
ioill diligently hcarLai unto the voice of the Lord thi/ God, and [
Promises io obedience.
CHAP. XT. The Kelts and palm frees of Etm^
that which is right in his sight, and || 27 % "And they came to Eh'm, a>i---'1S.
wilt give ear to his commandments, I where ixcre twelve wells of water,
and keep all his statutcj;, I will put land threescore and ten palm trees:
AiM^yan. ^^^^^^ of thcsc " discascs upon thee, :and they encamped there, by the
which I have brouu;ht upon the Egyptians : for waters.
1 am the Loud " that heuleth thee.
B.C. II'.M.
All I'xnJ '!!''■
1.
B.C. UPl.
Au. Exod. f sr.
1.
• Peut. 28. 27, tO. " cli, 23. 25. Ps. 41 . 3, 4 & 103. 3. Jc 147. 3.
vJIt do that v.'/tic/i is right in his sight, and 'jsilt give ear to his
cotiiiiiaudincnts, and kctp all his statutes, I iiill put none of
iheic diseases upon t.'tct, dfc. T\m statute and ordinance im-
plied the tlute i'ollouinr; j)articulars : 1. That they should
ackn(!\vltd|.,c Jehovah for their God, and thus avoid all idolatry.
2. That lluy should receive his word and testimony as a
divine rtvtlation, bir.din;;; on their hearts and lives, and thus
be sa\ed from profligacy of every kind, and from acknow-
ledging the maxims, or adopting the customs, of the neigh-
bouring nations. 3. That they should continue to do so, and
adorn their jirofcssion with a holy life. These things being
attended to, then the jiromise of God was, that they shouki
have ncnc of the diseases of the Egyptians put on thtm ; j
that they shovild be kept in a state ot" healtli of body and i
peace of mind ; and if, at any time, they should be |
afiiicted, en apjjlication to Gcd, the evil should be re-',
n.ovcd, because he was their hadcr or phi/sician — / «w the !
Lord that htukth thcc. That the Israelites had in general a
veiy g'oel state of heallh, their history warrants us to be- i
lieve ; and when they were atilicted, as in the case of the fier\'
serpents, on application to C;od they were all healed. The i
Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel states, that the statutes which I
'?.Io^:^s received at this time were commandments, conceruing
the observation of the sabliath. Duly to parents, the ordi-
nances concerning wounds and bruises, and the penalties
which sinners should incur by transgressing them. But it
appears, tliat the ^e:>cral ordmances alrcaely mentioned, are
those whi( h are intendeel here ; and tliis. seems to be proved
beyojid dispute, by Jertm. vii. 22, 23. — For I spake not unto
your fathers, v.or coniiiiandcd them in the day that I brought
them cut of the land of Etypt, concerning burnt-offerings or
sacrifices. But this thtiig commanded I them, saying, Obey my
voice, and I iiill be your God, and ye shall be 7iiy people ; and
walk ye in all the ivays that I hare commanded you, that it may
■ he v:eil unto you.
Verse 27. They came to Elim] This was in the desart of
Sin, anel, according to Dr. Shaw, about two leagues from
' Tor, and thirty from Marah, or Corondel.
Tuf/te xielts nfxiiiier] One for each of the tribes of Israd,
say the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem.
And threisccre and ten palm-trees] One for each of the
seventy elders — Ibid.
Dr. Sha^^■ found nine of the tweh'e. wells, the other three
having been choked up with sand ; and the .-eveiity palm-
trees multiplied inio more than 20C0, the dates of which bring
a Consieie rable revenue to the Greek monks at Tor. — See his
account at the end of this book, and see also tlic map. Thus,
suilicient evidence of the authenticity of this part of the sacred
history remains, after the lapse of more than 3000 yp,ars.
_ i:i the preceding notes, the reader has been referred to Dr.
I Kenniiott's trauslr^iion and arrangement of the song of Moses.
To ibis translation he prefixes the following observation.« :
° Numb.
" Tliis triumphant oele was srmg Ivy Moses and the sons of
Israel: and the women, headed by Miriam, answered the
men, by repeating the two fir...t lines of the song, altering'
only the first word ; which tv.o lines tvcre probably sung, more
than once, as a chorus.
" The conclusion of this ode seems very manifest: and yet,
though the ancient Jews had sense enough to write this .song
difierently from ]3reise ; and though their authority has prc-
vailetl, even to this day, in this and tliree other poems in the
Old Testament, {Deut. xxxii. Judg. v. and 2 Sam. xxii.) still'
expressed by them as poetry : yet have these critics carrieel
their idea? ci the song here, to the end of verse 1 9. The rea-
son why the same has been done by others, probably is — thc3?i
thought, that the particle '3 ./or, which begins verse 19, ne-
cessarily connecteel it with the preceding poetiy. Hut this
difficulty is removed, by translating '3 '^hen, esjieciallj- if we
take verses 19, 20, 21, as being a prose explanation of the
manner in which this song of Irimiiiih was performed. Tor.
these tltree verses say, that the men-singers were ansivcred in
chorus by Miriam and the nomcn, accompanying their wi)ri]s
w(th musical instiuments. " When the hor.se of Pharaoh hvL
gone into the sea, anel the Lord had brought the sea -.ipon
them : and trael had passed, on elry land, in tlie midst of the
sea: then Miriam took a tiiiilntl, and all the women went
cut after her with timbrels ami dances ; and Miriam (with the
women) ansivered them (c:n'? lahem, tlie men, by way of
chenus) in the words, 0 sing ye, 6) c." That this chorus was
sung more than once, is llms stated by Bishop Lowth :
I\Iaria, cum midieribus, tirorum choro identidem succine-
bat. — Praclect. 19.
I shall now give wh.it appears, to mc to be an exact trans-
lation of this whole song.,
Moses. Part I.
1. I will sing to Jr.iio\ AH, for he hath triumphed gl<5ri-
the horse and his rider, hatli he thrown into the sea. [ously;
2. My strength and my song, is Jeuovauj
anel he is become to nie for salvation :
this is my Gexl, anel I v ill celebrate hhn;
the God of my father, and I will exalt him.
3. Jehovah is mighty in battle ! 7 Perhaps a chorus sung
Jehovah is his name ! ) by the Men.
Chorus, by Miriam and the Jl'omen.
Perhaps sung first, in this place.
G sing ye to Jehovah, for he haih triumpheel t^lorioiisly '.
the horse and his rider hath he tlnown into the sea..
Moses. Part II.
4. Pharaoh's chariots and his host, hath he cast into the tea*
anel his chosci) captains are drowned in the Red sea.
Dr. Komicott's an'a7m:emcnt
EXODUS.
of the song of Moses.
5. The rleptlis Imvc covercil tlioni, they went do^-n ;
(they sank) to the holtnm as ;i itone.
6. Thy right-hand, Jchnt-ah, is become glorious in power ;
thy riylit hand, Jchorah, dasheth in pieces the enemy.
7. And in tiie greatness of thine excellence thou over-
[tlifowest them that rii^e aijainst thee ;
thou sendest forth thy wratli, which consumetli them as stubble :
8. Even at the bla^t of thy displeasure, the waters are ga-
the floods stand upright, as a heaj) : [thered together:
conn-ealed are the de})ths in die very heart of the sea.
O sing yc to Jehovah, &c. Chorus by the Women.
ftlosES. Pari III.
9. The enemy said : " I tvill jmratie, I shall overtake ;
" I shall divide the spoil, my soul shall be satiated vjilh them :
" I will draii' my suord, my hand shall destroy them."
10. Thou didst blo^^■ with thy wind, the sea covered them;
tliey sank as lead, in the mighty waters.
11. Who is like thee, among the gods, O Jehovah ?
who is like thee, glorious in holiness!
13. Fearful in praises! performing wonders !
thou stretchest out thj- right hand, the earth swalloweth them !
13. Thou in thy mercy, leadtst the people, whom thou hast
redeemed ;
thou in thy strength, guidest to the habitation of thy holiness I
O sing ye to i's.no\A», tVc. Churus by the Women.
Moses. Part IV.
14. The nations have heard, and are afraid;
sorro-w hath seized the inhabitants of Palestine.
15. ^Vlready are the dukes of J'Idom in consternation;
and the mighty men of I\loab, trembhng hath seized them :
all the inhabitants of Canaan do faint.
lt>. Fear and dread shall fall upon them ;
through the greatness of thme arm, they shall be still as a stone :
17. Tdl thy people, Jehovah, pass over; [Jordan]
tU! the people pass over, whom thou hast^ redeemed.
18. Thou shalt bring them and plant them in the mount of
thine inheritance:
the place for thy rest, which thou, .lehovah, hast made;
the sanctuary, Jehovah, which tl'.y hands have established.
Grand Chorus ; by all.
Jehovah for evek and ever shall reign !
1. When poetry is consecrated to the service of God, and
em))[oyed as above, to commemorate his marvellous acfs, it
then l)ecomes a very useful handmaid to piety, and God is
honoured by his gifts. (lod inspired the song of IMoses, and
periiaps from this very circumstance, it iia.s passed for current
among the most polished of the heathen nations, that a poet
is a person divinely inspired ; and hence the epithet of tt^o^idtd;
prophet and rates of the same import, was given them among
the (Ti'eeks and Romans.
2. Tile song of Moses, is a proof of the miraculous passage
of tlie Israelites through the Red sea. There has been no pe-
riod since" the Hebrew nation left Egypt, in which this song
was notl'omid among them, «? composed on that occasion, and to
commcmorale that event. It maj' be therefore considered as
completely authentic, as any living witness could be, who had
liimself passed tlu'ough the Red sea, and whose life had been
protracted throv.gh all the intervening agi ^, to the present day.
3. \\'e have already seen that it is a song of triumph for
the deliverance of the |ieople of God; and that it was intended
to point out the final salvation and triumph, of the whole,
church of (Christ; so that in the heaven of heavens the re-
deemed of th.e Lord, both among the Jews and the CJentiles,
shall unite together to sing the song of Moses, and the song
of the Lamb. See Rev. xv. 2 — 4. Reader, implore the mercy
of (iofl to enable thee to make thy calling and ejection sure,
tliut thou mayest bear thy part in this glorious and eternal
triumph.
CHAPTER XVI.
The Israelites journeij from Elim, and come to the wilderness of Sin, 1. Theif murmur for lack of bread, 2,3.
God promises to rain bread from heaven for them, 4. of uhich they zcere to collect a double portion on the sixth
day, 5. A miraculous suppli/ of flesh m the evening, and bread in the morning, promised, 6 — 9- The glory
of the Lord appears in the cloud, 10. Flesh and bread promised as a proof of God's care over them, 11, 12.
Quails come and cover the zvhole camp, \3. And a clew fell ichich left a small round substance on the ground,
rchich Moses tells them was the bread which God had sent, 14, 15. Directions for gathering it, l6. The Israel-
ites gather each «« omer, 17, 18- They are directed to leave none of it till the next day, 1^. which some neg-
lecting, it became putrid, 20. They gather it every morning, because it melted when the sun wa.ied hot, 21 _
Each person gathers two omers on the sixth day, 22. Moses commands them to keep the seventh as a sabbath to
the Lord, 23. What was laid up for the sabbath did not putrify, 24. Nothing of it fell on that day, hence
the strict observation of the sabbath zcas enjoined, 25 — 30. The Israelites name the substance manna, that fell
with the dezc; its appearance and taste described, 31. An omer of the manna is commanded to belaid up for
41 memorial of Jehovalis kindness, 32 — 34. The manna now sent, continued daily for the- space of forty yeart,
35. How much an omer contained, S6.
CHAP. XVI.
The people murmur.
A.M.vai.;. A ND tliey ^ took their joiirncy !
u. c.ii'.'i. j^\^ from Elim, and all the congrc-
' T ' " gation of the children oi" Israel came ,
ijur,.TZ,f. jijjj.^ ^Yic wilderness of ''.Sin, which :
is between Elim and Sinai, cm the fifteenth day ■
of the second month, after their departing out
of the land or' Egypt. '
2 And the whole congrca-ation of the children :
ol' Israel, "^ nminmrcd against Moses, and Aaron,
in the wilderness: ,
3 And the children of Israel said unto them, ;l
" Vt'ould to God we had died by the hand of ||
the Lord, in the land of Egypt, "when we sat|'
by the flesh pots, c/wc/ when we did cat bread i
to the liill ; tor ye have brought us forth into il
this Avildernes.s, to kill this whole assembly with
hunger.
4 % Then said the Loud unto Moses, Be
hold, I will rain ^ bread from heaven (or you
anil the people shall go ofit, and gather ^ a cer
-A.M. •,'51.;.
u. a 11^1.
Aii.Exod.I.-'r.
1.
//iir or Zif.
Cud promhes them bread.
tain rate every (iay, that T may " prove
tiiem, whether they will walk in my
law, or no.
5 And it shall come to pass, that
on the sixth day, they sliall prepare that which
thev brinff in; and 'it shall be twice as much
as tiiey gatiicr dailv.
6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the
childreii of Israel, "At ever., then ye shall know
that the Lord hath brought you out from the
land of Egypt :
7 And in the morning, then ye shall see 'the
glory of tiie Loud ; for tiiat he heareth your
murmurings against the Loud : and "what are
we, that ye murmur against us ?
8 And Closes said, This shall he, when the
Loud sliall give you in the evening, flesh to
eat, and in the morning," bread to the full ; for
that th.e Loud heareth your murmurings which
ye ir.unnur against him : and what are we ?
• Numb. .iS. 10, 11. •■ Kzek. 39. l.">. ' cli l,"i. M. Vs. lOfi. 2.5. 1 Cur.
10. 10. "■ Liiiii. '1. 9. ' Nmub. 11. 4, .5. ' l'.s. 78. -,'4. Si.'>. .\ lOj. 40.
Joliii 6. jl, 3;?. 1 Cor, 10. o. *llcb. the portiim of a day in hii dtiy.
NOTES ON CilAP. XVr.
Verse 1. The vcildcrncss of Sin] This de.';;irl lies lictween
Eli.ii and Siniii, and from Eliin, Dr. .SIihw sa\ -, Mount Sin-ii
can lie seen distinctly. INIr. Ain--woith .sii])|)Ose.s that this
wilderness had the name fiom a .>trong city of lv.;y)4, called
Siu, near which it lay. 8ee Ezek. xxx. 1.5, 16. liefure they
came to the wildernes.'; of Shi, they liad a previous encaiii,j-
ment, liy the Red sea, after they left Elim, of which Moses
makes distinct mention. Numb, xxxiii. 10, 11.
The fifteenth day of the second vionthl This was afterwards
called Ijiir, and tiiey had now left Egypt one vwnth, during
which, it is probable they lived on the provisions they bnnght
with them from Rameses, thous>h it is po-sible, they might
have had a supply from the sea-coast. Concernin'jf iiiount
Sinai, see the note on chap. xix. 1.
Ver.se 2. The ii'hole congregation — munnurcd~\ This is an
additional proof of the degraded state of the minds of this
people; see the note on chap. xiii. 17. And this very fir-
cumstance affords a convincing argument, that a people so
stupidly carnal, could not have been induc<.d to leave Egyi)t,
had they not been jiersuaded so to do, by the most evident unl
striking miracles. Human nature can never be reduced to a
more abject state in this world, than that, in which the body
is enthralled by political slaveiy, and the soul debased by the
influence of sin. These poor llebre\^s were both slaves autl
sinners, and were therefore caj)able of the meanest and most
disgraceful acts.
Verse •;}. The flesh pots'] As the Hebrews were in a state of
slavery in E<;yiit, they were doubtless fed in various compa-
nies, by their task-masters, in particular places, where large pots
or boilers were fixed for the purpose of cooking their victuals.
To these, there may be a reference in this place, and the
whole .-peech only goes to prove, that they preferred their
bondage in Egypt, to their present state in the wilderness ; for
I'rov. rX). 8. Matr. 6. 11. " cli. 15. '>5. Dent. 0. ?, 16. ' See ver. 2?.
1a-v. t'.i.v). "^Sci-vcr. I'i.lj. it <:!i. o 7, Kmrb. IG. 'iS. i.'9, .30. 'S«e
ver. 10. I sal. 3.5. 2. U 40. 5. .lohii 11. 4, 40. ■"Xunib. Id. 11.
they could' not have been in a state of absolute want, as they
had brought an abundance of flocks and herds with them, tait
of Egyi-t'
\ er.se 4. I v.- ill rain bread'] Therefore this substance was
not a production of the des;irt; nor wa.s the dew that was the
instrument of producing it, common there, else they must have
hafl this bread for a month before.
Verse 6. Ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out"]
After all the miracles they had seen, they ajipear still to sup-
pose, that their being brought out of Egypt, was the work of
Moses and Aaron ; for though the miracles they had .ilready
seen were convincing for the time, yet as scon as they had
passed by, they relapsed into their former infidelity. Cod
therefore, saw it neees.sary, to give them a dady miracle, in the
fall of the mamia, that they might have the proof of his di\me
interposition, constantly before their eyes. Thus they knew
that Jthoxah had bioughl them out ; and that it was not the
act of Moses and Aaion.
Verse 7. Ye shall see the gh):y of the Lord] Does it not
appear, that the glory of the Lord is here sjxiken of as something
distitict from the Lord; for it is said he, viz. the glory, hcaret/i
your murmurings against the I,ord : though, the Lord, may be
here [Uitfor himself; the «H/c'(i'</t Hi instead of the rc/c^f/if. This
passage may receive some light from Iltb. i. <j. JVho being the
brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, Sfc.
And as St. Paul's words are spoken of the Lord Jesus, is it not
likely, that the words of Moses, refer to him also .' iNo man hath
seen Cod at any time; hence wemay infer, that Christ was the
i2s//;/t agent, in all the extraordinary and miraculous interfirencei;,
w hich took place both in the patriarchal times, and under the I.aw.
Verse 8. in the evening Jiesh to eat] Viz. the quails: and
in the morning bread to the i'uU, viz. the vianna.
And what are tvf.*] Only hJE ssr^ants, obeying his com-
mands.
Moses and Aaron chide [hem.
EXODUS.
A.Af. 2r.l:5.
H .C. 1491.
An.Exnd.lsr,
Jjar or Zif.
your murniunngs are
but " against the Lord.
And Moses
not against
us.
9 And Moses spake luito Aaron,
Say unto all the congregation of the
diildren of Israel, ''Come near before the Lord:
for he liatli lieaiti your murniurings.
10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto
the Avliole congregation of the children of Is-
rael, that they looked toward the Avilderness,
snd, behold, the glory of the Lord " appeai-ed
in the cloud.
See 1 Sam. 8. 7. Luke 10. 16. Rom. l."!. 2. •> Numb. 16. 16.- — ^ver.7.
ch. 13. 21. Numb. 16. I'J. 1 Kings & 10, 11.
Yonr v:w?mtni'gs are rot agniiisf tis] For i^e have not
■brourjlit you up from U^ypt—btit againsl the Lord, who, by
his o.wn miraculous power and gcodue;;j, has brought you out
■of your .slavery.
S^erse 9. Come near bffnre the Lord] This has been sup-
posed tn refer to some pai'ticular place, where the Lord mani-
ft.sted his presence. The great Tabernacle i^as not yet built ;
'nut there appears to have been a small tuhcrnacle or tent called
the Tabernacle of the Consregaiion, which after the sin of the
j;olden calf, was alwaj s placed without the camp ; see chap.
jtxxiii. 7. And I^Toses took the Tahcrnack and pitched it ivith-
mit the camp, afar off from the cump, and called it the Taher-
ttacle of' the Congregation ; and it came to pass thai evcri/ one
that sought the Lord, xi^ent out unto the Tabernacle of the Con-
gregation lihich isas tvithout the camp. This could not be that
portable temple which is described chap. xxvi. &c. And
ivhich was not set up, till the first day of the first month of the
second year, after their departure from E^ypt, chaj). xl. which
was upwards of ten months after the time mentioned in this
rhaptcr; and iKitwithstandin;,^ this, the Israelites are com-
manded verse 34. to lay \\]> an o?ner of the manna before the
■:t:itimo!iy, which certainly refers to an ark, tabernacle, or some
such portable shrine, already in existence. If the great ta-
bernacle be intended, the whole account of layinjj up the
mama, jnust be introduced here by anticipation, Wo^es
finii-hintj the account of what was afterwards done, because
the commencement of those circumstances which comprehend-
ed the reasons of the fact itself, took place now. See the note
on ver. o4.
But from the rcnsoninjTs in the preceding verses, it appear.',
that much infidelily still reigned in .the hearts of the people ;
and in order to convince tbein that it was Cod and not Moses,
ti:at bad brought them out of Egypt, he (INIosc-s) desired them
to come near, or jiay particular attention to some extraordinary
manifestation of the Lord. And we are told in the tenth verse,
that as Aaron spake unto thein, thej/ looked toward the ai'der-
7WSS, and behold the glorj/ of the Lord appeared, anil the Lord
spake unto Moses, &c. Is not this pa.-^sage explained by chap,
xix. 9. " .'Vnd the Lord said unto Aloses, lo, I come unto thee
in a thick cloud, that the people mvy hear when I spcik with
thee, and believe thee for tier." INlay we not conclude, that
Moses invited them to come near before the Lord, and so wit-
Ziess his glorii, that tliey might be convinced it w as (iod, and
not him that led them out of Egypt, and that they ought to
submit to Idm, and cease from their munnurings. It is said
ciiap. xix. 17. that Moses brought forth tlie people out of tlie
11 % And the Lord
Moses.
Quails 'promised.
spake luito
12
saynig,
have heard
the
munnurings
'•' unto
speaii
A.M. 'J51.3.
B. C. 14;>1.
An. Kxod. Isr.
1.
Ijar or Zif.
of the children of Israel
them, saying, " At even, ye shall eat flesh, and
^ in the morning, ye shall be filled with bread ;
and ye shall knov/ that I mn the Lord your God.
13*
■the
^ And it came
quails came up,
and in the morning, '
the host.
to pass, that at even,
and covered the camp:
the dew lay round about
"Ver. 8.-
-' vcr. 6.-
— 'ver. 7.-
lOj. AO.—
— ENumh. 11. 31.
-"■Nuiub. 11. y.
78. iT, 'X: &
camp to meet luith God. And in this instance, there might
have been a similar, though less awful manifestation uf the di-
vine presence.
Verse 10. As Aaron spake] So he nnw became the spokes-
man Or mini.<ter of Moses to the Hebrews, a,s. he had be^cn
before unto Pharaoh, according to what is written. Chap,
vii. 1, &c.
Verse 13. At ez-en the quails came] iVj selav, from nVj
salah, to lie quiet, easy, or secure ; and hence the quail, from
their remarkably living at ease and plenty among the corn.
" An amazing number of these birds," says Ilasselqiiist,
Travels, p. 209. " come to Egypt at this time (March) for in ,
this month the wheat ripens. 'I hey conceal themselves among
the corn, but the Egyptians know that they are thieves, and
when they imagine the field to be full of them, they spread
a net o\er the corn, and make a noise bj' w liicli the birds
being frightened, and endeavouring to rise, are caught in the
net in great numbers, and make a most delcate and agreeable I
dish." The Abbi I'lnche, tells us in his llistoire du Ciel, that
the quail, was among the ancient Egyptians, tire emljlem of
safety and .•security.
" Several learned men, particulai'ly the famous Ludolf, Bishop
Patrick, and Schcuchzer, have supposed, that the S'lVj selrn-im
eaten by the Israelites, were locusts. But not to insist on
other arguments against this interpretation, they are expressly
called "Mt]:! sheer, Jicsh, Psal. Ixxviii. 37. which surely locusts are
not : and the Ilebr-ew word is constantly rendered by the Septus^
gint e.=Ti>"/'-/|u>iT§a, a large kind (f quail, ar.d by the Vulgate, co-
turnices, (jnails. Compare Wisd. xvi. 2. xix. 12. Numb. xl.
31, 32. Psal. cv. 40. and on Numb. xi. observe, that ZD'^ri'SO
keamatluiyim, should be rendered not <ifo culiits high, hut as !
Mr. Bate translates it, " tiio cubits distant, i. e. one from the
other; tor quails do not settle like the locusts one upon ano> !
thcr, but at small distances." " And had the quails lain for a i
: day's journey round the camp, to the great height of Ixvo !
'cubits, upwards of three feet, -the people could not have been!
employed two da3s and a night in gathering them. The ;
! spreading thein round the camp, was in order to dry thc-m in i
the burning sands, for use, which is still practised in Egypt." !
I See Farkhi'.rst, sub voct: n'7t^ salah.
\ The diflieulties which (-ncumber the Text, supposing these
I to be quails, led Bidiop Patrick to imagine them to be locusts.
The dilhcullics are three; " 1. Their coming by a wind. 3.
Tiieir immense quantities, covering'a circle of thirty or forty
miks, two cubits thick. 3. Their being spread in tlie sun for
drying, wl^ch would have been prepuslevous, liad they been
Several arguments proving that quails CHAP. XVI. not locusts were sent to the Israeli tes.
quails, for it would have made tliem corrupt the sooner ; but this
is the principii way of iiieparing lociistx, to kvep for a monlli
or more, xvhen tliey arc boiled, or otherwise dn-ssiil." This
diffinilty he ihinks uiterpretcrs pas-; over, -who suppose (jiiails
to l«: intended in the Text. Mr. Ilariiur takes up the sulycct,
removes the Bishop's diffictilties, aiid vindicates the common
version.
" These chfficulties appear pressin;j ; or at least the two last:
nevertheless I have met with several passages in honks of tra-
vels, which I shall here give an accniiit of, that may soften
them; \H.-rhaps my reader may think tlicj- do more.
" No interpreters, the Bishop complains, snp[)osin •;■ they were
quails, aeeouiit for the spreading ihem out in the sun. Per-
haps they have not. Let me then translate a pa»sa;.;e of Mail-
let, wiiieh relates to a little idand which covers one of the
ports of AirxancUia. " It is on this island, whieii lies farther
into the sea, thun the main land of Kj^ypl, that tlie l)ir<ls an-
nually aliyht, which come hillier for refu;;c in autunni, in
ordt-r to avoid the severity of ttie cold of our winters in Eu-
rope. There is so larye a cpianlity of ail sort* taken there,
that after these little hirds have been stripped of lluir feathere,
jind buried in the burniiig sands for about half a (piarter of an
hour, they are worth but two sols the pound. The crevis <if
those vessels, which in tliat season lie in the harbour of Alex-
andria, have no other meat allowed them." Amoncf other re-
fuireej of that time, Maillet elsewhere expressly mentions
quails, which are, therefore, I suppose, treated after this
• manner. This passasjc then, does what, accordins;- to the Bi-
\ shop, no commentator has done ; it explains the desiLi,n of
j spreading these creatures, supposing they were quails, round
; alx.ul the camp : it was to dry them in the burning sands in
. order to preserve them for use. So Maillet tells us of their
' drying fish in the sun of Egy[)t, as well a-, of their i>reserving
others by means of jjickle. t)tlier autliors speak of the Arabs
diying camel's flesh in the sun and wind, which, though it be
not at all salted, will, if kept dry, remain good a long while,
and which ofteutime.s, to save themselves the trouble of dress-
uig, tlity will eat raw. This is what St. Jerom may be sup-
po^^d to refer to, v hen he calls the food of the Arabs cantcs
seiiiicrudic. This drying then of flesh in the sun, is not so
preposterous as the Bishop imagined. On tiie other hand,
i none of the authors that sjieak of their way of ]ireserving lo-
I custs in the East, so far as I at present recollect, give any ac-
I count of drying them in the sun. Thcj- are according to
Pellow, first purged witii water and salt, boiled in niw pickle,
, and then laid up in dry salt. So Dr. Kussil says, the Arabs
; cat these in.-eels when fresh, and also salt Ihem \\p as a deli-
, cacy. Their immense quantities also forliid the Hishojt's be-
j heving they were quails. And m truth, he represents ttiis dif-
' ficulty in all its force, perhaps t<JO Ibreibly. A circle of forty
miles in diameter, all covered with (piails, to the depth of
i more than forty-three inches, without doviht, is a .<tartling re-
; presentation of tlii> matter ; and I would beg leave to add,
that the like quantity of locusts would have been very extraor-
! dinary. But then this is not the representation of Scrijrture.
; It does not even agree with it : for such a <|u;uitity oi' either
; quails or locusts would have made the clearing places for
I spreading them out, and the ])assing of Israel up and down
I m the neighbourhood of the cauqi very fatiguing, which is
I not suppostd.
j " Josephus suj)|K«ed they were quails, which he says arc in
i preater numbers thereabouts than any other kinds of birds,
I and that having crosse<l the sea to the cantp of Israel, they
: who in conuuon fly nearer the ground than most other birds,
; flew so low through the fati};ue of their passage, as to be within
j r»ach of the Israelites. Tliis explain* what he thought was
meant by the two cubits from the face qf the earth — their flying
within three or four feet of the ground.
And when I read Dr. Sliaw's account of the way in whi.-'h
the Arabs frequently catch birds that they have tired, that is,
by running in upon' them and knocking them down with their
Zeivjaltyx, or bludgeons as we should call lh(,-m ; I think I al-
most see the Israelites before me, pursuing the poor, fatigued,
and languid quails.
" Tills is in'l<;cd a laborious method of catching these birds,
and not that which is now usc-<l in Eiryjit : for Egmont and
Ileyman tell us, that in a walk on tlie shore of Egypt, they
saw a s;ui(!y plain several leagues in extent, and covered with
reeds without the least verdure; between which reeds, they saw
many nets laid for catching quids, v.Iiich come over in large
(lights from Europe during the month of Septerribcr. If thr
anciait Egyptians ma<le use of the .same molhofl of catching
quails, that they now practise on those shores, yet Israel in the
wilderness, without these eonve niencrs, must of course maki*
use of that more inartificial and laborious way of cateliing them.
The Arab.< of Barbary, «ho have not many conveniences, do
tin- >arne thing still.
" Bishop Patrick sn])posis a day's journey to be sixteen oi''
twenty rniles, and thence draws his circle with a radius of that
length; but Dr. Shaw, on another occasion, makes a day's
journey but ten milfs, wlfu'li woulil make a circle but of twenty
miles diamettr ; and as the text evidently designs to express
it very indeterminately, as it 'jjcre a day's jnuniey, it might
be much less.
" Put it does not appear to ine at all necessary, to suppo»e
the text intended lluir covering a circular or nearly a circular
spot of groiuid, but only that thcs'e creatures aiipeared on both
si<les of the camp of Israel, about a day's journey. The same
word is Used Exod. vii. "i-i. where round about can mean only/
on each side of the Nile. And so it may be a little illustrated
by what Dr. Shaw tells us, of the three flights of storks which,
he saw, when at anclior under the Mount Carmcl, some of
wliieii were more scattered, others more conqiact and close j
each of v\ liich took up more than three hours in [lassing, and>
extended itself more than half a mile in breadth. Had this>
flight of quails been no greater thiui these, it might have been.
thought, like tlieiu, to have been accidental; but so unusual
a dock as to extend fifteen or twenty nules in breadth, and
to be two days and one night in pa.ssing, and this, in conse-
quence of the declaration of Moses, jilainly determined that
the linger of (;od was there.
" A third thing which was a difficulty with the Bi.shop, waa-
their being brought with a wind. A hot southerly wind, it is
su])posed, brings the locusts ; antl why quails might not be-
brought by the mstrumeiitahty of a like wind, or what difB-
eulty there is in that sui)position, 1 cannot imagine. As soon
as the cold is felt in Eurojie, JNIaillet tells us, turtles, quails,
and other birds, come to Egypt in great numbers ; but he
observed that tlicir numbers were not so large in those year*
in which the winters were favourable in Europe; from whence
he conjectured, that it is rather necessity than habit which
causis them to change their climate : if so, it appears that it is
the increasing heal that causes their return, and coasequently
that the hot sultry winds from the south must have a great
effect upon them, to direct their llight northwarils.
" It is Certain, that it is about the time that the south-wind
begins to blow in Egypt, whicii is in April, that niiuiy of these
migratory birds return. Maillet, who joins quails and turtles
together.' and says that Uiey appear in Egypt when the cold
begins to be (lii in Europe, dt>es not indeed tell us when they
return ; but Thevtnot may be said to tlo it : for after he had
told lii* reader llwt they catch snipes in Egypt from .lajiuary'
Z Z
Bread from heacen called manna^ EXODUS.
14 And when the dew that lay was
gone up, behold, upon the face of the
1. wilderness there lay * a small round
^''"' "' ^'■^' thing, as small as the hoar frost on
he ground.
15 And when the children of Israel saw it.
A.M. £513.
B. C. 1 un.
All. Exod Isr
•Numb. 11. 7. l)eut. 8. 3. Nch. 9. 15. Vs. 78, S4. & 105.40. Wisd. 16. 20.
Jrsl sent to the Israelites
another, '' It
A.M.2013.
B. C. 1491.
All. Exiid.Isr.
they said one to anotner, " it is
manna : for they wist not what it
Z0as. And Moses said unto them, i.
' This is the bread which the Lord ^■'•" "' ^'f-
hath given you to eat.
1 6 *|[ This is the thing which the Lord hath
to Marrh, he adils, that in May they catch turtles ; and that
tlie turtles return again in .September : now as they go together
southward in Stptember, we may believe they return again
northward mucii about the same time. Agreeably to which,
Rus.sel tells UP, that quails appear in abundance about Aleppo
in s])rin;f and autumn.
" If natural history were more perfect, we might speak to this
point with great distinctness ; at present iiowever, it is so far
from being an objection to their being quails, that their coming
was caused by a wind, tliat nothing is more natural. The
same wind would, in comse, occasion sickness and mortality
among the Israelites, at least it does so in Egypt. The mira-
culousness then in this story, does not lie in their dying, but
the prophet's foretelling with exactness the comini;- of that
wind ; and in the prodiiiious numbers of the quails tliat came
with it, together with the unusualness of the place perhaps,
where they alighted.
" Nothing more remains to be considered, but the gathering
so large a quantity as ten omers by those that <jathered fewest.
But till that quantity is more precisely ascertained, it is sufficient
to remark, that this is only affirmed of those expert sportsmen
among the people, who pursued the game two whole days and a
whole night without intermission; and of them, and of them only,
I presume it is to be understood, that he that gathered fewest,
gathered ten omers. Ilasselquist, wlio frequently expresses
himself in the most dubious manner in relation to these ani-
mals, at other times is very positive, that if they were birds at
all, they were a species of the quail ditferent from our.s, which
he describes as very much resembling the " red partridge, but
as not being larger than the turtle dove." To this he adds,
that the Arabians carry thousands of them to Jerusalem about
Whitsuntide, to sell there, p. 442. In another place he tells
us, it is found in Judea as well as in Arabia Petraea, and that
he found it between .Jordan and Jericho, p. 203. One would
imagine that Hasselquist means the scuta, which is described
by JDr. Russel, vol. ii. p. 194. and which he represents as
brought to market at Aleppo in great numbers in May and
June, though they are to be met with in all seasons.
" A whole ass-load of them, he informs us, has often been
taken at once shutting a clasping net, in the above mentioned
months ; they are in such plenty." Harmer, vol. iv. p. 3G7.
Verse 14. Behold on thi: face of the u-iUlcriiess there lay a
small lound thing] It appears that this small round thing fell
With the dew ; or rather the dew fell first, and this substance
fell on it. The dew might have been intended to cool the
ground, that the manna on its fall, might not be di.ssolved ; for
we find from ver. 21. that the heat of "the sun melted it. The
ground therefore being suiTicicntly cooled by the dew, the
manna lay unmclted long enough, for the Israelites to collect a
sufficient quantity for their <laily use.
Verse lH. And thej/ said one to another. It is manna : for
they wist not what it was.] This is a most unfortunate translation,
because it not only gives no st:nse, but it contradicts itself.
l" Or, Whitt is this ? or, it is a porlion.— " Jolin C. 31, 49, 58. 1 Cor. 10. 3.
The Hebrew Nin |)3 man hu, literally signifies. What is this f
for, says the text, thei/ ii-isi not what it xuas : and therefore
they could not give it a name Moses immediately answers
the question, and says. This is the bread v:hich the Lord hath
given you to eat. From ver. 31. we learn that this substance
was afterv\'ard.i called |n man, proioably in commemoration of
the question they had asked on its first appearance. Almost
all our own ancient versions translate the words, What is thisT
What this sub.stance was, we know not. It was nothing that
was common to die wilderness. It is evident the Israelite.'!
never saw it before ; for Moses says, Deut. viii. 3, 16. he fed
thee with nuuma which thou kjieivedst not, neither did thy fathers
hnow ; and it is very iikely, that nothing of the kind had ever
been seen before ; and by a jiot of it being laid up in the ark,
it i« as likely, that nothing of the kind ever appeared mwe,
after the miraculous supply in the wilderness had ceased. It
seems to have been created for the present occasion ; and like
him, whom it typified, to ha\e been the only thing of tlie kind,
the only bi-cad from heaien, which God ever gave to preserve
the life of man ; as Christ is the true bread that came down
from heaven, and vas given for the life of the world. See
John vi. 31—58.
Verse IG. An onier for every inan"} I shall here once for all
give a short account of the measures of capacity among the
Hebrews.
Omer, nri' from the root dmar to piess, squeeze, collect and
bind together : hence a sheaf of corn, a nailtitude of stalks
pressed together. It is supposed that the omer, which contained
about three (jitarts English, had its name from this circumstance ;
that it w as the most contracted, or the smallest measure of things
dry, known to the ancient Hebrews; for the 3p /cab, which
was less, was not known till the reign of Jehoram, king of Is-
rael, 3 Kings vi. 25. Parkhurst.
The EFiiAii, nax or niJ'N eiphah, from PSN aphah, to hake,
because this was probably, the quantity which was baked at
one time. According to Bishop Cumberland, the ephah con-
tained seven gallons, two quarts, and about half a pint wine
measure : and as the omer was the tentli part of the ephah, ver.
31. it must have contained about six pint:: Enghsh.
The KAB 3p is said to lia\e contained abi;ut the sixth part of
aseah, or three pints and one third English.
The HOMER, ittn choiner, mentioned Lev. xvii. 16. was quite a
dillerent measure from that above, and is a difl'erent word in the
Hebrew. The chomervioa the largest measure of capacity among
the Helirews, being equal to ten baths or ephahs, amounting to
about seventy-five gallons, three pints English. See Ezek. xlv.
11,13, 14. Goodwin supjioses that this measure derived its name
from non cha/nor, an ass, being the ordinary load of that animal.
The DAiH, na was the largest measure of capacity next to
the homer, of which it was the tenth part. It was the same
as the ephah, and consequently contained about seven gallons,
two quarts, antl half a piut, and is always used in Scripture a»
a measure of licjuids.
An omcr aJloxced Jhr
CHAP. XVT.
each person's eating.
A.M.:M.i.
B.C. 1191.
Ao. £>od.br,
1.
I/ar or Zif.
according
^ for c\ery man,
number of your
commanded. Gather of it every man '
to his eating, "an omer
according to the
persons ; take ye
every man for them which arc in his tents.
17 Antl the children of Israel did so, and ga-
thered, some more, some less.
18 And when they did mote it with an omer,
*hc that gathered much, had nolliing over, and
lie that gathered little, had no lack ; they ga-
tlici'cd every man accortiing to his eating.
19 And Moses said. Let no man leave of it
till the morning.
20 Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto
Moses ; but some of them left of it until the
morning, and it bred worms, and stank : and
Modes 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 tho sixth
• Vcr. 'X. ^ Heb. by the jwll, or licid. ' Hc!». soab. ■'' » Cor. 8. 15.
Tlie sK.Mi, HND was a meanirc of capacity for things dry,
equal to about tn:o i^aUons and a liulf iMiylisli. See 2 Kings
vii. 1. IG, 18.
Tlie iii.v, j'n accorilinp; to Ri.'bop Cumberland, was the one
sixth part of an qiltuli, ami contained a little more than one
gallon and li:-o pints. See Kxod. x\ix. 40.
The LOG, i'7 wa.< the smallest mea^u^e of capacity for liquids
among tlie Hebrews, it contained about titicc quarters of a
pint. See Levit. xiv. 10, 12.
Take ye — -for them -Lihich are in his icntf.^ Some mifiht
have been confined in their tents through sickness or infirmity,
and charity required, that those who «ere in health, shoukl
gather a portion for them. I'or thoui^h the Psalmist says,
Psal. cv. S7. Tliere ivas not oncficbic perron amoit!^ t/ieir tribes,
this iiuisl refer jirincipally to their healthy state when brounht
out of Egypt : i'or it appears that there were many infirm
among them when attacked by the Ainalekilcs. See the
note on jliap. xvii. 8.
Verse 17. Some more, some /t.s.v.] According to their I'c-
spcctive families, an omer for a man ; and according to the
uuniber of mfh-m persons, whose wants they undeitook to
sujjpiy.
Verse 18. Jle that gathered much had nolhinu; ever"] Because
his gathering was in proportion to the number of persons for
whom he bad to provide. Ai;d some having fewer, others
more in family, and the gathering bi ing in proportion to
the persons who were to eat of it, tliercfore, he that gathered
much, had nothing over, and I.e that gathered little, liad no
lack. Probably ivery man gathered as much as lie could;
and then, \\[n:n brought home, and measured by an omer,
if he had a sur]ilus, it went to supply the wants of some
other family, that had not been able to collect a sunicieiicy,
the family beaig kr^e, and the time in wlutli the luaiuia
day thev gathered twice as much a.m.£.-.u.
bread, two oniers ior ouc jnan : and . ' ' '.','
,, , , ,• 1 An. h^od. Iv.
ail the rulers ol the congregation i.
came and told -AIoscs. Jjar or zif
23 And he said unto them. This is ///«/ which
the Loud hath said. To morrow is ' the rest
of the holy sabbath unto the Lord : bake
tficit which ye will bake to day, and seethe
that ye will seethe ; and that v>hich remain-
cth over, lay up for }ou to be kept until the
morning.
24 And they laid it up till the morning, as
Moses bade : and it did not "^ slink, neitlier was
there any worm tlierch).
25 And Moses said. Eat that to day ; for to
day is a sabbath unto the Lord : to day ye shall
not find it in the lield.
26 ^ Six days ye shall gather it ; but on the
seventh day, tLhich is the sabbath, in it there
shall be none.
27 ^ And it came to pass, that there went
= Ucii. 2. :5. ell. 20. t3. k .11. 1.5. Sc i5. 3. Lev. 03.
E ch. 20. 9, 10.
'ver. 20.-
mifijlit be gathered, before the lieat of the day, not being suf-
ficient to collect enough for so numerous a lujusehold ; several
of whom might be so confined, as not to be able to collect for
themselves. Thus there was an cqualitj/ ; and in this light,
the words of St. Paul, 2 Cor. viii. 15. lead us to view "the
[Jiissage. Here the 3'oth v. rse should come in, yoxv an omer
is the tenth part of an ephali.
Verse 19. Let no man leave of it till the mornins;.] For Cod
would have them to take no thought for the morrow ; and
constantly to depend on him for their daily bread. And is
net that petition in our Lord's prayer, founded on this very
circumstance, (>i:e us daj/ hy day, ottr daily bread !
Verse 20. It bred xeorms'] Their sinful curiosity and covet-
ousness led them to make the trial ; and they had a mass of
the most loath-;ome piitrefiction for their pains." How oracious
is (;od ! He is coutmually rendering disobedience and sin
irksome to tlie transgre.-^sor; that, finding his evil ways to be un-
profitable, he may return to his Maker, and trust in God alone.
Verse 22. On the .sixth day they gathered liviee us mucli'\
This they did, that they might have" a provision for the sab-
bath, for on that day, no manna fell, ver. 20, 27. What a
convincing miracle was this ! No manna fell on the sabbath !
Had it been a natural production, it would have fallen on the
sabbath, as at other times ; and had there not been a super-
natural intluence to ktep it sweet and pure, it would have
been corrupted on the sabbath, as well as on other days. By
this series of miracles, God shewed Iris own pow er, presence,
and g<jofhiess, 1st. in sending the manna on each of the si.x
days; 2d. in sending ?io»tf on the seventh, or sabbath ; 3d. in
preserving it from )iutrefa<tion, when laid up for the use of
that day, though it infallibly corrujited, if kept over-night on
any other day.
Verse 2-3. To-rnorron' is the res' of the tiolj/ sabbatli] There
z z 2
The sabbath t5 be sanctified.
EXODUS.
A pot of the manna to be kept.
A.M. 2513.
B. C. MPl.
-Vn. Exod Isr.
out some oi the people, on the Re\cntli } tlic Lorh commandeth, Fill an omcr
IJnr yr I'lf.
day, tor to gutlier, and they tbinid
none.
28 And the Lord said unto Moses,
How long " refiisc ye to keep my command-
ments and m.y laws ?
29 See, for that tlie Lord hatli given you the
sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth
fiay the bread of two days ; abide ye every man
in his place; let no man go out of his place on
the seventh day.
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 And the house of Israel called the name
thereof Manna : and ^ it rvas like coriander seed,
White ; and the taste of it -was hke wafers made
with honey.
32 ^ And Moses said, This is the thing which
' ?Kiii-sl7. 14. Ps. 78. 10, 22. & 106. 13. *> Numb. 11. 7, 8.
Ucb. 9. 4. » cli. 25. 16, 21. 6l 40. 20. Numb. 17. 10. Ueiit. 10. 5.
is nothing; eitliei- in tlic text or context that seems to intimate,
that the sahlialh ^va^ now Jtm gi^tn to the I.^raelitcs as some
have supposeJ; on the contrary, it is here spoken of as beina;-
perfectly well known, ficMii its having been generally ob-
served. The commandment, it is true, may be considered as
being now renevxd ; because they might have supposed, that
in their unsettled .state in the wilderness, they might have
been exempted froin tlie oljsevvance of it. Thus we find, 1st.
that when God finished his creation, he instituted the sabbath ;
2d. when he brought the people out of Egypt, lie insisted on
the strict observance of it; 3d. when he gave the LAW, he
made it a tenth part of the whole, such importance has this
institution in the eyes of the Supreme Bein^- !
Verse 29. Abide ye evtiy man in his place] Neither go out
ro seek manna, nor for any othei- purpose : rest at home, and
devote your tnne to religious exercises. Several of the Jews
understood by place in the text, the camp, and have generally
supposed, that no man should go out of the y)lace, i. e. the
city, town, or \illagt , in which he resides, any farther than
lobo cubits, about an English mile, which also is called a
tabbath day's journey, Acts i. 13. and so many cubits, they
consider the space round the city, that constitutes its suburbs,
wliich they dl•a^v from Numb. xxxv. 3, 4. Some of the Jews
have carried the rigorous observance of the letter of this law
to such a length, that in whatever jwsture they find them-
selves on the sabbath morning, when they awake, they con-
tinue in the same, during the day ; or, should they be up,
and happen to fall, they refuse even to rise till the sal)bath be
ended! — Mr. Stapleton tells a story of one Rabbi Solomon,
who fell into a slough on the Jewish sabbath, Saturday, and
refused to be pulled out, gi\ing his reason in the following
Leonine couplet :
Sabbatha sancla colo, De Stercore surgere nolo.
" Out of this slough I will not rise .
For holy sabbath day I prize."
The Clu-istians finding him thus disposed, determined he
stioiild honour their sabbath in the same place, and actually
2
A Ai, ;513.
B C. 1491.
A a Exod. IsE,
1.
' or Zif.
of it to be kept tor yoiu" generations ;
' that they may see the bread wliere-
1 with I liave fed }'0u in the wilderness, ■'"
when I brought you tbrth from the land of
Egypt.
3:3 Anfi Moses said unto Aaron, " Take a pot,
I and put an omer full of manna thereni, and- lay
i it up betbre the Lord, to be kept tor your ge-
1 nerations.
I 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron
i laid it up '' before the Testimony, to be kept.
35 And the children of Israel did eat manna
^ tbrty years, ' until they came to a land inha-
bited ; they did eat manna, until they came
unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
1 Kings 8. 9. ' Numb. ."A 38. Deut. 8. 2, 3. Neb. 9. 20, 21. John 6.
31, 49: f Jush. 5. 12. Neb. 9. 15.
kept the poor man in the slough all Sunday, giving their rea-
soris in nearly the same way :
Sabbiitfia nostra quidem, Solomon celebrahis ibidem.
" In the same slough, thou stubborn Jew,
Our sabbath day thou shalt spend too."
Tliis might have served to convince him of his folly; but,
certainly, was not tiie likeliest way to convert him to Chris-
tianity.
Fabvan, in his Chronicles, tells the following story of a case
of this kind. " In this yere also, (1259) fell that happe of
the lev.i of Tewky.-bury, which fell into a gonge upon the
Satyrday, ami ivolde not, for reverence of his sabot day, be
pluckyd out ; whereof heryng the Erie of Gloucetyr, that
the lewe dyd s' threat reverence to his sabbot daye, thought
Ik wolde doo a; morhe unto his holy day, which was Sonday;
and so kepte i'yn. diere tyll Monday, at whiche season, he
was found} .i dede."
Verse 31. Called the name thereof manna] See note on ver. 15.
Verse 32. To be kept for your generations'] .Sec note on ver. 9.
Verse 34. Lay it up before the testimony] The nn;7 eduth,
or testimony, belonged properly to the tabernacle ; but that
was not yet built. Some are of opinion, that the tabernacle,
built im'l r the direction of Moses, was only a renewal of one
that had existed in the patriarchal times. See the note on
\cr. 9. The word signifies reference to something beyond it-
self: thus the tabernacle, the manna, the tables of stone,
^\aron's rod, &c. all bore referenci and testimony to that spi-
ritual good which was yet to come, viz. Jesus Cuiiisr aiid
his salvation.
Verse 35. The children of Israel did eat tnanna forty years]
From this verse it has been supposed, that the book of Exodus
was not written till after the maacle of the nuuuia had ceased.
]Jut these words might have been added by Ezra, who, under
the fiirection of the Divine Spirit, collected and digested the
diiterent inspired books, adding such supplementary, cxplana-^
tory, and connecting sentences, as were deemed proper ta
complete and arrange the whole of the sacred caiiuu. For,
Hotc the preceding accounts
CHAP. XVII.
maij he improved.
l)rcviou^;ly to his tinif, accortlinif to the unirersnl tisliniony i.f
the Jews, all tlie liooks of the Old Ttslaineiit m ere t'ouiid in
ail iincnimectrd and dispersed -tatc.
Vfi-se 3G IS'ow an omcr is tlw tenth ]iait nf an ephali.]
About xiv pints, lui-lish. Ste llie note on verse 16. Tlie
tme |)l,ici-' of tills verse ';;cma to be imaiediatcly after verse 18 ;
for here it has no coiiricction.
1. On the miracle of tiic manna, wliieh is the chief subject in
this chapter, a oood deal has already beeti said in the preced-
iiiil note.--. Tlie sacred historian has tfiveii us the most circum-
stantial proofs, that it was a Mipeniatural and mir.ieulous sup-
ply; tliat iiolhini;' of the kind had ever been seen before, and
lirohably nolhin^f like it had ever afterwards appeared. That
it was a type of our blessed Redeemer, and of the salvation
which lie has providt d for man, there can be no eloulit ; for
in this way, it is apphed by Christ hini.self ; and from it, we
may jjather this general conclusion, that salvation is of the
Lord. Th.e Israelites must have perished in the wilderness,
liad not (lod fed them with bread iVoin heaven. And every
liuinan soul must have perished, had not Jesus Christ come
i down from lieaven, and given himself for the life of the
: world.
2. Gotl would have the Israelites continually dependant on
'.himself for all their supplies; but he would make liicm, in a
;rertain way, workers with him. Me provided the manna;
jthey gatliered and ate it. Tlie first was Geid's work ; the
flatter their own. They could not produce the mauna, and
ilGod would not gather it for them. Thus the providence of
I' God ajipears in such a way, as to secure the co-operation of
I'niaii. Though man sliould plant and water, yet it is God who
I givelh the increase. But, if inan neither plant nor water, (Vod
I will ;iive no increase. We cannot do God's w ork ; and he w ill
, not do ours. Let us, therefore, both in thiir^'s s[)iritual, and
, temporal, be leorkers together ivith HIM.
8. This daili/ supply of the manna, probably gave rise to that
petition, Give vs to-day, mir daily bread. It is worlhy of re-
mark, l.st. that what was Ictl over-nio 111, contrary to the com-
mand of God, bred worms and stank; !2lly. tlial a double.
portion was [jalhered on the day prccedin.; the ybbath ; -Sdly.
that this alone continued wholesome on the fotlouina' day;
4thly. and that none fell on the sabbath ! Ileiu-e we fi:id that
the sabbath was considered a divine institution, previously to the
y^i\iiij>- of the Mosaic law; and that God continued to honour
that day by permittinij no manna to fall during its coui-se.
Whatever is earned on the sabbath, is a cur^e in a man's pro-
perty— they who will be rich, fall into temptation and into a
snare, Sfc. for, usin^' illicit means to ;;c<|uire lawful ttiinL;s,
they bring God's curse upon themselves ; and arc drov.nc<l in
destruction and ])erdition. — Reade'-, dost thou work on the
sal>batli to increase thy property } See thou do it not ! Pro-
perty ac(|uired in this way, will be a curse both to thee and
to thy posterity.
4. To shew their children and children's children what God
had done for their fathers, a pot ot manna was laid uj) before
the testimony. We should remember our providential and
gracious deli\erances, in such a way, as to give God the praise
of his own grace. An ungrateful heart is always associated
with an unbelieving mind, aiwl an unholy life. Like Israel,
we should consider with what bread Ciotl has fed our fathers;
and see that we have the same : the same Christ, the bread of
hfe, the same tloctrines, the same ordinances, and the same
religious experience. How little are we benefited by being
Protestants, if we be not partakers of the Protestant faith ?
And ho\v useless will even that faith be to us, if we hold the
truth in unrighteousness ? Our fathers liad religion enough to
enable them to burn gloriously for the truth of God ! — Reader,
hast thou so much of the life of God in thy .soul, that thou
couldst burn to ashes at the stake, rather than lose it ? In •
word, couldst thou \m -d tnartyr ? Or hast thou so little grace
to lose, that thy life would be more than an equivalent for thy
loss ? Where is the manna on which thy fathers fed ?
CHAPTER XVII.
The hrncUtcr.jouruei/ from the rcUderims o/' Sin /o Tvcphidim, 1, 7ch(re thet/ murmur for lack of s-ater, 1, '3.
AZoit'.v asks counsel if God, 4, w/io comiitaitds him to take his rod and .vnite the rock, and promises that zcaler
should proceed from it for the people to drink, G. The place is called jNIassah and Mcribali, 7. The
Ainalekites attack Israel in liephidim, 8. Joshua is commanded to Jight teiih them, Q. Moses, Aaron,
and Hur, go to the top of a hill, and zchile Moses holds up his hands, the Israelites prctail, when he lets
them dozen Amalek prevails, 10, 11. Moses being zoeary, sits down, and Jaron and llur hold up his
hands, VI. The Amalekites are lotalli/ routed, 13, and the event commanded to be recorded, 14. Moses
luilds an altar, and calls it jEiiovAH-iNissi, 15. /Imalek is threatened with continual wars, 10'.
A.M 2513.
i B.C. 14yi.
Ao.Exud. Ur.
AN D * all the congregation of
the children of Israel joiir-
1. _ neyed fiom the wilderness of Sin,
■•'"'' "' ~'-^' after their journeys, according to
' Ch. 16. 1. Numb. 53. 12, 14.
NOTES ON CHAP XVII.
Verse I. Pitched in Rephidim] In Numb, xxxiii. 12—14.
ills said, that when the Israelites came from Sin, they eu-
cauiptd in Duj/h/ath, uod iieil m Aluih, after wjiicli tiiey
the commandment of the Lord, and
pitched in Rephidim : and l/iert: xvas
no water for the people to driiik.
2 " Wherefore the people did chide
A.M. 2513.
B.C. 1491.
An. Exod.Isr.
1.
yar or Zif.
■> Numb. 20.
came to Rephidim. Here, therefore, two stations are omitted;
probably, because nothing c)f moment took place at either.—
See the notes on Numb, xxxiii.
Verbc 2. IV hy elude ye vith mt .'] God is your leader, cora-
The people murmur for water «
with Moses, and said. Give us water
that we may drink. And Moses said
unto them, Why chide ye with me ?
wliereforc do ye " tempt the Lord ?
the people thirsted there for water;
murmured against Moses, and
is this t/iat thou hast brou£!;ht
A. .M. iijl.l.
B.C. 1491.
Ao.Exotl.Isr.
J.
Ijar or Zif.
3 And
and the people
said, ^Mierefbre
us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children
and our cattle with thirst ?
4 And Moses " cried unto the Lord, saying,
AVliat shall I do unto this people ? they be al- 1
most ready to " stone me. I
5 And the Lord said unto Moses, ' Go on |
before the people, and take with thee of the
elders of Israel ; and thy rod, wherewith ^ thou
' Deut. 6. 1(>. Ps. 78. 18, 41. Isai. 7. 12. Matt. 4. 7. 1 Cor. 10. n.
^ cli. 16. 2. ' cli. 14. 1.1. ■■ 1 Sam. .SO. 6. .lolnl «. ,W. ^<i 10. 31.
' Czek. 2.6. fell. 7. 2(1. Nnmh. 20 8. — -? Niiiiih. «0. 10, 11. Ps. 78.
15, 20. & 10.). 41. & 114. 8. Wisd. 11. 4. 1 Cor. 10. 4. " Numb. 20.
j)laiii to hiin : Wliereforc do vc tempt the Lord ? As he is your
leader, all your miinnuriii^j afi'amst me, he consider.* as di-
rected against himself : why therefore do ye tempt him ? Has
he not Ljivcn you sufficient proofs that he can destroy his
enemies, and support liis friciid.s .' And is he not anion"' you
to do you g^ood ? ver. 7. NMiy therefore do ye doubt liis
power and goodness, and thus provoke him to treat you as
his enemies .'
Verse 3. And the people mtuiuined'] The reader must not
forget, what has so otleu Ijcen noted, relating to the degraded
state of the minds of the Israelites. A strong argument, how-
ever, mav be dra\^ n from this in favour of their sujiernatural
escape from llgypt. Had it been a scheme concerted liy the
heads of the people, provi.-ion would necessarily have iieen
made for such exigencies as the.-ie. But, as God chofe to keep
them constantly dependent upon himself, for every necessary
of life ; and as they had IVloso alone, as their mediator to
look to, thcj murniured against him when brought into straits
and difficulties, regretted their liaving letl Ivgvpt, and e\-
j)re<sed the strongest desiix; to return. This shews that Ihey
had left Egypt reluctantly ; and as Moses and Aaron never
aupear to ha\e any resources, but those v>hich came most evi-
•letitiy in a supernatural way, therefore the whole exodus, or
de.i)arture from Egyjjt, juoves itself to have been no hu-
man contrivance, but a measure concerted by God him-
self.
Verse 6. / vjill sUtnd before thee there upon the rock m
Jlorcbl The rock "ilV"i /'U tsur. It s. ems as if God had
directed tlie attention of Mo>ts to a particular rock, with
which he wai well acquainted ; for every part of the mount,
and its vicinity, nui>t have been well known to Moses, during
the time he ke]n Jelhro's Hocks in those quarters. Dr.
Priestley has left the following sensible ob.servations upon this
miracle :
" The luminous cloud, the .symliol of the divine presence,
vouldapjicar on the rock, and Horcb wa.'? probably a part of
tlie iime mountain with Sinai. This supply of water, on
Moieo gnly striking Hit rock, where no wa cr had been before.
EXODUSi Moses mites the rode.
smotest the river, take in thine hand,
and go.
6 ^ Behold, I will stand before thee
there, upon the rock in Horeb ; and
thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come
water out of it, that the people may drink
A.M. 2513.
B.C. 149U
An.Exod. Isr.
1.
Ijar or Zif.
And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of
Israel.
7 And he called the name of the place " Mas-
sah, ' and " Meribah, because of the chiding
of the children of Israel, and because they
tempted the Lord, saying. Is the Lord among
us, or not ?
8 % ' Then came Amalek, and fought with
Israel in llephidim. ;
13. Ps. 81. 7. & 95. a. Hebr. ,'5. 8. ' Th.it is, teiitulion. *■ Tliat is.
r/iWi;/;', or strife. ' Geii. 36. 12. Kunib. 24. 20, Ueut. 25. 17. 1 Sara.
15. 2. Wisd. 11. 3.
nor has been since, was a most wonderful display of the divine
po«er. The water must h.ave been in great abundance to
supply tv.o viillions of persons, which excluded ail possibility
of artifice or imposture in the case. The miracle must ako
have been of some continuance ; no doubt, .so long as they
continued in that neighbourhood, which was more than a
year. There are sufficient traces of this extraordinary miracle,
remaining at this day. Tliis rock has been visited, drawn,
and described, by Dr. Shaw, Dr. Pocock, and others; and
holes and channels apiiear in the .stone, which could only have
been formed by tlie bursting out and running of the water.
No art of man could have done it, if any motive could be
sujiposed for the undertaking in such a place as this."
Tlie rock mentioned above, has been seen and described
by isordcn, p. 144. 8vo. Dr. Khuw, p. 314. 4to. where there
is an accurate drawing of it; Dr. Pocock, vol. i. p. 14.3, &c.
where the reader may find some fine jilates (jf mount Horeb,
and Sinai, and four diflerent \ieus of the v onderl'ul rock of
ISIeribah. It is a vast block of red granite, fifteen feet long,
ten broad, and tuche high. — See Dr. Shaw's account at the
end cf l.xodus.
Verse 7. lie called the name of the place ^la-tsah, and Meri-
bah ] riDD Iflassah, signifies temptation or trial ; and .iferibah,
nsnr, contention or litigation. From J Cor. x. 4. we learn
that tlii:-. rock was a type of Christ, and their drinking of it,
isn-jiresented, its their being made partakers <jf the grace and
mercy of God through Ciuist Jisus; and yet many who
dranli, fell and perished in the \Mlderu<\ss in the very act of
disobedience ! — Reader, be not high-minded, but fear !
On the smitijfi; eA' the rock by the Tod of JIoscs, Mr.
Ainsworth has the following pious note:. — " This rock signified
Christ, and is therefore called a spiritual Hock, 1 Cor. x. 4.
He being smitten with Moses' rod, and bearing the curse of
tlie J.aw for our sins; and by the preaching of die (io.speI,
crucified among his people, Gal. iii. 1. from him tluwelh the
spiritual drink, whereH ith all believing hearts are refreshed."
John vii. .'57. and Isai. liii. 1 — 3.
Versed. Then came Amukk, and fomght ii-ilh Israeli The
B. C. 1491.
An.Exod Isr.
1.
Ijar or ZH'.
The Ismelites fight vith,
A.M.'.'MJ. 9 And Moses said unto ^ Joshua,
Choose us out men, and go out,
light witli Anialek : to morrow I
will stand on the top of the hill, with
''the rod of God in mine hand.
10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him,
and fought with Amalek : and Moses, Aaron,
and Hur, went up to the top of the hill.
1 1 And it came to pass, when Moses " held
up his hand, that Israel prevailed : and when he
let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
" Called Jesus, .^cls 7. 45. Hcbr. 4. 8. "> cli. 4. 20. <: Jam, 5. 16.
Amalt-kitts seem to have attacked the IsraeUtes in the same
way, and tliiough the same motives, tliat the wanderin'T
Arabs attack the caravans, wliich annually pass through the
same desart. It does not appear, that tlie Israelites gave them
any kind of provocation; thoy seem to have attacked them
liierel}' through the hopes of pliuuler. — The Amalekiteswere the
posterity of Amalek, one of the ilukes of Eiipliiiz, the son of
Esau ; and consequenlly Israel's brother. Gen. xxxvi. 15, Ki
Fought with Irtruel] In the most tr ichevous and dastardly
manner; for they came at the r' ir of the camp, smote the
hindmost of the -people, even all thai ii;ere feeble behind, wlien
they leere faint and xueaiy, sec D^ut. xxv. IS. The ba^ga^'e,
no doubt, was the oVyect of their avarice ; but tuiding the
women, children, agjti and infiini persons, behind with the
baggage, they smote them, and look away their spoils.
Verse 9. Moses said nnto Joshua] This is the first place in
which Joshua the son of Nun is mentioned : the illustrious
part which lie took in Jewish aflairs, till the settlement of his
countrymen in the promised land, it; well known. He was
captain-gene al of the Hebrews under Moses ; and on this
great man's death, he became his successor in the govern-
ment. Joshua was at first called Iloshca, Numb. xiii. 16. and
afterwards called Joshua by Moses. Both in the Septuagint
and (ireek Testament, he is called Jesus : the name signifies
Saviour ; and he is allowed to have been a very expressive
type of our blessed Lord. He fought with and conquered the
tncmies of his peojile, brought them into the promised land,
and divided it to them by ht. The parallel between him and
the Saviour of the world is too evident, to recjuire pointing
cut.
Top of the hill] Probably some part of Iloreb or Sinai, to
which they were then near.
Verse 10. Moses, Aaron, and Ilur iirnt up] It is very
likely, that the Ilur mentioned here is the same with that Hur
mentioned 1 Chron. ii. 19. who appears, from the chronology
in that chapter, to have been the son of Caleb, the son of
Ezron, the son of I'harez, the son of Judah. The Rabbins
and Josephus say, he was the brothcr-in-laxv of Moses, having
mai'ried [lis sister Miriam. He was a person in whom Moses
put much confidence; for he left him conjoint governor of
the people with Aaron, when he wtnt to confer with God on
the mount, Kxod. xxiv. 14. His grandson, Bezulcel, was the
chief director in the work of the tabernacle. — See chap. xxxi.
2— J.
Verse II. When I\Ioses held up his hand] ^^'e cannot under-
stand this transaction in any literal way ; for the lil'iing up or i
kiting down the hands of Moses, could not, humanly speak- <
CHAP. XVII.
and disconifit the Amalekitex.
A.M. 2.113.
B.C. l-f.)l.
An. Kxod. Isr.
1.
Ijitr or Zif,
12 But Moses* hands icere ''heavy ;
and they took a stone, and put it
under him, and he sat thereon; and
Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands,
the one on the one side, and the other on the
other side ; and his hands were steady until the
going down of the sini.
13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his
people, with the edge of the sword.
14 ^ And the Lord said unto Moses, 'Write
this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it
■< Psal. 35. 3. Jam. 1. 6. Heb. 1». 12.—' CIi. 31. 27.
ing, influence the battle. It is likely that he held up the rod
of God in his hand, ver. 9. as an ensign to the people. We
have already seen, that in prayer, the hanils wei-e generally lift-
ed up, and spread out, (see die note on chap. ix. 99.) and there--
fore it is likely, that by this act, prayer and supplication are in-
tended. The Jerusalem Targum says, that " when Moses held
up his hands in prayer, the house of Israel iirevaded ; and when
he let down iiis hands front prayer, the house of Amalek jire-
vailed." We may therefore conclude, that by holding up the
hands in this case, these two things were intended : 1. Tliat
hereby a reference was made to Gotl, as Oie source whence all
help and protection must come, and that on him alone they
must depend. 2. That prayer and supplication to (Jod aru
essentially necessary to their })re\aknce over all their enemies.
It is indisputably true, that while the hands are stretched out,
that is, while the soul exerts itself in prayer and supplication
to God, we are sure to conquer our spiritual adversaries ; but
if our hands become heavy, if we restrain prayer before God,
Amalek will prevail: every spiritual foe, every internal cor-
ruption, will gain ground. Several of the Fathers consider
Moses, with his stretclieil-ont hands, as a figure of Christ on
the cross, suffering for mankind, and getting a complete vic-
tory over Sin and Satan.
Verse 13. Joshua discomfited j-lmalek and his people] Ama-
lek might have been the name of the ruler of this people, con-
tinued down from their ancestor, (see on ver. 8.) as Pharaoh
was the name of all succeeding kings in Egypt. If this were
the case, then Amakk and his people, mean the prince and the
army that fought under him. But if Amalek stand here, for
the Anialeklles, then his people, must mean the confeilerates he
had employed on this occasion.
Verse 14. IVrile this for a memorial in a book] Tllis is the
first mention of ivritini; on record : what it signified, or how
it was done, we ca;iiiol tell. It is very likely, that the tlrst
regular alphabetical writing in the world, was that written by
the finger of (iod hini.self, on the two tables of stone. \\ hat
is said here was probably by way of anticipation, or means
some other method of registering events than by alphabetical
characters, if we allow that God gave tile first specimen of
regular writing on the tables of stone ; which chd not take
place till some time after tliis.
Reheane it in the ears of Joshua] Tims shewing, that Joshua
was to succeed IMoses, and that this charge should be given to
every succeeding governor.
/ mil utterly put out the reme/nbrance of Amalek] This
threatening was accomplished by S.^uu, 1 Sam. xv. 3, 6ic. four
hundred and twelve years after. Judgment is God's strange
The altar called Jeliovah-nissi.
in tlie cars of Joshua : for
utterly put out the remembrance of
Amalek, from under heaven.
15 And Moses built an altar, and
called the name of it ^ JEHOVxlH-nissi :
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An.Exod. Isr.
1.
SJar or Zif,
EXODUS.
I will
' Numb. 24. 20. Deut. 2.5. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 3, 7. & 30. 1, 17. 2 Sam. 8. 12.
Ezra 9. 14. '■ That is, the LORD my banner ; See .Judges (J. 2-1.
work; but it must take place, when the sins which incensed
it, are neither repented of nor forsaken. This people, by their
continued transgressions, proved themselves totally iniworthy
of a political existence; and therefore s;i!d God to Saul, Go
and uttfirly destroy the sinners the AinaleL-itea, 1 Sam. xv. IS.
So their coiithmance in sin, was the cause of their final de-
struction.
Verse 15. Jehovah-nissi] Jelioi-ah is my en'.lgn or banner.
'The hands and rod of Moses were held up as soldiers are wont
to hojd up their slundardi in the tiine of battle ; and as these
standards bear the arms of tlie country, the soldiers ^re said
to fight under that banner, i. e. under the direction and in the
defence of that go\ernment. Thus the Israelites fought under
the direction i>f God, and in the defence of his truth ; and there-
fore the name Jehov.^h became the armorial bearings of the
whole congregation. By his direction they fought, and in his
name and strength they conquered ; each one feeling himself
not his own, but the Lord's soldier.
Verse 16. The Lord hath suborn, that the Lord a- ill have ivar
ivith Jinalek, &c.] This is no translation of the words t '3
ncnVc rt' D^ bj? ki yad al kes yah milchamah, which have been
variously rendered by diflerent translators and critics; the
most rational version of which is the following : Because the
hand of Amalek is against the throne of God, therefore ivill I
flare ivar icith Ainalek from generation to generation. Tllis
gives a tolerably consistent sense, yet still there is consider-
able obscurity in the passage. Houbigant, a most judicious,
though bold critic, supposes, that as Jehovah-nissi, 'dj nirr
Jehovah my ensign, was spoken of immediately before, that
DO kes, a throne, in this verse, is an error of some transcriber,
for DJ nes, an ensign, which might be icadily occasioned by
the great similarity between the 3 cap/i and the j nun. He
thinks farther, that the two letters rr yah, which are sup-
posed to be here a contraction of the word nin' Yehovah, are
separated, the ' yod from dj nes, which should be written
■'03 nissi, and the n lie frtim r.Knbn milchamah, which shouh'
be \\r)tteii nrn'^nn lunnilchaniuh, and then the whole verse
will run thus : For the hand shall be upon the ensigns of war
Jinto the Lord, against .hnaiek for ever, i. e. Goil makes now
a declaration of war against the Amalekites, \vhich shall con-
tinue till their final destruction. The conjecture of iMr. Julius
Tlireatenings against AmaleJt^
sa'd, " Because " the a.si.sjis.
16 For he
Lord hath sworn that the Lord tcill ^-^^ "^^'
huve war with Amalek, fi-om gene-
ration to generation.
All Exod.Isr,
1.
Ijar or Zif.
Or, Becan&e the hand nf Am;ilek h t:gainst the thnnic of the LORD, there-
lore. Sic. " lieb. the hand upon the throne rfthe LORD.
Bate, in his Literal Translation of the Pentateuch, desenrcs
attention. He supposes that as OD cos signifies a cup, and a
cup is emblematically used for wrath, that on one of the stones
of the altar, mentioned in the preceding verse, a hand holding
a cup, was sculptured, this being a memorial, according to the
custom of hieroglyphical writing, that the Lord would con-
tinue the cup of wrath, portending continual war, against
Arnaiek for ever. I prefer Uoubigant's exposition.
1. Tllis fii-st victory of Israel must have inspired them with
a considerable measure of confidence in God, and in his ser-
:ant Moses. Though Goil alone could give them the victory,
yet it was necessary to shew them, that it was by the influence
of Moses they got it. Rloses could not deliver Amalek into
their hands ; yet, if Closes did not continue to hold up his ■
hands, i. e. to pray, Amalek must prevail. God, therefore, '
wrought this work in such a way, as to instruct the people, '
promote his own glory, and secure the true honour of his ,
servant. The Divine Being always performs the greatest (
number possible of ends, by the/fui»< and simplest means. In i
every work of God, there is as much of vjisdom and aconomy,
as there is of sovereign uncontrouled power.
3. It is not probable, that the peo])le whom Joshua chose
out to lead against Amalek, were unarmed ; and we have al-
ready seen, that it is not at all likely that they came armed
out of Egypt. And as the whole circumstances of this case
shew, that those who fought against the Amalekites, were pro-
perly equijjped for the fight, we may then safely presume
that they got their arms ii-fim the Egyi'tians, whose bodies
w ere thrown on the shore, after having been overwhelmed in
the Red Sea. Thus, what was a judgment in the one ca.se,
was a most gracious providence in the other. Judgment on
God's /of.v, is mercy to h\» friends.
3. Of the efficacy of prayer we have already had the most
striking examples. He who has the sjjirit of prayer, has the
highest interest \n the court of Heaven; and the only way to
retain it, is to keep it in constant employment. Apostacy
begins in the closet : no man ever backslid trom the lift and
power of Christianity, who continued constant and fentnt,
especially in private prayer. He, v:ho prays without ceasing, is
likely to rejoice evermore.
CHAPTER XVIIL
Jcthro, called flie fulher-iii-las of Moses, lieariiig of the deliverance zchich God had grunlcd to Israel, 1, took
Zippora/i and her two sous, (jershnm and Eliezer, and brought them to Moses, zdien he with the Israelites were
encamped near Ilvreb, 1 — 5. He .sends to Moses, anntruncing his arrival, 6. Moses goes out to meet fiim, 7,
and gives him a histori/ of God's dealings with. the Isrdeliles, 8. Jethro greatli) rejoices, and makes striking
observations on the power and goodness of God, 9 — 11. lie offers burnt-ojf'erings and sacrifices to Jchotak,
Zippovah and her txo sons CHAP. XVIII. brought to Moses, at Horeb.
mil Aaron ami all the elders of Israel fead kUIi him, 12. The next day, Jethro observing how much Moses
K7/,v fati'^ued, bij being obliged to sit as judge and hear causes from morning to evening, 13, enquires -ukj/ he did
:io'^ 14. Moses ansTcers, and shezcs that he is obliged to determine causes betKrcn man and man, and to teach
them tin- stntufes and Imcs of God, 1.5, Ifi. Jethro f mis fault, and counseh him to appoint men zchofcar God,
love truth, and hale covetousuess, to be judges over thousands, luuidifc-cls, fifties, and tcm, to judge and de-
iermine in all smaller matters, and refer onlif the greater and most important to himself , M—'ll; and sluKS,
that this plan uill he advantageous both to himself and to. the people, 23. Moses hearkens' to the counsel
of Jethro, and appoints proper officers over the people, zvho enter upon their functions, determine all minor
causes, and refer onlj/ the most difficult to Moses, 21— 20'. Moses dismisses Jethro, zcho returns to his ou'n
countri), 27-
] A..M. '.^.11.
I B.C. ir.M.
I All. Kxod. Ur.
a. _ .
' IjuT or Zif.
THEN 'Jctliro, the priest of
Midian, Moses' liither in
law, heard of all that " God had
_ done for Moses, and for Israel his
people, and that the Lord had brought Israel
out of Egy]it ;
2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took
Zipporah, Moses' wife, ' after he liad sent her
J back,
\ 3 And her "* two sons ; of which the ' name
' • Cli. '-'. 16. v< 3. 1. " Ps. 44. 1. & 77. 14, 1). & 78. 4. & t05. 5, 43. &
lOfi. 2, 8. ' cli. 4. 'id. " Acts 7. '-"J.
NOTES ON CHAP. XVIlt.
Verse 1. When Jethro, the priest of Midktn, &c.] Concern-
ins; tl>is pi^vsoii, and liis stvoial names, see the notes on ch. ii
15, hi, and 18. and ch. iii. 1. ch. iv. 20, ^4. Jethro was
probably the son of Reiiel, the fathcr-in-kw of Moses, and
conse(|utiUly the brother-in-law of Moses ; for the word jnn
choteii, wliich we {rdn:-\A\.efi-ithcr-in-law, in this chapter, means
simply a relative b\j marriage. — See the note on cli. iii. 1.
Verse '2. After lie had sent her back] Why Zipporah and
her two sons, returned to Midian, is not certainly known.
From the transaction recorded ch. iv. 20, 24. it seems as if
lihe had been alarmed at the dan<jer to which the life of one
of her sons had been expcjsed; and fearing worse evils, left
her husband, and retin'ned to her faUier. It is, however,
possible, that Moses foreseeinj>- the troubles to which his wife
and children were likely to be exposed, had he taken them
down to Eij^ypt, sent them back to his father-in-law, till it
should [lUase (iod to deliver his people. Jethro now iindinc;
that God had delivered them, and totally discomfited the
K^'Vptians, their enemies, thoui;ht it proper to bring- Zip-
|)oraii and her sons to Moses, while he was in the vicinity
of Iloifb.
Verse -i. The name of iht one was Gershom] See the note on
ch. ii. 23.
\'ei-se 5. Jethro — came iilth his .ions] There ai-e several rea-
sons to induce us to believe, that the fact n^laled here is out
of its due <hronological order, and that Jethro did not come
to Mom s till the beginning of the second year of the Vlxodiis,
(see Numb. x. 11.) some time after the tabi rnacle had been
erected, and the Hebrew commonwealth established, both in
tilings civil and ecclesiastical. This opimou is founded on tlie
liollowiiijj reasons :
A.M. 5514.
15. c. uyo.
Aii.Lxod.Isr.
Ijar or Z^.
of the one was ' Gershom ; for he
said, I have' been an alien in a
strange land :
4 And the name of the other xcas
^ Eliczer ; for, the God of my father, said he,
'ivas mine help, and delivered me from the sword
of Pharaoh :
5 And Jethro, Moses' fatlicr in law, came with
his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilder-
ness, where he encamped at " the mount of God :
^Ch, 2. 22. ^Tliat is, astrnn^er thtre. ETliat is, my Cod is a help.-
n cli. 3. 1, 12.
I. On this verse, where it is said, that Jethro came to
Moses while he was encamped at the mo^int of God. Now it
appears, from ch. xix. 1,2. that they were not yet come to
Horeb, the mount of God, and that tlicy did not arrive there
till the third moulli after tlieir departure from Egypt; and
the transactions with whii'h this account is connected, cer-
tainly took place in the second month. — See ch. xvi. 1.
2." Moses, in Deut. i. 6, 9, 10, 12—15. relates, that when
they were about to depart from Horeb, wliicli was on the 20lh
day of the second montli of the second year from their leav-
ing Egypt, that he then complained, that he was not alilc to
bear the burden alone, of the governnn nt of a iieojile so nu-
merous; and that it was at that time, that he established. judge.s
and captains over thousands, and hundreds, and fiftie.t, and
tens, which appears to be the very transaction recorded in this
place ; the measure itself being recommended by Jethro, and
done in consequence of his advice.
3. From Nu^mb. x. II, 29, &c. we find, that when the
cloud was taken up, and tlie Israelites were about to depart
from Iloreb, that Moses addres>ed Ilobab, who is supposed to
have been the same as Jethro, and who then was about to re-
turn to INlidian, his own country, entreating him to stay with
tliem as a guide, wliile they travelled through the wilderness.
It therefore seems necessary, that tlie transaction recorded in
tliis chapter should be inserted Numb. x. between the 10th
and 1 1 til verses.
4. It has been remarked, that shortly after they had .de-
parted from Sinai, the disjiute took place between iVliriain,
Aaron, and Moses, concerning the Ethiopian woman Zi|v
porah, whom he had married, (sec Numb. xii. 1, &c.) and lhi«
is supposed to have tikcn place, shortly after she had bc«i
broui^ht back by Jetliro.
3 A
The meeting of' Moses and Jethre ;
A.IM. e514.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod.Isr.
::/.
6 And he said unto Moses, I, thy
father in law Jethro, am come unto
thee, and thy wife, and her two sons
with her.
7 ^ And Moses ^ went out to meet his father
in law, and did obeisance, and '' kissed him ;
and they asked each other of their " welfare ;
and they came into the tent.
8 And Moses told his father in law, all that the
Lord had done unto Pharaoh, and to the Egyp-
tians, for Israel's sake, and all the travail that
had '' come upon them by the way, and ho'w the
Lord " delivered them.
9 ^ And Jethro rejoiced for all the good-
ness which the Lor-d had done to Israel, whom
EXODUS. he offers a burnt-offering, and sacrifices,
he had delivered out of the hand of
the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, ' Blessed he
the Loud, who hath delivered you
out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of
the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the
people trom under the hand of the Egyptians
1 1 Now I know that the Lord is
than all gods : " for in the thing wherein they
dealt ' proudly he xcas above them.
12 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took!
a burnt oflTering and sacrifices for God : and |
Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to !
eat bread with Moses' father in law, "^ before ,
God.
« Gen. 14 17. & 18. C. & 19. 1. 1 Kings 2. 19. " Gen. 29 i;5. & 33.
4. ^ Hob. peace. Geii. 4'i. U7. 2 Siini. 11. 7. '' Heb. fmind them.
Gfn.44.o4. Numb. £0. )4. " Ps. 78. 4!i. &ai.7. ,k 106. 10 &107. 2
f Gen. 14. i.'O. 2Sani.l3. 28. Luke 1.68. esChron. 2. 5. Ps. 95. 3. &
5. In the discourse between Moses and Jethro, mentioned
in this chapter, we find that Mosts speaks of t/ie stutuie.'! and
tcnvs of the Lord, as tilings ah'eady revealed and aclvno«-
ledged, which necessarily implies, that these laws had already
been a;iven, (ver. 16.) which we know did not take place, till
several months after the transactions mentioned in the preced-
ing; chapters.
6. Jethro offers Imrnt-offe rings and sacrifices to God, ap-
parently in that way in which they were commanded in the
law. Now the law respecting hurnl-offerings was not sjiven,
till after the transactions mentioned here, unless we refer this
chapter to a time posterior to that m which it appears in this
place. — See the note on verse 12.
From all these reasons, but particularly from the two first
and the nuo lust, it seems most likely that this chapter stands
out of its due chronological order, and therefore I have ad-
justed the chronology in the margin, to the time in which,
from the reasons above aliedged, I supjxisc these transactions to
have taken place ; but the matter is not of much importance,
and the reader is at liberty to follow the common opinion. As
Moses had, in the preceding chapter, related the war with
Amalek, and the curse under which they were laid, he may
be supposed to have introduced here, the account concerning
Jethro the Midianite, to shew that he was free from that
curse, altiiou!*h the Midianites, and the Kenites, the foniiiy
of Jethro, were as one people, dwelling with the Amalekites,
see Judges i. 16. 1 Chron. xi. 55. 1 Sam. xv. 6. For al-
though the Kcniies were some of those people whose lands
God had jiromiscd to the descendants of Abraham, (see Gen.
XV. 18, 19.) yet, in consideration of Jethro, the relative
of Moses, all of them, who submi-tted to the Hebrews, were
suffered to live in their own country : the rest are supposed to
liave taken refuge among the Edomites and Amalekites. — Sec
Calmet, Locke, &c.
Verse 6. And he said unto Moses"] That is, by a messenger ;
in consequence of which, Moses went out to meet him, as is
stated^ in the next verse ; for an interview had not yet taken
place. n;i.s is supported by reading n:n hinnch, behold, for
'38 oni, 1, which is the reading of tlie St-ptuagiut and Synac,
A.M.a514.
B.C. 14y0.
An. Esod.Isr.
2.
Jjar or Z\f.
greater
97. 9. & 1.!."). 5.. ^ ell. 1. 10, 16. S2. & .5. J, 7. .if: 14. 8, 18. ' 1 %\m. 1
.;. Nell. 9. 10, 16. '^9. JoblO. 11, 12. Pj. .jl. S;!. & 119. 21. Luke 1.51.
^ Deut. 12. 7. 1 Cliruu. 29. 22. 1 Cur. 10. 18, 21, 31.
and several Samaritan MSS. instead, therefore, of /, thy
father, we should read. Behold, thij father, ^;c. — Kennicott's
Remarks.
Verse 7. And did obeisance] mnu'^i Tayistacht, he loteed
himself doivn, fee on Gen. xvii. 3. and Exod. iv. 31. This
was the general token of respect : and kissed him — the token
of friend.'.hip. Ajid they asked each other of their welfare —
literally, And they enquired, each man of his neighbour, con-
cerning peace or prosperity — the proof of affectionate inter-
course. These three things constitute good-breeding and polite-
ness, accompanied with sincerity.
And they came into the tent.] Some think that the taber-
nacle is mean.', which it is likely had been erected before this
time ; see the note on ver. 3. Moses might have thought pro-
per to take his relative first to the house of God, before he
brought him to his own tent.
Verse 9. And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness] Every
part of Jethro's conduct proves him to have been a religious
man, and a true believer. His thanksgiving to Jehovah,
ver. 10. is a striking proof of it : he first blesses God for the jire-
servation of Moses, and next for the deliverance of the people
from their bondage.
Verse 11. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods]
Some think that Jethro was now converted to the true God;
but it is very probable that he enjoyed this blessing, before he
knew any thing of Moses : for it is not likely that Moses
would have entered into an alliance with this family, had
they been heathens. Jethro, no doubt, had the true patri-
arclial religion.
Wherein they dealt proudly] j^cting as tyrants over the
people of God ; enslaving them in the mo.-t unprincipled
manner, and still purposing more tyrannical acts. He was
above them — he shewed himself to be infinitely superior to all
their gods, by the miracles which he wrought Various trans-
lations have been given of this clause : tlie above I bcHeve to
be the sense.
Verse 12. Jethro — took a burnt-offering] nVi? o/u/i. Though
it be true that in the patriarchal times, we read of a bimit-qffer-
ing i sec Gen, xxii. 2, &c, yet we only read «i one in the case
5
Jethro's cewisel lo Moses CHAP.
A.M.2.M4. 13 ^ And it came to pass on the
B.f. ir.o. niorrow, that Mosc« sat to judge the
A».Ei<^<i.i^r. pp,)j^j^. . jjujj ^\^^, people stood by
ijar or zif.^ Moscs, fruni tlic niorniiig unto the
evening.
14 And when Moses' ilither in \<\w saw all
that lie did to the people, he said, 'What is this
thing that thou doest to the people ? why sit-
test thou thyself alone, and all the people stand
by thee, troni morning unto even ?
15 And Moses said unto his fiither in law,
Becauw "" the people come unto me to enquire
oi God :
16 When they have " a matter, they eomc un-
to me ; and I judge between " one and another.
I 'Lev. 24. 12. Numb. 15. 34. "Th. 2.3. 7. & 24. 14. Dent. 17. 8. 2S™i.
I IS. i. .Tub 31. IJ. Atls in. 15. 1 Cor. 6. 1. ' Mel), a man and his fd-
l/ou;. "Lev. 24. 15. ^umb. 15. 35. & 27. (i, 4tc. ^ 3l>. 6,7,8,9.
A. M. 2514.
H. C. lOT.
An. Kxoil. Isr.
IjuT or Zif.
XVIII. 07? the government of the people.
and I do " make t/iem know the sta-
tutes of" God, and his laws.
17 And Moses' fiither in law said
unto him, The thing tliat thou doest
is not good.
IS " Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou,
and this people that is with thee : for this thing
is too heavy for thee ; ' thou art not able to pcr-
i()rm it thyself alone.
][) Hearken now unto my voice, I will give
thee counsel, and ^ God shall be with thee : Be
thou ''for the people to (iod-ward, that thou
.mayest ' bring the causes unto (iod :
20 And thou shalt '^ teach them ordinances
and laws, and shalt shew them ' the way wh.erc-
fi{ huac, and therefore, thoup;!! this oflerini; made by Jethro is
jjnot a decisive proof that the law relative to burnt-ofttnniis, &c.
:;had already been given, yet taken with other circumstances in
i.lhis account, it is a presumptive evidence that the meeting' be-
[itHcen Moses and Jethro took place after the erection of the
jtabernacle. Seo the note on ver. 5.
Sacrifices for God] C3'n3t zebachiin, slain beasts, as the
I word ^'cncrally sifftiifies. We have already seen that sacrifices
iwere in.stituted by Gixl himself, as soon as sin entered into the
'world; and we see that they were continued, and regularly
i practised amonji all the jieople who had the knGwledti;e of the
i true God, from that- time, until they became a divine lej^ai
ie.stablishmtnt. Jethro, who was a priest, chap. ii. l(j. had a
■right to offer these sacrifices : nor can there be a doulit of his
being a worshipper of the true GmI, for those Katitcs, from
I whom (he i?tx/ic;/«Vf.T came, were descended from him, 1 Chron.
:ii. 5.5. see also Jerem. xxxv.
I And Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread]
iTlie biirnt-qfr'erii!:^ was wholly consumed : every part was con-
'sidered a.s the Lord's portion; and theretore, it was entirely
I burnt up. The other sacrifices mentioned here, were such,
; that after the blood had been ptnired out before God, the of-
ficers and assistants miiiht feed on the (lesh. Thus, in ancient
j nines, contracts were made, and covenants sealed. See the
I notes on Gen. xv. 13, &c. It h very likely, therefore, that the
:saeiifiees otlered on thi.s occa.sion, were those, on the tlesh of
iwhich, iVaron and the eld'ers of Israel feasted with Jethro.
j Before God.] Before tile i>:beriiacle, where dotl dwelt : for
j it is .supposed that the tabernacle was now erected. See on
|vcr. 5. and see Deut. xii. 5 — 7. and 1 Ciiron. xxix. '21, 22.
jwiK re tin: .-idme form of speech, before the Lord, is used, and
; plainly refers to his manifested presence in the tabernacle.
i Verse l-'J. 'I'o judye the people] To hear and determine con-
troversies between man and man, and to give them instruction
in things ap))evtaining to G'od.
1 from the morning unto the enening.'] Moses was obliged
I to sit all day ; and the people were continually coming and
! going.
j Ver.se 15. The people come unto tnc lo enquire of God :] To
I know the mind and will of God on the subject of then' en-
'Heb Fading thou wilt fade. fNumb. 11. 14.17. Dcut. 1.9.12.-
scli. S. 12. "ch. 4. 16 .V 20. V). IJeut. fi 5. 'Numb. 27. 5.-
K Deut. 4. 1, 5. & 5. 1. £l 6. t, 2. k 7. 11. ' P». 143. 8.
quiries. Mo.-^es was the mediator between God and the peo-
ple ; and as they believed that all justice and judgment must
come from him; therefore they came to Moses lo know what
God had spoken.
Verse IG. / do make thera knoiv the statutes of God, and his
laivs.] These words are so very particular, that they leave
little room for doubt that the law had been given. Such
\vords_would scarcely have been used, had not the statutes and
laii-s been then in e.'iistenee. And this is one of the proofs that
the transaction mentioned here, stands out of its due chrono-
logical order. Sec on ver. ii.
Verse 18. Thou •.■jilt surelj/ icear anaj/] ban h2i nabaltibol,
in Hearing avjaj/, thou xvilt near avjat/ ; by being thus cun-
tinualtj/ emplojtd, thou wilt soon become finally exhausted.
And this people that is ii;ith thee: — As if he had said, " Many
of them are obliged to wait so long for the determinatifin of
their suit, that their patience must be soon nece.-sarily worn
out, as there is no one to hear every cause, but thyself."
Verse 19. I ivill give thee counsel, and God shall be xeith thee.]
Jethro seems to ha\e been a man of great understanding and
prudence. His advice to Moses was most appropriate and ex-
cellent : and it was probably gi\en under the immediate inspira-
tion of (iod ; for after fucii sacrificial rites, and public acknow-
ledgement of (iod, the prophetic spirit might be well expected
to descend and rest uptm hnn. God could have shewctl Moses
tile propriety and necessity of adopting 6uch measures before ;
but he chose in this case, to help man by man ; a'nd in the
present in.-tance, a permanent basis was laid, to c<insoliilat<;
the union of the two famihes, and prevent all future misun-
derstandings.
Verse 20. Thou shalt teach them ordinances] Cpn chuhim,
all such precepts as relate to the ceremonies of religion, and po-
litical acononn/. And luxes, n~inn liutoroth, the instructions
relative to the vvhoie system of morality.
Thou shalt sht\M then the «a;/] ^itn r.K et haderec, th.vt
very \\.\\, that only way which (ji.d himself has revealed, and
in which tlu-y should walk iu order to please him, and get
their souls c. erlastingly .-a\ ed.
And the li-orli that ll.ty viusi do] l\ir it was not snfiicitnt
j that they should kiims tlieir duty both to God and uran, but
3 A 2
Moses adopts the advice ;
in they must walk, and
A.M.aiH.
B.C. 1!90.
An. Exod. Isr.
Jjar or Z'lf,
EXODUS.
' the work
that they must do.
21 Moreover thou shalt provide out
of all the people '' able men, such as
" fear God, ''men of trutli, " hating covetousness ;
and place such over them, to be rulers of thou-
sands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties,
and rulers of tens :
22 And let them judge the people ^ at all sea-
great matter
sons : ^ and it sliall be, that every
they shall bring unto thee, but every small mat.
ter they shall judge : so shall it be easier for
thyself, and '' they shall bear the burden with
thee.
23 If thou shalt do tliis thing, and God com-
= Dciit. 1.18-
10. Acts 6, 3.-
13. 8.^^'Deut. 16. 19.
-'' HT. a5. Deut. 1. 16, 16. & 16. 18. 2 Chron. 19. 5—
'Gen. 42 13. S.Sani. 23. 3. 2 Chron. 19. 9. " Ezck.
fyer. 26.-
-Bver. 26. Lev. 24. 11. Munih.
A.M. SH14.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. Isr.
2.
Jjiiv or ZiJ.
and Jelhro returns home.
mand thee so, then thou shalt be ' able
to endure, and all this people shall
■ also go to " their place in peace.
24 So Ivloses hearkened to the voice _
! of his father in law, and did all that
he had said.
2.5 And ' Moses chose able men out of all
Israel, and made them heads over the people,
riders of thousands, riders of hundreds, rulers
of fitiies, and rulers of tens.
26 And they "judged the people at all seasons:
the " liard causes they brought unto Moses, but
every small matter they judged themselves.
27 *[[ And Moses let his father in law depart ; \
and ° he went his way into his own land. [
they must do it too ; ]vvs> yadsun, they must do it diligently,
ferrentbi, effectually, for the paragogic ] mm, deepens and ej.-
iends the meaning of the verb.
What a very comprehensive form of a preacher's duty does
this verse exhibit! 1. He must instruct the peojile in the
nature, use, and importance of tlie ordinances of rehjjion.
2. He must lay before them the whole jnoral laiv, and their ob-
ligations to fulfil all its precepts. 3. He must point out to
each, his particular duty ; and what is expected of hiui in his
situation, connections, &c. And 4. he must set them all tlieir
txiork, and see that they do it. On such a jjlan as this, he will
have full opportunity to shew the people, 1. Tlieir sin, igno-
rance, and folly. 2. The pure and holy law v\hich they have
broken, and by which they are condemned. 3. The grace of
God that bringeth salvation, by which they are to be justified
and finally saved. And 4. The necessity of shewing their
faith by their ivorks; not only denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, but living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present
world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appear-
ance of the great God, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Verse 21. Able mc?i] Persons of wisdom, discernment, judg-
ment, prudence', and fortitude : ibr who tan be a ruler without
these qualifications ?
Such as fear God'] Who are truly religious, without
which, they will feel little concerned either for the bodies or
souls of the people.
Men of truth] Honest and true in their own hearts and
lives; speaking the truth, and judging according to the truth.
Hating cofttousncss] Doing all for Go<l's sake, and love to
man ; labouring to promote the general good, never perverting
judgment, or suppressing the testimonies of God, for the love
of money, or through a liase man- pleasing spirit ; but expect-
ing their reward from the mercy of God, in the resurrection of
the just.
Rulers over thousands] Millenaries, centurions, (juinrpiage-
naries, and decurions — each oi' these, in all probability, depend-
ant on that officer immediately above himself. So the decu-
rion, or ruler over tai, if he Ibund a matter too hard for him,
brouglit it to the (piin<juugenary, or ruler of fifty ; if, in the
courtic of the c.\ercjse of his functions, /te found a cause too
15. 33. & 27. 2. & .36. 1. Dent. 1. 17. & 17. 8. "Numb. 11. 17.
' vr.t. 18. " tien. 18. 33. & 30. 25. ch. 16. 29. 2 Siirii. 19. 39. ' Oeut.
1. 15. Acts 6. 5. — r'" ver. 2i. ° Jol) 29. 16. ° Numb. 10. 29, 30.
complicated for him to decide on, he brought it to the cen-
turion, or ruler over a hundred. In like manner, the centurion
brought his difficult case to the millenary, or ruler over a
thousand ; the case that was too hard for him to judge, he
brought to Moses ; and the case that was too hard for Moses,]
he brought immediately to God. It is likely that each of these !
classes had a court composed of its own members, in which,
causes were heard and tried. Some of the Rabbins have sup-
posed tliat there were GOO rulers of thousands ; GOOD rulers of
hundirds ; 1 "2,000 rulers of ^./i/es ; and 60,000 rulers of tens,
making in the whole 78,600 officers. But Josephus says,
Antiq. lib. iii. chap. 4. that Moses, by the advice of Jethro,
apiMiinted rulers over myriads, and then over thousands : these
he divided into five hundreds, and again into hundreds, and
into fifties : and appointed rulers over each of these, who
divided them into thirties, and at last into tvjenties and lens : that
each of these companies had a chief, who took his name from
the number of persons who were under lijs direction and
government. Allowing what Josephus states to be correct,
some have supposed that there could not have been less tluui
1:29,860 officers in the Israelitish camp. But such computa-
tions are either fanciful or absurd. That the people were
divided into thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, we know, for
the text states it ; but we cannot tell precisely, how many of
such divisions there were ; nor, consequently, the number of
otlicers.
Verse 23. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command
thee] Though the measure was obviously of the utmost im-
portance, and plainly recommended itself by its expediency
and necessity ; yet Jethro very modestly leaves it to the wisdom
of Moses to choose or reject it : and knowing, that in all things
his relative was now acting under the immediate direction of
God, intimates that no measure can be safely adopted, without
a positive injunction from God himself. As the counsel Mas
doubtless inspired by the Divine Spirit, we find that it was
sanctioned by the same ; for Moses acted in every respect,
according to the advice he had received.
Verse 27. And Moses let his father-in-law depart] But if
this be the same transaction with that, mentioned Numb. x. 29,
&c. we tuid that it was with great reluctance that Moses per-
3
Observations on the conduct
CHAP. XIX.
and character of Moses.
initted so al)le a counsellor to leave him : fur having; the high-
est opinion of iiis ju.lg^inentj experience, and tliscretion, he
pressed him to '^tay with tlinn, that he mi^ht he imtcad of eyes
to than in the desart. But Jethro cho>e rather to return to his
own country, where, probalily, his family were so settled and
eircunislaiieed, that they could not be conveniently removed ;
and it was more his duty to stay with thent to assist them "ith
his counsel and advice, than to travel with tile Israelites. IMany
others might be found that could be eyes to the Hebrews in
the desart ; l)ut no man could be i'ound, capable of bcin<j a
father to his Ibniily, but himself It is well to labour for the
public good ; but our own families arc the first claimants on
our care, attention, and time. He who ncjilects his o«n
household, on pretence of labouring even for the good of the
public, has surely denied the faith, and is w orse than an iiifidel.
It is strange, that after this we hear no more of Zipporah I
Why is she forgotten ? Merely because she was the v^'ife of
Moses ; for he chose to conduct himself so, that to the re-
motest ages, there should be the utmost proofs of his disinter-
estedness. Wliile multitudes of the families of Israel are cele-
brated and dignified, his own he writes in the dust. He had
no interest but that of God and his people ; to promote this,
he employed his whole time and his uncommon talents. His
Ibody, llis soul, his whole hfe were a continual ottering to God.
'Tlley «ere always on the divine altar ; and God had, from his
[creature, all the praise, glory, and hr)nour that a creature
Icould possibly give. Like his great antitype, he went about
'doing good ; and God was with him. The zeal of God's
, hou.se consumed him ; for in that house, in nit its concerns, we
have the testimony of God himself, that he was faithful : Heb.
iii. 2. and a iiigher character was never given, nor can be
given, of any governor sacred or civil. He made no provision
even for his own sons, Gcrshom and Eliezer ; they and their
families were incorporated with the Levites, 1 Chron. xxiii. 14.
and had no higher employment than that of taking care of the
tabernacle and the tent; Numb. iii. 21 — 26. and merely to
serve at the tabernacle, and to curry burthens. Numb. iv. 24—28.
No histoiy, sacrctl or jjiotane, has been able to produce a com-
plete parallel to the disinterestedness of Moses. This one con-
sideration is sufficient to refute every charge of imposture
brought against him and his laws. There never was an im-
posture in the world, says Dr. Puideavx, Letter to the Deists,
that had not the following characters :
1. It must always have for its end some carnal interest.
2. It can have none but zvicked men for its authors.
3. Both of these, must necessarily ap^utvn- in the very contex-
ture of the imposture itself.
4. That it can never be so fiamed, that it will not contain
some palpable falsities, which will discover the falsity of all
the rest.
5. That wherever it is first propagated, it must be done by
cr({ft and fraud.
G. That M hen entrusted to many persons, it cannot be long
concealed.
1. The keenest-eyed adversary of Moses has never been
able to fix fin lain any carnal interest. No gratification of
sensual passions, no accumulation of wealth, no aggrandize-
ment of his family or relatives, no pursuit of worldly honoui',
has ever been laid to llis charge.
2. His life was unspotted, and all his actions the offspring of
the purest benevolence.
3. ^Vs his own hands were pure, so were the hands of these
whom he associated with himself in the work.
4. No palpable falsity has ever been detected in his
writings, though they have for their subject the most com-
plicate, abstruse, and difficult topics that ever came under the
pen of man.
5. No craft, no fraud, not even what one of his own coun-
trymen thought he might lawfully use, innocent gttile, because
he had to do with a people greatly degraded, and grossly
stupid, can be laid to his charge. His conduct was as open
as the day ; and though continually watched by a people
who were ever ready to murmur and rebel, and industrious
to find an excuse for their repeated seditious conduct, yet
none could be found either in his spirit, private life, or pubUc
conduct.
6. None ever came after to say. We have joined with
Moses in a plot, we have feigned a divine authority and mis-
sion, we have succeeded in our innocent imposture, and now
the mask may be laid aside. — The whole work proved itself so
fully, to be of God, that even the person who might wish to
discredit Moses and his mission, could find no ground of this
kind to stand on. The ten plagues of Egyjit, the passage of
the Red sea, the destruction of the king of Egypt and his
immense host, the quails, the rock of Horeb, the supernatural
supply by the forty years' manna, the continual miracle of the
sabbath, on which the preceding days' manna kept good,
though, if thus kept, it became putrid on any other day,
together with the constantly attending supernatural cloud, in
its threefold office of a guide by day, a /(;,'/./ by night, and a
covering from the ardors of the sun, all, all inviiieibly proclaim
thattiixl brought out this people from Egy]>t ; that Moses
was the man of God, chosen by liim, and fully accredited in
his mission ; and that the laws and statutes which he gave,
were the otl'spring of the wisdom and goodness of iiiin, "who
is the Father of Lights, the fountain of tnilh and justice, and
the continual and unbounded benefactor of the human race.
CHAPTER XIX.
: The children of Israel having departed from Eephidim, cowc to the ziuldeniess of Sinai in the third month, 1, 2.
Moses goes up into t/ie mount to (Jod, and receives a message tchick he is to deliver to the people, 3 — f5. He re-
turns and delivers it to the p:ople before tlie elders, 7. The people promise obedience, 8. The Lord promises to
meet Moses in the cloud, 9. lie commands him to sanctifi/ the people, and promises to come dozen visibli/ on
mount Sinai on the third dot/, 10, IL Jle commands him also to sd bounds, to prevent the people or anij of the
cattle from touJiing the muuut, on pain of being stoned, or shot through uith a dart, I'l, 13. Moses goes down
The people depart from Rephidhi, EXODUS. and cotne to tJie desarl of Sinai.
and delivers this message, 14, 15. The third day is ushered in zcith the appearance of the thick cloud upon the
mount, and wiCd thunders, lightning, and the sound of a trumpet ; at trhich the people are greatly terrified, l6.
Moses brings forth the people out of the camp to ineet mth God, 17. Mount Sinai is enveloped zviih smoke, and
fire, 18. After the trumpet had sounded long and loud, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice, IQ.
God calls Moses 2tp to the mount, and gives him a charge to the people and to the priests, that they do not attempt
to come near to the mount, 21, I'l. Moses alledging that it was impossible for them to touch it because of the
hounds, 23, is sent dozen to bring up Jamn, and to zcam the people again, not to break through the bounds, 24.
Moses goes doKii and delivers this 7nessage, Q.o. Jfter uhieh at' may suppose, that he and Aaron zcent up to meet
God in the mount.
A
M. 2.513.
B
C. l')'.M.
All
E.vod. Ijr.
1.
Sivan.
IN the third month, when the child-
ren of Israel were gone fortii out
of the land of Eg-ypt, the same day
^ came they into the wilderness of
Sinai.
2 For they were departed from " Rephidim,
and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had
pitched in the wilderness •, and there Israel
camped before " the mount.
»\umb. 33. 15. ""ch. 17. 1, 8. 'ch. 3. 1, 12
NOTES ON CHAP. XIX.
Verse 1. In the third month] This was called Sivan, and
answers to Our 3Iai/.
The same dry'] Tliere are three opinions concerning the
meaning of this place, which are supported by resjicctable
arguments. 1. The same day means, the .same day of the
third month with that, viz. the Ijth. on which the Israelites
had left Egypt. 2. The same day signifies here, a day of the
same number with the month to which it is applied, viz. the
third day of the third month. 3. By the same day, the first
day of the month is intended. The Jews celebrate the feast
of " Pentecost ./f/cv days after the Fass-oier : from the departure
out of l''.gy]Jt to the coining to Sinai, were forty-five days ; ibr
they came out the fifteenth day of the first month, from w huh
day, to the fir.-t of the third "month, forty-five days are num-
bered. On the 2d day of this third month, Moses went up
into the mountain, when three dajs were given to the people
to purify themselves ; this gl\ es liie fourth day of the third
month, or the forty-ninth from the de])arture out of Egypt.
On tlie next day, which was the fiftieth tiom the celebration of
the pas.s-over, the glory of (iod appearetl on the mount; in
commemoration of vhich, the Jews celebrate the feast of
Pentecost. This is the opinion of St. Augustin and of several
moderns ; and is del'ended at large by Houbigant. As the
word IP^n chodesh, nimith, is put for new moon, which is with
the Jews, the first day of the month, this may be considered
an additional confirmation of the aliove opinion.
The ivilderness of Sinai.] Mount Sinai is called by the
Arabs JiM Mourn, or the Mount of Moses, or, by way of
eminence. El Tor, the Mount. It is one hill, with two peaks
or summits : one is called lloreb, the other Sinai. Horeb
was probably its mo.et ancient name, and might designate the
vhole mountain. But as the Lord had appeared to Moses on
this mountain in a hush, nJD sench, chap. lii. 2. from this cir-
xumstance, it might have received the name of Sinai, or
'f3 in har Sinai, the 7nount of the bush, or the iuuur»t of
A. M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An.Kxnd, Isr.
3 ^ And ^ Moses went up unto
God, and the Lord " called unto him
out of tlie mountain, saying, Tlius
shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, — '^ —
and tell the children of Israel ;
4 ' Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyp-
tians, and ho-do ^ I bare you on eagles' wings,
and brought you unto myself.
5 Now " therefore, if ye will obey my voice
<< Ch. 20. 21. Acts 7. 38. ' ch. 3. 4. f Dent. 29. 2.- — eDcut. 32. 11.
isai. 63. 9. Rev. 12. 14. " JJcul. 5. 2.
hushes ; for it is possible, that it was not in a single bush, hut
in a thicket of bushes, that the Angel of God made his aji-
peavance.
Verse 3. Mose.^ leent up unto God] It is likely, that the cloud
which liad conducted the Israelitish camp, had now removed
to the top of Sinai, and as this was the symbol of the di\inc
presence, Moses went up to the -place, there to meet the Lord.
The Lord called unto him] This, according to St. Stephen,
was the Angel of the Lord, Acts vii. 38. And from sevcjal
scriptures, we have seen, that the Lord Jesus was the person
intended; see the notes on Gen. xvi. 7. xviii. 13. Exod. iii. '2.
Verse 4. How / bare you on eagtts' uiwn-.s] Mr. Bruce
contends, that the word I'jj ne.^er, does Hot mean tlie bird we
term eagle; but a bird, which the Arabs, from its kind and
merciful disposition, call riichama, which is noted for its care
of its young, and its carrying them upon its back. See his
Travels, vol. vii. pi. oS. It is not unlikely, that from this part
of the sacred history, the heathens borrowed their fable of
the eagle being a bird sacred to Jupiter, and which was em-
ployeii to carry the souls of departed heroes, king-s, &c. into
the celestial regions. The Romans have struck several medals
with this device, which may be seen in dillennt cabinets,
among which, are the following : one of Faustina, flaughter
of Antoninus Pius, on the reverse of which she is represmted
ascending to heaven on the back of an ea^le ; and another of
Salonia, daughter of the emperor Galienus, on the reverse of
which she is represented on the back of an eagle, with a
sceptre in her hand, ascending to heaven. Jupiter himself, is
sometimes represented on the back of an eagle also, with his
thunder in his hand, a.* on a medal of Licinus. This brings
us nearer to the letter of the Text, where it apjiears, that the
heathens confounded the figure made use of by the sacred
penman, / bore you on eagles' wings, with the manifestation
of God in thunder and lightning on mount Sinai. And it migiit
be in refer( nee to all this, that the Romans took the eagle for
tiieir ensign. See Schcuehzcr, 31usellius, &c.
(7od's promises to the obedient. CHAP.
A.M.wia indcetl, and keep my covenant, then'
' ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto .
1. me above all people : for " all the ';
'^ earth is mine : |
ofil
B. C. 1491.
An Enod. Isr.
6 And ye shall be unto me a 'kingdc
priests, and a '' holy nation. These are the
worrls which thou shalt speak unto the children
of Israel.
7 % And Moses came and called for the elders
of the people, and laid before their laces all
these words which the Lord commanded him.
8 And ' all the people answered together.
Jcut. .1. M. & 7. 6. & 14. 2, 21. & 26. 1«. & ."52. 8. 9 1 Kings 8. .53.
Ps. 1j6. 4. Cant. 8. 12. Uai. 41. 8. U 4S. 1. .Ter. 10. IC. Mai. ;i. 17.
Xit. -J. 14. " ch. 9. 29. Ueiit. 10. 14. .loli 41. 11 Ps. 24 1. & 50. 12.
ICor. 10. 26, 28. ' Ueiit. C<3. 2, :>, 4. 1 Pet. 2. 5, 9. Kev. 1. 6. St 5. 10.
& lO. 6.
Brought you unto im/fielf.'] 'In this, and the two following
vfrses, we sic the desi^^ni ot' Ciod in .selei'tin<; a people for
■ -If 1. Tiiey were to obn/ his voice, vtT. 5. to receive a
uition from him, and to act accordinGf to that revelation,
i.and not according to their reason or fancy, in opposition to
j'his declarations. 2. Tiiey were to obey his roice indeed,
fiy^Ufn pru? shimoa tishmcu, in hearing, they .should hear;
I they should consult his testimonies, /(tvfr them whenever read
[or proclaimed, and obey them as soon as heard, affectionately
land steailily. 3. They must keep his coienaul — Not only copy
i in their lives the ten commandments, but they must receive and
'preserve the grand at^ieemeiit made between (jod and man by
Isittrijice, in reference to the incarnation and death of Cln-ist ;
'for, from the foundation of the world, the covenant of God
I ratified by sacrifices, referred to this ; and now the sacrificial
I system was to be more fully oiiened, by the giving of the
' law. 4. They should then he God's peculiar treasure, nb'JD
'Se^illab, his own patrimony, a people in whom he should have
all right, and over whom he should have exclusive authority
labove all the people of the earth ; for though all the inhabitants
'of the world were his by his right of creation and providence,
iyct the.se should be peculiarly his, as receiving his revelation,
land entering into his covenant. 5. They shoiild be a kingdom of
■priests, ver. C. Their state should be a theocracy, and as Uod
should he the sole governor, being king in Jcshurun, so all his
subjects should hi: priests, all uorshippers, all sacriftcers, every
individual otiering up the victim for himself. A beautiful repre-
sentation of the Gospel dispensation, to which the Apostles
Peter and .lohn apyily it, 1 1'et. ii. 5, 9. Rev. i. 6. v. 10. and
XX. 6. Under which disjiensation, every believing soul oilers
jvip for himself, diat Lamb of Goel which was slain for, and
which takes away the sin of the world ; and through which
jalone, a man can have access to God.
j Verse (i. And a holy nation.] They should he a tiation,
■one jieopte ; tirnily united among themselves, living under
; their own laws; and powerful, because unittd, and acting un-
Uler the direction and bles.>ing of God. They should be a holy
nation, savid from their sins, righteous in their conduct, holy
in their heart^; every external rite being not only a significant
|certmnny, but also a means of conveying light and life, grace
and pea*e to every person who conscientiously used it. Thus
!»hey should be botJi a kingdom, having God fov their go-
XIX. The people are to be sanctified,
and said, All that the Lord hath a.m.2.m.s.
Spoken we will do. And Moses re- , " " ,', '
turned the woids or the people unto i.
the Lord.
9 And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come
unto thee ' in a thick cloud, ^ that the people
may hear when I speak with tliee, and " 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 them to day and
to morrow, and let them " wash tlicir clothes,
■" Lev. 20. 24, 26. Deut. 7. 6. & 26. 19. Sc 28. 9. Isai. 62. 12. 1 Cor.
3 17. 1 Tliess. 5. 27. = cli. 24. 3,7. Deut. .5. 27. & 26. 17. ' vcr. Id.
ch. 20. 21. & 24. 1.1, 16. Deut. 4. 11. Ps. 1«. 11, 12 k 97. 2. .Matt. 17. 5.
s Deut. 4. 12, .■56. .lolin 12. '/.>. ;iO »cli. 14. 31.—' Lev. 11.41,4"-.
Hebr. 10. 22. '^ vcr. 14. Ciea X^. 2. Ixv. 15. 5.
vernor : and a nation, a multitude of peoples connected to-
gether ; not a scattered, disonUred, and disorgani.sed people,
but a royal nation, using tlieir own rites, living under their
own laws, .subject in 7-c%/o«v matters, only toCiod; and i»
thing's cixil, to every ordinance of man, for (iod's sake.
Tliis was the spirit and desiun of this woiuK rlul institution,
which could not receive its perfection but iiiukr the Gospel;
and has its full accoiuplishmeut in every member of the mys-
tical body of Christ.
Verse"?. The elders of the people] The head of each tribe,
and the chief of each family, Uy whose ministry, this gracious
purpcse of God was speedi-Iy communicated to the whole cam]*.
Verse 8. And all the people anstvered, &c.] The )>eople
having such gracious advantages laid before them, most cheer-
fully consented to take God for their portion ; as he had gra-
ciously promised to take them for his people. Thus a cove-
nant was made; the parties being mutually bound to each
other.
Moses returned the words] Wlien the people had on their
part consented to the covenant, Moses appears to have gone
immediately up to the mountain, and related to God the suc-
cess of his mission ; for he was now on the mount, as appears
from ver. 14.
Verse 9. A thick cloud] This is interpreted by vcr. 18.
And mount Sinai ivas altogether on a smoke — and the smoke
thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace ; his usual appear-
ance was in the cloudy pillar; wliich we may suijjiose, vtas
generally clear and luminous.
That the people may hear] See the n<ite on chap. w. ft.
Tile Jews consider this as the fullest evidence, their fathers had
of the divine mission of Moses: th'-mselves were permitted to
see this awfully glorjous sight, ami lo hear (jod hnnsi^lf speak
out of the thick darkness : for, before this, as Kabbi Maymon
remarks, they might have thought that .Moses wrought his
miracles by sorcery or imhantment ; but now hearing the voice
of God himself, they could no longer disbelieve nor even
doubt.
Verse 10. Sanctify them] See the meaning of this term
chap. xiii. 2.
Let them wash their clothes] And consequently bathe their
bodies ; tor according to the ttstuaony of the Jews, these al-
way!5 went togtllier. It was uecessary, that as they wtrt
A. M. ?513.
B. C. U9i.
An. Exod.Isr.
1.
Sivatt.
They vmst not touch, the mount. EXODUS.
1 1 And be ready against the third
day : tor the third day the Lord * will
come down, in the sight of all the
people, upon mount Sinai.
1 2 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people
roimd about, saying. Take heed to yourselves,
that ye go not up into tlie mount, or touch the
border of it : " whosoever toueheth the mount
shall be surely put to death ;
13 There shall not a hand touch it, but he
shall surely be stoned, or shot through ; whether
it 1)6 beast or man, it shall not live : when the
'trumpet'' soundcth long, they shall come up
to the mount.
» Ver. 16. 18. cli. .'54. 5. Deut. 33. 2. •■ Hebr. 1«. 20. ' Or, cornet.
■ ■" ver. Id, 1?. = ver. 10. *' ver. 11.- 5 1 Sam. 21. 1, .5. Zecli. 7. 3.
1 Cor. 7. 5. 1" Ps. 77. 18. Uehr. 12. 18, 19. Rev. 4. o. i<< 8. 5. & 11. 19.
about to appear in the presence of God, every thin;^- should
he clean ami pure about them ; tiiat they might be admonished
by this, of the necessity of inward purity, of which, the out-
ward vva?hing- was the emblem.
From these institutions, the heathens appear to have bor-
rowed their precepts relative to iva.s/iiturs yud jnirificationx pre-
viously to their oflcrin^r sacrifice to their gods, examples of which
abound in the Greek and Latin writers. They washed their
hands and clothes, and bathed their bmlies in pure water, be-
fore they performed any act of religious worship : and in a va-
riety of cases, abstinence from all matrimonial connexions
was positively required, before a person was permitted to per-
form any religious rite, or assist at the performance.
Verse 12. TIiou shalt set bounrls] Whether this was a line
marked out on the ground, beyond which they were not to go ;
or whether a fence was actually made to keep them oiY, wc
cannot tell ; or whether this fence was made all round the
mountain, or only at that part to which one wing of the camp
extended, is not evident.
This verse strictly forbids the people from coming near and
touching mount Sinai, which was burning with fire: the
words, therefore, in ver. 15. ncs Sx vjj,-i bx al tii:ires/iu el
isliuh, come not at your wives, seem rather to mean, come not
venr mUo the riiiE; e.s})ecially as the other phrase is not at all
probable : but the fire is, on this occasion, spoken of so em-
phatically, see Deut. v. 4, 5, 22 — 25. that we are naturally
led to consider 'n'a^ ishuh here, as E\sn ha-esh transposed, or
to say with Simon in his Lexicon, ni!;s? JIcw. idem quod imtxc.
fN ii!;nis. So among other instances we have -13K and n"i3S a
i^ing; -iix and niiN liu;ht ; yc}? and r\'S7^K strength ; and -inx
and nis:N a speech. Buit. See Ke.»jnicott's Remarks.
Whosoever louchelh the mown shall be surehj put to death'\
The place was awfully sacred, because the dreadful majesty
of God was displayed on it. And this taught them that <iod
is a consuming fire, and that it is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of the living God.
Ver.se l.J. There shall not a hand touch it] 13 ho, him, not
the mountain, but the man who had presumed to touch the
mountain, lie should be considered altogether as an unclean
and accursed thing, not to be touched for fear of conveying
defilement ; but should be immediately stoned or pierced
througli Willi a dart, iieb. xii. 20,
A. M. 251.3.
B. C. 1491.
Aii.Exud.Isr.
1.
Sivan.
The thunders, <§-<:. on the mount,
14 ^ And Moses went down from
the mount unto the people, and
\sanctitied the people; and they wash-
ed their clothes.
15 And he said unto the people, "^Be ready
against the third day : ^ come not at your wives.
16 ^ And it came to pass on tlie third day
in the morning, that there were " thunders and
lightnings, and a ' thick cloud upon the moinit,
and the " voice of the trumpet exceeding loud ;
so that all the people that ijoas in the camp,
' trembled.
17 And " Moses brought forth the people
out of the camp to meet with God ; and they
' ver. 9. ch. 4fl. 34. 2 Chron. 5. 14.-
12. 21.—™ Deut. -1. 10.
-"Rev.l. 10. ic4. 1.-
-■ lU'br.
Verse 16. Thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud — and
the voice of the trumpctl The thunders, lightnings, Sfc. an-
nounced the coming, as they proclaimed the majesty of God.
Of the thunders and lightnings, and th(; deep, dark, dismal,
electric cloud, from which the thunders and lightnings pro-
ceeded, we can form a tolerable apprehension; but of the luud,
long-sounding trumpet, we can scarcely form a conjecture.
Such were the apjicarances and the noise, that all tlie people
in the camp trembled, and Moses himself was constrained to
say, " I exceedingly fear and quake," Heb. xii. 21. Probably,
the sound t>f the trumpet, was something similar to that wliioli
shall be blown by the angel, when he sweareth by him that
liveth for ever, there shall be time no longer!
Verse 17. And Moses brought forth the people — to meet with 1
God] For though they might not touch the mount till they !
had permission, yet when the trumpet sounded long, it ap-
pears they might come up to the nether part of the mount;
see ver. 13. and Deut. iv. 11. and when the trumpet had
ceased to sound, they might then go up unto the mountain, as
to any other place.
It was absolutely necessary that God should give the people
at large, some particular evidence of his beiw^ and power, that
they might be saved from idolatry, to which they were most
deplorably prone; and that they might the more readily credit
Moses, w ho was to be the constant mediator between God and '
them. God therefore, in his indescribable majesty, descended
fin the mount; and by the thick dark cloud, the violent thun-
ders, the vivid lightnings, the long and loud blasts of the trum-
pet, the smoke encompassing the whole mountain, and the ex-
cessive earthquake, proclaimed his po-aer, his glory, and his
holiness; so that the people, however unfaithful and disobe-'
dient afterwards, never once doubled the divine interference,
or suspected Closes of any cheat or im['osture. Indeed, so
absolute and une(iuivocal were the proofs of supernatural
agency; that it was impossible these appearances could be
attributed to any cause but the unlimited power of the Author!
of Nature.
It is worthy of remark, that the peojile were informed three .
^/nys before, ver. 9—11. that such an appearance was to takei
place: and this answered two excellent purposes, 1. They had
time to sanctify and prepare themselves for this solemn trans- 1
action: and 2. Those who might be sceptical, had suliicieiit 1
God manifests himself on the mount. CHAP
A.M.2513. stood at the nether part of the
D. c. it9i. nioimt.
A.,.Exod.isr. ^g ^^^^ 'mount SiTiai was altoge-
_i!!!^_ ther on a smoke, because the Lord
descended upon it " in fire : *■ and the smoke
tlicrcof ascended, as the smoke of a furnace,
and " the whole mount quaked greatly.
19 And 'when the voice of the trumpet
sounded long, and waxed louder and louder,
' Moses spake, and ^ God answered him by a
voice.
20 And the Lord came down upon mount
Sinai, on the top of the mount : and the Lord
called Moses up 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
• Deut. 4. It. & 33. 2. Judg. 5. 5. Ps. (iS. 7, 8. Isai. 6. 4. Hab. .3. 3.
>> ch. 3. 2. & 24. 17. 2 Cliron. 7. 1, 2, 3. ' Gen. 1.^. 17. Ps. 1-H. .5.
Rev. 15. 8. ' Ps. 68. 8. & 77. 18. 6c 114. 7. Jer. 4. 24. Hebr. li. 26.
.opportunity to make use of every precaution to prevent and
'detect an imposture ; so, this previous warning, .strongly serves
the cause of divine revelation.
Their being at first prohibited from touching the mount, on
the most awful penalties, and secondly, being permitted to see
manifestations of the divine majesty, and hear the words of God,
subserved the same great purposes. Their being prohibited,
in the fii-st instance, would naliually whet their curiositj', make
(them cautious of being deceived, and ultimately impress them
I with a due sense of God's justice, and their own sinfulness.
I And their being permitted afterwards, to go up to the mount,
j must have deepened the conviction tliat all was fair and real,
I that there could be no inipo.-lurc in the case ; and that though
' the justice and purity of Goil forbad them to draw nigh for a
I time, yet his mercy which had prescribed the means <jf puri-
! fication, had pi;rmitted an access to his presence. The direc-
! tions given from ver. 10 to 15 inclusive, shew not only the
I holiness of God, hut the purity he rcijuires in his worshippers.
i Besides, the whole scope and de.sign of the chapter prove,
that no soul can possibly approach this holy and terrible being,
but through a mediator; and this is the use made of this
whole transaction, by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews,
I chap. xii. 18—24.
: Ver>e 20. The Lord came doiiii] This was undoubtedly
■ done in a risible manner, that the people might witness the
i awful appearance. We may sujipo-sc, that every thing was
I arranged thus : the i^lory of ilie Lord occu[)ied the top of the
( mountain, and neai' to this Mosi:s was pennilted to approach.
j Aaron and the seventy elders were permitted to atbance some
; U'«y up the niounlain; while the people were only j)ermitted to
I come up to its base. Moses, as the lawgiver, was to receive
I the statutes and judgments from God's mouth. Aaron and the
' elders to receive tlu ni from Moses, and dehver them to the
I ptople ; and the people were to act according to the direction
I received. Nothing can be imagined more glorious, terrilile, ma-
jestic, and impressive than the whole of this transaction; but it
wa8 chiefly calculaKd to impress deep reicrence, religious fear,
. XIX. The people must Tceep at a distance.
unto the Lord 'to gaze, and many a.m. 2513.
,. , . , & ' •' 13. C. 1491.
of them pcnsh. An.E.xod.l,r.
22 And let tlie priests also, which i-
come near to the Lord, " sanctify — "'""" —
themselves, lest the Lord 'break forth upon
them.
2.3 And Moses said unto the Lord, Tlie peo-
ple cannot come up to mount Sinai : for thou
chargcdst us, saying, "Set botmds about the
mount, and sanctity it.
24 And the Lord said unto him. Away, get
thee downt, and thou shalt come up, thou and
Aaron with thee ; but let not the priests and the
people break through, to come up unto the
Lord, lest he break forth upon them.
2.5 So Moses went down unto the people, and
spake unto them.
e Ver. 13. <" Ucbr. 12. 21. « Neh. 9. 13. Ps. 81. 7. 1" Heb. con-
test. i.See cli. .!. 5. 1 Sam. 6. 19. >= Le". 10. 3. ' 2Sain. 6. 7, 8.
"" ver. 12. Josh. 3. 4.
and sacred awe; and he who attempts to worship God uninflu-
enced by these, has neither a proper sense of the divine majesty,
nor of the sinfulness of sin. It seems in reference to tliis, that
the A|iosde says. Let us have grace ivhereby we may serve God
acceptably, with reverence and codly fear; for our God is a
coNsL'MiNO riRE, Hcb. xii. 28, 29. Who then shall dare to
approach him in his otun name, and without a rncdiulor ?
Verse 22. Let the priests also — sanctify iheinselves'] Tliat
there were priests among the Hebrews, before the consecration
of Aaron and his sons, cannot be doubted ; though their
functions might be, in a considerable measure, suspended, while
under persecution in Egypt ; yet the persons existed, whose
right and duty it was to oiler sacrifices to God. Moses re-
quested liberty from Pharaoh, to go into the wilderness to sa-
crifice ; and had there not been amonor the people both sacri-
fees and priests, the recjuest itself, must have appeared nugatory
and absurd. Sacrifices, from the beginning, had constituted an
essential part of the worship of God ; and there certainly were
priests, whose business it was to offer them to God, before the
giving of the Law ; though this, for especial reasons, was re-
strfcted to Aaron and his sons, after the law had been given.
As sacrifices had not been otlered for a consideral'le time,
the priests themselves were considered in a state of impurity;
and therefore God requires that they also should, be purified
for the pur])ose of ajipruaching the mountain, and hearing their
Maker proinulgale his laws. .Sec the note on chap, xxviii. 1.
Verse 2J. The people cannot come upl Either because ihcy
had been so solemnly forbidden, that they would not dare,
with the penalty of instant deatli hefore their eyes, to trans-
gress the divine command ; o-r the bounds which were set
about the mount, were such, as rendered their passing thein
physically impossible.
And sanctify it.'\ irianpi ve-kidoshto. Here the word trip ka-
dash, is taken in its proper literal sense, signifying the scparal-
ing of a thing, person, or place, from ail profane or common
uses, and devoting it to sacred purposes.
Verte 24. Let not the 2>riesis and the people break through]
3 B
The preface to the ten commandments. EXODUS.
The FIRST commandmenf.
God knew that they were heedless, criminally eiirious, and
sti'.pidly obstinate, and therefore his mercy saw it right to give
them line upon line, that they might not transgress to iheir
own destruction.
From the very solemn, and awful manner, in which the I,AW
was introduced, we may behold it as the ministration of terror
and death, '2 Cor. iii. 7. ajipearinfif rather to exclude men
from God, than to bring them nigh : and from this we may
learn, that an approach to fJod would have been for ever im-
possible, had not infinite mercy found out the gospel scheme
of salvation. By this, and this alone, we draw nigh to God ;
for we haze an entrance into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb. X. 19. " For," says the Apostle, " ye are not come
imto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with
fire ; nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and to
the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words ; which voice,
they that heard, entreated that the word should not be spoken
to them any more : (for they could not endure that which was
commanded. And if so much as a beast touch the moimtain,
it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart : and so terrible
was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake,)
but ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the
living God, tlie heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable
company of angels, to tlie general assembly, and church of the
firstborn, which are written in heaven; and to God, the judge
of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to
Jesus the iNIEDIATOR of the NEW COVENANT, and to
the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that
of Abel." Heb. xii. 18—24.
Reader, art thou still under the influence, and condemninor
power of that fiery law, which proceeded from his right hand ?.
Art thou yet afar off? Remember, thou canst only come nigh. \
by the blood of sprinkling; and till justified by his blood, thou
art under the curse. Consider the terrible majesty of God ! 1
If thou have his favour, thou hast life ; if his froiun, death.
I Be instantly reconciled to God, for though tliou hast deeply
sinned, and he is just, yet he is the justifier of him that bc-
lieveth in Christ Jesus. Believe on him, receive his salvation, ,
OBEY his voice indeed, and keep his coienunt, and then shah
thou be a king, and a priest, unto God and the Lamh, and be i
finally saved with all the pov\er of an endless life. Amen.
CHAPTER XX.
The preface to the ten commandments, 1,2. The virst commandment, against mental or theoretic idolatry, 3.'
The SECOND, against making and worshipping images, or practical idolatr}', 4 — G. Tlie third, against
false swearing, blasphemy, and irreverent use of the name of God, 7 ■ The fourth, against profanatioit
«f the sabbath, and idleness on the other days of the week, 8 — 11. The fifth, against disrespect and diso-
bedience to parents, 12. The sixth, agaiiist murder, and cruelty, 13. The seventh, against adultery, and
uncleanncss, 14. TAe eighth, flga/ws< stealing, a/JtZ dishonesty, 15. TAe ninth, floa/ns^ false testimony,
perjury, &c. l6'. TAe tenth, cgrt/wsf covetousness, 17. The people are alarmed at the awful appearance of
God on the mount, and stand afar off, IS. Theif pray that Moses may he mediator between God and them, 19.
Moies encourages them, 20. He drazes near to the thick darkness, and God communes ztith him, 21,22. Far-
ther directions against idolatry, 23. Directions concerning making an altar of earth, 24. ytnd en altar of hewn
itone, 25. None of these to be ascended by steps, and the reason-given, 26.
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An. E.xod.Isr.
1.
Sivan.
A
ND God spake 'ail these words,
saying,
2 '^ I am the Lord iJiy God, which
have brougiit tltee out of the land of
» Deut. 5. 22. " Lev. £6. 1, 13. Deut. 5. 6.
' ch. 13. 3.
Ps. 81. 10. Hos. 13. 4.-
KOTES ON CHAP. XX.
Verse 1. All these xuords] Houbigaut supposes, and with
great plausibility of reason, that the clause onmn b3 "X
n^NH €t col ha-deharim ha-ellch, " all these words," belong
to the latter part of the concluding verse of chap. xix.
which, he thinks, should be read thus : And Moses icent down
unto the people and spake unto them all these wonus ; i. e. de-
livered the solemn charge, relative to their not attempting to
come up to that part of the mountain, on which God mani-
feste<i himself in his glorious majesty, lest he should break
I'orth upon them, and consume them. For how could divine
justice and puiity sulHr a people so defiled, to staixl in his
Egypt, " otit of the house of " bond-
age.
3 ^ ' Thou shalt have no other
gods before me.
A. M. £513.
B. C. 1491.
An. Exod. Isr.
1.
'' Heb. servants. ' Deut. 5. 7,
& 6. 14. 2 Kings 17. 35. Jer. 25. 6. ie
35. 15.
immediate presence ? When Moses therefore, had gone down
and spoken all these ivords, and he and Aaron had re-ascended
the mount, then the Divine Bein.;, as supreme legislator, is
majestically introduced thus ; And God spake, saying. This
gives a dignity to the commencement of this c iiapfer. of
^vhich, the clause above mentioned, if not referred: to the
speech of Moses, deprives it. Tlie Anglo-Saxmi favours this
emendation Doo j-ppaec Su]-, God ipukc thus, which is the
whole of the first verse, as it stands in that Version.
Some learned men arc of o])inion, that the ten command-
ments were delivered on Rlay 30, being then the day of Pf»-
tCCOit,
The SEcovD
CHAP. XX.
commandment.
A. M. 251.5.
B.C. IIPI.
All. Exod. Isr.
1.
Sinan.
4 ' Thou .slialt not make unto thee
any graven image, or any like-
ness of ami thhvf that is in heaven
above, or that is in the earth be-
• Lev. L'6. 1. Dcut. 4. W. & 5. 8. & 27. 15. Ps. 97. 7.
The TEN COMMANDMENTS.
Tlie Laws delivered on Mount Sinai, liave been variously
named. In T)eut. iv. 13. they are called, r:n2in mfV I'w-
eth ha-dehnrim, the ten wouds. In the preceding- chapter,
ver. a. God calls them, \ti3 n« et heriti, Mi/ covemant, i.e.
the ajTi'etment he entered intu with the people of Israal, to
take them i'or his peculiar people, if they took hin\ for their
<Joil and portion. If j/e u-ill obci/ mi/ voice indeed, and k'JRP
my COVENANT, Tiiu.N s/iall ye be a peculiar Irea.^iirc unto me.
And the wonl covenant here, evidently refers to the laivs gi\cn
in this chapter, as is evident from Deut. iv. 13. And he de-
clared unto you /lis COVENANT, iv/iich he commanded you to
ptrform, even ten commandments. They have been ai o
termed the moral lan', because they contain and lay down
rules for the reirulation of the manners or conduct of men.
Sometimes, they have been termed The law, rninn Ita-torah,
by way of eminence, as cwntainini;- the grand system of spi-
ritual instruction, direction, guidance, i^c. See on the word
t.A\v, chap. xii. 49. And frequently the decalogue, ^(KaXayo:,
which is a littral translation into Greek, of the crnain rrva'i}
escrcth ha-debarim, or ten words of Moses.
' Amonji Divines, they are generally divided into what tlu y
term the first and second Tables. The first Table contaiiiint^
*he first, second, third, and fourth commandments, and com-
prehending the w hole system of Theology, the true notions we
should form of the Divine Nature, the reverence we owe, and
the religious service we should render to Him. The second,
containing the six last commandments, and comprehending a
oomplete system of ethics, or moral duties, which man owes
to his fellows; and on the due ])erformance of which, the or-
der, peace, and happiness of society depend. By this divi-
sion, the first Table contains our duty to God : the second,
our duty to our neighuouk. This division, which is natural
enough, refers us to the grand principle, love to God, and
love to man, tiirough which, both Tallies arc observed. 1.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heartj soul,
mind, and strength. 2. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself On these two hang all the Law and the Prophets.
See Mutt. xxii. 37—40.
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT.
Against mental or theoretic idolatry.
Verse 2. / am the Lord thy God] yrhix nin' Ychovuh elo-
heyca. On the word Jehovah, which wc here translate Lord,
see the notes on (ien. ii. 4. and Exod. vi. 3. And on the word
Elohini, here translated Cov, see on Gen. i. 1. It is wortl^y
of remark, that each individual is addressed here, and not
l]\c people collectively ; though they are all necessarily included,
Ihat eacli might feel that he was bound i'or himself, to hear
and do all these words. Moses laboured to impress this yjc;--
sonul interest on the peoj)le's minds, when he said, Deut. v. 3.
" The Lord made this covcHant with us, even us, who are all of
tw here alive this day."
neath, or that is in the water under
the eartli:
5 ^ Thou shalt not bow down thy-
self to them, nor serve them : for I
A.M.ffllj.
H.C. 1491.
An. Exod. Isr.
1.
Sivav.
" CI), a.". 24. Josli. 23. 7. SKilws 17. 35. Isai. 41. 1.5, 19.
Brought thee out of the land of Egypt, &c.] And by this
very thing, have proved myself to be superior to all eods, unlim-
ittxl in power, and most gracious, as well as fearful in opera-
tion. This is the preface or introduction, but should not be
separated from the commandment. Tlierefore,
Verse S. Thou shalt have no other gods before me."] ~'7\^H
Onnx elohim acharim — No strange gods — none that thou art
not acquainted with— none who ha.< not giren thee such proofs
of his power and godhead as I have done, in delivering thee
from the Egyptians, dividing the Red sea, bringing water out
of the rock, quails into the desart, manna from heaven to
feed thee, and the pillar of cloud to direct, enlighten, and
shield thee. By these miracles, (iod had rendered himself
familiar to them ; they were intimately acquainted with the
opera! ion of his hands : and therefore with great propriety he
says, Thou shalt have no strange gods before nie ; 'js bv cil
panai, before, or in tlie place of those manifestations which I
have made of myself.
This commandment prohibits every species of mental idol-
atry, and all inordinate attachment to earthly and sensible
things. As God is the fountain of happiness, and no intelli-
gent creature can be happy, but through him, whoever seeks
ha]jpiness in the creature, is necessarily an idolater; as he
puts the creature in the ])lace of the creator : expecting tliat
from the gratification of his passions, m the use or abuse of
earthly things, which is to be found in God alone. The very-
first commandment of the whole series, is divinely calculated
to prevent man's misery, and })romote his happiness, by taking
him oif from all false dejiendance, and leading him to God
himself, the fountain of all good.
THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.
Against making and worshipping images.
Ver.se 4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image']
As the word hzsS pesel signifies to he-j;, carve, grave, Sfc. it
may here signify any kind of image, either of wood, stone, or
metal, on which the axe, the chissel, or the graving tool has
been employed. This commandment includes in its prohibi-
tions, every species of idolatry, known to have been practised
among the Egyptians. The Reader will see this tlie more
plainly, by consulting the Notes on the ten plagues, particu-
larly those on chap. xii.
(.*)■ any likeness, &;c.] To know the full spirit and extent of
this commandment, this place must be collated with Deut. iv.
1.5, &c. Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves, lest ye cor-
rupt yourselves — and make you a graven image, the similitude
of any figure, the likeness of male or ff.male. All who have
even the slightest acquaintance with the aiiei^-nt history of
Egypt, kno\v that Osiris, and his wife Lis, were supreme di-
vinities among that people.
The likeness of any beast"] rinna behemah, such as the ox,
and the heifer. Among the Egyptians, the ox was not only
sacred, but adored, because they supjjosed, that in one of these
animals, Osiris took up his residence : hence they always had
3 B 2
The THIRD
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An. Exod. I'ir.
1.
^ Sivim.
the Lord thy God am * a jealous
God, " visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children, unto the
third and fourth (feneration of them
EXODUS. commandment,
6 And ' shewing mercy unto thou-
sands, of tliem that love me, and
keep my commandments.
7 '' Thou shalt not take the name
that hate me ;
' Cli. 34. 14, Deut. 4. 24. & 6. 15. Josli. 24. 19. Nali. 1. 2. " cli.
34. 7. Lev. 20. 5. & 26. 39, 4() Numb. 14. \'i, 3:1 1 Kings. 21. 29. Job
o. 4. & 21. 19. Ps. 79. B. & 109. 4. laai. 14. 20, 21. & 65. 6, 7. Jet. 2. 9.
a Uvini^ ox, which they supposed to be the habitation of thi.s
deity ; and they imagined that on tlie death of one, he entered
into the body of another, and ?o on successively. This famous
vx-irod they called Apis and Mnevis.
The likeness of any loingcd fowf] The ibis, or stork, or
crane, and haivk, may be here intended ; for all these were ob-
jects of Esyptiun idolatry.
The likeness of any ihinc; that cheepeth] Tile crocodile,
serpents, the scaraheus or beetle, were all objects of their ado-
ration: and Mr. Bryant has rendered it very probable that
»:Vtn the /)o? itself, was a sacrefl animal, as from its inflation
it was emblematic of the prophetic influence ; for they sup-
posed, that the god infuitecl, or distended the body of the per-
son, by whom he gave oracular answers.
The likeness of any fish] All fish were esteemed sacred
animals among the Egyptians. One called Oxitriinchus, had,
according to Strabo, lilj. xvii. a temple, and divine honours
paid to it. Another fish called Phagrus, was worshipped at
Syene, according to Clemens Alexandrinus in his Cohortatio.
And the Lepidotus and eel were objects of their adoration, as
we finil from Herodotus, lib. ii. chap. 72. In short, oxen,
heifers, sheep, goats, lions, dogs, monkeys, and cats; the Ibis,
the crane, and the haiuk ; the crocodile, serpents, frogs, Jlies,
and the scarabeus or beetle ; the Nile, and its fislt ; the sun,
moon, planets, and stars ; fire, light, air, darkness, dx\A night,
were all objects of Eiryptian idolatry, and all included in this
very circumstantial prohiliition, as detailed in Deuteronomy ;
and very forcibly in the general terms of the Text, Than shalt
not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any
thing that is in the heavens above, or that is in the e.\rth be-
neath, or that is in the water under the earth. And the reason
of this becomes selfevidcnt, when the various objects of
Egyptian idolatry are considereil.
This commandment also prohibits every species of external
idolatry, as the first does all idolatry, that may be called inter-
nal or mental. All false worship, may be considered of this
kind ; together with all image xvorship, and all other supersti-
tious rites and ceremonies. See the note on ver. 23.
Verse 5. Jealous God"] This shews in a most expressive
manner, the love of God to this people. lie, felt for them, as
the most affectionate husband could d<i for his spouse ; and was
jealous for their fidelity, because he willed their invariable
happiness.
Visiting the iniquity if the fathers upon the childrert] This
necessarily implies — if the children walk in the steps of their fa-
thers. I'or no man can be condenmed by divine justice for a
crime of which he was never guilty, see Ezek. xviii. Idolatry
is however particularly intended; and visiting sins of this kind,
refers principally to national Judgments. By withdrawing' the
divine protection, the idolatrous Israelites were delivered up
into the hamls of fheir enemies, from whom, the gods, in
whom they had trusted, could not deliver tliem. This, God
A. M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An. Exod.lsr.
1.
Sivan.
of the Lord thy God in vain ; for the Lord
& .32. 18. "= ch. 34. 7. Dent. 7. 9. Ps. 89. 34. Rom. 11. 20.-
23. 1. Lev. 19. 12. Dcut. 5. 11. Ps. 15. 4. Matt. 5. 33.
-"ch.
did to the third and fourth generation, i.e. successively; as'
may be seen in every jiart of the Jewish history, and particu-
larly in die book of Judges. And this, at last, became the
grand, and the only eilcctual and la.-ting means, in his hand, t
of their final deliverance from idolatry; for it is well known, l
that after the Babylonish captivity, the Israelites were sa'
completely saved from idolatry, as never more to have dis-
graced themselves by it, as they had formerly done. These
national judgments, thus continued from generation to ge-
neration, appear to be what are designed by the words in \
the Text, Visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children, '
&c. i
Verse 6. And shelving mercy unto thousands'] Mark : even ,
those who love G(xl, and keep his commandments, tnerit no-
tliing from him ; and therefore the salvation and blessedness,'
which these enjoy, come from the mercy of God. Sheioing]
mercy, &c. What a disproportion between the works of j'w- i
tice and mercy .' Justice works to the ihii-d or fourth, mercy
to thousands of generations !
Tliat love me, and keep -my commandments.'] It was this, that
caused Christ to comprize the fulfilment of the whole Law, in
love to God and man, see the note on ver. 1. And as love is
the grand principle of obedience, and the only incentive to it ;
so there can be no obedience without it. It would be more
easy, even in Egyptian bondage, to make brick without straw,
than to do the will qf Goil, unless his love be shed abroad in 1
the heart by the holy spirit. Love, says the Aposde, is the I
fulfilling of the law, Rom. xiii. 10. !
THE THIRD CO.MMANDMENT.
Against false sxvearing, blasphemy, and irrei-erent use of the I
name of God.
Verse 7. Thou shalt not lake the name of the Lord thy God
in vain] This precept not only forbids all false oatlts, but all
common swearing where the name of God is used, or where he
is appealed to, as a witness of the truth. It also necessarily
forbids all light and irreverent mention of God, or any of his
attributes ; and this, the original word suf"? lashave particu-
larly imjjorts : and we may safely add to all these, that every
prayer, ejaculation, &c. that is not accompanied with deep re-
lerence, and the genuine spirit of piety, is here condemned also.
In how many thousands of instances is this commandment bro-
ken in the prayers, whether read or extempore, of inconsider-
ate, bold, and prtsuinptuous worshippers ! And how few are
there, who do not break it, both in their public and private
devotions! How low is piety, when we are obliged, in order
to escape damnation, to pi'ay to God to " pardon the sins of
our holy things."
T/ie Lord will not hold him guiltless, &c.] Whatever the
per.son himself may think or hope, however he may plead in
iiis own behalf, and say he intends no evil, &c. if he, in any
of the aliove ways, or in any other way, takes the name of Gud
The FOURTH and fifth
A.M.2.->w. "will not hold
CHAP. XX.
commandments.
B. C. 14P1.
All. Ejod. Isr.
him guiltless, that
taketh his name in vain.
8 ^ Remember the sabbath day, to
keep it holy.
9 " Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy
work :
10 But the "seventh day, k the sabbath of
the Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not do any
work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,
thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy
■ Mic. 6. 11. ' cU. 31. 13, 14. Lot. 19. 3, 30. & 26. 2. npiit. 5. 19.
I 'ch. 23. 12. *c 31. 15. & 34. ;.'l. Lev. 'io. 3. Ezck. 20. I'l. l.uke 13.
, U. " (ien. 2. 2, 3. cli. 16. 26. & 31. 15.
in vain, God will not hold him guiltless — he will account him
g'lilty, and punih him for it. Is it necessary to say to any
truly spiritual mind, that all such interjections, as O God! my
(; nt ' good God ! good Heavens! &c. &c. are formal, positive
li iches of this law.' How many, who pass for Chiistiuns,
ail highly criminal here!
; THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
> Against profanation of the sahbath, and idleness on the other
days of the loeek.
Verse 8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."] See
what has beon already said on this precept, Gen. il. 2. and
elsLwhcrc. As this was the most ancient institution, God calls
them to remember it: as if he had said, do not forget that
when I had finished my creation, I in.ititAitcd the sabbath, and
remember why I did so, and for what piu-poses. The word
n2V s/mb/ith, signifies rest, ov cessation i'rom labour ; and tlie
saiiclification of the seventh day, is commanded as having
somethini; representative in it : and so indeed it has, for it ty-
pifies the rest uhich i-einuins for the people of God, and in this
light, it evidently appears to have been imderstood by the
A]iostle, Heb. iv. Because this commandment has not been
particularly mentioned in the New Testament, as a mural pre-
cept, biiidniy on all; therefore some have presumptuously in-
ferred, that there is no sabbath under the Christian dispensa-
tion. The truth is, the sabbath is considered as a type — all
types are of full force, till the thincf sipniliui by them, takes
plaee ; but the thing signified by the sabbath, is that rest in
glory which remaiyis for the people of d'od ; thertlbre, the
moral obligation of the sabbath must continue, till timt be
swallowed up in eternity.
Verse 9. .SV.r days shalt thou labourl Therefore he who
1 idles away time on any of the six days, is as guilty Ix-fore
I God, as bewliovorks on the sabbath. No work should be
' done on the sabbath that can be done on the preceding
' days, or can be deferred to the succeeding ones. Works
; of absolute necessity and mercy, are alone excepted. He who
i works by his servants or cattle, is ecjually guilty as if he work-
[ ed himself. Hiring out horses, &c. for pleasure or business,
I going on journeys, paying worldly visits, or taking jaunts on
i the [.ord's day, are breaches of this law. The whole of
\ it should be de\otfcd to the rest of the body, and the im-
I provemtnt of the mind. God says, he has hallowed it —
I lie has made it sacred, and set it apait for the above jiur-
A.M.2513.
13. C. 1491.
All. Fxod. Ix.
1.
Sivan.
cattle, ' nor thy stranger that is vntii-
in thy gates :
1 1 For ' 171 six (lays, the Lord made
heaven and earth, tiie sea, and all
that in them is, and rested the seventh day:
wherefore, the Lord blessed the sabbath day,
and hallowed it.
12 ^ ^Honour thy father and thy mother;
that thy days may be long, upon the land, which
the Lord tliy God giveth thee.
' Nell. 13. 16, 17, 18, 19. fGen. S. 2. e ch. 23. 26. Lev. 19. X
Dent. 5. Ki. -ler. 3.=>. 7, 13, 19. ilalt. 13. 4. ii 19. 19. Mark 7. 10. & 10.
19. Luke 18. 20. Kplies. 6. 2.
poses. It is therefore the most proper day for public religions
worship.
THE rirXH COMM.'\NDMENT.
Against disrespect, and disobedience to parents.
Verse 12. Honour thy father and thy mother] There is a
degree of aflectionate respect which is owing to parents, that
no person else can properly claim. For a considerable time,
jiarcnts stand, as it were, in the place of God to their child-
ren; and therefore, rebellion against their lawful commands,
has been considered as reliellion against God. This precept,
therefore, piohiliits in)t only all injurious acts, irreverent and
unkind speeches to parents; but enjoin^ all necessary acts of
kindness, filial respect, and obedience. We can scarcely sup-
pose that a man honours his parents, who, when they fall
weak, blind, or sick, does not exert himself to the uttermost,
in their support. In such cases, God as truly requires the
children to provide for their parents, as he required the pa-
rents to feed, nourish, suj^port, instruct, and defend the child-
ren, when they were in the lowest state of helpless infancy.
See the note on Gen. xlvui. 12. The Rabbins say. Honour
the Lord iiith ihy substance, Piov. iii. 9. and Honour thy father
and mother. The Loud is to be honoured, if thou have it:
thy father and mother, v hether thou have it or not ; for if
thou have nothing, thou art bound to beg for them. See Ains-
worth.
That thy days may be long] This, as the Apostle observes,
Ephes. vi, 2. is the first commandment to which God has an-
nexed a promise ; and therefore, we may learn in some mea-
sure, how important the duty is, in the sight of God. In
Deut. v. 16. it is .said. And that it may go u'ell iiith thee; we
may therefore conclude, that it will go ill with the disobe-
dient; and there is no doubt, that the untimely deaths of
many young persons, were the judicial consequence of their
di.-obedience to their parents. Most who come to an untimely
end, are obliged to confess, that this, with the breach of the
sabbath, were the principal causes of their ruin. Reader! art
thou guilty? Humble thyself, therefore, before God, and re-
p»nt. 1. A* children are bound to succour their parents ; so
parents are bound to educate and instruct their children, in all
useful and necessary knowledge; and not to bring them up
either in ignorance or idleness. 2. They should teach their
children the fear and knowledge of God, for how can they
(xpeet adiction or dutitul respect from those, who have not
the fear of God before then- eyes .' Those who are Lest edif
Cfilcd, are gcmrally the most dutiful.
The SIXTH, SEVENTH, EIGHTH, NINTH, EXODUS.
13 * Thou shalt not kill.
14 "Thou shalt not commit adul-
tery.
15 " Thou shalt not steal.
16 "Thou shalt not bear false witness against
thy neighbour.
and TENTH commandmenls.
A.M. 25] 3.
B.C. 1491.
An.Exod.Iar,
1.
Sm'<!«.
» Oeut. 5. 17. Matt. 5. 21. Rora. 13. 9. " Deut. 5. 18.
—'Lev. 1<>. 11. Deut. .5. 19. Miitl. lU. 18. Bom.. 13. 9.
"ch. i'3. 1. Deut. 5. 20. & 19. Ici. Matt. 19. 18.
Matt. 5. 27.
1 Tlipss. 4. 6.
THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT.
Against murder and cruelty.
V'erse 13. Tlioii shult not kill.] This commandment, which
is general, prohibit.-; murder of every kind. 1. All action.i by
v/liich the lives of our fellow creatures may be abridged. 3.
All wars for extending empire, commerce, &c. 3. All sangui-
vary laxvs, by the operation of which the lives of men may be
taken away, for oflences of comparatively trifling; demerit. 4.
All hud dispositions, which lead men to wish evil to, or niedi-
tate mischief against, one another ; for, .?ays the Scripture,
He that luiteth his brother, in his hearty is a murderer. 5. All
iiant of charity to the helpless and distressed ; for he who has
it in his power to save the life of another, by a timely applica-
tion of succour, food, raiment, &c. and does not do it ; and the
hfe of the person either falls, or is abridged en this account ;
he is, in the sight of God, a murderer. He who neglects to
save life, is, according to an incontrovertible maxim in laxv,
the SAME as he wiio takes it away. 6. All riot and excess, all
drunkenness and gluttony, all inactivity and slothfulness, and
all superstitious mortifications and self-denials, by which hfe
may be destroyed or shortened ; all these are point-blank sins
against the sixth commandment.
THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.
Against adultery and tmcleanness.
"Verse 14. Thou shalt not commil-adultery.] Adultery, as de-
•fmed by our laws, is of tivo kinds : double, when between two
married persons ; single, when one of the parties is married,
the other single, (.hie principal jjarl of the crimiuality of ad-
ulteiy consists in its injustice. 1. It robs a man of his nght,
by t-(Jcii!g from him the affection of his wife. 2. It does him
a wrong, by fathering on him, and obliging him to maintain,
as his own, a spurious olispring, a child «hich is not his. The
act itself, and every thing lea<ling to the act, is prohibited by
this commandment; for our Lord says, c\en he who looks on
a woman to lust after her, has already committed adultery with
her in his heart. And not only adultery (the unlawful com-
merce between two married jicr.sons) is forbidden here, but
ai.so fornication, and all kinds of mental and sensual uncleaii-
ness. All im])ure books, songs, paintings, Ike. which tend to
inflame and debauch the mind, are against this law ; as \vell
as another species of impurity, for the account of which the
reader is referred to the notes on Gen. xxxviii. at the end. —
Adultery, often means idolatry in the worship of God.
TH£ EIGHTH COMMANDMENT.
Against stealing and dishonesty.
Verse 15. Tliou shalt not steal.] All rajiine and t/ieft are for-
ijidden by this precept ; as well uatiouul and commercial wrongs.
1 7 ' Thou shalt not covet thy neigh-
bour's house, ' thou shalt not covet
thy neighbour's wife, nor his manser-
vant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox,
nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1191.
All. Exod.lst.
1.
Sivan.
neighbour's.
' Dent. .5. 21. Mic. 2. 2. Hah. 2. 9. Luke 12. l.'i. Acts 20. 33. Rom.
7. 7. h 13. 9. Lph. 5. 3, 5. Hebr. 13. o. -'Jub 31. 0. Prov. 6. 29.
Jer. 5. 8. iMnlt. 5. 28.
as petty larceny, highway robberies, and private stealing -.—r
even the taking advantage of a seller's or buyer's ignorance,
10 give the one less, and make the other ))ay more, for a com-
modity than its worth, is a breach of this sacred law. All
withholding of rights, and doing of wrongs, are against the
spirit of it. But the word is principally applicable to clandes-
tine stealing, though it may undoubtedly include all political
injustice and private wrongs. And consequently all kidnap-
ping, crimping, and slave-dealing are prohibited here, whether
practised by individuals or by the state. Crimes are not les-
sened in their demerit by the number or pdlitical importance of
those who commit them. A state that enacts bad laws, is as
criminal before God, as the individual who breaks good ones.
It has been supposed, that under the eighth commandment,
injuries done to character, the depriving a man of his reputa-
tion or good name, are included ; hence those words of one of
our poets :
Good name in man or woman, —
Is the immediate jewel of their souls ;
\^'ho steals my purse, steals trash : —
But he that fitches from me my good name,
Kobs me of that which not enriches him.
And makes me poor indeed.
THE NINTH C0MM,ANDMEN*r.
Against false testimony, perjury, &c.
Verse 16. Thou shalt not bear fake witness, &c.] Not only
false oaths, to deprive a man of his life, or of his riglit, are
here prohibited, but all xvhispering, tale-bearing, slander, and
calumny ; in a word, whatever is deposed as a truth, which is
false in fact, and tends to injure another in his goods, person, or
character, is against the spirit and letter of this law. Suppressing
the truth, when known, by which a person may be detrauded
of his property or his good name, or lie under injuries or dis-
abilities which a discovery of the truth would have prevented,
i.i also a crime against this law. He who bears a false testi-
mony against, or belies even the devil himself, comes under the
ciir.se of this law, because his testimony is false. By the term
neighbour, any human being is intended, whether he rank
among our enemies or friends.
THE TENTH COMMANDMENT.
Against covetousness.
Verse 17. Thmi shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, — wife,
&C.J Covet signifies to desire, or long after, in order to enjoy
as a properly, the person or thing coveted. He breaks this
command, who, by any means, endeavours to deprive a man
of his house or farm, by taking them over his head, as it is ex-
pressed in some countries — who lusts after his neighbour's
wife, and endeavours to ingratiate himself into her affections.
and to lessen her hujband in her esteeni — and who endeavours
'to possess himself of the servanls, cattle, &c. of another in any
Iclandestine or unjustifiuhle manner. " This is a most excellent
imoral precept; the observance of which will prevent all public
iCrimes: for he who feels the force of the law, that prohibits
the inordinate desire of any thiri;; that is the property of an-
other, cun never make a breach in the jjeace of society, by an
act of wron;;' to any of even its feeblest members."
Verse 18. And all the people suiu t/ie thuiulcriiigs, kc] They
had witnessed all these awful thins^s before, see chap. \\x. Iti.
but liere they se(!m to have been repeated — probably, at the
tnd of each coumiand, there was a peal of thunder, a blast of
the trumpet, and a ftleam of lightnini;-, to impress their hearts
tile more deeply with a due sense of the divine majesty, of the
holiness of the law which was now delivered, and of the fearful
consequences of disobedience. This had the desired effect :
the peojile «ere impressed with a deej) religions fear, and a
I terror of God's judgments ; acknowledged themselves pcrfi;ctly
i satisfied with the discoveries God had made of himself; and
1 requested that Moses might be constituted the mediator be-
i tween God and them, as they were not able to bear these tre-
;inendous discoveries of the divine majeaty. " Speak thou with
KJ, and ive teill hear : hut let not God speak ivith us lest we
'die:" ver. 19. This teaches us the absolute necessity of that
■great mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus ; as no
man can come unto the Father but hi/ him.
Verse 20. And Moses said — Fear not : for God is come to
prose you, and- that his /ear may be before your faces^ The
.maxim contained in this verse is, fear not, that ye may fear :
do not fear v. itli such a ftar as brings consternation into the
.foul, and produces nothing but terror and confusion ; but fear
with that fear v hich reverence and filial ajeclion inspire, that
ye sin not ; that through the love and reverence ye feel to yoiu-
'Maker and sovereign, ye may abstain from every ajipearance
of evil, lest you should forfeit that love, which is to you better
than life. He who fears in \\\e first sense, can neither love nor
obey : he \\\\o fears not in the latter sense, is sure to fall under
'the first temptation that may occur. Blessed is the man who
Ithus feareth alxuays.
\ Verse 22. J have talked with you from heaven.], Though
Tfie people promise obedience. CHAP
A.M. 8513. 18 ^ And * all the people "saw
B.C. M'Ji. ^Yie. thiindcrings, ami tlic liirhtnings,
Au. tjoi . sr- ^jjj ^^ noise of the trumpet, and
^'"""- the mountain ' smoking : and when
the people saw it, they removed, and stood
afiir off":
19 And they said unto Moses, " Speak thou
widi us, and we will hear : but ' let not God
speak with us, lest we die.
20 And Moses said unto the people, ' Fear
not : ^ tor God is come to prove you, and " that
his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin
not.
21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses
■ Helir. 1®. 18. •■ Rev. 1. 10, 12. ' cli. 19. 18. " Oeut. o. 27. & 18.
16. tJal. .S. 11', 'JO. Hebr. I'i. 19. ' Dciil. .5. 2.=). f t Sam. I'J. iO. Lai.
41. 10, 13. sGeii. 22. 1. Deut. i:!. S. » Dciit. 4. 10. .<t (i. 2. & 10. 12.
& 17. 1.3, 19. & 19. 20. & 28. 38. Prov. ."?. 7. & lli. 6. hai. 8. I.".. ' cli.
19. 16. Dent. 5. 5. 1 Kings 8. 12. '' Dcut. 4. M. Keli. 9. 13. ' cli.
. XX. JVhat sort of altars shall he made,
drew near unto 'the thick darkness, a.m,2oi3.
I /-< 1 B.C. 14'>1.
where God rcas. » r ^ r
_..,,_ . , - _ An. Jixod. I«r.
22 Tl And tiie Lord said unto Mo- i. •
ses, Thus thou shalt say unto the . ""''
children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have
talked with you ^ from heaven.
23 Ye shall not make ' with me, gods of silver,
neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
24 ^ An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me,
and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings,
and thy peace-offerings, '"thy sheep and thine
oxen : in all " places, where I record my name,
I will come unto thee, and I will ° bless thee.
25 And ^ if thou wilt make me an altar of
32. 1, 2, 4, 1 Siwii. 5. 4, a. 2 Kings 17. 33. E»ek. 20. 39. & 4a 8. Dan.
•1; 23. Zepli. 1. 5. 2 Cor. 6. 14, 1.5, Ifi. "• Lev. 1. 2 ' I'ciit. 12. .V
H, 21. & 14. 23. & 16. 6, 11. & 26.
6. & 7. 16. U 12. 1:5. I-^ra 6. 12. Nell. 1. 9.
" Uen. 12. 2. Deut. 7. 13. f Deut. 27. b.
1 Kings 8. 4.?. & 9. 3. SCIiron. 6,
Ps. 74. 7. Jer. 7. 10, 12.-
Josh. 8,31. 1 JIac. 4. 47.
God manifested himself by the fire, the lis;htnrng, the earllt-
(juali-e, the thick darkness, &c. yet the ten words or command-
ments, were i)robably uttered from the higher regions oftltc
air, which would be an additional jiroof to the people that
there wa no imposture in this case ; for though strange ap-
pearances and voices might be counterfeited on earth, as wa.s
often, no doubt, done by the magicians of Egypt ; yet it would
be utterly impossible to represent a voice, in a long continued
series of instruction, as proceeding from heaven itself, or the
higher regions of the atmosphere. This, with the earthquake
and repeated thunders, see on ver. 18. would put the reality-
of this whole procedure beyond all doubt ; and this enabled
Moses, Deut. v. IG. to make such an appeal to the people on
a fact incontro\ertible, and of infinite importance., that God had-
indeed talked with them face to face.
Verse 23. Ye shall not make with 7ne. gods of silver] Tile
expressions here are very remarkable. Before, it was said,
Ye shall have no other gods befoue ?ne, ':3 Vi' al panai, ver. 3.
Here they are commanded, Yc shalt not make gods of silver
or gold, \-iK iti, with me, as emblems or representatives of God.
in order, as might be pretended, to keep these displays of his
magnificence in memory; on the contrary, he would have only
an altar of earth, of plain turf, on which they should ode:
those sacrifices, by which they should commemorate thcii own
guilt, and the necessity of an atoneftient to reconcile themselves
to God. See the note on ver. 4.
Verse 24. Thy burnt-offerings,, and thif peace-oihrings'] The
law concerning which, was shortly to lae given, though sacri--
fices of this kind were in use from the days of -ibel.
In all places where I record my name] Wherever I am wor-
.shipped, wIr tiler in the open v ildeniess, at tlie tabernacle, m
the temple, the synagogues, or elsewhere,. / will come untn
thee, and hless thee. These words are precisely the .same iu
signification with those of our Lord, Jlatt. xviii. 20. Forwjicie
two or three arc gathered together in my name, there am I in
the midst of them. And as it was JESL'S, who was the angel ,
that spoke to them in the wiklerness. Acts vii. 38. from tiie
yame mouth this promise in tlie law, and that in the gospel ^
proceeded.
Verse 25. Thou slialt not build it of hewn stonej Because.
particular instructions.
stone, thou shalt not " build it of
hewn stone ; for if thou hft up thy
tool upon it, thou hast polluted
it.
A. M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
.*«. Exnd.Isr.
1.
Sivan,
EXODUS. General observations.
26 Neither shalt thou go up by
steps, unto mine altar, '' that thy na-
k^edness be not discovered there-
on.
' Jlcb. hiiihi t'lem with hewing. Deut. 27. 5, (i.
they were now in a wandering state, anrl had as yet, no fixed
residence ; and therefore no time should be wasted to rear
costiy altars, which cmild not be transported with them, and
which they must soon leave. Besides, they must not la\'ish
skill or expense oi) tlie construction of an altar ; the altar, of
itself, whether costiy or mean, was nothing in the worship: it
was only the place, on which the victim should be laid, and
their mind must be attentively fixed on that God, to whom
the sacrifice was oflered, and on the sacrifice itself, as that
appointed by the Lord to make an atonement for their sins.
Verse 20. Neither shalt thou go tip by steps imto m>/ altarl
'Hie word altar, comes fi oni ultus, high or elevated, though the
Hebrew word roin mi'zbeach, from n31 .zabach, to slai/, kill,
&c. signifies, merely a place for sacrifice ; see Gen. xviii. 20.
iJut the heathens, ivho imitated the rites of the true God in
their idolatrous worship, made their altars very high ; whence
they derived their name uliaria, altars, i. e. very high or ele-
vated places ; wliich they buiit thus, partly through pride and
vain glory, and partly that their gods might the better hear
them. Hence also the high places or idolatrous altars, so often,
and so severely condemned in the Holy Scriptures. The
heathens made some of their altars excessively hi^li ; and some
imagine that the pyramids were altars of this kind, and that
the inspired writer refers to those, in tliese prohibitions. God
therefore ordered his altars to be made, 1. either of simple
turf, that there might be no unnecessary expense, which, in
their present circumstances, the people could not well aflbrd ;
and that they might be no incentives to idolatry from their
costly or curious structure : or 2. of unhcicn stone, that no
images of animals or of the celestial bodies might be sculptured
on them, as was the case among the idolaters, and especially
among the Egyptians, as several of their ancient altars which
remain to the present day, amply testify ; which altars them-
selves, and the images carved on them, became, in process of
time, incentives to idolatry, and even objects of worship. In
short, <jod foiTned evtry part of his worship so, that every
thing belonging to it, might be as dissimilar as possible, from
that of the suiioutiding htathenish nations, and especially the
Egyptians, from whose laud they had just now departed.
This seems to have been the whole design of those statutes,
on which many commentators have written so largely and
learnedly, imagining ditilculties, where probably there are
none. The attars of the tabernacle, were of a diflerent kind.
In this and the preceding chajitcr, we have met with .some
of tlie most awful displays of the Divine majesty: — manifesta-
tions of justice and holiness, which have had no parallel, and
ctai have none, till that tlay arrive, in which he shall appear in
his glory, to judge the quick and the dead. The glory was
truly terrible, anct to the ciiiWren of Israel insufferable : and
yet how highly privileged, to have God himself speaking to
them from the miilst of the fire, giving them statutes and
Judgments, so righteous, so pure, so holy, and so truly excellent
in their operation and theii end, that they have been the admira-
tion of all the wise and upri>;ht, in all countries and ages if the
workl, where their voire hag beew heard. Moboiiuned' ilefied
A.M. 25!3.
B. C. 1491.
An.Exod.lsr.
1.
Sivan.
i- Lev. 10. 3. Psa]. 89. 7. Heb. 12. 28, 29.
all the poets and literati of Arabia to match the language of
the Koran; and for purity, elegance, and dignity, it bore away
the palm, and remained unrivalled. This indeed, was the only
advantage which the work derived from its author : for its
other excellencies, it was indebted to Moses and the Prophets,
to Christ and the Apostles; as there is scarcely a i)ure, con-
sistent, theologic notion in it, that has not been borrowed from
our Sacred Books. Moses calls the attention of the people not
to the language in which these divine laws were given, though
that is all that it should be, and every way worthy of its au-
tlior ; compressed yet perspicuous ; simple yet dignified ; in
short, such as God should speak if he wished his creatures to
comprehend : but he calls their attention to the purity, right-
eousness, and usefulness of the grand revelation which they
had just received. For ivhat nation, says he, is there so great,
who hath God so nigh unlo them as Jehovah our God is, in all
things that we call tipon him for ? And what nation hath
statutes and judgjnents so righteous as all this law which I set b»-
foreyoit this day ? And that which was the sum of all excel-
lency in the present case was this, that the God who gave these
laws dwelt among his people ; to him they had continual access,
and from him received that power, without which, obedience,
so extensive and so holy, would have been impossible : and yet
not one of these laws exacted more than eternal reason, the
nature and fitness of things, the prosperity of the community,
and the peace and happiness of the individual required. The
LAW is holy, and the commandment is holy, just, and good.
To shew still more clearly the excellence and great utility
of the ten commandments, and to correct some mistaken no-
tions concerning them, it may be necessary to make a few
additional observations. And I. It is worthy of remark, that
there is none of these commandments, nor any part of one, which
can fairly be considered as merely ceremonial. All are moral,
and consequently of everlasting obligation. 2. When con-
sidered merely as to the letter, there is aertainly no dilhculty
in the moral obedience required to them. Let every reader
take them up one by one, and ask his conscience before (iod,
which of them he is under a fatal and itncontroulabk necessity
to break ? 3. Though by the incarnation and death of Christ,
all the ceremonial law, which referred to him and his sacrifice, is
necessarily abrogated ; yet, as none of these ten commandments
refers to any thing properly ceremonial, therefore they are not
abrogated. 4. Though Christ came into the world to redeem
them who believe, IVom the curse of the law, he did not redeem
them from tke necessity of walking in that newness of life,
which these commandments so strongly inculcate. 5. Though
Christ is said to have fulfilled the law for us, yet it is no where j
iutmiated in the Scripture, that he has so fulfilled these ten
LAWS, as to exempt us from the necessity and privilege of being
no idolater.'*, swearers, sabbath-breakers, disobedient and cruel
children, murderers, adulterers, thieves, and corrupt witnesses.
All these commanduii nts, it is true, he punctually fulfilled' him-
self; and all these he writes on the heart of every soul re-
deemed by his blood. 6. Do not those who scruple not to'
insinuate, that the jiroper observation of these laws is impossible
in thit life, and that every man since the fall does daily break
3
hates concerning servants.
CHAP. XXI.
They shall serve only seven years.
them in tliotis,ht, word, and deed, bear false witness against Gocl
ami his truth ? and do they not ifreatly err, not IcnotJ^ing the
.K-yiptwe, Avhich teaches the necessity of such olirdirnre ; nor
the pimer of Cod, by which the evil principle of the heart is
destroyed, and the law of purity written on the soul ? If even
the re"ener{Ue man, as souie have unwarily asserted, docs daili/
hrvik these commands, these ten words, in thought, word, and
deed, lie may be as b.ul as Satan for aii;j;ht wc know ; for
Satan hunself cannot transjjress in more forms than these : for
sin can be conunitted in no other way, cither by bodied or dis-
embodied spirits, tlian by thought, or ivord, or deed. Such
saving as these tend to destroy the distinction between ijuod
and evil, and leave the infidel and the believer on a par, as to their
moral state. The people of Gwl should be careful how they
use liiein. 7. It must lie granted, and indeed has sulTiciently
appeared from the prccedin;^ ex|iosition of these command-
ments, that they are not only to be understood in the letter,
but :ilso in the spirit ; and that therefore they may be brokm hi
the heart, while oiw^'ardlj/ kept iniioiute : ytt this cannot prove.
that R soul influenced by the Rrace and spirit of Christ, cannot
most eouscientiou-ly observe them ; fertile ;^race of the (lospel
not only saves a man from outward, but also from inward sin :
—for, says the heavenly mcsseno:er, his name shall he called
Jf.sus (i.e. SuviouK) because lie shall save (i.e. dki.ivi-r) his
people FROM their sins. Therefore the weakness or corruption
of human nature forms no arL,rumcnt here, because the blood
of Christ cleanses from all unrighteousness ; and he saves to
the uttermost all who come unto tile Fatlier through him. It
is therefore readily granted, no man, una.^siated and uninfluenced
by the !;racc of Clirist, can keep these commandments either
in the letter or in the spirit ; but he who is truly converted to
Go<l, and has Christ dwelling in his he^drt by faidi, can in the
letter and in the spirit do all thase thm^, bECAiisE Christ
sTRENCTUENs /i!>«. Reader, the following is a good prayer,
and oftentimes thou hast said it; now learn to pray it : " Lord,
have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep these
laws ! Lord, have mercy upon us, and write all these thy
laws in our hearts, we beseech thee '." Communion Sen/ice.
CHAPTER XXI.
[Lazes concer?iijig servants : tliei/ gkull serve for only snen years, 1, 2. // a servant brought a Kife to servitude
vdlh him, both should go out free on the seventh year, 3. Jf his master had given him a uife, and she bore hint
children, he might go out free on the seventh year, hut his wife and children must remain, as the property of the
master, 4. Jf, through love to his master, uife, and children, he did not chuse to avail himself of the privilege
granted by the laze, of going out free on the seventh year, his ear was to be bored to tice door post zvith an azil, as
an emblem of his being attached to the family for ever, 5, 0. Lazes concerning maid-servants, betrothed to their
masters, or to the sons of their masters, 7—11- Lazvs concerning battery and murder, 12—15. Concerning
jiieii-stealiiig, l6. Concerning him that curses his parents, 17- Of strife betzieen man and man, 18,19;
betzieen a master and his servants, CO, '21. O/" injuries done to women in pregnancy, 22. The lex talionis,
or /flKi of like for like, 23— 2j. Of iiijurics done to servants, by which they gain the right of freedom, 26, 27.
Lavs concenmig the ox which has gored men, 2S— 32. Of the pit left uncovered, into which a man or a beast
has fallen, 33, 34. Lazes concerning the ox that kills another, 35, 3G.
A.M.eM.!. 'jVTOW these are the judgments I six years he shall serve: and in the
B.c.itoi. ;^ which thou shalt " set before seventh, he shall go out free for no-
All. Exod.lsr. "T" i ■
1.
Si-van,
them.
2 " If tliou buy a Hebrew servant,
• Ch. 24. 3, 4. DtKt. 4. 14. & 6. 1.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXI.
N'crsc 1. Now these are the judg>nents'\ Tliere i.'s so much
good-sense, feeling, humanity, equity, and iusli<'e in the fol-
lowing laws, that they cannot but Ih' admired by every intel-
ligent reader : and they are so very plain, as to re(|uire very
little comment. Tlie laws in thi- chapter are termed political,
those in the succeeding chapter judicial laws ; and are sup-
pot^ed to have been delivered lo !\Ioscs alone, in cons((|uenee
of the request of the people^ chap. xx. 19. that <;od should
communicate his will to Jloses^, and that Moses should, as
mediator, convey it to them.
Verve 2. if thou buy a Hebrew servant] Calmel enumerates
»ij diftrent ways in which a Hebrew might lose his liberty :
thino;.
3 If he came in ' by himself, he
.\. M. 2.51."?.
B. C. 1491.
An. Exod. br.
1.
S\van.
>- I.cv. 23. 39, 40, 41. DeiiU 1.'). IS. Jcr. 34. 14. ' II^;b. iii(/i A is Ijdy.
1. In extreme poverty they might sell their liberty. Lerit.
x.W. 39. If thy brother be waxen poor, and he sold unto thee, &c.
2. A father miijht .icll his children. If a man sell his daughter
to be a maid-sen ant, see ver. 7. 3. Insohatt debtors became
the slaves of theiv creditors. My husband is dead — and the
creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
2 Kings iv. 1. 4. A thief, if he had not money to pay the fine
laid on him by tlie law, "was to be sold for his jjrofit whom he
had robbed. - Jf lie hate nothing, then he shall be sold for hts
theft. Chap. xxii. 3, 4. 5. A flebre:s was liable to be taken
prisoner in war, and so sold for a slave. 6. A Hebrew slave,
who had been ransomed from a Gcntde by a Hebrew, might
be sold by him who ransomed himj to one of hi» own nut/on.-
3 C
A. 51.2513.
B.C. 1491.
An. Exod. Isr.
1.
Sivan.
Ceremony qfbormgtJieear.
shall go out by himself : if he were
married, then his wife shall go. out
with him.
4 If his master have given him a
wife, and slic have born him sons or daughters ;
tlie wife and iier cliildren slmll be her master's,
and he shall go out by himself.
5 'And if the servant •* shall plainly say, I
lo\e my master, my wife, and my childreu ; I
will not go out fi-ce :
6 Then his master shall bring him unto the
'judges ; he shall also bring him to the door,
or unto the door post ; and his master shall
" bore his ear through with an awl j and he shall
serve him for ever.
EXODUS. Of the hetrathed maid-servant
7 If And if a man * sell his daugh-
ter to be a maid-servant, she shall not
go out ' as the men-servants do.
8 If she ^ please not her master, wlio-
hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let
her be redeemed : to sell her unto a strange na-
tion, he shall ha.\Q no power, seeing he hath
dealt deccittlilly with her.
9 And if he have betrothed her unto his soiiy
he shall deal with her after the manner of
daughters.
10 If he take him anotlier icife, her food, her
raiment, " aiidjier duty of marriage sliali he not
diminish.
1 1 And if he do not these three unto her,.
••Deut. 15. 16, 17.-
— I" Heb. sat/ing shall say.-
<^ Ps. 40. 6.
-t ch. 12. 12. & 22. 8, 28.
Six years Ut shall serve] It was an esceltent provision in these
Jaws, that no man could finally injure himself by any rash,
foolish, or precipitate act. No uian could make himself a ser-
vant or slave ila- more thaa seven years j and if he mortgaged
the family inheritance, it must return to the family at the
jubilee, which returned every fiftieth year.
It is supposed tliat the term six years, is to be understootl as
referring to the sabbatical years ;. for let a man come into ser-
vitude at whatever part of the interim between two sal)batical
yearSj he could not be detained in bondage beyond a sabbatical
jear : so thai if he f^ll into bondage the third year after a sab-
batical year,, lie had but three years to serve ; if th.e fr'th, but
one. bee on chap, xxiii. 11, &c. Others suppose that this
privilege beloriged only to the year o{ jubilee, lieyoud whicli
no man coiild be detailed in bondage,, thougll he liad been,
sold only one year before.
Verse 3. If he cnme in by himself] If he and his wife came
in together, "Jicy were to go out togetlier : m all respert« as
he entered, so should he go out. This consideration seems to
have induced St. Jerom to nanslate the passage thus : Cum
quali veste intra-erat, cnm tali exeat. " lie shall have the
same coat in ;foing out, as he had wlien he came in ;" i. e. if
he came in with a new one, he shall go out with a new one,
which was perfectly just, as the former coat must have been
worn out in Ins master's ser^^ce, and not his own.
\ erse 4. The wife and her children shall be her master's] It
was a law among the Hebrews, that if a Hebrew had children
by a Cahaanitisli woman, those children must be considered
as C'anaanitish onjy, and might be sold and bought,, and serve
for ever. Ilje law here refers to sueh a case only.
Verse 6. Shall bring him uato the jaih^es] cnVftn Vk el ha
Elohim, literally, to God ; or, as the Scpluagint have it, -r^o;
To xfiTupiov <?iim, to the judgment of God ; who condescended to
dwell among hii> people, who determined all their diiTerenct-s,,
till he had given them laws fijr all cases j and who, by his
omniscience, brought to light tJie hidden thiags of dishonesty.
t!ce chap. xxii. K.
Bore his ear through uith an mil] Tliis was a ceremony
sufficiently signilicant, as it implied 1. That he was closely
attached tu that house and family. 2. That he was bound to
/tear ail his master's orders, and to obey them punctually.
A.M. 8513.
B. C. 1491.
rVii.Exod. I«r.
1.
' Nell. 5. 5..
' vcr.
-B Ueb. he evil m the cjcs- of,, ^c. * t Cor.
Z. 5..
Boring of the ear was an ancient custom in, the East. It is «»•
ferred to by Juvenal —
Prior inqnii, ego adsmii.
Cur timeam, dubilemve locum defendere ? (juumris
Katus ad Euphraten, molles cjuoci in .^ure ee.nestrs
Arguerint, licet ipse negem. Sat. i. 102;.
"Fir^t come,, first served, he crics^; ajid I, ii\ spight
Of your great lord>hi])s, will maintain my right :
Though born a slave, though my torn E.^ns are bor'd,
Tis not the birth, 'tis money makes the lord." Dryden.
Calmet c[iu)tes a, saying from Peironiiis as attesting' the same
thing;; and one- from Cicero, in which he rallies a Lybian.who
pretended he did not hear him : "It is not," said he, "because
your ei/i* are not sufftciently bared," Alhuling to his having
been a stave.
Verse 7. If a man sell his dcjighler] Tiiis the Jews allowed
no man to do but in extreme distress, w hen he had no gooils,
eitlier mo'..eal>le or immoveable lett, even to the clothes on his
back ; and he had this permission only while she was tnmar-
rifiiraible. It may appear at first view strange, that such a law
shoald have been given ;■ but iJt it be remembered, that this
j servitude could extend at the utmost only to six years ; and
that it was nearly the same as in some cases of apprenticeship-
among us, where the paivnts /;/W the child for .leven years,.
and have from his master, so much per week, during that
JHTiod.
Verse 9. Betrothed her to h'is son, he shall deal idth her] He
shall give he? the same dowry he would' give to one of his own
daughters. From those laws v.'e learn, that if a man's son
married his servant, by his father's consent, tl;e father was
obliged to treat her in every respect as a daughter : and if the
son married another woina<i, as it appears he might do, ver. 10.
he v/as obliged to make no. abatement in the \)rivileges of the
rfr-i wife, either in ht-r food; raiment, oT duty of marriage :
the \\{A\\ nn:i' vnathuh here, is the same with St. Paul's oJiAo~
ui-.vi iuvoia.', the vuirriage deU, and with the cfxiXiKy of the Sep-
tuagint, which signifies the cohabitation of man and ivife.
Verso 11. These three] 1. UcT food, rriN'a shearah, her
Jle>h, for she must not, like a common slave, be ftd merely on-.
I vegetublcs. 3. HtT raiment, her private warthobc, witli alL
Ofinan-shughter.
then shall
nioncv.
A.M. 2513.
B.C. It'l.
An.txod.lsT.
she go out free, without
CHAP. XXI. Lctw of like for like
his staff, then sliall he that smote him a.m.ssw.
1.
Sivan.
12 if ' He that smiteth a man, so
that he die, siiali be surely put to
death.
13 And ''if a man lie not in wait, but God
'deliver hivi into iris hand ; then '' 1 will appoint
thee a place whither he shall flee.
14 But if a man come " presumptuously upon
his neighbour, to slay him with guile; "^ thou
shall take him from mine altar, that he may die.
15 1[ And he that smiteth his iiither, or his
mother, shall be surely jnit to dcatli.
16 ^ And ^ he that stealeth a man, and " sell-
eth him, or if he be ' found in his hand, he shall
surely be put to death.
17 ^ And " he that ' curseth his father, or his
mother, shall surely be put to death.
16 % And if men strive together, and one
smite "'anotlier with a stone, or with his fist,
rand he die not, but kcepetli liis bed :
i 19 If he rise again, and walk abroad " upon
be quit: onlv he shall pay for "the "■^■"7-
loss or his tune, and shall cause him
to be thoroughly healed.
1.
■Sitan.
20 ^ And if a man smite his servant, or his
maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand ;
he shall be surely '' punished.
21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or
two, he shall not be punished : for " he is his
money.
22 ^ If men strive, and hurt a woman with
child, so that her fruit dej)art from her, and
yet no mischief Ibllow : he shall be surely pu-
nished, according as the woman's husband will
lay upon him ; and he shall 'pay as the judges
detenitine.
23 And if 0711/ mischief follow, then thou shalt
;give life for life,
24 ' Eve fi)r eve, tooth for tooth, hand for
hand, foot for foot,
25 Burning for burning, wound for wound,
stripe for stripe.
•Gen. 9.6. Ler. 24. 17. Numb. 35. 30, ,11. Malt. 2fi. .59.- — "Numb.
35. 22. Deut. 1^. 4, .5. '■ 1 Sam. 31. 4, 10, IB. • Nuiiili. .'1,5. 11. Ucut.
19.;). .losh. 'JO. 3. "^Nunib. 1."). .">0. & ;». '.'(I. IJeiit. l;i. 11, I'i. Ilebr.
10. t(,.- < 1 Kings 2. £B— j-1. 2 Kiiig.s 11. Ij. e ])eut. '24. 7. •" Cien.
Occasional necessary additions. AikI 3. The marriage debt, a
due proportion of the hu^l>and'.s time and company.
Verse 1.3. / will appoint thee a place •■^hither he shall Jiee."]
From the earliest times, the nearest akin had a rii;ht to re\enfi;e
tlic murder of his relation ; and as this right was iiniversallj-
acknowledned, no law was ever made on the subject ; but as
tliis mi^iit l)e abusetl, and a person w ho had killed another
uccidentaili/, having had no previous malice au;ainst hnii, might
be put to death hy the avenger of blood, as the nearest kins-
man was termed, tlierefore Goil provided the cities of refuge,
to which the accidental man.'.layer might flee, till the afliiir was
enquired into, and settled by the ei\il magistrate.
Verse 14. 'nwu shall take him from mine altar'] Before the
cities of refuge were assigned, the altar of God was the com-
mon asylum.
Verse 15. Tha^ smiteth his father, or his mother'] As such a
case argued jieculiar depravity, therefore no mercy was to be
diewn to the cul])rit.
Verse 10. He that stealeth a man] By this law, every man-
stealer, and every receiver of tlie stoU:u person, should lose
his life : no matter « hethcr the latter stole the man himself,
or gave money to a slave captain, or ifegro-deuler, to steal him
for him.
Verse 1 9. Shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause
bim to be thoroughly healed.] 'I'his was a wise and excellent
institution, and mo>t courts of justice, still regulate their deci-
sions on such cases, by tins Mosaic precept.
Verse 21. If the slave, who had bieii beaten by his master
died under his hand, the ma-ter was jium.-ihed with death ; see
Cieu. ix. b, t). But if he survived the bcainn,') a duy or t-xo.
.•57. 28. ' ch. 22. 4. " Lev. 20. 9. Prov. SO. 20. Matt. 1.'5. 4. Jlaik
7. 10. 'Or, rerileth. "> Or, his ncishbour. ° eSaiii. S. 29. "Ueb.
his cuasiii';. '' Ucb. iii riijct/. tien. 4. 1.5, '2i. Rom. l.'t. 4, ■* Lev. 2.5. 45,
W. 'vor.JO. Deut. 22. 18, 19. -Lev. 24. 20. Deut. 19. 21. Malt.&.aS.
the master was not punished ; btcause it might be presumed,
that the man died through some other cause. And all penal
laws should he construed as favourably as possible to the
accused.
Verse 22. And hurt a li-omaii ivith child] As a posterity
among the Jews, was among the peculiar promises of their
covenant, and as every man had some rea.-on to think that the
Messiah should spring fioin his family, therefore, any injury
done to a woman with ihild, by which the fruit of her womb
might be destroyed, was con?idered a very heavy oflence : and
as the crime was committed principally against die husband,
the degree of punishment was left to /(.■,•>■ discretion. But if
mischief followed, that is, if the child had been fully formed,
and was killed by this means, or the woman lost her life in
consequence, then the punishment wa», as in other cases of
murder — the per.son was put to death : ver. 2.5.
Verse 24. Kye for eye] This is the earliest account we have
(df the /.(u- Talionis, or law of Wr /or //Af, which afterwards
I prevailed among the <i neks and Romans. Among the latter,
I it constituted a part of the twelve tables, .so famous in antiquity ;
I but the punishment wis afterwards changed to dL pecuniary
fine, to be levied at the discretion of the praetor. It prevails
less or more in most civili/.ed countries; and is fully actecj
ujion in the canon, law, in reference to all calumniators : — »
(Uilumniator, si in aceusutione defecerit, talionem recipiat. " If
the calumniator fail in the proof of his accusation, let him suf-
fer the same punishment, which he wished to have inflicted
j upon the man «liom be falsely accused." Nolliing, however,
, ol this kind wa-s left to private revenge : the magistrate awarded
the puiu-Jimcia, when the fact was proved. OUicrwisc the
.T C 2
B. C. 1491.
An. Exod.Tsr.
1.
Sivun.
he shall let him go
Of the goring o.v :
A.U. 2513. 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 smite out liis man-servant's tooth,
or his maid-servant's tooth
free for his tooth's sake.
28 ^ If an ox gore a man or a woman, that
they die : then " 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 push with his
horn in time past, and it hath been testified
to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but
that he hath killed a man or a woman ; the ox
shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put
to death.
30 If there be laid on him a sum of money,
then he shall give for '' the ransom of his life
whatsoever is laid upon him.
31 Whether he have gored a son, or have
•Gen. 9. 5. 1" ver. 23. Numb. 35. SI.
EXODUS. and the uncovered pit.
gored a daughter, according to this
Lex Talionis would have utterly destroyed the peace of society,
and have sown the seeds of hatred, revenge, and all iinchari-
tableness.
Verse 26. Jf a jnan smite the eye, &c.] See the following ver.-;e.
Verse 27. If he smite oui his — toothy It was a noble law that
obliged the unmerciful sluve-liokler, to set the slave at liberty,
whose eye or tooth he had knocked out. If this did not teach
them humanity, it taught them caution, as one rash blow, might
liave deprived them of all right to the future services of the
slave : and thus, self-interest obliged tliem to be cautious and
circumspect.
Verse 28. If an ox gore a man'\ It is more likely that a hull
is here intended, as the word signifies both, see chap. xxii. 1.
and the Septua;5int translate the -\va shor of the original by
T-avfo.:, a bull, and some are of opinion, that tliere were no cas-
trated animals among the Jews. Mischief of this kind was pro-
vided against by most nations : it appears that the Romans twist-
ed hay about ^//eAorni of their dangerous cattle, that people seeing
it, might shun them : hence that saying of Horace, Sat. lib. i.
ver. 34. Fcenwn habet in cornu, longe fuge. " He has hay on
his horns : fly for life \" The laws of the tvjelve tables ordered,
that the oivner of the hcast should pay for luhat damages hecom-
jnitted, or deliver him to the person injured. See on chap. xxii. 1.
His flesh shall not be eateii] This served to keej) up a due
detestation of murder, whether committed by man oi- beast ;
and at the same time punished the man as far as possible, by
the total loss of the bea.st.
Verse 30. If there be laid on him a sum of money — the ran-
sotn of his life'] So it appears, that though by the law he for-
feited his life, yet this might be commuted for a pecunian/
mulct ; at which, the life of the deceased might be valued by
the magistrates.
Verse 32. 'i'hirti/ shekels] Each worth about tliree shillings
A.M. 2513,
B. C. 1491.
An. Exod. Isr.
1.
judgment shall it be done unto him
32 If the ox shall push a man-ser-
vant or maid-servant ; he shall give _
unto their master " thirty shekels of
silver, and the ■* ox shall be stoned.
33 % And if a man shall open a pit, or if a
man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox
or an ass, fall therein ;
34 The owner of the pit shall make it good,
and give money unto the owner of them ; and
the dead beast shall be his.
35 ^ And if one man's ox hurt another's,
that he die ; then they shall sell the live ox,
and divide the money of it ; and the dead ox
also they shall divide.
36 Or if it be known, that the ox hath used
to push, in time past, and his owner hath not
kept him in ; he shall surely pay ox for ox ;
and the dead shall be his own.
•See Zech. 11. 12, 13. Matt. 26. 15. Phil. 2. 7. " ver. i
English ; see Gen. xx 16. xxiii. 15. So, counting the .shekel
;it its utmost value, the life of a slave was valued 'at four pounds
ten shillings. And at this price, these same vile people, valued
the life of our blessed Lord ; see Zech. xi. 13, 13. Malt. xxvl.
1.5. And in return, the justice of God has ordered it so, that
they haie been sold for slaves into every country of the uni-
verse. And yet, strange to tell, they see not the hand of God
in this so visible retribution !
Verse 33. And if a man shall open a pit — or dig a pit]
That is, if a man shall open a ivell or cistern tliat had been be-
fore cloj^ed up, or dig a new one, for these two cases are plainly
Intimated ; and if he did this in some public place, where there
was danger, that men or cattle might fall into it : for a man
might do as he pleased in his oiun grounds, as those were his
private right. In the above case, if he had neglected to cover
the pit, and his neighbour's ox or ass was killed by falling in-
to it, he was to pay its value in money. The 33d and 34th
verses seem to be out of their places. They probably should
conclude the chapter, as, where they are, they intenipt the
statutes concerning the goring ox, which begin at verse 28.
These dilTerent regulations are as remarkable for their jus-
lice and prudence iis for their humanity. Their gi-eat ten-
ilency is to shew the valuableness of hiunari life, and the ne-
cessity of having peace and good understanding in every neigh-
bourhood : and they possess that (uiality which should bt^ the
object of all good and wholesome laws, the prevention of crimet.
Most criminal codes of jurisprudence seem more intent on the
punishment of crimes, than on preveniing the commission of
them. The law of God always teaches and warns, that his
( leatures may not fall into condemnation ; for judgment is his
strange work, i. e. one reluctantly and seldom executed, a» this
text is frequently understood.
Different judicial
CHAP. XXII.
luxes and ordinances.
CHAPTER XXH.
I^us coiiccriiiiig theft, 1 — -1 ; concerning trespass, 5 ; concerning casualties, 0. Lazts concerning deposits, or
goods left in custody of others, uhich maif have been lost, stolen, o;- damaged, 7 — \'3. Lazes concerning things
borrowed, or let out on hire, 14, 15. Imtcs concerning seduction, Ui, 17. Lans concerning witchcraft, 18,
bestiaiitv, ly, idolatry, '20. Lazvs concerning strangers, 21,- concerning widows, 22 — 24; lending wiono/ /«
the poor, 25 ; concerning pledges, 26 ; concerning respect to magistrates, 28 ; concerning the first-ripe fruits,
and the Cnsl-hom of mmi and beast, 29,30. Directions concerning carcases found torn in the field, 31.
¥ a man shall steal an ox, or a
sheep, and kill it, or sell it ; he
shall restore five oxen for an ox, and
four sheep for a sheep.
2 If a thief be found ' breaking up, and be
smitten that he die, i/ie7'e shall "^ no blood be
shed for him.
A.M. 2513.
B.C. 1491.
All. Kxod. Isr.
Sman.
I
.A.M. Col.-..
n. c. I'lyi.
.\ii. Kxod. I.:r.
1.
Sivun.
3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall
be blood shed for him ; for he should make fiill
^restitution ; if he have nothing, then he shall
fbe 'sold for his theft.
•Or, goat. ' g Sum. 12. C. Luke 19. 0. See Prov. 6. 31. « Malt. 24. 45.
4 If the theft be certainly ' found
in his hand alive, whether it be ox,
or ass, or sheep ; he shall ' restore
double.
5 ^ If a man shall cause a Held or \dneyard
to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall
feed in another man's field ; of the best of his
own field, and of the best of his own vineyard,
shall he make restitution.
6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, .so
that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or
NOTES ON CHAP XXU.
I Verse 1. J/ a viait sluill sleat] This chapter consist«i chit fly
\ of Judicial laws, as the preo-ding chapter does of p('/i//ca/ ;
I and in it, the 'ume good-sense, and well marked attention to
! the welfare of the eomniiinity. and the moral iinpvovenitnt of
I each individual, are equally evident.
I In our translation of thi.s liist verse, by rendering diflcrent
I Hebrew words liy the same term in English, we have greatly
obseurtd tVie sense. I shall produce the verse, with the original
woid.s « hieli 1 think inijiroperly translated, because one English
term is used tor Itvo Jiebinn words, which, in this ])lace, cer-
I tainly do not mean the same thing. If a man shall steal an o.
I [y.\s shorl or a slieep, [ntt? selt~\ and kill it, or sell it ; he shall
restore five oxen [ip2 bakar^ for an ox; [nuy shor"] and four
slurp [pv (.sow] fur a sheep [niP sch], I think it must appear
) evi<leut that the sacred writer did not intend that these wonls
j vhould be underslood as above. A shor certainly is diflerent
' from a bukar, and a sch from a tson. Where the ddlirence in
I every case lies, viherever these words occ.ir, it is difficult to i^ay.
' The shor and the hukar are doubtless creatures oC the bene
[ kin<l, and are used in diflerent jiarts of the Sacred Writings to
j signify the bull, tlie ox, the heifer, the steer, and the calf. The
I sell and the tson are used to signify the rum, the ruether, the
I rue, the lamb, the he-goat, the .she-goat, and the kid. And the
I latter word, pv t\on, seems fiet|uently to signify ihcjlock com-
posed of either of these lesser cattle, or both softs conjoined.
As iw shor is u.sed .lob xxi. It), for a bull, probably it may
mean so here. Jf a man secal a iiuli., he shall give Jive oxen
for him, which we may pre.«ume was no more than his real
I vnlue ; as very few bulls could be kept in a country destitute
i of horses, where oxen were so necessary to till the ground.
I For though some have imagined that there were no ca^tratell
cattle among the Jews, yet this cannot be admitted on the
above reason : for as they had no horses, and bulls would have
" Numb. 35 27. ^=cli. 21.2. fell. 21. 16. sSeever. 1,7. Pro».6.31.
been unmanageable and dangerous, they must have had oxen
for the purposes of agriculture. Tson pv is used for a tlock
eillier o{ .thccp ov goats ; and seh nur for an individual of eiUier
species. For every sch, four, taken indiflerently frcjm Uie isoa
or tlock, must be given : i. e. a sheep stolen might be recom-
pensed with four out of the flock, whether of sheep or goats.
So that a goat might be compensated with four sheep ; or a
sheep, with four goats.
Verse 2. // a thief be found] If a thief was fouml breaking
into a hou.se in th<; night season, he might be killed ; but not
if the sun had risen, for then he miglit be known and taken,
and die restitution made which is mentioned in the succeeding
verse. So, by the law of I'^ngland, it is a burglary, to break
and enter a house by night ; and " anciently the day was ac-
counted to begin only from sun-rising, and to end immediately
u])on sun-set : but it is now generally agreed, that if there be
day-light enough begun or left, either by the light of the sun
or tiuilight, whereby the countenance of a person may be rea-
sonably discerned, it is no burglary : but that tliis does not
extend" to moon-li'^ht ; for then, many midnight burglaries
would go unpunished. And besides, the malignity of die of-
fence does not so ])roperly arise, as Wr. .lustice Blackstoite ob-
serves, from its being done in the dark, as at the dead qf
jiight ; when all the creation, except beasts of prey, are at'
rest ; when sleep has disarined the owner, and rendered his
castle defenceless." East's Pleas of the Crown, vol. ii. p. 509.
Verse 4. lie shall restore double] In no case of theft, was
the life of the ottender taken away : die utmost that the lavr
says on this point is, that, if when found breaking into a hottse,
he should be smitten so as to die, no blood should be sittd for
him, vcr. 2. If he had stolen and sold the property, then he
was to restore four or fnc-fold, ver. 1. but if the animal was
found ali're in his ]K)ssession, he w as to restore double.
N'erse C. Jf afire break out] 3Ir. Uarmer observes, that it is
Law of bailments. EXODUS.
the field, be consumed tJ/erexcifh ; he
that kindled the fire shall surely make
restitution.
7 If If a man shall deliver unto his
A.M. 2513.
n. c. 1191.
An.Exod.Isr,
1.
Si van.
neighbour
money, or stuff to
keep, and it be
*if the thief be
stolen out of the man's house ;
found, let him pay double.
8 If the thief be not found, then the master
of the house shall be brought unto the ''judges,
to see whether he have put his hand unto his
neighbour's goods.
9 For all manner of trespass, whether it be
for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for
any manner of lost thing, which another chal-
lengeth to be his, the ' cause of both parties
shall come before the judges; and ^w\\om the
judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto
his neighbour.
JO If a man deliver unto his neighbour
or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast,
an ass,
to lieep ;
" Ver. 4.-
-•i cli. 21. 6. & vc-r. 28.-
-= Deut. 2.'i. 1. 2 Chron. 19. 10.
a common custom in the Ea.st, to set tlie dry herbajre on fire
before the autumnal rains ; wliich fires, for want of care, often
do great damapje : and in countries where oreat drought jire-
vails, and the herbage is generally parched, great caution was
peculiarly necessary ; and a law to guard against such evils,
and to punish inattention and neglect was liighly expedient.
See Harmer's Oliserv. vol. iii. p. 310, &c.
Verse 7. Deliver unto Ids rieighboiii'\ This is called pledging
in the Law of Baibiienls : it is a dejiosit of goods by a deI)tor to
his creditor, to be kept till the debt he discharged. Whatever
goods were thus left in the hands of another person, that per-
son, according to the Mosaic law, beeame resjjonsible for them :
if they were stolen, and the thief was found, he was to pay
double : if he could not be fo\ind, the oath of the person who
had them in keeping, made before the magistrates, that he
knew nothing of them, was considered a full acquittance.
Among the Romans, if goods were lost which a man had en-
trusted to his neighlioih-, the depositary was obliged to j)ay
their full value. But if a man had been driven by necessity,
as in case of fu-c, to lodge his goods with one of his neighbours,
and the goods were lost, the depositary was obliged to pay
double their value, because of his unfaithfulness in a case tjf
such distress, where his dishonesty, conncited with the de-
struction by tiie /;r, had cumpleted the ruin of the sullerer.
To this case the following law is af>plical>le : Cum qiiis Jidein
xtegit, nee depositum redditur, cnntentus esse delict simplo : cum
fero cxiniite necessitate dcponat, crcscit pciftdia: crimen, &c.
Digest. lib. xvi. tit. ;>. 1. J .
Vei'se 8. Unto eJie judges'] See the note on chap. ii\\. (i.
Verse 9. Challengeth to be /h'.s] It was necessary tliat such a
matter should come bt fore the judges, because the jicr.son in
whose possession the goods were found, might have lia<l them
by a fair and honest puirhase ; and by siftiuig tlvc business,
the thief might be found out, aud if ibund, be oblijjcd to pay
duuhlc to his Jieighbouf.
A. M. 2513.
B. 0. 1491.
An. Exod.Isr.
1.
8\van.
Ofbotrowing;
and it die, or be hurt, or driven away,
no man seeing it .-
1 1 IVien shall an " oath of the Lord
be between them both, that he hath
not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods ;
and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he
shall not make it good.
1 2 And ' if it be stolen from liim, he shall
make restitution unto the owner thereof.
13 If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring
it Jbr witness, a7id he shall not make good that
which was torn.
14 ^ And if a man borrow ought of his neigh-
bour, and it be hurt, or xlie, the owner there-
of beiiig not with it, he shall surely make it
good.
15 But if the owner thereof ^e with it, he shall
not make it good : if it be an hired ihifig; it
came for his hire.
16 % And '^if a man entice a maid that is not
•> Hebr. 6. 10. 'Cm. 31. 39. fDei.t. 22. 28, 29.
Verse 11. An oath of the Lord be between them] So solemn
and awful were all a])pcals to God, considered in those ancient
times, that it was taken for granted that the man was innocent, 1
«ho could by an oath appeal to the omniscient God, that he |
had not ])ut his hand to his neighbour's goods. Since oaths
have Ijecome multiplied, and since they havu been administered
on the most trifling occasions, their solemnity is gone, and
their iunwrtance litlle regarded. Should the oath ever re-ac-
quire its weight and import;uice, it iimst be when administered 1
only in cases of peculiar delicacy and difficulty ; and as spar-
ingly, as in the days of Moses. j
Verse 1.5. If it be torn in pieces- — let him bring it iot ivitness] |
Rather, Let him bring, niDltan n;? ed hu-terephuh, a testimony i
or evidence of the torn thing, such as the horns, hoofs, &c.
This is still a law in some countries among graziers : if a horse,
cow, sheep, or goat entrusted to them be lost, and the keeper i
asserts, it was devoured by dogs, &c. the law obliges him to
produce the horns ami hoofs, because, on the.se the owner's
mark is g-enerally found. If these can be produced, the keeper
is acquitted by the law. Tile car is often the jilace marked,
but this is not ab.solut< ly required, because a ravenous beast
may eat -the ear as well as any other part ; but he cannot eat
the horns or the hoofs. It seems, however, that in after times,
/tro of the legs and the car, were required as evidences to ac-
([uit the .shepherd of all guilt. See Amos iii. 12.
Ver.se IG. If a man entice a maid] This was an exceedingly |
wise and humane kiw, and must have operated powerfully
against seduction antl fornication ; because the person, who
might feel inclined lo take the advantage of a young woman,
knew that he nuist marry licr, and give her a dowry, if her i
parents consented; and if they did not consent that their
daughter should wed her si'dueer, in this ease he was obliged
to give her the full dowry wliich could have been demanded,
hadjihe been still a virgin. According to the Targumist here,
aiid'to Deut. xxii. 29. the dowry was Jifti/ Jiekels of silver, j
B.C. ll'.'l.
Aii.Exod. Isr.
1.
Sican.
Of the helrothed virgin. CHAP,
A.M.'-'=-i!. betrotlicd, and lie with her, lie shall
surely endow her to be his wile.
1. 17 If her father utterly refuse to
_ give her unto him, he shall * pay
money, according to the "dowry of virgins.
18 ^ " Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
19 ^ " Whosoever heth with a beast, shall siuely
be put to death.
20 ^ " lie that sacrificcth unto any god, save
unto the Louu only, he shall be utterly de-
stroyed.
XXII.
Of strangers, "widows a?id orpkans.
A.M. 2;")t:%
U.C. 1191.
Au.l^xod. L>r.
1.
i'iuan.
■ • Heb. wci"!/. Gen. ilX 16. ^ Gen. ."U. t?. Beut. 22. 2?. 1 Sam. IS.
S.-). ' Uv'. 19. -M. :M. !x 'JO. 'J7. Ucut. in. 10, 11. 1 Skiii. ■-'». ;!, '.».—
• Li'v. Ifl. •.'.!. Sc '.'(). l.i. = ^■uIllb.'.^S. ".. 7, ti. Uout. IS. 1, 2, .5, 6, % i:!,
14, 1.5. & 17. 2, 3, 5. 1 Mac. 2. 21. '' cli. 23. 9. Lev. 1!). .iJ. & 2.5. o.i.
Deut. 10. ly. Jcr. 7. ti. Zech. 7. la. Mai. 3. 5. s Oeut. 10. 18. it 24.
which the «C(lncer was to pay to Iier father, and lie was ob-
lii^etl lo take her to «it'e ; nor had he authority, aceonhii;;- to
] tlie .Jewisli canon.~, ezrr to put Iter aivfn/ bij a hill of divorce.
■ This one consideration « as a poweriul curb on disorderly
.'passions, and nn:sl tend trreatly to render niiuriagc respectable,
iaiul prevent all crimes of this nature.
Verse 18. Thou s/ialt iint siij/'tr a •.^•ih-h to lizc] If there had
:' been no nitc/ie.^, such a law as this had never been made. The
j existence of the lini', given under tiie direction of the -Spirit
] of Go<l, ])roves the existence of the thing, it has been douht<(l
t whether nacon merafhephuh, which we tran.slate ivitch, really
means a person wlio practised divinivtion, orsoi'eery, by spiritual
or infernal ai^ency. Whether the persons thus denominated,
only pretended to have an art which had no existence, or \»he-
Uier they vealli/ possessed the power commonly attributed to
them, are questions which it would be improper tu discuss at
lenf;th in a « ork of this kiiul ; but that v:itclics, wizards,
I those :iho dealt leitk fumiUar .y>ir!ti, &c. are represi^uted in
the Sacred Writings, as actually possessing a power to evoke the
dead, to perform supernatural operations, and lo discover
■ hidden or secret thiiigs, by spells, ciiarms, incantations, i^c. is
evident to eveiy unprejudiced rciuler of the Bible. t>f i\Ia-
nasseh it is said, lie caused his chitdreu. to pas.'i through the fire
in the rallcj/ of the Son of Hinnoin : uLo he observed times
[pii'l veonan, he used diriniitioii by clouds'^ and icscd cnchant-
wents, and u.ted u-itchcruft, [^aZi'\ 'ce cisheph'] and dealt Ziith
a familiar .■••pirit, [3it« n'i:'i'l leasah ob, jierformed a variety ot'
operations by means '>f what was al'terwartls called the Trnvixce
n/Oivo,-, ttie .spirit of Pj/thon] and ii'ith nizards, ['Jiyi' t/ideoni,
the wise or knowing ones] and he livonght much evil in the
sight of the Lord, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 6. It is very likely that
the Hebrew ']\33 casaph, and tlw Arabic «_i:ii cashafa,
had originally the same meaning, to tincoi-er, to remove a
teil, to manifest, reveal, make bare ov naked: and >jliu;UC.«
VKca.iliefnl, is used to signify commerce with God, see U'ilmef,
and (•iggcui. Tiie mceashepliah, or ivitch, therefore, was
prol>ably a pcrst)vi wha jn-ofessed to reveal hidden vij^slet;ies,
by commerce ivilh (lod, or the invLsihle vjorld.
From the sevirily of this law ag-aiii^t witehe.s, &c. we may
fee in what light these were viewed by J)ivine .lustice. They
were seducers of tlie people from their allegiance to God, on
whose jurlgment alone, they should <lej)eiul ; and liy impiously
Jurying into futurity, assumed an uUnbute of (Jod, ihc fori:- •
1 21 if "^ Thou shalt neither vex a
stranger, nor oppress hint : for ye
were strangers in the land of Egypt.
[ 22 " Ye shall not aiilict any widow,
or fatherless child.
23 If thou afflict them in any wise, and they
, '' cry at all unto me, I will surcl)' ' hear their cry ;
I 24 And my "^ wrath shall wax hot, and I will-
kill you with the sword ; and ' your wives shall
I be widows, and your children fatherless.
25 ^ "" If thou lend money to ajij/ of my pco-
17. & 27. 19. Ps. 94. 6. Isar. 1. 17, 23. & 10. 2. Ezek. 22. 7. Zccli. 7.
10. James 1.27. » Deut. 1.5. 0. & 21. 1.). Job :!>. '.>. Luke 111. 7.
' ver. 2:5. Job :')-l. 28. Ps. W. 6. & 145. 19. Jiimes .5. 4. " Job ;!1. 23.
I ¥i. 69. at. 1 Ps. 109. 9. Lam. .5-. ;>. "" Lev. 2.5. rS* 36, 37. Deut. 2j,
19,20. Kch. 5. 7. I's. 15. 5. Ezek. 18. 8, 17.
' telling of future events, which implied in itself, tlic grossest
; blMsplieiiiy, and tended to corrupt the niiiuls of the people.
I by leading them away from (Jod, and the revcbtioii he had
I made of himself. Many of the l.^raelites had, no doubt,
I learnt these curious arts from tlieir long residence among the
! Kgyptiaiis ; and so much were the Israelites attached to them,
that we find such arts in repute among them : and viu-ious
I practices of this kind prevailed through the whole of the
j Jewish history, notuithstaiiding- the oflence was capitalj and
in all cases punished with death.
Verse 19. Lieth with a btcLsi] If tliis most aljoniinable crima
had not Ixeen common, it never would have been mentioned
in a sacred code of laws. It is very likely, that it was aii
Egyptian practice; and it is certain, from an account in
Sonnmi's Travels, that it is practised in Egypt to the present
<iay.
Verse 20. Utterly destroyed.] The word ann cXerem denotes
a tiling utterly and finally sep;uated from Cod, and devoted to
destruction, without the po.s.~iliility of re(lem|i'jon.
Verse 21. Thou shalt neither ve.v a ■^•trunger,. nor oppre.'is him]
This was not t>iily a very humaiteldw , but it was also the oltprin"'
of a sound policy. Do not le.t a stranger : remember, ye were
strangers. Do not oppress a stranger : remember, ye were op-
pre.'ised. Therefore do unto- all ineu as ye wouM tin y should do
to you. It Via.- the produce of a sound policy — Let Grangers be
: well treated among you, .and many will come to taloe refuge
among you, and thus the strengtli of your country will be in-
creased. If refugees of thiri kind be treated well, they will be-
come proselytes to yotu- rtligi.m, and thus their .souls may be
saved. In e\ < ry point of view, therefore,jastice, huuianity, sound
policy, aad religion, say — Scither vex nor oppress a .itranger.
Verse 32. Ye shall not affiict any widow, orfiitherless child.}
It is ivmark.ible, that o(U nets against this law, ;u-e not letl to.
the discretion of the juilgcs to be punished : (Jod reserves the
punishment to liimself ; and by this,, he strongly .shews iiis
abhorreuce of the crime. It is no eomnioii crin'ie, and sliall
not be punished in a common way : the lerath of God shall
wax hoi against bun who in any wise aliliets or wrongs a
ividow', or n fatherless child i and we may rest assured, that
he wlio helps either,, does a service highly acceptable in the
Mght of (iod.
Verse 25. Neitlur sluih thou. Iny upon him usury.] -[Uine.ihec^
from nu.fhac, to bite. Cut, or pierce with the' teeth — hitinc^
usury, tio Uie Latins tall it usura vorax — devouring ttsury..
Laxi's coMffivihg usnty. EXODUS
pie that is poor by thee, thou shalt
not be to Jiim as an usurer, neither
siialt thou lay upon him usury.
26 ^ " If tiiou at all take thy neigh-
bour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it
unto him, by, that the sun goeth down : |
27 For that is his co\ering oi>ly, it is his!
A.M. S,")J.s.
B.C. list.
An K.iutl Ur
1.
Sivtm.
* Deut. 24. 6, 10, l,"?, 17. Job 22. 0. & 24. 3, 9. Prov. 20. IS. h 22. 27.
Ezck 1«. 7, le. Aaios 2. 8. — -'• ver. 2d. ' ch. 34. 6. 2Chron. 30. 9.
*' The increase of usury is called yji neshec, because it re-
."(cmbles the biting of a serpent ; for as this is so small as
scaix'ely to be perceptible at fii'st, but the venom soon spreads
and diiHiscs itself, till it reaches the vitals, so the increuie cf
usvri/, which at first is not jierceived nor felt, at length grows
so nnicl), as by degrees to devour another's substance." —
Lei^li.
It is evident, that what is here said must be understood of
accumulated usury, or what we call compound interest only ;
and accordingly l^'J neshec is mentioned with, and di.stin-
jjuished from, nO"in tcrehiili, and n'DItt 7nerebuh, intere'st, or
simple interest, Lev. xxv. 36, 37. Prov. xxviii. 8. Ezek. xviii.
8, 13, 17. aiidxxii. h2.—Parkhur.^.
Perhaps usnn^ may be more properly defined unhneful in-
terest ; receiving more for the loan of money than it is really
%vorth, and more than the law allows. It is a wise regulation
in the laws of England, that if a man be convicted of usury,
of taking unlawful interest, the bond or sccyrii.i/ is rendered
void, and he forfeits treble the sum borrowed. Against such
an oppressive practice, the wisdom of God sjiw it essentially
necessarj' to make a law, to prevent a people, who were na-
turally what our Lord calls the I'harisees, ifuXa^yvpoi, lovers of
money, (Luke xvi. 14.) li'oin oppressing each other; and who,
notwithstanding the law iv tlie text, practise usury in all places
cf their dispersion, to the present day.
Verse 26. If thou — take lliij yici^hbour's raiment to pledge] It
seems strange that any pledge should be taken, which must
be so speedily restored : but it is very likely, that the pledge
was restored by night only ; antl that he who pledged it,
brought it back to his creditor next morning. The opinion of
the Rabbins is, that whatever a man needed for the support
of life, he had the use of it when absolutely necessary, though
it was pledged. Thu.s, he had the u.se of his working tools by
daj', but he brought them to his creditor in the evening. IIis
hyke, which serves an Arab as ^ jiluid dues a Highlander, (see
it described ch. xii. 34.) was probably the rairnent here re-
fcncii to : it is a sort of coarse blanket, about-six yards long,
and five or six feet broad, uliich an Arab always carries with
him, and on which be slee])s at night; it being his only sub-
stitute for a lied. As the fashions in the East scarcely ever
change, it is very likely that the raiment of the Israelites
was precisely the same with that of the modern Arabs, who
live in the very same de.sart in which the Hebrews were when
this law w;ls given. 'How necessary then to restore the hykc
1o a poor man before tlie going down of the sun, that he
might have something to repose on, will appear evident from
the above considerations. At the same time, the returning
it daily to the creditor, was a continual acknowledgement of
the debt, and served instead of a written acknowledgeineiit
or bond, as we may rest assured that writing, if practised at
all before the giving of the law, was not common.
I
Of respect to tlie civil magistrates,
raiment for his skin : wherein shall
he sleep ? and it shall come to pass,
when he '' crieth unto me, that I will
hear ; for I am " gracious.
28 5[ '^ Thou shalt i^ot revile the '
curse the ruler of thy people.
29 f Thou shalt not delay to offer 'the^ first
A.W 2.513.
li.C. U9l.
An.Exriri, I#r,
1.
Slmn.
rods.
nor
Ps. 86. 15. — -■■ Eccles. 10. 20. Acts 33. .>>. Jude 8. = Or, jui^a.
vcr. 8, 9. Ps. 32. 6. ' iieh. thy fulness. ^ ch. 23. 16, 19. Prov. 3. 9.
Verse 28. Tfwu shah not revile the gods] Most commen-
tators believe, that the word gods here, means magistrates.
The original is dti'tn Etohini, and should be understood of
the true God onlv — Thou shalt not blaspheme, or make light
of God — b^pn tekalcl, the fountain of justice and power —
nor curse the ruler of thy people, \(ho derives his authority from
God. We shall ever find, that he who despises a good civil
government, and is disailected to that under which he lives,
is one who has little fear of God before his eyes. The spirit
of disaflection and sedition, is ever opposed to the religion of
the Bible. When those who have been pious get under this
spirit of misrule, they infallibly get shorn of their spiritual
strength, and become like salt that has lost its savour. He
who can indulge himself in speaking evil of the civil ruler,
will soon learn to blaspheme God. The highest authority
says, Fear God : honour the king.
Verse ^9. The first of thy ripe fruits] This ofiering was a
public acknowledgement of the bounty and goodness of (iod,
who had given them their proper seed-time, the first and the
latter rain, and the appointed weeks of harvest.
From the jiractice of the people of God, the heathens
borrowed a similar one, founded on the same reason. The
following passage from Censorinus De Die I^atali is beautiful,
and worthy of the deepest attention :
Ilti enim [majores nostri) qui alimenta, patriam, lucem, »e
denique ipsos deonim dono habebant ; ex omnibus aliguid diis
sacrubant, magis adeo, ut se gratos approbarent, quam quod
deos urbitrarenlur hoc indigere. Ilaque cunt perceperant fniges,
antequam vescerentur, Diis libare instituerunt : if ciiin agroi
atque urbes, deorurn munera possiderent, partem quandayn templis
sacellisqtie, tibi eos colerent dicavcre.
" Our ancestors, who held their food, their country, the i
light, and all that they possessed, from the bounty of the
gods, consecrated to them a part of all their projjerty ; rather !
as a token of their gratitude, than from a conviction that the
gods needed any thing. Therefore, as soon as the harvest
was got in, before they had tasted of the fruits, the-y ap-
pointed libations to be made to the gods. And as they held
their fields and cities as gifts from their gods, they conse-
crateil a certain part, in the temples and shrines, where they
worshipped."
Pliny is express on the same point, who attests, that the
Romans never tasted either their new corn or wine, till the
priests had offered the FiRST-rnuiTS to the gods. Ac ne de-
gustabunt quidem novas fruges aut vina, antequam sacerdolct
PKiMiTiAs LiBAssENT. — Hist. IS'at. lib. xviii. c. 2.
Horace bears the same testimony, and shews, that his
countrymen oflered not only their first-fruits, but the choicest
of all their fruits, to the Lares, or household gotls ; and he
shews also, the wickedness of those who sent these as presents '
to the WcA, before the gods had been thus honoured :
The first-r'tpe fruits, c^r. CHAP. XXIII
of thy ripe fruits, aiul of tliy " li-
quors : " the firstborn of thy sons
to be dedicated to the Lord^
A.M.'.V.i:;.
B. C. 1 t.'l.
An. Kvod I?r.
1.
._ : a . so " Likewise shait tliou do
with thine oxen, and v.itli thy sheep : ** se-
ven davs it sliall be with liis dam ; on
siialt thou give unto ine.
Likewise shait
« llcb. tear. » cli. !;>. 2, 12. & *1. 19. 'Deiit. 15. 19. <• lev. 22. 27.
Diilcia pnma,
Ehqvosaimqtie ferel cultiis tibi fundus hrmorcs,
Ante Larem gustet, venerabilior Larc dives.
Satyr, lib. ii. .s. v. ver. 13.
" \^'llat your garden yield.';.
Tile choicest honours of your cultur'd fields
To him be sacrific'd, and let him tas-te,
Before your gods, the vei^ttable feast." Dlnkin.
And to the same purpose
beautiful of his Elearies :
Tibullus, in one of. the most
Et quodamque mihi pomvm novus educat annus,
Libatum agricolcv ponittir ante dco.
Plata Ceres, tibi sit nostra de riire corona
Spicea, qua: teinpli pendeut ante fores.
Eleij. lib. i. eleg'. i. ver. 13.
" My cjrateful /;•»/«, the frtrfe/ of the year.
Before the rural itod shall daily wait.
From Ceres' gifts I'll cull each browner car,
And hang a ivheaieii wreath before her gate." Grainger.
Tlie same sulycct he touches again in the fifth Elegy of
the same book, where he specifies the diflerent oflerings
made for the produce of the fields, of the Jlocks, and of the
five, ver. 27.
Ilia dco scicl agricolcc pro Titibu.') warn.
Pro segele ."picas, pro gregeferre dapcm.
With pious care, will load each rural shrine,'
For ripen d crops, a golden
Cates for Vi\\ fold, )-ich clut
Id. — See Calmel.
These quotations will naturally recall to our memory the
ofil-rings of Cain and Abel, mentioned Gen. iv. ;}, 4.
The rejoicings at our hanest-home, are distorted remains of
th;it giatitude which ouv ancestors, with all the jn'imitive
inhabitants of the earth, expressed to Cod, witii appropriate
signs and ceremonies. Is it not possilije to restore, in some
podiy form, a custom .=0 pure, so edifying, and so becoming .'
'JIric is a laudable custom, observed by some pious people, of
A.M. 2513.
ii C. 1191
All Kxud. Iif
)ad each rural shrine,!
H sheaf assign, >
(sters for my witic." )
1.
Sivan:
the eightli (lay thou shait give it
nic.
31 if And ye shall be 'holy men
luilo iTie : ' neither shall ye eat ant/
flesh tJiat is torn of beasts in the field ; ye shall
cast it to the dogs.
'C'l.ip.C. LeT.19.2. Deut.11.21. ^Lev.i'i.B. Ezck.4.11> &44.31.
deilicuting a new house to God, by prayer, &c. which cannot
be too higidy commended.
Verse 30. Seven daj/s it shall be with his dam] For the
7nother's health, it was necessary that the young one should
suck so long ; and prior to tliis time, the process of nutrition
in a young animal, can scarcely be considered as completely
tbrmwl. Among the Romans, lambs were not considered as
pure or clean, before the eighth day ; nor ^calves before the
thirtieth : — Pecoris/ir/us, die octavo purus est ; bovis, trigesimo.
Plin. Hist. Nat. lib. viii.
Verse 31. Neither shall ye eat — flesh — torn of beasts in the
field] T\\\i has been supposed to be an ordinance against eat-
ing tiesh cut off the animal while alive, and so the Syriac
seems to have understood it. If we can credit Mr. 15ruce,
this is a frc(|uent custom in Abyssinia — but human nature
revolts from it. Tlie reason of the prohibition against eating
the flesh of animals that had been torn, or, as we term it,
xeorricd in the field, appears to have been simph' this : that
tiie people might not eat the blood, which in this case must
be coagulated in tlie flesh; and the blood being the life of the
beast, and emblematical of the blood of the Covenant, was
ever to be held sacred, and was prohibited from the days of
Noah. — See on Gen. ix. 4.
In the conclusion of this chapter, we see the grand reason
of all the ordinances and laws which it contains. No com-
mand was issued merely from the sovereignly of God. He
gave them to the people as restraints on disorderly passions,
and incentives to holiness : and hence he says, Ye shall be
holy men unto me. iNIere outward services could neither
jylcase him, nor profit them ; for, from the very beginning of
the world, the end of the commandment was love out oft
()ure heart, ami good conscience, and faith unfeigned,
1 Tim. i. 5. And Avithout these accompaniments, no set of
religious duties, however punctually performed, could be
pleasing in the sight of that Cod who seeks truth in the in-
VI ard parts, and in whose eyes tlie faith, that worketh by
love, is alone valuable. A holy heart, and a hoh/ iiieful life,
Goil invariably reciuires in all his worshippers. — Reader, how
standest thou in his sijiiit ?
CHAPTER XXIII.
Laws against ovil-spcaking, 1. Jgainst bad company, 2. Against partiality, .'5. L<izis commanding acts of
kindness atul luinianity, 4, 5. yignii/sl oppression, 6. jJgaiiist uiuigliteous decisions, 7- Against bribery
««r/ corruption, 8. ^-Vgaws^ unkindntss to strangers, 9. Tlie ordinance concerning tlic%n\)ha.iicix\ yeax:, 10,11.
77/c sabbath a dat/ of rest, V2. General directions concerning circumcision, Sic. 13. Tlie three annual festivals,
r-l, Tlie feast o/" unleavened bread, Ij. The feast o/' harvest, and the feast o/" ingiitbering, 16. All the
3 D
'Laws against corruption, EXODUS. hriherij, cruelly, S^c. S^c,
malei to appear before God thrice in the year, I7. Different ordinances: — no blood to be offered zcifh leavened
bread — no fat to be left till the next day — the first-fruits to he brought to the lioiise of God— and a fcid not to be
seethed in its mot/ier's milk, IS, 19- Description of the angel of God, nlio teas to lead the people into the promised
land, and drive out t/te Ainorites, £)r. -20 — 2;). Idolatry to be avoided, and tlie images of idols destroyed, 24
Different promises to.oheAience, 23 — 27. Hornets shall be sent to drive out tite Canaanites, SjX. 28. Tlie ancient
inhabitants to be driven out. by little and little, and the reason mhy, 29, 30. The boundaries of the j)romised land,
y 1. A^o league or covenant to be made zoith the ancient inliahitants, zslio are all to be utterly expelled, 32, 33.
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
Aii.Exod.Jsr,
1.
Siviin.
r]pHOU 'shalt not " raise a -false
^ report : put not thine hand wth
the wicked, to be an " unrighteous
witness.
2 " Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do
evil ; ' neither shalt thou ' speak in a cause to
decline after many to wrest judgment :
3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man
in his cause.
4 *1[ ^If tliou meet thine enemy's ox or his
ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back
to him again.
"Ver. 7. Lev. 19. 16. Ps. 1.5. 3. & 101. 5. Prov. 10. 18. See 2 Sam.
19. £7. with Itr. 3. i-Or, rcriivf. 'cli. 20. Id. Ueut. 19. 16,17, 18.
Ps. l;.5. 11. J'rov. 19. 5, 9, 23. & 24. 28. See 1 Kings 'il. 10, 13. UM.
20.59,60.61. Acts 6. 11,13. <" Gen. 7. 1. & 19.4,7. cli. 3'i. 1, 1'.
■losh. 21. l."). ISiim. 15. 9. 1 Kiims 19. 10. Job 31. 34. Prov. 1. 10, 11,
15. it 4, 14, Matt. £7, 24, So Mark 15. 15, Luke 23. 23. Acts 24. 27.
& 25. 9. ' vcr. 6, 7. Lev. 19. 15. Dent. 1. 17. Ps. 72. 2. •' Heh.
ansaer. s Dent. 22. 1. ,rol) 31. 29. Piiiv. 24 .17. &-25. 21. Matt. 5.
44. Rom. 12. 20. 1 Thess. 3. 15, " Dent 22. 4. ' Or, villi thou cease
NOTES ON CHAP. X.VUl.
Verse 1. Thou shalt not raise a false repori'\ Acting con-
travy to this precept, is a sin ag.iinst liie -ninth commandment.
And th'e inventor and receiver of false and slanderous reports, are
almost criually criminal. The word seems to refer to either, and
ctur translators have very jjroperly retained both senses, putting
raise in the text, and receive in the margin. The original K"?
S'li'n to tissa has been translated, thou shalt not publish. Were
there no publisliers of slander and calumny, there would be no
receivei-s; and were there none to receive them, there would
be none to raise them : and were there no raisers, receivers nor'
propagators of calumny, lies, &c. society would be in peace.
Verse 2. Thou shalt not folloiu a multitude to do evil] Be
singxdar. Singularity, if in the ri^ht, can never be criminal.
So completely disgraceful is the way of sin, that if there were
not a multitude walking in that way, who help to keep each
other in counti nance, every solitary sinner would be obliged
to hide his head. But C3'3T rahbim, which we translate 7nul-
titude, sometimes signifies the great, chiefs, or mighty ones ; and
is so undcr.'^tood by some eiuinent critics in this place : — Thou
shalt not follow the example of the great or rich, who may so
far disgrace their own character, as to live without God in the
world ; and trample under foot his laws. It is supposed that
these directions, refer principally to matters which come under
the eye of the civil magistrate ; as if he had said, Do not join
with great men in condemning an innocent or righteous per-
son, against whom they have conceived a prejudice on the ac-
coimt of his religion, &c.
Verse 3. Neither shale thou countenance a poor man in his
3
5 "If thou see the ass of him that Aai-2-^i3.
hateth thee, lying under his burden, ^'^'^fl'
lint 111- A"- l''"'d,Ist,
' and wouldest torbear to help him, i.
thou shalt surely help with him. ^''""'- \
6 ^ ^ Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of i
thy poor in his cause.
7 ' Keep thee far from a false matter ; " and i
the innocent and righteous slay thou not: fori
" I will not justify the wicked.
8 % And " thou shalt take no gift : for the
gift blindeth ^the wise, and perverteth the words
of the righteous.
to help him ? or, niid wouldest erase to leave thy busine.ss for him ; thou shalt .•
surety leave'it to join with hini. ^ ver. 2. DeuC. 27.19. Job 31.13,21.-!
Kccles. 5, 8. Isai. 10. 1,
Jcr. 5.28. & 7.6. Amos 5. 12. Mai. 3. .5,1
'vcr. 1. Lev. 19. 11. Luke 3. 14. Eph. 4. 23. "'Dent. 27. 25.
Ps. 94. 21. Prov. 17. 15, 26. Jer, 7. 6. Matt, 27, 4 " ch. 34. 7. Rom.
1. 18. •> Dcut. 16. 19. 1 Sam. 8. 3. J< 12. 3. 2 Chron. 19. 7. Ps. 26 10.
Prov. 15. 27. & 17. 8, 23, & 29. 4. Isai 1. 23. & 5. 23. k 33. 15. Ezek.
22. 12. Amos 5. 12. Ecclus. 20. 29. Acts 2-1. 26. ' Heb. the seeing.
cause.l The word ^71 dal which we translate poor man, is
[irobalily put here in opposition to Q'DT rahbim the great, or
noblemen, in the preceding verse: if so, the meaning is, thou
shalt neither be influenced by the great, to make an unrighteous
decision, nor by the poverty or distress of the poor, to give
thy voice against the dictates of justice and truth. Hence the
ancient maxim, fi.\t justiti.x, ru.'vt ccelum. Let justice be
done, though tlie heavens should be dissolved.
Verse 4. If t/iou meet thine enenu/s ox— going astray] From
the humane and heavenly maxim in this and the following
verse, our blessed Lord has formed the following i)recept:
" Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to
them th.at hate you, and pray for them which despitcfully use
you and persecute you.'" Matt. 5. 44. A ])recept so plain,
wise, benevolent and useful, can receive no other comment than
that which its influence on the heart of a kind and merciful
man, produces in his life.
Verse 6. Thoji shalt not ivrest the judgment of thy poor]
Thou shalt neither countenance him in his crimes, nor con-
demn him in his righteousness. See ver. 5. and ver. 7.
Verse 8. Thou shalt take no gift] A strong ordinance against
selling ]Uit\cc, which has been the disgrace and ruin of every
state where it has been practired. In the excellent charter of
British liberties, called Magna Charta, there is one article ex-
pressly on this head : A«//i vendemus, nutii negabiiniis aut dif-
fercmus rectum aut justiciam. Art. xxxiii. " To none will we
sell, to none will we deny or defer right or justice." This Vias
the more necessary, in those early anil corrupt times, as he who
had most money, and gave the largest presents, (called then ohlata)
A.M.'.'ji.;.
H. C. Uill.
An.Kitod Isr.
1.
.Vitmi.
The land shall rest
9 ^ Also, * thou shalt not oppress a''
stranger : for ye know the ^ lieart of'j'
a stranger, seeing ye were strangers I
in the land of" Egy])t.
10 If And 'six years thou shalt sow thy land,
and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:
1 1 But the seventh i/ear, thou shalt let it rest
and lie still ; that the poor of" thy people may
eat : and what they leave, the beasts of the
CHAP. XXIII. ncri/ xeivnth J/ear.
field shall cat. In like manner thou -^-^^ -■" •
shalt deal witii ihv vino\ anl, and with "'^' '*','
<i^i: ,1 • • >\n.E,„,i.L,.
Slvun.
• Ch. 22. 21. Deul. 10. 19. & 21. 14, tT. & ST. 19. I's. 9-1. 6. Ezek. 22.
7. i\l<tl. c>. 5.
to the kinp; or qncon, was sure -to gaiii his cause in the king's
court, wliether he liail ri^^ht and j^l^ti(■c on hi.s siiK- or not.
Verse 9. Ye kuoiu tin: heart of a straiigfr'] Having been
ftrangers yourselves, under severe, long continued, and cruel
opjiression, ye know the fears, cares, anxit-ties, and dismal
forclwdiiigs whieii tiic heart of a stranger feels. What a for-
cible apjyeal to humamly and compas-sion !
I Verse 1 1 . The seventh year thou shalt let it rest"} As every
seventh day was a sabbath day, so every seventh year was to be
a sabbath year. The reasons for this ordinance Calmet gives
thus :
"1. To maintain as far as possible an equality of condi-
tion among the people, in setting the slaves at liberty, and
in peruiilting all as children of one family, to have the free and
indiscriminate use of whatever the earth produced.
" 3. To inspire the people with sentiments of humanitj-, by
making it their duty to give rest, proper and sufficient nour- 1
ishment to th.e poor, the slave, and tlie stranger, and even to
the cattle. j
" 3. To acciistom the people to siibmit to, and depend on,
the divine providence, and expect their support from that in ,
tile seventh year, by an extraordinary provision on the sixth.
\ " 4. To detach their aflections iVom earthly and perishable
I things, and to make them disinterested and heavenly minded, i
; " 5. To shew them Cod's dominion over the country, and
I that HE, not they, was lord of the soil : and that they held it
merely from his bounty." See this ordinance at length. Lev.
I XXV. I
I That (;od intended to teach them the doctrine o{ providence '
I by this ordmance, there can be no doubt; and this is marked
! very distinctly. Lev. xxv. 30, 21. " And if ye shall say, IVhatl
\ihuU ive eat t/ic seventh year ? behold, we shall not sow nor ga-
\ ther in our increase : Then I tvilt contnmnd my blessing upon
you, in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fntit for three
■years." That is, there shall be, not three crops in one year,
jbut one crop, equal in its al)undance to three, because it must |
iupply the wants of three years. I. For the sixth year, sup- '
iplying fruit for its own consvimption. 3. For the scfenth year, '
an which they were neither to sow nor reap. Ami 3. For the
ieighth year, for though they ploughed, sowed, &c. that year, '
lyet a whole course of its seasons was requisite, to bring all
Ithcse fruits to perfection, so that they could not liave the fruits
jof the eighth year till the ninth, see ver. 23. till which time, j
jUod promised that they should eat of the old store. What an I
jastonishing proof <hd this give of the being, power, providence,
mercy, and goodness of lio<i ! (Jould there be an infidel in ]
uch i land, or a sinner against God and his own soul, with
thy "^ oliveyard.
i'2 f ' .Six days thou shalt do thy
work, and on tlte seventh day thou shalt rest;
that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the
son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be
refi-eshed.
13 ^ And in all ihiiigs that I have said unto
Hcl). smi-
-' Lev. 25. A 4. — :
5. 13.
■" Or, iilive trrcs.-
Luke 13. li.
-'ch. 20. 8,9. Dci:l.
j such proofs before his eye-s of God and his attributes, as onr.
sabbatical year aHorded >
I It is \ ery remarkable, that the observance of this ordinance
is no where ex])ressly mentioned in the Sacred Writings ;
I though some suppose, but without sufficient reason, that there
is a reference to it in .ler. xxxiv. 8, 9. Perhaps the major
I part of the jjeople could not trust God, and tlierefore con-
tirmed to sow and reap on the seventh year, as on the preced-
ing. This greatly displeased the Lord, and therefore he sent
them into captivity ; so that the land enjoyed those sabbaths
through lack of inhabitants, of which tlieir ungodliness had
deprived if. See Lev. xviii. 24, 25, 2a xxvi. 34, 35, 43.
2 Chron. xxxvi. 20, 21. Commentators have been much
puzzled to ascertain the time in which the sabbatic.il year
began ; because, if it began in Abib, or March, they must
have lost two harvests : for they could neither reap nor j>lant
that year, and of course they could have no crop the year
following ; but if it began with what was called the civil year,
or in Tisri or Marheslivan, which answers to the beginHino-
of our autumn, they would then have had that year's produce
reaped and gathered in.
V'erse 13. Six days shalt thou do thy work] Though they
were thus bound to keep the sabbatical year, yet they must not
neglect the seventh day's rest, or weekly sabbath ; for that
was of perpetual obligation, and was paramount to all others.
That the .sanctification of the sabbath was of great consequence
in the sight of God, we may learn from the \arious repetitions
of this law : and we may observe, that it has still for its object,
not only the benefit of the soul, but the health and comfort
of the body also. Doih God care for oven ? Yes, and he
mentions them with tenderness — that thine ox and thine ass
may rest. How criminal to employ the labouring cattle on the
sabbath, as well as upon the other days of the week ! Jloro
cattle are destroyed in England, than in any other part of the
world, in jjroportion, by excessive and continued labour. Th'>
noble horse, in general, has no sabbath ! Does Goil look on
this with an indiderent eye } Surely he does not. " England,"
said a Ibreignier, " is tlie paradise of women, the purgatory of
servants, and the hell of horses."
The son of thine handmaid, and the stranger — be refreshed ]
tuiJJ' yinnapkcsh, may be rc-spiritcd, or new-sotded ; have a
complete renewal both of bodily and spiritual strength, llie
expression used by Moses here, is very like that used i)y
St. Paul, Acts iii. 39. " Repent ye, therefore, and bo con-
verted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the tunes of
refreshing (xKipci a^a^}/l/?li; the times of re-souling) shall conui
I'rom the presence of the Lord ;
3 D
alluding, probably, to those
*rhe three great annual feasts
A.M.2S13.
B. C. 1491.
Aii. Exod.Isr.
1.
Sivan.
you ^ be circumspect : and '' make
no mention of the name of other
gods, neither let it be heard out of
thy mouth.
14 ^ " Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto
me in the year.
15 " Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened
bread : (thou shalt cat unleavened bread seven
days, as I comm.anded thee, in the time ap-
pointed of the month Abib ; for in it thou earnest
oat from Egypt : " and none shall appear before
me empty :)
1 6 ' And the feast of harvest, the first-
fruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in
" Dent. 1. 9. .Tosh. '.".'. 5. Ps ."O.I. T" pli. .=>. 15. iTim. 4. 16.
•"Xucnb. 3?.:58 Ucut. 12. :!. Josii 'J3. 7. P^ 16. 4. Hos. 2. 17. Zecli. 13.
2. 1 ch. 34- 'J3. Lev. -J.i. 4. Deut. 16. 16. '' ch. 12. 1.5. & 13. 6. &
S4 18. Lcv.'.5J. 6. Dcut. i6. 8. -' ch. 34. '.'0. Dcut. 16. 16. Ecclus. 33.
A.M. 2313.
B.C. 1491.
An.Exod. Isr.
1.
EXODUS. to he strictly observed.
thy field : and ^ the feast of ingather-
ing, xclikh is in the end of the year,
when thou hast gathered in thy la-
bours out of the field. _
17 ''Three times in the year, all thy males shall
appear before the Lord God.
18 ^ ' Thou shalt not offer the blood of my
■sacrifice with leavened bread ; neither shall
the tat of my " sacrifice remain until the morn-
times of refreshing and rest for body and soul, originally
instituted under the Law.
Verse 14. Three times ihou shalt keep a feast unto me in the
1/eai:] The three feasts here referred to, were, 1. The feast
of the Pass-ovek; 2. the feast of Pentecost; 3. the feast
of TABEaN.iCI.r.S.
1. The feast of the Pass-over, was celebrated to keej) in
remembrance the wonderful deliverance of the llebrews
from Egypt. 2. The feast of Pentecost, called also the/tv(s/
of harvest, and the feast of weeks, chap. xxiv. 22. was
celebrated fifty days after t: e Pass-over, to commemorate the
giving of the law on Moimt Sinai ; which took place fifty days
after, and hence called by the Greeks, Pentecost. 3. The
feast of Tabernacles, called also the feast of the ingathering,
was celebrated about the 15th of the montli Tisri, to com-
memorate the Israelites dwelling in tents for forty years,
during their stay in the wilderness. — See on Levit. x.xiii.
" God, out of his great wisdom," says Calmet, " ap-
pointed several festivals among the Jews for many reasons :
1 . to perpetuate the memory of those great events, and the
wondersr he had wrought for the people ; for example, the
sabbath brought to rememlnance the crealioti of the world ;
the Pass-over, the fleparture out of Egypt ; tlic Pentecost,
the giving of the law ; the feast cif Tabcniacks, the sojournmg
of their "fathers in the wilderness, &c. 2. To keep them
faithful to their religion, by appropriate ceremonies, and the
splendoiir of the divine service. 3. To procure them lawful
pleasures, and necessary rest. 4. To give them instruction,
for in their religious assemblies, the law of God was always
read and explained. 3. To consolidate their social union,
by renewing the acquaintance of their tribes and families ;
for, on these occasions, they come together, from diderent
parts of the land, to the holy city."
Besides the feasts mentioned above, the Jews had,
1. The feast of the Sahhath, vhich was a iveekli/ feast.
2. Tlie fea^t of the Sabbatical Year, which was a septennial
feast
3. The feast of Trumpets, which was celebrated on the
first day of what was called their civil year, which was
niliered in by the blowing of ji Inimptt, Lev. xsiii. 23^ &c.
mg.
19 '
shalt
God.
ther's
The first of the first-fruits of thy land thou
bring into the house of the ■ Lord thy
'" Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mo-
milk.
4. fch. 34.22. Lev. 23. 10- eUeut.lS. U'
16 ' ch. 12. 8. Sz 34. 2i. Lev. 2. 11. Dent. 16
'cli. 22. 29. & 34. 26. Lev. 23. Id, 17.
iS'eh. 10. a5.— — "> ch. 34. 26. Dent. 14
t-cli. .34. 2,3. Dcut. 16.
. 4. >• Or, feast.
Nuiiil). 18. 12, 13. Deut. 26. 10; !
1.
4. The feast of the New Moon, which was celebrated on'',
the first day the moon appeared after her change. i*
5 The feast of Expiation, which was celebrated annually^
on the tenth day of Tisri, or September, on which, a general"
atonement was made for all the sins, negligences, and
ignorances, throughout the year.
6. The feast of Lots, or Purim, to commemorate the
preservation of the Jews from the general massacre projected ■
Ijy llaman.. — See the Book of Esther.
7. The feast of the Dedication, or rather the Restoration
of the temple, which had been profaned by Antiochus
Epiphanes. This was also called tVie/ea.si o/'L(g-/(/.f.
Besides tlie^e, the Jews have had several other feasts, such
as the feait of Branches, to commemorate the taking of
Jericho.
The fe-ist of Collections, on the lOth of September, on
which they make contributions for the service of the temple
and synagogue.
The feast for the death of Nicanor, 1 Mac. vii. 4S, &c.
The feast for the discover]/ of t/ie sacred fire, 2 Mac. L
18, &c.
The feast of the carrying of wood to the temple, called
Xylophoria, mentioned by Josephus. — War, b. ii. c. 17.
Verse 17. All tiiy males'] Old men, sick men, male idiots,.
and male children, under thirteen years of age, excepted ; for
so the Jewish doctors understand this comniimd.
Verse 18. The blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread'] The
sacrifice here mentioned, is undoubtedly llie Pas.t-over : see chap. ,
xxxi\ . 25. this is called, by way of eminence, my sacrifice, Ijecause '
God had instituted it for that especial purpose, the redemption
of Israel from the Egyptian bondage, and because it typified
Tin; Lamb of God, who takcth auay the sin of the world.
We have already seen how strict the prohibition against
leaven was, during this festival, and «hat was signified by
it. — See on ch. xii.
Verse 19. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.);
This passage has greatly jierplexed counnentutors ; but Dr.
Cudworth is supposed to have given it its true meaniiig by
quoting a MS. couinient of a Karaite Jew, which he met
with, on this passage. It was a custom of the ancient heatliciWf
The Angel, in li'hom the name of CHAP. XXIII
a.m.sm;(. 20 ^ "Behold, I sond an Angel j
before thee, to kec[) tlioc in the way, ,
I. and to bring thee into the place I
which I have ])rcpared.
Jehovah "icas, to be sent before them.
DC. 1491.
All. £<nd. hr.
I.
S'ivan.
21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, ''pro-
voke him not ; for he vnW ' not pardon your
transgressions : for '' my name is in him,
22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice,
and do all that I speak ; then " I will be an
enemy inito thine enemies, and ' an adversary
unto thine adversaries.
23 ^ For mine Angel shall go before thee,
and '' bring thee in unto the Amoritcs, and the
Hittites, and tlie Perizzites, and the Canaanites,
» Ch. 14. 19. & 32. 34. & 33 2, 14. Numb. 20. 16. Josh. 5. 13. & 6. 2.
Ps. PI. 11. Isiii. OS. 9. 1" Numb. 14 II. Ps. 78. 40, r>6. Kph. 4. .•)0.
]lcbr. .3. 10, 16. ' ch. 32. 34. Numb. 14. 35. Deut. 18. 19. .l<bh. 24.
JO. Jcr. .1. 7. Ilchr. 3. .11. 1 John y. 16. " Isiii. 9. 6. Jcr. 2.J. 6.
John 10. 3l), 38. ' Gen. 12. 3. Dent. .'JO. 7. Jer. 30. 20. f Or, I will
ajlict them that afflict Ihce. E vcr. 20. ch. 33. 2. " Josh. 24. 8, 11.
wlien tliey had slathered in all their fruits, to take a kid, and boil
it in the milk of its dam ; iiud then, in a ina" ical way, to sjo about
and besprinkle with it •all their trees and fields, gardens and
orchards ; thinkiotf, by these means, to make thein fruitful,
that they might bring forth more aliimdantly in the following
year.- — ( 'udiiorlh on the Lord's Supper, 4to.
I give this comment as I find it ; and add, that Spencer has
shewn, that the Zabii used this kind of magical milk to
sprinkle their trees and fields, in order to make them fruitful.
Others understand it of eating flesh and milk together — others,
of a l.imb or kid, ti7«;7t' it is suclcing its motlier ; anil that the
pa.-ch;'.l lamb is here intended, which it was not law ful to oflei',
while sucking.
After all the learned labour which critics have bestowed
on this passage, and by which the obscurity in some cases, is
become more intense, the simple object of the precept seems
to be this — " Thou shalt do nothing that may have any
tendency to blunt thy moral feelings, or teach thee hardness of
heart." Even Inanun nature, shudders at the thought, of
causing the motlier to lend her milk, to seethe the flesh of her
young one ! Wc need go no farther for the delicate, lender,
humane, and irnjiresslve meaning of this precept.
Verse 20. hcliold, 1 send an Aiii^el before thee'] Some have
thought that this was Moses, others Joshua, because the word
■]Nb?2 mulac, signifies an angel or messenger ; but as it is said,
ver. 21. yiy name is in lam, i3-ip3 hekirbo, intimately, essen-
tially in him, it is more likely that the great Angel of the
Covenant, the Lord Je.ius (Jlirist, is meant, in whom dvcclt
all tlie fulness of the Goilhcad bodily. Wc have had already
much reason to behevf, that this glorious Personage often ap-
peared in a human form, to the Patriarchs, &c. and of him
Joshua was a very expressive type, the names Joshua and Jesus,
in Hebrew, and Greek, being of exactly the .same signification,
because radically the same, from i'li" ynsho, he saved, delivered,
preserved, or kept safe. Nor does it appear, that the description
given of the Angel in the text can belong to any other person.
Calinet has rt ferrcil to a very wonderful comment on these
Word.s, given by Pliilo Juda'us De Agricuttiira, which I shall
^nxlucc here at full length, as it stands in Mange/ s edition.
the Hivitcs, and tlie Jcbusitcs : and a.^'s.su.
I will cut them oft". a.'i Kxcd u-.
24 Thou shalt not ' bow down to i. ' "'
tlieir gods, nor serve them, " nor do ^ '^'"''L.-.
after their works : ' but thou shalt utterly
overthrow them, and quite break down their
images.
2,5 And ye shall " ser\'e the Lord your God,
and " he sliall bless thy bread, and thy water ;
and ° I will take sickness away from the midst of
thee.
26 " There shall nothing cast their young, nor
be barren, in thv land : the number of thy days
1 will " iUlfil.
'ch. 20. 5. ' Lev. 18. 3. Deut. 13. 30,31. 'ch. .34. 13. Niirah..'i1.
ni. Deut. 7. n, 2.5. & 12. .3. ■» Deut. 6. 13. Sc 10. 12, 20. & H. 13, 14.
& 13. 4. Josli. 22. .'). & 24. 14, l.i, izl, 24. 1 Safc. 7. 3. & 1-2. 20, 24.
.Malt. 4. 10. " Deut. 7. 13. Sc 28, ft, 8. ^ ch. 1ft. 'S>. Deut. 7. 1.5.
P IJeut. 7. 14. k 28. 4. Job 21. 10. JIal 3. 10, 1 1. 1 Gen. 2J. 8. Si 35.
29. lChron.23.1. Job 5. 26. &42. 17. Ps.jft. 23. ii 90. 10.
vol. I. p. 308. — in; Toi/xtiv KM ^ac-iXtvc o 0£o,- ayii xxra Jfxnv y.cu -
vOjLtov -r^octTvicraiUEVoj Tov o^9ov avrov Xoyov Tr^ojToyovoy vtoi, o; T*)!" £^*jla£- -
^Eltsv Tri; !s=aj 7avrn; ayiXtij, oia Ti; (x^yaXou jSowiXsmj !Jra«;^oj
JiaJslfTCj. Kat yaj Ei^frrai ffou" iJou lyu fifil, arcs-iXu ayyEXov
IJ.OV Ei^ '7r^-j!7ui~o') (TOV TOV ^vXa^at a--, ek t»j oou:. — '' God, as the
Shepherd and King, conducts all tilings according to law and
righteousness, having established over them his rig-Af .Word,
his ONLY BEGOTTEN SoN, who as the Viceroy of the GreSt
King, takes care of, and iriiiiisteraf to, this sacred flock. For
it is somewhere said, (Exod. x.vhi. 20.) Behold, 1 A^I, and
I ■aill send mi/ Angel before thi/ face, to keep thee in tlte
way."
This is a testimony, liable to no suspicion, connng from a
person who cannot be supposed to be e\ en friendly to Chris-
tianity, nor at iiU acquainted with that particular doctrine,
to which his words seem so pointedly to refer.
Verse 21. }Ie will not pardon your tra7tsgressio}ts'\ He is not
like a man, with whom ye may think, that ye may trifle :
were he either man or angel, in the common acceptation of
the term, it need not be said, He will not pardon your tians-
gressions ; for neither man nor angel could do it.
lUy name is in liiin] The Jehovah dwells in him— in him
dwelt all the fulness o'f the Godhead bodily ; and because of
this he could either pardon or piuiish. — All power is givai unto
me in heaven and eai'th. Matt, xxviii. 18.
vVerse 23. Unio the Amoriies] There are only six of the
seven nations mentioned here ; but the Septuagint, S.ainaritai>,
Coptic, and one Hebrew MS. add Girgashite, thus making;
the seven nations.
Verse 24. Break down their images} an^nasa jnatsehotey'r
hem, from 3i'T«a/ia/), to stand up ; pillars, anointed stones, &:c.
such as the buithyllia. — See on Gen. chap, xxviii. 18.
Verse 25. Shall bless thy bread and thy water] That is, all
thy provisions, no matter of \vlmt st«'t : the meanest fare shall
be sufliciently nutritive, when tlod's blessing is in it.
Verse 26. Nothing shall cast their young, or be barren]
Hence there must be a very great increase both of men and
cattle.
The number of thy days I will fulfil.} Ye shall all. live to a
A. ai. 2513.
B.C. 1491.
Aii.E.yod.Iir.
1.
Sivun.
The Canaanltes, S^c. to be expelled. EXODUS.
27 I will send "" my fear before tliee,
and will ^ destroy all the people to
whom thou shalt come, and I will
make all thine enemies turn their
" backs unto thee.
28 And *" I will send hornets before thee, which
shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and
the Hittite, from before thee.
29 " 1 will not drive them out from before
thee in one year ; lest the land become deso-
late, and the beast of the field multiply against
thee.
30 By little and little, I will drive them out
' Gen. 35. 5. ch. 15. 14, 16. Deut. 2. 25. & 11. 25. Josh. 2. 9. 11.
1 Sam. 14.1.5. SChroii. 14. 14. "i Ucut. 7. 23 <^ Heli. iicck. Ps. 18.
•10. "i Deul. 7. ■■20. Josh. 24. 12. Wisd. 12. 8. = Ueut. 7. 22.
« Gen. 15. 18. Kuinb. o4. 3. Deut. 11. 24. Josh. 1. 4. 1 Kings 4. 21,
good old age, and none die before his time. This is the blessing^
of the lijrlittous ; for wicked men liie not out half their dey.t,
Psal. Iv. 23.
Verse 28. I u-ill fend hornets before thee] nj?'nyn ha t.^ireah.
Tlie root is not found in Htbrew, but it may be the same with the
Arabic z. ^saran, to laj) prostrate, to strike down; the lioniet,
probably so called from the destruciion occasioned by the
violence of its stinjj. The hornet, in natural history, belongs
lo the species Crahro, of the n^enus Vespa or Wasp : it is a
most voracious insect, and is exceedingly strong for its size,
which is generally an incli in length, though I have seen some
an inch and a half long, and so strong, that having caught
one in a small pair of forceps, it repeatedly escaped by using
violent contortions, so that at last I was obligetl to aliandon
all hopes of securing it alive, which I wished to have done.
How distressing and destructive a multitude of the.-e might be,
any person may conjecture : even tlie bees of one hive would
be sufficient to sting a thousand men to madness ; but liow
much worse, must wasps and boinets be ! No armour, no
weapons, could avail against these. A few thousands of them,
would be (juite sufficient, to throw the best disciplineil army
into confu>ion and rout. From .Tosh. xxiv. 12. we find that two
kings of the Arnorites were actually driven out of the land
by these hornets, so that the Israelites were not obliged to use
either sword or bow in the conquest.
Verse 31. I will set ilii/ hounds from the Red Sea — on the
South-east — even unto the sea of the riiilistines — the Mediter-
ranean on the North-west — and from the desart of Arabia, or
the wilderness of Shur, on the West — to the river] — the Eu-
phrates, on the North-east. Or, in general terms, from the
Euphrates, on the East, to the IVIediterranean Sea, on the
West ; and fiorti mount Libanus, on the North, to the Red Sea
and tlie Nile, on the South. This promise was not completely
fulfilled till the days of David and Solomon. The general
disobedience of the people before this time, prevented a more
."peedy accomplishment ; and their disobedience afterwards,
caused them to lose the po.';se.ssion. So, though all the
promises of God are Yf..\ and Amkn, yet tliey are fulfilled but
A.M. 2.'il3.
B
C. 1491.
An
Ex.d.Ut.
1.
Sivfin.
The boundaries of the land.
from before thee, until thou be in-
creased, and inherit the land.
31 And "^ I will set thy bounds from
the Red sea, even unto the sea of the
Philistines, and from the desart unto the river
for I will ^ dehver the inhabitants " of the land
into your hand ; 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 if thou serve their
gods, ' it will surely be a snare unto thee.
24. Ps. 72. 8. E Josh. 21. 44. Judg. 1. 4. & 11. 21. " ch. 34. 12, 15.
Deut. 7. 2. ■' ch. 34. 12. Ueut. 7. IS. & 12. 30. Josh. 23. 13. Judg. 3.
3. 1 Sam. 18. 21. Vs. 106. 36.
to a few ; because men are slow of heart to believe : .and;'
the blessings of jjrovidence and grace are taken away from ;
several, because of their unfaithfulness. ]
Verse 32. Thou shalt make no covenant xvilh them,] They,
were incurable idolaters, and the cup of their iniquity was^
full. And had the Israelites contracted any alliance with ;
them, either sacred or -civil, they would have enticed them
into their idolatries, to which the Jews were at all times most
unhappily prone ; and as God intended that they should
be the preservers of the true religion till the coming of
the Messiah, hence he strictly forbade them to tolerate
idolatry.
Verse 33. They shall not dwell in thy land] They must be
utterly expelled. The land was the Lord's, and he had given
it to the progenitors of this people, to Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. The latter being obliged- to leave it because of a
famine, God is now conducting' back his j)osterity, who alone
had a divine and natural right to it; and, therefore, their
seeking to possess the inheritance of their fathers, can be
only criminal in the sight of those, who are systematically
opposed to the thing, because it is a part of Divine Reve-
lation.
What a pity, that the Mosaic Law should be so little
studied ! What a number of just and equal laws, pious and
humane institutions, useful and instructive ordinances, does
it contain ! Every where we see the purity and benevolence
of God, always working to prevent crimes, and make the
people happy ! But what else can be expected from that Cod
who is love, whose tender mercies are over all his works, and
who hateth nothing that he has made t — Reader, thou art
not straitened in him ; be not straitened in thy own bowels.
Learn from him to be just, huuiane, kind, and merciful.
Love thy enemy, and do good to him that iiates thee. Jesus
is with thee — hear and obey his voice ; provoke him not, and
he will be an enemy to thy enemies, and an adversary to
thine adversaries. Believe, love, obey, antl the road to the
kingdom of (jod is plain before thee. Thou shalt inherit the
good land, and be established in it for ever and ever.
Moses, Aaron, S;c. go up to the mount. CHAP. XXR'.
The people ratify the covcnajzi
CHAPTER XXIV.
Moses a:id Aaron, Nadab and Abiliu, and the seventy etdeis, are commanded to go to the mount to meet the
Lord, 1 . Moses alone to come near to the divine presence, <1. lie informs the people, and tliey promise obe-
dience, 3. He ti rites the zvords of the Lord, erects an allar at the foot of the hill, and sets up tzvelve pillars
for the tzcelve tribes, 4. The i/oung priests offer burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, 5. Bloses reads the book
of the Covenant, sprinhles the people zcith the blood, and theif promise obedience, 6 — 8. Moses, Aaron, Nadab,
Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel, go up to the mount, and get a striking display of the majesty of God,
9 — 11. Moses alone is called up into the mount, in order to receive the tables of stone, zvritten by the ha/id of.
Cod, 12. Moses and his servant Joshua go up, and Aaron and Jlur are left regents if the people during his
absence, 13, 14. The glory of the Lord rests on the mount, and a cloud covers it for six days, and on the
/Seventh God speaks to Moses out of the cloud, 15, Ifi. The terrible appearance of God's glory on the mount, i".
3I0SCS continues zcith God on the mount forty days, 18.
AND he said unto Moses, Come
up unto the Loud, thou, and
Aaron, ^ Nadab, and Abihu, " and
seventy of the elders of Israel ; and
[^worship ye afiir off.
^ 2 And Moses " alone shall come near the
;:LoRD : but they shall not come nigh ; neither
.]shall the people go up with him.
I 3 ^ And Mo,ses came and told the people all
(the words of the Lord, and all the judgments :
•Ch. 28. 1.
Lev. 10. 1, 2.- — » ch. 1. 5.
15, 18.
Numb. 11. 16.-
-' ver. 13,
, NOTES ON CHAP. XXIV.
Verse 1. Come up unto the Lord] I\Io.se.> and Aaron were
laJreacly on the mount, or at least some way up, cli. xix. 24.
jwhere they had heai-d the voice of the Lord distinctly speak-
iing to tliem ; and the people also saw and heard, but in a
iless distinct manner, probably like the hoarse grumblinj)-
i sound of distant thunder, see chap. xx. 18. Calinet, who
icomplains of the apparent want of order in the facts laid
jdown here, thinks the whole should be understood thus : —
" After God had laid before Moses and Aaron all the laws,
mentioned from the beginnin": of the 20th chapter to the end
lOf the S-'Jd, before they went down from the mountain to lay
jthem before the people, he told them, that when they had
proposed the conditions of the covenant to the Israelites, and
ithey had ratified them, they were to come up a(;ain unto the
|mountain, accompanied with Isadab and Abihu, the sons of
jAaron, and .seventy of the principal elders of Israel. Mo.^es
accordingly went down, spoke to the people, ratified the
jcovenant, and then, ac(^ording to the conauand of <.'od, men-
tioned here, he and the others veascended the moimtain. —
Tout cela est raconle ici avcc assez pcu d'ordre."
Verse 2. Moxes cdom sltalt come near] The people stood at
the foot of the mountain. Aaron and his two sons, and the
seventy eWers, went up, probably about half way, and Moses
alone went to the sunmiit.
Verse 3. Moses — told the people nil the ivords of ihr Lord]
That is, tlic ten commandments, and the various taxes and ordi-
A. M. 2J13.
I!. C. 1191.
All. Exod. Isr.
1.
and all the people answered with
one voice, and said, '' All the words
which the Lord hath said will we
do.
4 ^ And Moses ' wrote all the words of the
Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and
budded an altar under the hill, and twelve ^ pil-
lars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
5 And he sent young men of the children
of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and*
« Vcr. 7. ch. 1?. 8. Dent. 5. 27. Gal. S. 19, 20. « Dent. 31. 9.-
' Gen. 28. 18. & 31. 45.
nances mentioned from the beginning of the 2(ftli to the end
of the 2-3d chapter.
Verse 4. Moses wrote all the ivords of the Lord] After the
people had promised obedience, (ver. 3.) and so entered into
the bonds of the covenant, it was necessary, says Calme't, to
draw up an act, by which the memory of these transactions
mifrht be preser\'ed, and confirm the covenant, by authentic
and solemn ceremonies. And this Moses does: 1. As lei^is-
laior, he raliices to writing all the articles and conditions of
the agreement, with the people's act of consent. 2. As their
mediator and the deputy of the Lord, he accepts on liis part, the
resolution of the people ; and Jehovah, on his part, engages
himself to Israel, to be tiicir God, their King, and Protector,
and to fulfil to them all the promises he had made to their
fathers. 3. To make this the more solemn and aflecting,
and to ratify the covenant, which could not be done without
sacrifice, shedding and sprinkling of blood, Moses builds a.**
attar, probably of turf, as was commanded chap. xx. 24.
and erects twelve pillars, no doubt of unhewn stone, and pro-
bal>ly set round about the altar. The allar itself represented
the throne of (iod ; the tivelne stones, the twelv: tribes of
Israel. These were the tivo parties, who were to contract, or
enter into covenant, on this occasion.
Verse 5. He sent young men] Stout, able, reputable young^
men, chosen out of the ditlerent tribes, for the purpose of
killing.;, flaying, and otlering the oxen mentioned llere.
Btirnt-ojcrings] They generally consisted of sheep and
'Che people. Sec. sprlnldcd ti'ilh the Mood. EXODUS.
A.Ar.yjij. sacrificed peace ofFerinprs, of oxen,
AnE^odT; ""to the Lord.
1° ■ "" 6 xlnd Moses ' took half of the
_.l^^!^ blood, and put it in basons ; and half
of the blooil he sprinkled on the altar.
7 And he '' took tlie book of the covenant,
and read in tlic audience of the people : and
concerning
The glory of God appears.
all these
] with you,
words.
9 % Then ' went" up Moses, and
Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and se-
venty of the elders of Israel :
10 And they
there "was under
do, and be obedient
8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled
it on the people, and said. Behold '' the blood
of the covenant, wliich the Lord hath made
saw the God of Israel : and
his feet, as it were, a paved
they said, " Ail tliat tlie Lord hath said will we I work, of a ° sapphire stone, and as it wxre, the
• Hebr. 9. 18. ■> Hebr. P. 19. -"^ ver. 3.—" Hebr. 9. 20. & 13. 20.
•1 Pet. 1. 2 ' ver. 1.^ f See Gen. ;>2. 30. ch. 3. 6. Jud<;, 13. 'Ji,
Isai. 6. 1,5. witli ch. 33. 20, 23. Julm 1. 18. iTim. 6. 16. lJolm4. 12.- —
^•oats, Leviticus i. 10. These- were Avholly consumed by
fire.
Peace-offerings'] Bullocks or gosts, see Heb. ix. 19. The
blood of these was poured out before the Lord, and then the
priests and people might feast on the flesh.
Verse 7. The book of tlie covenant'] The writing, containing
fhe laws, mentioned in the three preceding chapters. As this
writing conf;iincd the agreement, made between God and them,
it was called the book of tlie covenant ; but as no covenant
was considered to be ratified, and binding, till a sacrifice had
been offered on the occasion, hence the necessity of the sacri-
fices mentioned here.
Ifa{f of the blood being sprinkled on the altar, and half
cf it -fjirinkled on the people, shewed, that both Geo and
THEY were nuitually bound l)y this covenant. God was Ijound
to the PEOPLE, to svipport, defend, and save them : the
i-EOPLE W(:re bound to Gon, to fear, love, and serve him. On
the ancient method of making covenants, see on Gen. vi. 18.
XV. 18. Thus the blood of the New Covenant was necessary
to propitiate the Throne cf Justice on the one hand, and to
rcioueile men to God on the other. On the nature and va-
rious kinds of the Jewish ollerings, see the note on Levit. vii.
I, &c.
Versa 10. They saw the God of Israel] The seventy
elders, v^ho were representatives of the whole congrega-
tion. Were chosen to witness the manifestation of God,
tliat they might be satisfied of the truth of the revelation
which he had made of himself and of his will : and on tins
occasion it was necessary that the people also should be fa-
voured with a sight of the glory of God, see chap. xx. 18.
Thus the certainty of the rc^■elatl«>n was established by many
witnesses ; and by those, especially, of the most competent
kind.
A paved icork of a sapphire stone] Or, sapphire hrick-ivork.
I suppose, that something of the Musive or Mosaic pavement
is here intended, floors most curiously inlaid, with variously
coloured stones, or small square tiles, disposed in a great va-
riety of ornamental forms. Many of these remain in ditler-
fnt countries to the present day. The Romans were particu-
larly fond of them, and left monuuients of their taste and
ingfcuuity in pavements of this kind, in most countries where
they estubli-hcd their dominion. Some very fine specimens
,3ire i'ound in dillerent parts of Britain.
Sapphire is a precious stout, of a fijie blue colour, next in
'' body of heaven in his clearness
11 And upon the nobles of the children of'
Israel he ' laid not his hand : also " they saw
God, and did ' eat and drink.
e Ezek. 1. 26. & 10. 3. Rev. 4. 3. " Matt. 17. 2. ' cli. 19. 21.-
l< ver. 10. cb. 33. 20. Gen. 16. 13 & 32. 30. Deut.4. SS. Judg. 13.22.-
' Gen. 31. 54. ch. 18. 12. iCor. 10. 18.
hardness to the diamond. The I'lthy is considered, by most
mineralogists, of the same genus ; so'is al.<o the topaz : hence
we cannot say, that the sapphire is only of a blue colour ; it
is blue, red, or yello-a:, as it may be called sapphire, ruby, or
topaz ; and some of them are blue or green, according to the
light in which they are held. The ancient oriental sapphire
is supposed to have been the same with the lapis lazuli. ,i
Supposing that these difierent kinds of sapphires are here in-
tended, how glorious must a pavement be, con.stituted of
polished stones of this sort, perfectly transparent, witli an
efiulgcnce of heavenly splendour poured out upon them ! —
The red, the blue, the green and the yeltoivt arranged by the wis-
dom of Gcd, into the most beautiful emblematic representa-
tions, and the whole body of heaven in its clearness, shining'
upon them, must have made a most glorious appearance ! As
the divine glory appeared above the mount, it is reasonable
to sujipose that the Israelites saw the sapphire pavement over
their heads, as it might have occupietl a space in the atmo-
sphere equal in extent to the base of the mountain'; and being
transparent, the intense brightness shining upon it, must have
greatly heightened the eftect.
It is necessary farther to observe, that all this must have
been only an appearance, unconnected with any personal
similitude; for this, Jloses expressly asserts, Deul. iv. 15.
And though the feet are here mentioned, this can only be
understood of the sapi)hirine basis, or pavement, on which
this celestial and indescribable glory of the Lord appeared.
There is a similar description of the glory of the Lord in tiie
book of Revelations, chap. iv. -3. — " And he wlio sat (upon
the throne) was to look upon, like a ja.-pcr ijnd a sardine
stone ; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in
sight like unto an emerald." In neither of these appearances,
was there any similitude or likeness of any thing in heaven,
earth, or sea. Thus, God took care to preserve them from
all incentives to idolatry, while he gave them the fullest proofs
of his being. In Scheuchzer's Physica .Sacra, among his
numerous fiiie engravings, tliere is one of this glorious mani-
festation, which cannot be too severely repretiended. Tlie
Supreme Being is represented as an old man, sitting on a
throne, encompassed with glory, having a crown on his head,
and a sceptre in his hand ; the people prostrate in adoration
at the foot of the piece. A print of this kind should be con-
sidered as utterly imjiroper, if not blasphemous.
Verse 11. Upon ihejiobles of — Israel he laid not his hand\
5
Moses called up to the mount. CHAP. XXIV
A.M.ssi:?. 12 % And the Lord said unto Mo-
B.C. 1491. j,pj.^ "Come up to me into the mount,
''tal)les of stone, and a law, and
TJic glorj/ of God appear-s^
An.
> Siviin.
•commandments which I have written; that thou
mayest tcacli them.
13 And TMoses rose up, and "his minister
Joshua: and Moses " went up into the mount
iof God.
14 And he said unto tlie elders. Tarry ye
here for us, until we come again unto you:
and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if
anv man have any matters to do, let him, come
unto thcni.
• Ver. 2, 15. 18. <> cli. 31. 18. & 32. 15, 16. Deut. 5. 22. ^ ch. 32. 17
&. 33. 11. " vcr. 2. ' cli. 19. 9, 16. Matt. 17. 5.
'Jrhi.-i layino; on of the hanfl has been variou,«ly ex])l:iined. 1 .
Mc did not conceal liim-'elf from the nobles of Israel by cover-
ang Ihein with his hand, as he did Moses, chap, xxxiii. 22.
te. He (hd not endue any of the nobles, i. e. the sezeiily elders,
Birith the "ill of [)ie])lK'cy ; for so, iayins^ on of the hand, has
Hieen understood. 3. He did not slay any of them; none of
khem received any injury; which is certain'y one niianinr;
of the phra-^e, see Nehtm. xiii. 21. Psal. Iv. 20. — Also they
\sa-j) God ; i. e. although they had this discovery of his inaje4y,
yet they did eat and drink, i. e. were preserved alive and
junhurt. Perhaps the eating and drinkivt:; here, may refer to
the peace.-oflerin;j,s on which they feasted, and the libations
that were then oflertd, an the ratification of the coveiuiiit.
But tliey rejoiced the more, because they had been .so highly
Ifavoured, and still permitted (o live ; for it was generallj- ap-
'prehended that (Jod never .shewed his glorj' in this signal
manner, but for the purpose of manifesting- his justice ; and
luitfore it appeared a strange thing-, that these should have
fi II God a.s it were face to face, and yet live. — See Gen. xvi.
bS. xxxiii. 30. and Judges xiii. 22, 23."
Verse 12. Come up to me in the mount, and he there] We
\ suppose Moses to have been, with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu,
.i;.i the seventy eKIers, about midway up the mount ; for it
plainly appears, that there were several statioyis on it.
Verse J 3. Moses rose up] In verse IC. it is said, that the
■ I ,/ of the Lord abode on the mount, and the cloud covered it.
^loiy "as probably above the cloud, and it was to the
: I, that Moses and his servant Jo>hua ascended at this
., leaving Aaron and the elders below.' After they had
; in this region, viz. where the cloud encompassed the
ntain, for six days, God appears to have called Moses
•ngher : compare the ICjth and I8lh verses. Moses then
■I nded to the glory, leaving Joshua in the <~loud, with whom
I' liad, no doubt, frequent conferences, during- the forty days
' continued with (iod on the mount.
Nei-sel-l. Tarri/ i/e here for us] Probably Moses did not
^v, that lie was to continue so long on tiie mount; nor is it
'y, that the elders tarried the wliule forty days, v\ here they
rr : they doubtless, after wailing some considerable time,
rned to the eainj); and their retuiii, is supposefl to have
I the grand cau.se, why the Israelites made the golden calf,
'aey probably reported that Moses w;is lost.
A. M.2513.
B. C. 14?1.
An.Kxod. Isr.
1.
Sivan.
15 ^ And Moses went up into the
mount, and 'a cloud covered the
mount.
16 And ""the glory of the Lord
abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered
it six days : and the seventh day he called unt6
Moses, out of the. midst of the cloud.
17 And the sight of the glory of the Lord
tfas hke ^devouring fire, on the top of the
mount, in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18 And Moses went into the midst of the
cloud, and gat him up into the mount : and
j " Moses was in the mount forty days and forty
nights.
fCh. 1(3 10.
Numb. 14. 10.-
12. 18, 29.-
—5 cli. .•?. 2. & IP. 18. Deut. 4. S6. Hcbr.
-■■ ch. 34. 23. Deut. 9. 9.
Aaron and Hur are with you] Not knowing how long he
might be detained on tl\f mount, and knowing that many
ca.ses might occur, which would require the interfennce of
' the chief magistrate, Moses constituted them regents of tlie
i people during- the time he should be absent.
j Verse 16. ' And the seventh day he called] It is very likely
I that Moses went up into the mount on the first day of the
I week ; and having, with Joshua, remained in the region of
! the cloud during six days, on the seventh, which was the sab-
bath, God spake to him, and delivered, successively to him,
j during forty days and forty nights, the diflerent statutes and
j ordinances which are afterwards mentioned.
I Verse 17. The glory of the Lord wof like devouring fire]
. This upfiearance was well calculated to inspire the people
I with the deepest reverence and godly fear; and this is the use
the Apostle makes of it, Heb. xii. 28, 29. where he evidently
refers to this place, saying, Let us have grace, thereby ue may
serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear ; for our God
is a coNsiiMi.NG FiKF. Scciug the glory of the Lord upon the
mount, like a devouring fire, Moses having tarried long, the
Israelites probably supposed that he had been devoured or
consumed by it; and, therefore, the more easily fell into
idolatry. But how could they do this, with this tremendouii
sight of God's glory before their eyes !
Verse 18. Forty' days and forty nights.] During the whole
of this time, he neither ate bread, nor drank water; see chap,
xxxiv. 28. Deut. ix. 9. Both his body and soul, were so sus-
tained by the invigorating presence of God, th-at he needed
no earthly support, and this may be the simple reason why
he tdok none. Elijah fasted forty days and forty nights, sus-
tained by the same influence, 1 Kings xix. b. as did likewise
our blessed Lord, when he was about to commence the public
ministry of his own gospel, Matt. iv. 2.
1. jNIoses who was the mediator of the Old Covenant, is
alone permitted to draw nigh to God; none of the people
are s\iflered to come up to the divine glory, not even Aaron,
nor his sons, nor the nobles of Israel. Mases was a type of
Christ, who is the mediator of the A'tu) Coienaiit ; and he
alone, has access to (Jod, in behalf of the human race, as Mosw
had, in bdialf of Israel.
2. The law can inspire nothing but terror, when viewed un-
3 E
The Israelites required to bring
EXODUS.
Jire'tiill offerings to the Lord.
connected with its sacrifices ; and those sacrifices are nothino;,
but as they refer to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who
alone, by the sacrifice of himself, bears away the sin of the
Wurld.
S. Tlie blood of the victims was sprinkled both on the altar,
and on the people, to shew that the death of Christ ji^ave to
divine justice, wliat it demanded; and to men, what tliey
needed. 1 he people were sanctified by it unto God, and God
was propitiated by it unto the people. By this sacrifice, the
law was magnified, and made honourable, so divine justice re-
ceived its due; and those who believe, are justified from all guilt,
and sanctified from all sin ; so they receive all that they need.
Thus God is well pleased, and believers eternally saved. This
is a glorious a?Qonomy ; highly wordiy of God, its author.
CHAPTER XXV.
The Lord addresses Moses out of the divine glori/, and commands him to speak unto the Lraelites, that thci/ viay
give him free-will offerings, I, 2. The different kinds of offerings, gold, silver, and brass, 3. Purple, scarlet,
fine linen, and goats' hair, 4. rams' skins, badgers' skins, (rather violet coloured skins,) a«rfshittiin-wood,5.
Oil and spices, 0. Onyx stones, and stones for the cphod and breastplate, 7. A sanctuary is to he made
after the pattern of the tabernacle, 8, Q. Tlic ark, and its dimensions, 10. Its crown of gold, 11. Its rings, 1'2.
/<4 staves, and their use, 13 — lo. The testimony /o 6e laid up in the ark, l6. The mercy-seat, and its di-
mensions, 17. 'The cherubim, hozc made, and placed, 18 — CO. The mcrci/ seat to be placed on the ark; and
the testimony to be put within it, 21. The Lord promises to commune zcith the people, from the mercy-seat, 22.
The table of shevv-bread, and its dimensions, 23. Its crown and border of gold, 24, 25. Its rings, C(), 27-
. Staves, 28. Dishes^ spoons, and bowls, 29. Its use, 30. The golden candlestick; its branches, bozcls, knaps,
and flowers, 31 — 30. Its seven lamps, 37. Tongs and snuffers, 38. The iceight of the candlestick and its
utensils, one talent of gold, 39. All to be made according to a pattern, shciced to Moses on the moiint, 40.
ina: : ' of every man that sriveth it ^- *^- ^^^^-
willingly, with his heart, ye shall take ^^ j,'^^ ^^'^
my offering. . i-
3 And this is the offering which ye . !!!!L_
A. M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An. Kxod.Isr.
1.
Sivan.
AN D the Lord spake unto Mo-
ses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Is-
rael, that tliey ' bring me an " offer-
• Heb. take for me. " Or, heave offering. = ch. 35. 5, 21. 1 Chron. 29.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXV.
Verse 2. That they bring me an ofering] Tlie offering here
mentioned, is tiie nnnn ierumah ; a kind of free-will ofterinu,
consisting- of any thing that was necessary for the occasion.
It sisnifies properly, any thing that was lifted vp, the heave-
offering, because in jiresenting it to (Vod, it was lifted up to
be laid on his altar, but see on chap. xxix. 36. God requires
that they should build him a tent, suited in some sort to his
dignity and eminence ; because he was to act as their king,
and to dwell among them ; and they were to consider them-
selves as his subjects, and in this character, to bring him
presents, which was considered to be the duty of every subject,
appearing before his prince. — See chap, xxiii. 1.5.
Verse 3. This is the offering'] There were Uiree kinds of
metals, 1. Gold, 3nT zahab, which may properly signify
wrought gold, what was bright and resplendent, as the word
implres. In Job xxviii. 15, 16, 17, 19. gold is mentioned ./im
times, and four of the words are diflerent in the original.
1. -lUO SECOR, from lio sugar, to shut up ; gold in the mine, of
shut up in Its ore. 2. C3n3 KETiiKM, from OPJ cutham, to
sign, seal, or stamp; gold made current by being coined;
standard or sterling gold, exhibiting the stamp expressive or
its value. 3. nni zahau, wrought gold, pure, highly polished
gold, probably what was used for overlaijing or gilding. 4. T2
PAi dtnoting ioliddy, compaclness, and strength ; probably gold
3, 5, % 14. Ezra 2. OB. & 3. 5. & 7. 16. Neh. 11. 2. 3 Cor. 8. 12. & 9. 7.
formed into different kinds o? plate, as it is joined in ver. 17.
j of the above chapter, with ''53 keky, vessels. The zahab, or
' pure gold, is here mentioned, because it was in a state, that
rendered it capable of being variously manufactured, for the
service of the sanctuary.
2. Silver, r|D3 keseph, from casaph to he pale, wan, or vjhite;
so called from its well known colour.
3. Brass, nwni nechosheth, copper; unless we suppose, that
the factitious metal, commonly called brass, is intended : this is
formed by a combination of the oxide or ore of zinc, called
lapis calaminaris, with copper. Brass seems to have been
very anciently in use, as we find it mentioned Gen. iv. 22. and
die preparation of copper, to transform it into this factitious
metal, seems to be very pointedly referred to. Job xxviii. 2.
Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is niolten out of the
stone, r\mn: plV' px eben yutsuk nechushah, translated by the
Vulgate, Laois solutus calore, in a:s verlitur, " The stone, li-
quefied by lieat, is turned into brass." Is it going too far to
say, that the stone here, may refer to the lapis calaminaris,
which was used to turn the copper into brass .? Because brass
was capable of so fine a polish, so as to become exceedingly
bright, and keep its lustre a considerable lime, hen«e it was
used for all weapons of war, and defensive armour among!
ancient nations ; wd copper seetas to have been in no repute,}
but for its use in makiug brass. ,
of gold, silver, and brass ; CHAP. XXV.
shall take of them; gold, and silver,
and brass,
4 And blue, and purple, and scar-
let, and ' fine linen, and goats' Juiir ;
1 .5 And rams' skins dyed red, and
badgers' skins, and shittim wood ;
A. M.2J1X
B.C. 1491.
An.Eiod. Isr.
1.
iSiiin.
• Or, siWc. Gen. 11. 42. >> ch. "7. 20 <" ch. 30. 23.
I Vi-rsc \. Blue'] r>'2r\ tccckt, [jtiierally sniiposecl to mean
Ixauzurc, or xkj/ colour ; renderi'd l)y llic .'Scptiiatviiit, v7,xn%v,
anil by ilie Vul^alc, /n/ucinthiiiii, a sLy blue, or deep fiolct.
Purple] ;?::i}< <!r.iaiiuin, a \eiy precious coluur, extractisd
from till; i'mpura, v,\- Mure.v, a species oi" shellfisl), J'roiii
which it is supposed the famous 'I'yrian purple cauie, so
I costly, and so much celebrated in anti<iuity. See this laii;ely
ideseiiUed, and the manner of dying it, in Pliny, ili.-t. Nat. lib.
jix. c. (50—05. edit. Bipont.
Scarlet] ry^in tolui'u, signifies a worm, of ^vliich this co-
louring matter was made, and joined with •':ur shani, which sig-
nifies to repeat, or douf/le, implies, that to strike this colour,
'the wool or cloth was twice dipped ; hcnire tlie Vulijate ren-
ders the original coccum his tinclum, scarlet twice dyed; and
to this Horace refers, Odar. lib. ii. od. IG. v. 35.
Te BIS afro
Murice tinct*
Vesliunt LAS«.
" Tliy robes, the txeice dyed pui pie stains."
It is the same colour which the Arabs call al kermez, v hence
itlie French crainoisi, and the English crimson. On this sub-
[ject, much may be .*een in Bocharl, Calmet, and Sclieuclizer.
I Fine linen] t;"j shesh ; whether this means linm, cotton,
If silk is not agreed on, among interpreters. Because iirar
esh signifies «.r, the Rabbins suppose, that it always signi-
ies the fine linen of Egypt, in which, six folds constituted
le thread ; and that when a sins;le fold was meant, na bad is
e term used. See the note on Gen. xli. 4"2.
Goats' hair.] 3'?^ izzim, goats, but used here elliptically
tr goats' hair. In ditierent parts of Asia Minor, Syria, Ci-
iCia, and Phrygia, the goats have long, fine, and beautiful
lair; in some cases, almo.-t as fine as silk, which they shear
iat proper times, and manufacture into garments. From Vir-
gil, Geoi'g. iii. V. 305 — 311. we learn, that coats' hair manu-
factured into cloth, was nearly of eopial value \'. ith that tbrmed
from xs;ool.
Hie quoque non cura nobis letiore tuendce;
AVc minor itsus cTi't : guaymis Milesia magna
Vellcrn mutentur Tyrius incocta rubores —
Aef minus interea barbas incanuqUe meuta
'Cinyp/ui tondcnt Idrci, sctasquc comantes,
U sum in castrorwn, ct miseris vdamina tiautis,
" I'or liaiiy goats of etpial profit are
With woolly sheep, and a.«k an e(|ual care.
■■Tis true ihe Jleece when drunk w ith Tyrian juice
Is dearly sold, but not for needful u.-e : —
Mean whik the j)astor shears their lioary beards
Axid eases of their hair, the loaden herds.
'J heir camtlots, warm in tents, the .-oldicr hold.
And shield the i>bivcunij niariner from the cold."
Ebyden.
qfoi/, onyx stones, S^x
■ spices for
I 6 " Oil for the light,
'anointino; oil, and for " sweet in-
! cense ;
7 Onyx stones, and stones to be
set in tJie ""ephod, and in the "^ breast-
plate.
A. M. 2513.
Ii. C. Ml'!.
All. Exod. I&r.
1.
Sioan.
' Ch. .-io. lU:.-
-'ch. 28. 4, C-
-fcb. 28. 15.
Verse 5. Rams' skins dyed red] S'CIKTS oV'K r."iy orotk
eylini mcadamim, literally, tite skins of red rams, it is a fact
that is attested by many respectable travellers, that in the Le-
vant, sheep are often to be met with, that have red or violet
coloured fleeces. And almost all ancient writers speak of the
same thing. Honn r deicribes the rams of Polyphemus, as
having a violet coloured fleece.
KK?iOi TS, fi.'.yaMi ts, »»J»s^E{ Jifo; s;(;o»Ts;. Odyss. lib. ix. V. 425.
" Strong were the rams, with naXWe purple fair,
^Vell fed, and largest of the fleecy care." Pope.
PUny, Aristotle, and others mention the same. And froai
facts of this kind, it is very probable, that the fable of the
golden jleece had its origin.
Badi;ers' skins] E'lynn mi' vroth techashim. Few terms
have ailorded greater perjilcxity to critics and commentators,
than this. Bochurt lia.s exhausted the subject, and seems to
have proved, that no kind of animal is here intended, but a
colour. None of the X'ersioiis acknowledge an animal of any
kind, cxce))t the Chaldee; which seems to think the badger is
intended, and from it, we have borrowed our translation of
the «onl. The Septuagint, and Vulgate have, skins dyed a
t'iote colour; the Syriac, «c«rt' ; the Arabic, black; the Cop-
tic, violet ; the Persic, rum skins, &c. The colour contended
for by Hochart, is the Iiysqinus, « hich is a very deep blue : so
Plinj', Coccoque tinctum tyrio tingere, tit fieret hysginum. They
dip crimson in piir]ile, to make tlie colour called hysginus.
Hist. Nat. lib. ix. c. G5. edit, liipont.
Shittim vjood] By some sui)posed to be the finest species of
the cedar ; by others, the acacia Nilotica, a species of thorn,
solid, light, and very beautiful. This acacia is known to have
been plentiful in Egypt ; and it abounds in Arabia Deserta,
the veiy place in which Moses was, when lie builded the ta-
bernacle ; and henceit is rciusonable to suppose, that he built
It of that wood, which was every way proper for his purpose.
Verse G. Oil for the light] This they must have brought
with them from F^gypt, for they could not get any in the wil-
derness, where theie were no olives ; but it is likely, that
this, and soiiie other directions, refer more to what was to be
done, \ihen in their tixetl and settled residence, than while
wandering in the wilderness.
Spices] To make a conl'eclion for siveet incense, abounded
in ditierent parts of t'atse countries.
Verse 7. Ony.t slone.-i] We have already met with the stone
called rsns' shohum. Gen. ii. 12. and acknowledged the diffi-
culty of ascertaining what is meant by it. Some tliink the
onyx, some the sardine, and some the emerald is meant. We
cannot say precisely what it was.
Stones to be set in the cphod] D's'^D 'J2N uheney miluim,
stones of lining up. Stones so cut as to be proper to be set in
the gold work of the breastplate.
The n£!s ephod. It is veiy tiifficult to tell what this was, or
3 E 2
B.C. 14yi.
Aii.Exod.Isr.
1.
StiJii,
The sayKtumnj is to be made.
AM. mx 8 And let them make mc a ' sanc-
tuary ; that ^ I may dw.^ll among them.
9 " According to all that I shew '
thee, qfte-r the pattern of the taber- \
nacle, and the pattern of all the instruments'
thereof, even so shall ye make it.
10 ^ "And they shall make an ark o/" shittim
EXODUS. Its dimensions.
wood : two cubits and a half slmll be
the length thereof, and a cubit and a
half the breadth thereof, and a cubit
and a lialf the height thereof.
1 1 And thou shalt overlay it witli pure gold,
within and v.ithout,shalt thou overlay it, and shalt
Ch. 36. 1, 3, 4. Lev. 4. 6. A. 10. 4. & 21. 12.
29. 45. 1 Kings 6. 13. 2 Cor. 6. 16. Hebr.
Hebr. «. 1,2. ''cli.
3. 6. Ktv. -21. 3.
in Avhat form it Mas made. It was a garment of some kind
peculiai- to tlie priests, and ever considered essential to all tin-
parts of divine worship ; for without it, no person attemiitei!
to enquire of God. As the word itself conies from the root
n3N aphad, he tied, or bound close, Calmet supposes that it
was a kind of girdle, which bronj;ht from behind the neck,
and over the shoulders, and so hanging down before, was jDut
cross ujion the stomach, and then carried round the waist,
and thus made a girdle to the tunic. Where the ephod cros=^ed
on the brea.st, there was a square ornament called ycTl choshen,
the breiislpliite, in wliich twelve precious stones were set, each
bearing; one of the names of the twelve sons of Jacob enj^ravcn
on it. '^There were two sorts of ephods; one of plain hncn,
for the priests, the other very much embroidered,, for the
high-priest. As there was nothing singular in this common
tort, no particular description is j;ivin; but that of the high-
priest is described very much in detail, see chap, xxiiii. 6—8.
It was dislingui-hed from the common ephod by being com-
l)0sed ol' gold, blue, puiph, scarlet, fm tv.i.stcd linen, and cun-
ning u:ork ; i. e. su]ierbly ornamented and embroidered. This
ephod was fastened on tiie shouldi vs with two precious stones,
on which, the twelve names of the twelve tribes of Israel wei-e
eno-raved, six names on each stone. These two stones, thus
engraved, were different from those on the breastplate, witli
which they have been confounded. From Calmet's descrip-
tion, the ("phod seems to have been a series of bells, fastened
to a collar, which were intended to keep the garments of the
priest closely attached to his body ; but there is some reason
' to believe, that it was a sort of garment, like that worn by our
heralds: it covered the back, breast, and belly, and wa.- open
at the sides. A piece of the same kind of stuff with itself,
united it on the shoulders, where the two stones, already
mentioned, were placed ; and it was probably without sleeves.
.See em chap, xxxii. 3, &c.
Ver^e 8. Let them mule me a sanctuary'] tffnpo mik-edash, a
holi/ place, such as God might dwell in ; this was that part
ot' the tabernacle, that was called tlie mobt holy place, into
which the high-priest entered only once a year, on the great
day of atonement.
Tiiut I may divell among them.] This, says Mr. Aisisworth,
was the main end of all ;^and to this all the particulars are to
be referred ; and by tins they are to be oj)ened. For this
sanctuary, as Solomon's temple afterwards, was the place of
jirayer, and of the public service of Cod, Levit. xVii. 4—6.
Matt. xxi. ir.. and it signified the c//!i)t7(, which is the habi-
tation of God through the spirit, 2 Cor. vi. 16. Eph. ii. 19 — 22.
Rev. xxi. 2, i. and was a visible sign of God's presence and
protection, Levit. xx\i. 11, 12. Ezek. sxxvii. 27,28. 1 Kings
vi. 12, 13. an_d of his leading them to his heavenly glory. For
as the high-prie.-t entered into the tabernacle, and tlirough the
reil into the nffjst holy place, where (iod dwelt; so Christ en-
tered into the holy of holies, iuid we also enter, tlirough the
A.:\I. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
AniE.vo(l.Isr,
1.
Sivan.
make upon it a crown of gold round about.
Over. 10. "cb. 37. 1. Dcut. 10. 3. Jtcbr. 9. 4.
veil, that is to say, his flesh. See the use made of this by
the Apo-tle, Heb. ix. and x. Thus, the -sanctuary is to be
aijpHed as a type, 1. To Christ's |x;r--on, Heb. viii. 2. ix. 11,
12. John ii. 19, 21. 2. To every Christian, 1 Cor. vi. 19.
3. To the church, both particular, Ikb. iii. 6. 1 Tim. iii. 15.
and universal, Heb. x. 21. and it was because of the very ex-
tensive signification of this building, that the diftirrcnt things
concerning this sanctuary, are particularly set down by Mo- 1
ses, and so variously applied by tiie Prophets, and by the
Apostles. See Ainsx'.'orth. As. the dwelling in this tabernacle;
was the highest proof of Ciod's grace and mercy towards
the Israelites, so it typified Christ's dwelling, by faith, in the
hearts of believers, and thus giving them the highest and surest-^
proof of their reconciliation to God, and of his love and fa-
vour to them. See Eph. i. 22. iii. 17.
Verse 9. After the pattern of the tabernacle] It has been;
supposed that there had been a tabernacle before th^t
erected by Moses; though it probably did not now exist;
but the tabernacle which Moses is ordered to make, was
to be formed exactly on the model of this ancient one, the
])attcrn of which, Ciod shewed him in the mount, ver. 40. The
word pu'TD mishcan, signifies literally, the dneltiiig or habi-
tation : and this was so called, because it was the dwelling-
place of God; and the o?(/j/ place on the earth, in which' he
made liimself manifest. — See the note on ver. 40. and on
chap, xxxiii. 7 — '10.
Verse 10. They shall make an ark] pix aron signifies an
ark, chest, coffer, or coffin. It is used particularly to designate
that chest, or cotltr, in which the testimony, or two tables of
the covenant were laid up ; on the top of v Inch, was the pro-
pitiatory or mercy-scut, sec on ver. 17. and at the end of \\liich
were the cherubim of gold, ver. 18 — 20. between whom, the
visible sign of the presence of the supreme God, appeared as
seated upon his throne. The ark, was the most excelknt of
all the holy things which belonged to the Mosaic occononiy ;
and for its sake the tabernacle and the temple were built, chap.
xxvi. 33. xl. 18, 21. It was considered as conferring a sanc-
tity, wherever it was fixed, 2 Chron. viii. 11.2 Sam. vi. 12.
Tiuo cubits and a half shall be the length, &c.] About four
ffctfive inches in length, taking the cubit at twenty-one inches;
and txvo feet six inches in breadth and in dej)th. As this ark
was chietly intended to deposit the two tables of stone in,
wliich hatl been written by the finger of God, we may very
reasonably conjecture, that the length of those tables was not
less than four feet, and their breadth not less than two. A»
to their thickness we can say nothing, as the depth of the art
was intended for other matters besides the two tables, such as
Aaron's rod, the pot of manna, &c. &c. though, probably,
these were laid up beside, not in the ark.
Verse II. A cro-wn of gold round about] A border, or as
the Septuagint has it, xK/xana X;i'^« rgtria hvk^x, 'waves of gMl
urcathed round about.
A.M.r>i3.
B.C. 1-<91.
Ab. r.xod.lsr.
1.
SinMl,
The mercrj-seat, CHAP.
12 And thou slialt cast four rings 1
of gold tor it, and put them in the I
four corners thereof; and two rings }
_ shall he in tlie one side of it, and two j
rings in the other side of it.
13 And thou slialt make staves o/".shittim wood,
and overlay thcni with gold.
14 And thou shalt put the staves into the
rings, by the sides of the ark, that the ark may
be borne with tl:eni.
15 ' The staves shall be in the rings of the
ark: they shall not be taken from it.
16 And tliou shalt put into the ark ''the testi-
mony which I shall give thee.
17 ^ And ""tliou shalt make a mercy seat of
pure gold : two cubits and a half shall be the
length thereof, and a cubit and a half the
breadth thereof.,
*lKin!;s8. 8. 'cli. 16. 34. &31. 18. Dent 10. 2, 5. & SI. 26. iKin^s
8. 9. 2 Kiug» 11. 1?. Hebr. 9. 4. ' cli. 3*. 6. lioui. j. '25. llebr. 'J. 5.
" Or, of the matter of the mercy seat.
. Verse 15. The staves — shall not be taken from it."] Because
it should tvtT be considered, as in readint.ss to be removed;
Gal not liavinf; told them, at what hour, he should command
them to strike dieir tents. If the staves were never to be taken
out, ho\r can it be said, as in Numb. iv. 6. that when the
camp .should set lorward, they should put in the staves thereof,
which intimates, that when they encamped, they took out the
ttifces, whicii appears to be contrary to what is here said.'
To reconcile these two places, it ha.i been supposed, ^^■ilh ;Trtat
show of probability, that besides the staves which passed
through liic riiigs of the ark, and by which it was carried,
there were t«o other staves or poles, in the form of a bier,
or hand-barroxv, on which the ark was; laid, in order to be
transported in their journeyings, when it and its own staves, still
in their rin;js, had been v\ rapped uj) in tiie coveriiiji: of what
is called bnilgers' fkins, and blue cloth. The staves of the ark
itself, \vhich might be considered as its handles, simjily to
iifl it by, were never taken out of their rings ; but the staves
or poles, which sened as a bier, were taken from mider it,
when they encamped.
Verse IG. The testimony'] The two tables of stone, which
Were not yet oiveri ; these tables were called mj7 ecluih, froin
"'* <"'> forvjard, onivard, to bear witness to, or of a i)ersoti or
tiiuig. Not only the tables of sloue, but all the contents of
the ark, Aaron's rod, the pot of manna, the holy anointing
oil, &e. bore tcslimony to the Messiah in his prophetic, sacer-
dotal, and rei^at olRces.
Verse 17. A mercy-seat] rniJD caphorelh, from "^22 capher,
to cover, or overspread, because by an act of pardon, sins are
representeil as bemg covered, so that they no longer appear in
tile eye of divine justice, to displease, irritate, and call for
^)iinishment ; and the person of the olleiider is covered, or
protected from the stroke of the broken law. In the Creek
version of the Septuagint, the word IXaa-iti^iov hilasterion is
used, wliich signifies a propitiatory, and is the name used by
the Apostle, Ileb. ix. 5. This mercy-seat, ot propitiatory, was
B.C. 1491.
.•\ii. Exud. Isr.
1.
Sivan.
and the cherubim.
18 And thou shalt make two die- a.m.?6i3.
rubims of gt)ld, of beaten work shalt
thou make them, in the two ends of
the mercy seat.
19 And make one cherub, on the one end,
and the other cherub, on the other end : even
" of the mercy seat, shall ye make the cf lerubims,
on the two ends tiiereof.
20 And ' the chertibims shall stretch forth
their wings on high, covering the mercy scat
with their wings, and their taccs shall look one
to another; toward the mercy seat shall the
faces of the cherubims be.
21 ^ And thou shalt put the mercy seat above
upon the ark; and ^in the ark, thou shalt put
the testimony that I shall give thee.
22 And " there I will meet with thee, and I
will commune with thee from above the mercy
« 1 Kings 8. 7. 1 Cliron. 28. 18.
16. " cli. 21'. •!«, 43. & 30. 6. M.
Hebr. 9 5.-
Lev. 16. '2.
— fell. 26. 34.-
Numb. 17. 4.
-s ver.
made of pure gold ; it was properly the lid or covering of that
vessel, so well known liy the name of the ark, and ark of the
covenant. ( )n, and before this, the higit-priest was to sprinkle
I the blood of the expiatory sacrifices, on die great day of atone-
ment ; and it was in this place that God promised to meet the
peojjle ; see verse 22. For there he dwelt ; and there was the
j symbol of the divine presence. At each end of this propitia-
I tory was a cherub, between whom, this glory was manifested:
[ hence, in scripture, it is so often saiil, that he duelleth betiveen
I the cherubim. As the word IXxo-tkjiov, propitiatory, or mercy-
seat, is ap[>lied to Christ, Rom. lii. 25. Ji/iowi God hath set
^ forth to be a puopitmtio.\ {iXnTTtt^im) through faith in his
I blood — for the remission of sins that are past; hence we learn,
; that Christ was the true mercy-seat, the thing signified by the
j caphoreth, to th<; ancient believers. And we learn farther, that
I it was by his bt,ood, that an atonement was to be made, for the
I sins of the world. And as God shewed himself between the
clierubiin, over this propitiatory or mercy-seat, so it is said,
God was in Christ reconciling the luorld unto himself, 2 Cor.
v. 19, &c. See on Lev. vii.
Verse 18. Thou, shalt make tv^o cherubims] What these
were, we caimot distinctly ^ay : it is generally supposed, that
a cherub was a creature with four heads, and one body; and
the animals, of which these emblematical forms consisted,
were tlie noblest of their kinds: the lion, among the uild
beasts; the bull, among the tunie ones; the eagle, among the
birds; and man, at the head of all; so that they might be,
says I)r. Priestley, the representatives of a// nature. Concern-
ing theW forms and design, there is much difle'ieiicc of opinion
among di\ ines. It is probable, that the term often means a
Jigure oi' Any kind, such as was ordinarily sculptured on stone;
engraven on 7nelal ; caned on nood ; or embroidered on cloth.
—See on chap. xxxv. 8. It may be only necessary to add, that
cherub is the singular number, cherubim, not cherubim.«, the
plural. See what has been said on lliiii subject, in the note on,
Gen. iii. 24.
The golden table
seat, from " between the two cherii
bims, which are upon the ark of the
A.M. 2513.
B.C. 1491.
Au.Exod. Isr.
1.
Shan.
testimony,
of all things which I will
give thee in commandment unto the
children of Israel.
23 ^ '' Thou shalt also make a table o/'shittim
wood : two cubits shall be the length thereof,
and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit
and a half the height thereof.
24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure
gold, and make tliereto a crown of gold round
about.
25 And thou shalt make unto it a border, of
an hand breadth, round about, and thou shalt
» Numb. 7. 89.
1 S;ini. 4. 4. 2 .?am. 6. 2. 2 Kings 19. 15.
90. 1. Isai. 37. 1<5.
I's. 80. 1. &
Verse 22. And there I ziill meet with thee] Tli.it is, over the
mercy-seat, between the chorubim. In tliis place, Goii chose to
give the most especial manit'e-.tations of himself : here the divine
glory was to be seen ; and here Moses was to come, in order to
consLilt .lehovah, relative to the management of the people.
Ainsworth has remarked, that the Rabbins say, " The heart
of man may be likened to (lod's sanctuary; for, as in the
sanctuary, the shekinah or divine i^lori/ dwelt, because there,
were the ark, the tables, and the cherubim; so, in the heart
of man, it is meet that a place be made for the divine majesty
to dwell in ; and that it be the holy of holies." This is a
doctrine most imj^licitly taught by the Apostles, and the iibso-
hite necessity of having the heart made a habitation of God,
through the spirit, is strcpngly, and frecjuently insisted on,
through tlie whole of the New Testament. See the note on
tiie following verse.
Vcrte 23. Tiioii shah moke a talk- of shittim xi-oodl Tlie
.same wood, the Acacia of wl.ich the ark staves, &c. were
made. On the subject of the ark, talile of shew-bread, &c.
Dr. Cudworth, in his very learjied and excellent treatise on
the Lord's supper, has the following remarks:
" When God had brotight the children of Israel out of
Egypt, resolving to manifest himself in a peculiar nuuiiier
present among them, he thought good to dwell amongst
them in a Visible and external manner ; and therefore, while
tlicy were in the wilderness, ;uid sojourned in tents, he would
have a tent or tabernacle built, 'to sojourn with them ;lIso.
This .^ mystery of the t.diernacle wa.s fully understood by
•the learned Nachmanide-, who, in fe^v ^vo^ds, but pregnant,
expresselh himself to this purpose; 'The mystery of the
tiibernacle was this, that it was to be a place for the
Shechinuli, or habitation of Divinity, to be fixed in ;' and
this, no doubt, as a special type of God's future dwelling in
Christ's human nature, which was the TiiuE Shechinah: but
when the Jews were come into their land, and had there built
thetn houses, (iod intended to have a fixed fUvelling-house
also; and therefore liis moveable tabernacle was to be turned
into a .stanchng temple. Now, the tabernacle, or teini)le,
being thus as a house, lor God to dwell m visibly, to make up
the notion of dwelling or haliitation complete, there must be
all things suitable to a house belonging to it. Hence, in the
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1191._
An. Exod.Isr.
1.
Sivan,
EXODUS. for the shete-bread.
make a golden crown to the border
thereof, round about.
26 And thou shalt make for it four
rings of gold, and put the rings in the
four corners, that are on the four feet thereof.
27 Over against the border, shall the rings be
for places of the staves, to bear the table.
28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim
wood, and overlay them with gold, that the
table may be borne with them.
29 And thou shalt make "the dishes thereof,
and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and
bowls thereof, " to cover withal : o/' pure gold
shalt thou make them.
i^ch. 37. 10. 1 Kings 7. 48. 2 Chroii. 4. 8. He.br. 9. 2. 'cli. 37. 16.
Numb. i. 7. " Or, to jwur iml Kithal.
holy place, tVicre must be a table and a candlestick, because
this \\ as the ordinary furniture of a room, a.s the fore-com-
mended Nachmanides observes. The table must have its
dishes, and spoons, and bowls, and covers belonging to it,
though they «ere never used ; and always be furnished
with bread upon it. The candlestick must have its lamps
continually burning. Hence also there must be a continual
fire kept in this house of (Jod upon the altar, as the focus of
it; to which notion, I conceive, the prophet Isaiah doth
allude, ch. xxxi. 9. ii hose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in
Jerusalem ; and besides all this, to carry the notion still
farther, there niu>t be some constant meat and jjrovision
brought into this house; which was done in the sacrifices that
were partly consumetl by fire upon God's own altar, and
partly eaten by the priests, who were (iod's family, and
therefore to be maintained by him. That which was consumed
upon God's altar, was accounted God's mess, as appeareth
from Mai. i. 12, where the altar is called God's tuhle, and the
sacrifice upon it, God's meat : — Ye suj/, tlie table of the Lord is
pal/uted, and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.
And often, in the law, the sacrifice is called (iod's an"? lecliem,
i. e. his bread or food. Wherefore it is further observable,
that, besides the flesh of the beast oiRred u)) in sacrifice, there
vi'as a ininrah, i. e. a meat or rather brcad-off'crings, made of
flower and oil ; and a libamen., or drink-otfering, ^\■hich was
always joined whh the daily sicnfice, as the bread and drink
which was to go along with (.oJ's meat. It was also strictly
conmianded, that there should be salt in every sacrifice and
oblation, because all meat is unsavoury without salt, as
Nachmanides hath h(;re also well observed ; ' because it was
not honourable that God's meat should be unsavoiny, without
salt.' Lastly, all these things were to be consumed on the altai'
only by the holy fire, which came down from heaven, because
i they were (jod's portion, and therefore to be eaten or consumed
by himself, in an extraordinary manner." — See on ver. 32.
Verse 29. T/ie dishes thereof] vn-il'p kedrotaiv, probably
the deep bowls in which they kneaded the mass, out of which
they made the shcii-brcad.
The spoors thereof] vn33 capotaiv, probably censers, on
which tliey j(Ut the nicense ; as .seems pretty evident from
Numb. vii. 14, 20, 20, 32, 3H, 44, 50, .50, 62, <i8, 74, 80, 80.
The candlestick of pure gold. CHAP. XXV. Its branches, ^r.
A.M. 5513. 30 And thou shalt set upon the f and his branches, his bowls, his knops,
and his flowers, shall be of the same.
32 And six branches sliall come
out of the sides of it; three branches
of the candlestick, out of the one side, and
B.C. 1491. table ^shew-brcad before me alway
Au.Evod.lsr. ' - •'
1.
Sinn.
31 ^ " And thou shalt make a
candlestick of pure gold : of beaten
work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft.
• Lev. 24. 5, 6. " cli. 37.-17. 1 Kings 7. 49. '
vhere the same word is used ; and the instrument, whatever
it was, is ahvays represented as heing filled with incense.
Covers thcr(:<it"\ vnicp kcshiUah-, supposed to be a large cup,
or limkard, in which pine v. im: was kept on the tahie aloni,^
with the shew-hread, fur Liha!/oiis, which weie pouied out
before the Lord, every sal)bath, when tiie old bread was
removed, and the new bread laiii on the table.
BoiL'ls thereof] ITi'pJD mcnuki^olaiv, from r\\>i nakiih, to
clear axvay, remove, emptij, Ifc. supposed by Cahnct, to mean
either the sia-ts by which the Levites cleansed the M'lieat they
made into bread ; for it is asserted, that the grain out of whicli
the shew-bread was made, was sowed, reaped, };'ro»'r>*l.
sifted, kneaded, baked, &c. by the Levites themselves ; or the
ovens, in which the bread was baked. Others suppose they
! w.re vessels, which they dipped into the leshollt, to take out
; the wine for libations.
f Ver.-e 30. S/iew-bread] C3'i3 snb techem panim, literally,
I bread of faces, so called, eitlier because they were placed
, before the presence or fucc of God, in the sanctuary ; or,
I because they were made sqvure, as the Jews will have it. It
is probable, that they were in the form of cubes or hexagons,
each side, prescnlin;;' the ^ame appearance, and hence the
Jews might suppose they were called the bread or loaves of
faces; but the Hebrew text seems to intimate, that they were
called the bread effaces a'JS panim, because, as the Lord says,
they were set 'js"? lepanai, before my face. These loaves or
cakes WTre tict/ve, rejireseiiting, as is generally supposed, the
twelve tribes of L-irael. They weru in two rows of six each.
On the top of each low there was a golden dish, with frank-
incense, wliieh was burned liei'ort the Lord, as a memorial at
the end of the week, when the old loaves were remo\ eil, and
replaced by new ones; the priests taking the former for their
domestic use.
It is more difficult to a.«certain tlie use of these, or what
they represented, ihan almost any other emblem in the whole
Jewi.-h oeeonomy. Many have conjectured their meaninjj;
and I feel no disposition to increase their number by any
addition of my own. Tlie note on ver. 23, from Dr. Cud-
worth, appears to me more rational than any thin-jf else I have
met with. The tabernacle was God's house, and in it he had
his table, his bread, his ivine, candkftick, &c. to shew thein
that he had taken up his dwelling amon^ theni. — See tile note
on ver. 23.
Verse 31. A candlestick of pure gold] 'This candlestick, or
chandelier, is generally described as having one shaft or stock,
with six branches proceeding from it, adorned, at equnl
distances, with six flowers, like hlies, witii as many bonis
and knops placed alternately. On eai^h of the branches there
was a lamp ; and one on the top of the shaft, which occupied
I tlie centre, thus there were sezt« lamps in all, ver. 37. These
teven lamps were lighted every evening, and extinguished
every morning.
i We are not so certain of the precise /or;« of any instrument
I or utensil of the tabernacle or temple, as we are of this, the
I golden table, and the two silver trumpets.
A.M. £513.
li. C. H'.>1.
An. Esod.Ur.
1.
Sivan.
Zecli. 4. '/. Hebr. 9. 2. llcv. l. 12. & 4. 5.
Titus, after the overthrow of Jerusalem, A. D. 70, had the
golden candlestick and the golden table of the shew-bread, the
silver trumpets, aii'l tlie book of the La:u, taken out of the temple,
and carried in triurn])h to Rome ; and Vespasian lodged thein in
the temple which he had consecrated to the goddess of Peace .'
Some plants also of the balm of Jericho, are said to ha\e been
carried in the procession. At the foot of mount Palatine
there are the ruins of an arch, on which the triumph of Titus
for his conquest of the Jews, is represented; and on which
the several monuments, which were carried in the procession,
are sculptured, and |)articularly the golden candlestick, the
tabic of the shcu-bread, and the two silver trumpets. A
correct .Model of this arch, taken on the spot, now stands
before me ; and the spoils of the temple, the candlestick, the
golden table, and the two trumpets, are represented on the
pannel, on the left hand, in the inside of the arch, in basso-
relievo. The candlestick is not so ornamented, as it appears
in many prints ; at tlie same time, it looks much better than
it does in the engraving of this arch, given by IMontfaucon,
Antiq. Expliij. vol. iv. pi. 32. It is likely,' that on the
real arch, tiiis candlestick is less in size than' the original, as
it scarcely measures three feet in height. — See the Diariuni
Italicum, p. 129. To see these sacred article? given up by that
God «ho ordered them to be made, according to a pattern ex-
hibited by himself, gracing the trium))h of a heathen emperor,
and at la- 1, consecrated io tin idol, aiRmls melancholy reflec-
tions to a pious mind. — But those things had accompli.-hed the
end for which they were instituted, and were now of no further
use. The glorious Personage typifietl by all this ancient appa-
ratus, had about «c:e«(y years before this, made his appearance.
The true light was come, and the holy Spirit pouied out from
on high ; and therefore the golden candlestick, by which they
were ty pitied, was given up : the ever-during bread had been
sent from heaven, and thereibre the golden table, which bore
its representative, the shevc-bread, was no^\ no loii'^er needful ;
i\\t joi/ful sound oi \\u: everlasting gospel was then published
in the world; and therefore the silver trumpets, that tvpified
this, were carried into capti\ity, and their sound was no more
to be heard. Strange pro\ idence, but unutterable mercy of
God ! the Jews lost both the sign and the things signified; "and
that very people who destroyed the holy city, cwried
away the spoils of the temple, and dedicated them to the
objects of their idolatry, were the first in the universe tt>
receive the preaching of the gospel, the light of salvation, and
the bread of life ! There is a sort oi coincidence or association
here, which is worthy of the most serious observati<)n. The
Jews had these significant embleins, to had theiri to, and
prepare thein for, the things signified. Tiiey trusted m the
former, and rejected the latter! God therefore deprived them
oi' both, and gave up their temple to the spoilers, their laud to
desolation, and themselves to captivity and to the sword.
The heathens then carried away the cnibhms of their salvation,.
and God shortly gave unto tho.-e heathens, that very salvati**?
of which these things were the emblems I Thus, because of theif
unbelief and rebellion, the kingdom of heaven, according to the
A. RI. 2513.
B.C. 1191.
An. Exod. Isr,
1.
Sivan.
in one
Its hiops,Jlorcers, S;c,
three branches of the candlestick,
out of the other side :
33 Three bowls made like unto
almonds, "witli a knop and a flower
branch ; and three bowls made like
almonds in the other branch, tvith a knop and
a flower: so in the six branches that come out
of the candlestick.
34 And in the candlestick .shall be four bowls,
made like unto almonds, tcith their knops and
their flowers.
35 And ihere
branches of the
branches of the same, antl a
branches of the same
shall
same
be a knop under
and a knop under
knop under
to the
,1
according
two
two
two
six
EXODUS. ' Its tongs, snuffers, 8^0.
branches, that proceed out of the A.^r. 2513.
candlestick. v.c.im.
35 Their knops and their branches "' T. ' "'
shall be of the same: all of it shall '^"'°"-
be one beaten work of pure gold. •
31 And thou shalt make the seven lamps there-
of: and Hhey shall '' liglit the lamps thereof,
that they may ' give light over against '' it.
38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuff-,
dishes thereof, shall be o/'pure gold. !
39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it,|
witli all these vessels. j
40 And ' look that thou make them aftefj
their pattern, '^ which was shewed thee in the!
mount.
•Ch. 27. 2I.&30. R.
ascend —
Lev. 24. 3,
-" Numb, 8.
aCliron. 13. 11. i>0r, cause (o
— " IJeb. tilt Jure of it.
I^rediction of our blessed Lord, ions taken from the Jews, and
given to a nation, the Gentiles, that Inoitgin forth the fruits
thereof.' Matt. xxi. 43. Behold the goodness and seveuity
of God !
Verse 39. Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, -with all
these vessels.] That is, a talent of !;Tild in weiglit was used in
makincr the candlestick, and the ditFerent ve.ssels and instru-
ments which belonged to it. Accordinc; to Bishop Cumber-
land, a talent was three thousand shekels. As the Israelites
brought each /in If a shekel, ch. xxxviii. 26. so that one hundred
talents, one thousand seven hundred and ■<:e7en/!;-fre shekels, were
contributed by sir hundred and three thousand fire hundred and
fifty persons. By halving the number of the Israelites, he
finds they contriliuted three hundred and one thousand .seven
hundred and scventy-fise shekels in all. Now, as we find that
this number of shekels made one hundred talents, and one
thousand seven hundred and sereiity-five shekels over, if we
subtract o)?e thousand sezen hundred and seventy-five, the odd
shekels, from three hundred and one thousand .seven hundred
and seventy-five, we shall have for a remainder tlirce hundred
thousand , [he v.ximheT of shekels in one hundred t?i\enU : and
if this remainder be divided by one hundred, the number of
talents, it quotes three thousand, the number of shekels in each
talent. A silver shekel of the sanctuary, being ecjiial, ac-
cording to Dr. Pridea\ix, to three shillings English, three
thousand such shekels will amount {n four hundred and fif/y
pounds sterling; and reckoning gold to silver as fifteen to one,
a talent of gold will amount to six thousand seven hundred and
fifty pounds sterling : to which add txvo hundred and sixty-three
pounds for the one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five'
shekel.s, at three shillings eacli, and it makes a total of sexen
thousand and thirteen pounds, which immen-e sum was t xficnded
on the candlestiek and its furniture. It is no wonder, tlien, (if
the candlestick in tin; second temple, were equal in vahic to
that ni the ancient tabernacle) that Titus should think it of
sufficient eonse(|uence to be one of the articles, with tht; golilcn
table, and silver trumpets, that should be employed to grace his
triumph. Their ;'»/;7'»,s7C worth was a matter of no consequence
to Ilim, \vlio>e are the silver and gold, the earth, and its fulness :
they had accomplished their design, and were of no fartlier use.
'Oil. 26. SO.
Numft. 8.4. 1 Gliron. 28.11, 19. Acts 7. 44. Hebr. 8. 5.
*^iieb. uhich thou, wast caused tit iCe,
either in the kingdom of Providence, or the kingdom of Grace.
— See the note on ver. 31. and see that on chap, xxxviii. 3-t. '
Ver.-e 40. And look that thou tnake, &c.] 7"'his verse should i
be understood as an order to Moses after the tabernacle, i^c.'l
had been described to him: as if he had said, " Wlien thoui
comest to make all the things that I have ah-eady described to
thee, with the other matters of which I shall afterwards treat,
see that thou make every thing according to the pattern which [
thou didst see in the mount." T'iie Septuagint have it, xarx |
Tov TUTTO* 70» ^Fjciy^iEVOv crol. AcCOrdlu^ to the TYPK, FORM. OF !
fashion, which was shewn thee. It ap]>ears to me, that .St.
Paul had this command particularly in view, when he gave
that to his son Timothy, which we find in the second Epistle,
chap. 1. ver. 13. VTrownriia-tv ?-)(,^ vyi'JAVorrtiiv \oyav, uv TTccf* f^ov
flxouo-af. — " Hold fast the form of sound words which thou
hast heard of me." The tabernacle was a type of the chuich
of God : that church is built ujjon the foundation of the
Prophets and Apostles, Jesus Clirist being the chief corner
stone, Eph. ii. 20 — 22. the doctrines, therefore, delivered by
the Prophets, Jesus Christ and his Apostles, are essential to
the constitutir)n of this church. As (Jod, therefore, gave the
plan, or form, according to which the tabernacle must ht
constructed, so he gives the doctrines accordii\g to which the
Christian church is to be modelled; and Apostles, and sub-
ordinate buiklers, are to have and hold fast that roiiM of
sound words, and construct this iieavenly building accoiflmj
lothat/orw, or pattern, which has come through the express
revelation of God.
In dilKrent parts of this Work we have had occasion to
remark, that the hinthens borrowed their best things from
Divine Revelation, l>otb as it refers to what was pure in
their doctrines, anii significant in then- religious rites, indeed,
tliey seem in many eases to have studied the closest imitation
possible, consistent with the adaptation of ail to their preposter-
ous and idolatrous worshij). Tluy IkkI their Iao, or Jovt;, in
imitation of the true JEllOVAll; and from diflerent rt«rj-
b?ites of the Divine Nature., they formed an innumerable groupe
of gods and goddesses. They had also their temples, in
imitation of the lempk; of Goil ; and in these, they had their
Tlie healkens horro'xed many of their CHAP. XXVI.
sacred riles from the Ilebreccs^
holy and more holy places, in imitation of the courts of the
Loril's hou.-^e. Tlic heathtn tcni|)los couMsteil of several parU
or divisions: I. The urea or ])orch ; 3. the Nao,-, or temple,
similar to ihe.imrr of our churches; 3. the adyiv.m, or holy
placo, called also peiietralc, and sacrarhim ; and, 4. the
oTij-OiJo/^coi-, or the inner Icmple, the most secret recess, where
they had their i»j/steri<!, and which answered to the Holy of
Holies In the tabernacle. And as there is no evidence what-
ever, that there was any temple anion:; the lieathens, prior
to the tahernacle, it is reasonable to conclude, that it served
as a model for all that they afierwards biiildcd. Thry had
even their portable temples, to imitate Ihe tabernacle : and the
shrines for Diana, mentioned. Acts xix. 24. were of this kind.
Tliey iiad even their <trks-, or saiM-ed cojf'ers, \vhere the)' kept
their mo-,t holy tliinfi^s, and the mysterious emblems of their
rclii^ion; together with candlesticks, or lamps, to illuminate
their temples, which had few windows, to imitate the golden
candlestick in the Mosajc tabernacle. Thej' had even their
processions, in imitatit)n nf the carrying' about of the ark in the
wil.lerness ; accoui])auied by such ceremonies, as sufficiently
shew, to an unprejudiced mind, that they borrowed them from
this sacred original. Dr. Dudd has a L^ood note on this subject,
which I shall take the liberty to extract.
Sjieakinj;- of the ark, he says, " We meet with imitations
!of this divinely instituted eihl)lem, among several heathen
nations. Thus Tacitus, De 3Ioribus Gerinanorum, cai). 40.
informs as, that the inhabitants of- the north of Germany,
our Saxon ancestors, in general, worshipped Hcrthum, or
\HerlIiam, i. e. the mother earth; Uertham beincf plainly
.derived from vnx arcts, earth, and 3S am, motlicr; and they
believed her to interpose, in the aftairs of men, and to visit
nations ; that to her, in a sacred ijrove, in a certain island of
the ocean, a vehicle covered with a vestment, was consecrated,
and allowed to be touched liy the priests only, (coin}iare
is Sain. vi. 6, 7. 1 C'hron. xiii. 9, 10.) who perceived, when
jixldess entered into her secret place, pcnetrale, and with
.Hind veneration attended her vehicle, which was drawn
; \ coivs : see 1 Sam. vi. 7 — 10. While the goddess was on
li- r progress, days of rejoicin<.i; were kept in every place
li she vouchsafed to visit — they eny-aged in no war, they
lied no weapons ; pc.tce and (juietness were then only
.11, only relished, till the same priest reconducted the
less to her temple. Then the vehicle and vestment, and,
u can believe it, the goddess herself, were washed in a
, d lake."
ipulcius, describing a solemn idolatrous jn'ocession, De
. Asin. lib. ii. after the Egyptian mode, says " A chest, or
was carried by another, containing their secret things,
rely concealing the mysteries of religion."
'lid riiitarch, in his treatise, JJe hide, &c. describing the
of Osiris, says — "On the tenth day of the month, at
'if, they go down to the sea, and the stohsts, together
: the ])riest, carry forth the sacred chat, in wliieii is a
lil boat or vessel of gold."
PaK*fln/«s bkewise testifies (lib. vii. c. 19.) that the ancient
Trojans had n sacred ark, wherein was tlie image of BacciU'S,
made by Vulcan, which had been gi\eji to Dardanus by
Jupiter. As the ark was de))o.-.ited in the i/y/y of Holies, to
the heathens had, in the inino.st part of their temples, an
adytum, or pcnetrale, to which none had access but the priests.
And it is remarkable, that among the Mexicans, VitziiputzU,
their supreme god, was represented under a human ^llapei
sitting on a throne, supported by an azure globe, which they
called Heaven : four poles or sticks came out from two sides of
this ulobe, at the end of which, serpents' heads were carved,
the whole making a litter, which the priests carried on their
shoulders, whenever the idol was shewn in public." Rcligioui
Ceremonies, vol. iii. p. 146.
Calmet remarks, that the ancients used to dedicate candle-
sticks in the temples of their gods, bearing a great number of
lumps.
Pliny, Hist. Nat. lib. xxxiv. c. 3. mentions one made in the
form of a tree, with lam))s in the likeness of apples, which
Alexander the Great consecrated in the temple' of Aj)ollo.
And Jthenaus, lib. xv. c. 19, 20. mentions one tliat svip-
jiurted three hundred and sixti/-five lamps, which Dionysius the
younger, king of Syracuse, dedicated in the Pri/taneum at
Athens. As the Egyptians, according to the te.-tiinony of
Clemens Alexandiinus', .SVrom. lib. i. were the fir^t who used
lamps in their temples, they probably borrowed the use from
the golden candlestick in the tabernacle and teinfile.
From the solemn and very particular charge — Look that
thou make them after their pattern, ivhick ivas shelved thee in the
mount, it appears plainly that God shewed IMoses a model of
the taljernacle and all its furniture; and to receive instructions
relative to this, was one part of his employment while on the
mount forty days with God. As God designed that this
building, aiid all that belonged to it, should be patterns or
rejirescntations of good things to come, it was indispensably
necessary that Moses should receive a model and specification
of the whole, according to which he might direct the difltrent
artificers in their c<instructiiig the work. 1. ^\'e may obsei've
that the whole tabernacle and its furniture, resembled a
dwellin;;- house and its furniture. 2. That this tabernacle was
the house of (Jud; not merely for the jierl'ormance of his
worship, but for his residence. 3. That God had jiromised
to dwell among this people; and this was the habitation which
he appointed tor his gloly. 4. That the tabernacle, as well
as the temple, w as a type of the incarnai ion of Jcsus Christ,
see John i. 14. and ii. 19,21. .5. That as the glory of God
was manifested between the cherubim, above the mercy-seat,
in this tabernacle; so God was in Christ — and in him divell all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily. 6. As in the tabernacle
were ftaind bread, light, &c. probably all these were emble-
matical of the ample provision made in Christ tor the direction,
siii)port, and salvation of the soul of man. Of these, and many
other things in the law and the jn'ophets,' we shall know more,
when mortality is swallowed up of life.
CHAPTER XXVI.
ten curtains of the tabernacle, and of Tokat composed, 1. T/ieir length, '2, 3, their loops, 4, 5, their taches,
'K The curtcVins o/' goats' liair 7'"' « covering, 7, Mc/r length c/wf/ breadth, 8. Coupled Tcith loops, J), 10,
'lid Inches, II. The remnant of the curtains, hoic to he anploi/ed, 12, 13. i7<c covering o/' nuns' skins, 14.
The boards of the tabernacle for the South sidt, 15, their length, 1(5, teit07is, 17, number j 18, soct;ets, ly.
3 P
TJie tabernacle
EXODUS.
and its curtsins.
Boards, S)X. fsr the Norlh nick, 20, 21. Boards, Sfc. for thc^ TVesl side, 22. For the corners, 23, their rings and
foelceis, 24, 25. 2'he hays of the tabernacle, 26—30. The vail, its pillars, hooks, and tuches, 31 — 53. How
to place the mercy-seat, 54, the table and the candlestick, 35, the hanging for the door of the tent, 36, and
the hangings for the pillars, 3".
l<. C. U9l.
An.Kxod. Isr.
1.
Sivfm.
;jOREOVER ' thou shaltmakc
J^lX the tabernacle, tr//// ten cur-
tains nf fine twined linen, and blue,
and purple, and scarlet : nifh cheru-
bims ^ of cuiniiuj;- work, shall thou make them.
'2 The length oi' one curtain shall he eight and
twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain
four cubits : and every one of the curtains shall
have one measure.
3 The five curtains shall be coupled together
one to another ; and oilier five curtains shall be
coupled one to another.
4 And thou shall make loops of blue, upon
the edge of the one curtain, from the selvedge in
the coupling ; and likewise shalt thou make in
the uttermost edge of aiiolher curtain, in the
coupling of the second.
5 Tifty loops shall thou make in the one cur-
tain, and fifty loops shall thou make in the edge
of the curtain that is in the coupling of the
second ; that the loops may take hold one of
another.
G And thou shall make fifty laclies of gold,
and couple the curtains together with the laches:
and it shall be one tabernacle.
7 ^ And ''thou shalt make curtains o/" goats'
•Ch.So. 8.-
- '' Hell, the wnrk of a rumin^ vorhnart, or embroiderer.
' cir.36. H.
KOTES ON CflAP. XXVI.
Verse 1. Thou shah make the tahernacle'\ Mischan pti'n
from piff shacfin, to dwelt, means simply a dwelling-placf,
or habitation of any kind ; but here it means the dwellinj;-
place of Jchovp.h, wlio as a kinc; in liis camp, liad his duell-
ing or pavillion amonfr his people, his table always spread,
his lamps hghted, and the priests, Uc. his attendants, always
in waiting. From the minute and accurate description here
given, a good workman, had he the same materials, mii;iit
make a perfect /rtc simile of the ancient Jewish taliernacle. It
was a moveable buildin-j, and go constructed that it minrlit be
eajiily taken to pieces, for the greater convenience of carria'j;e,
as they were often obiicfcd to transport it from place to iilaee,
in their various journevings. — For the txuined linen, blue,
purple and scarlet, see the notes on chap. xxv. ver. 4, &c.
Cherubim] Ste the note on chap. xxv. 18.
Cunning ■work] Dfn choslieb, probably means a sort of
diaper, in which tlic figures ajjpear triually perfect on both
sides : this was probably fonncd in the loom. Another kind
of curious work is mentioned ver. 36. cst rokent, which wc
A.M. S5l3i
13. C. 1J91.
Aa.Exod. Isi-.
1.
S'lrixn.
hair, to be a covering upon the ta-
bernacle ; eleven curtains shalt thou
make.
8 Tlie length of one curtain sliall
he thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain
foiu- cubits : and the cle\ en curtains shall be all
of one measure.
9 And thou shall couple five curtains by ihem-
Kcivcs, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt
double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the
tabernacle.
10 And thou shall make fifty loops on the
edge of the one curtain, that is outmost in the
coupling, and fifty loo])s in the edge of the cur-
tain which coupleth the second.
1 1 And thou shall make fifty laches of brass,
and put the laches into the loops, and couple
llie " lent together, that it may be one.
12 And the remnant that remaineth of the cur-
tains of the tent, the half curtain that rcniaincth,
sliall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.
1 3 And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit
on the other side ' of that which remaineth in
the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall
hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side
and on that side, to cover it.
' Or, covering
-^ Heb. in the remainder, or surplusage.
term veedlc-n'ork : this was probably similar lo our em-
broidert/, tapestry, or cloth of arras. It has been thought un-
likely tliat the:-e curious works, were alt inanufaetureri in the
wildernes.s: what was done in the loem, they might have
brought with them fiom F.gypt ; what could be done by hand,
without the use of eomj)le\ machinery, the Israeliti.-h women
could readily perform with their needles, during their stay
in the wilderne-s. But still it seems probable, that they
brought even their looms with them. The whole of this ac-
count shews, that not only nccessarj/, but ornamental arts, had
been carried to a considerable jiiteh of jierftction, both among
the Israelites and F,gy|)tians. The inner curtains of the taber-
nacle were ten in number, and each in length tiL-enti/-eight cubits,
kind four in breadth — about sixteen yards niclve inches long, and
fi^o yards ticetve inches broad. The curtains were to be coupled
together, five and five of a side, by fifty loops, ver. 5. and as
many golden clasps, ver. G. so that each might look like one cur-
tain, and the whole make one entire covering,which was thefirst.
Verse 7. Curtains of goats' hair] Stuff made of goats' hairi
See the note on chap. xxv. 4. Tliis was the second covcv'mg.
i Its coverings, boards,
I A..M.'.'M*. 14 ^ And
CHAP. XXVI
* thou shalt make a
^" J:'" ','■''' covering tor the tent o/" ranis' .skins
1.
Si van.
dyed red, and a covering above 0/
badti'erti' skins.
I 15 if And thou slialt make boards for the ta-
■ bernacle o/'shittini wood standing up.
16 Ten cubits sliall be the lenglli of a board,
and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of
I one board.
j 17 Two "tenons shall there be in one board,
I set in order one against another : thus shalt thou
1 make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
j 18 And thou shalt make the boards lor the
I tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side
I southward.
I 19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver
I under the twenty boards ; two sockets under
I one board f<)r his two tenons, and two sockets
under another board t()r his two tenons.
• 20 And for the second side of the tabernacle,
^on tlie north side, 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 sides of the tabernacle west- \
ward, thou shalt make six boards. I
23 And two boards shalt thou make for the |
corners of the Uibernaclc in the two sides.
bars, vail, S^c.
'24- And they shall be " coupled to-
gether beneatli, and they shall be "■^' '''?
1.
Siian,
' Ch. 36. 19. ^ Hct). bands.-
Heb. tuincil.
Verse 14. Rams' skins dyed red] See on chap. xxv. 5. Tliis
was the third coverinsj; and what is called the bailirers' skin.i,
■was the fourth. See the n(ile on chap. xxv. j. Why there
should have been faur cover! ni;s, does not ap])Lar. They
minht have been de.sif^ed jjartly for respect, and partly to
keep o(V dust and dirt, and the extremely hue ^an<l, wlneli in
ithat depart rides as it were on every breeze; and partly to
I keep ofl' thi intense heal of the >un, which would otherwise
I have destroyed the poles, bars, Ixiards, and llie whole of the
IVood-work. .\s to the coujectiue of some, that " the four
jC0V(Tin<;s were intended the better to keep off the rain," it
I nnist appear unfounded to those who know, Ihat in that desart
rain was rarely ever seen.
Verse 15. Thou shall make ionn/.s] These formed, what
niif^lit be called the walls of the tabernacle, and were made of
Ishittim wo«l, the Acacia Nilolica, which, Dr. .Shaw says,
I "rows here in abundance. To have worked the acacia mto
I these boards or planks, the Israelites nnist have had saxiycrs,
Ijoir.ers, ^c. amonj;theni; but how they ;;ot the too/.s, is a
[question. But as the Israelites were the general ivurkmen of
I i'pyp'. iind were broujjht up to every kind of trade for the
ifeniee of llicir oppressors, we may naturally su[ipi>se, that i
every artificer hrout;hf otf some of his tools with him. For I
though it \* not at 4II likely, lhat tli«y had any armour or dc- !
cou})k'd logethc'r aI)ove the head of
it unto one ring : tiuis siiail it be for
tiiem botii ; they shall be for the two corners.
2,T And tliey shall be eight boards, and their
sockets {)/' silver, sixteen sockets ; two sockets
tuider one board, and two sockets under ano-
ther board.
2G Ami thou shalt make bars o/'shittim wood ;
five for the boards of the one side of the taber-
nacle,
27 And five bars for t!\e boards of the other
side of the tal)ernacle, and five bars for the
boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the
two sides westward.
28 And the middle bar, in the midst of the
boards, shall reach from end to end.
29 And thou shalt overlay the boards with
gold, and make their rings oj' goVl J'or places
for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars
with u-old.
30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle, ** ac-
cording to the fashion thereof, which was shewed
thee in the momit.
31 ^ And ' thou shalt make a vail o/'blue, and
purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cun-
ning work : with cherubims shall it be made :
•i Ch. 25. 9, 40. Sc W, 8. Acts 7. *t. Hebr. 8. 5. ' cli- 36. 35. Lev. 16. «.
2 Cliron. 3. 14. JVIatt. 27. 51. Hcbr. 9. 3.
fensive weapons in their power, yet, for the rea-oa abore
assigned, they must have had the implements which were rc-
(juisite, for their respective trades.
Verse IG. Ten cuhita shall bo the length of a hoard] Each
of these boards, or planks, was about jive yards and itvo feet
and a half lon^, an<l tltirty-txao inches broad ; and as thev are
said to be slandiri:; up, this was the lieii^ht of the tahcriKicle.
Tlu- len^i'th b< in^r thirU/ c\il)it.^, tti-eiUy boai'ds, one cubit and a
hu/f broad each, make about seventeen yards and a half, and
the BRKAOTn was about fitc yards.
Verse i29. Thou shalt overluij the hoards with qold] It is not
.said how thick the jiold was, by which these boards, ike. were
overlaid : it was, no doubt, done with i;a!.l plates ; but these,
must have been very thin, elsT the boards, i*>;e. must have been
iusupporiably lieavy. 'J he gold was proljably some!liiii>j-
I like our gold-leaf, but not brought to so great a degree of
tenuity.
Verse 31. Thou shall make a ••ail] n^na paroccth, from
ins parac, to break, or rend, the inner rail of the tabernacle,
or temple, i2 Chron. iii. 14. which broke, interrupted, or di-
ridtd between the holy place and the nio.^t holi/ — The Holy
Ghost, this signifyintr, that the '.i-ay into the hvliat of all
mas not yet made manife:!, while as the Jirst tabernacle •."an
sLunding, compare Heb. ix. 8. Tlie Septua^int con-lantly
3 F 2
A. M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
Jiii.Exod. Isr.
1.
Sioan.
Its hooks or capiials.
32 And tliou slialt hang it upon
four pillars of shittim tvood, overlaid
with gold : their hooks shall be of
gold, upon the four sockets of
silver.
33 'And thou shalt hang up the vail imder tlie
taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within
the vail, " the ark of the testimony: and the vail
shall divide unto you between " the holy place
and the most holy.
S4 And ' thou shalt put the mercy seat, upon
the ark of the testimony, in the most holy j^hice.
35 And '' thou shalt set the table without the
* Ch. 25. 16. & 40. n. !> Lev. 16. 2. Ilebr. 9. 2, 3. ' ch. 25. 21. &
40. iiO. Hebr. 9. 5.
B. C. 1491.
An.Kxod.Isr,
I.
Sivan.
EXODUS. Hangings for the door,
vail, and 'the candlestick over amsms.
against the table, on the side of the
tabernacle toward the south : and
thou slialt put the table on the
north side.
HQ *\\ And ^ thou shalt make a hanging for
the door of the tent, o/'blue, and pui-ple, and
scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with
needlework.
37 And thou shalt make for the hanging ^ five
pillars of sliittim tvood, and overlay them with
gold, and their hooks shall he o/gold : and thou
shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.
render il by xara-fTacr^a. Does not the Hebrew name n3i3
paroceih moreover intimate the typical corre.-pondence of this
vailio the body ov flesfi of Christ? For this xa.Tct.triTa,a-i/.cc, or
vail, was his Jhsh, Heb. x. 20. Avhich being vent, afTords us a
71CIU and livinc; way into the holiest of all, i. e. into heaven it-
self— compare lieb. x. 19, 20. ix. 24. And according!}', when
bis blessed body was rent upon the cross, this vail also (to
xaTa^ETacrpa tou vaou) £a-;tia-Sn, icas RENT in iivain from the
top to the bottom, Matt, xxvii. 51. — See Purkhurst, under tlie
word "jia.
The vail in the tabernacle was exceedingly costly : it was
made of the same materials with the inner covering, blue,
purple, scarlet, fine twined linen, embroidered with cheru-
bim, &c. It served to divide the tabernacle into two parts —
one, the outermost, called the lioly place ; the other, or inner-
m.ost, called the Holy of Holies, or the most holy place. In
this was deposited the ark of the covenant, and the other
things that were laid up by way of memorial. Into this the
high-prie.'t alone was permitted to enter, and that only once
in the year, on the great day of atonement. It was in this
inner place that Jehovah manifested himself between the
cherubim. The Jews say, that this vail was four fingers
breadth in thickness, in order to prevent any person from see-
ing tkrovgh it ; but of this, as Calmet observes, ihere was no
necessity, as there was no window or place for light in the
tabernacle, and consequently the most simple vail would have
"been sufficient to olistmct the discovery of any thing behind
it, which could only be discerned liy the light that came in
at the door, or by that aflbrded by the golden candlestick,
■which stood on the outside of this vail.
Vei-se 32. Their hooks shall be of f^old'] anvi vaveyhem,
which we translate their hooks, is rendered xiJaXi^;,-, capitals,
by the Septnagint, and capita, by the Vulgate. As the worcl
11 vav, or vail, plural S?ni vavim, occurs only in this book,
chap. xxvi. 32, 37. xxvii. 10, 11, 17. xxxvi. 30, 38. xxxviii.
10, 11, 12, 17, 19, 28. and is used in these places in reference
to the same subject, it is very difficult to ascertain its precise
meaning. Most cominentatoi's and lexicographers tiiink, Uiat
the ideal meaning of the word is, to connect, attach, join to,
hook ; and that the letter van i has its name from its hook-like
form; and its use as a particle in the Hebrew language, be-
cause il serves to connect the words and members of a sen-
tence, and the sentences of a discourse, togethur ; and that.
i Gh. 40. 22. Hebr. 9. 2. = cli. 40. 24. *■ ch. 36. 37. e ch, 36. 38.
therefore, liook must be the obvious meaning of the word, in
all the above texts. Calmet thinks this reason of no weight,
because the vau 1 of the present Hebrew alphabet is widely
dissimilar from the vau of the primitive Hebre\v alphaliet, as
may be .seen on the ancient shekels : on these the characters
appear as in the word Jehovah, chap, xxviii. 30. This form
bears no resemblance to a hook ; nor does the Samaritan ■^ vau,
which ajipears to ha\ e been copied from this ancient character,
Calmet, therefore, contends, 1. That, if Moses does not
mean the capitals of the pillars, by the D'll vavim of the
text, he mentions them no where ; and it would be strange
that, while he describes the pillars, their sockets, bases, filets,
&c. &c. with so much exactness, as will appear on con-
sulting the preceding places, that he should make no mention
of the capitals ; or that pillars, every way so correctly formed,
should have been destitute of this very necessary ornament.
2. As Moses was commanded to make the hooks C2'11
vavim, of the pillars, and their fillets, of silver, chap, xxvii,
lO, 11. and the hooks vavim of the pillars of tile vail, of gold,
chap, xxxvi. 36. and that one thousand seven hundred and
seventy-five shekels were emjiloyed in making these hooka
vavim, overlaying their chapiters, arrCNT rasheyhem, their
heads, and filleting them, chap, xxxviii. 28. it is more rea-
sonable to suppose, that all this is spoken of the capitals of
the pillars, than of any kind of hooks, especially as hooks are
mentioned imder the word taches or clasps in other places. On
the whole, it appears much more reasonable to translate the
original by capitals than by hooks.
After this verse, the Samaritan Pentateuch introduces the
ten first verses of chap. xxx. and this appears to be their
jiroper place. Those ten verses are not repeated in the xxxth
chapter in the Samaritan : the chapter beginning with the
11th verse.
Verse 36. A hanging for the door of the tent'] This may be
called the first vail, as it occupied the door or entrance to the
tabernacle : the vail that separated the holy idaee from the
Holy of Holies, is called tlie .second vail, Ikb. i\. 3. These
two vails, and the inner covering of the tabernacle, were all
of the same materials, and of the same workmanship. — See
chap, xxvii. 16.
1. For the meaning and design of the tabernacle, see the
note on chap. xxy. 40. and \vliile the reader is struck with the
Tlie altar of burnt-cifferings ;
. CHAP. XXVII.
its pans, shovels, basons, S^c.
curious and costly nature of this building, as described by
Moe,-, let him consider how pure and holy that church
should be, of which it was a very expressive type ; and what
manner of person he should be in all holy conversation and
godliness, who profts-ies to be a member of that clnn-ch, for
which, it is written, Christ has given himself, that he mij^ht
sanctify and cleanse it — that he mi^ht present it unto himself
a glorious church, not havinp; spot or wrinkle, or any such
thin"- ; but that it should be holy and without blenush. — See
Eph. V. 25-^27.
-2. In the Jewish talxmacle, almost every thinj^ was placed
vut of the sight of the people. The Holy of Holies was inac-
cessible, the testimony was comparatively hidden, as were also
the mercy-seat, and the divine glory. Under the gospel, all
these things are laid open — the way to the Holiest is made
manifest — the z-ail is rent, and vie have an entrance to the
Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which
Ik hath consecrated for us through the vail, that is to say, his
flesh, Heb. X. 19, 20. How aljundantly has Go<l brou!,'ht life
and immortality to light, by the gospel I The awful distance
is aiiolished, the ministry of reconciliation is proclaimed, the
kin'jjdom of heaven is opened to all believers, and tile Lord is
in his holy temple. — Sinner, weary of thyself and tliy trans-
gressions, fainting under the load of thy iniipiilies, look to-
.Fesns ! he died for thee, and will save thee. — Iteliever, stand
fast in the liberty wherewith God has made thee free, and be
not entangled again in the yoke of bondage.
CHx\PTER XXVII.
The ahar of burnt-offerings, and ils dimensions, 1, its liorns, '1, pans, shovels, &;c. ", its grate and nctwork,-
1,5, ?Vs staves, 6, 7- Court of the tabernac/e, 9, eri//i! ?Vs pillars az/ri hangings, 10 — Ij. Gate of the court,
i/s piltars, hangings, length, breadth, and height, l6 — 18. yl/l the fessc/s used in the court of the tabernacle
to be of brass, 19. The Israe/iles to provide [)nro olive oil, for the light, 20. Eierj/ thing to ie ordered h\)
I Aaron and his sons, 'i\.
^A.M.a.i.i. ^ ]^j) t]^ou slialt make
! B. C. U'.il
J An.Kxod.Isr
1.
A^;
an altar 1
)/ shittini wood, five cubits i
long, and five cubits broad ; the
altar shall be foursquare : and the ;
height thereof shall be three cubits. j
2 And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the
four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the
» Cli. 38. 1. Ezek. 43. 13.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXVII.
Verse 1. Tiwu shalt make an uhar~\ natn mizheach, from
- ' ■ zabach, to slay. Sejttudgint, Qvh-ioo-tvipiov, from Syo-ia^w, to
.lice, or from Ow, to kiil, &c. — See tlie note on Gen.
M.L 20.
Foursquare] As this altar was five cubits long, and fi\e
broad, and the cubit is reckoned to be twenty-one inches,
hence it must have been eight feet nine inches square, and about
Ji'ce feet three inches in height, the amount of three cubits, taken
at the .same ratio.
Verse 3. Thou shah make the horns of it] The horns might
have three uses : 1 . for ornament ; 2. to prevent carcases, i:c.
from falling off; 3. to tic (he victim to, previously to its
being sacrificed. So David, — Bind the sacrifice with cords to
ihe horns of the altar. — Psalm cx\iii. 27. Horns were much
used in all ancient altars an)ong the heathen, and some of
them were entirely construeled of the horns oT the beasts, that
had been ottered in sacrifice; but such altars appear to be
erected rather as trophies in honour of their gods. On the
reverses of several Medals, we find altars represented with
herns at the corners. There is a mc&Ji oi' Antoninus, on the
reverse of which is an altar, on which a fire burns, consecrated,
Divo Pio, where the horns appear on each of the corners.
There is one of Faustina, on which the altar and its horn.1
ai-e very distinct, tjie legend Pielas Augusta. All the follow-
.A.M.251S.
15. C. 1491.
A n. F.xod. Isr.
1.
Shan.
same ; and '' thou slialt overlay it
with brass.
3 And thou shalt make his pans
to receive his ashes, and his shovels,
and liis basons, and his fleshhooks, and his fire-
pans : all the vessels thereof thou slialt make (if
brass. ,
>> See Numb. 16. 38.
ing have altars with horns. One of Valerian, legend conse-
cratio; one of Claudius Golhicus, same legend; one of
muintillus, same legend; one of Crispina, wMx the legend
Diis Genitalibus ; and several others. — See Numismaticti Antiq.
a MusELLio, under Consecratio, in the Index.
\'erse 3. Thou slialt make his pans] vm»D sirotaiv, a sort
((f large brazen dishes, which stood under the altar, to receive
the a^lles that fell through the sjrating.
llis shovels] Vi" yaaiv. Some render this besoms: but
as these were brazen instruments, it is more natural to sup-
pose, that some kind of fire-shovels are intended, or scuttles,
which were used to carry oil' the ashes that fell through the
grating into the large pan or siroth.
His basons] vnpiTO mizrekutaiv, from piT zarak, to
sprinkle or disperse: bowls or basons to receive the blood of the
sacrifices, in order that it might be sprinkled on the people,
before the altar, C\C.
His Jlesh-hooks] vnibio mitlegotaiv. Tliat this word is
rightly ivMiA-iXc^Jlesh-haoks, is fully evident from 1 Sam. ii.
13. where the same word is used, in such a conn«:tion, as de-
monstrates its meaning : And the priest's custom with the
people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's
servant came while the fesh was in the seething, with a Flesh-
hook, (ibto ?nazleg) of three teeth (prongs) in his hand, and
he struck it into the pan, &c. all thai the flesh-hook (;'7?0
A.M.':.5l.i.
B.C. U91.
All. Exod.br,
1.
Sivaii.
The courl of the tabernacle ;
4 And thou siialt make for it a
grate of network of brass ; and
upon the net shalt thou make four
brascn rings in the four corners
tlrereof.
5 And tliou slialt put it under the compass of
the altar beneath, that the net may be even to
the midst of the altar.
6 And thou shalt make staves for the altar,
staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with
brass.
7 And the staves shall be put into the rings,
and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the
altar, to bear it.
8 PIollow with boards shalt thou make it:
'as'' it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall
they make it.
9 % And "^thou shalt make the court of
the tabernacle : for the south side southward,
there xJiafl be hangings for the court, of fine
twined linen of a lunidrcd cubits long for one
side :
10 And the twenty pillars thereof and
their twenty sockets shall be of brass ; the
hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of'
silver.
11 And likewise for the north side, in length
there shall be hangings of a hundred cubits
long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty
" Cli. 25. 40. & 26. SO. '>Ilc-b. fie shewed. =Ch. ."8. P.
EXODUS. its pillars, hangings.
sockets <f l)rass ; the hooks of the
pillars, and their fillets, of silver.
12 And77jr the breadth of the court
on the west side shall be hansrino;,s of
A. 11. 2313.
B.C. 149! ,
An. E,>:od. Isr,
1.
Silmi.
tool; for himself,
folk with three
It
was,
and
ma'le-:;) hroiif^ht tip, the Jiritst
prolialily, a kind of trident, or Jor/c witli tttree proriLjs,
tliesf: bended to a ri^dit aniijle at tho middle, as the ideal
meaninff of the Hebrew seems to imply crookedness, or curvature
m general.
His f re-pans'] v~~n'0 machtotaiv. Bishop Patrick and
■others nippo-e, that, " this was a lar^'er sort of vessel, wherein,
probably, the sacred fire, ^vhich came down from heaven,
Lev. ix. 24. was kept burning, whilst they cleansed the altar
and the jjrate from the coals and the ashes; auil while t!ie
altar Ava.s ca-rried from one place to another, as it often was in
the wildcrHsss.''
Verse i. Thou shalt make a ern/t] Calmet supposes this
altar to have betai a sort of box, coverefl with lirass |)lates, on
the top of which was a grating to supply the fire witli air, and
permit the ashes to fall throut^li into the siroth, or ])an, that
was placed below. At the four corners of the jjratiiifj were
four rinijs ami four chains, by which it was attached to the
four horns ; and at the sides were rin^s tor the poles of shittim
wood, with which if was carried. Even on this, there is a
great variety of opinions.
Verse H. JIollow with hoard.'!} It seems to have been a kind
ntty cubits : their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.
13 And the breadth of the court on the east
side eastward, s/iall be fifty cubits.
14 The hangings of one side of the. gate shall
be fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their
sockets three.
13 And on the other side shall be hangings
fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their
sockets three.
16 And for the gate of the court, shall be a
hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple,
and scarlet, and fine twined hnen, wrought
\vith needlework : and their pillars shall be lour,
and their sockets four.
17 All the pillars round about the court shall \
be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of
silver, and their sockets of brass.
18^ The length of the court shall be a '
hundred cubits, and the breadth '' fifty, every ,
where, and tl;e height five cubits q/"fine twined
linen, and their sockets q/'brass.
19 All the vessels of tlie tabernacle in all the I
service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all
the pins of the court, shall be 0/ brass.
20 % And 'thou shalt comn^and the children
iHeb.Jift,)b,jJifty.
-=Lev. 24. 2.
of frajne-irork, and to have had notiiinf); solid in the inside,
and only covered with the grating at the top. This rendered it
more light and portable.
Verse 9. 'J7ic court qf the tabernacle'] Tlie tabernacle stood
in an enclosure or court, open at the top. This court wag
made with pillars or posts, and hangings. It was one hundred
cubits in length, about, ^>j/-t'(i,'/i/ yards and half, the breadth,
as we learn from verse 12. and IS. and five cubits, or nearly
three yards high, verse 18. And as this was but half the
height of the talx!rnacle, chap. xxvi. 16. that sacred building
niinht easily he seen by the people from without.
Verse 16. And for the i^ate <f the court] It appears that the
hangin<;s of this i;ate, were of the same materials and workman-
ship with that of the inner covering of the tabernacle, and the
outer and iimer vail. — See cliap. xxvi. 36.
Verse 19. All the vessels »ha\\ beef brass.] It would have
been improper to have vised instruments made of the more
precio\is metals about this altar, as they must have been soon
worn out, by the severity of the service.
Verse iJO. Pure oil olive beaten] That is, such oil as could
easily be expressed from the olives, after they had been bruised
in a mortar, the mother drop, as it is called, which drops out
CHAP. XXVII.
Aaron and his sons shall minisler.
The pure olive oil.
of Israel, tliat they bring tlice pure ]{ testimony : '^ Aaron and liis sons shall
oil olive beaten, for the light, to ; order it fi-om evening to niornins
cause tlic lamp "to burn always,
21 In the tabernacle of the congrc-
" without the vail, which is before the
A. M. 2313.
B. C. lU'l.
Aii.Kxi"!. Isr.
1.
Sivan,
gation,
•ileb. (D ascent up.-
-'ch. ?0. 3l,S3. —
XChroii. 13. 11.
-<:ch.SO. 8. iSani. 3. 3.
; of itself, a<i soon as llie olives are a little broken; and whicli
I is much purer, tiran that which is obtainwl, after the olives are
I put uiuler the j'rcs.i.
' Columella, who is a legitimate cviilcnce in all such matters,
j says, that the oil which flowed out of the fruit either sponta-
' iieously, or with little apj)liealion of the force of the |)ress, was
of a much finer flavour than that which was obtained other-
wise. — Qunniam lan:^e mcUoris saporis €-^t, (juod minore vi
frvli, qiiiin liixiiiian<, dcftiixcrit. — C'oi.iM. lib. xii. c. f)0.
7o cause the lainji to burn ah^-'n/s] niev were to be kept
burniuii' throuj^h the whole of ihi' ni.^lit; and, some think, all
the day iKsidts : but there is a dilterence of senlinienl upon
' this suhject. — Sec the note on the following ven^c.
^ This oil and continual flame, were not only emblematical of
[ the unction iUid influences oftlie Holy Ghost, hut also of that
; pure spirit of devotion, which ever animates the hearts and
I minds of the genuine wor>hippers of the true God. The
I temple of VF.>iT.\, where a fire was kept perpetually burnini>-,
seems to have been formed on the model of the tabernacle ;
and from this, the followers of Zeratusht, com;uonly called
Zoinustcr, appear to have derived their doctrine of the ^)fr/)e/;(«/
fire, fl lii<-h they still wor.shi)), as an emblem of the Deity.
Verse 21. The tabernacle of the congregation'] The place
where all the assembly of the ])eople were to worshi[); where
the (Jod of that assembly was ])leased to reside; and to which,
I as the habitation of their kini; and protector, they were ever to
turn their faces, in all their adoratif)ns.
Jiefo'-e tlie lesiiniori/] That is, the ark where the tables of
t'.ic (.'ovt nant were de|)0.ited. See chap. \xv. IG.
Aaron and his sont] 'ITiei-c and their de.-cendants bein^' the
only li jjitimalc pne.>t.s, God having establi>hed the i)rie?-tiiood
in this family.
.S7;«// order it from ctcniiii; to mornim;'] .Tosepluis says, the
•whole of the seven lamps burned all the nii;ht : in the niorii-
inn; foKr wci"c extinuuisl'.ed, and Mrfe kept burning through
the whole day. <')lhers assert that the whole seven were kept
lighted both day and niglit continually ; but it a]>pears sulH-
' ciently evident from 1 Sam. iii. 3. that these lamps were ex-
tinguislud in the morninp; : And ere the lamp of Cod wen! out
in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God ivas ; and
Samuel was laid down to sleep, SfC. See also <:ha|). xxx. 8.
And when Aaron i.igiiteth the lamps at even. It ajjjiears
therefore, that the bu>iness of the priests was to liylit the
lamps in the evening; and either to extinguish them in the
morning, or permit them to burn out ; having put in, the
ni^dit before, ;is much oil as was necessary to last till day-
light.
A statute for ever'] This ordering of the- lamps night and
morning, and attendance on the service of the tabernacle,
was a statute that was to be in full force while the ta-
bernacle and temi)le stood ; and should have its s]>iritual ac-
complishment in the Christian Church to the end of time.
Header, the tabernacle and temple are both destroyed ; the
A.M. '.'51).
D. C. It91.
1 r 1 i- H • 1 ,, . '^ An. Eiod. Isi.
l)ch)rc the l.oiu) : " it .shall be a
statute for ever unto their genera-
Sivan.
tions, on the behalf of the children of Israel.
" Ch. 28. io.'k 29. 0. 28. Lev. ;5. I7.5c 16. 3+. & 24. 9. Xurub. 18. S3.
k 1'.). 21. iSaiii. 30. <ib.
church of Chri.st is established in their place. The serpen
golden cmdlcstich were typical of this church and llie glo-
Irious light it jiossesses; Kev. i. 12 — 20. and J e.us Christ, the
i Fountain and ])ispenser of this true light, walks in the mid>t
I of them. Hast thou that celestial llame to enliglitcn and ani-
mate thy heart, in all lho~e acts of devotion, which thou pro-
jfe.ssest to pay to hiin as thy IMaker, Redeemer, and Preserver.'
I What is thy profession, and what, thy religious acts and ser-
I vices without this > A sounding bras.s — a tinkling cymbal.
I Tertullian asserts that all the ancient iieathens borrowed
their best notions from the Sacred Writings : " Which," says
he, " of your poets, which of your sophists have not drunk
from the fountain of the projihets r It is from those sacred
springs that your philoso])hers have refre.-hed their thii'sty spi-
rits : and if they found any thing in the Holy Scriptures which
hit their fancy, or which served their hypothesis, they took
and turned it to a compliance with their own curiosity ; not
con-idering those writings to be sacred and unalterable, nor
understanding their true sense, every one altering thein ac-
cording to his own fancy." Apologet.
The reader's attention has already been called to this point
several times in the ]>recedmg ];arts of thi,- work, and the sub-
ject will frequently recur. At the conclusion of chap. xxv. we
had occasion to observe, that the heathens had imitated many
things in that divine worship i)reseribed by Mose<; but in ap-
])licalion to their own corrupt system, every thing was in a
certain mea^ure falsified and di.-torted ; yet not so tar, as to pre-
vent the granil outlines of primitive truth from being discerned.
One of the most complete imitations of the tabernacle and its
whole service is found in the very ancient temple of llcrculeti,
founded jirobably liy the Phanicians, at Gades, now Cadiz in
Spain; so minutely described by Silius Itahcus I'rGin actual
observation. lie observes, that though the tein])le was at that
time very ancient, yet the beams were the same that had been
))laced there by the founders, and that they were generally
supposed to be incorruptible : a quality ascribed to the shittim
« ood, termed iv>.ov ectrnrrTov, incorruptible wood, by the Sep-
luagint. That women were not permitted to enter this temple,
and that no swine were ever siiilered to ci;me near it. That
the priests did not wear parti-c -loured vestments, but were
always clothed in Jhic linen, and their bonnets made of the
same. That they offered incense to their god, their clothes
being nngirded —i'or the same reason doubtless given chap.
XX. 26. that in going up to the altar nothing unseemly might
appear ; and therefore they permitted their long robes to fall
down to their feet. He adds, that by the laws of their fore-
fathers, they bore on their sacerdotal j'estments the latus clai-us,
which was a round knob or stud of purpk, with which the
robes of the Roman knights and senators were adorned ; whicli
these priests seem to liavc cojiied from the bnast-platc ofjudg-
Mfn^made of eimiiing work, embroidered with /ii«/)/e, blue, &c.
sec d). \xvui. I j. They also miniitered bare^footed, their hair
Aaron and his sons to be consecrated
EXODUS.
to the priesCs office.
was trimmed or cut ofl", and Ibey observed the strictest conlinency;
and kept a perpelaal fire burnina; on their altars. And he
further add?, that lliere was no imas;^ or similitude of the gods
to be seen in tliat sacred place. This is the substance of his
description : but as some of my readers may wish to see the
.original, I shall here subjoin it.
Vidgatum (ncc cassa fides) ah origine funi
Impositas durare Irabes, solasque per tcvum
Condentum novisse manus: Itic credere gaudent
Consedisse Dcum, seniiiiiiqiie repelhre templis.
TiDii, qiiei"! fas et lionos adyti penetralia nosse,
Fannmeos prohibenl gressus, ac limine curant
Scetigeros arcere sues : nee discolor ulli
Ante aras ciiliiis : velantur corpora lino,
Et Pelusiaco pnifulget stamine vertex.
I)iscinctis mos tura dare, atque e lege parenlum
Sacnficaui LATO vesteni distirizu.ere CLAVO.
Pes nudus, tonsaeque comsE, castumque cubile,
Irrestincta /ociV, servant ultaria flammas.
Sed nulla efligies, simuiacrave nota Deorum
Blajeslate locum, et sacro iniplcvere timorc.
Punicor. lib. iii. ver. 17 — 31.
This is such a remarkable case, that I think myself justified
in quoting it at length, as an extraordinary monument, though
corrupted, of the tabernacle and its service. It is probable
that the original founders had consecrated this temple to the
true God, under the name of 7N KL, the strong God, or ni3J IX
EL GIBBOR, the strong, prevailing, and victorious God, Isai.
ix. 5. out of whom the Greeks and Romans made their
Hercules, or god of strength : and to make it agree with this
appropriation, the labours of Hercules, were sculptured on tlie
doors of this temple at Gades.
In foribus labor Alcidx Lemma recisis
Anguibus Hydi'ajacct, Sec. &c.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Aaron and his sons are set apart for the priests' office, 1. Garments to he provided for them, 1, 3. What these gar^
merits zeere, 4, and of ti hat made, 5. I'/fe ephod, its shoulder pieces and girdle, 6 — 8. The fzco ony.x stones,
on zdiich the names of the tivehe tribes zc^ere to be engraven, 9 — ^4. The breastplate of judgment, its twelve ^
precious stones, engravi)tg, rings, chains, and its use, 15 — 29- 3Vie Urim «wrf Thummim, .'30. The robe of the
epliod, its border, bells, pomegranates, 6ic. and their use, 31 — .35. The plaie of pure gold, and its motto, od,
to be placed on Jaron's mitre, 37,38. TZ/e embroidered coat /or ^nroH, 39.- Coats, girdles, and bonnets, 40.
Aaron and his sons to be anointed for the priests' office, 41. Other arUcles of clothing, and their i/ve, 4'2, 4.''.
A.M. 2Si:3.
B. C. 1J91.
Au. Exod. I jr.
1.
Sivan.
A
ND take thou unto thee " Aaron
thy brother, and his sons with
him, from among the children of Is-
rael, that he may minister unto me
•Numb. 18. r. Ecclus. 45.6. Hebr. 5.1,4. '■ch. 29. 5,29. & 31.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXVUI.
Verse I . Aaron — and liis sons] The priesthood was to be
restrained to this family, because the public worship was to
be confined to one place ; and, ■ previously to this, the eldest
in every family officiated as priest, there being no settled
place of worship. It has been very properly observed, that if
Aloses had not acted by the divine appointment, he would not
have pas.sed by his own family, which continuetl in the con-
<lition of ordinary Levites ; and established the priesthood,
the only dignity in tlie nation, in the family of his brotiier
Aaron. " The priests, however, had no power of a secular
nature ; nor does it appear from hi.>-tury, that they ever ar-
rived at any, till the time of the Asmoneans or Maccabees."
See the note on chap. xix. 22.
Verse 2. For glort/ and for beauty] Four articles of dress
were prescribed for the priests in ordinary; and four more
fcr tlie hi^di priest. Those tor the priests in general, were a
A. M. 'J.il.i.
B.C. j'lyi.
in the priest's office, even Aaron,
Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar pnd Itha- ^^^^ ].;,od.i.r.
mar, Aaron's sons. ij_^
2 % And " thou shalt make holy — '— —
10. & 39. 1, 2. Lev. 8. 7, 30. Numb. 20. 26, 28. Ecclas. 45. 7, 8.
coat, drawers, a girdle, and a bonnet. Besides these, the
high priest had a robe, an ephod, a breastplate, and a plate or
diadem of gold on his forehead. The garments, says the
sacred historian, were for honour and for beauty. They were
emblematical of the office in which they ministered. 1. It
was honourable. They were the ministers of the Most High;
and employed by him in transacting the most important con-
cerns between God and his people; concerns in which all
tlie attributes of the Divine Being were interested, as well as
those which referred to the present and eternal hajipiness of
his creatures. 2. They were for beaiay. They were em-
blematical of that holiness and purity which ever characterize
tlic divine nature, and the worship which is worthy of him;
and which are essentially necessary to all those who wisli to
serve him in the beauty of holiness here btlow ; and without
which none can ever see his face in the realm* of glory.
Should not the garments of all those who minister in holy
5
Concern'iug the artijicers
CHAP. XXVI ri
A.M.ai.5. garments for Aaron tliy brother, ibr '| filled with tlio spirit of wisdom, that a.m.sm,-
B.C. an.
An. Exdd Isr.
I.
Shttn.
glory and for beauty
3 And ' thou shalt speak unto all
that are wise hearted, "^ whom I have
fo he employed in the tvorh
i' wisdom, that
thov niav make Aaron's garments to
consecrate him, that he may minister
unto mc in the priest's office.
All. Exod.lsr.
1.
Sii'in.
' Ch. Si. 6. U as. 31—35. & 36. 1, 2. Isni. 28. 24— S9.
fli'mcfs still be cmhlematical of the things in which they
minister ? Sbonkl tlu^y not be (or f^hty and beauty, ex-
prci-ivc of the dignity of llie ^^o,<pel ministry, and llial beauty
of lioliue>s, without which none can see the Lord } As the
hi^h-priest's veslmenis, under tlie law, were emblematical of
wiiat vias to come, should not the vestments of the ministers of
the gospel, bear some resemblance of what is come ? Is then
tlie dismal black, now worn by almost all kinds of priests and
niinislers, for ^tori/ and beauli/ ? Is it emblematical of any
j thing that is jjood, glorious, or e.\cellent \ How unbecoming
1 of tlie glad tidings announced by Christian ministers, is a
colour, emblematical of nothing but mourning and woe, sin,
desolation, and deatli ? How inconsistent the habit and of-
Ijlce of these men ? Should it be said, " these are only sha-
\ioM:s, and are useless, because the substance is come." I ask,
twhy then is black almost universally worn.' why is a parti-
Icuiar colour preferred, if there be no signification in any ? Is
'tliere not a danger, that in our zeal against sliadoii's, we shall
fdestroy, or es.sentially change the substance itself? ^\'ould
I niJt the same sort of argumentation exclude ivater in baptism,
I and bread and li-ine in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper .'
; The u)hite surplice, in the service of the Church, is almost the
I only thing', that remains of those ancient and becoming vcst-
i ments, which God commanded to be made for glory and
■ beauty. Clothing, emblematical of office, is of more conse-
j quence than is generally imagined. \\ ere the great officers
j of the crown, and the great officers of justice, to clothe them-
selves like the common people, when they appear in_ their
I public capacity, both their persons and their decisions would
i be soon held in little estimation.
\'erse 3. Whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom^ .So
we find that ingenuity in arts and sciences, even those of the
ornamental kind, comes from God. It is not intimated here,
that these persons were Tilled with the spirit of wisdom for
this purpose only ; for the direction to Moses is, to select those
whom he found to be expert artists ; and those who were
»ufh, God shew.e, by these words, had derived their know-
ledge from him.self. Every man should be permitted, as far
as possible, to tbilow the bent or direction of his own genius,
when it evidently leads him to neiv inventions, and improi-e-
tncnis on old plajis. llow much has both the labour of men
and cattle been lessened, by improvements in machinery !
And can we say that the wisdom, which found out these im-
I provements, did not come from God ? No man by course
of reading, or study, ever acquired a genius of this kind : wc
call it natural, and say it was born with the man : Moses
teaches us to consider it as divine. Who taught NkWTON
I to ascertain the laws, by which God governs the universe;
I through which discovery, a new source of profit and pleasure
has been opened to mankind, through every part of the civi-
Ii;;cd world } No reading, no study, no exainplcj formed his
» Cli. 31. 3. ti 35 30, 31. Deiit. 3-1. 9. J.iii!. 1. 17.
genius. God, who made him, q^ve him that compass and
bent of mind, by whxh lie made those discoveries; and for
which his name is celebrated in the earth. \Vhen I see Na-
PEIR inventing the logarithms; COPERMCLS, Des CakteS,
and Keple a, contributing to pnll down the faUe systems of the
un'werse, and 'Newton demoitstraiitig the true one; and when I
see the long list of PATENTEES of useful inventions, by whose
industry and skill, long and tedious processes in the necessary
arts of life have been sliortcncd, labour greatly lessened, and
much lime and expense saved ; I then see with Mose-s men
who are wise-hearted, whom God has filled W'ith the spirit of
wisdom for these very purposes ; that he might help man by
man, and that as time rolls on, he might give to his intel-
ligent creatures, such proofs of his Being, infinitely varied wis-
dom, and gracious providence, as should cause them to depend
on him, and give him that glory which is due to his name.
How pointedly does the jiiophet Isaiah refer to this sort of
teaching, as coining from God, even in the most common,
and less diihcult arts of life. The whole passage is wortliy
of the reader's most .serious attention.
" Doth the plowman plow all day to sow ? doth he open
and break the clods of his ground ? When he hath made
plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches,
and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat, and
the appointed barley, and the rye in their place .? For HIS
Gon DOTH instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing-instrument,
neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin ; but
the fitches are beaten out with a stall", and the cummin with
a rod. Bread corn is bruised ; because he will not ever be
threshing it, nor break it with die \\heel of his cart, nor bniise
It with his horsemen. This also cometh forth from the LoitD
of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, arid excellent in work-
ing." See Isai. x.'cviii. 24 — 29.
This principle, that God is the author of all arts and sci-
ences, is too little regarded: Every good gift, and every per-
fect gift, says St. .lames, comes from abore, from jl he I'-».THEll
of LKSIIT.-^. 'Why has God constructed every part of nature
! with such a ])iofiiiion of reconouiy and skill, if he intended,
this .skill should never be discovered by man, or that man
should not attempt to examine his works in order to find them
out ? From the works of CREATION, what proofs, astonish-
ing and overwhelming proofs, both to believers and iiifideb,
have been drawn l)oth of the nature, Benig, attributes, and
provi<lence of God ! \V'hat dejnonstrations of all tliese have
the Archbishop of Cambray, Dr. Nieuwcntyt, Dr. Dcrham,
and Mr. Charles Bonnet, given in their phdosophical works !
And who gave those men this wisdom .' GOD, from whom
alone MIND, and all its attributes proceed. While we see
Count de Buffon and Swammerdam examining and Iracinfj
out all the curious relations, connections, and laws of the
a G
The breastplate, ephod, rohc.
A. M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An. Exod. Isr.
1.
Sivan.
4 And these are the garments which
they shall make ; " a breastplate, and
^ an ephod, and " a robe, and '^ a broi-
dered coat, a mitre, and a girdle:
and they shall make lioly garments for Aaron
thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister
imto me in the priest's office.
5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and
purple, and scarlet, and fine linen:
EXODUS. mitre, girdle, <§r. &;c,
6 ^ ' And they shall make the
ephod of gold, of blue, and of pur-
ple, if scarlet, and fine twined linen,
with cunning work.
7 It shall liave the two shoulder pieces there-
of, joined at the two edges thereof; and .so it
shall be joined together
Ver. 15. *■ ver. 6. "^ ver. 31.
-" ver. 39. E.tod. 39, 2—21.
ANIMAL kingdom; — Toumeforl, Rtty, and Linne, those of the
VEGETABLE; — T/ieophriisliis, IVer/ier, Kl'iproth, Cronslcd\3'Ior-
t-eau, Reaumur, Kirwan, atid a host of philosophical chemists,
Boeihaare, Boyle, Stahl, Piiesllej/, Lavoisier, Fourcroy, and
Black, those of the MINERAL; — the discoveries they have
made, the latent and important properties of vegetables and
minerals which they have developed, the powerful machines
■which, through their discoveries, have been constructed, by the
operations of whicli, the human slate is restored to his own
place in society, the brute saved from his destructive toil in
our manufactories, and inanimate, unfeeling NATURE caused
to perform the work of all these better, more expeditiously, and
to much more profit, shall we not say, that the hajid of GOD
is in all tliis } He alone girded those eminent men, though
many of them knew him not ; lie inspired tiiem with wisdom
and "understanding; by his all-pervading and all-informing
Spirit, he opened to them the entrance of the palhsof thedeptiis
of science ; guided them in their researches ; opened to them suc-
cessively, more and more of his astonishing treasures ; crowned
their persevering industry with his blessing, and made them
his ministers for good to mankind. The antiquary and the me-
</«/«< are also his agents: their discernment and penetration
come from him alone. By them, how many dark ages of
tlie world have been brought to light, how many names of
men and places, how many customs and arts that were lost,
restored ! And by tlieir means, a few huits, images, stones,
bricks, coins, rings, and culinary utensils, the remaining wrecks
of long passed numerou.? centuries, have supplied the place of
written documents, and cast a profusion of light on the history
of man, and the history of providence ! And let me add,
that the providence, which preserved these materials, and raised
up men to decypher and explain them, is, itself, gloriously
illustrated by them.
Of all those men, and the noble list might be greatly swelled,
■we may say the same that Moses said of Bezaleel and Aho-
liub. GOD hath filled them with the spirit of God, in wisdom,
and in understanding, and in knowledge ; and in all manner of
workmanship, to devise cunning works ; to work in GOLD, and
in SILVER, and in BRASS, in CUTTING of STONES, CARVING
o/Tl.MBEU, an(i W ALL MANNER <i/ WORKMANSHIH. Chap.
xxxi. 3 — 6. The WORKS of the Lord are great ; sought out
ef all them that have pleasure therein. Psal. cxi. 2.
Verse 4. Breast-plate] JlTH choshcn. See on chap, xxv. 7.
Ephod] nas bee the note on chap, xxv, 7.
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 14M.
An.Exod. Isr
1.
Sivan.
8 And the 'curious girdle of the ephod, which
is upon it, shall be of the same, according to
= Ch. 39. 2, 4, 27, 29.-
' OT.emhroUcretl cli. 39. 20. Isai. 11. 5. Rev. 1.13.'
Rohc] "j't'D mt'il, from Thy alah, to [^o up, go upon ; hence
the mcil may be considered as an upper coat, a surtout. It is
described by Josepluis as a garment that reached down to the
feet, not made of two distinct pieces, liut was one entire long
garment, woven throughout. Tliis was immediately under 1
the ephod. See on ver. 31, &c.
Broidered coal] j'aUTI Piiro cetonel tashhcts, what Parkluirit
translates a close straight coat or garment : — according to ,lo-
sephus, " a tunic circumscribing, or closely encompassing the
body, and having tight sleeves for the arms." This was im-
mediately under the tneii or robe, and answered the same,
purpose to the priests, that our shirts do to us. See on ver. 1 3.
3Titre] n£JSO mitsnepheth. As this word comes from the
root ri^i* tsanaph, to roll or wrap round, it evidently means
that covering of the head so universal in the Eastern countries,
which we call turband, or turhant, corrupted from the Per-
sian tXloJ %3 doolhend, which signifies what encompasses and
binds the head or body ; and hence is applied not only to
this covering of the head, but to a sash in general. As the
Persian word is compounded of \.^ dool or dawal, a revo-
lution, ricissitude, ivheel, &c. and ,J>jij binden, to bind; it is
very likely that the Hebrew words in dur, to go round, and
t3J3 henet, a bund, may have been the original of doolhend
and turbant. The turbant consists generally of two parts,
the cap, which goes on the head ; and the long sash, of mus-
lin, linen, or silk, that is wrapped round the head. The.se
sashes are generally several yards in length.
A girdle] tjJ3X abnet, a belt or girdle : see before. This
seems to have been the same kind of sash or girdle, so com-
mon in the Eastern countries, that confined the loose garments
;ibout the waist ; and in which their long skirts were tucked
up, when they were employed in work, or on a journey.
After being tied round the waist, the two ends of it fell down
before, to the skirts of their robes.
Verse 8. The curious girdle of the ephod] The word aCTI
chosheb, rendered here curious girdle, signifies merely a kind
of diaper or embroidered work ; see the note on chap. xxvi. 1.
and is widely different from 13J2N abnet, which is properly
translated girdle, ver. 4. The meaning, therefore, of the
text, according to some, is this, that the two pieces, ver. 7.
which connected the parts of the ephod at the shoulders,
where the onyx stones were set, should be of the same tex-
ture with the ephod itself, i. e. of gold, blue, purple, scarlet^
A.M. 551.";.
H.C. UPl.
The shoulder -pieces and itco onyx stones. CHAP. XXVIII. The 12 precious stonesfor the breaslplafe.
tlic work thereof; cvoi of gold, o/j
blue, and purple, and scarlet, and j
tine twined linen. j
9 And thou shalt take two onj-x
stones, and grave on them the names of the i
children of Israel :
of the ephod thou shalt make it ; of
gold, o/bhic, and o/' pumle, and of . ^ ,,
scarlet, and o/ nne twined hnen, i.
shalt thou make it.
Sil'ail.
10 Six of their names on one stone, and the
other six names of the rest, on the other stone,
according to their birth.
11' With the work of an engraver in stone,
lihe the engravings of a signet, shalt thou en-
grave the two stones with the names of the |
children of Israel : thou shalt make them to be j
set in ouches of gold. ]
12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon'
the shoulders of the ephod Jbr stones of me-
morial unto the children of Israel : and '' Aax'on
shall bear their names before the Lord, upon
his two shoulders, "^ for a memorial.
!j 13 And thou shalt make ouches of gold ;
I 14 And two chains <if pure gold at the J
^cnds ; of wreathen work shalt thou make
•them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the
icuches. I
15 % And "thou shalt make the breastplate,
of judgment witli ctnuiing work; after the work
•Wisd. 18. £1.-
or. £9. cli. 39. 7 < See .losh.
" oil. 33. li.
'I. 7. Zech. C. 14.-
IC Fourscpiare it shall be, bei7}g doubled ; a
span shall he the length thereof, and a span
shall be the breadth thereof.
17 'And thou .shalt 'set in it settings of stones,
even four rows of stones : the Jirst row shall be a
' sardius, a topaz, a carbuncle : this shall be the
first row.
IS And the second row shall be an emerald,
a .sapphire, and a diamond.
19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and
an amethyst.
20 And tlic fourth row a beryl, and an onyx,
and a jasper : they shall be set in gold in tlieir
'' inclosings.
21 And the stones shall be with the names of
the children of Israel, twelve, according to their
names, like the engravings of a signet ; every
one with his name shall they be according tQ
the twelve tribes.
22 And thou shalt make upon the breast-
plate, chains at the ends of wreathen work, of
^lure gold.
and fine tivincd linen, enibroiJered together. Rut others stip-
jiosc, that soin.c kind ol a gh'ille is meant, diderent from tlie
abnet, ver. 39. bcinij only of pluin Morkmanship. I
Verse 9. T\!:o onjv stones] .See on chap. xxv. 7. '
Verse 1 1 . Like the engratlngs of a signttl So, signets or '
seals were in use at this time, and tn^}-nvi»g on precious stones, '
was then an art ; and this art, which was one of the most i
degant and onianientai, was carried, in ancient times, to a !
very high pitch of perfection, and particularly among the |
ancient Gretks ; sucli a pitch of perfection, as has never been
rivalled, and carmot now, he t:\ar \\d\ imitcded. And it is !
very likely, that the Greeks themselves, borrowed this art from j
the ancient JItbreios, as we know it tlonrislied in Egypt and '
Palestine, long before it was known in (Jrccce. I
Verse 12. Aaron shell bear their names before the Lord]'
He was to considei-, tliat he was the rcpresentati-e of the
children of Israel ; and the stones on the ephod, and the
stones on the breast-plate, were for a memorial, to put Aaron 1
in remembrance, that he was the priest and mediator of the
twelve tribes; and, speaking after the manner of men, God
was to be put in mind of the children of Israel, their wants, |
&e. as frequently as the high-priest appeared before him with
the breast-plate and the cphud. — See ver. 29.
Vtrst; 1 J. Ouches of gold] nsycn mishebetsolh, strait ylaccu
' Ch. 39. 10, &c.-
-' Heh. fill it lit fdtim^s of stone.
" Heh. JiUings.
! Or, rubu.-
soektts to insert the stones in, from J'3U? shabals, to close, in-
close, sti-ailen. Socket, in this place, would be a more pro-
per translation, as ouch cannot be traced up to any legitimate
authority. It appears sometimes to signify a hook or some
mode of attaching things together.
Verse 1 5. Tlic breaslplate of judgment] t3£"i'0 JliTI choshen
mishput, the same as the JUTl choshen, see chap. xxv. 7. but
here called the breastplate of judgment, because the high-
priest «ore it upon his breast, when he went to ask counsel
of the Lord, to give judgment in any particular case. As
also when he sat as judge to teach the law, and to determine
controversies. See Lev. x. 1 1. Deut. xvii. 8, 9.
Verse 16. Foursquare shall it be] Here we have the exact
dimensions of this breastplate, or more properly breast-piece,
or stomacher. It was a span in length and breadth when
doubled, and consequently two spans long, one \iay, before
it was doubled. 15etween these doublings, it is supposed,
the Urim and Thummim were placed. See on ver. 30.
Verse 17. Four rovis of stones] With a name on each
stone, making in all, the twelve names of the twelve tribes.
And as these were disposed according to their birth, ver. 10.
we may suppose thej' stood in this order, the stones being
placed also in the order in which they are produced, ver.
17—20.
3 G 2
A.M. asis.
B.C. i4in.
An.Exiid. Isr.
1.
The rings, 'ivreathen chains, ^c,
23 And thou shalt make upon the
breastplate " two rings of gold, and
1. shalt put the two rings oa the two
ends of the breastplate.
24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains
of gold in the two rings, uhich are on the ends
of the breastplate.
'25 And the other two ends of the two ''wrcath-
" Ch. 25. 11—15. ^ cii. S'8. 14. & 39. 15.
EXODUS. of the breastplate.
£n chains, thou shalt fasten in the
two ouches, and put //.c'?h on the
shoulderpieces " of the cphod before
it.
26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold,
and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of
the breastplate, in the border thereof, which is
in the side of the ephod, inward.
A.M. s:.ia
B.C. Mill.
tin Kmid.Ur,
1.
Sivitn,
' Cli. al 7, 2). U 39. 4,
Upon a
Upon an
Upon
Upon a
Sardius or Rtibif
Topaz
Carbuncle
JlmeralJ
Sapphire
Diamond
Ligure or Jasyncth
Agate
Amethyst
Beryl or Cliri/solile
Onyx or Sardonyx
Jasper
riusT ROW.
was cngravt-n lleuben p1S1«
Simeon JVOIi'
r Levi 'iS I
SRCOND ROW. > Sons of Leah,
was engraven Jiidali n"I\T
■ — - Issachar nsc'tt''
• Zcbulun jSdT-
TIURD ROW.
was engraven Dan
- — Napthal
• Gad
roURTH ROW. r
was engraven Asher '1CN J
Joseph fiDV ) r. r T> 1 1
1} • • -.J .- 1 -^ons of Kachel
Uenjamm J'O'JS )
■ ,U-,I,. f Sons of Bilhah, Kachel's moid.
Sons of Zilpah, Leah's maid.
In this order, the .lews in general agree to place them ; see
the Jerusakin Targiim on tliis place ; and the Targian upon
Canticles v. 14. and see also Ainsworlh. The Targum of
Jonathan says, " these four rows were placed opposite to the
i'our quarters of the world;" but this could only be when
laid down horizontally, for when it hung on the breast of the
High-priest, it could have had no such position. As it is
diflicult to ascertain in every case, what these precious stones
were, it may be necessary to consider this suliject more at
large.
1. A Sardius, a"!X odem, from the root adam, he was
ruddy; the ruby, a beautiful gem of a fine deep red colour.
The sardius, or surdie .stone, is defined to he a precious stone
of a blood red colour, tiie best of which come from Babylon.
2. A Topaz, n-it03 pitdak, a precious stone of a pale dead
green, with a mixture o^ yellow ; sometimes of a fine yellow,
and hence it was called ckrysoUic by the ancients, from its
gold colour. It is now considered by mineralogists as a va-
riety of the sapphire.
3. Carbunx^LH, nnia bareket, from rro harak to lighten,
glitter, or glister, a very elegant gem of a deep red colour,
with an adniiNtiire of scarlet. From its bright lively colour,
it had the name carlmncuhis, which signifies a little coal; and
anioog the Greeks, avS^a^ anthrax a coal, because when held
before the sun, it appears like a piece of bright burning
charcoal. It is found only in the East Indies, and there but
rarely.
4. Emerald, "^SO nophec, the same with the ancient Sma-
ragdus ; it is one of the most beautiful of all the gems, and
is of a bright green colour without any other mixture. The
true orient.d emerald is very scarce, and is only found at pre-
sent m the kingdom of Cambay.
5. Sapphire, TSD saphir. See this described, chap. xxiv.
ver. 10.
6. Diamond, Z^ni yahalom, from oSn halam, to beat, or
smite upon; the diamond is supposed to have this name from
its resistance to a blow, for the ancients have assured us, that
if it be struck with a hammer, upon an anvil, it will not
break, but either break them, or sink into the surface of that
which is softest. This is a complete fable ; as it is well
known that the diamond can be easily broken, and is capa-
l)le of being entirely volatilized or consumed by the action of
fire. It is however the hardest, as it is the most valuable of
all the precious stones hitherto discovered, and one of the most
inflammable substances in nature.
7. Ligure, ^JWh leshem, the same as the jasyncth, or hya-
cinth, a precious stone of a dead red colourj with a consider-
able mixture of yellow.
8. Agate, laii' shebo, this is a stone that assume.? such a va-
riety of hues and appearances, that Mr. Parkhurst ;hinks it de-
rives its name from the root 3!!^ shab, to turn, to change, " as
from the circumstance of the agate changing its appearance
without end, it might be called the varier." Agates are met
with so variously figured in their substance, that they seem
3
Anron is to ivear the hreastphtc.
CHAP. XXVIII.
The Urini and Thiinmum.
A.M.eM.i. 27 And two other riiigs of gold
,. , , thou shalt make, and shall put them
All. I.S'lJ. IM. ., . , /^ .1 , '■ ,
JVC. IWl.
1.
on the two sidos of the cphod, under-
ncath, toward the forepart thereof j
over ag'ainst the other coupling thereof, above
the curious girdle of the ephod.
28 And they sliall bind the breastplate by
the rings thereof, unto the rings of the cphod
>vi(h a lace of bhie, that // may be above the
curious girdle of the ephod, and that the
A.M.l.',-,),5.
)!. C. 1191.
All. E.\od.I«r.
11 breastplate be not loosed from the
ephod.
ji 29 And Aaron .sliall bear llie nar^cs
;jof vlie chil(h-cn of Isniel in the ^•'""'-
jl breastplate of judgment, upon lifs heart, vlicn
he goetli in unto the holy place, 'for a memo-
l| rial before the Loitn cinitinually.
jj 30 ^ And '' thou shalt put in the breastplate
of judgment, the Urim and tlic Tluunrnimj and
they f?hall be upon Aaron's heart, A\hcn he
• V.T. 12 -
-i-Lev. 8. B. Kuinb. 2". 21. ])eiil. ."»3. 8.
1 Sam. 21i. (>. T.Tva. S. 63. Neli. 7. 6.5. Tccliis. •l.j. 10.
to rrprcscnt the sky, the stars, clouds, carlh, water, rock?, vil-
lagis, Inrds, trtcs, flowers, nun, aiu! nnimals of (litFtreni kinds.
Agates have a v:hiie, reddidit, yellowish or precnifh prounti. i
They are only varieties of the Jlint, and the lowest in value
of all the precious .stones. |
9. AiMETHVST, toShj* achflamah, a gem generally of a'
\ purple colour, composed of" a strong blue and deep red. The i
I oriental anieihyft is of a dove Colour, though some arc purple, j
I' and other ivliite like diamonds. The name ameihi/st is Greek, j
I a/xtQua-ro;, and it was so called, because it was supposed that |
, it prevented inebrialion.
10. '1 he 13ei;vi.. tt^'unn ?«rs/i/»A. Mr. Paikluirst derives
this name from in tar to go round, and U'U? sh:ts to he tizid
I or bright in colour. If the beryl be inteiKled, it is a pellucid
gem of a blueish green colour, found in the East Indies, and
about the gold mines of Peru. But some of tiie most learned
mineralogists and critics, suppose iXu- cliry.<!olite to he meant ;
This is a gem of a yel/oiviih gr^'tn colour, and ranks at pre-
sent, amono' the topazes. Its name in Greek chrysolite, ;^fi/-
ccM^^oi literally signifies the golden stone.
11. The O.NVX, CDrW shoham. See the notes on Gen.
Ji. 12. ExocL XXV. 7. There are a great number of different
I seniiments on the meaning of liie original ; it has been trans-
I lated beryl, emerald, prasius, sapphire, surdius, ruby, carne-
lian, onyx and sardonyx. It h hkely that the name may sig-
nify both the onyx, and sardonyx. This la''' :' stone is a mix-
ture of the chalcedony and c«rHe/ian,. ■sometimes in strata, at other
times blended together, and is found striped with itA^Ve and
red strat;;, or layers. It is generally allowed, thai there is no
real difii.rence, except in the degree of hardness, betiveen (he
onyx, carneliiin, chalcedony, sardonyx and agate. It is well
known that the onyx is of a darkish horny colour, resembling
the hoofov nail, from whicli circumstance, it has its name. It
has often a jilate of a blueish white or red in it, and \\ hen on one
or both sides of this white, diere appears a plate of a reddish co-
lour, the jewellers, says Woodward, call the stone a sardonyx.
12. .I.ASPEIi, r\t',y^ yas'ipeh. The similarity of the Hebrew
name, has determined most critics and mineralogists to adopt
t\wjafper, as intended by the original word. 'Vhe Ji:sper is
usually defin d, A haid stone, of a bright beautiful green co-
lour; sometimes clouded with vjhile, and spotted with red or
yellow. Mineralogists reckon not less than fifteen varieties of
this stone, \. green, 2. red, 3. yellow, 4. broun, 5. violet, 6.
black; 1, blueish gray, S. milky white, D, variegated vthh green,
red, and yellow clouds, lu. '^rern with red sjiecks, i i. tei'ied
with various colours, apparently in the form of letters, 12.
with variously coloured zones, 13. with various colours, mixed
witiioul any order, 14. with many colours tojycther, 15. mixrd
with particles of agate.
In examining what has been said on these difTereiit precious
stones, by the best critics, I have adopted such explanations,
as appeared to me, to be best justified by the meaning and
use of the original words j but I caniiot say, that the stones
which I have described, are preci.'cly those intended bv the
terms in the Hebrew Text; nor can I take upon me to assert,
that the tribes are arranged exactly in the manner mtended
by INIoses; for as these tilings arc not laid down in the Text,
in such a way as to preclude all mistake, some things must
be left to conjecture. Of several of these stones many fabu-
lous accounts are given by the ancients, and indeed by the
modems also : these I have in general omitted, because they
are fabulous; as also all spiritual meanings, which others
have found so plentit'uUj' in each stone, because I consider
some of them puerile, all futile, and not a few, dangerous.
Verse 30. Thou shalt put in the breast-plate — the URIM and
TIIU.M.MIM] ^Vhat these were, has, I believe, never yet been
discovered. 1. They are no where described. 2. There u
no direction given to Moses, or any other, hm:,' to make them.
3. ^Vll:ltevcr tlicy were, they do not appear to have been
made on this occasion. 4. Il' they were the work of man at
all, they must have been articles in the ancient tabernacle,
matters used by the patriarclts, and not here particularly des-
cribed, because well kno\wi. 5. It is probable, that nothing
material is designed. This is the opinion of some of the
Jewish doctors. Kabbi Menachcm on this Chapter savs,
" The Urim and Tlumiinim «cre not the work of the .irtificer;
neither had the artificei's, nor the congregation of Israel in
them any work, or any voluntary ottering: but they were a
mystery delivered to Moses from the mouth of God; or they
were the work of God himself; or a measure of the Holy
Spirit." C. 'J hat God was often consulted by Vrim and
Thummim, is sufliciently evident from sercra/ scriptures; but
how, or in wbat manner lie was thus consulted, appears in
none. 1. 1 his mode of consultation, whatever it was, does
not appear to have been in use from the consecration ol' Solo-
mon's temple, to the time of its destruction; and after il*
destruction, it is never once mentioned. Hence the .lews
say, that the five following things, which were iu the fir»f
The robe of the ephod,
goeth in before the Lord : ' and Aa-
ron shall bear the judgment of the
children of Israel upon his heart, be-
fore tlie Lord continually.
31 ^ And "thou shalt make the robe of the
cphod all o/'blue.
A.M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An.Exod.lsr.
- 1.
Sivan.
EXODUS. and its 'woven *worJc
32 And there shall be a hole in the
top of it, in the midst thereof: it
shall have a binding of woven work
round about the hole of it, as it were
the hole of an "^ habergeon, that it be not rent.
33 And beneath, upon the '* hem of it, thou
» Zecli. 6. 13. 2 Cor. 7. 3. Mcb. 2. 17. " CIi. 39. 22. Lev. 8. 7.
temple, were wanting in tlie .^ecoml. " 1. The ark with tlie
mercy seal, and cherubim, 2. Tlie fire whicli came down
from heaven. 3. The Shechinah, or divine presence. 4. The
Holy Spirit, i. e. the gift of propliecy. 5. And the Urim
and T/tuiiniiim."
8. As the word rrjmx ttrim signifies LIGHTS, and the word
D'On tummim PERFECTIONS ; they were probably designed
to point out the Ught, the abundant information in spiritual
things, afforded by the wonderful revelation which God made
of himself by, and under the LAW ; and the perfection, entire
holiness, and strict conformity to himself, which tliis dispensa-
tion required ; and which are introduced and accomplished by
that dispensation of lii^ht and truth, the GOSPEL, wliich was
prefigured and pointed out by the law, and its sacrifices, &cc.
and in this light, the subject has been viewed by the Vulgate,
where the words are translated Doclrina et Veritas, doctrine
and truth; a system of teaching, proceeding from t7-uth itself.
The Septuaarint translate the original by '^riXacn; Ka\ aAnflfio:,
the manifistiition and the truth ; meaning probably the mani-
festation which God made of himself to Moses and tiie Is-
raelites, and the truth whicli he had revealed to them ; of
which this breastplate should be a continual memorial.
All the other versions express nearly the same things, and all
refer to intellectual and spiritual subjects such as //"/(.', truth,
manifcstalion, doctrine, perfection, &c. &c. not one of them
supposing that any thing material is intended. The Samaritan
Text is however different ; it adds here a whole clause not found
in the Hebrew: amiSA^f AUX aflT^A-S AA- Am"^VX
veusita et ha-urimveet ha-tummim. Thou shalt make the Urim
and the Thumnnm.- If this reading be admitted, the Urim
and Thnmmim were manufactured on this occasion, as well
as the other articles. However it be, they are indescribable
and unknown.
The manner in which the Jews suppose that the enquiry
■was made by Urim and Thummim, is the following: —
*' When they enquired, the priest stood with his ihce before
the ark ; and he that enquired, stood behind him, with his
face to the back of the priest. And the enquirer said, Shall I go
tip? or. Shall I not go up ? And forthwith the Holy Ghost
came upon the jiriest, and he beheld the breastplate, and saw
therein, by the vision of prophecy, Go up, or. Go not up, in
the letters whiih shewed forth themselves upon the breastplate,
before his face." Sec Numb, xxvii. 18,21. Judg. i. 1. xx.
18, 28. I .Sam. xxiii. 9 — 12. xxviii. 6. And see /linsieorth.
It was the letters that formed the names of the livelve tribes
upon the breastplate, wliich the .lews suppose, were used in a
miraculous way, to give answers to the eiK|uirers. Thus
when Pavid consulted the Lord wliether be should go into a
A.M. 2513.
B. C. U91.
Au.Excid.lw.
1.
Sivaii.
' Ch. 39. 23.-
-■i Or, skirts, ch. 39. 21—26.
city of .ludea, three letters which constituted the word nSj?
dlah GO, rose up, or became prominent in the names on the
breastplate; J? a in from the name of Simeon, 7 lamed from
the name of Levi, and n he from the name of Jtidah. But
this supposition is without proof
Among the Egyptians, a breastplate, something like that
of tlie .Icwish high-priest, was worn by the president of t!ie
courts of justice. Diodorus Siculus has these words, E<po^tt.,
5'ouTo; CTEpi rov Tfa;%>!Xov ex. xfVTn; dxuTEcc^ JifTtj/xEVOv (a^tw
r'jiv TTo'KuTiXav M9av, 0 Tr^oanyo^iuov AAH0EIAN. " He bore
about his neck a golden chain, at which hung an imaije sf t about
or composed of precious stones, wliich was cahed TRUTH." ;
Bib. Hist. hb. 1. chap. Ixxv. p. 225. And he farther add-s'
" that as soon as the president put this gold chain about his.,
neck, the legal proceedings commenced, but not before.^
And tliat when the case of the plaintilT and defendant had '
been fully and fairly heard, the president turned the image of.
truth, which was hung to the golden chain round his neck, ,
toward the person, whose cause was found to be just," by ■
which he seemed to intimate, that truth was on his side.
Milan in his Hist. Var. lib. xxxiv. gives the same account,.
" The chief justice or president," he says, " was always a
priest, of a venerable age, and acknowledged probity. Ei^e
Aeito aya\ua AAH0EIA. Tliat he had an iuuge which
was called I'RUTH, engraved on a sapphire, and huiTg about
his neck with 9 gold chain."
Peter du Val mentions a mummy which he saw at Cairo, in
Egypt, round the neck of which was a chain, at which a.
golden plate was suspended, which lay on the breast of the.^
person, and on which was engraved the figure of a bird. y
This person was supposed to have been one of the supreme
judges; and in all likelihood, the bird, of what kind he does,
not mention, was the emblem of truth, justice, or innocence. J'
I have now before me paintings taken on the spot, by ajt
native Chinese, of the different courts in China, where cri-jf
minal causes were tried. In these, the judg'e always appears.^
with a piece of embroidery on his breast, on which a tu/i(/* '
j bird of the ardea or heron kind is represented, wilh expanded
wmgs. All these seem to have been derived ti-oni tlie saiu&
source, both among the Hebrews, the Egyptians, and the Chi-^'
nese. And it is certainly not impossible, that the two latter,
might have borrowed the notion and use of the brca^tydate
judgment from the Hebrews, as' it was in use among .''(f/;!, lori|
before we have any account of its use among either liie Egi
iians ov Chinese. The different mandarins have 0^ bn ■;•"
of this kind.
Vef.se 31. The robe of the ephod] See on ver. 4. ,Erou^
The golden plzife,
CHAP. XXVIII
A.M. 2313. ghalt make pomegranates o/blue, and
B. c. 1 1'.n. o/'purplc, and (^j/scarlet, round about
II. -.xo . jr. ^j^^ j^^^^^ thereof; and bells of gold
^'""' between them round about :
34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden
bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the
robe round about.
35 " And it siiall be upon Aaron to minister :
and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in
unto the holy place, before the Loud, and when
he Cometh out, that he die not.
36 if And ^ thou shalt make a plate of pure
•Eccliis. 45. 9. ' ch. 39. ."lO. Zecli. 14. 20. Ecclus. 45. 12. « ver. 43.
lei. 10. 17. ti i-2. 9. Kuiiib. 18. 1. Isai. 53. 11. Ezek. 4. 4, 3, 6.
this description, and from uhat Josepliiis says, wlio must have
been well acquainted with its form, «e find that tliis mci/, or
robe, was one loiisj straight piece of bhie clulh, witli a hole
or openmg in the centre, for the head to pass through ;
which hole, or opening, was boimd about, that it might not
be rent in putting it on, or taking it off) ver. 'i2.
Ver.'e .'55. His sound shall be heard] The bells were
doubtless intended to keep up tiie people's attention to the
very solemn and important office which the priest was then
pcii'onning; that they might all have their hearts engaged in
the work; and at the same time to keep Aaron himself in
remembrance ihat lie ministered before Jehovah, and should
not come into his presence without due reverence.
Tlhit he die not.] This seems an allusion to certain cere-
inonies which still prevail in the Eastern countries. Jehovah
appeared among liis people in the tabernacle, as an emperor
in his tent among hi> troops. At the doors of the tents or
palaces of iftandees, w as gener.dly placed some .sonorous body,
either of metal or wood, which was struck, to advertise those
within, that a person prayed .'or admittance to the presence
of the king, &c. As the tabernacle had no door, but a vail,
and conscquentiv nothing to prevent any person from going
Aaron was commanded to put the bells on his robe,
his sound might be heard, lehen he ii:ent into the holy pluce,
v.j'' re the L'ird.
\'erse 36. Tlioti shall make a plate of pure gold.] The
11' id J"X ?«/'*, which we render p/die, means a^ou'cr, or any
apixarancp of this kind. The Septuagiut translate it by
I TTCTaMv a leaf; hence we rnight be led to infer, that this
) plate resembled a wreathe o( Jloivers, or leare^ ; and as it is
j called, chap. xxix. 6. 1i: nezer, a croivn, and the author of the
I book of Wisdom, chap, xviii. 24. who was a .Ii w, and may
j be supposed to know well w hat it w as, calls it ^iot^^jxa ; it was
probably in the form, not of the ancient diadem, but rather
of tiie radiated crown worn by the ancient Roman emperors,
I which was a gold band, that went round liic head from the
I vertex to the occiput; but the position of the Jewish sacerdota*
'Crown was difTertnt, as that went round the /o)e//iY;(/, under
'which there was a blue lace, or filet, ver. 37. which was
probably attached to the milrc or lurbaiit, and formed its
lowest part or border.
A. M. •.'51,^
B.C M91.
An. Kxod.Isr.
1.
Sivan,
and its inscription
gold, and grave iii)on it, like the
en<;ravings of a signet, HOLINESS
TO THE LORD.
37 And thou shalt put it on a blue
lace, that it may be upon the mitre ; upon the
forefront of the mitre it shall be.
38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead,
that Aaron may " bear the iniquity of the holy
things, whicli the children of Israel shall hallow
in all their holy gitts ; and it shall be always
upon his forehead, that they may be '' accepted
before the Lord.
John 1. «9. Hebr. 9. 28. 1 Pet. % 21. * Lev. 1. 4. & 22. 27. & S3.
11. Isai. .56. 7.
H01.INi:SS UNTO THE Lord.] This we may consider as
the grand bad\^e of the sacerdotal office. 1. Tiie priest was
to minister in Ao/y things. '2. He was the representative of a
holy God. 3. He was to offer sacrifices to make an atonement
for, and to/)!// fttiYiy SjN. 4. He was to /cacA the people the
way if righteousness and true holiness. 5. As mediator, he
was to obtain for them those divine influences by which they
should be made holy, and he prepared to divell with holu
spirits in the kingiiom of glory. 6. In tlie sacerdotal office,,
he was the type of that holy and just One. who, in the
fulness of time, was to come and put a\iuy sin by the sacrifice
of Himself.
It is allowed on all hands, that this inscription was, in the
primitive Ilebrciv character, such as appears upon- ancient
shekels, and such as was used before the Babylonish captivity,
and probably from the giving of the law on mount .Sinai.
1 he niri'V Unp k'odesh Layhoiuh, of the present Hebrew text,
would ill thosr- ancient characters appear thus :
W^f
wliich, in the modern .Samaritan character, evidently derived
from that above, is as follows: ?{'7=jnt2i "»"^p And the
word =t^3(;|f in this ancient and original character, i3
the tamoiis Te'rugrammaton, or word of four letters, which,
to the present day, the Jews \y\\\ neither xsrite nor pronounce.
The Jews teach, that these letters were embossed on the gold,
and not engraven in it ; and that the plate on which they were
eIllbo^std, was about two fingers broad, and that it occupied
a space on the foie'.icad, between the hair and the eyebrows.
But it is most likely that it was attached to the lower part of
till; mitre.
X'erse 38. May bear tie iniquity of the holy things] Ntt^3>-
□'linpn py nS priN re nasa Aharon et dion hakkodashim.
And Aaron shall bear, in a vicarious and typical manner,
the sin of the holy or separated things — ojferings or sacrifices.
Aaron was, as the high priest of the Jews, the type or
representative of our bies>ed Redeemer ; ami as he oftereJ
the sacrifices prescribed by the Law, to make an atonement
for sin, and was tkereby represented as bearing their sins.
The Hothing of Aaron and his sons EXODUS.
■59 ^ And thou 'shalt embroider
in order to their ministration.
A.jr.S51ii.
B.C. 14?!.
An. Exod.Isi'.
1.
Swan.
the coat of fine linen, and thou
shalt make the mitre of tine linen, ;
and tliou shalt make the girdle of
needle-work.
40 *[ "■ And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make
coats, and thou shalt make for tliem girdles, and
bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and
for- beauty.
41 And thou siialt put them upon Aaron
thy brotlier, and his sons with him ; and
shalt ^anohit them, and "^ consecrate'' them,
and sanctity then), tliat they may mi-
" Vcr. 4. cli. ;» 27, 28, •29, 41. Ezek. -14. 17, 18.-
.'50. 5t 40. 1,1. Lev. 10. 7. 'ilcb. till their hand.
Ltv. ch. 8. llcbr. 7. 21!,
-" ch. 29. 7. & 30.
„.„ - -"ch. 29. 9, Stc.
ch. 09. 28. Lev. 6. 10. & 16. 4. Ezek. -14.
because he was hound to make an atonement for them ; so
Christ is represented asbearhtg the sins, i.e. the pu»ishnicut clue
to tlie sins of the world, in his becoming a sacrifice for the
human race, see Isai. hii. 4, 12. where the same verb, am
nasa, i* used: aud see 1 Pet. ii. 24. Bj' the in.scription on
the plate on his forehead, Aaron was acknowledged as the
holy minister of the holy God. To the people's services, and
■their offerings, much imperfection was attached ; and there-
fore Aaron was represented, not only as making an atonement
in general, for the sins of the people, by the sacrifices they
brought; but also as nu'.king an atonement for the imperfection
of die lUonement itself, ami the manner in which it was brought.
It hhall be ah:nt/'i upon his forehead.] The plate, inscribed
%vilh Holiness unto the Lord, should be always on his forehead,
to teach that the Law required holiness ; that this was its
aim, design and end ; and the same is required by the
gospel ; for, under diis dispensation, it is expressly said,
IVithout holiness no man shall see the Lord. Heb. xii. 14.
Verse 40. For gloiy and beauly] See the note on ver. 2.
Verse 42. Linen breeches] Tliis command had in view the
necessity of purity and decency in every part of the divine
worship ; in opposition to the shocking indecency of the
pagan worship in general, in which the priests often nunistered
7iaked, as in the sacrifices to Bacchus, &c.
A.M. 2.n3.
1S.C.M91.
Aii.Exod.Isr.
I.
S'lviin,
nister unto me in the priest'.s
office.
42 And thou shalt make them
"linen breeches to cover '^ their naked-
ness; from the loins even unto the thighs they
shall ^ reach :
4.3 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon
his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle
of the congregation, or when they come near
'' unto the altar, to minister in the holy place ;
that they ' bear not iniqiuty, and die : ^ it shall
be a statute for ever unto him, and his seed after
him.
18, 'Heb. flush of their nakedness. slleb. he. "ch. 20. 26,-
' Lev. 3 1, 17. it 20. 19, 20. it 22. 9. Numb. 9. i:i. & 18. 22, " ch.
'^1. Lev. 17. 7.
On the garments of the high-priest, some general reflections
have already been made, see ver. 2. and to what is tli. re ,
said, it may be just necessary to add, that there can be
no doubt of their being all emblematical of spiritual things ; '
but of which, and in what way, no man can positively say. ■
Many con»mentcitors have entered largely into this subject,']
and have made many edifying and useful remarks ; but i
where no clue is given to guide us through a labyrinth, in
which the possibility of mistake is every moment occurring, it
is much better not to attempt to be wise above what is written :
for, however edifying tbe reflections may be, which are made
on these subjects; yet, as they are not clearly deducible from
the text itself, they can give little satisfaction to a sincere
enquirer after trutli. These garments were all made for
glory and for beauty, and this is the general account that it has
pleased God to give of their nature and design : in a general
sen.se, they represented, 1. The necessity of purity in every
part of the divine worship; 2. the necessity of an atonement
for sin ; 3. the purity and justice of the Divine Majesty; and,
4. the absolute necessity of that holiness, without which none
can see the Lord. And these subjects should be diligently
kept in view by all tho.se who wish to profit by the curious and
interesting details given in this chapter. In the nptes, these
lojiics are ftequently iotroduced.
CHAPTER XXIX.
Ceremonies to be med in consec7-ating Auron and his sons, 1 — 3. Thei/ are to be zcashed, 4. Aaron is to be
clothed zdth the holy vestments, 5, 6; to be anointed, 7. His sons to be clothed and girded, 8, 9. T/tci/ are
to off'er a huUock for a sin-otrering, 10 — 14,- and a ram for a burnt-otTtring, 15 — 13 ; and a second nun '
_/b;- a consecratioii-oflcring, 19 — 22. ^ loaf, a cake, and a wni'er, or thin cake, ybr rt wave-ofTeriiig, 23—26*
The breast of the wave-offering, and the shoulder of the heave-offering to be sanctifed, 26 — 28. Aaroni
vestments to descend to his son, zcho shall succeed him, 29, 30. Aaron and his sons to eat thefiesh of the ram of
consecration, 31, 32. No Btranger to eat of it, 33. Nothing of it to be left till the morning, but to be burnt uith
Jhe manner of consecrating CILVP. XXIX.
fire, .'U. Seven days to be employed in consecrating Aaron and his sons, 3j — 37.
morning, ««<i the oilier for the evi.n\mg sacrifice, to be offered continxialli/, 38 — 4-.
hrael tcith his ;^/on/, and to duel/ anionic them, 43 — 4(3.
Aaron and his sons.
Two lainbs, one for the
Cod promises to sanctify
\.yi.'2h\X
».<'■ 14^1.
An. Kxod. Isr.
'V
N U tliis is the tiling that tliou
J\_ shalt do unto them, to hallow
1. them, to minister unto me in the
cir.n-mm^. priest's office : " Take one young
iHillock, .and two rams without blemish,
2 And ^ unleavened bread, and cakes un-
ka\^cned, tempered with oil, and wafers un-
leavened, anointed with oil : of ■wheaten flour
shalt thou make them.
3 And thou slialt pat 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 briu";
I unto the door of the tabernacle of the congre-
gation, "and shalt wash them with water.
i.
A. M. «aiX
B.C. lliU.
All. Kind. Ivf.
1.
cir. 'riuinnnnz*
1'Lev. S. 2. ''Lev. 2. 4. & 6. 20, 21, 22. -= cli. -W. 12. Lev. 8. 6.
Ucbr. 10. 22. " ch. 2S. 2. Lev. 8. 7. ' cli. ii8. 8. 'Lev. 8. 9.
.5 '' And thou .shalt take the gar-
ments, and put upon Aaron the coat,
and the robe of the ephod, and the
ephod, and tlie breastplate, and gird
him with " the curious girdle of the ephod :
G ' And tiiou shalt put the mitre upon
his head, and put the holy crown upon the
! mitre.
7 Tiien slialt thou take the anointing ^ oil, and
pour // ii])on his head, and anoint him.
8 And "thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats
upon them.
9 And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron
and his sons, and ' put the bonnets on them :
and *" the priest's office shall be theirs for a pcr-
BCli. 28. 41. & 30. 2.1. Lev. 8. 12. k 10. 7. & 21. 10. Numb. 35. 25.-
•■Lei'. 8. 13. 'Ueb. bind. "N'linib. 18. 7.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXL\.
Verse 1. Take one yonn^ bullock] This consecr.ition did
■not take place till after the erection of the tabernacle. — See
Lev. viii. 9, 10.
Verse 2. Unleavened brend] Three kinds of bread, as to i(.^
form, are mentioned here, but all unleavened. 1. niSO
matsoth, unleavened bread, no matter in what sliiipe. — See
chap. xii. 9. 2. nSn chaloth, cakes, pricked or perforated,
as the root implies. 3. 'P'pt rekikiy, an exceeding thin
cake, from pi rak, to be eiltmmtcd, properly enongli
translated v^afer. The manner in which these were prepared,
is siifTieicntly plain from the text ; and probably these were the
principal forms in which flour was jirepared for household"
use, during their stay iii the wildeniC'^s. The.sc were all
waved before the Lord, ver. 24. as an acknowledgment that
the bread that sustains the body, as well as the mercy which
saves the soul, comes from God alone.
Verse 4. Thou — shah urmh them] This was done emble-
matically, to signify that they were to put away all fillliiness
of the flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of
God. 2 Cor. vii. I.
Verse 5. Thnu shalt take the ganiients.'] As most ofTiccs of
spiritual and secular dignity had appropriate habits and
w,«':,')H«, herce, when a person was appointed to an oflu.e,
and habited P r the purpose, he was said to be invesltd with
that office, from in, used intensively, and vestio, I clothe, liecause
lie was then clothed vi\{\\ the vestments peculiar to that office.
Verse 1. Then shalt thou take the anointing oil] It appears
■from Isa. l\i. 1. that anointing tvith oil, in consecrating a
person to any important office, whether civil or religious, was
considered as an emblem of the communication of the gifts anil
graces of the Holy Spirit. This ceremony was used on three
occasions, ^ iz. the installation of prophets, priests, and kings.
into their respective offices. But why sliould such an anoint-
ing be deemed necessary ? Because the conunon sense of
men taught tiieiii, tiiat all good, whether spiritual or secular,
must come from God, its origin and cause. Hence it was
taken for granted, 1. That no man could foretell events,
unle.^s inspired by the Spirit of God. And tiicrefore the prophet
was anointed, to signify the communication of tlie Spirit of
wisdom and knowledge. 2. That no person could offer an
acceptable sacrifice to God for the sins of men, or profitably
minister in holy things, unless enlightened, infliienced, and
directed, by the Spirit of grace and holiness. Hence the
priest was anointed, to signify his being divinely qualified for
the due peitbrmance of his sacred functions. 3. "^Fhat no
man could enact just and equitable laws, which should have
the prosperity of the community and the welfare of the
individual continually in view, or could use the power
confided to him only for the suppression of vice and the
encouragement of virtue, but that man who was ever under
ihe inspiration of the Almighty. Hence kings were inaugu-
rated by anointing with oil. Tv.'o of these offices only, exist in
all civiliEed nations, ihc sacerdotal and regal; and in some
countries the priest and Icing are still consecrated by anointing.
tn the Hebrew language, nco tnashach signifies to anoint;
and nil'O masliiaeh, the anointed person. But as no man was
ever dignified by holding the three offices, so no person ever had
the title viiishiarh, tile anointed one, but Jesus the Christ.
He alone is King of kings, and Lord of lords: the king who
governs the universe, and rules in the hearts of his tollowers;
the prophet, to instruct men in the way wherein they should
go ; and the great high-pncst, to make atonement for their
sins. Hence he is called the I\rcssitts, a corruption of the
word fT'iyOit ha mashiach, THE anointed ONE, in Hebrew;
which jjavc birth to o X^ia-rof, ho Christos, wliich has
3 n
The bullock for a sin'ojj'criiig.
EXODUS.
A. .M. •.':>!;>.
B. C. ll'.U.
Ail. E\od. Isr.
1.
cif. Thainmui.
pelual statute: and thou sluvlt "con-
secrate '' Aaron and his sons.
10 And thou shalt cause a bullock
to be brought before the tabernacle
of the congregation : 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, bi^ the door of the tabernacle of the con-
gregation.
12 And thou "shalt take of the blood of the
bullock, and put it upon " the horns of the altar
with thy finger, and ])our all the blood beside
the bottom of the altar.
1 3 And '^thou shalt take all the fat that covereth
the inwards, and ^ the caul that is above the
liver, and the two kidneys, and the fiit that is
upon them, and burn tf/evi upon the altar.
14 But "the flesh of the bullock, and his skin,
and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without
the camp : it is a sin offering.
1 5 ' Thou shalt also take one ram ; and Aaron
and his sons shall ^ put their hands upon the
head of the ram.
= IIeb. fill the hand of. — -' rli. 28. -11. Lev. 8. 22, &c. Ileb. 7. 28.-
'l,cv. 1. -i. Si K. 14. '' Lev. 8 lb- 'cli. 'J.~. 'i. & 30 2. 'Lev. 3.
»lt seemetli by Anatomj^, mid llic Hebrew doctors, to be tlii: midrijf.—
precisely the same siynilkalion in Greek : of him, Mel-
chisedcch, Abraham, Aaron, David and otlieis, were
illustrious types. But none of these had the title of THE
Messiah, or thk Anointed of God. This does, and
ever will, belona; exclusively, to .IksL'S the CHRIST. I
Verse 10. S/iiill put t/icir lumdsvpon tlic head of tlie bullock.] I
By this rite, the animal was consecrated to God, and was tlitti I
proper to be oiVered in sacrifice. Imposition of hands also j
siy,nified, that ihey ofl'ercd the lite of this animal as an atone- i
nitnt for their sins, and to redeem their lives from that death, \
which, through their sinfulness, they had deserved. In the |
case of the sin oftlring and trespass-offering, the person who
Irought the sacrifice, placed his hands on the head of the j
animal, between t!ie horns, and confessed his sin over ihe sin-
• iH'eriiig; an;l '..lis trespass over the tresjjass-olib'ing, saying,
" I have sinned, I have done iniquity, I have trespassed, and
have done thus and thus, and do return by repentance before
thee, and with this, I make atonetnent." Then the animal
was considered as vicariously bearing the sins of the person
who brought it.
Verse 14. /f is a sin-ofciini;] See the notes on Gen. iv.
7. and xiii. 13. Lev. vii. 1, &e.
Verse 18. It is a biirnt-qlJcring] See the note on Lev.
vii. 1, &c.
Ver.se 19. The oiher raj/i] There were two rams brought
on this occasion ; one was for a burnt-ojjcving, and was to be
entirely consumed : the other was the ram of consecration,
A.M. 2.513.
ti.C. 1-191.
An Kxod.Isr.
1.
cir, Thammuu
The ram for a burnt-ojjering..
16 And thou shalt slay the ram, and
thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle
it round about upon the altar.
17 And thou shalt cut the ram in
pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his
legs, and put thtm unto his pieces, and 'unto
his head.
18 And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon
tlie altar : it is a burnt oflfcring unto the Lord :
it is a '"sweet savour, an ottering made by firej
unto the Lord.
19 " And thou shalt take the other ram; and|
Aaron and his sons shall put their hands uponj
the head of the ram :
20 Then .shalt thou kill the ram, and take ofi
his blood, and put it upon the tip of the righti
ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear;
of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right
hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot,
and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round
about.
21 And thou shalt take of the blood that t>
upon the altar, and of " the anointing oil, and
" Lev. 4. 11, 12, 21. Heh. 13. 11.—' L,ev. 8. 18. ^ Lev. 1. 4—9 •
lOr, !i/w». "Gen. 8. 21. "ver. 3. Lev. 8. 22. "cli. 30. 2j, 31.
Lev. 8. SO.
ver. 2l2. S'N^O 7'N uyal milhti)n, the ram of .^filling up,
because when a person was dedicated or consecrated lo God,
his hands were filled witli some particular olieriiig, proper for
the occasion, which he presented to God. Htnce the word
consecration signifies the filling up, or filling the liands, some
part of the sacrifice being pjt into the hands of such persons,
denoting thereby, thai they had now a right to ofier sacrifices
and oblations to God. It seems, in reference to this ancient
mode of consecration, that in the Church of England, when a
person is ordained priest, a Bible is put into his hands widi
these words, " Take thou authority to preach the word of j
God," &c. The filling the hands refers also to the presents, |
which, in the Eastern countries, every inferior was obliged to i
bring, when brought into the presence of a superior. Thus
the Sacrifice was considered not only as an atonement for sin,
but also as a means of approach, and as a present to Jehovah.
Verse 20. Take of his blood] The putting the blood of the
sacrifice on the lip of the right ear, the tliuinb of the right hand
and the great toe of the right foot, was doubtless intended to
signify, that they should dedicate all their faculties and poxvers
to the service of God : their ears to the hearing and studj/ of his
Ar.i; ; their liunds, to diligence in the sacred ministry, aiwl to
all acts of obedience; and their. /ec/, lo xualking in the way of
God's precepts. And this sprinkling appears to have been
u^ct\ to teach them, that they could neither hear,' work, nor
ivalk profitably, uprightly, and well pleasing in the sight of
God, without this application of the blood of the sacrifice.
TJie ram ofcotisecrat'iov. CHAP,
A.M.ton. sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his
B.C. 1491. (jarnK'nls, and upon hi.s sons, and
1. upon tlic garments or his sons witli
"'■'■'"'"•"."i him : and " he shall be hallowed, and
his jrarmcnts, and his sons, and his sons' gar-
ments with him.
'I'i Also thou shalt take of the ram, the flit and
the rump, and the tlit that covereth the inwards,
and the caul above tlie liver, and the two kid-
nevs, and the Hit that is upon them, and the right
shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration :
23 " And one loaf of bread, and one cake of
oilctl bread, and one water out of the basket of
the unleavened bread, that is befor^.- the Louu :
XXIX.
The icave-qffcring of bread, S^c
24 And thou shalt put all in the
hands of Aaron, and in the hands of
his soas ; and shalt "wave'' lhem^>r
A.M. 261.5.
B. C. lliU.
All. Kxiid.Uf.
1.
cir. Thiimmttt.
•Ver. 1. lltb. 9. f!.-
•' Lev. 7. :)0.
- Heb. shake tj und fi'o.-
Aiul as the blood of rams, bull', and goat.'!, could never
take away sin, does not lliis prove to us, that soinctliiiis;
infinitely hclter is shadowed out ? and that ivc can do iiothiiif;
lioly and pure, in tlip sight of a just and holy God, but
Uiroui^h the blood of atonement ? — See on chap. xxx. ver. 20.
^'^erse 22. The fat and tlie rumji] 'I'he rump, or tail of some of
the ICastcrn sheep, is the best part of the animal, and is counted
a great delicacy. They are also very large, some of them
weighins;- from txvelre lo forlj/ pounds weight ; " so that the
owners," says Mr. Ludolf, in his History of Elldopia, " are
obliged to tie a little cart behind them, whereon they j)ul the
tail of the sheep, as well for the convenience of carriage, and
to ease the poor creature, as to preserve the wool from dirt,
and the tail from being torn among the bushes and stones."
An engraving of this kmd of sheep, his tail, cart, ^c. may
be seen at p. 53. of the above work.
^ erse 2.3. And one loaf of bread] The bread of different
kinds, (sec on ver. 2.) in this offering, .seems to have been
intended as a minchah, or offering of grateful acknowledge-
tnent, for providential blessings. The essence of worship
consisted in acknowledging God, 1. As the Creator, Governor,
and Preserver of all things, and the Disi)enser of every good
orid perfect gift. 2. As the Judge of men, the Piinisher of
sin, and He who could alone paction it. The niinehahs,
heave-off. rings, wave-olVerings, and thank-ollerings, referred
to the first point. The burnt-offerings, sin-oflcrings, and
sacrifices in general, referred to the second.
Verse 24. For a ivave-qlfering] See the notes on Levit.
vii. where an amjile account of «// </if o/Zi'/iH;,'*, iucrijices, &c.
i under the iMosaic di-pensalion, and the reiertnce they bore
j to the great sacrifice oflered by Christ, is given in detail.
Verse 2,5. Thou shall receive them of their hands ] Aaron
' and his sons are here considered, merely as any common
I persons bringing an offering to God, and not having, as yet,
any authority to present it themselves, but through die medium-
of a prirst. Moses, theretbre, was now to Aaron and his sons,
what they were afterwards to the childreu of Watl; and as
a wave offering bclbre the Loud.
25 ' And thou shalt receive them of their
hands, and burn litem upon the altar tor a burnt-
oticring, lor a sweet .sa\ our before the Lohd : it
is an otleriug made by fire unto the Loim.
2G And thou .shalt take ' the brea.st of the ram
of Aaron's consecration, and wave it/or a wave
oifering before the Lord : and ^ it shall be thy
part.
27 -Vnd thou shalt .sanctify '' the breast of the
wave ortering, and the shoulder of the heave
'!.«». 8. 28.-
-Tx-v. 8. 29. 'Vi. 99. 6. " \jti. 7. $i, 34.
Numb. It). 11,18. JX-ut. 18. J.
the niini.-ter of God, he now consecrates tliem to the sacred
office, and pre.sents their oirerings to Jehovah.
Verse 27. The breast of the -Lvuvc-offering, and the sliotilder
of the heave-offering.] As the ■jLUve-offering was agitated to and
fro, and the heave-offering up and donn, some have conceived
that this twofold action represented ihe f:;ii re of the cross, on
wliich the great I'eace-nffering between God and man was
ofl'iied, in the personal sacrifice of our ble.-?<-d Redeemer.
Had we autluMity lor tliis conjecture, it would certainly cast
much light on Ihe meaning and intentioii of these offerings;
and when the intelligent reader is informed, that one of the
most judicious critics in the whole republic of letters, is the
author of this conjecture, viz. llouhi'^unt, he w ill treat it with
respect. I shall here produce his own words on this verse —
" Hie distinguuntiir, ri2Jn & T'l^in, ut ejusdem oblationis
caTimonia; diue. In ~;jr\ signiticatur, moveri oblatain victi-
mam hue & iliac, ad dextram & ad sinistram. hi riwnn,
siasum toUi, & .wblutam rursus deprimi ; nam pluribus vicibus
id fiebat. Hem sic interpretantur Judiei ; & Christianos
docent, quanquain id non agenles, sic uduinbrari eum cruceni,
ill t/iiuni generis humaiu ziclima ilia pucifwu sublata est, quaiH
veleres victinuc omn(s prajMunciabant."
" The heai-e-(ffcring and xvave-offering, as two ceremonies
in the same oblation, are here distinguished, n^lie u'«;e-
offering implies, that the victim wa8 moved hither and thither
to the right-hand and to the left: the heave-qfflring was lifted
up and doivn, and this was done several times, hi this way
the Jews explain these things, and te.ich the Ch^i^tian.s that
by these acts the cross was adumbrated, upon which that
Peace-olVaing of the human race was litled up, which was
prefigured by all the ancient victims."
Tlie breast and the shoulder, thus xvaved and heaved, were
by this consecration appointed to be the priests' portion for
ever; and tlijs, as Mr. Ainsworlh piously remarks, " taught
the jiriesls how, with all their heart and all their .■itrengih,
they should give themselves unto the service of the Lord in
1) his church." J\lose,s, ai priest, received on this octa»iow the
3 II 2
Aaron's (rannents to descend to his sons.
EXODUS,
The datlij sin-ojfcringj^
A..A1. 25U.
B. C. 1491.
An. Exod.Isr.
1.
'cir. TUammuz.
offering, which is waved, and which
is heaved up, of the ram of the con-
secration, eve?i of that which is for
Aaron, and of that which is for his
sons:
28 And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' * by
a statute for ever, fi-om the children of Israel :
for it is an heave ofiering : and ^ it shall be an
heave offering from the children of Israel, of the
sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave
offering unto the Lord.
29 And the holy garments of Aaron " shall be
his sons' after him, " to be anointed therein, and
to be consecrated in them.
30 And 'that*^ son that is priest in his stead
shall put them on * seven days, when he cometh
into the tabernacle of the congregation to mi-
nister in the holy place.
31 And thou shalt take the ram of the con-
secration, and " seethe his flesh in the holy
place.
32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh
of the ram, and the ' bread that is in the basket,
' Lev. 10. 13. '' Lev. 7. S-l. ' Numb. 2a 26, 28.—" Kumli. 18.
6. & 3). '^b. ' Heb. he of his sms. • Numb. 20. 28. e Lev. 8. 3.5.
& 9. 1, 8. » Lev. 8. 31.^ ' Matt. 12. 4. " Lev. 10. 14, 15, 17.
breast and the shoulder, which became afterwards tlie portion
of the priests, see ver. 28. ami Lev. vii. 34. It is worthy
of remark, that although Moses himself had no consecration
to the sacerdotal office, yet he acts here as high-priest, con-
secrates a high-priest, and receives the breast and the shoulder,
which were the priests' portion ! But Moses was an erlra-
ordinaiy messenger, and derived his authority, without the
medium of rites or ceremonies, immediately from God
himself. It does not appear that Christ either baptized the
twelve Apostles, or ordained them by imposition of hands ;
yet, from his own infinite sufficiency, he gave them authority
lioili to baptize, and to lay on hands, in appointing others to
the work of the sacred niiriistry.
Verse 29. The lioly garments — shalt he his sons' after him]
These garments were to dt scend from father to son ; and no
new garments were to be made.
Verse 30. Seven days] The priest, in his consecration, was
to abide seven days and nights at the door of the tabernacle,
keeping the Lord's watch. See Lev. viii. 33, &c. The
number seven is what is called, among the Hebrew.s, a num-
ber of perfection ; and it is often used to denote the com-
pielion, accomplishment, fidncss, or perfection of a thing, as
this period contained the whole course of that time in which
God created the world, and appointed the day of rest. As
this act of consecration lasted seven days, it signified a per-
fect consecration ; and intimated to the priest, that his whole
hif the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation.
A.M. 2.513.
B. C. 1491.
An. Exod. Isr.
cir. T/i«mmtti.
' 33 AikI '' they shall eat those things
wherewith the atonement was made,
to consecrate and to sanctify them : 'but a stranger
shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.
34 And if ought of the flesh of the consecra-
tions, or of the bread, remain unto the morning,
then " thou shalt burn the remainder with fire :
it shall not be eaten, because it /*' holy.
35 And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to
his sons, according to all things which I have
{! commanded thee : " seven days shalt thou con-
secrate them.
36 And thou shalt " offer every day a bullock
for a sin offering, for atonem.ent : and thou shalt
cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atone-
ment for it, '' and thou shalt anoint it, to sanc-
tify it.
37 Seven days thou shalt make an atonement
for the altar, and sanctify it ; '' and it shall be an
altar most holy : ' whatsoever toucheth the altar
shall be holy.
' Lev. 22. 10. " Lev. 8. 32. " Exod. "lO. 12. Uv. 8. Xi, ."^, 55. ,
" I lebr. 10. 1 1. P ch. bO. 2(5, 28, 29. ii 411. 10. '' clj. 'Kl. 10. ' ch. 3y.
29. Matt. 23. 19.
body and .soul, his time and talents, should be devoted to the
service of God and his people.
Verse 33. But a stranger shall not eat thereof] That is, no
person, who was not of the family of Aaron — no Israelite,
and not even a Lcvite.
Verse 34. Burn the remainder with fre] Common, volun-
tary, and peace-ofl'erings, miglit be eaten even on the second
day, see Lev. vii. 16. xix. 5, 6. But tliis being a peculiar
consecration, in order to qualify a person to oiler sacrifices
for sin, like that great sacrifice, the Paschal Lamb, that
ty])ified the atonement made by Christ, none of it was to be
left till the morning, lest putrefaction should commence,
which would be utterly improper in a sacrifice that was to
make expiation for sin, and bring the soul into a state of holiness
and perfection with God. — See the note on Exod. xii. 10.
Verse 36. TItou shalt cleanse the altar] The altar was to be
sanctified for seven days; and it is likely that, on each day,
previously to the consecration service, the altar was wiped
clean, and the former day's ashes, &c. removed.
Verse 37. Whatsoeier touclieth t/tc altar shall be lioly] Jo
this our Lord refers. Matt, xxiii. 19. where he says, the
altar sanctifies the gift; and this may be understood a> im-
plying, that whatever was laid on the altar, became tlie
Lord's property, and must be wholly devoted to .sacred uses;
for in no other sense could such things be sanctifed by touch-
ing the altar.
Tlie morning and evening offering.
CHAP. XXIX.
Cod promises to dxcell with thcnt.
a..m.:.m:;.
An.Kxod.Ur.
38 ^ Now this is that which thou j; tliroughout vour generations, at the
1.
cir. Thamniuz.
A. M.*jl3.
II. C. 1191.
Am. ICxud.lsr.
I.
cir. Thammiti,
shalt offer upon the altar; ' two !l door of the tabernacle of the congrc
lambs of the tii'st year, "day by day, jigation, before the Lord: Svhere 1 will
continually. | meet you, to speak there unto thee.
39 Tlie one lamb thou shalt offer " in the y^ 43 •([ And there I will meet with the children
morning ; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at of Israel, and ^the talK'rmcle " shall be sanctified
e\ en ; , by my gk)ry.
40 And with the one lamb, a tenth deal of flour, 44 And 1 will sanctify the tabernacle of the
niinglcd witli the fourth ]iart of a hin of beaten I congregation, and tlie altar : I will ' sanctity
oil ; and the fourth part of a hin of wine Jor a
dj'ink offering.
41 And the other lamb thou sl)alt " offer at
oven, and shalt do thereto according to the meat
ofternig of the norning, and according to the
drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an
offering made by fire unto the Lord.
42 This shall be ' a continual burnt offerino-
• Numb. sa. .1. iCliron. 16. 40. SChron. 2. 4. fci:). 11. & :U. 3. Ezra
3. 3.- — -'' Sii' Dan. y. W. & I'J. 11. ' yKinus 16. 15. Kzck. 46. IS, 14,
Id. ' iKiiias 18. 23, 36. 'J Kings 16. 15. "Ezra 9. 4, .i. Vs. 141.2.
l)an. 9. 'Jl. ^'ver. 33. ch.SO.a JN'uinb. 28. 6. Daii. 8. 11, 12, 13.
Verse 39. One lamb thou shall offer in the morning] These
two lainb.-i, one in the morning, and tlie other in the even-
ingf, were jjencrylly termed the morni/ii^ and evening daily
iocrifice ; and were offered, from the time of their settlement
in the promised land, to the destruction of Jerusulem by the
llonians. The use of these sacrifices, according to tlie Jews,
was this : " The morning sacrifice made atonement for the
sins committed in the niuht ; and the evening sacrifice e.\-
piatcd the sins committed during the dny "
V^erse 40. A tenth deal of Jhnir] Deal signifies a part,
from the Anglo-Saxon, b.x'lan, to divide; hence ba.'l, Apart,
^.portion taken from the whole. From Numh. xxviii. 5. we
learn, tiiat tliis tenth deal was the tenth part of an ephuh, which
constituted what is called an omer. See chap. xvi. 36. and
see the note on ver. 16. of the same chapter, where an
account is given of different measures of capacity among
the Hebrews. The omer contained about tlirec quarts
English.
The fourth part of a liin] The Itin contained one gallon
and tXBo pints. The fourth part of this was about one tjitart
and a quarter of a pint.
Drink offering'] A libation poured out before the Lord. —
See its meaning, Levit. vii. 1, &c.
Verse -1 !5. 'J'here will I meet with the children of Israel] See
the note on chap. xxv. 22.
Verse 44. / '•.vill ^anctfi/ — both Aaron and his .son.?] So we
find the sanetification by Moses, according to the divine in-
stitution, was only fi/mbolical ; and that Aaron and his sons
must be sanctified, i. e. made holy, by God himself, before
ihey could officiate in holy things. From this, as well as
from many other things mentioned in the Sacred Writings,
we may salely infer, that no designation by '""« only, is .suilicient
to qualify any person to fill the office of a niimstrr of the
sanctuary. The approbation and consecration of man have
also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me
in tiie priest's office.
I 45 And " 1 will dwell among the children of
Israel, and will be their God.
46 And tliey shall know that ' I am the Lord
I their God, that brought them forth out of the
I land of Egypt, tliat I may dwell among them :
i I am the Lord their God.
' ' cli £5. 22. & 30. 6, 36. Numb. 17. 4. « Or, Israel. " cli. 40. 34.
; 1 Kiup 8. 11. 2Clir()n. 5. 14. it 7. 1, 2, 3. Ezek 13. 5. Has. 'i- ". 9.
1 Mai. 3. ].. ' Lev. 21. 15. it 22. 9, 16. ^ Exod. 25. 8. Lev. 26. 12.
Zecli. 2. 10. Jolm 14. 17, 2;>. 2Cor. 6.16. Rev. 21.3. 'cli. 20. 2.
both their propriety and i>se ; but must never be made .<J/6-
\^stitutes for die unction and inspiration of the .\lmighlv. Let
j holy men ordain, but let God sandify ; then «e mav cx-
jiect that his church shall be built up on its most holy.
faith.
Verse 45. I will diixll tmong the children of /.-.-oc/] Thus
is the great charier of the people of God, both under the OIJ
and New Testaments, see chap. xxv. 8. Levit. xxvi. 1 1, in.
2 Cor. vi. IG. Kev. xxi. 3. God dwells AMONG them — he is-
ever to be found in his church, to enlighten, quicken, ccrafbrt,
and support it — to dispense the light of life by the preaching
of his word, and the infiuences of his Spirit, for the con-
viction and conversion of sinners. And he dwells IN those
who believe; and this is the very, tenor of' the New Cove-
nant, which God promised to make with the house of L-nu.1^
see Jercin. xxxi. 3 1 — :>4. Ezck. xxxvii. 24 — 28. IJeb. viii.
1 — 12. and 2 Cor. vi. 16. And because God had promised
to dwell in all his genuine followers, hence the frcoaent re-
ference to this Covenant and its privileges in the New Testa-
ment. And hence it is so li-equentiy and strongly asserted,
that evety believer is a habitation of God through the .Spirit,
I''.phcs. ii. 22. Tliat the Spirit of God witnes.ses with their
spirits that they are the children of God, Rom. viii. 16.
That the Spirit of Christ in their liearts, enables them to call
God their Fatlier, Gal. iv. 6. And that, if any man have
not this S|)irit, he is none of hi.s, Rom. viii. y, &.c. And
hence St. Raul slates this to be the sum and substance of
apostolical jireaching, and (lie riches of the gtorjf of the niysteiy.
of the gospel, among the Gentiles, viz. Christ IN t/ou the hope
of glory. Whom, says he, we preach, warning every man, and
teaching every man in all wisdom, thai we may present cieru -
man perfect IS Christ Jesus, Coloss. i. 27, 28.
Verse 46. And they shall know that I am tlie l.nd their
\ God] That is, they sliall achiowledi^e God, and their in-
Dh-eclions concennnrf
EXODUS.
ihe altar of burnt incense.
finite obligations to him. In a multitude of places in Scriji-
tiire, the word lowvj should he thus undtrstood.
'I'/idl I mai/ (liccll among tliciii] For witliout this ackiioiv-
Icd'^iiient, and consequent dt))endance on, and giatilude and
■obedience to God, they could not expect him to divell among
them.
By dwelling among the peoj)lc, God kIicvvs that he would
be a continual resident in their hoiisrs and in their liearts — thai
he xvoidd he their f.-od — tlie sole object of their religious wor-
ship, to wliom they should turn, and on whom they should
trust in all difficulties and distresses; and that he would be
4o them all that the Creator could be to his creatures. That,
an consequence, they should have s. full conviction of his pre-
sence and blessing, and a consciousness that HE was their God,
and that they were his people. Tlius, then, God .dwells
among men, that they may know him ; and they must know
him, that he may continue to dwell among them. He who
does not experimentally know God, cannot have him as an
indwelling Saviour ; and he who does not continue to know,
to acknowledge, love, and obey him, cannot retain him as
his Presener and Sunct/fier. From the beginning of the
world, the salvation of the souls of men, necessarily, implied
die indivellina influences of God. — Reader, hast lliou this
j salvation.'' This alone will support llue in all thy travels in
; this wilderness, comfort thee in death, and give thee boldness
in the day of judgment. " He," says an old writer, "who
has pardon, may look his judge in the face."
CHAPTER XXX.
T/ie altar o/" burnt incense, 1. Dimensions, 2. Golden cromu, j. Rings and staves, 4, 5. TF/iere placed, 6.
Use, S — 10. 'j 7/ c nmsom \)V ice oj // a // a she kc/, 11 — l.'"!. li ho rcerc to paij it, 14. The rich and the poor to
jKit/ alike, 15. The use to zckieh it teas applied, iG. ThehvuzenlsLwev, and its use, 17 — 21. T/jc holy anoint-
ing oil, and its component parts, 2'2 — 15. To he applied to the tabernacle, ark, golden table, candlestick, altar
of burnt-offerings, and the luver, C6 — 29. And to Aaron and his sons, 30. Never to be applied to am/ other
uses, and nunc like if, ever to be made, 31—33. 7'//(' perfume, and hozr made, 34, 35. Its use, 36. Nothing
similar to it ever to be made, 37, 3S.
4 And two golden rings shalt thou
make to it, under the crown of it, by
the two ' corners thereof, upon tlie
two sides of it, siialt thou make if; and
they shall be for places for the staves, to bear it
withal.
5 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim
wood, and o\erlay them with gold.
6 And thou shalt put it before the vail, that is
by th6 ark of the testimony, before the ' mercy
! seat, that is o\cr the testimony, wliere I will
meet with thee.
A.M. 25-1.?.
B. C. 1 1'.'l.
Au.Esod. Isr.
A
1.
cir. Thammuz.
N D thou shalt make ' an altar
'' to burn incense upon : of
shittim wood shalt thou make it.
2 A cubit sfiall he the length there-
of, and a cubit the breadth thereof; tour-
square shall it be : and two cubits shall be the
height tliereof: the horns tliereof 67/«// be of the
same.
3 And thovi shalt overlay it with pure gold,
the "top thereof], imd the '' sides thereof round
about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt
make unto it a crown of gold round about.
« oil. 37. 'J5. & 40. 5. >> See ver. 7, 8, 10. Lev. 4. 7, 18. Rev, 8. 3.
KOTES ON CHAP. XXX. . '
Verse 1. AUar to burn incense'] The Samaritan omits the ten
first verses of this chajiler, because it inserts thcni after the
3'2d verse of chapter xxvi. — See the note there.
Shittim wood] The same of which the preceding articles
were made, because it \\as tdmndunt in those jiarls, and he-
cause it was very durable : hence, every where the Scptuagnit
translation, which was made in Fgvpt, renders the original
by ^uXov a<!-v7rTov, incorruptible wood.
Verse '2. Vour-square] That is, on the upjier or under
surface, as it shewed four equal sides ; but it was twice as
iiigh as it was broad, being twenty-one inches broad, and three
feci six inches hinli. It was called not only the attar of in-
A.ni. "il;!.
15. c. un.
Au.Exod. Isr.
1.
cir. Tlttimmut.
' Heb. roif. « Heb. wixUs. ^^ Heb. ribs. ^ch. 23. 21,' 2S.
cense, but also the ^oWe?! nA'rtr, Numb. iv. 11. For the croiVrt,
horns, slaves, &c. see on the altar of burnt-ofli:ring, chap,
xxvi.
Verse 6. Before the viercy-seat that is over the testimony]
These words, in the original, are .supposed to be a repetition,
by nnstake, of the iireceding clause ; the uord rOlBrJiapercceth,
the -.ail, being corrupted, by interchanging two letters, into
nijan hacepereth, the mercij-scat : and this, as Ur. Kennicott
observes, places the altar of incense befyre tlie mercy-seat,
and consequently ).n the Holi/ of Holies.' Now this could
not be, as the altar of ineense was attended ever^ day, and
the Holy of Holies entered only once in the year. The five
words which appear to be a repetition, are wanting in twenty-
D. ('. w.n.
Aa.V.\vi\.hr.
1.
t4f. TllUtlultllZ.
The ransom of the soul to be CHAP
.A.M.:,'! ■• 7 And Aaron shall burn thereon
* sweet '' incense, every morning :
when "^ he dressctli tiio lamps, he
shall burn incense upon it.
8 And when Aaron " lighteth " the lamps ' at
even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perjietual
incense bel()re the Loud throuiihout vour mMie-
rations.
9 Ye shall offer no ^ strange incense thereon,
nor burnt sacrih'ce, nor meat oflering ; neitlier
shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
10 And '■ Aaron shall make an atonement up-
on the horns of it, once in a year, with the blood
ol'thc sin offering of atonements : once in the
year shall he make atonement upon it, through-
out vour generations: it /,$ most holy luito tlie
Loud.
1 1 % And the Lord spake unto INIoscs, saying,
12 ' When thou takest the sum of the children
oi" Israel after ''their number, then shall they
gi\e every man, ' a ransom for his soul unto the
LoKD, when thou numbercst them ; that there
" Ueb. 'mctnse nf spires. '' ver. "A. 1 S^iin. J. 28., 1 Cliron. 23. 13.
Liikc 1. 9 ' ch. K7. iil. "I Or, stttcth up. ' Heb. cniiseth to
a^ctiid ^ Uvb. h'tiLten the two eiens. cli. 12 6. ^ Lev. 10.1.
> Lev. 16. IR. & 2.!. '.7. ' ch. 38. 25, Nuinb. 1. 2, 5. U 26. 2. 2 Sam.
24. 2. '' Heb. then that are to be wmnbcretl: See Numb. 31. .W.
tix of KennicoU's and De Rossi's MS.S. and in the Samari-
um. The verse reads better without tlieui, and is more
consistent with the rest of the account.
VtTse 7. fl'lien lie dresselh the lamps] Prepares tiie icicles,
anil puts m fresh oil for tlie evening.
Shall burn incense upon it.] Where so many Sacrifices were
oflircd, it was essentially necessary to have some pleasing
perfume to counteract the disagreeable smells that must have
arisen from the slaughter of so many animals, the sprinkling
of so much blood, and the burning of so iriueh flesh, &c.
The perfitjiie that was to be burnt on this altar is described
ver. .34. No blood was ever sprinkled on this altar, except
on the day of gentrral expiation, which happened onlyonce~
in the year, ver. 10. But the perfume was necessary in every
part of the tabernacle and its environs.
Verse 0. jVo strange incense] None made in any other
way.
Nov burnt sacrifice] It should be an altar for incense, and
for no other use.
Vcr.sc 10. An atonement — once in a year] On the tenth
day of the seventh month. — See Lev. >;vi. 18, &c. and tile
notes there.
Verse 1 2. Then shall tliey give, every man a ranso7n for his
tout] "^1 his was a very important ordinance, and should he
seriously eonsidere<l. — See the following verse.
Verse i:5. Haifa stiehel] b'.ach of the. Israelites was ordered
to give, as ;a raiitoui for hissoul, (i. e, for his lift) liuU'a shekel.
halj' a sheJcelJrom each.
be no '"plague among them, when' '^-^i 2.\i3.
thou munberest them. , ,.' ,, '
„ . An. bxod.Isr.
13 liiis tliev shall give, every one i-
,1 , .1 ' \t .1 1 c'lT. Thairmus.
that passetli among them that arc
numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the
sanctuary : (" a shekel is twenty gerahs :) •* a
half shekel shall he the oHering of the Loud.
14 Every one that passeth among them that
are mnnbered, Horn twenty years old and above,
shall give an ollering unto the Loud.
15 The ''rich shall not 'give more, and the
poor shall not ' give less than half a,shekel, when
thcij give an ollering unto the Loud, to make an
' atonement ft)r your souls.
16 And thou shalt take the atonement money
of the children of Israel, and " shalt appoint it
tor the service of the tabernacle of the congre-
gation ; that it may be " a memorial unto the
children of Israel belbre the Loud, to make aii
atonement for your souls.
17 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
ing,
' .Tob S3. 24. & 36. 18. Ps 49. 7. Mutt. 20. 28. Murk 10. ti. iTim. 2,
6. 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19. "■ SSani. 21 lo. ° Jlatt. 17. 24. " Lev. 27. 2.i.
^lllllb. 3. '17. i^ek. 47. 12. f cli. 38. 26. '* Job ;i4. 19. Prov. 22. 2.
Kplies. 6.9. Co!.,). 2d. ■■ Ueb. multiply.- ' Heb. rfiDunis/i.—
' ver. 12.. » ch. 38. 25. " Numb. 16. 40.
according to the shekel of the sanctuary. From this we may
learn, I. That the lite of every man was considered as being
tbrfeittcl to l)i\ine Justice. 2. That the redemption-money
given, which was doubtless used in the -service of the sanc-
tuary, was ultimately devoted to the use and profit of those
who gave it. j. That the standard by which the value of
coin was ascertained, was kept in the sanctuary ; for this ap-
pears to be the meaning of the words, after the shekel of the
suncttiary. 4. The shelisl is- lure said to be liuenly gerahs.
A gerah, according to Maimonides, weighed sirteen barley-
corns ; a shekel, three hundred and twenty of pure silver. Hie
shekel is generally considered to be equal in value to three
shillings l'M0\sh; the redenption-money, therefore, must be
about one shilling a7id sixpence. 5. The rich were not to^
give more; the poor not to give less. To signify that all
souls were equally precious in the sight of God; and that no-
dilference of ouneard ciicumslances could aflect the state of
the soul : all had sinned ; and all must be redeemed, by the
same price. 6. This atonement must be made, that there
mi'^ht be no plague among them; intniiating, that a plagu^ or
curse from God, must light on those souls lor whom the atonc-
m<-ut was 110/ made. 1. This was to be a memorial unto the
children of Israel, ver. lo. to bring to ibeir remembrance,,
their past deliverance, and to keep, in view, their future rc-
ilemplion. 8. ^'t. Peter seems to allude to Ibi.s, and to inti-
mate, that this ino<le of atonement was inefltclual in itself,,
and only pointed cut the great sacrifice, which, in the futncwc-
The brazen laver.
A.M. ii.)i:?.
B. C. 1 191.
An. Exud. Isr.
1.
cir. Tliaunnuz.
18 ' Tliou slialt also make a laver
o/brass, and his foot also o/'brass, to
wasli mthal : and tliou shalt '' put it
between the tabernacle of tlie con-
gregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water
therein.
19 For Aaron and his sons "^ shall wash their
hands and their feet thereat :
20 When they go into the tabernacle of the
congregation, they shall wash with water, tliat
•they die not; or when they come near to the
•altar to minister, to burn otfcring, made by fire
unto the Lord :
EXODUS. The holij ferfime,
21 So they shall wash their hands
and their feet, that they die not : and
■^ it shall be a statute for ever to them,
even to him and to his seed through-
out their generations.
22 ^ Moreover the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying,
■' eh. .SB. 8. 1 KiiiKS 7. 58. >> ch. 40. 7. 30. = cli. 40. 31, 32. Ps. 'J6. 6.
Isai. 02. 11. John 13. 10. Ucljr. 10. 22. ii cli. 38. '13.
of time, should be maJe for the sin of tlie world. Ye know,
■says he, t)tat Jje were not redeemed wiili corruptible l/ihigs, as
silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tra-
dition from your fathers; hut luith the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb ivitliout blemish and uithvut spot : iiho I'erili/ xvas
fore-ordained before the foundation of the ivorld, 6ic. 1 Pet. i.
-18, 19, '2Q. 0. Therefore all these things seem to refer to
Chri.st dlone^ and to the atonement made by his blood ; and
upon him who is not interested in this atonement, God's
plagues must he -expected to fall. — Reader, acquaint now
thyself with God, and ,be at peace ; and thereby good shall
come unto thee.
Verse 1 8. A laver of brass] tV3 c/yor, sometimes signifies
-a.aiuldron, 1 Sam. ii. 16. but it seems to signify any large
.rourid vessel or bason used for washing the hands and feet.
There were doubtless cochs or spif^gots in it, to draw off the
ivater, as it is not likely the feet were put into it in order
to be washed. The fool of the laver must mean the pedestal
on which it stood.
Verse 20. .They shall wash with water, that they die not]
This was certaiiil.y an emblematical washing ; and as the
hands and the feet are particularly mentioned, it must refer
to the purity of their v.hole conduct. Their hands, all their
works; their feet, all their goings, must be washed, must b<;
holiness unto the Lord. And this washing must be repeated
every time they entered into the tabernacle, or when they
xame jtear to the altar to minister. This washing was needful,
.because the (iriests all ministered barefoot ; but it was etiually
so, because of the guilt they might have contracted, for the
washing was emblematical of the putting away of sin, or
what St. Paul c^lls the laver of regeneration, and the renew-
imr of the^IIoly Ghost, Tit. iii. 5. as the influences of the
Spirit must be repeated for the purification of the soul, as
irequendy as any moral defilement has been contracted.
Verse 2 1. And it shalt be a statute for euer] To continue,
in i4.K literal meaning, as long as the Jewi.-li irconomy lasted;
and, iii its spiritual meanino;, to the end of time. \Vhal
an important lesson does this teach the ministers of the
gcspel of Christ! Each time they niinisler in public, whe-
JJier in dispensint^ the WOltU or the SACRAMENTS, tliey should
A.M.t'513.
B. C. 1191.
Aii.Kxod. Jsr.
].
cir. Tluunrmii.
23 Take thou also unto thee = principal spices,
of pure ' myrrh five hundred sJiekels, and of
sweet cinnamon lialf so much, ex'cn two hundred
and fifty shekels, and of sweet ^calamus two
hundred and fifty sJielreb.
24 And of " cassia five hundred shekels, after
= Cant. 4. 14.
Ezck. 2?. 5?. f Ps. 45. 8. Pn.v. 7.
Jer. 6. no. '' Ps. ti. 8.
17.-
-e Cant. 4. 14.
take heed that they have a fresh application of the grace and
spirit of Christ, to do away past transgressions or unfaith-
fulness, and to enable them to minister with the greater ,
effect, as being in the divine favour, and consequendy en- '
titled to expect all the necessary a!>sistances of the divine
unction, to make their ministrations spirit and life to the
people. — See on chap. xxix. ver. 20.
Verse 23. Take — unto thee principal spices] From this and
the following verse we learn, that the holy anointing oil was
compounded of the following ingredients :
500 shekels.— Myrrh is the
produce of an oriental
tree not well known,
and is collected by
making an incision in
the tree. What is now
called by this name,
is precisely the same
with that of the an-
cients.
Pure myrrh, im "ID mar deror -
Siveet cinnamon, rDlTS fOZT) kin- '\
'nnm/in Itns/'tn (iwttVi.t^Av fVnm ^'7
50 shekels.
500 shekels
5 quarts.
naman bosein, (probably from . .
Arabia) )
Sweet calamus, CDC3 TMp keneh"^
boseiu, or sweet cane, Jer. vi. ?-250 shekels.
20. — Calamus aromuticus . . j
Cassia, nip kidah, [cassia lignea) )
brought also from Arabia . . j
Olive oil, n't jOiy shemen zu
one iiin, about
lbs. 02.
500 shekels of the first and last, make 48 4
250 of the cinnamon and cassia, ... 24 2
Olive oil is supposed to be the best preservative of odours.
As the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit are termed the
anointing of the Holy Ghost, llitrclbrc this holy ointment
apjjears to have been designed as emblematical of those gifts
and graces. — See Acts i. 5. x. 33. 2 Cor. i. 21. 1 John ii.
20, 21,
zayit, \
d«ts.
grs-
I '?
0|2l
- ' :>T
6
lOj^
2'he iahei-nacle, S^'C. to he ayiointed.
CHAP. XXX.
The spices for the perfume.
A.M.r>)3. the shekel of the sanctuary, and of
'^'Ld'br "''oHvea Miin :
"■ '^" ■ ''■ 25 AxiOi thou shalt make it an oil of
holy ointmtMit, an ointment com-
1.
cir. Ttitimmuz.
pound after the art of tiie '' apothecary : it shall
be " a holy anointing oil.
26 " And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of
the congregation therewith, and the ark of the
testimony,
27 And the table and all his vessels, and the
candlestick and his vessels, and tlie altar of in-
cense,
28 And the altar of burnt offering with all his
vessels, and tlie laver and his foot.
29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they
may be most holy : " whatsoever toucheth them
shall be holy.
30 '^ And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his
sons, and consecrate them, that thej/ may mi-
Inister inito me in the priest's office.
'. 31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of
1 Israel, saying. This shall be a holy anointing
;oil unto me, throughout your generations.
. 32 Ijpon man's flesh shall it not be poured,
neither shall ye make ant/ other like it, after the
1
JO.
'ell
Cli. S!9
& i:a
. l9. 7,
40.-
2.—
" Or,
-■> ch 40
Lev. 8.
perfumer. —
9. Lev. 8.
12, 30. s
c
10.
ver
cli 37. 89.
Numb. 7
25, 37.
Numb. 35
1 ' ch
-i> vcr. 38.-
25
29
Ps. 89.
37.
Gen. 17.
Verse 25. Jftcr the art of the apothccan/] The original
Mrn roketich signifies a compounder or confeciiona- — any per-
son who compounds dnqs, aromalics, &c.
Verse 30. Thou shalt anoint Aaron and Ms sons] For the
reason of this anointing, see the note on cliap. xxix. 1. It
seems that this anointing oil was an emblem of divine teacli-
j ing, and especially of those influences hy which the church
' of Christ wa.s, in the beginning, guided into all truth, as is
■ evident from the allusion to it by St. John — le have mi
I UNCTION /roOT the HoLY Onf,, and ye know all things. The
I ANOINTING which ye have received from him abideth in you,
\ and ye need not that any man teach you, hut as the same
, ANOINTING teachtih you of all thijsgs, and is TRUTH, and is no
lie; and even as it hath taught you, yc shall abide in .HiM,
1 1. John chap. ii. 20, 21.
I Verse 34. Take unto thee sweet spices] The holy PERFUME
jwas compounded of the following ingredients :
I StacTE, f|t2J nataph, supposed to be the same with what
'was aflerwards called the balm of Jericho, Stacte is the
'gum which spontaneously flows from the tree which produces
myrrh. — See the note on vcr. 23.
Onycha, isyrw shecheleth, allowed by the best critics to
'be the unguis odoriferans, described by Kumph, which is the
;exlernal crust of the shellfish purjmra, or murex ; and is the
ibasis of the principal perfumes uiade in the East Indies.
^ it is holv, and
A.M. 251 J.
r..C. 1491.
An Exod I>r.
1.
cir. TAftmmiis.
composition of it
it shall be holy unto you.
33 " Whosoever compoimdcth any
like it, or whosoever putteth anij of
it upon a stranger, ' shall even be cut ofi' fi-om
his people.
34 % And the Lord said unto Moses, "^ Take
unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and
galbanum ; tJiese sweet spices with pure frankin-
cense : of each shall there be a hke Xi'cight :
S5 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a con-
fection ' after the art of the apothecary, "tem-
pered together, pure ajul hoi}- :
36 And thou shalt beat some of it very small,
and put of it before the testimony in the ta-
bernacle of the congregation, " where I will
meet with thee : " it shall be unto you most
holy.
37 And as for the perfume which thou shalt
make, " ye shall not make to yourselves accord-
ing to the composition thereof: it shall be unto
thee holy for the Lohd.
38 "Whosoever shall make like unto that,
to smell thereto, shall even be cut oft' from his
people.
14. ch. 12. 15. Lev. 7. 20, 21. " ch. 2,5. G. h 37. 29. Ucr 25
" Heb. miled. Lev. 2. 13. ° ch.29. 42. Lev. 16. 2. ° vcr. 32. ch. J".
37. Lev. 2. 3. p ver. 32 1 ver. 33.
GalraNUM, ruaVn chelbenah, the bubon gummiferum, or
African /tT«/a: it rises with a ligneous stalk from eight to ten
feet, and is garnished with leaves at each joint. The top of
the stalk is terminated by an umbel of yellow flowers, which
are succeeded by oblong channelled seeds, which have a thin
membrane or wing on their border. When any part ot the
plant is broken, there issues out a little thin milk of a cream
colour. The gummy resinous juice which proceeds fi'om this
plant, is what is commonly called galbanum, from the chel-
benah of the Hebrews.
Frankincense pure, npt njaS lehonah zak-ah. Frankin.
ce^isc; is supposed to derive Us name from /ra«r, /;ee, bccau.'^c
of its liberal or ready distribution of its odours. It is a dry,
resinous substance, in pieces or drops of a pale yellowish
white colour, a strong smell, and bitter acrid taste. The
tree which produces it is not well known. Dioscorides men-
tions it as gotten in India. What is called here, pure
frankincense, is no doubt the same with the mascula thura of
Virgil, and signifies what is first obtained from the tree—
(hat which is strongest, and most free fi-om all adventitious
mixtures. For the necessity of such a perfume as that here
described, see the note on vcr. 7.
The Israelites were most strictly prohibited, on the most awful
penalties, from making any anointing oil, or perfume, .similar
3l
Bezaleel and Aholiah appointed
EXODUS.
to the ivork of the tabernacle.
to those described in this chapter. He that should compound
such, or apply any of this to any common purpose, even to
iindl to, ver. 3S. should be cut off, tiiat is, excommunicated
from his people, and so lose all ri^ht, title, and interest in
the promises of God, and the redemption of Israel. From
all this, we may learn, how careful the Divine Being is to
preserve his. own worship, and his own truth, so as to prevent
them from being adulterated by human inventions : for he
Will save men in his oii-n iV'iy, and upon liis oivn tcnns.
What are called hunutn imcn'ions in matters of relijjion, are
not only of no worth, but are, in general, deceptive and
ruinous. Arts and sciences, in a certain way, may be called
inventions of men: for the spirit of a man knoweth t/ie things
<»/■ a jnan; can comprehend, plan, and execute, under the
general iiinuence of God, every thing in which human life
is immediately concerned; but n'li^ion, as it is the ^^'{/'f, so
it is the invention of God : its doctrines and its ceremonies
proceed from his wisdom and goodness — for He alone could
devise the plan by which the human race may be restored to
his favour- and image, and taught to woiship him in spirit
and in truth. And that worship which himself has prescribed,
we may rest assured, will be most pleasing in his sight. —
Nadab and Abihu ollered strangt: fire before the Lord ; and
their destruction by the fire of .leimvah, is recorded as a last-
ing warning to all presumptuous worshippers, and to all who
attempt to model his religion according to their own caprice,
and to minister in sacred things, without that authority which
proceeds from himself alone.
CHAPTER XXXI.
^eza[ee\ appointed for the Tiork of the tabernacle, 1—5. AhoVnxh appoiiiled fur the same, 6. The particular things
on which they zt'ere to be emphu/ed, the ark and mcrc\'-scat, 7- Table, cancUestick, and altar of incense, S.
Altar of burnt-offerins; and the laver, 9. Priests' garments, 10. Anointing oil and sweet inceiise, 1 1 . God
renezis the command relative to the sanctif cation of the sabbath, IG — 17. Deliiers to Moses the tzro tables of
stone, 18.
of stones, to
A.M. 25t3.
B.C. 1491.
Aii.Exod. Isr.
1.
cir. Thammut,
AND the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying,
2 ' See, 1 have called by name Be-
zaleel the " son of Uri, the son of
Hiir, of the tribe of Judah :
3 And I have " filled him with the spirit of
God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in
knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold,
and in silver, and in brass.
» Cli. 35. 30. & 36. 1. " 1 Chioii. 2. SO. « ch. 35. 31. 1 Kings 7. 14.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXt.
Verse 2. I have called bj/ name Bezaleel] That is, 1 have
particularly appointed this person to be the chief superintend-
ant of the whole work. His name is significant, 'jxVsa, if-
tsal-el, in or under the shadow of God, meaning, under the espe-
cial protection of the Most High. He was the son of Uri, the
«on of Hur, the son of Caleb or Caluhi, tiie son of Esron, the
son of Pharez, the son of Judah. See 1 Chron. ii. 5, 9, 1 8,
19, 20, and the note on chap. xvii. 10.
Verse 3. I have filled him with the spirit of God] See the
note on chap, xxviii. 3.
In ivisdom] nOifl, chocmah, from asT!, chacam, to be %vlse,
skilful ox prudent, denoting the compass of rnind and strength of
capacity, necessary to form a ii:ise man : hence our word wisdom,
the power of judging what is wise or best to be done. From the
Saxon, pij-an, to teach, to adiise, ai\d beman, to judge; hence
f;j-ebom, the doom or judgment of the well taught, wise or pru-
dent man.
in cutting
A. M. 251Sr
B.C. 1491.
All. Exod. I>r.
cir. Thammux,
set t/iem, and in carving of timber,
to work in all manner of work-
manship.
6 And I, behold, I have given with
him " Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of
the tribe of Dan : and in the hearts of
all that are' wise hearted I have put wisdom,
that they make all that I have commanded
thee ;
1 cli. 35. 34. « ch. 28. 3. & 5S. 10, 35. & 36. 1.
Understanding'] rUIDn, tehmmh, from p, ban or bun, to sepa-
rate, distinguish, discern, capacity to comprehend the different
parts of a work, how to connect, arrange, &:c. in order to make
a complete whole.
Knowledge] njTI, ddaf, denoting particular atquainl-
ance with a person or thing, practical, experimental know-
ledge.
Verse 4. Cunning work] naiZTtD, mechashabot, works of in-
vention or genius, in the gold and silversmith line.
Verse 5. In cutting of stones, &c.] Every thing that con-
cerned the lapidarfs, jeweller's onAcarixTS art.
Verse 6. In the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put
zi:isdom] So every man that had a natural genius, as we terra
i(, had an increase of wisdom by immediate inspiration from
God, so that he knew how to execute the different works which
divine wisdom designed for the tabernacle and its furniture.
Dark as were the lieathens, yet they acknowledged that all
talents, and the seeds of all arts came from God. Henc»
AM. '.51;.
B.C. lis"!.
All. Kxod. Ur.
1.
cir. Thitmmvt.
The sahhalh to be rcligioiislij observed. ' CHAP,
7 * The tabernacle of the congTcga-
tion, and ''the ark of the testimony,
and ■■' the mercy sent that is thcrcnpon,
and all tlie " furniture of the taber-
nacle,
8 And ' the tabic and his furniture, and '' the
pure candlestick witii all his furniture, and the
altar of incense ;
9 And ^ the altar of burnt offering with all his
fiirniture, and " the laver and his foot,
10 And ' the cloths of service, and the holy
garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments
o'l his sons, to minister in the priest's oiiice ;
1 1 " And the anointing oil, and ' sweet incense
for the holy pLce .• according to all that I have
commanded thee, shall they do.
12 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel,
saying, " \'erily my sabbaths ye shall keep : for
XXXI.
Moses receives the tuo tables.
lit is a sign between me and vou throiiohout
.your
generations
that ye may know that I am
■ the Lord that doth sanctify you.
, » Ch. .36. 8. ^ ch. 37. 1.- ' cli. 37. 0. 1 Meb. vessels. ' cli. .-,7.
1". ' ch. .17. 17. 1 ch. .13. 1 " ch. .58. 8. ' ch. 39. i. 41.
; Kunib. 4. 5, (i, &c. k ch. 30. «.:>. M U Si. 29. ' cli. 30. 3-t. i^ 37. '>'}
'" Lev. 19. S.M. U iiS. 2. Eack. -0. 1'.', 20. & 41. "A. ° cli. 20. -8.
seiinnu, magistcrque e.r
I! 14 "Ye shall keep the sabbath there- a.m.'Mo.
fore; for it is holv unto you : every ^C-^wi.
Ij one that defileth it shall surely be pu't *"' ^i""*-^'''
I to death : for " wliosoevcr doeth any ^'•"- ^'""'■"'--•
I'work therein, that soul shall be cut off from
among his people.
15 "Six days may work be done; but in
the " seventh is the sabbath of rest, ' holy
to the Loud : whosoever doeth any work iu
the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to
death.
16 AA'hercforc the children of Israel shall keep
the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout
their m'ncratious,./o?- a perpetual covenant.
17 It is \a. sign betwctn me and the children
of Israel for ever : for " in six days the Lord
made heaven and earth, and on the" seventh day
he rested, and was refreshed.
1 8 ^ And he gave unto Moses, when he had
made an end of communing witJi him upon
mount Sinai, " two tables of testimony, tables
of stone, written with the finger of God.
Seneca, Insita nobis omnium artiuni
occulta Deus pveducit inirenia.
In Ihe same way Homer attributes such curious arts to
Minerva the goili/ess of v.-i.'ulom, and Vitkan the god of
handicrafts. i
TEXvif 'JTavToiw, xafiEVTa Ji i^yx\iMitt.
Ody.^s. I. vi. V, 1Z2.
j As by some artist, to whom VuLCAN gives
His skill divine, a breatliing staluc lives;
liy Pallas lauiylit, he frames the wondrous mould,
And o'er tho silver ])ours the fusiie gold. POPE.
And all this the wistsi of men long- before them declared ;
when .'peaking of the visdoni of God he says, /, Wisdom, d-uel I
Kith Prudence, fliirf find oiU knowledge of xvillj/ intentions,
Prov. viii. 12. Seethe note on chap, xxviii. 3. to which the
reader is particularly dt.<i red to refer. There is something
remarkable in the name of this second superintendant, ^N'Vhn,
Moiiub,ihetuhernacleofthefatlieT; or the father is mi/ taber-
nacle ; a name nearly similar in its meaning to that of Bezaleel,
see the note on ver. J .
Verse 8. The pure candlcsticlc] Called so, either because of
the p!(7e.q'o/rf of which it was made, or the brightness and splen-
j dor of its iLorkmanship, or of the li^ht Miiicli it imparted in
the tabernacle, as the purest, Jinest oil -was always burnt in it.
Verse 9. The altar of burnt-oferiw.zs'] See on chap, xxvii. 1.
The laver aud its foot] The pedestal on which it stood.
DciU. 3. 12. Kwk. QO. 11. <• ch. 3.5. 2. Numb. 15. 36. <• ch. SO 0
'I Uci). «!. a. ch. 16. 2.i. & 20. 10. ' Hcb. holiness. • ver. 13 Ezek 'Kl
fi, 20. ' GcMi. ]. 31. & 2. 2. " ch. 24. 12. & 32. 1.5, 16. & 3^1. "8. 29*
Deut. 4. 13. .V 5. 22. & 9. 10, 11. 2 Cor. 3. 3. - ■ •
Verse 10. Clothci of service] Vestments for the ordinary
work of their ministry; the holy garmeiUs, those which Mere
peculiar to the high-priest.
Ver.se 1 1. The anointing oil] See on chap. sxx. 23.
Sii-eel incenst] See on chap. xxx. 3t.
Verse 13. x\fi/ sabbaths ye shall keep] See the notes on
Gen. ii. 3. Exod. xx. 8.
Verse 14. Every one that defileth it] By any kind of ido-
latrous or profane wor-ship.
Shall surely be put to death] The magistrates shall exaoiine
into the business, and if the accused be found guilty, he shall
be stoned to death.
Shall be cut off] Because that person who could so far
contemn the sabbath, which was a sign to thcni of the rest
which remained for the ]icople ol' God, was of course an I'n-
fidcl, and should be cut off from all the piivileges and expec-
tations of an Israelite.
Verse 16. A perpetual covenant] Because it is a sign of
lhis/«/H/'e rest uml blessedness, therefore the religious observ-
ance of it must be perpetuully kept up. 'I'lie type must con-
tinue in force till the antitype come.
Verse 17. Rested, and u-as refreshed.] God, in condescen-
sion to human weakness, applies to himself here, what be-
long? to man. If a man religiously rest on the sabbath, both
his body and soul shall be refreshed : he shall acquire new lioht
and life.
Verse IS. When he had made an end of communin'^] When
the forty days and forty nights were ended.
3 I 2
The people mutiny, and requii'e
EXODUS.
Aaron to maJce them gods.
Two tables of testbnonyl See on chap, xxxir. 1.
Tables of stone'] That the recorJ mi£;ht be /as//«^, becausf
it was a testimony that referred to future generations, and
therefore the materials should be duYable.
Written with the finger of God.] All the letters cut by God
himself. Dr. Winder, in bis History of Knowledge, thinks
it probable that this vvas the first writing in alphabetical cha-
racters ever exhibited to the world, though there might have
been marks or hieroglyphics cut on wood, stone, &c. before this
time, see chap. xvii. 14. That these tables were written, not
by the commandment but by the power of God himself, the
following passages seem to prove : " And the Lord said unto
Moses, come up to me into the mountain, and be thou there ;
and I will give thee tables of stone WHICH I HAVE WRITTEN,
that thou mayest teach them." Exod. xxiv. 12. " And he
gave unto Moses, upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony,
tables of stone WRITTEN WITH THE FINGER OF GOD,"
chap. xxxi. 1 S. " And Moses went do\> n from the mount, I
and the two tables of testimony were in his hand; and the
tallies were written on both tiieir sides. And the tables were
THE WORK OF GOD, and the WRITING WAS THE WRi IING
OF Gon, graven upon the tables," ch. xxxii. 15, 16. " These
words, (the ten commandments) the Lord spake in the m Mint,
out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick dark-
ness, with a great voice : and he added no more, BUT HE
WROTE THEM on two tables of stone," Deut. v, 22. It is
evident therefore that this writing was properly and literally
the writing of God himself. He wrote now on tables of
stone, what he had originally written on the heart of man •
and in mercy he placed that before his eyes, which by sin had
been obliterated from his soul, and by this he shews us what,
by the spirit of Christ, must be re-written in the mind,
2 Cor. iii. 3. and this is according to the covenant, which God
long before promised to make with manknd, Jer. xxxi. 33.
See also what is said on tliis subject, chap. xx. 1. and see
chap, xxxiv. 1.
CHAPTER XXXII.
T/te Israelites, finding that Mosa delayed his return, desire Aaron to tnake them gods to go before them, 1 . Aaron
consents, and requires their ornaments, 2. Thei/ deliver them to him, and he makes a molten calf, 3. He builds an
altar before it, 5, and the people offer burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, 6. The Lord commands Moses to go
dozen, telling him that the people had corrupted themselves, 1, 8. 'The Lord is angri/,aiid threatens to destroy them,
9, 10. Moses intercedes for them, 11 — 13. And the Lord promises to spare them, 14. Moses goes douii ivith the
tables in his hands, 15, iG. Joshua hearing the noise they made in their festival, makes some remarks on it, 17, 18.
Moses coming to the camp, and seeing their idolatrous worship, is greatly distressed, throzis dozen and breaks the
iito tables, IQ. Takes the calf, reduces it to pozcder, streics it upon zcater, and causes them to drink it, 20.
Moses expostulates zcith Aaron, 'i I . Aaron vindicates himself, C'2 — 24. Moses orders the Levites to slay the trans-
gressors, 25 — 27. They do so, and 3000 fall, 28, 29. Moses returns to the Lord on the mount, and makes siip-
plicationfor the people, 30 — 32. God threatens and yet spares, 33. Commands Moses to lead the people, and
promises him the direction of an angel, 34. The people are plagued because of their sin, 33.
A.M. 2A1-3. A ND when the people saw that gods, which shall " go before us;
J^\ Moses ' delayed to come down
out of the mount, the people ga-
thered themselves together unto
Aaron, and said unto liim, '' Up, make
E. C. 1491.
All. Exod. Isr,
1.
Ab.
us
» Ch. 24. 18. Deut. 9. 9.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXII.
Ver.se 1. JVhen the people saxu that Moses delayed] How
long this was, before the expiration of ihe forty days, we cannot
tell; but it certainly must have been some considerable time,
as the ornaments must be collected, and the calf or ox, after
having been founded, must require a considerable time to
fashion it with the graving tool; and certainly not more than
two or three persons could work on it at once. This work,
tlkerefore, must have required several days.
Tliei/ guiliered themselves togctlier] They came in a tumul- i
A. M. 2.113,
B.C. 1491.
An. Exod. Isr.
1.
Ab.
for as for this Moses, the man that
brought us up out of the land of
Egypt, we wot not what is become
of him.
" Acts 7. 40. ' ch. 13. 21.
tuous and seditious manner, insisting on having an object of
religious worship made tor them, as they intended, under its
direction, to return to Egypt, see Acts vii. 39, 40.
As for this Moses, the man that brought us up] This seems to
be the language of great contempt, and by it we may see the
truth of the character given them by Aaron, verse 22. they
were set on mischief. It is likely they might have supposed
that Moses had perished in the fire, which they saw had in-
vested the top of the mountain, into which he went.
Aaron submits, and makes CHAP.
A.M. t.M.;. 2 And Aaron said unto them, Break |
li. ( \w\. pLj.- j.]j^ a ooitlen car-riiiufs, which are '
An. I-V'ci. I r - - " - ^
XXXII. a molten calf ; and they xvorship it.
before it; and Aaron made " procla- -^^m.zms.
1.
Ah.
in the ears of your wives, of your
sons, and of your daughters, and
bring them unto me.
3 And all the people brake off the golden
ear-rings which rcwe in their ears, and brought
litem unto Aaron.
4 '' And he received them at their hand, and
fashioned it with a graving tool, after lie had
made it a molten calf: and they said. These be
thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out
of the land of Egypt.
5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar
• JudL'. 8 ei, 2.1, S6. 27. ' ch. 20. 23. Dent 9. IG. .'nda. 17. 3, 4.
1 KiiiKs 12. «8. Nth. 9 18. I's. 106. 19. Isa. 'ki. <i. Arts 7. 41. Rom. 1. 23.
'Lev. 2vJ. 2, 4, 21, 37. 2 Kings 10. iO. 2 Cliron. 30. 5. " 1 Cir. 10.7.
mation, and said. To morrow is a ^.('.1191.
All. f-\ipd.Isr.
1.
Ah.
Verse 2. Your ea'r-ringy'\ Both men ami women wore tlie«e
ornaments ; and we may suppo.se llial these were a part of the
spoils which they brought out of Egypt. How strange, that the
very things which were granted them by an especial influence
and providence of God, should be now abused to the basest
idolatrous purposes; but it is frequently the case, that the gifts
of God become desecrated by being (uiployed in the .service of
sin. I will curse your blessings saiti) tiie Lord, Mai. ii. 2.
Verse 3. And all the people brake off the golden ear-rings]
The human being is naturally /o«c( of dress, though this has
been improperly attributed to the female sex alone.and those are
most fond of it, who have the shallowest capacities; but, on
this occasion, the bent of the people to idolatry, was greater
than even their love of dress, soihat rluy rtadiiy stripped tliem-
fclves of their ornaments, in order to get a mullen god. Tliey
made some compensation for this afterward.s, see chap, x.v.vv.
and the note, chap, xxxviii. 9.
Verse 4. Fas/iioned it with a graving looQ There has been
mucii controversy about the meaning of the word lain, cheret,
in the text : some make it a mould, others a garment, cloth, or
apron, some a purse or bag, and others agraver. It is likely that
some mould was made on this occasion ; that the gold, when
fused, was cast into it, and that afterwards it was brought
into form and symmetry, by the action of the chissel and
graver.
Tliese be thy gnds, 0 Israel] The whole of this is a most
strange and unaccountable transaction. Was it possible, that
the people cr;dd have so soon lost sight of the wonderful ma-
nifestations of God upon the mount .'' Was it possible, that
Aaron could have imagined that he could make any god
that could help them } And yet, it does not appear that he
ever remonstrated with the people! Possibly he only intended
to make them some symbolical representation of the divine
power and energy, thai might be as evident to them as the
pillar of cloud and fire had been; and to which God might
attach an always present energy and influence: or, in requiring
them to sacrifice their ornaments, he miglil have supposed they
feast to the Lord.
6 And they rose up early on the
morrt)w, and ottered burnt olieriugs, and l^rought
peace offerings ; and the " people sat down" to
eat tind to drink, and rose up to play.
7 ^ And the Lord said unto Closes, 'Go,
get thee down; for thy people, which thou
broughtest out of the land of Kgypt, ^ have
corrupted tliemselves :
8 They have turned aside quickly out of the
way which ^ I conunanded them : they have
made them a molten calf, and have worshipped
' neat. 9.12. ver. l.eh. 33. 1. Dan 9. 24. 'Ceii. 6. II, 12. Ucut.t
16. i 32. 5. Judg. 2. 19. Hos. 9. 9. s d,. oy. 3, 4, 23. JJcut. 9. Id.
would have desi.sted from urging their request; hut all this is
mere conjecture, with very little probability to support it. It
must, however, be granted, that Aaron does not afipear to- have
even designed a worship that should supersede the woi-ship of
the Most High ; hence wc find him making proclamatiun, To-
monoa- is a feast to the Lo.lD, nin»; and we find flirlhcr, that
some of the proper rites of the true worship were observed on
this occasion, for they brought burnt offerings and peace offer-
ings, ver. 6, 1, hence it is evident he intended that the true
God should be the object of their worship, though he per-
mitted and even encouraged them to oiler this worship through
an idolatrous medium, the molten calf. It has been suppo-sed
that this was an exact resicmblance of the famous Egyptian god
Apis, who was worshipped under the form of an ox ; w hich
worship the Israelites, no doubt, saw often practised in Egypt.
Some, however, tliiiik that this worship of .4/ii« was not then
established ; but we have already had sufficient proof that
different animals were sacred among the Egyptians ; nor have
we any account of any worship in Egypt, earlier than that of-
fered to Apis, under the figure of an OX.
Verse 6. The people .tat down to cat and to drinJ:] The
burnt ollerings were wholly consumed ; the peace ofierings,
when the blood had been poureil out, became the Ibod of the
priests, &c. When, therefore, the strictly religious part of these
ceremonies was finished, the people sat dozen to eat of the peace
offerings, and this they did merely as the. idolaters, eating and
drinking to excess. And it ap[X'ars they went much farther,
for it is said they ro-ie up to play, ^TirVjh, leisacliek, a word of
ominous import, and seems to imply here fornicating and
adulterous intercourse; and in some countries the verb to piuy
is still used precisely in this sense. In this sense the original
is evidently u.sed. Gen. xxxix. 14.
Verse 7. Thy people — /i«r<; corrw/iffrf themselves] They had
not only got into the spirit of idolatry, but tbey had become
abominable in their conduct, so that God disoiens them to be
his ; THY people, they have broken the covenant, and are iit»
longer intitled to my protection and love.
The Lord is about to consume tJieni.
EXODUS.
A.M. ejl3.
B. C. 1401.
An. Kxod.I^r,
1. ,
.16.
it, and ha%'e sacrificed thereunto, and |
said, " Tlie.sc be thy gods, O Israel, i
which have brought thee up. out of
the laud of Egypt.
9 And the Eord said unto Moses, '' I have seen
this pcoplc,and, behold, it /•? a stiff-necked people:
10 Now therefore " let me alone, that '^ my
wrath may wax hot against them, and that I
may consume them : and ^ I will make of thee
a great nation.
1 1 ^ '^ And Moses besought ^ the Lord his
God, and said, Lord, why doth tliy wrath wax
hot against thy people, which thou hast brought
forth out of the land of P>gyptwith great power,
and with a mighty hand ?
12 ''Wherefore should the Egyptians speak,
and say, for mischief did he bring them out, to
slay them in the mountains, and to consume
them from the face of the earth ? Turn from
thy fierce wrath, and ' repent of this evil against
thy people.
Moses intercedes for them.
Abraham, Isaac, A.M.esis.
B.C. lli»l.
An.Kxnd.Isr.
1.
Ab. .
' 1 Kings 12. ?8. •> ch. .S3. 3, 5. ic ;>!. 9. Dcut. <'. C, 13. & 31. 27.
2 Chr-n. .50. 8. ts.ii. 43. 4. .'\ct!.7..51. ' Uiut. 9. 14, 19.-^—'' cli. 22. 24.
' Numb. 14. 12. ''neut. 9. 18, SC, S(7, i>H. 29. Ps. 74. 1. 2. & Idii. 'A
e Heb. the face ofthilORD. ri'iS'umb. 11. IJ. Ucut. 9. 28. & 32. 27.
Verse -9. A stiff-necked people] Probably an allusion to
the stifl'rierked ox, the object of their worship.
Verse 10. Now therefore let me alone] I\Io,>cs had alreadv
begun to plead with God in the behalf of tins rebellious and
iingratcrui pt.ople ; and so powerful was his intercession, tliat
ti'en llie Omnipotent represents himself as incapable of doing
any liiinij in the way of judi^ment, unless his creature desisted
from ])rayins- for mercy ! See an instance of the ])revalence
of fervent intercession in the case of Abraham, Gen. ,\viii.
23 — 33. from the model of which, the intercession of Moses
seems to have been formed.
Verse 1 k And the Lord repented of the evii] Tliis is
spoken merely after the manner of men, who having formed a
purpose, permit themselves to be diverted from it by stronj^ and
forcible reasons, and so change their minds relative to their
former intentions.
Verse 1 5. Tlieluhles wcr-e tvrit'.en on both their sulesl If we take
this literally, it was certainly a very unusual thing; for in an-
cient limes the two sides of the same substance were never
written over. However some Rabbins suppose that by the
writin;; on both sides is meant, the letters were cut ilirough the
tables, s'l that they might be read on both sides, though on
one side they would appear reversed. Supposing this to be
correct, if the letters were the .same with those called Hebrew
now in common u.se, the samech, D, which occurs twice, and the
thial luen^, zz, which occurs l:uenfj/-thrce titnes in the ten com-
inandnjents, both of these being clnee letters could not be cut
lUrougli on both sides, without (ailing out, unless, as some of
the Jews have imagined, they were held in by miracle ; but if
13 Remember
and Israel, thy servants, to whom
thou " swarest by thine own self, and
saidst unto them, ' I will mill-
tiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and
all this land that I have spoken of, will I give
unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for
ever.
14 And the Lord " repented of the evil
which he thought to do unto his people.
15 ^ And " Moses turned, and went down
from the mount, and the two tables of the tes-
timony uere in his hand : the tables awe written
on both their sides ; on the one side and on the
other tcere they written.
16 And the "tables tvet^e the work of God, and
the writing tca5 the writing of God, graven u{)on
the tables.
17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the
people as they shouted, he said unto Moses,
There is a noise of war in the camp.
' ver. 14.- k Gen. 22. 16. Hchr. 6. 13. ' Uen. 12. 7. h 13. 1.5. & I.'). 7,
in. i 2(5. 4. & 28. 1.3. k 35. 11, 12. ■" Dent. 32. Wi. 2 .Sam. 24. Ifi.
1 Chiun 21. 1.1. Ps. IOC. 4.'). .ler. IS. 8. S: 26. 13, 19. Joel 2. 13. Jonuh3,10.
& 4. 2. " Ul-ui. 9. ij. " cli. 31, 18.
this ancient character were the same with the Samaritan, this
thorouf^li cutting might have been quite practicable, as there is
not one cfoic letter in the whole Samaritiin alphabet. On llys,
transaction there are the three I'ollowing opinions. J. We
may conceive the tables of stone to ha\e been thin slabs, or a.
kind o( slate, and the writing on the backside to have been a
continuation of that on the front, the first not being sufficient
to contain the whole : 2. or the writing on the backside was
probably the precepts llmt accompanied the ten commandments :
the latter were written by the Lord, the former by Moses, see
the note on chap, x.xxiv. 1. and 2T. 3. Or the same words
were written on both sides, so that when held up, two parties
might read at die same lime.
Verse 16. The tables were the viork of God] Because such
a law could proceed from none but himself; God alone is the
fountain and author of L.\w, of what is right, just, holi/ and
good ; see the meaning of Ihe word LAW, Exod. xii. 49.
T/ie loriling was the ivriting of God] For as he is the sole
author of law and justice, so he alone can write them on the
heart of man. This is agreeable to the spirit of the nciu co-
venant, which God had promised to make with men, in the
latter days. / u-ili make a new covenant Kith the house of Israel
— I will PUT MY LAWS IN THEIR MINDS, AND WRITE TIIEM
IN THEIR HEARTS, Jerem. xxxi. 33. Heb. viii. 10.
2 Cor. iii. 3. That the writing of these tables was the writing
of God, see proved at the conclusion of the last chapter.
Verse 17. Joshua — said — there 'is a noise of war in the
camp.] How naiiiral was this thought to the mind of a mili-
tary man ! hearing a confused noise, he supposed that the
Moses breaks the tables.
CHAP. XXXII.
A.M.e5i3. 2 8 And he said, It is not the
K.C. 1-101. yoic^. of tfl^-fll tiiQi shout for mastery,
1. neither is it the voice or them that cry
■^*1 for " being overcome : but the noise
of them that sing do I hear.
19 1[ And it came to pass, as soon as Jie came
nigh unto the camp, that "■ he saw the calf, and
the dancing : and Moses' anger waxed liot, and
he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake
them beneatli the mount.
'_'0 IT ' And he took the calf wliich thev had
made, antl burnt it in the fire, and ground it to
powder, and strawcd it \\\wn the water, and
made the children of Israel drink of it.
2\ ^[ And Moses said unto Aaron, '' What did
tliis people unto thee, that thou hast brought so
great a sin upon them ?
22 And Aaron said, let not the anger of my
• Heb. makness.-
26. 10.—
—I" Dcut. 9. 16, 17. ' Dcut. 9. 21. " Gen. 20. 9. &
-« ch. 14. 11., 3c 15. 24. & It!. 2, 20, 28. & 17. 2, 4.
and destroys the golden calf'.
lord wax hot: Mhou knowest the a.m.usis.
people, that they are set on mi.schief. "^ "''•
23 I'or they said unto me, Make i.
us gods, which shall go before us : . ^'''' __
for as for this Moses, the man that brought us
up out of the land of Kgypt, we wot not what is
become of him.
24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath
any gold, let them l)reak it off. So thev gave
it me : tlicn I cast it into the fire, and there
'■' came out this calK
25 ^ And when Moses saw tlua the peojiic ,
"ivere " naked; (for Aaron ' had made them naked,
unto their sliame, among " their enemies :)
2() Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp.,
and said. Who is on the Louo'.s side ? let him
come unto me. And all the sons of Levi ga-
thered themselves together unto him..
Israelitish camp had been attacked by some of the neiyiibour-
inj; inbes.
\'(-rse 18. And lie saidl That is, Mosts relumed this an-
swer to the obi^ervations of Joslma.
\'crse 1 9. He cast the tables out of his /lands and brake t/iciiil
He might have done this througli distress and anguish of
spirit, on beholding their aV)orninable idolatry and dissolute
conduct : or he probably did it emblematicalti/, intimating
thereby, that, as by this act of his, the tables were broken in
pieces on which the law of God was written ; so they, by
their present conduct, h.id made a breach in the covenant, and
broken the laws of their Maker..
Verse 20. He took the calf — and burnt — and gi-ound it to
puivder, &c.] How truly contemptible must the object oi'
their idolatry appear, when they were obliged to drink their
god, reduced to powder and strewed on the water ! " But,"
says an objector, " Imw could qold, the most ductile of all
metals, and the most ponderous, be stamped into dust, and
strev:cd on water?" In Dcut. i.v. 21. this matter is fully
explained. / took, says Moses, your sin, the calf vihich j/e had
made, and burnt it with fire, that is, melted it down, probably
into ingots or gross plates, and stamped it, that is, beat it into
.thin lamime, something like our gold leaf, and ground it very
smalt, c\cn until it ivas as small as dust, v^hich might be very
*asilv done, by the action of the hands, when beat into thin
plates or leaivs, as the original words r\;x, eco'h, and pi, dak,
implv. And I cast the dust thereof into the brook, and being
thus lighter than the water, it would readily^oa<, so that they
could easily see, in this reduced and useless state, the idol to
which they had been lately oftcring divine honours, and from
which they were va nly vXpecting protection and defence.
No mode of ar^wnentatioii could have served so forcibly, to
demniisirate the iolly oi their conduct, as tiiis inelbod pursued
by Mosc*.
*'ver. 1.-
'• ver. 4.-
'" eh. 33. 4, 3. ' 3 Chrou. 38. 19.-
that rose vp against them.
-><Heb. thnt
Verse 21. What did this people unto thee?] It seems, if
Aaron had been. wVm, this evil might have been prevented.
Verse 22. Tliou knoxi-est the people] He excuses himself by
the v.-ickcd and seditious >i)iru of the people, intimating that he
was obliged to accede to their desires.
Verse 24. I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf]
What a silly and ridiculous subtcrfnge ! He seems to insinuate
that he oidy throw the metal into the fire, and that the calt'
came unexpectedly out, by mere accident! The Targuni of
.lonathan ben Uzziel makes a similar excuse for him : " And
1 said unto them, whosoever hath gold let him break it otrand
give it to me ; and I cast it into the Rrc, and Satan entered
into it, and it came out in the form of this calf!"
Verse 25. Closes saw t/uit the people were naked] They were
stripped, saj-s the Targum, of the holy crown that was upon their
heads, on which the great and precious name, ^'if^nT JE-
HOVAH, was engraved. But it is more likely that the word
jnfi, phara, implies that they were reduced to the most help-
less and luretched st&te, being abandoned by God in the midst
of their enemies. This is exactly similar to that expression,
2 Chron. xxviii. 19. For the Lord brought Juduh loxv, because
of .-Ihaz king of Israel: for he nmde Judah N.VKFD, l*'"iCr!.
hipprid, and transgrrsscd sore against the Lord. Their (<Yj<fi/-
ness, therefore, though in Ihc first .sense, it may imply that .se-
veral of them were despoiled of Iheir ornaments, yet it mav
also express, their delLnceless and abandoned stale, in conse-
quence of their sin — That they could not lileralii/, have all
been despoiled of their ornaments, appears evident from their
offerings, chap. xxxv. 21, &c.
Verse 26. ll'ho is on tite Lord's (Jehovah's) side r] That is,
who among you is free from this transgression ?
And all the sons of L:vi, &c.] It seems tliey h»d no part In
this idolatrous business.
A.M. 9513.
J).C. 1491.
All. Exod. Isr.
1.
Ah.
Three Ihousand of the
27 And he said unto them, Thus
saith the Lord God of Israel, Put
every man his sword by his side, and
go in and out from gate to gate
throughout the camp, and ^ slay every man his
brother, and every man his companion, and
every man his neighbour,
28 And the children of Levi did according to
the word of Moses : and there fell of the people
that day, about three thousand men.
29 " For " Moses had said, " Consecrate
yourselves to day to the Lord, even every
man upon his son,, and upon his brother ; that
» Numb. e,5..5. Deut. .33. 9. •> Numb. a5. 11, 12, «. Dent. 1.3. 6—11. &
S:>.9,10. 1 Sam. 15. 18, 22. Prov. 21. 3. Zecli. la. 3. Malt. 10. 37. 'Or.ylnrf
Alose5 said, Ccnst:cf(iU ynursclvcs titday to tin- LORD,bec<tnse cvcni mtai liath
been against his son, and againsl ftis brother, t^-c. ^ Heb. Fill your hands,
Verse 27. From gate to gale] Tliei'e was probably an
inclosed or intrtnclied camp, in which the chief rulers and
heads of the people were ; and that this camp iiad iico gales or
outlels ; and the Levites were commanded to pass from one to
the other, slaying as many of the transgressors as they could
find.
Ver.se 28. There fell — about three thousand men.'\ These were,
no doubt, the chief transgressors, having- broken the covenant,
by having other gods besides Jehovah, they lost the divine pro-
tection, and then thejustice of God laid hold on and slew them.
Woses, doubtless, had positive orders from God for this act of
justice, see ver. 27. for though, through his intercession, the
people were spared, so as not to be exterminated as a nation, yet
the principal transgressors, those who were set on mischief, ver.
22. were to be put to death.
Verse 29. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves'] Fill
your hands to the Lord. See the reason of this form of speech
in tiie note on chap, x.xix. 19.
Verse 3 1 . Moses returned unto the Lord] Before h.° went
down from the mountain, God had acquainted him wirh the
general defection of the people, whereupon he immediately,
■without knowing the extent of their crime, began to make
hite -cession for them, and God having given him a general
assurance, that they should not be cut off, hastened iiim to
go down, and bring them off from their idolatry. Having
descended, lie fin<ls matturs much worse than he expected,
and ordered three thousand of the principal delinquents to be
slain ; but knowing that an evil so extensive, must be highly
provoking in the .>ight of the just and holy God, he fmds it
highly expedit nt that an atonement be made for the sin ; for
although he had the promise of God, that as a nation, they
should not be extermiruited, yet he had reason to believe, that
divine justice must continue to contend with them, and pre-
vent them from ever entering the promised land ; that he
W.1S upprchcnsive that this would be the case, we may see plain-
ly from the following verse.
Verse 32. Forgive their sin — if not, blot me — out of thy
lH>.ok] It is probable that one part of Moscn's work during the
EXODUS. principal transgressors slain.
he may bestow upon you a blessing
A.M. 2513.
B.C. 1401.
An.Exod. Isr.
1.
Ah.
this day
30 ^ And it came to pass on the
morrow, that Moses said unto the
people, ° Ye have sinned a great sin : and now
I will go up unto the Lord ; ^ peradventure I
shall ^ make an atonement tor your sin.
31 And Moses '' returned unto the Lord, and
said. Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and
have ' made them gods of gold.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt, tbrg-ive their sin — ;
' and if not, " blot me, I pray thee, ' out of thy
book which thou hast written.
' 1 Sam. 12. 20, 23. Luke 1.5. 18.-
e Nmiib. 2,5. 13. '' I lent. 9. IR. —
3. ' I's. .")6. 8. .ti 139. 16. Hnn. i:
8. & 20. 1-2,15. & 21. 27. & 22. 19.
— f 2 Sam. 16. 12. Amos 5. 15
-' oil. SO, 23. 1 Ps. 69. 28. Rom. y.
. 1. Phil. 4. 3. Rev. 3. 3. & 13. 8. \ 17.
forty days of his residence on the mount with God, was his
regulatint; the muster-roll of all the tribes and families of Israel,
in lefere.ice to the parts thsy were respectively to act, in the
different transactions in the wilderness, promised land, &c. and
this being done under the immediate direction of God, is term-
ed God's bonk, ivhich he had written; such muster-rolls or re-:
gisters, called also genealogies, the Jews have had from the re-
motest period of their history; and it is probable, that God had
told hiin, that those who should break the covenant which he
had then made with thein, should be blotted out of that list,
and never enter into the promised land. All this Moses ap-
pears to have particularly in view, and without entering into
any detail, immediately comes to the point which he knew
was fixed, when this list or muster-roll was made, namely,
that those who should break the covenant should be blotted
o«^ and never have any inheritance in the promised land;
therefore he says, this people have sinned a great sin, and have
made them gods of gold; thus they had broken the covenant, see
the first and second commandments; and by this, had forfeited
their right to Canaan. Yet now, he adds, if thou wilt forgive
their sin, that they maj"^ yet attain the promised inheritance,
and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy hook which thou hast
xuritten. If thou wilt blot out their names from this regi.'ter,
and never suffer them to enter Canaan, blot me out also, for
I cannot bear the thought of enjoying that bles.?edness, wliile
my people and their posterity shall be for ever excluded.
And God, in kindness to IMoses, spared him the mortification
of going into Canaan, without taking the people with him.
They had forfeited their lives, and were sentenced to die in the
wilderness ; and Moses's prayer was answered in mercy to
him, while the people suffered under the hand of justice.
But the promise of God did not fail; for although those who
sinned were blotted out of the book, yet their posterity enjoyed
the inheritance.
This .seems to be the simple and pure light, in which this
place should be viewed ; and in tWs sense, St. Paul is to be
understood, Roin. ix. 3. where he says. For I could wish that
myself ivere ACCUUSED J'roin Christ, for my brethren my kiitt-
s
These tt'7«o sin to be blotted out of CHAP. XXXII. Cod's book. The people are plagued.
A.M.'M.i 33 ^ And the Lord said unto | *" behold, mine Angel shall go be
a c. 1 lui.
An.Exod Isr
Moses, * Whosoever hath sinned
1. against me, him will I blot out ol'
^*: my book.
34 Theret()re, now go, lead the people unto
tlie place of which I have spoken unto thee :
' I.ev. 85. 30. Ezek. 18. 4. ' cli. 33. 2, 11, &C. Xumb. '.'0. 16.
mm according to the flesh ; who nre ISRAELITES, to whom per-
tiiiiicth the- ADOPTION, ayut ihc GI.OUY, and the COVENANTS.
Mose.s could not survive the dostruction of liis people, by the
neigihljouiinn' nations, nor their exckision from the promised
land ; and St. Paul, seem"; the Jews about to he cut ofV by
the Koman sword, fur their rejection of the gospel, was willinu;
♦o he deprived of every earthly blessinu:, and even to become
a sacriUce for them, if this might contribute to the preserva-
tion and salvation of the Jewish state. Hotli those eminent
men, engaged in the same work, mflneneeil by a s]jirit of un-
paraileled patriotism, were willint; to forfeit every bltssinij; of
a secular kmd, and even die for the welfare of the people.
But certainly, neither of them could wish to go to eternal
perdition, to save their countrymen from bein^ cut olY, the
one by the sword of the Philistines, the other by that of the
Romans. Even the supposition is monstrous.
On this mode of interpretation, we may at once see what
is implied in the Look of life, and being- wrillen in, or blotted
out of surh a book. In the jmblic registers, all that were born
«f a particular tribe, were entered in the list of their respective
faniilies, under that tribe. This was the iooA- o/' ///l- : but when
any of those died, his name might be considered as blotted out
frnin this list. Our bajitismahx'^isters, which record the births of
all the inhabitants of a particular parish, or district, and which
are properly our books of life ; and our bills of moriality, w Inch
are ])roperly our books of death, or the lists of those who are
thus blotted out from our baptismitl registers, or books of life, are
very significant and illustrative remains of the ancient re:;is-
ters, or books of life and death, among the Jews, the Greeks,
the Romans, and most ancient nations. It is worthy of re-
mark, that in Chma, the names of the persons who have been
tried on criminal processes are written in two distinct books,
wliitli are called the book of life, and tlie book of death ; those
who have been acquitted, or who have not been ciipiiitlbi con-
victed, are written in the ,/bn«er; those who have been found
gu'ltj/, in the lateer. These two books are presented to the
emperor by his ministers, who, as sovereign, has a right to
trase any name from either : to place the livini^ among the
dead, that he may die ; or the dead, that is, the person con-
demned to death, among the tiling, that he may be pre.served.
Thus he blots out of tiie book of life, or the book of death,
according to his ,sovereig« pleasme, on the representation of
his niiiustcrs, or the intercession of friends, &c. An ancient,
extremely rich picture, in my own possession, representing
this circumstance, painted in China, was thus interpreted to
me, by a native Chinese.
Verse 33. U'hoei-er hath sinned against me, 1dm will I blot
«('.] As if the Divine Being had said, " All my conduct is
1 lore thee : neverlheles.-;, ■■' in the day
j when 1 visit, I will visit their sin up-
I on them.
I S.'i And the Loud plagued the people, becausa
j " they made the call", which Aaron made.
A.M. toll.
B.C. IWt
All. Kiod.Lr.
1.
Ab.
' Dent. 32. 35. Amus 3. 11. Koiu. 2. 5, ti. ■" 2 Sam. 14. 9. Acti 7. 41.
regulated hy infinite justice and righteousness : in no case,
shall the innocent ever suiler for the guilty : that no man may
transgress through ignorance, I have given you my law, and
thus published my (ovenarit; the people themselves have ac-
knowledged its justice and equity, and have voluntarily rati-
fied it. He then, that sins against me, for sin is the trans-
gression of the law, (1 John iii. 4.) and the law must be
published and known, that it may be binding, him will 1 blot
out of my book." And is it not remarkable, that to these
conditions of the covenant, God strictly adhered, so that not
one soul of these transgressors ever entered into the promised
rest! Here Wdis justice : and yet, though they deserved
death, they were spared ! Here was mercy. Thu.s, as far
as justice would permit, tnercy extended : and a.» far as w/ercy
would permit, justice proceeded. Behold, O Reader, the
CiOODNI-.SS and SEVKKITV of GOD! Mehcy saves all, that
JUSTlCt: can spare; and JUSTICE destroys all, that MERCY
.<:hould not sate.
\'erse 'i i. Lead the people un'o the [ilace] The word place,
is not in the text, and is with great propriety omitted, tor
Moses never led this people into that place — they all died in
the wilderness, except Joshua and Caleb — but Moses led
them towards the place, and thus the particle Sn el here,
should be understood : unjess we .suppose, that God designed
to lead them to the borders of the land, but not to take them
into it.
/ wilt visit their sin^ I will nut destroy them, liiit tliev
shall not enter into the jironiised land. They shall wander
in the wilderness, till the present generation become extinct.
Verse 35. The Lord plagued the people'^ Every time they
transgressed afterwards. Divine Justice seems to have remem-
bered this trans'^re.ssion against them. The Jews have a
meta]ihorieal saying, apparently founded on this text : " No
aftliction has ever happened to Israel, in which there was not
Some particle of the dust of the golden calf."
1. The attentive reailer has seen enough in this chapter,
to induce him to exclaim, how soon a clear sky may be over-
cast ! How soon may the brightest prospects be obscured !
Israel had just ratified its covenant with Jehovah, and had
reeeiveil the mo>t encouraging and unequivocal ])Udges of
his protection and love. But they sinned, and provoked the
[.Old to dejiarl from tlKin, and to destroy the wurk of bis
hands. A little more faith, patience, and perseverance, and
they should have been safely brought into the promised land.
For want of a little more dcpendancc upon God, ho« often
does an excellent beginning come to an unhappy conclusion.
Many, who were just on the borders of the promised land,
0 K
An angel is promised to go before them. EXODUS.
Tliej/ are repro'vedfor their rebellion.
and about to cross Jordan, have, througli an act of unfaitli-
fulness, been turned back lo wander many a dreary year
in the wilderness. Reader, be on thy guard ! Trust in
Christ, and watch unto prayer.
2. Many people have been greatly distressed on losing
their baptismal register, and liave been reduced in conse-
quence, to great political inconvenience. But still, they had
their lives, and should a living man complain ? But a man
may so sin, as to provoke God to cut him off; or like a fruit-
less tree, be cut down, because he encumbers the ground.
Of he may have sinned a sin unto death, 1 John v. 16, IT.
that is, a sin, which God will punish with temporal death,
while he extends mercy to the soul.
3. With respect to the blotting out of God's book, on which
there has been so much controversy, is it not evident, that a
soul could not be blotted out of a book, in which it had never
been written ? And is it not farther evident, from ver. 32, 33.
that although a man be written in God's book, if he sins, he
may be blotted out ? Let him that readeth, understand ;
and let him that standeth, take heed lest he fall ! Reader,
be not high-minded, but fear. See the note on ver. 32
and 33.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Moses is commanded to depart from the mount, and lead up the people towards the promised land, 1. An angel is
promised to he their guide, 2. The land is described, and the Lord refuses to go with them, 3. The people'
7iiourn, and strip themselves of their ornaments, 4 — 6. The tabernacle or tent is pitched zvilhout the camp, 7.
Moses goes to it, to consult the Lord, and the cloudy pillar descends on it, 8, 9- The people standing at their tent .
doors, uitness this, 10. The L,ord speaks familiarly zcith Moses; he returns to the camp, and leaves Joshua in
the tabernacle, 11. Moses pleads with God, and desires to know zchum he will send to be their guide, and to be]
informed (f the zcay of the Lord, 12,13. The Lord promises that his prcsawe shall go zcith them, 14. Moses'
pleads that the people may be taken under the divine-protection, 15, l6. The Lord promises to do sa, 17. Moses
requests to see the divine glory, 18. And God promises to inake his goodness pass before him, and to proclaim his
name, IQ. ShiMS that no man can see his glory and live, 20, hut promises to put him in a cleft of the rock, and
to cover him zcith his hand zehile his glory passed by, and then to remove his hand, and let him see his back parts,
•21—23.
A.M. 2513.
B.C. !■!?].
Aii.Exod. Isr.
1.
Ab.
ND the Lord said unto Moses,
j^ ^ Depart, and go up hence, thou
" and the people which tliou hast
brought up out of the land of Egypt,
unto the land which I sware unto Abraham,
to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ^ Unto thy seed
will I give it :
2 ^ And I will send an angel before thee,
'' and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amo-
rite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the
Hivite, and the Jebusite :
»Ch.
S'^. 7-
— "t
en.
IS
7.
cl..
SS.
I.S.—
— 'ch
32. p
i. & 34.11.-
* Vent.
7. 22.
Josh.
24.
11
'cli
3.
8.
-' ver.
1:\ 17
. 5 ch. 32.
9.
&34, 9
Deut
9.0.
13.-
"di
S3.
21.
&32
10.
S'uitib.
16. 21, 45.
NOTES ON ai.\p. xxxni.
Verse 1. Unto tin lunil] That i-s towards it, or to the
borders of it. See chap, xxxii. 34.
Verse 2. / viill send an angel] In chap, xxiii. 20. God
promises to send an angel, to conduct them into the good
land, in whom the name of God should be ; that is, in whom
God should dwell. See the note there. Here, he promises
that an angel shall be their conductor ; but as there is no-
thing particularly specified of him, it has been thought, thai
A.M.SolS.
B. C. 1491.
An. Exod. Isr.
1.
Ab.
3 " Unto a land flowing Avith milk
and honey : ' tor I will not go up in
the midst of thee, for thou art a
^ stiff-necked people, lest " I consume
thee in the wav.
4 ^ And when the people heard these evil
tidings, ' they mourned : " and no man did put
on him his ornaments.
5 For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say
unto the children of Israel, ' Ye are a stiff-
necked people : I will come up " into the midst
' Numb. 14. 1, 39. " Lev. 10. 6 2 Sam. 19. 24. 1 Kings 21. Sr.
2 Kings ly. 1. Estl.er4. 1,4. Ezra 9. 3. .loh 1. VO. & 2. 12. bai 32. 11.
Ezck. 24. 17, 23. k 26. 1^. ' ver. 3. " See Numb. 16, 45, 4(5.
an ordinary angel is intended, and not that angel of the cove-
nant, promised before. And ihis sentiment items to be con-
firmed by the following verse.
Verse 3. / villi not go up in the midst of thee.] Conse-
quenlly, the angel here promised to be their guide, was not
tliat angel, in whom Jehovaii's name was: and so the people
understood it, and hence the mourning, which is afterward*
mentioned.
Verse 5. Now put off thy omnmenls from thee] " The Sep-
They arc commanded to CHAP.
of thee in :i moment, and consmnc
thee ; tlicrcforc, now put off thy or-
naments fi-om thee, that I may ' know
what to do unto thee.
6 And the children of Israel stripped them-
> Ucut. a. 2. Ps. 139. 23.
A.M.'-'Jl.!.
1!.C. 1191.
jin.Exod.lsr.
1.
Ab.
tuagint, in ilicir translation, suppose, tliat the chililren oi'
Israel, not only l^id aside their car-rings, and such like orna-
ments, in a time of professed deep liuniilidtlon bdore God,
but their upi^r, or more btautiful garments too. Moses says
nothing of this last circumslance ; but as it is a modern prac-
tice, so it appears by their version, to have been as ancient as
their time, and probably took place long before that. The
Septuagint gives us this as the translation of the passage :
' The people having heard this sad declaration, mourned
with lamentations. And the Lord said unto the children of
Israel, Now, therefore, put otV your robes of glory, and your
ornaments, and I wjII .shew you the things I will do unto
you. And the children of Israel put oflF their ornaments and
robes, by the mount, by Horeb.'
" If it had not been the custom to put off their upper gar-
ments, in times of deep mourning, in the days that the Sep-
tuagint translation was made, they would not have in.serted
this circumstance, in the account Moses gives of their mourn- |
ing, and concerning which he was silent. They must have
lupposed loo, that this practice might be in use in those elder
times.
•' That it is now practised in the East, appears from the
account Pitts gives of the ceremonies of the Mahomedau
pilgrimage to INlecca. ' A few days after this, we came to
a place called Rabbock, about four daj's' sail on this side of
Mecca, where all the hagges or pilgrims (excepting those of
the female sex) do enter into hirrinvein, or iliraiii, i. e. they
take off all their clothes, covering themselves with two hir-
rawems, or large white cotton wrappers ; one, they put about
their middle, which reaches down to their ancles; with the
other, they cover the upper part of their body, except the head ;
and they wear no other thing on their bodies, but these wraji- |
pers, only a pair of grimgameca. that is, tlun sokd shoes, like
sandals, the over leather of which covers only the toes, (he i
insteps being all naked. In this manner, like humble jieni- ;
tents, they go from Rabbock, until they come to Mecca, to
approach the temple ; many times enduring the scorching
heal of the sun, until the very skin is burnt off their backs
: and arms, and their heads swollen to a very great degree.' i
Page 11.5, lie. Presently after, he informs us, 'that the I
1 time of ihtir wearing this mortifying habit, is about the space
; of seven days' Again (p. 138.) ' It was a siLilit Indeed,
able to pierce one's lieart, to behold so many llmusands In
: their garments of humility and mortification, with tiiclr naked ,
; heads, and checks watered with tears; and to hear their
■ grievous sighs and sobs, begging earnestly for the remission i
• of their sins, promising newness of life, using a form of peni-
I Iciitlal expressions, and thus continuing for the space of four '
or five hours.' [
l/iJ/ aside their ornaments.
ornaments by the
XXXIII.
' selves of their
mount Hore!).
j 7 IF And Moses took the taoer-
I nacle, and pitclied it without the
camp, afiir olf from the camp, ^ and called it
" Ch. ii9. 42. 43.
.A. M. ;ol3.
B.C. 1491
An.Exod. lar.
1
Ah.
" The Septuagint supposes, the Israelites made much the
same appearance as these MohameJan pilgrims, when Israel
stood in anguish of soul, at the foot of nu^unl Horeb, lliough
Moses says nothing of putting off any o their v<stinent».
" Some passages of the .lewsh propl.'^U, seem to confirm
the notion of their strij>ping themselves nf si'ine of iheir clothes,
in times of deep humiliation, jianicularly Mirah i. 8 'I'liae-
fore I will wail and howl : I teiif go strijti and tuiked ; / will
make a wailing like the dragons, und mourning as the owls.
" Saul's stripping himself, mentioned 1 Sam. xiv. 24 is
perhaps to be understood of his assuming the appearance of
tliDse, that were deeply engaged in devotional exercises, into
which he was unintentionally brought, by ihe prophetic In-
fluences that came upon lilin, : ml in which he saw others en-
gai;ed." Harmcr's Obsenat. Vol. iv. p. \12.
The ancient Jewish commentators were of opinion, that
the Israelites had the name ol' Jehovah, ,"nn' Inscribed on th ni
In such a way, as to ensure them the divine priitectioii ; and
that this, liijcrlbfed probably on a plate of gold, was ci'^nsi-
dticd tlu'ir choicest ornament; and that when lliey gave their
ornaments to make the golden calf, this was given by many ;
in consequence of which, thcj/ were considered as miked and
defenceless. All the remaining parts of their ornaments, which
it is likely were all emblematical of spiritual things, God com-
mands tliem here to lay ofl"; for they could not vm.1i pro-
priety bear the .symbols of the divine protection, who had for-"
felted that protection for their transgression.
Tliat I jniiy know v.hut to do unto thee~\ For it seems, that
while they had these emblematic ornaments on ihem, they
were still considered as under the divine protection. Ilicse
were a shield to them, which God commands them to throw
aside. Though many had parted with their choicest orna-
ments, yet not all, only compuratively a few, of the wives
daughters and sons of 600,000 men, could have been thus
stripped, to make one golden calf The major |>art still h.id
these ornaments ; and they are now commanded to lay them
aside.
Verse 7. Moses took the tabernacle'] SnSn jIS et haohel, the
TENT, not piyon TN et hamishcen, the tabernacle, the dwelling-
place of Jehovah, see chap. xxxv. 11. for this was not as yet
erected, but |)n)bably the tent of Moses, which w.ts before in
the niid.st of the cam[), and to which, the congregation came
for judgment; and where, no doubt, God frequently met
with Ills servant. This is now removed to a considerable
distance from the camp, two thousand cubits, according to the
Talmudists, as God refuses to dwell any longer among this re-
bellious people. And as this was the place, to which all the
people came for jusiice and judgment, hence, it was probably
called the tabernacle, more propt rlv, the tent of the congregation.
3 K 2
The Lord talks "with Moses.
the Tabernacle of the congregation.
And it came to pass, that every one
which " sought the Lord, went out
unto tlie tabernacle of the congrega-
tion, which "was without the camp.
8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out
unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up,
and stood every man ^ at his tent door, and
looked after Moses, until he was gone into the
tabernacle.
9 % And it came to pass, as Moses entered
into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended,
and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the
LORD ' talked with Moses.
10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar
stand at the tabernacle door : and all the people
rose up and "^ worshipped, 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
A.JI. i;51j.
H. C. 1491.
An. Exod. Isr.
1.
Ab.
l^^XODUS. Moses pleads for the people.
he turned again into the camp : but
' his servant Joshua, the son of Nun,
a young man, departed not out of the
tabernacTe.
12 ^ And Moses said unto the Lord, See^.
^thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people:,
and thou hast not let me lyiow whom thou wilt
send with me. Yet thou hast said, *■ I know
thee by name, and tliou hast also found grace ia
my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, ' if I have!
found grace in thy sight, "shew me now thy^i
way, that I may know thee, that I may find!
grace in thy sight : and consider that this nation
is ' thy people. i
14 And he said, " My presence shall go "with
thee, and I will give thee " I'est.
15 And he said unto him, " If thy presence go
not xcith me, carry us not up hence.
16 For wherein shall it be known here that
» Deui. 4. 29. 2 Sam. 21. 1. >■ Numb. 16. 27. = rh. 25. 22. & 31. 18.
Ps. 90. 7.—— " ch. 4. 31. ' Geii. 32. .30. timnh. VI. tS. Deut. 34. 10.
« cli. lii. l.i. e cli. 32. .34. " vcr. 17. Gen. 18. 19. Ps. 1. (1. .ler. 1. .5.
John K). 14, l.*). 2 Tim. 2. 19. ' ch. 'ii. 9. * Ps. 25. 4. & 27. 11. {t 86.
Verse 9. The douily pillar descended] Tliis very circum-
stance precluded the possibility of deception. The cloud
descending at these times, and at none others, was a full proof
that it was miracidous, and a pledge of the divine presence.
It was beyond the power of human art to counterfeit such an
appearance ; and let it be observed, that all the people saw
this, ver. 10. How many indubital)le, and irrefragable proofs
of its own authenticity and divine origin, does the Pentateuch
contain !
Verse 1 1 . Tlic Lord spttke unto Closes face to face] That
there was no personal appearance here, we may readily con-
ceive; and that the communications made by God to Moses,
were not by visions, cxlacies, d/ramx, inward inspiralions, or
the tnedia'.ion qf angels, is sufficiently evident : we may there-
fore consider the passage, as implying that familiarily and
confidence, with which, the Divine Being treated his servant;
and that he spake with him by articulate sounds, in his own
language, though no shape or similitude was then to be seen.
Joshua, the son of Nun, a youn^ vian] There is a difliculty
here : Joshua certainly was not a young man in the literal
sense of the word; " but he was called so," says Mr. Ains-
worth, " in respect of his smvcc, not of his j/ra;.?; for he was
now above fifty years old, as may be gathered from Josh,
xxiv. '2'J. IJut because minintrj/ and service are usually by
the younger sort: all scrzants are called ^o«n!f men. Gen. xiv.
24." — See al.so Gen. xx.xii. 7. and xli. 12. Perhaps the word
"1P3 nanr, here translated young man, means a single person,
one unmarried.
Verse 12. Moses said unto the Loi-d] We may suppose,
that ai'ttr Mosci had quilted the tabernacle, he went to the
11. & 119. 33. ' Deut. 9. 26, 29.
—38. Isai. 63. 9. " Deut. 3. 20.
11. ° ver. 3. ch. 34. 9.
.loel 2. 17. "' ch. 13. 21. & 40. 3*
Josh. 21. 44. Si 22. 4. k 23. 1. Vs. 95..
camp, and gave the people some general information relative
to the conversation he lately had with the Lord; after which,
he returned to the tabernacle or tent, and began to plead
with God, as we find in this and the following verses.
Thou hast not let me know, &c.] As God had said, be
would not go up witli this people, Moses wished to know
W'honi he would send with him, as he had only said, in
general terms, that he would send an angel.
Verse 13. Shew me now tliy leay] Let me know the
manner in wliich thou wouldat have this people led up and
governed, because this nation is thy people, and should be
governed and guided in thy own way.
Verse 14. My presence shall go with thee] 1D7' 'OB panai,
yetecu, my faces shall go. 1 shall give thee manifestations of
my grace and goodness through the whole of thy journey. I
I shall vary my appearances for thee, as thy necessities shall i
require.
Verse 1 5. Jf thy presence go not] CdSm ^JS J'N ns* im |
ein paneyca holcim, if thy faces do not go. If we have not i
manifestations of thy peculiar providence and grace, carry us
not up iience. Without supernatural assistance, and a most
particular providence, he knew that it would be impossible
either to govern such a people, or support them in the desart;
and therefore he wishes to be well assured on this head, that
he may lead them up with confidence, anil be able to give
them the most explicit assurances of support and protection.
But by what means should these manifestations take place ?
This question seems to be answered by the prophet, Isai. Ixiii. 9.
In alt their affliction, he was afflicted, and the Angel of his pre-
sence, VJS panuiv, of his faces, saved than. So we find, that the
The Lord promises to spare t/iem.
CHAP. XXXIII.
and to sbe-o Moses his soodnesx.
A.M.a;)l,1.
B.C. M?l.
An.ExiiH.Isr.
1.
Ah.
I and thy people have found grace in
thy sight ? " is it not in that thou
goest with us ? so ^ sliall we be sepa-
rated, I and thy people, from all tiic
people that are upon the fiice of the earth.
1 7 And the Loud said unto Moses, " I will do
this thing also that thou liast spoken : for ■* thou
hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee
by name.
» Numb. 14. 14. ''cli. 3-1. 10. Ueut. 4. 7, Xi. 2 Sam. 7. 23. 1 King^
R5J. I's. 14?. 'JO. 'Gen. 19. 21. Jiimca .'). lo. ■" vcr. 12. « vi-r.
go. ITim. 0. 16 fell. 34. 3,6, 7. Jer.31. 14.r s Rum. 9. 15, 10, IB.
goodness and mercy of God were to be manifested by the
Anzel of the covenant, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah; and tiiis
is tile interpretation wliich tlie Jews ttiemselves give of this
place. C ail any person lead men to tlie typical Cajiaan,
wiio is not liimseit' influenced and directed by the Lord ?
And of what use are all the means of grace, if not crowned
with tUe presence and blctsiiit^ of the God of Israel .'' It is on
this ground, that Jesus Christ hath said, ll'/icre two or three
are ■leathered tos^ether in my name, I am in the midnt of them,
Matt, xviii. 20. Without which, what would j>reachiiigs,
prayers, and even SACRAMENTS, avail.?
Verse 16. So nhull we be separated] Ry havinfj thi.s
divine protection, we shall be saved from idolatry, and be
preserved in thy truth, and in the true worshipping of thee;
and thus shall wc be separated from all the jieople that are
upon the face of the earth, as all the nations of the world, the
Jews only excepted, were at this time idolaters.
Verse 17. / ^iiU do this thirty also'] My presence shall
go with thee, and I will keep thee separate from all the
people of the earth. IJolh these promises have been re-
markably fulfille<l. God continued miraculously with them,
till he brouijilt tliem into the promised land ; and from the
♦lay in which lie broupjht them out of Egypt, to the present
day, he has kept them a distinct, unmi.ied people ! Wlio
can account for this on any principle but that of a continual
especial iKovidencc, and a constant divine interference } The
Jews have ever been a people fond of money ; had they
been mmgled with the people of the earth, amonf;
whom they liave been scattered, their secular interests would
have been greatly promoted by it ; and they who have
sacrificed every thing besides, to their love of money, on this
point have been incorruptible ! They chose, in every part
of their dispersions, rather to be a poor, despised, persecuted
people, and continue separate frnm all the people of the earth,
than to enjoy case and affluence by becomin;jf mixed with the
nations. For what great purposes must God be preserving
this people ! for it docs not appear that any moral principle
binds them together— they seem lost to this ; and yet, in
opposition to their interests, for w hicli, in other respects, they
would .sacrifice every thing, they are still kept distinct from all
die people of the earth, and for this, an especial providence
can alone account.
Verse 18. She-x me thy glory.] Moses probably desired to
A. .M.3.S13.
B. C. li;ii.
All. Exod Iif.
1.
18 ^ And he said, I beseech thee,
shew me ' tliy glory.
19 And he said, 'I wiW make all my
goodness pass beft)rc thee, and I will i""
proclaim the name of the Loitu betbre thee, 'and
will be ''gracious to whom 1 will be gracious,
and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
'20 And he said, TIioii canst not see my face:
for ' tlicre shall no man see me, and live.
"Rom. 4. 4, 16. ' Gi-n. 32. 30. Dent. 5. 24. Jiidg. 6. 22. & 13. 23.
Isai. (i. 5. Ucv. 1. 16, 17. Sec cli. 24. 10.
see that which constitutes tlie peculiar glory or excellence of
the divine nature, as it stands in reference toman. By many,
this is thought lo signify his eternal mercy in sending Christ
Jesus into the world. Moses perceived that what God was.
now doing liad the most important and gracious designs,
which at present he could not distinctly discover; therefore he
desires God to shew him his glory. God graciously promises
to indulge him in this re(|uest as far as possible, by proclnim-
i ing his name, and making all hi^ goodness pass before him,
verse 1 9. But at the same time he assures him that he
could not see his face — the fulness of his perfections, and the
! grandeur of his designs — and live ; as no human being could
bear, in the present state, this full discovery But he adds,
ihoii shall see my back parts, nplX HN et achortiy ; probably
meaning, that appearance uhich he should assume in after
times, when it should be said, Cod is manifest in the flesh.
This appearance did take place ; for we find God putting
him into a cleft of the rock, covering him with his hand,
and jiassing by in such a way as to exhibit a human similitude.
John may have had this in view when he said, The Word was
madejlesli, aiid dicelt AMONG VS, full of grace and triilh, and
WE BKIIEI.D HIS GLORY. What this glory was, and what
was implied by this grace and truth, v^e shall see in the
succeeding chapter.
Verse 19. i will make all my goodness pass before thee.]
Thou shalt not have a sight o( my Justice, for thou couldst not
bear the infinite splendour of my purity; but I shall shew
my.self to thee as the Fountain of inexhaustible compassion —
the sovereign Dispenser of iny own mercy, in my own way;
being gracious to whom I will be gracious, and shewing
mercy on whom 1 will shew mercy.
/ mill proclaim the name of the Lord.] See the note. chap,
xxxiv. 6.
Verse 20. No man can see me, and lire.] The splendour
would be insufferable to man: he, only, whose mortality is
swallowed up of life, can see God as he is ; see 1 John ill. 2.
From some disiniised relation of the circumstances mentioned
here, the iiible of Jupiter and Semele was formed : site is re-
ported to have entreated Jupiter to slieit; her his glory, who was
at firs: very reluctant, know iiig that it would be fatal to her ; but,
at last, yielding lo her importunity, he discovered his divmc
majesty, and she was consumed by his presence. This story li
lolil by Ovid, in his Metamorphoses, book. iii. fable iv. 5.
Moses is to be placed in a clejt of the rock, EXODUS.
21 And the Lord said. Behold,
there is a place by me, and thou shalt
stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass, while
my glory passeth by, that I will put thee * in a
A. M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An. £x.od.Isr.
1.
Ah.
'Isai. 2. 21.-
-"Ps. 91. 1.4.
Verse 2 1 . Behold there is a place by me'] There .seems to
be a reference here, to a well known place on the mount,
where God was accustomed to meet with Moses. This was
a rock, and it appears there was a cleft or cave in it, in whicli
Moses was to stand, while the Divine Majesty was pleased to
•hew him all that human nature was capable of bearing; but
this appears to have referred more to the counsels of his mercy
and goodness, relative to his purpose of redeeming the human
race, than to any visible appearance of the Divine Majesty
itself.— See the note on ver. 1 S.
1. The conclusion of this chapter is very obscure; we can
scarcely pretend to say, in any precise manner, what it
means: — and it is very probable that the whole concerned
Moses alone. He was in great perplexity and doubt — he was
afraid that God was about to abandon this people ; and he
well knew that if he did so, their destruction must be the
consequence. He had got general directions to decamp, and
lead the people towards the jiromised land ; but this was
accompanied with a threat, that Jehovah would not go with
them. The prospect that was before him was exceedingly
gloomy and discouraging: and it was rendered the more so,
because God predicted their persevering stilT-neckedness,
and gave this, as one reason, why he would not go up among
them, for their provocations would be so great, and so
frequent, that his justice would be so provoked as to break
through in a moment and consume them. Moses, well know-
ing that God must have some great and important designs
in delivering them, and bringing them thus far, earnestly
entreated him to give him some discovery of it, that his own
uimd might be satisfied. God mercifully condescends to
meet his wishes in such a way as, no doubt, gave him full
satisfaction ; but, as this referred to himself alone, the cir-
and see the hack parts of Jehovah
clift of the rock, and will '' cover thee
; with my hand while I pass by :
23 And I will take away
hand, and thou shalt see my back
parts: but my face shall 'not be seen
A.I\I. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An. Exod.Isr.
mnie i.
Ab.
'Ver. 20. Joliii 1. 18.
cmnstances are not related, as probably they could he of no
farther use to us than the mere gratifying of a principle of
curioiiiy.
2. On some occasions, to be kept in the dark, is as in-
structive as to be brought into the light. In many cases
those words of the prophet are strictly applicable. Verily, thou
art a God who HIDEST THYSELF, O God of Israel, the
Saviour .' One point we see here very plainly, that while
the people continued obstinate and rebellious, that presence
of God, b}' which his approbation was signified, could not be
manifested among them — and yet, without his presence, to
guide, protect, and provide for them, they could neither go
up nor be saved. This presence is promised, and on the
fulfillment of the promise, the safety of Israel depended.
The church of God is often now in such a stale, that the
approbation of God cannot be manifested in it ; and yet, if
ills presence were wholly withdrawn, truth would fall in the
streets, equity go backward, the church must become extinct.
How have the seeds of light and life been preserved, during
the long, dark and cold periods, when error was triumphant,
and the pure worship of God adulterated by the impurities
of idolatry, and the thick darkness of superstition? — By the
presence of his endless mercy, preserving bis own trutli
in circumstances, in which he could not shew his approbation.
He was with the church in the wilderness, and preserved the
living oracles, kept alive the heavenly seeds, and is now
shewing forth the glory of those designs, which before he
concealed from mankind. He cannot err, because he is
infinitely wise: he can do nothing that is unkind, because he
delighleth in mercy. M'^e, as yet, see only through a glass
darkly : by and bye we shall see face to face. The Lord's
presence is with his people : and those who trust in him have
confident rest in his mercy.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Moses is commanded to hezo txvo tables similar to the first, and brhig them up to the mount, to get the covenant reneictcl,
1 — 3. lie prepares the tables, and goes up to meet the Lord, 4. The Lord descends, and proclaims his name,
JEHOVAH, 5. What this name signifies, 6, 7- Moses worships and intercedes, S, 9. The Lord p7omises
to renew the covenant, work miracles among the people, and drive out the Ca/iaanites, Sfc. 10, 11. No covenant
to he made uilh the idolatrous nations, but their altars and images are to be dcstroi/ed, 1'2 — 15. No matrimonial
alliances to be contracted tcith them, 16. TIte Israelites must have no molten gods, 17. The commandment of
the feast of unleavened bread, and of the sanctijication of the frst-born renewed, 18 — 20; as also that of the
sabbath, and the three great annual feasts, 2 1 — 23. The promise, that the surrounding nations shall not invade
Two next' tables to be preparedy CHAP. XXXIV. and the covenant to be rene-iVed.
their territories, ti/iile all ilie males were at Jerusalem, celebrating the anniifil feasts, C4. Diredioiu conceriiing
the pass-over, 25 ; gnd thejirst-frttits, 2(). Moses is commanded to urile all these zcords, as containing the covenant
which God had now renewed with the Israelites, '27 . Moses being forty day!^ with God, tcilhout eating or drinking,
writes the Kords of the covenant ; and the Lord zcrites the ten command inents upon tho tables of stone, 28. Moses
descends nith the tables — his face shines, 29- Aaron and the people are afraid to approach him, because of hit
glorious appearance, JO. Moses delivers io them the covenant and commandments of the Lord, and puts a vail
over his face, ichile he is speaking, 3 1 — 33 ; but takes it off when he goes io minister before the Lord, 34, 35.
i A.W.2Mr..
; B.C. \Wl.
i An. Exod. Ur.
I.
Ab.
AND the Lord said unto Moses,
* Hew thee two tal)les of stone
like unto the first: ""and I will write
upon these tables the words that were
i in the first tables, which tiiou brakest.
2 And be ready in tlie morning, and come up
I in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present
I thyself there to me 'in the top of tlic mount.
I ?i And no man shall '' come up with thee, nei-
■ther let any man be seen throughout all the
\
• • - ■ - - — ■■ I ^^zr
^
^•Cb. 32. 16, 19. Deut. 10. i. 'ver. 28. Dcut. 10. % 4. ' ch. 19. 20.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXI V.
Verse 1. Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first. \ In
rliap. .xxxii. 1(). we are told that the two first tahles ivere the
work of God, and the writing was the ivriting of God — but
hire Moses is commanded to provide tables of his own
uorkuuuisliip; and God pronii.ses to write on them tlie words
which were on tlie first. That God wrote tlic first tables
himself, see proved by diflercnt passages of scrijitiire, at the
end of llie xxxii. chapter. But here, in ver. '21. it seems
as if Moses was commanded to vjrite these words — and in ver.
28. it is said, yind he wrote upon the tables — but in Deut. .\.
1, 4. it is expressly said, that God wrote the second tables as
well as \he first.
In order to reconcile tliese account.*, 1st us suppose that the
ten words, or ten commandments, were written on both
tables by the hand of God hini'-elf, and that what Moses
wrote, ver. '27- \vas a copi/ of these, to be delivered to the
people, while the tables themselves were laid up in the ark
beibic the testimony, whither the people could not go to
consult them ; and therefore a copy was necessary for the use
of the congregation; this copy being taken otlj imdtr the
direction of God, was authenticated equally with the original;
and the original itself was laid up as a record, to which all
succeeding cojjies might be continually referred, in order to
prevent corruption. This supposition removes the apparent
contradiction ; and thus, botli God and Moses may be said
to have written the covenant and the ten commaiidinents : the
former, the original ; the latter, the copy. This supposition
is rendered still more probable by the 27th verse itself. " And
the Lord said unto Moses, JVrirc thou these words, (that i>,
as I understand it, a copy of the words which God bad
already written), for AFTER THE TENOR, '3 "ri? at pi,
ACCOKDING TO THE MOUTH of these words, I hate made u
covenant with thee, and with Israel." Here the original
writing is represented, by an elegant prosopopoeia, or per-
A
M.251.-:.
E
C. 1491.
An
Exod.Isr.
1.
Ab.
moimt ; neither let the flocks nor
herds feed before that mount.
4 ^ And he hcwal two tables of
stone like unto the first ; and Moses
rose up early in the morning, and went up unto
mount Sinai, as tiie Loitu had commanded him,
and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
5 And the Lord descended in the cloud, and
stood with him there, and ° proclaimed the name
of the Lord.
&; 2 1. 12. " cb, 19. 12, 13, 21. ' ch. 33.- 19: Numb. 14. 17.
sonification, as speaking, and giving out, from its own mouth,
a copy of itself. It may be supposed that this mode of
interpretation is contradicted by the 28th verse. And HE wrote
upon the tables the words of the covenant : but, that tlie
pronoun HE, refers to the LOKD, and not to Moses, is
sufficiently proved by the parallel place, Deut. x. 1 — 4. At
that time the Lord said unto me. Hew thee two tables of stone
like unto the first — and I wilt write on the tables, the words
that were in the first tables — and I hewed two tables of stone, as
at the first — And HE wrote on the tables according to the first
writing. — This determines the business, and proves that God
wrote the second as well as the first tables, and that tlie
pronoun in the 28th verse of this chapter, refers to the
LOKD, and not to Moses. By this mode of interpretation,
all contradiction is removed. Houbigant inidgin&s that the
difficulty may be removed by supposing, that God wrote
the ten coinmandmente, and that Moses wrote the other
parts of the covenant from ver. 1 I. to ver. 26. and thus it
inight be said, that both God and Moses wrote on the same
tables. This is not an improbable case, and is left to the
reader's consideration. — Sec on ver. 27.
There still remains a controversy whether what are called
the ten commandments were at all written on the first tables,
those tables containing, according to some, only the terms of
the covenant, without the ten words, which are supposed to
be added here for the first time. " The following is a general
view of this subject. In chap. .\x. the ten commandments
are given ; and at the same time, various political and
ecclesiastical statutes, which are detailed in the .Txi, xxii, and
xxiii. chapters. To receive these, Moses had drawn near
unto the thick darkness, where God was, chap. xx. 2 1 . and
having received them, he came again with them to the people,
according to their request, before expressed, ver. 1 9. Speak
thou tvith us — but let not the Lord speak with us, test we die,
for they had been terrified by the manner in which God had
Jehovah proclaims,
6 And the Lord passed by before
bim, and proclaimed, The Lord,
The Lord " God, merciiul and
gracious, longsuffering, and abun-
A. M. 2513.
B. C. 1191.
An. Exod. Isr
1.
Ab.
EXODUS. d)id interprets his name to Moses,
7 " Keeping mercy for thousands.
dant in ^ goodness and ^ truth.
•Numb. 14. 18. 2 Cliron. .^0. '?. Nth. 9. 17. P?. 86. 15. & 103. R. &
111. 4. & 112.4. & 116. 5. & 145. 8. .loel '>. lo. >> Ps. ,S1. IIL Horn. 2.
4. ■: I's. 57. 10. & 108. ■i. " ch. 2a 6. Deut. 5. 10. Ps. 8(i. 15. .ler.
iittei'ed the ten commandments, see ver. 18. After this,
Mo.ses, \vith Aaron, Nadab and Abilm, and the seventy
flders, went up to the mountain ; and on his return, he
announced all these laws unto llie people, chap; xxiv. 1, &c.
and they promi.sed obedience. Still there is no word of the
tables nf stone. Then he wrote all in a book, chap. xxiv. 4.
which was called the book of the covenant, ver. 7. After
tliis there was a second goinj;' up of Moses, Aaron, Nadab,
Abihu, and the seventy elders, chap. xxiv. 9. when that
glorious discovery of God, mentioned in verses 10 and 11.
of the same chapter, took place. After their coming down,
Moses is ai^ain counnanded to go up: and God jiromise-. to
give him tables of stone, containin^r a law and pmrpts, \er.
12. This is the first jtlace these tables of stone are mentioned;
and thus it appears that the ten commundments, and several
other precepts, were given to, and accepted by the people,
and the covenant sacrifice oflered, chap. xxiv. 5. before the
tables of stotie were either written or mentioned." It is
very likely that the commaiidmcDts, laws, &.c. were first
publijhed by the Lord, in the hearing of the pcojjle;
repeated afterwards by Moses, and the ten ivonls or com-
mandments, containing the sum and substance of the whole,
afterwards written on the first tables of stone, to be kept for a
record in the ark. 1 hese being broken, as is related, chap-
xxxii. 19, Moses is commanded to hew out two tables like to
tlie first, and bring them up to the mountain, that God
might write upon theui what he had written on the former,
chap, xxxiv. 1. And, that this was accordmgly done, see
the preceding |)art of this note.
Verse 6. ^Ind the Lord passed bj/, and proclaimed, Tlic
Lord, &c.] It would be much better to read this verse thus:
" And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed,
Jehuvau" — that is, shewed Moses, fully, what was implied
in this august name. Moses had requested God to shew him
Jiis s;hiy, see the preceding chapter, 1 8th verse, and God
promised to proclaim, or fully declare the name, JtllOVAH,
Terse 19, by which proclamation or interpretation, Moses
should -see how God would " be gracious to wjiom he would
be gracious;" and how he would " be merciiul to those to
ivhom he would shew mercy." Here therefore God fulfils
that promise by proclaiming this name. It has long been
a question, what is the meauijig of the word ni.T JitltOVAH,
Yclioiah, Yehuc, Yelaeh, or Yeve, Jeuc, Juo, loo, Jliueh,
and Jove ; for it has been as variously jjronounced, as it
Jias been difterently interpreted. Some have mamtained
that it is utterly inexplicaljle. These of course have ottered
no mode of interpretation. Others say, that it iini)lies the
essence of the divine nature. Others, that it expresses the
doctiine of the Trinity connected with the incarnation ; the
' forgiving iniquity and transgression
and sin, and 'that will by no means
clear the guilfij ; visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children, and upon
A. U. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An. Exod. Isr.
1.
Ah.
M. 18. Dan. 9. 4.-
.lohn 1. 9. fell. 'J
1. J.
— ' I's. 10-5. 3. & l;50. 4. Dan. 9. 9. Eph. 4. 32. t
;. 7, 21. Josh. 24. 19. .tob 10. 14. Mith.C. 11. Nah,
3
letter » Yod, standing for the Father, n Iff, for the Son,
audi Vau (the connecting particle) for the Holy Spirit: and
the}' add, that the n he being repeated in the word, signifies
the human nature united to the droine in the incarnation.
These speculations are calculated to give very little satisfaction.
IIow strange i,s it that none of these learned men has dis-
covtred that God himself uiterprets this name in vcr.ses 6 and
7 of this chapter ! " And the Lord passed bj/ before him, and
proclaimed nin» YehovaH, the LoRD GoD, vicrciful and
gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and tnith,
liecping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and trans-
gression, and sin, and that will bi/ no means clear the guilty."
These words contain the proper interpretation of the venerable
and glorious name .JEHOVAH.
Ijut it will be necessary to consider them in detail. Tlie
dilRient names in this and the following verse, have been j
considered as so many attributes of the Divine Nature. J
Commentators divide them into eleven, thus: 1 Jpjtov.'iH
niH' 2. ha n.L, llie strong or mighty God. 3. Dim Ra-
CllU.M, t/ie merciful Being, who is full of tenderness and
compassion. 4-. ]1jn CliANUN, ihe gracious One : //(■.whose
nature is g-oorf«fss itself — the loving O'od. 5. Q'3N 11X EltF.C
aPaVIM, lon'^-.iiijf'ering, the Being ulio, because of his good-
ness and tenderness, is not easily irritated, but suffers long,
and is kind. 6. 31 Rab, the great or mighty One. 7. ion
Chf.SF.D. the bountiful Being: He who is exuberant in his
beneficence. 8. nox Emeth, the Truth, or true One: He
alone who can neither deceive nor be deceived — who is the
Fountain of truth, and from vhom all wisdom and knowledge
must be derived. 9. nCH ISJ NOTiEIt CUESFD, the
preserver of bountifuhiess : He whose beneficence nev( r ends,
lieeping mercy for thousands of generations, — shewing com-'
passion and mercy while the world endures. 10. py tiTlfl
nxum J'lS'SI Nose avon vapcsha vcchulaah ; He who benn
axvuy iniquity and transgression and sin ; properly the !{£•
DEEMEl!, the Pardoner, the Forgiver, the Being whose preroga-
tive alone, it is to forgive sin, and save the .soul. nfJ' X*? (lS) 7^70
NakeH lo yinnakeh, the righteous Judge, who distributes
justice with an impartial hand ; with whom no innocent person
can ever be condemned. I 1. And JU' ipS I'AKED avon, &c.
He who rmV.v iniquity ; He who jiunislies transgressors, and
f'om who.se justice, no sinner can escape. The God of
retributive, and vindictive justice.
These eleven attributes, as they have been termed, are all
included in the name JEHOV.AH; and are, as we have
before seen, the proper interpretation of it; but the meaning
of several of these words ha.s been variously understood.
Verse 7. T/uttwill by no ineuns clear the guilty.] 'i'hisla.st
clause is rather difliciilt ; literally translated, it sij^nifies, ia
Precepts against idolatry. CHAP.
A.sr. 'j5ia the children's children, unto the tliird
^ F 'd it ^"'^ *" ^^^^ fourth generation.
*"■ T "' 8 If And Jloses made haste, and
•^''- ' bowed his head toward the earth,
and worshipped.
9 And he said. If now I have found grace in
thy sight, O Lord, "let my Lord, I pray thee,
go' among us ; for ' it is a stiffhecked people ;
and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take
us for " thine inheritance.
10 ^ And he said. Behold, 'I make a cove-
nant : before all thy people I Avilt ^ do marvels,
such as have not been done in all the earth, iior
in any nation : and all the people among which
thou art, shall see the work of the Lord : for it /*•
*a terrible thing that 1 will do with thee.
1 1 " Observe thou that which I command thee
this day : behold, * I drive out before thee the
Amorite, and the Canaunite, and the Hittite,
land tlie Perizzite, and the Hi\dte, and the Je-
fbusite.
! 12 "Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a cove-
jnant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou
igoest, lest it be for 'a snare in the midst of thee :
13 But ye shall "destroy their altars, break
their " images, and " cut down their groves :
14 For tiiou shalt worship ""no other god : for
the Lord, whose " name is Jealous, is a 'jealous
God :
XXXIV. Different precepts to be observed.
1 5 ' Lest thou make a covenant wtli ^•^*- -^^'•
the inhabitants of the land, and they ^'^' ""'^
, , . p 1 • 1 1 An.Lxod. lar.
go a wlionng after their gods, and
JCli.4. 31. '•ch. 33. 15, 16. 'cli. 3S. 3. " Dc-ut. 32. 9. Ps.28. 9.
Ic 3.;. 12. & 78. 62. ic 94. 14. Jer. 10. 16. Zcch. 2. 12. ' Deul. 5. 2. i
19. tA, 14, f Dfiu. 4. 32. 2 Sam. 7. 23. Ps. 77. 14. & 78. 12. & 147. 20.
6 Dcut. 10. 21. i's. 14.1. (5. Ibiii. C4. 3 » Deut. 5. 32. & 6. 3, 2.).
, k 12. 28, 32. & 2'!. 1. ' cli. 33. 2. ■= cli. 23. 32. Ocut. 7
S.'2. 'th. 23. 33. "ch. 23. 24. Dcut. 12.3. Judg. 2. J
»Iolu«. " Dent. 7. h. k 12. 2. .ludg. 6. 25. 2 King^ 18. 4
S Cliron. 31. 1. ^ 34. 3, 4. 'ch. 20. 3, 5
Jud.
-"Hell.
23. 14.
■<iSo Isai.'y. 6. k 57. 15.-
"cli. 20. 5.-^'ver.'l2.— — 'Dcutisi. 16.' Judg. 2. IT'. Jer. 3. 9. Ezek
I clearing lie will not clear. But the Samaritan reading- 17 h,
to him, instead of the negati\e xb lo, not, renders tlie clause
: thus, With whom the innocent .fhall be innocent ; i. e. an
\ innocent or holy person shall never be treated as if he were
I a transgre.s.sor, bj' this just and lioly God. The Arabic version
I has it, Jle justifies and is nut justified ; and the Septuagint is
I nearly as our English text, xat ou xaia^m rov vjox°i> ""^ '"■
I do(h not purify the guilty. The Alexandrian copy of the
i Septuagint, edited by Dr. Grabe, has icat tov bvox^jv KaSa^t<!-/xai
i 01/ xaiapiii, and the guilty he will not cleanse with a purification
offering. I'he C-optic is lo the same purpose. The Vulgate is
f a paraphrase, nullasque apud le, per se innocens est : " and no
I person is innocent by or of himiclf before thee." This gives
I a sound theoiogic sense, staling a great truth. That no man
i can make an atonement for his oiun sins, or purify his own heart :
and, that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
I.
Ab.
do 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
attcr their gods, and make thy sons go a whor-
ing after their gtxls.
17 '' Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
18 ^ The feast of "'unleavened bread shalt
thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened
bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the
month Abib: for in the ""month Abib thou
earnest out from Egypt.
19 "- All that opcncth the matrix is mine ; and
every firstling among thy cattle, uhetlier ox or
sheep, tliat is male.
20 But "'' the firstling of an ass thou shalt re-
deem with a " lamb : and if thou redeem him
not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the
firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And
none shall appear before me " empty.
21. IF »° Six days thou shalt work, but on the
seventh day thou shalt rest : in earing time and
in harvest thou shalt rest.
22 ^ "" And thou shalt observe the feast of
weeks, of the firsttruits of wheat harvest, and the
feast of ingathering at the " year's end.
e. 9. " Xunib. 2.5. 2. 1 Cor. 10. 27. * Ps. 106. 28. 1 Cor. a 4, 7, 10.
"Dcut. 7. 3. iKiiiEsll. 2. Kzra9. 2. Nch. 13. 2.5. — -^ Numb. 2.5.
1, 2. 1 Kings 11. 4. ^^ch. 32. 0. Lev. 19. 4. "ch. 12. 15. k 3.3. 15.
''ch. 13./1. «ch. 13. 2, 12. ii 22. 29. Ezck. 44. .in. Luke 2. 23.
''''ch. 13. 13. Kuiiib. 18, 15. "Or, kid. "ch. 23. 15. Dent. 16.
16. 1 Sam. 9. 7, 8. 2 Sam. 24. 24. « ch. 20. 9. & 23. 12. It .S5. 2. Deut.
5. 12, 13. Luke 13. 14. ""ch. 23. 16. Deut. 16. 10, 13. "Heb.
rcvohuion of the yeaT.
(
Verse 9. .0 Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among
ml The original is not nin« Jehovah, but 'JiN Adonai,
in both these jilaces, and seems to refer particnlaily to the
Angel of the Covenant, (he Messiah. — See the note on Gen. xv. 8.
Verse 1 0. / will do :nanels] This seems to refer lo m hat
God did in putting them in possession of the land of Canaan,
causing the walls of Jerieho to fall down — making the sitn
and moon to stand still, c^c. Anil thus God made his
covenant with them, binding himself to put thorn in possession
of the promised land; and binding them to observe the
precepts laid down in the following verses, from the i Ith to
the 26th inclusive.
Verse 13. Ye shall destroy their images'] See the subject*
of this and all the following verses, to the 28th, treated at
large, in the notes on chap, xxiii.
Verse 21. In earing time and in hairesl thou shalt r«f.]—
3 L
A.M. 2.7l".
B. C. l-l'.'l.
Aii.Exod.Iar.
1.
Ab.
The three annual festivals.
23 % *Tlirice in the year sliall all
your men-children appear before the
LoKD God, the God of Israel.
24 For I will " cast out the nations
before thee, and "enlarge thy borders : "neither
shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt
go up to appear before the Lord thy God, thrice
in the year.
2 J % ^ Thou shalt not offer the blood of my
sacrifice with leaven ; ^ neither shall the sacri-
fice of the feast of the passover be left unto the
jnorning.
26 ^ The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou
shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God.
'Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's
milk.
27 % And the Lord said unto Moses, Write
EXODUS. The face of Moses shines,
thou ' these words: for after the tenor
of these words I have made a cove-
nant with thee and with Israel.
28 '' And he was there with the Lord
forty days and forty nights ; he did neither eat
bread, nor drink water. And ' he wrote upon
the tables, the words of the covenant, the teu
"commaudments.
»Ch. 23. 14, 17. Dcut. 16. 10. "oil. S3. 2. Lev. 18. 24. Deut 7. 1.
Ps. 78. .-i5. & 80. 8. = Dtut. 12. 20. k 19. 8. " See Oen. 35. 5. S
Chioii. 17.10. Prov. 16. 7. Acts 18. 10. = cli. 23. 18. 'cli. 12. 10.
' 5 ch. 23. 19. Deut. 26. 2, 10.— "cli. 23. 19. Dcut. 14. 21. ' ver.
A. .M. 2.513.
E. C. 1191.
All. Exod. Is^
1.
Ab.
This commatidment is worthy of especial note: many break
the sabbath on the pretence of absolute necessity, because, if
ill harvest time, the weather happens to be what is called bad,
and the sabbath day be fair and fine, they judge it perfectly
3awful to employ that day in endeavourinnf to save the fruits of
the field, and think that the £;oodness of the day, be3'ond the
preceding, is an indication from Providence that it should be
thus employed. But is not the command above, pointed di-
rectly against this } I have known this law often broken on this
pretence, and have never been able to discover a single instance,
where the personsw ho acted thu?, succeeded one whit better than
their more conscientious neighbours, who availed themselves
«f no^uch favourable circumstances, being determined to keep
God's law, even to the prejudice of their secular interests :
but no man ever yet ultimately siiilered loss by a conscientious
attachment to bis duty toGod. He who is v. illing and obedient,
shall eat the good of the land; and God will ever di'^tinguish
those in his providence, who respect his commandments.
Verse 24. Ncilhtr shall any man desire thy lund.l ^V^hat a
manifest proof was this of tlie power and particular providence
of God ! How easy would it have been for the surrounding
nations to have taken possession of the whole Israelitish land,
with all I heir defenced cities, when there were none left to
protect them but \<omen and children ! Was not this a
standing proof of the Divine origin of their religion, and a
barrier, which no deistical mind could possibly surmount.?
Thrice, every .year, did God work an especial miracle for
the protection of his people; controlling even the very desires
of their enemies, that they might not so much as meditate
evil against them. Tluy v ho have God for their protector,
have a sure refuge : and how true is the proverb, The path of
duty, is tlie way if safety. Wliik these people went up to
Jerusalem to keep the Lord's ordinances, he kept their
fami'ies in peace, and their land in safety.
\'erse 25. The blood of my sucrifice'\ That is, the Fasclial
Lamb. — See on chap, xiiii. 18.
A. M. a513.
B. 0. 1491.
Au.Exod. Isr,
1.
29 ^ And it came to pass, when
Moses came down from mount Sinai
with the "two tables of testimony in
Moses' hand, when he came down
from the mount, that Moses wist not that ° the
skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
30 And when Aaron and all tlie children of
Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face
shone ; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
10. Devit. 4. 13. &31. 9. '■ch. 24. 18. Deut. 9. 9, 18.-
IH. & 32. 16. Deut. 4. 13. & 10. 2, 4. "' Htb. words.—
" Matt. 17. 2. 2 Cor. 3. 7, 13.
-' ver
»cli. ;
1. ch. 31.
2. 15. ■
Verse 26. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's inHk.\
See this amply considered, chap, xxiii. 1 9.
Verse 27. Write thou tliese •words'] Kilher a transcript of'
the whole law now delivered, or the words included from
ver. 1 1 to 26. God certainly wrote the ten words on both
sets of tables. Moses either wrote a transcript of these and the
accompanying precepts, for the use of the people ; or he
wrote the precepts themselves, in addition to tlie ten com-
mandments, which were written by the finger of God.
See on ver. 1. Allowing this mode of interpretation, the
accompanying precepts were, probablj', what was written on
ihc backside o( the tables, by Moses; the ten commandments,
what were written on the /to«? by the finger of Jehovah: for we
must pay but little attention to the supposition of the Rabbins,
that the letters on each table were cut through the stone, so a»
to be legible on each side. See chap, xxxii. 1 5.
Verse 28. Forty days and forty nights'] See the note on
chap. xxiv. 18.
Verse 29. Tlie skin of his face shone] yrri karan, was horned :
having been long in familiar intercourse with his Maker, his^esA,
as well as his sovl, was penetrated with the effulgence of the
Divine glory ; and his looks expressed the light and life
which dwelt within. Probably Moses appeared now as he
did, when, in our Lord's tian.sfiguration, he was .seen with
Elijah on the mount. Matt. xvii. As the original word
pp karan, signifies to shine out, to dart forth, as horns on
the head of an animal, or rays of light reflected tiorn a
polished surface, we may suppose that the heavenly glory,
which filled the soul of this holy man, darted mil i'roni his
face in coruscations, in that manner in which light is
generally represented. The Vulgate renders the passage,
ft ignorabat quod cornuta csset fades sua — " and he did not
know that his face was horned ;" which version, 7?iisunderstood,
has induced painters in general, to represent Moses with
two very large horns, one proceeding from each temple !
But we might naturally ask, while they were indulging
]^. loses delivers to Aaron, the rulers, S^t. CHAP. XXXIV.
31 And Moses called unto them;
A.M.2.M:5.
B.C. h;u.
All. Exod.lM'
EInl.
and Aaron and all liic rulers of the
congregation returned unto him: and
j\Ioses talked with them,
afterward all tlic children of Israel
and he gave them in command
32 And
came nig
mcnt, all that tlie Lord had spoken with him in
mount Sinai.
S3 And //'// Moses had done speaking with
them, he put " a vail on his face.
»Ch. »t.3.-
-0 1 Cor. 3. 13.
themselves in such fancies, why onlj' txeo horns ? for it is
very likely, that ihcre were /(!<nrf;ri/.« of these radiations, pro-
ceeding at once from the face of Moses. It was, no doubt, from
this very circumstance, that almost all the nations of tlic world,
who have heardof this transaction, have agreed in represenlini^ i
lliose men, to whom they attributed extraordinary sanctity, and
whom they supposed to have had familiar intercourse with liie
Deity, with a lucid nimbus, or glory round their heads. This
has prevailed both in the East and in the VV est — not only the
Greek and Roman saints, or eminent persons, are thus represented,
but those also among the Mohmnmedans, Hindoos and Chinese.
Verse 30. 'I'/iej/ were afraid to come mgli him.] A sight of
his face alarmed them ; their consciences were still guilty from
their late transgression, and they had not yet received the atone-
ment. The very appearance of superior sanctity often awes
the guilty into res[>ect.
Verse 33. And U\\ Moses had done .tpeaking] The meaning
6f the verse appears to be this : as often as Moses spoke in
public to the people, he put the vail on his face, because they
could not bear to look on the brightness of his countenance;
but when he entered into the tabernacle, to converse with the
Lord, he removed this vail, ver. 34. St. Paul, 2 Cor. iii. 7, &c.
makes a very important use of the transactions recorded in this
place. He re|)resents the brightness of the face of Moses as
emblematical of the glory or excellence of that dispensation ;
but he shews that however glorious or excellent that was,
it had no glory when compared with the superior excel-
lence of the gospel. As Moses was glorious in the eyes of
the Israelites, but that glory was absorbed and lost in the
splendour of God, when he entered into the tabernacle, or
went to meet the Lord upon the mount, so the brightness and
excellence of the Mosaic dispensation are eclipsed and ab-
sorbed in the transcendant brightness or excellence of the
gospel of Christ. One was the sluulo-iH, the other is the sub-
stance. One shewed SIN in its exceeding sinfulness, together
with the justirc and immaculate purity of God ; but in, and of
itself; made no provision for pardon or sanctificalion. '^I'he
other exhibits Jesus, the Lamb of God, typified by all the sa-
crifices under the law, putting away sin by the sacrifice of
himself; reconciling God to man, and man to God, diffusing
his spirit through the souls of believers, and cleansing the very
thoughts of their hearts by liis inspiration, and causing them to
perfect holiness in the lt;ar of God. The one seems to shut
heaven a^oiinst mankiudj because, by the law, Avas the hwvi-
.\. At. 'j-.r?.
15. C. 1!91.
Aii.Kiod.lsr
1.
KM.
'what he received on the mount.
34 But ° when Closes went in be-
fore the Loud to speak with him, he
took the vail oft' until he came out.
And he came out, and spake unto
the children of Israel (hat which he was com-
manded.
3.5 And the children of Israel saw the face of
Moses, that the .skin of Moses' face shone : and
Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he
went in to speak with him.
' 2 Cor. 3. 16.
kd<^e, not the csre of SIN ; the other opens the kingdom of
heaven to all believers. The former was a ministration oi' death;
the latter a dispensation of life. The former ministered terror,
so that even the high-priest was afraid to approach, the jieople
withdrew and stood afar ofl', and even Moses, tlie mediator of
it, exceedingly feared and trembled ; by the latter wc have
boldness to enter into the holiest through the blood of Jesus,
who is the end of the law for righteousness, justification, to
every one that believelh. The former gives a partial view
of the divine nature ; the latter shews God as he is,
" Full orbed in his whole round of rays complete."
The Apostle farther considers the vail on the face of Moses,
as being emblematical of the metaphorical nature of the dif-
ferent rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic dispensation, each
covering some spiritual meaning, or a spiritual subject ; and
that the Jews did not lift the vaii to penetrate the spiritual
sense, and did not look to the end of the commandment, whicli
was to be abolished ; but rested in the letter or literal meaning
which conferred neither light nor life.
lie considers the vail also as being emblematical of that
state of intellectual darkness into which the Jewish people, by
their rejection of the gospel, were plunged, and from which
they have never yet been recovered. When a Jew even at the
present day, reads the law in the synagogue, he puts over his
head an oblong woollen vail with four tassels at the four cor-
ners, which is called the taled or thaled : this is a very re-
markable circumstance, as it appears to be an emblem of the
intellectual vuil referred to by the Apostle, which is still upon
their hearts when Moses is read ; and which prevents thent
from looking to the end of that which God designed should be
abrogated, and which has been abolished by the introduction
of the gospel. The vail is upon their hearts, and prevents the
light of the glory of God from shining into them ; but vie all,
says the Apostle, speaking of believers in Christ, with open face,
without any vail, beholding as in a glass the glory of God, are
changed into the same image, from glory into gloiy by the spirit
of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii. 13. Reader, dost thou know this
excellence of the religion of Christ ? once thou wcrt dark-r
ness : art thou now light in the Lord? Art thou still under
the letter that killeth ? Or under the spirit that givethlife?
Art thou a slave to sin ? Or a servant of Christ ? Is the vail on
thy heart.? Or hast thou found redemption in his blood the re-.
mission of sins ? Knowest thou not these things ? Then, may
God pity, enlighten, and save thee !
21, 2
The different free-Kin offerings
EXODUS.
brought by the people.
CHAPTER XXXV.
Moses assembles the congregation to cMiver to them the commandments of God, 1. Dircci ions concerning the %ab-
bnih, % 3. Freewill ofterings o/"gold, silver, brass, Sjcfor the tabernacle, 4 — 7- Of oW anrf spices, 8. (^^' pre-
cious stoneS, 9. Proper artists to be employed, \0. TAe tabernacle ««rf ?V4- tent, 1 1. T/ie ark, 12. Table o/"
//(£ shew-broad, 13. Candlestick, 14. Altar of incense, 15. Altar of burnt offering, 1 6. Hangings, pins,
(S>c. 17, IS. Clothes of service, and holy vestments, ig. The people cheerfidltj bring their ornaments as of-
ferings to the Lord, 20 — 22. together zcith blue, purple, scarlet, ^t. Sfc. S3, 24. Tlie women spin, and bring the
jnvfhcc of their skill and indiisliy, 25, 26. The Rulers bring precious stones, &;c. 27, 28. Jll the people offer ml^
lingliy, 29. Bezaleel and Aholiab appointed to conduct and superintend all the work of the tabernacle, for zihich
they are qualified by the spirit ofzcisdom, 30 — 35.
A.M. 25)3.
B.C. 1191.
An.Exod. lir
:.
Elul.
AND Moses gathered all the con-
gregation of the children of
Israel together, and said unto them,
^ These are the words which the
Lord hath commanded, that //<? shoidd do them.
2 ^ '' Six days shall work be done, but on the
seventh day there shall be to 5'Ou " a holy day,
a sabbath of rest to the Lord : whosoever doeth
work therein sliall be put to death,
3 '' Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your
habitations upon the sabbatli day.
4 % And Moses spake unto all the congre-
gation of the children of Israel, saying, ' This
is the thing which the Lord commanded,
saying,
5 Take ye from among you an offering unto
the Lord : ' whosoever is of a willing heart, let
him bring it, an offering of the Lord ; gold,
and silver, and brass,
. 6 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine
linen, and goats' hair,
1 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers'
skins, and shittim wood.
' CI1..M. .'!2. " r li. 20. 9. & 31. 14, 15. Lev. 2,5. 3. Numb. 1.5. 32, &c.
Dem. 5. Vi. l.iike 13. 14. — ' lleb. holiness. ■' ch. 16. 23. « cli. 25.
1, 2 'cl.. 2.5. 2. B til. 25. 6. '■ ch. 31. 6.-,—' cli. 20. 1, 2, \c.
KOTES ON CHAP. XXXV.
Verse 1. And Moses gatlicrerl] Tiie principal .subjects in
this chapter have been ah'eady larieiy con>i<ltTfd in the
notes on chapters xxv. xxvi. xxvii. xxviii xxix. xxx. and xxxi.
and to those the reader is particularly desired to refei-, toge-
ther wilh the parallel uxls in the ni iru;in.
Verse 3. Ye sludl kindle no Jire] 1 he Jews under.-tand this
precept as forbirlding the kindling uf fire, only for the purpose
of doint^ woric or dressing viauals ; but to give ihem li^ht and
/icrtf, they judgre it lawful to li^ht a fire on the Sabbaih-day ;
thoiiifh ilieniseives rarely kindle it: they get Clirisciansio do
this work for them.
A M. 2513.
B. C. 1491.
An.Exod. Isr»
I.
I-Ul.
8 And oil for the light, ^ and spices
for anointing oil, and for the sweet
incense,
9 And onyx stones, and stones
to be set for the ephod, and for the breast-
plate.
10 And '" every wise hearted among you shall
come, and make all that the Lord hath com-
manded ;
1 1 ' The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering,'
his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars,,
and his sockets ;
1 2 " The ark, and the staves thereof, mth the
mercy seat, and the vail of the covering;
13 The ' table, and his staves, and all his
vessels,i "" and the shewbread ;
14 " The candlestick also for the light, and his-
furniture, and his lamps, with the oil lor the
light ;
15 " And the incense altar and his staves, '' and
the anointing oil, and ' the sweet incense, and
the hanging tor the door at the entering in of the
tabernacle ;
k ch. 25. 10, &c. ' ch. 25. 23. ■» ch. 25. 30. Lev. 8*. 5, 6.-
31, ic. ^"ch. 30. 1. P ch.30. 23. 1 ch. 30.34.
'ch. 25.
Verse .5. An offering] A tei-umah or heave-offering, see Lev.
vii. I, &e.
Verses 5 and 6. See on these metals and colours, chap. xxv.
3, 4, &c.
Verse 7. Rniu skin.'t. Sec] See chap. xxv. 5.
Vt-rse 8. Odfor the li^lii] See chap. xxv. 6.
Verse 9. Onyx ktones] See chap. xxv. 7.
Verse 11. T/ic tabernitcle] See chap. xxv. S,
Verse 12. Tliettrk] See chap. xxv. 1 0 — 17.
Verse l.'i. The table] .><ee chap xxv. 23 — 28.
Verse 14. The c(ti,dtestiek] See chap. xxv. 3 1 — 3f>.
Ver.sc 15. The incense
cbap. xxx. 1 — 10.
tdlar]
9,
The golden aUar, see
In ivhat these offerings coiisistedy CHAP. XXXV.
16 " Tlie altar of burnt offering?,
A. M -r^i?.
B.C. lU'l.
An.Eiod. Isr.
1.
i:iul.
with Iiis brasen grate, his staves, and
all his vessels, tlie laver and his
foot ;
17 "The hangings of the court, his pillars,
and their sockets, and the hanging for the door
of the coiut ;
' 18 The; pins of the tabernacle, and the pins
of the court, and their cords ;
19 ' The cloths of service, to do service in the
holy plm-e, tlie holy garments for Aaron the
priest, and the garments of his sons, to mi-
nister in the priest's office.
'20 % And all the congregation of the children
of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
21 And tliey came, every one " whose heart
siirrcd lijin up, and every one whom his spirit
made willing, and they brought the Lord's of-
I ferin^c to the work of the tabernacle of the con-
gregation, and tor all his service, and for the
holy garments.
2'2 And they came, both men and women, as
many as were willing hearted, and brought
, bracelets, and ear-rings, and rings, and tablets,
all jewels of gold : and every man that offered,
offered an offering of gold laito the Lord.
23 And ' every man, with whom was found
blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
K C 1491.
Aii.Kxod. Isr.
1.
« Ch. 27. 1. ' di. 27. 9. « ch. .11. 10. & 39. 1, 41. Nnmb. 4. 5, 6, &c.
* ver. h. 1!2. '/6, i-'9. cl.. 2.i. 2. f< 36. 2. 1 Chrnn. 2i^ 2, 9. \ 29. 9. Kura 7. 27.
S Cor. 8. 12. & 9. 7. « 1 Cliion. ii9. 8. f ch. 28. 3. & 31. 6. & 36. 1.
Verse 16. The altar of burnt-offering'] The brazen altar,
see chap, xxvii. I — 8.
Verse 17. Tlie hangings of the court] Exod. xxvii. 9.
Verse 1 9. The clothes of service] Probably aprons, toivtls.
and such like, used in tlie common service, and dirtercnt tiom
the vestmeiils for Aaron and his sons. See tl>tse laller described
chap, xxviii. 1, &c.
Verse 21. Evert/ one lohose hetirt siirrcd him vp] Literally,
tiln^c heart was lifted up, whose aOeclions were set on the
., being cordially engaged in the service of God.
Verse 22 jis many as uere willing hrurtfd] For no one was
forced to lend his help in this sacred work ; all was a. J'ree-ivitt
off rinir lo the Lord.
Bracelets, m, chach, whatever hooks together, ornaments for
the wrists ar'iiis, le;.;.', or neck.
• Earrings, au, nezen, see this explained Gen. xxiv. 22.
Rings, ry^O, tabadlli, from P3D, tabd, Xo penetrate, enter into,
probably riiitc- for the fingers.
Tablets, tea, cumuz, a word on'y used here and in
Niiuil). xxxi. 50, supposed to be di girdle io support the breasts
Verse 25, All the women liiat w^re wine hearted did q>in]
and ho'ii: they xcere applied.
land goats' hair, and red skins of ^ai'-^o'S.
: rams, and badgers' skins, broiiglit
them.
24 Evciy one that did offer an of-
fering of silver and brass, broiigiit the Lord's
offering: and every man, with whom was found
shittim wood for any work of the service,
brought it.
25 And all the women that were ' wise heart-
ed did spin witli their hands, and brought that
which tlicy luul .spun, both of blue, and of purple,
and of scarlet, and of fine linen.
26 And all the women whose heart stirred
them up in wisdom, spun goats' hair.
27 And ^ the rulers brought onyx stones, and
stones to be set, f()r the ephod, and for the
breastplate j
28 And " spice, and oil for the light, and for
the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
29 The children of Israel brought a ' willing
offering unto the Lord, every man and woman,
whose heart made them willing to bring for all
manner of work, which the Loud had com-
manded to be made by the hand of Mo.ses.
30 ^ And Moses said unto the children of
Israel, See, '' the Lord hath called by name
Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the
tribe of Judah ;
2 Kings 23. 7. Prov. 31. 19, 22. 24. e i Chroii. 29. C. Ezra 2. 66.-
" cli. 30. 23. '• v«r. 21. 1 Cliron. 29. 9. " cli. 31. 2, J:c.
They had before learned this art, they were wise hearted, and
now they practise it, and God cond.scends to require and ac-
cept their services. In buildinj^ this house of God all were
ambitious to do something, by which they might testify their
piety to God, and their love for his worship.
Veise 27. The rulers brought onyx .<:tones] These beiiiij per-
sons of consequence, might benalurally expected to furni.^h the
more scarce and co>lly articles. See how all join in this ser-
vice ! The men worked and brought offerings, the women span
and brought their ornaments 'he rulers united with them and
delivered up their jewels ! and all the children of Israel brought
a wdiinnnflering; unto the Lord, ver. 29.
Vei>e 30. The Lard hath called by name Bfzaleet] See this
subject discussed at large in the note on chap. xxxi. 3.
1. FVom the nature of the ofTerinsrs made for the service of
the tabernacle, we see of what sort the spoils were, which the
Israelites brought out of Egypt, gold, silver, brass, blur, puiplc,
fcarlct, fine linen, rnnis^ skins dyed red, what we call badger/
skins, oil, spices, incense, opyx stones, and other stones, the names
of which are not here uitnlioned. They must also have
The qtiaJificathns of Bezaleel and Aholldb, EXODUS, "who were employed In huildlng iJie tabernacle,
teach, both he, and * AhoHab, the
son of Alaisamach, of the tribe of
Dan:
35 Them hath he " filled with wis-
A. iM.2^13.
B. C. 1491.
An Exod. Isr.
Elul.
31 And he hath filled him with the
spirit of God, in wisdom, in under-
standing, and in knowledge, and in
all manner of workmanship ;
32 And to devise curious works, to Avork in
gold, and in silver, and in brass,
33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them,
and in carving of wood, to make any manner
of cunning work.
34 And he hath put in his heart that he may
A.M.i513.
B.C. 1491.
An.Exort.Isr,
t.
Elul.
• Clu 31. 6. IsaL 28. at— 29.
brought looms, spinning iLheels, instruments for cutting preciotts
stones, anvils, hummers, furnaces, melting-pots, vvitli a vast va-
riety of tools for the different artists employed on the work of
tlie tabernacle, viz. smiths, joiners, carvers, gilders, &c. &c.
2. God could have erected his tabernacle without the help
or skill of man : but he condescended to employ him. As all
are interested in the worship of God, so all should bear a
part in it; here God employs the whole congregation; every
male and female, with even their sons and their daughters, and
the very ornaments of their persons, are given to raise and
adorn the house of God. The women who had not orna-
ments, and could neither give gold nor silver, could spin goat's
hair, and the Lord graciously employs them in this work, and
accepts what they can give and what they can do, for they
did it with a willing mind; they were wise of heart, had learn-
ed a useful business, their hearts were lifted up in the work,
ver. 21, and all felt it a high privilege to be able to put only
dom of heart, to work all manner of work, of
the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and
of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in
scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, ei'oz
of them that do any work, and of those that
devise cunning work.
*• ver. 31. ch. 31. 3, 6. 1 Kings 7. 14. 2 Cliroii. 2. 14. Isai. 28. 36.
a nail in the holy place. By the freewill offerings of the
people, the tabernacle was erected, and all tlie costly utensil*
belonging to it, provided. This was the primitive mode of
providing proper places for divine worship : and as it was the
primitive, so it is the most rational mode. Taxes levied by
law, for building or repairing churches, were not kno«n in
the ancient times of religious simplicitj'. It is an honour to
be permitted to do any thing for the support of public wor-
ship : and he must have a strange, unfeeling, and ungodly
heart, who does not esteem it a high privilege to have a stone
of his own laying or procuring in the house of God. How
easily might all the buildings necessary for the purpose of pub-
lic worship be raised, if the money that is spent in needless
self-indulgence by ourselves, our sons, and our daughters, were
devoted to this purpose ! By sacrifices of this kind the house of
the Lord would be soon built, and the top-stone brought on
with shouting grace ! grace ! unto it.
A.M. 2.714.
B.C. 1-190.
An. Kxfid.Isr.
1. — From
Jisri to Adar.
THEN wrought Bezaleel and
Aholiab, and every * wise
hearted man, in whom the Lord put
wisdom and understanding, to know
■ Ch. 28. 3. & 31. 6. «c 35. 10, 33.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXVl.
"Verse 1. Then wrought, &c.] TUe first verse of this chapter
should end the jirecedmg chapter; and this should begin with
verse the second ; as it now stands, it does not make a very
consistent sense. By reading the first word riyyi, vedsa/i, then
how to work all manner of work for
the service of the "^ sanctuary, ac-
cording to all that the Lord hath
commanded.
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1 190.
An. Exod. Isr.
1 — From
Tisri to Adar.
CHAPTER XXXVL
Moses appoints Bezaleel, Aholiab and their associates to the worlc, and delivers to them the freeztill offerings of the
people, 1—3. The people brins^ offerings more than are needed for the work, a)id are only restrained by the pro-
clamation of Moses, 4—7. Thecnrtains, their loops, laches, bfc.for the tabernacle, 8 — IS. The covering for the
tent, 19. The boards, 20—30. The bars, 31—34. The vail and its pillars, 35, 36. The hangings and their
pillars, 37, 38.
I' Ch. 25. 8.
lurought, in the future tense, instead of the past, the proper t
connection will be preserved; for all grammarians know that
the conjunction 1, vtiu, is often conversive ; i. e. it turns the
preter tense of those verbs to which it is prefixed, into the future,
and the future into tlie preter : this power it evidently hai
They receive the frcc-tcUl ojfenngs CHAP.
A.M.iiiit. 2 Anil IMoscs called Bczaleel and
'^■JiV","' Aholiali, and every wise hearted
i.-ii.ni man, -in wliosc heart tlie Lord lind
jisri^Mar^ put wi.scloni, cvoi cvery one * whose
heart stUTcd him up to come unto the work to
do it:
3 And they received of Closes all the offer-
ino:, which the children of Israel "" had brought
for the work of the service of tlie sanctuary, to
make it idthal. And tliey brought yet unto
him free offerings every morning.
4 if And all the wise men, that wrought all
the work of the sanctuary, came every man from
his work which they made ;
5 And they spake unto Moses, saying, " The
people bring much more than enough lt)r the
service of the work, which the Loud command-
ed to make.
6 And Moses gave commandment, and they
' caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp,
' saying. Let neither man nor woman make any
more work for the offering of the sanctuary.
So the people were resti-ained from bringing.
7 For the stuff* they had was sufficient lor all
the work to make it, and too much.
8 ^ '' And every wise hearted man among
them that wrought the work of the tabernacle,
made ten curtains o/"fine twined linen, and blue,
and purple, and scarlet : xvith cherubims of
cunning work made he them.
» Cli. 35. 2, 26. 1 Chron. 29. 5. ^ ch. 35. 27 ' 2 Cor. 8. 2, 3.
XXXVr. from the hands of the people.
9 The length of one curtain
Xi-as
A. \\ •.■■4.
B. C. li'.K).
An.r.v d. Isr.
I.— Frjiii
Tisn lu Atlar,
here ; and joined with tlie last verse of the preceding
chapter, the connection will appear tluis : chap. x.\xv. ver. 30,
&c. 'I'lte Lord lialli called by name Bczaleel and /I lioliab ; them
hath he filled xvith ivisdoin of heart to work all manner of work,
chap, xxxvi. ver. 1. And Bezakel and ..J/io//a6 SHALL WORK,
and every 'xise hearted man, in -j.-hum the Lord put wisdoni.
Verse 5. The people bring much more than enou<^li] Witli
■what a liheral spirit do these people brin^ their freewill oll'er-
ings unto the Lord! Moses is obliged to make a pioclama-
tion to prevent them from bringing any more, as there was
at present more than enough! Had Moses been intent upon
gain, and had he not been pdectly disinterested, he would
have encouraged them to continue their contributions, as
thereby he might have multiplied to himself gold, silver, and
precious stones. But he was doing the Lord's work, under
the inspiration of the divine spirit, and tlu-refore he sought no
secular gain. Indeed tliis one circumstance is an ample proof
of it. — Lvery thin^f necessary for the worship of Goil will be
cheerfully provided by a people whose hearts are in that wor-
«liip. Ill a state wkeie all forms of religion, and modes of
twenty and eight cubits, and the
j breadth of one cmtuin four cubits :
I the curtains •axre all oi'one size.
10 And he coupled the five curtains one unto
[ another : and Ifi^ other ffve curtains he coupled
one unto another.
I 1 1 And he made loops of blue on the edge
of one curtain fiom the selvedge in the coup-
ling : likewise he made in the uttermost side
of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
12 'Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and
fifty loops made he in the edge of the ciutain
which was in the coupling of the second : the
i loops held one curtain to another.
j Iti And he made fffty taches of gold, and
coupled the curtains one unto another with
the taches : so it became one tabernacle.
j 14^*^ And he made curtains of goats' hair
I for the tent over the tabernacle : eleven cur-
tains he made them.
15 The length of one curtain xcas thirty cu-
bits, and four cubits xcas the breadth of one
curtain : the eleven curtains were of one size.
16 And he coupled five curtains by them-
selves, and six curtains by themselves.
17 And he made fifty loops upon the utter-
most edge of the curtain, in the coupling, and
fitly loops made he upon the edge of tlie cur-
tain which coupleth the second.
"cli. 26. 1. « cli. 26. 5. f ch.26,7.
worship, are tolerated by the laws, it would be well to find out
some less exceptionable way of providing for the national
clergy than by tithes. Let them by all means have the pro-
vision allowed them by the law ; but let them not be needlessly
exposed to the resentment of the people, by the mode in which
this provision is made, as this often alienates the aflections ot"
their flocks from them, and exceedingly injures their usefulne^s.
Verse 8. Cherubim of cuniii>tir icork^ See on chap. xxvi.
ver. IS. Probably the word means no more than /g-j(;« of
any kind, wrought m the diaper fashion in the loom, or by the
needle in embroidery, or by the chisel or gravini;-tool, in nootL,
stone, or metal, see on clmp. xxv. 13. This meaning Houbi-
gant and other excellent critics contend for. In some place.*!
t!ic word seems to be restricted to express a particular figure
then well known ; but in many other places it seems to im-
ply any kmd of figure commonly formed by sculpture on stone,
by carving on wood, by engraving upon brass, and by weaving
in the loom, &c.
Verse 9. The lens;th of one curtain} Concerning these e«t-
tains, see chap. xxvL 1, &c.
Ho-cC the tabernacle and its
A.M. 2514..
B. C. 14S0.
.An.£x"d. Isr.
1 . — from
Tis\ i to Adar,
18 And
brass, to
that it might be one.
EXODUS
he made fifty taches of
couple the tent together.
covering
19 ^ " And he made a
for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a co
vering of badger's skins above that.
20 •[[ " And he made boards for the tabernacle
of shittim Wood, standing up.
21 The length of a board xvas ten cubits, and
the breadth of a board one cubit and a half
22 One board had two tenons, equally distant
one from another : thus did he make for all the
boards, of the tabernacle.
' 23 And he made boards for the tabernacle :
twenty boards for the south side southward :
. 24 And forty sockets of silver he made under
the twenty boards; two sockets under one board
for his two tenons, and two sockets under ano-
ther board for his two tenons.
25 And for the other ,side of the tabernacle,
'which is toward the north corner, he made
twenty boards.
26 And their forty sockets of silver ; two
sockets under one board, and two sockets un-
der another board.
27 And for the sides of the tabernacle west-
ward, he made six boards.
28 And two boards made he for the corners
of the tabernacle in the two sides.
29 And they were " coupled beneath, and
coupled together at the head thereofj to one
• Ch. 26. 14.-
->■ cli.
6. 15. ^ Heb. twined. —
sockets under one hoard.
-■'Heb. two sockets, two
Ver.se 20. And he made huards] See tlie notes on chap,
xxvi. 15, &c.
VeTse :■>!. He made bars] See on chap. xxvi. 26, &c.
Verse 'iS. He made a vail'\ See on chap. xxvi. 31, &c.
Verse 37, Han;;iiig for the — door'] See on chap, x.vvi. 36.
Verse 38. The five pillars of it v;ith their hooks] Their ca-
pitals. ■ See the note on chap. xxvi. 32.
There is scarcely any thin^ particular in this chapter tliat
has not been tourhcd on before; both it and the (bllowing to
the end of the Book, being in general, a repetition of what we
have already met in detad, in the preceding chapters from
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. ]».»
different idensils were constructed.
ring : thus he did to both of them,
in both the corners.
30 And there were eight boards ;
and their sockets tvere sixteen sock-
ets of silver, " under every board two sockets.
31 ^ And he made "bars of shittim wood;
I 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 tabernacle, and five bars for the
boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward.
33 And he made the middle bar to shoot
through the boards from the one end to the
other.
34 And he overlaid the boards with gold, and
made their rings of gold to be places for the
bars, and overlaid the bars with gold. '■
35 % And he made ' a vail of blue, and pur-
ple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen : idih
chenibims made he it of cunning work.
36 And he made thereunto four pillars of
shittim xvood, and overlaid them with gold :
their hooks 'were of gold ; and he cast for them
four sockets of silver.
37 % And he made a ^ hanging for the taber- '
nacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet,
and fine twined Hnen, " of needlework ;
38 And the five pillars of it with their hooks :
and he overlaid their chapiters and their fil-
lets with gold : but their five sockets tvere of
brass. ^
« Ch. 26. 26. f ch. 26. 31. e ch. 26. 36. » Heb. thewark if u needier
ii:orktr, or, embroiderer.
the xxvth to the xxxi.*t inclusive, and to those the reader is
requested to refer. God had before commanded this work to
be done, and it was necessary to record the execution oj'it, to
shew that all was done according to the pattern shewn to
Moses: without this detailed account, we should not have
known whether the work had ever been executed according to
the directions given.
At the cominencement of this chapter the reader will ob-
serve that I have advanced the dates, A. M. and B. C one year,
without altering the year of the Exodus, which at first view may
appear an error : the reason is, that the above dates commence
at Tinri, but the years of the Exodus are dated from Abib.
Bezaleel and Aholiah make the ark, 1 — 5
breaiJ, 10 — i5. and its vessels, lO. The candlestick, 17
anobdiiig oil and pefume, 29.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
The mercy seat, 6. The tuo cherubim, 7 — 9- The table of the sheK-
-24. The golden altar of incense, 25 — 28. The holy
Bczakelmalies tlie arl;merq/ seaty CHAP. XXXVII
N D Bezalcel made ' the ark o/j
A.M. 2514.
B.C. ttyo.
An.Evdtsr.
A-
j[^\^ shittim wood : two cubits and
i._Fr,.in a half ivas the length of it, and a
■^xoMar^ cubit and a half th'e breadth of it,
and a cubit and a half the height of it :
2 And he overlaid it with pure gold within
and without, and made a crown of gold to it
round about.
3 And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be ]
iet by the four cornens of it; even two rings
upon the one side o'L it, and two rings upon the
other side of it.
4 And he made staves <^ shittim wood, and
overlaid them with gold.
.5 And he put the staves into the rings by the
sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
6 1[ And he made the "mercy seat o/'pure
gold : two cubits and a half xoas the length
1 thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth
i thereof.
( 7 And he made two chcrubims o/'gold, beaten
■ out of one piece, made he them, on tlie two
\ ends of the mercy seat.
8 One cherub " on the end, on this side, and
another cherub ^ on the othei- end, on that side:
out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims,
on the two ends thereof.
I 9 And the cherubims spread out their wings
I on high, and covered with their wings over the
; mercy seat, with their faces one to another ;
' even to the mercy seatward, were the faces of
I the cherubims.
1 10 ^ And he made 'the table of shittim
; "wood : two cubits Xi'os the length thereof, and
! a cubit the breadth tliereof, and a cubit and a
i half the height thereof:
11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and
made thereunto a crown of gold round about.
12 Also he made thereunto a border of a liand
breadth round about ; and made a crown of
gold for the border thereof round about.
13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and
A.M. i514.
B. C. 1490.
Aii.Exod.lst.
1. — From
Tisri lo Adar.
golden talk, caridlestkl; S^-c.
put the rings upon the four corners
that xcere in tl\e li)ur tcet thereof.
14 Over against the border were
the rings, the places for the staves to
bear the table.
15 And he made the staves o/" shittim wood,
and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.
16 And he made the vessels which hereupon
tlie table, his ' dishes, and his spoons, and his
bowls, and his covers ^ to cover withal, of pure
gold.
1 7 % And he made the " candlestick of pure
gold : ()/' beaten work made he the candlestick;
his sliatt, and his branch, his bowls, his knops,
and his flowers, were of the same :
1 8 And six branches going out of the sides
thereof; three branches of the candlestick out
of the one side thereof, and three branches
of the candlestick out of the other side there-
of:
19 Three bowls made after the fashion of al-
monds in one branch, a knop and a flower;
and three bowls made like almonds in another
branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout
the six branches going out of the candlestick.
20 And in the candlestick "were four bowls
made hke almonds, his knops, and his 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, according to the six branches going out
of it.
22 Their knops and their branches were of
the same : all of it leas one beaten work o/'pure
gold.
23 And he made his seven lamps, and his
snuflcrs, and his snuflf'dishes, of pure gold.
24 Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and
all the vessels tliereof.
25 % ' And lie made the incense altar (/ shit-
tim wood : the length of it ti'as a cubit, and the
breadth of it a cubit ; it 'was fomsquarc ; and
■ eh. ■i5. 10. ^ cIj. 25. 1*.-
— ' Or, out if, ^c
' cli. 2.5. 'Jo.
-'' Or, nut of, ^c.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXVII.
Vcr.-:e 1. And Bezakel made the ark, &(:.] For a descrip-
tion of the ark, sec chap. .\xv. 10, &c.
Verse 0. He made the mtrci/-seac] See this described, cliap.
XXV. n.
Verse 10. He made the tabkl See chap. xxv. 25.
f Cli. 2.5. 29. « Or, lo pour out Tiitlial '' cb. 25. 31. ' ch. 30. 1.
Vei-se 16. He made the vessels] See all these particularly
described in the notes on chap. xnv. 29.
Verse H. He made the condtestick] See this described from
the trimnplial arch of 'J'iiiis, in the note on chap. xxv. 31.
\'crse 2i. I If made the incense ullai] '" '' ' '"
chap. xx.\. 1.
:1 M
See this described
He makes the altar
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod.Isr.
1. — From
Tisri to Adar,
two cubits 'was the height of it ; the
horns thereof were of the same.
26 And he overlaid it with pure
gold, both the top of it, and the
sides thereof round about, and the horns of
it : also he made unto it a crown of gold round
about.
27 And he made two rings of gold for it under
» Cii. 30. S3, 34. Isai. cli. 61. 1.
Verse 29. He made the holt/ anointing oit] See tliis anil
the •perfume, antl the materials out of which they were made,
described at large; in the notes on chap. xxx. 23 — 25. and
A.M. S514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod.Isr.
1. — From
Tisri to Adar.
EXODUS. ef burnt offerings the laver, ^c
the crown thereof, by the two corners
of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be
places tor the staves to bear it withal.
28 And he made the staves of shit-
tim wood, and overlaid them with gold. ^
29 ^ And he made "the holy anointing oil,
and the pure incense of sweet spices, according
to the work of the apothecary.
" 1 John ch. 2. 20, V. Psal. Itl. 2.
34 — 38. As this chapter also is a repetition of what has
been mentioned in preceding chapters, the reader is desired
to refer to tiiem, as noted above.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
BezaJeel makes the altar of burnt offerings, 1 — ?• lie makes the laicr and its foot, out of tlie mirrors given by the
women, 8. Tiie court, its pillars, liangiiigs, &;c. 9 — 20. 'The whole tabernacle and its zcork finished bif Bczaleel,
Ahnliab, and their assistants, 21 — 23. Tlie amount of the gold contributed, 24. Tfie amount of the silver, and
how it was expended, 0,5 — 28. The amount of the brass, and how t/iis was used, 29 — 31.
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod.Isr.
1. — From
Tiiri le Adar.
AND 'he made the altar of burnt
ofi'ering, of shittim wood : five
cubits was the length thereof, and
five cubits the breadth thereof; it
•was foursquare ; and three cubits the height
thereof.
2 And he made the horns thereof on the four
corners of it ; the horns thereof were of the
same : and he overlaid it with brass.
3 And he made all the vessels of the altar,
the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and
the fleshhooks, and the firepans : all the vessels
thereof made he (f brass.
• Ch. 57. 1—8. •h. 40. 6, 20.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXVIII.
Verse 1. The altar of burnt offering] See the notes on chap,
xxvii. I., and for its horns, pots, shovels, basons, &c. see the
•meaning of the Hebrew terms explained, chap, xxvii. 3 — 5.
Verse 8. He made the toicr] See the notes on chap. xxx.
18, &c.
The looking-glasses] The word n^nl^ maroth, from HNI
raah, he saw, signifies reflectors or mirrors of any kind.
Here, metal highly polished, must certainly be meant, as glass
■was not yet in use; and had it even been in use, we are sure
that looking-QhASSES could not make a BliASEN laver. The
werd therefore, should be rendered mirrors, not lookirig-glasses,
A.M. 251*,
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod.Isr.
I.— From I
Tisri to Adar.
four ends
4 And he made for the altar, a
brasen grate of network, under the
compass thereof beneath, unto the
midst of it.
5 And he cast four rings for the
of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.
6 And he made the staves of shittim wood,
and overlaid them with brass.
7 And he put the staves into the rings on the
! sides of the altar, to bear it withal ; he made
the altar hollow with boards.
8 % And lie made '' the laver of brass, and
the foot of it of brass, of the ' looking glasses
t Ch. 30. 18. <^ Or, brasen gUiscs.
which in the above verse is perfectly absurd, because from
those ?naroth tlie brazen laver was made. The first mirrors
known among men, were the clear still fountain, and unruffled
lake. The first artificial ones were apparently made of brass,
afterwards of polished steel, and when luxury increased, they
were made of silver, but they were made at a \ery early pe-
riod, of mixed metal, particularly of tin and copper, the best
of which, as Pliny tells us, were formerly manufactured at
Brundusium: Optima apud majores, fuerant Brundi.sinu, stan-
no et xre mixtis. Hist. Nat. lib. xxxiii. cap. 9. but accord-
ing to him, the most esteemed were those made of tin : and he
says, that silver mirrors became so common, that even the
5
m malces the court, CFIAP. XXXVIII
of the n'omen * assemblinrj, which as-
sembled at the door of the taber-
nacle ol" the coiii>re2;ation.
9 ^ And he made '' the court : on
A.M.e514.
B. C. 14!>0.
An. I'^xod. Ibr.
1.— Ffoin
Tiir: to Adar.
the south side soutliward, the hangings of tlie
court awe o/' tine twined linen, a hundred cu-
bits :
10 Their pillars icere twenty, and their brascn
sockets twenty ; the hooks of the pillars, and
their fillets zcere of silver.
1 1 And for the north side, the hangings leere a
hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and
their sockets of brass twenty ; the hooks of the
pillars and their fillets of silver.
12 And for the west side tt'(?re hangings of
jfifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets
ten ; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of
silver.
13 And for the east side eastward, fifty cubits
side of the
its pillars, hangings, <^r.
7£'er<? fifteen cubits; their pillars three, a.m. -514
and their sockets three. "•^- "^•
15 And for the other side of the ^'i.-tvom"-
court gate, on this hand and that ^"'"""^"'"'-
14 The hangings of the one
gate
'Heb. assembling by troops, as lSam..2. 22.
aervant girls used them : Specula (ex stanno) Imidatissima, Brun-
diisii tcmperabanlur; donee argciiteis utl ccrpere et anci'he, lib.
xxsiv. c. n. 'W'lien the Egyptian women went to the temples,
they ahvays cairieil their mirrors with them. The Israelitish
women probably did the same ; and Dr. Shaw states, tliat
the Arab women carry them conslantly hung' at tl)i;ir breasts.
It is worthy of remark, that at first, these women freely gave
lip their ornaments for this important service, and now give
their very mirrors, probably as being of little further service,
seeing they had already given up the principal decorations of
their persons. Woman has been invidiously defined, A crea-
ture fond of dress, (though Ihis belongs to the whole human
race, and not exclusively to woman.) Had this been true of
the Israelitish women, in the present case wc must say, they
nobly sacrificed their incentives to pride, to the service of
their God. Woman, go thou and do likewise.
Of tlie women — which assembled at the door] What the
employment of these women was at the door of the taber-
nacle, is not easily known. Some think they assembled
there for purposes of devotion. Others think they kept watch
there during the night, and this is the most probable opinion;
for they appear to have been in the same employment, as
those who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the con-
gregation, in the days of Samuel, who were abused by the
sons of the high-priest Eli. 1 Sam. ii. 22. Among the an-
cients, women were generally emploj'ed in the office of por-
ters or doorkeepers. Such were employed about the house of
the high-priest, in our Lord's time; for a woman is actually
represented as keeping the door of the palace of the high-
priest, John xviii. 11. Then sailh the VAMSEl. that KEPT IHE
DOOK. wito Peter, see also Matt. xxvi. 69. In 2 Sam. iv. 6.
both the Scptuagint and Vulgate, make a woman, porter, or
■door-keeper to Ishbosheth. Aristophanes mcDtions them in
hand, -were hangings of fifteen cubits ; their pil-
lars three, and their sockets three.
16 All the hangings of the court round about
were of fine twined linen.
17 And the sockets for the pillars -were of
brass ; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets
of silver ; and the overlaying of their chapiters
q/ silver ; and all the pillars of the comt were
filleted wth silver.
1 8 And the hanging for the gate of the court
ivas needlework, of blue, and purple, and scar-
let, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits
was the length, and the height in the breadth
was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of
the court.
19 And their pillars were four, and their sock-
fc Ch. 27. 9.
the same oflTice, and calls them Scfcis Xwt;, ^ihicli seems to
signify a common maidservant. Arisloph. in Vespis. p. 486.
Oti Tui/ flupay ana^iv r\ Snxij ?,cx6^ct.
Homer, Odyss. V, v. 225 — 229. mentions Actoris, Pciif-
lope's maid, whose office it was to keep the door of her chani'
ber;
Axrapi;
H vai'v EifUTO flyfaj TTuxivou iaXa/xsio.
And Euripides, in Troad. v. 197. brings in Hecuba, com-
plaining that she who was wont to sit upon a throne, is now
reduced to the miserable necessity of becoming a door-keeper,
or a nurse, in order to get a morsel of bread.
Sir John Chardin observes, that women are employed to
keep the gate of the palace of the Persian kings. Plautui,
Curcul. Act i. Sc. 1. mentions an old woman, who was keeper
of the gale.
" " Anus hie solet cuhitare, custos janiirii.
Many other examples might be produced. It is therefore
very likely, that the persons mentioned here, and in 1 Sam.
ii. 22. were the women who guarded the tabernacle, and
that they regularly relieved each other, a troop or company
regularly keeping watch: and indeed this seems to be implied
in the original, 1N*3S tsak-u, tiiey caine by troops; and these
troops, successively consecrated their mirrors to the service of
the tabernacle. See Calmet on John xviii. 16.
Verse 9. The court] See chap, xxvii. 9.
Verse 17, The hooks — and ilieir JiUeis] The capitals, arnl
3 M 2
The •whole 'worJc of tJie tabernacle EXODUS,
ets of brass four ; their hooks of sil-
ver, and the overlaying of their cha-
piters and their fillets of silver.
20 And all the * pins of the taber-
of the court round about, were of
A.M. 2514.
B.C. 1190.
An.Exod. Isr,
1. — From
Tisri to Adar.
nacle, and
brass.
21 ^ This is the sum of the tabernacle, eveyi
of ""the tabernacle of testimony, as it was count-
ed, according to the commandment of Moses,
for the service of the Levites, " by the hand of
Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.
* Ch. 27. 19. » Numb. 1, 50, 53. &; 9. 15. & 10 11. ii 17. 7, 8. & 18. 2.
the silver bands that went round them, see the note on chap,
xxvi. 32.
Verse 21. This is the suin of the tabenuiclel That i.s, the
foregoing account contains a detail of all the articles which
Bezaleel and Aholiab were commanded to make; and which
were reckoned up by the Levites, over whom Ithamar, the
son of Aaron, presided.
Verse 24. All the ^old that vjas occupied for the work, &c.]
To be able to ascertain the quantum and value of the gold,
silver, and brass which were employed in the tabernacle, and
its different utensils, altars, &c. it will be necessary to enter
into the subject in considerable detail.
In the course of my notes on this and the preceding book,
I have had frequent occasion to speak of the shekel in use
among the ancient Hebrews, which, following Dean Pri-
deaux, I have always computed at 3s. English. As some
Talue it at 2s. 6d. and otiiers at 2s. 4d. I think it necessary
to lay before the reader, the learned Dean's mode of compu-
tation, as a proper introduction to the calculations which im-
mediately follow.
" Among the ancients, the way of reckoning their money
■was by talents. So the Hebrnus, so the Babylonians, and so
the Romans did reckon; and of these talents they had subdi-
visions, which were usually in minus and drachms; i. e. of
their talents into minus; and their minus into drachms. The
Hebrews had besides these, their shekels and half-shekels or
bekas ; and the Romans iheir denarii, which last were very
nearly of the same value with the drachms of the Greeks.
W hat was the value of a Hebrew talent appeals from Exod.
xxxviii. 25, 26. for there 603,550 persons being taxed at
half a shekel a head, they must have paid in the whole
301,715 shekels; and that sum is there said to amount to
one hundred talents, and 1775 shekels over; if therefore, we
deduct the 1775 shekels from the number 301,775, and di-
vide the remaining sum, i. e. 300,000 by a hundred, this will
prove each of those talents to contain three thousand shekels.
Each of these shekels weighed about three shillijigs of our
money; and sixty of them, Ezekicl tells us, chap. xlv. 12.
made a mina; and therefore Jifty of those 7iiinas made a ta-
lent. And as to their drachms, it appears by the gospel of
•St. Matlhew, that it was the fourth part of a shekel, that
is nine pence of our money. For there (chap. xvii. 24.) the
U'ibute money annually paid to the temple, by every Jew,
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. Isr,
1. — From
Tisri lo Adar,
fnished by Bezaleel,
22 And " Bezaleel the son of Uri,
the son of Hur, of the tribe of Ju-
dah, made all that the Lord com-
manded Moses.
23 And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisa-
mach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and
a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in
blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine
linen.
24 All the gold that was occupied for th&
work, in all the work of the holy place, even
2 Chron. 21. 6. Acts 7. 41. ' Numb. 4. 28, 33. " cb. 31. 2, 6.
(which was half a shekel) Talmud in shekalim, is called Ai-
i^axtJ^ov (i. e. the tKO drachm piece) and therefore, if half a
shekel contained two drachms, a drachm must have been the
quarter part of a shekel, and every shekel must have contained
four of them, and so Josephus tells us it did. For he says.
Ant. lib. iii. c. 9. that a shekel contained four Attic drachms,
which IS not exactly to be understood according to the weight,
hut according to the valuation in the currency of common
payments. For according to the zveight, the heaviest Attic
drachms did not exceed eight pence farthing half farthing, of
our money; and a Hebrew drachm, as I have said, was nine
pence ; but what the Attic drachm fell short of the Hebreiv in
weight, might be made up in the fneness, and its ready cur-
rency in all countries, (which last the Hebrew drachm could
not have) and so might be made equivalent in common esti-
mation among the Jeius. Allowing therefore a drachm, as
well Attic as Jewish, as valued in Judaa to be equivalent to
nine pence of our money, a BEKA or half shekel, will be one
shilling and sixpence ; a SHEKEL three shillings; a MINA nine
pounds; and a TALENT /owr hundred and fifty pounds. So
was it in the time of 3Ioses and Ezekiel ; and so was it in the
time of Josephus, among that people, for he tells us, Antiq.
lib. xiv. chap. 12. that a Hebrew mina contained izvo LITRAS
and a half, which comes exactly to nine pounds of our money:
for a litra being the same with a Roman libra, contained
twelve ounces, Troy weight, that is ninety six drachms, and
therefore two litras and a half must contain two hundred and
forty drachms, whicii being estimated at nine pence a drachm,
accoidinfr to the Jewish valuation, comes exactly to sixty she-
kels, or nine pounds of our money. And this account agrees
exactly with that of Alexandria. For the Alexandrian talent,
contained 12,000 Attic drachms, and 12,000 Attic drachms,
according to the Jewish valuation, being 12,000 of our nine
pences, they amount to 450 pounds of sterling money, which
is the same value with the Mosaic talent. But here it is to
be observed, that though the Alexandrian talent amounted to
12,000 /J«if drachms, yet they themselves reckoned it, but
at 6000 drachms, because every Alexandrian drachm con-
tained two j4«/e drachms; and therefore the Septuagint ver-
sion, being made by the Alexandrian Jews, they there render
the Hebrew word shekel, by the Greek iii^axfJtov, which signi»
fies two drachms, because two Alexandrian drachms made a
shekel, two of them amounting to as much as four Attie
Amount of the silver
CHAP. XXXIX.
contributed by the people.
A.M.2JU.
B. C. 14W.
An- Exod. Isr.
1. — Fioiu
Turi to Adar.
the gold of the offenng, was twenty
and nine talents, and seven hundred
and thirty shekels, after * the shekel
of the sanctuary.
25 And the silver of them that were num-
• ch. 30. 13, J4. Lev. 5. 15. k 27. 3, 25.
drachms. Anil therefore, computinfj the Alexandrian money
according to llie same method, in vvliich we liave computed
the Jewish, it will be as follows. One drachm of Alexandria,
will be of our money eighteen pence ; one didrachm, or shekel,
consisting; of two drachms of Alexandria, or four of Attica,
will be three shillings ; one viina, consisting of m(y rf/rfracAm.f,
or shekels, will be nine pounds; and one talent, consisting of
fifty minus, will be four hundred and fifty pounds, which is tiie
talent of Moses, Exod. xxxviii. 25, 26. and so also, is it the
taknt of Joscphus, Antiq. lib. iii. chap. 1. For he tells us,
I that a Hebrew talent contained one hundred Greek (i. e. Attic)
; minas. For those fifty minas, which here mike an Aleian-
; ilrian taknt, would be one hundred Attic minas, in the like
j method of valuation, the Alex-andrian talent containing double
' as much as the Attic talent, both in the whole, and also in all
its parts, in whatever method both shall be equally distributed.
Among the Greeks, the established rule was, Jul. Polluc.
Onomast. lib. x. c. 6. that one hundred drachms made a mina,
and sixty minus a talent. But in some difTerent states, their
drachms being difTerent, accordingly their minas and talents,
were within the same proportion different also. But the
money of Attica was the standard by which all the rest were
valued, according as they more or less differed from it. And
therefore it being of most note, wherever any Greek historian
speaks of talents, minas, or drachms, if tliey be simply men-
tioned, it is to be always understood of talents, minas, or
drachms of Attica, and never of the talents, minas, or drachms
of any other place, unless it be expressed. Mv. Breretcood,
going by the goldsmith's weights, reckons an Attic drachm to
be the same with a druchm, now in use in their shops; that is,
the eighth part of an ounce, and therefore lays it at the value
of seven pence halfpenny of our money, or the eighth part of a
croxcn, which is, or ou<jhl to be, an ounce weight. But Dr.
Bernard, going more accurately to work, lays the middle sort
of Attic drachms at eight pence farthing of our money, and the
minus and talents acconlingly, in the proportions above men-
tioned. The Babylonish talent, according to Pollux, Ono-
mast. lib. X. c. 6. contained seven thousand of those drachms.
The Roman talent (•^ee Fesius Pompeius) contained seventy-
two Italic minas, which were the same with the Roman libras;
and ninety-six Roman denariuses, each being of the value of
ftven pence halfpenny of our money, made a Roman libra.
But all the valuations 1 have hiiherto mentioned, must be un-
derstood ordy of silver money, and not of gold ; for that was
much higher. Tiie proportion of gold to silver, was among
the ancients, commonly as ten to one : sometimes it was raised
to be as eleven to ob«, sometimes as twelve, and sometime.* as
thirteen to one. In the time of king Edward the first, it was
liere in England, at the value of ten to one ; but it is now got-
bered of the congregation, -was a
hundred talents, and a thousand se-
ven hundred and threescore and fif-
teen shekels, after the .shekel of the
sanctuary :
A.M. 2514
B. C. 1490.
Au. Exod. hr.
1.. — From
Tisri to Adar.
Nuinb. 3, 47. Si 18. 16.
ten at sixteen to one, and so I value it in all the reductions,
which I make in this history of ancient sums to the present
yalue. But to make the whole of this matter the easier to
the reader, I will lay all of it before him for his clear view
in this following table of valuations.
Hebrew Money. £. a. d.
A Hebrew drachm ....... 9
Two d<-ach>ns made a beka, or half shekel,'\
which was the tribute money paid by >■ 16
every Jew to the temple . . . _)
Two bekas made a shekel . . . . . 3 0
Sixty shekels made a mina . . . . . 900
Fifty minas made a talent . . , . . 450 0 O
A talent of gold, sixteen to one ... 7200 0 0
Attic Money according to Mr. BUEREWOOD.
An Attic drachm ....... 7j-
A hundred drachms made a wu'na . - - 3 2 6
Sixty minas miide A talait . . . . . 187 100
A talent of gold, sixteen to one . - - . 3000 0 0
Attic Money according to Dr. BERNARD.
An Attic drachm ....... gj
A hundred drachms made a 7«j«a . - _ 3 8 9
Sixty minas made a talent . . . . . 206 5 O
A talent of gold, sixteen to one ... 3300 0 O
Babylonish Money according to Mr. Brerewood.
A Babylonish talait of silver, containing) „,j.
seven thousand Attic drachins . . j ~
A Babylonish talent in geld, sixteen to one 3500 0 O
Babylonish Money according to Dr. Bernard.
A Babylonish talent in silver .... 240 126
A Babylonish talent in gold, sixteen to one 3850 0 O
Alexandrian Money.
A drachm of Alexandria, containing two ) , -
Attic drachms, as valued by the Jews J
A didrachm of Alexandria, containing twoS
Alexandrian drachms, which was a He- >■ 3 0
brew sfiekel ....... j
Sixty didrachms, or Hebrew shekels, made a ) o n r>
mina ......... y
Fifty minas made a talent - - . . . 450 0 0
A talent of gold, sixteen to one ... 7200 0 0
Roman Money.
Four xilerciuses made a Roman denarius . 1^
Amount of the gold, silver, and brass EXODUS. employed in the tabernack,
26 * A bekah for ''every man, //«fl^ !' pillars, and overlaid their chapiters,
is, half a shekel, after the shekel of and filleted thein.
A. M. 251-1.
B. C. 14;k).
All. lixod. r.vt.
I. — From
Tisri to A<ktr.
the sanctuary, for every one that
went to be numbered, from twenty
years old and upward, for " six hundred thou-
sand, an'd three thousand, and five hundred and
fifty men.
27 And of the hundred talents of silver, were
cast "^ the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sock-
ets of the vail ; a hundred sockets of the hun-
dred talents, a talent for a socket.
28 And of the thousand seven hundred se-
venty and five sJiekels, he made hooks for the
»Ch. 30. 13, fy. " Heb. a polL ' Numb. 1. 46.
■]
s. d.
0 0
Ninetji'-six Roman denariuses made an Italic
mina, which was the same with a Roman
libra ._.-...--
Seventy-two Roman libras made a talent 216 0 0"
See the Old and New Testaments connected, &c. Vol. I.
Preface, p. xx — xxvii.
There were twenty-nine talents se'cen hundred and thirty she-
kels of <jOLD: one Imndred talents one thousand seven hundred
and seventy-Jive sJiekels of .SILVER: and seventy talents tivo
thousand four hundred shekels of BRASS.
If with Dean Prideaux, we estimate the value of the silver
shekel at three shillings English, we shall obtain the weight of
tlie shekel, by making use of the following proportion. As
sixty-two skillings, the value of a pound weight of silver, as
settled by tlie liiitish laws, is to two hundred and forty, the
number of pennyweights, in a pound troy, so is three shillings
the value of a shekel of silver, to llduts. 14 grains j-j the
V)eight of the shekel, required.
In the next place, to find the value of a .shekel of goldL, we
must make use of the proportion following : As one ounce
troy is to 3/. \ls. lO^i^. the legal value of an ounce of gold,
so is 1 1 dvvts. 14 grams |j, the weight of the shekel, as
found by the last proportion, to 21. 5s. 2\d. ^| the value of
the shekel of gold, required. From this datum we shall soon
be able to ascertain the value of all the gold, employed in the
•w/)rk of tliis holy place, by the following arit!)meticai process.
Reduce 2/. 5s. 2\d. -^f to the lowest term mentioned, which
is 201 852 ninety third parts of a farthing. Multiply this last
number by 3000, the number of shekels in a talent; and the
product by 29, the number of talents; and add in, T30 times
201S52, on account of the 730 shekels, which were above the
29 talents employed in die work, and we shall have for the last
product 17,708,475,960, which divided, sticcessively, by 93,
4, 12, and 20, will give 198,347/. 12^. &d. ior ihe. total va-
lue of the goldj employed in the tabernacle, &c.
Tlie value of the silver contributed by 603,550 Israel-
ites, at half a shekel, or ei'^liteen-pence per man, may be found
Ijy an easy arithmetical calculation, to amount to 45,266/. 5*.
The value of tlie bra^s at Is. per pound will amount t«
iil3/. lls.Od.
offering
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exotl.Isr.
1. — From
Tisri to Adar.
29 And the brass of the
•was seventy talents, and two thou-
sand and four hundred shekels.
30 And therewith he made the sockets to
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
and the brasen altar, and the brasen 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.
* Ch. 26. 19, 21, 25, 32. = ch. 26. 37. cli. 27. 10, 17.
The GOLD of the holy place, weighed 4245 pounds.
The SILVER of the tabernacle, 14602 pounds.
The BRASS 10277 pounds, troy weight.
The total value of all the gold, silver, and brass of the
tabernacle will consequently amount to 244,127/. 145. 6d.
And the total weight of all these three metals amounts to
29124 pounds troy; which reduced to avoirdupois weight, is
equal to FOURTEEN TONS, 2G6 pounds! When all tiiis is
considered, besides the quantity of gold which was employed
in the golden calf, and which was all destroyed, it is no
wonder that the Sacred Text should say, the Hebrews spoiled
the Egyptians; particularly, as in those early times the pre-
cious metals were probably not very plentiful in Egypt.
Verse 26. A bekah for eveiy manl The Hebrew word i'p3
hiikd which signifies to divide, separate into two, seems to sig-
nify, not a particular coin, but a shekel, broken, or cut in two:
so, anciently, our farthing was a penny divided in the midst,
and then subdivided, so that each division contained the/oi(r//»
part of the penny; hence its name fourthing ot fourthling,
since corrupted \nio farthing.
There appear to be three particular reasons, why so much
riches should be employed in the construction of the Taber-
nacle &c. 1. To impress the people's minds with the glory
and dignity of the divine Majesty, and the importance of bis
service. 2. To take out of their hands the occasion of co-
vetousness; for as they brought much spoils out of Egypt, and
could liave little if any use for gold and silver in the wilder-
ness, where it does not appear, that they had much inter-
course with any other people, and were miraculously support-
ed, so that they did not need their riches, it was right to em- '
ploy that in the worship of God, which otherwise might have
engendered that love which is the root of all evil. 3. To pre- •
vent pride and vain-glory, by leading them to give up to the
divine service, even the ornaments of their persons, which
would have had too direct a tendency to divert their mind*
from better things. Thus God's worship was rendered august
and respectable, incitements to sin and low desires, removed;
and the people instructed to consider nothing valuable, but as
far as it might be employed to lUs glory, and in the service*
of God.
The ephod and hreastplute.
CHAP. XXXIX.
The four rotes of' precious stones.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Bezakel makes the cloths of service/or the holy place, and the holy garments, 1. The ephod, 2. Gold is leatcn
into plates, and cut into wires /or embioiderij, 3. He makes the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, 4. The curious
girdle, 5. Cuts the onyx stones for the shoulder-pieces, G. Makes the brcastplatej its chains, ouches, rings,
^•c. 7— 21. 7V(C robe o///ie ephod, 22— 26. Coats of fne linen, dl. T/«; mitre, 28. 27;e girdle, 29- The
n\ztc of the holy crown, 30,31. Tlie completion of the rvork of the tabernacle, 32. J II the z^ork is brought
unto Moses, 33 — 41. Moses having examined the whole, finds evert/ thing done as the Lord had commanded, in
consequence of which he blesses the people, 42, 43.
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
Aii. £xo(l.Isr.
1. — From
Tisri tuAdar.
AN D of ' the blue, and purple,
and scarlet, they made " cloths
of service, to do service in the holy
place, and made the holy garments
for Aaron ; " as the Loud commanded I\Ioses.
2 % "And he made the ephod o/'gold, blue,
and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates,
and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and
in the piuple, and in the scarlet, and in the
fine linen, xcit/i cimning work.
4 They made shoulder-pieces for it, to couple
it together : by the two edges was it coupled
together.
5 And the curious girdle of his ephod, that
•was upon it, 'was of the same, according to the
work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and
scarlet, and fine twined hncn ; as the Lord
commanded Moses.
6 ^ And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in
ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven,
with the names of the children of Israel.
7 And he put them on the siioulders of the
ephod, that they shoidd be stones for a '^memo-
rial to the children of Israel ; as the Lord com-
manded Moses.
8 ^ ^ And he made the breastplate o/ cunning
"work, like the work of the ephod ; o/'gold, blue,
and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9 It was four-square ; they made the breast-
* Ch. 35. 23. * ch. 31. 10. h 35. 19. = cli. 28. i. " cli. 28. 6.
NOTKS ON CH.'VP. XXXIX.
Verse 1. Blue, and purple, arid scarlef\ See this subject
largely explained in the notes on chap. xxv. 4.
Verse 2. Ephod] See this described, chap. xxv. 7.
Verse .'5. Tlicy did heat the gold into thin plates'] For the
purpose, as it is j;iippo=ed, of cutting it into wires ZD''?r\5 or
threads; for to twin ot txuine is the common acceptation of
the root ^r\D paial. I (annot suppose that the Israelites hqd
act then tiie art of making gold thread, as they possessed se-
A. M. J.514.
K. C. 1 190.
An.Exod.Isr.
1. — i'riim
Tlsrl to Adar,
plate double : a span teas the length
thereof, and a span the breadth there-
of, being doubled.
10 ''And they set in it four rows
of' stones : the first row xcas a ' sardius, a topaz^
and a carbuncle : this -was the first row.
1 1 And the second row, an emerald, a sap-
phire, and a diamond.
12 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and
an amethyst.
13 And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and'
a jasper : they xvcre inclosed in ouches of gold.
in their inclosings.
14 And the stones "dcere according to thft
names of the children of Israel, twelve, accord-
ing to their names, like the engra\ings of a sig-
net, every one with his name, according to the
twelve tribes.
1 5 And they made upon the breastplate chains
at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.
Id And they made two ouches o/' gold, and
two gold rings, and put the two rings in the
t\\ o ends of the breastplate.
17 And they put the two wreathen chains of
gold in the two rings on the ends of the breast-
plate.
18 And the two ends of the two wreathen
chains they liistencd in the two ouches, and put
them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, be-
fore it.
' Ch. 28. 9. fell. 28. 12.-
«cli. 28. 15. "ch. 28. 17, &c. 'or, ruiv.
veral ornamental arfi, much more difficult : but in the present
in.stance, figures made in a more solid form than that nhich
coiiid have been eftectod by gold thread, might have been r«-
quired.
Verse 6. Onyx stones] See chap. sxv. 1. & x.wiii. 1", S;c,
Verse S. Breastplate] See on chap, xxviii. 18.
Verse 10. A.u! they set it in four roii^s of stones] See all
the.«e precious stones, particularly explained in the Note* t»n
chap, xxxyiii. 17, &c.
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. lif.
1. — From
Tisri to Adar,
TJie robe of the ephod, coats of fine linen,
19 And they made two rings of
gold, and put th£7n on the two ends
of the breastplate, upon the border
of it, which was on the side of the
ephod inward. r,
20 And they made tw'o other golden rings, and
put them on the two sides of the ephod under-
neath, toward the forepart of it, over against the
other coupling thereotj above the curious girdle
of the ephod.
21 And they did bind the breastplate by his
rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of
blue, that it might be above the curious girdle
of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not
be loosed from the ephod j as the Lord com-
manded Moses.
22 ^ ' And he made the robe of the ephod qj-
woven work, all of blue.
23 And there "was a hole in the midst of the
robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band
round about the hole, that it should not rend,
24 And they made upon the hems of the robe
pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet,
and twined li/ieti.
25 And they made '' bells of pure gold, and
put the bells between the pomegranates upon
the hem of the robe, round about between the
pomegranates ;
26 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a
pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe
to minister f;?, as the Lord commanded Moses.
27 ^ "^ And they made coats of fine linen of
woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
28 ■* And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly
EXODUS. golden plate, mid inscription,
bonnets of fine linen, and ' Hnen
A..M.J514.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod. Ijr,
1.— From
Tisri to Adar.
' CIi. 28. 31.-
-" ch. J8. a'?.
44. 18.
"^ Ch. 28. 39, 40.-
' ch. ii8. iii.
-•> ch. "8. 4, 39. Ezek.
Verse 23. As the hole of an habergeon'] The hahers^eon, or
hauberk, ■was a small coat of mail, somethino- in form of a half
shirt, made of small iron rings, curiously iiiiittd together. It
covered the neck and breast, was very light, and resisted the
stroke of a sword. Sometimes it went o\'er the whole head,
as well as over the breast. This kind of defensive armour
was used among the Asiatics, partirularly the ancient Per-
sian?, among whom it is still worn. ]l soems to have been bor-
rowed fr(.)m the Asiatics by the Norman crusaders.
Verse 30. The holy croivn of pure sold] On Asiatic monu-
ments, particularly those that appear in the ruins of Pcrse-
polis, and on many Egyptian monuments, the priests are re-
presented as wearing crouns or tiaras, and .sometimes their
\\.evk'S are crowned with laurel. Cuper observes, that the
breeches of fine twined linen,
29 ' And a girdle of fine twined
linen, and blue, and purple, and ,
scarlet, of needlework ; as the Lord
commanded Moses.
30 ^ « And they made the plate of the
holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a
writing, like to the engravings of a signet,
HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
31 And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to
fasten it on liigh upon the mitre ; as the Lord
commanded Moses.
32 ^ Thus \vas all the work of the tabernacle
of the tent of the congregation finished : and
the children of Israel did " according to all that
the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.
'33 And they brought the tabernacle unto Mo-
ses, the tent, and all his fm'niture, his taches,
his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his
sockets.
34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red,
and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail
of the covering,
35 The ark of the testimony, and the staves
thereof, and the mercy seat,
36 The table , ayid all the vessels thereof, and
the shewbread,
37 Tlie pure candlestick, with the lamps there-
of, even with the lamps to be set in order, and
all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,
38 And the golden altar, and the anointing
oil, and ' the sweet incense, and the hanging
tor the tabernacle door.
\
f Ch. 28. 39.-
-s ch. 28. 36, .17. " ver. 42, -13. ch. 2.5. 40. • Heb.
the incense of' tweet spices.
priests and priestesses, among the ancient Greeks, were stiled
Titpavoipopei, or crown-bearers, becau.^^e tlity officiated, having
sometimes crowns of gold, at others, crou-ns of laurel, upon
their heads.
Verse 32. Did according to all that the Lord commanded
Moses.] This refers to the command, given chap. xxv. 40.
And Moses has taken care to repeal every thing, in the most
circumstantial detail, to siiew tiiat he had conscientiously ob-
served all the directions he had received.
Verse 37. The pure candlestick] See the note on chap,
xxv. 31.
The lamps to be set in order] To be trimmed and fresh
oiled every day, for the purpose of being- lighted in the even-
ing. See the note on chap, xxvii. 21.
B.C ItAI.
Aii.Km''!- isr.
1. -F.-K..1
Tisn I ' Addr.
Moses inspects the teork, CHAP. XL.
39 The biaseii altar, and his grate
of brass, his staves, and all his ves-
sels, tke laver and his foot,
40 The hangings of the court, his
pillars, and his sockets, ami the hanging for the
court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the
vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the
tent of the congregation,
41 The cloths of service, to do service in tlie
holy place; and the holy garments tor Aaron the
and blesses tke 'u'07'Ii7ne-ri^
A.V. 2514.
B. C 1450.
A:i.Exod. Isr,
• 1— Fn.m
TUrt to Adur^
> Ch. 33. 10. ^t T.cv. P. 2i, '-'.>. Numb. 6. 23.
Ver.se 43. And j)foxe.i did look upon all the tt'ori] As being
tlie general superiiilt-iKlaiit of the whole, nntk-r whom Reza-
leel and Ahuhab were eni-ployed, as tlio other workmen were
«nder them.
Thry hud done it as the Lord had commandtd] Exactly ac-
cordms^ to the pattern which Mo!.es received from the Lord,
and which he laid before the workmen, to work by.
And Moses hkised thcm'\ Gave them that praise which was
due to their skill, diligence, and fidelity. See this uieanin<^
cf the original word in the note on Gen. ii. 3. See also a
fine in.>.tance of ancient courtesy, between masters and their ser-
vants, in the case of 15oaz and his reapers, Ruth ii. 4. Boaz
came from Bethlehem, and said to the reaper.', The Lord be
with VOU ! And they answered him, Tlie Lord itoTHEE ! It
is, however, very probable, that Moses prayed to God in their
behalfj that they might be prospered in all their undertaking.s,
raved from every evil, and be broii<i;ht at last to the inlierit-
ance that fadeth not away. This blessing seems to have
been given, not only to the workmen, but to all the people.
The people contributed liberally, and the workmen wrought
faithfully, and the blessing of God was pronounced upon ALL.
The promptitude, cordiality, and dispatch used in this bu-
siness, cannot be too highly commended, and are worthy of
the imitation of all, who are employed in any way, in the
, service of God. The prospect of having God to dv:cll among
them, inflamed every heart, because they well knew, tliat on
this depended their prosperity and salvation. They there-
fore hastened to build him a house ; and they spared no ex-
pense or skill, to make it, as far as a house made with hands
could be, worthy of that divine majesty, who had promised to
take up bis residence in it. This tabernacle, like the temple,
vas a type of the human nature of the Lord Jesus ; that was
priest, and his sons' garments, to mi-
nister in the priest's olKce.
42 According to all that the Lord
commanded ftloses, so the children
of Israel * made all the work.
43 And Moses did look upon all the work,
and, behold, they had done it as tiie Lord had
commanded, even so had tliey done it : and
Moses '' blessed them.
Josli. 22. 6. 2 Sam. 6. 18. 1 Kings 8. M. 2 Cliron. 30. ST.
a shrine, not made with hand«, formed by God himself, and
worthy of that fulnesxof the Deity, thiit dwelt in it.
It is scarcely possible to form an adequate opinion of the
riches, cosily workmanship, and splendor of the tabernacle :
and who can adequately conceive the glory and excellence of
that human nature, in which the fulness of the godhead,
bodily, dwelt } 1 hat this Uibernacle typified the human na-
ture of Christ ; and the divine sheldnah that dwelled in it. the
Deity that dwelt in the man Christ Jesus, these words of St.
John sufficiently prove. In the beginning ttas (he WORD, and
the WOUD was with God, and the WORD v:as GOD. And the
WORD was made jiesh, andjwelt among us, taKrivaa-tv ev u.ui:-,
made his TABKRNACLE among tis, full qf grace and Ifuth : — i. e.
possessing the true Urim and Thummim, all the lights and per-
fections, the truth and the grace, typified by the Mosaic oeco-
nomy. John i. 1, 14. And hence the Evangelist adds. And
we beheld his glo'y ; as the Israelites beheld the glory of God,
resting on the tabernacle, so did the disciples of Christ see
the divine glory resting on him> and shewing itself forth in
all his words, spirit, and works. And for what purpose was
the tabernacle erected ? That God might dwell in it among
the children of Israel. And for what purpose was the human
nature of Christ so miraculously produced ? That the god-
head might dwell in it ; and that God and man might be re-
conciled, through this wonderful oeconomy ot divine grace ;
God being in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,
2 Cor. v. 19. And what was implied by this reconciliation ?
The union of the soul with God, and the indwelling of God
in the soul. Reader, has God yet filled thy tabernacle with
his glory } Does Christ dwell in thy heart by faith, and
(lost thou abide in him, bringing forth fruit unto holiness ?
Then, thy end shall be eternal lite. Why shouldst thou not
go on thy way rejoicing, with Christ in thy heart, heaven in
thy eye, and tjie world, the devil, and the flesh, under thy feet ?
CHAPTER XL.
Moses is commanded to sel vp the tahernaclc, the /list datj of the first month, of the second year of their departure
from Egypt, 1,2. The ark to he put into it, 3. The table and candlestick to be brought in also, 4, with the
gulden attar, 5. The.altar of burnt offering to be set up before the door, 6, and the laver hetzieen the lent and
S N
Directions concerning the
the altar, 1 . The court to be set up, 8.
EXODUS. setting up of the tabernacle.
The tabernacle and its utensils to be anointed, 9 — 11. Aaron and his
sons to be washed, 12, clothed, \o, 14, and anointed, 15. All these things are done accordingly, ]6. The
tabernacle is erected, and all its utensils, 8^c. placed in it on the Jirst of the first month of the second year, 17
— 33. The cloud covers the tent, and the glori/ of the Lord fills the tabernach, 34 ; so that even Moses is not
able to enter, 35. When they were to journey, the cloud icas taken up ; when to encamp, the cloud rested on the
tabernacle, 36, 37. A cloud by day and afire by night, was upon the tabernacle, in the sight of all the Israelites,
through the zeliole course of the journeyings, 38.
about, and hang up the hanging at
the court gate.
9 ^ And thou shalt take the
oil, and " anoint the ta-
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod.Isr.
1. — From
Tisri to Adar.
AND the Lord spake unto Mo-
ses, saying,
2 On the first day of the ' first
month, shalt thou set up '' the taber-
nacle of the tent of the congregation.
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 ^set
in order ^ the things that are to be set in order
upon it ; ^ and thou shalt bring in the candle-
stick, and light the lamps thereof.
5 " And thou shalt set the altar of gold for
the incense, before the ark of the testimony,
and put the hanging of the door to the taber-
nacle.
6 And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt
offering before the door of the tabernacle of the
tent of the congregation.
7 And ' thou shalt set the laver between the
tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt
put water therein.
8 And thou shalt set up the court round
anointing
A.M. 5514.
B. C. 1490. ■
An.Exod.Isr.
1. — From
Tisri tu Adar.
>Ch
12.2.
& 13. 4.
^ ver
17
&ch.
26.1,
30.-
c
ver.
21.
ch. 26
3.-;
N
imb.
4. ,5.-
— ■• ver.
22.
ch.
26.
35.—
— ' ver
23.
ch.
25
30.
Lev.
24
6,
6.
NOTES ON CHAP. XL.
Verse 2. The first day of the first monlli] It is generally
supposed, that the Israelites began the work of the tabernacle
ibouHht sixth month , after they had left Egypt; and as the
work was finished about the end of the first year of their
Exodus, for it was set up the first duy of the second year, that,
therefore, they had spent abo\it six rriontlis in making it ; so
that the tabernacle was erected one year, all but fifieen days,
after they had left Egypt. Such a building, with such a pro-
fusion of curious and costly workmanship, was never got up in
«o short a time. But it was the work of the Lord, and the
people did service as unto the Lord. For the people had a
mind to work.
Verse 4. Tkou shalt bring in the tabic, and set in order the
things, &c.] That is, thou shalt place the twelve loaves u})ou
the table, in the order before mentioned. See the note on
chap. XXV. 30.
Verse 1 5. For their anointing shall surrly be an aerlasting
priesthood} By this anointing, a right was given to Aaron
bernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hal-
low it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall
be holy.
10 And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt
offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the
altar : and ' it shall be an altar " most holy.
1 1 And thou shalt anoint the laver and his
foot and sanctify it.
12 ^ " And thou shalt bring Aaron and his
sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the con-
gregation, and wash them with water.
13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy
garments, " and anoint him, and sanctify him ;
that he may minister unto me in the priest's
office.
14 And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe
them with coats :
15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst
f Heb. tlie order thereof. ever. 24, 25. "ver. 26. ' ver. 30. cli.
30. 18. ''cli. 30. 26. 'ch. 29. 36, 37. "> Heb. hoUnas of hulineises.
— " Lev.8. 1—13. °ch. 28. 41.
and his family, to be high-priests among the Jews for ever;
^o that all who should be born of this family, should liave a
right to the priesthood, without the repetition of this unction ;
as they should enjoy this honour, in tlieir father's right, who
had it by a particular grant from God. But it appears, that
the high-priest, on his consecration, did receive the holy unction,
see Lev. iv. 3. vi. 22. xxi. 10. And this continued tdl the
destruction of the first temple, and the Babylonish captivity ;
and, according to Eusebiits, Cyril of Jerusalem, and others,
this custom continued among the Jews, to tlie advent of our
Lord, after which, there is no evidence, ii was ever practised.
See Calmet's note on chap. xxix. 1. The Jewish high-priest
was a type of Him, who is called the high-priest over the house
of God, Heb. X. 21. and when he came, the functions of the
other neces.^arily ceased. This case is worthy of observation.
The Jewish sacrifices were never resumed after the destruc-
lioii of their city and temple ; for they hold it unlaivfitl to sa-
crifice any txhere out of Jerusalem : and the unction of their
liigh-priests ceased from that period also : and why .? because
On tlie first diy of the second
A.M 'ziit. anoint their father, that they may
B.C. iw. ii^inister unto me in the priest's ot- 1
An. txod.Isr. n y ■ -in i
1.— From fice : tor tlien- anointmg sliall surely!
imitojdar. ^^ » ^^ cvcrlasting priesthood througli-
out their j^enerations.
16 ^ Thus did Moses : according to all that
the Lord commanded him, so did he.
A.M.2514. lY % And it came to pass in the
first montla in tlie second year, on
2. the first day of the month, that the
" tabernacle was reared up.
18 And INIoses reared up the tabernacle, and
fastened his sockets, and set up the boards there-
of, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up
his pillars.
19 And he spread abroad the tent over
the tabernacle, and put the covering of the
B. C. 1490.
Aii.Kiud.lbr.
2.
j4(ri6cr A'isan.
A.M.IJ14.
11 C. 14'.I0.
An.Kxud. Isr.
CHAP. XL. y^fi^f tJie tabernacle is erected.
of the congregation, over against the
table, on the side of the tabernacle
southward. 2
25 And "he lighted tlie lamps before ■^'"''°^^'"'^-
the Lord ; as the Lord commanded Moses.
26 % 'And he put the golden altar in the tent
of the congregation before the vail :
27 " And he burnt sweet incense thereon ; as
the Loud commanded jMoses.
28 % ' And he set up the hanging at the door
of the tabernacle.
29 " And he put the altar of burnt offering, l>y
the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the
congregation, and " offered upon it the buint
offering and the meat offering ; as tlie Lord
commanded Moses.
30 ^ " And he set the laver between the tent
tent above upon it; as the Lord commanded of the congregation and the altar, and put water
J Moses. there, to wash withal. '
i 20 ^ And he took and put "the testimony in- j 31 And Moses, and Aaron, and his sons wash-
f to the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and cd their hands and their teet thereat :
I put the mercy seat above upon the ark : ij 32 When they went into the tent of the con-
21 And he brought the ark into the taber- 1 gregation, and when they came near unto the
! nacle, and '' set up the vail of the covering, and [ altar, they washed ; ^ as the Lord commanded
covered the ark of the testimony ; as the Lord I Moses,
commanded Moses. |
22 % ' And he put tlie table in the tent of the i
congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle
northward, without the vail,
23 ' And he set the bread in order upon it be-
fore the Lord ; as the Lord had commanded
Moses.
24 ^ ^ And he put the candlestick in the tent
' Numb. 25. 13.— —i- ver. 1.
& 35. 12. ' cli. 26. 35.-
.t7. ' vcT. .5. cli. 30. 6.-
• vcr. 6. ^°cli. K9. .38, &c.
Numb. 7. 1. 'vh. 2.5. 16. » cb. 26.
— fver. 4. 5cb. 2fi. 3.5. I'ver. 4. cli.
— "s cb. 30. 7. 1 ver. 5. cb. 26. 3<i.
i; true priest and the true sacrifice were come, and the types
of course, were no longer necessary, after the manifestation of
the antelype.
Verse 19. lie spread abroad the lent over the tabernacle]
I?y the tent, in this and several other places, we are to under-
stand the coierin<;s made of nuns' skins, floats' hair, &c. wliich
>vere thrown over the building ; for the tabernacle luid no
other kind of roof.
Verse 20. Jle put the testimony in the ark'] That is, the
two tables, on which the ten conimandaients liad been writ-
ten. See chap. x.vv. 16. Tiie ark, the golden table with
the shew-bread, the golden candlestick, and the gulden altar
of incense, were all in the tabernacle, xvilhin the vail, or cur-
tains, which served as a door, 22, 24, 26. And the altar of
burnt-ofierings was by the door, ver. 29. And the biazen
33 ^ "^ And he reared up the court round
about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up
the hanging of the court gate. So Moses fin-
ished the work.
34 % ' Then a cloud covered the tent of the
congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled
the tabernacle.
35 And Moses 'was not able to enter into
°ver. 7. cb. .30. 18. Pcb. 30. 10, 20. ^^ver. 8. cb. 27. 9, 16.
'cb. 29. 4>:3. Lev. 16. 2. Numb. 9. 15. 1 Kings 8. 10, 11. 2Cliron. 5. lA
& 7. 2. Isai. 6. 4. Hag. 2. 7, 9. Rev. 15. 8. ' Lev. 16. 2. 1 Kings 8. 11.
2 Cbroii. 5. 14.
laver between the tent of the congregation and the brazen
altar, ver. 30. Still farther outivard, that it might be ilie
first thing the priests met with, when entering into the court
to minister ; as their hands and feet must be washed, before
they could perform an}' part of the holy service, ver. 31, 32.
\\'hen all these things were thus placed, then the cotirt, that
surrounded the tabernacle, w bich consisted of posts and hang-
ings, was set up, ver. 33.
Verse SI. 'J'hen a cloud covered the tent] Thus God gave
his approbation of the work, and as this was visible, so it was
a sign to all the people, that Jehovah was among them.
And the i^lory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.] How this
was manifested, we cannot tell : it was probably by sonif
light or brightness, which was iiisufl'erable to the sight; for
Moses himself could not enter in, because of the cloud, and
3 N 2
TJte cloud rests on the tabernacle,
of the
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exiid.lsr.
Abibor Xisan.
the tent of the congregation, be-
cause the cloud abode thereon ; and
the glory of the Lord filled the
tabernacle.
56 ' And when the cloud was taken up fi-om
over the tabernacle, the children of Israel " went
onward in all theii* journeys :
'Nuroh. 9. 17. &10. 11. Nch. 9. 19. '•Heb- Jmiriiejjcd.
of the glory, ver. 35. Precisely the same happened, vvlicn
Solomon had dedicated his temple; for it is said, tliat the
clotid filled the house of the Lord ; so that tTie priests coidd nut
stund to minister because of the cloud ; for the glory of the Lord
lad filled the house of the Lord. 1 Kings viii. 10, 11. Pre-
viously to this, the cloud of t^le divine glory had rested upon
that tent, or tabernacle, which Moses had pitched without the
camp, after the transgression in the matter of the molten calf;
b'.it now, the cloud removed from that tabernacle, and rested
\ipon this one, which was made by the command, and under
the direction of God himself. And there is reason to beliei-e,
that this tabernacle was pitched in the centre of the camp,
all the twtlve tribes pitching their different tents in a certain
order around it.
Verse 36. When the cloud ivas taken up'] The subject of these
three last verses, has been very largely explained in the notes
tn ch?.p. xiii. 21. to whicli, as weil as to the general remarks
en that chapter, the reader is requested immediately to refer.
Verse 38. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle
ly day] This daily and nightly appearance, was, at once, both
a merciful providence, and a demonstrative proof of the divi-
nity of their religion : and the-^e tokens continued with them
throughout all their journies : for, notwithstanding their fre-
quently repeated disobedience and rebellion, God never with-
drew these tokens of his presence from them, till they were
brought into- the premised land. When, therefore, the taber-
nacle became fized, because the Israelites had obtained their
inheritance; this mark of the divine presence was no longer
visible in the sight of all Israel, but appears to have been con-
fined to tlie Holy of Holies, where it had its fixed residence
upon the mercy seat, between the cherubim ; and in this place
continued, till the first temple was destroyed ; after whicli, it
was no more seen in Israel, till God was manifested in the
ffesh.
As in the book of GENESIS, we have God's own ac-
count of the commencemenl of the WORLD, the origin of na-
tions, and the peopling of the earth : so in the book of EX-
ODUS, we have an account, from the same source of infal-
lible truth, of the commencement of the Jewish CHURCH, and
the means used by the endless mercy of God, to propagate
and continue his pure and undefiled religion in the earth ;
af'ainst which, neither human nor diabolic power or policy
tave ever been able to preyail ! The presenation of this
religion, which has ever been opposed by the great mass of
mankind, is a standing proof of its divinity. As it has ever
been in ho.stility against the corrupt passions of men, testify-
ing against the workl, tliat its deeds were evil, these passions
EXODUS,
37 But
end the glory of God Jills iti.
if tiie cloud were not taken
I up, then they journeyed not till the
day til at it was taken up.
38 For ^ the cloud of the Lord was
upon, the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it
by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel,,
throughout all their journeys.
A.iAI.2514.
B. C. 1490.
Aii.Exod.Isp.
2. _
Abihov'Kiian,
'Numb. 9. 19—22. "cli.lS. 21. Numb. 9. 15.
have ever been in hostility to it. Cunning and learned men
have argued, to render its authority dubious, and its tendency
suspicious : whole states and empires, have exerted themselves
to tlie uttermost, to oppress and destroy it ; and its professed
friends, by theirconduct, have often betrayed it; yet, libratnpon-
derikts siiis, supported by the arm of God, and its own intrinsic
excellence, it lives and flourishes, and the river that makes glad,
the city of God, has run down with the tide of time 5800 years;
and is running on with a more copious and difliisive current.
Labitur, ct labetur in oinne roltibilis avum.
" Still glides the river, and will over glide."
We have seen, how, by the miraculous cloud, all the move-
merits of the Israelites were directed. They struck or pitched
their tents, as it remo\ed or became stationary. Every thing
that concerned them, was under the direction and manage-
ment of God. But these things happened unto them for en-
samples; and it is evident from Isai. iv. 5. that all these things
typified the presence and influence of God in his church, and
in the souls of his followers. His church can jiossess no sanCr
tifying knowledge, no quickening power, but from the pre-
sence and influence of his Spirit. By this influence, all his
followers are taught, enlightened, led, quickened, purified, and
built up an their most holy faith; and without the' indwelling
of his Sjiirit, light, life, and salvation, are impossible. These
divine influences are necessary not only for a time, but tlirough
all our journies, ver. 38. through every changing scene of pro-
vidence, and through every step in life. And these the fol-
lowers of Christ are to possess, not by inference, or inductive
reasoi/ing, but consciously. The influence is to be felt, and
the fruits of it to appear as fully as the dond of the Lord b^
day, and the fire by night, appeared in the sight of all the house
of Israel. Reader, hast thou this .Spirit.? are all thy goings
and coming-s ordered by its continual guidance ? Does
Christ, who was represented by this tabernacle, and in whom
dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, dwell in thy heart
by faith }■ If t)ot, call upon God for that blessing, which,
for the sake of his- Son, he is ever disposed to impart; theit
shalt thou be gloriou.s, and on. all thy glcry there shall be a de-
fence. Amen. Amen.
On the ancient division of llie law into fifty-four sections,
see the notes at the end of Genesis. Of these fifty-four sec-
tions. Genesis contams twelve ; and the commencement and
ending of each, has been marked in the note already referred
to. Of these sections, Exodus contains elevin, all denominated,
as in the former case, by the words in the original, with whicli
they commence. I shall point these out, us in the foi'mer^
carrying the enumeration from Genesis.
^lasoretic notes.
The THIRTliENTH section, callcfl TWiyti^ shcmoth, begins
Exod. chap. i. 1. and emis chap. vi. 1.
The FOLKIEKNTII, calltd N"(N1 laera, begins chap. vi. 2.
and mils cliap. ix. 3j.
Tlie FllTbENTll, called lS'3 ho, begins chap. x. 1. and ends
chp.p- xiii. 16.
The SIXTEENTH, called nVu?3 hsshallach, begins chap. xiii.
n. and ends chap. xvii. 16.
Tlii^ SiVENTKENTH, called yw yithro, begins chap, xviii.
1, and ends chap. .vx. 26.
The EIGHTEENTH, called □'•JSU'O mishpatim, begins cbap.
xxi. 1 . and ends chap. xxiv. 1 8.
The NiNETi'.ENTH, called noiin terumah, begins chap. xxv.
.'. and end^ chap, xxvii. 19.
The TWENTIETH, called nixn tdsavcli, begins chap, xxvii.
JO. and ends chap. xxx. 10.
The TWENTV-IHIST, called Nli'n tissa, begins chap. xxx.
1 1. and ends chap, xxxiv. 35.
The TWENTY-SECOND, called Snp»1 laij/ukafitl, begins chap.
>\xv. 1. and ends chap, xxxviii. 20.
The TWinsTY-THIUD, called »Tp3 pekudeif, begins chap,
xxxviii. 21. and ends chap. xl. 38.
It will at once appear to the reader, that these sections
have their technical names Iroin some remarkable word, cither
in the first or second verse of their coinmenceme:it.
CHAP. XL. Dr. Shatij's remarlis.
M.A30RETIC Notes on EXODUS.
Number of VERSES in V elleh shmoih , (Exodus) 1209.
The symbol of this number is d"iN; aleph N denoting 1000,
rcsh T 200, and tttli 13 9.
The middle verse is vcr. 28. of chap. xxii. Thou shah noi
revile God, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
Its parashioth, or larger sections, are 11. The symbol of
this is the word '^{ cj. La. Ixvi. 1. WHERE is the house that
t)e will build unto vie ? In which aleph K- stands for 1, and
yod ' for 10.
Its sedarim are 29. Tile synvbol of which is taken from
Psalm xix. 3. r\Sn> ycchavch. Night unto night SHEWETII
FORTH knowledge. In which word, yod ' stands for 10, clicih
n for S, vau 1 for 6, and he n for 5, amounting to 29.
Its pirkey, perakim, or present cha])ters, 4C. '1 he symbol
of which is "d^ybelibbo, taken from Psalm xxxvii. 31. Tho.
law of God is IN FHS HEART. In this word, hth z stands for 2.
kmed V for 30, beth 3 for 2, and vau vfor 6, amounting to 40^
The open sections are 69. — The close sections are 95. 'I'o-
tal 164-. Tiiesymbolof which is ini'D»j/i'a</ec«. SrilENGTH-
EN TFIEE out of Zion. In which numerical word, ain 1? stands
for 70, samech D ibr 60, cajdi - for 20, yod > for ID. and dulctk
1 for 4, making together 164.
NutTiber of words, IG513; of letters, 63 4o 7.
But on these subjects, nnportant to some, and trifling to
others, see what is said in the concluding note ou GeNESI?-.
ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS
ON THE TRAVELS OF THE ISRAELFIES THROtJUH THE WILDERNESS.
In the preceding notes I have had frequent occasion to refer
to Dr. Sha'.v's account of the different stations of the Lraelites,
of which 1 promised an abstract in this place. Thia will
doubiless lie acceptable to every reader who knows that Dr.
Shaw travelled ovtr the same ground ; and carefully, in person,
noted every spot to •.vliich reference is made in the. preceding
chapters.
After having endeavoured to prove that Goshen was that
part of the Heliopolitan Nomos, or of the land of Ilameses,
w hich lay in the neighbourhood ofCairo, Blatla-reah and Bish-
besh, and that Cairo might be Rameses, the capital of the dis-
trict of that name, where the Isra-lil.s liad tlu'ir rendezvous
before they departed out of Egypt, he takes up the text and
proceeds thus :
" Now, lest peradienl:itre, {Kxod. xiii. 17) when the Hebrews saw
war they shoidd repent and return to Esypt, God did not lead
them through the way of ihe land of the Philistines, (viz. either
by JJeroopolis in ihe.niiiiland road, or by Bislihe^h, Tinth, and
so along the sea-coust towards Gutu and Ascalon), allhough that
was the nearest, but he led them kHOVl through the way of the
■wilderness of the Red sea. 'i'here are accordingly two roads
through whieh the Israelites might have been conducte<l fi'om
Cairo to Pihahiroth, on the banks of t!ie Red sea. One of them
lies through the valleys, as they are now called of Jendily,
Rumeleah, and Baideah, bounded on each side by the moun-
tains of the lower Thebais. The other lies higher, having
the northern range of these mountains, (the mountains of
Mocattec) running parallel with it on tlie right hand, and the
desart oi \.]n: JL^ptian Arabia, which hes all the way open to
the land of the Philistines on the left. About the middle of
this range we may turn short upon our right hand into the
valley of Baideah, through a remarkable breach or discontinu-
ation, in which we afterwards continued to the very bank of
the Red sea. Suez, a small city upon the northern point of it,
at the distance of thirty hours, or ninety Roman miles from Cairo
lies a little to the northward of the promontory that is formed
by this same range of mountains, called at present Aliackah, as
that whieh bounds the valley of Baideah to the southward is
called Gevvoubee. See the annexed map.
" This road then, througl) the valley of Baideah, which i*
some hours longer than the other open road, which leads us
directly from Cairo to Suez, was, in all ]irobability, the very
road which the Israelites took to Pihahiroth, on the banks of
the Re'' sea. Josephus then, and other authors who copy after
him, seem to be too hasty in making the Israelites perfinn
tliis journey of ninety or one hunched Roman miles in three
days : by reckoning each of the stations that are recorded for
one day. Whereas, the Scriptures are altogfther silent with
regard to the time or distance, recording the stations only.
The fatigue, likewise, would have been abundantly too great,
for a nation on foot, encumbered with \he.n dough, 1\\c\t knead-
ing troughs, their little children and cattle, to walk at the rale of
thirty Runmn miles a day. Another instanee of the same kind
occurs, Exod. xxxiii. 9, where Elim is mentioned as the next "
station after Marah, though Elim and Maruh are further distant
tiom eacb other than Cairo is from the Red sea. Several in-
termediate stations, therefore, as well here as in ofher place--,
were omitted, the holy pcmiutn contenting himseU" with lajii: j.
D7\ Shaiv's remarhs on the
EXODUS.
travels of the Israelites.
down such only as were the most remarkable, or attended with
some notable transaction. Succoth, then, the first station
from Rameses, signifying; only a place of tents, may have no
fixed situation, being proliably nothing more than some consi-
derable Dou-war of the Jshni/ielitcs or Arabs, such as we still meet
Willi at fifteen or twenty miles distance from Cairn, in the road
to the Red sea. The 7-endc'Zvous of the carcvun which conducted
us to Suez was at one of these Dou-wurs, at the same time
we saw another at about 67r miles distance, under the mountains
o^ Moc-catee, or in the very same direction which the Israelites
may be supposed to have taken in their marches from Goshen
towards the Red sea.
" That the Israelites, before they turned towards Piha-
Jiiroth, had travelled in an open country, (the same way, per-
haps, which their forefathers had taken in coming into Egypt]
appears to be further illustrated from the following circum-
stance : that upon their being ordered to remove from the edge
of the wilderness, and io encamp before Pihahiroth, it imine
diately follows that Phavaoli hhould then say, thei/ are entangled
in the land, the wilderness (betwixt the mountains we may sup
pose of Gewoiibee and Attadcah) have shut them in, Exod. xiv. 3.
or, as it is in the original, (iJD seggar) viam Wis clausit, as that
word is explained by Pagninus ; for in these circumstances the
Egyptians might well imagine that the Israelites could have no
possible way to escape, inasmuch as the mountains of Ge-
xuoubee would slop their flight or progress to the southward, as
the mountains of Attackah would do the same, towards tiie
land of the Philistines ; the Red sea likewise lay before them to
the east, whilst Pharaoh closed up the valley behind them, with
his chariots and horsemen. This valley ends at the sea; in a
small bay made by the eastern extremities of the mountains
which I have been describing, and is called Tiah-Beni Israel,
i. e. the road of the Israelites, by a tradition that is still kept
up by the Arabs, of their having passed through it ; so it is
also called Baideuh, from the new and imheard-of miracle that
was wrought near it, by dividing the Red sea, and destroying
therein Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen. The third notable
encampment then of tlie Israelites was at this bay. It was
to be before Piliahiroth, betwixt Migdol and the sea, over
against Baal-tzephon, Exod. xiv. 2. and in Numb, xxxiii. 7.
it was to be before Migdol, where the word li-h tiphne,
{before, as we render it,) being applied to Pihahiroth and Mig-
dol, may signify no more than that they pitched within sight
of, or at a small distance from the one and the otlier of those
places. Whether Buul-tzeplion then may have relation to the
northern situation of the place itself, or to some watch-lower or
idol temple that was eiecled upon it ; we may probably take
it for the eastern extremity of the mountains of Suez or Attackah,
the most conspicuous of these desarts, inasmuch as it overlooks
a great part of the lower Thebais, as well as the wilderness
that reaches towards, or which rather makes part of the land of
the Philistines. Migdol then might lie to the south, as Baal-
tzeplion did to the noilh of Pihahiroth ; for the marches of the
Israelites from the edge of the wilderness being to the seaward,
that is, towards the S. E. their encampments betwixt Migdol
and the sea, or i(;/'ore Migdol, as it is otherwise noted, could
not well have another situation.
" Pihahiroth, or Ilhiroth, rather, without regarding the pre-
fied part of it, may have a more general signification, and de-
note the valley, or that whole space of ground which extended
itselffrom the edge of the wilderness ni'Etham to the Red sea;
for that particular part only, where the Israelites were oidered
to encamp, appears to have been called Pilialiiroth, i.e. mvuth
<f Ilhiroth ; for when Pharaoh overtook them, it wa« in respect
to his coming down upon them, Exod. xiv. 9. nTHn 'D71? i. e.
besides or at the viouth, or the most advanced p.irl oi Hhiroth to
the eastward. Likewise in Numb, xxxiii. T. where the Israel-
ites are related to have encamped before Migdol, it follows, ver.
8. that they departed, ni'Mn '•itSO from before Hhtroth, and not
from before Pihahiroth, as it is rendered in our translation.
" There are likewise other circumstances to prove that the
Israelites took their departure from this valley, in their passage
through the Red sea, for it could not have been to the north-
ward of the mountains of Attackah, or in, the higher road,
which I have taken notice of; because as this lies for the most
part upon a level, the Israelites could not have been here, as
we find they were, shut in and entangled. Neither could it
have been on the other side, viz. to the south of the mountains
of Gewoubey, for then, (besides the insuperable dilViciihies
which the Israelites would have met widi in climbing over them,
the same likewise that the Egyptians would have 'had in pursu- \
ing them) the opposite shore could not have been the desartof ■
Shur, where the Israelites landed, Exod. xv. 22. but it would ,
have been the desart of Maruh, that lay a great way be3'ond
it. What is now called Corondel might probably be the
southern portion of the desart of Marah, the shore of the Reil
sea, from Suez, hitherto having continued to be low and sandy; '
but from Corondel to the port of Tor, the shore is for the
most part rocky and mountainous, in the -same manner with
the Egyptian coast that lies opposite to it; neither tiie one nor
the other of them allbrding any convenient place, cither for
the departure of a multitude from the one shore, or the recep-
tion of it upon tlie other. And besides, from Comndel to Tot,
the channel of the Red sea, which ti-om Suez to Sdur is not
above nine or ten miles broad, begins here to be so many
leagues, too great a sjiace certainly for the Israelites m the
manner they «ere encumbered, to pass over in one night.
At Tor the Arabian shore begins to wind itself round about
Ptolemy's promontory of P>i.ran, towards the gulph of Eloth, ■
whilst the Egyptian shore retires so far to the south-west that it
can scarce be ptrceired. As the Israelites then, for these
reasons, could not, according to the opinion of some authors,
have landed either at Corondrl or Tor, so neither could they
have landed at Ain el Mousah, according to the conjectures of
others. Eor if the passage of the Israelites had been so near
the extremity of the Red sea, it may be ])rcsumed that the
very encampments of six hundred thousand men, besides
children, and a mixed multitude, which would amount to as
many more, would have spread themselves, even to the further,
or the Arabian side of this na.rro\v isthmus, whereby the inter-
position of Providence would not have been at all necessary :
because, in this case, and in diis situation, there could not
have been room enough lor the luaters, after they were divided,
to have stood on a heap, or to have been a xaall unto them parti-
cularly on the left hand. This, moreover, would not have been
a division, but a recess o\\\y of the water to the southward.
Pharaoh likewise by overtaking them as they were encamped
in thfs open situation by the sea, would have easily surrciunded
them on all sides. Whereas the contrary seems to be implied
by the pillar of the cloud, Exod. xiv. 19, 20. whicli (divided
Dr. Shccw's remarks on ifie
CHAP. XL.
travels of tJie Israelites.
or) came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of
Israel, and tlifreljy lefllhe Lr««/t/e« (provided this cloud should
have been removed) in a situation only ofbein"- molested in the
rear. For the narrow valley which I have described, and which
we may presume was already occupied and filled up behind by
the host of 7ii;i//)<, and /)e/o;t I >y the encainpmenls ot'tho /,?-
raetiles, would not permit or leave room for the Fy^ptiuns to
approach tUeni, either on the rij^ht hand or on the left. Be-
sides if this passage was at Ain Moiisa, how can we account
for that remarkable circumstance, Exod. xv. 22. where it is
said, that lahen Moxes brought Isratl from the Red sea, they
Kent out into (or landed in) the wilderness of Shur. I'or Shitr,
a particular di>tnct of the wddemess of Ethim, lies directly
fronlinsj the valley, from ^^hich I suppose they departed, but a
great many miles to the southward o^ Ain 3Ioum. If they
landed likewise at Ain 3Ioum, where there are several foun-
tains, there would have been no occasion for the sacred histo-
rian to have ol)served, at the same time, that the Israelites
after they went out from the sea into the wilderness of S/iur, went
three days in the ivilderness, always directing their marches to-
ward Mmnt Sinai and found 'no water ; for which reason
Marah is recor.led, ver. 23. to l)e the first place where they
found water, as their wandering so far before they found it,
seems to make Marah also their first station, after their pas-
sage through the Red sea. iSIoreover the channel over against
Ain Mousu is not aliove three miles ove-r, whereas that be-
twixt Sluir or S( (lur and Jibliel Gewoubec and Attackah, is
nine or ten, and therelbre capacious enough, as the other
would have been too small, for covering or drowning therein,
Exod. XV. 28. the chariots and horsemen, and all tite host of
Pharaoh. And therefore, by impartially weighing all tiiese ar-
guments together, this important point in the sacred geography,
may with more authority be fixod at Sedur, over against the
valley of Baideah, than at Tor, Corondel, Ain Jloitsa, or any
other place.
" Over against Jibhcl Attackah and the valley of Baideah,
IS the desart as it is called of Sdur, the same with Shur, Kxod.
XV. 22. where the Israelites landed, after they had passed
through the interjacent gulpli of the Red sea. The sitnation
of this gulph which is the Jam sujih f|1D C3' the weedy sea, or
the tongue oj the Egyptian sea, in the Scripture language; the
gulph of Heroopolis in the Greek and Latin geography; and
the Western arm, as the Arabian geographers call it, of the
sea of Kolzum, stretches itself nearly North and South, and
therefore lies very properly situated, to be traversed by tiiat
strong ¥.ast-wind which was sent to divide it, Exod. xiv. 21.
The division that was thus made in the channel; the making
the waters of it to stand on a heap (Ps. Ixxviii. 13 ) their being
a wall to the Israelites, on the right hand and on the left ; Exod.
xiv. 22. besides the twenty miles distance, at least, of 'his
pas-sagc, from the extremity ot the gulph, are circumstances
which si.ificiently vouch for the miraculou.mess of it, and no
less contradict all such idle suppositions as pretend to account
for it, from the nature and quality of tides, or from any such
extraordinary recess of the sea, as it seems to have been too
rashly compartd to, by Josephus.
" In travelling from Srfifr towards mount Sinai, we come into
the desart as it is st 11 calli <1 of Marah, where the Israelites mi t
with those bitter waters, or waters of Marah, (Exod. xv. 23.)
And as this circumstance did not happen till after they had
7
wandered three days in the wilderness, we may probably fix
these waters at Corondel, where there is still a small rill, which,
unless it be diluted by the dews and rain, still continues to
be brackish. Near this place, the sea forms itself into a large
bay, called Berk el Corondel, i. e. the lake of Corondel ;
which is remarkable from a strong current, that sets into it
from the northward, particularly at the recess of the tide.
The Arabs, agreeably to the interpretation of Kolziun (the
name (or this sea) preserve a tradition, that a numerous host
was formerly drowned at this place, occasioned no doubt, by
what is related Exod. xiv. 30. that the Israelites saw the
Egyptians (icdi\ upon the sea shore, i.e. all along, as we may
presume from Sdur to Corondel ; and at Corondel especially,
from the assistance and termination of the current as it has
been already mentioned.
" There is nothing further remarkable, till we see the Is-
raelites encamped at Elim, Exod. xv. 27. Numb, xxxiii. 9. upon
the northern skirls of the desart of Sin, two leagues from
Tor, and near thirty from Corondel. I saw no more than
nine of the twelve wells that are mentioned by Moses; the
otiier three being filled up by those drifts of sand, which are
common in Arabia. Yet this loss is amply made up by the
great increase of the palm trees, the seren'y having propagated
themselves into more than two thousand. Under the shade
of these trees is the Hammam Mousa, or bath of JMoses, par-
ticularly so called, which the inhabilants of Tor have in great
esteem and veneration ; acquainting us that it was here, where
the household of Moses was encamped.
" ^Ve have a distinct view of mount Sinai from Elim; tlie
wilderness, as it is still called, of Sin J»D lying betwixt them.
We traversed the^e plains in nine hours; being all the way
diverted with the sight of a variety of lizurds and vipers, that
are here in great tmmbers. We were afterwai'ds near twelve
hours in passing the many windings and ditTicult ways, which
lie betwixt these desarts, and those of Sinai. The latter
consist of a beautii'ul plain, more than a league in breadth,
and nearly three in length ; lying open towards the North-
east, where we enter it, but is closed up to the southward, by
some of the lower eminences of mount Sinai. In this di-
rection likewise, the higher parts of this mountain, make such
encroachments upon the plain that they divide it into two,
each of them capacious enough to receive the whole en-
campment of the Israelites. That which lies to the eastward,
may be the desart of Sinai, properly so called, where Moses
saw the angel of the Lord in the burning bush, w/ien he was
t^uarding the flocks of Jethro, Exod. iii. 2. The convent of
St. Catharine is built over the place of this divine appearance.*
It is near three hundred foot square, and more than forty in
height, being built partly with stone, partly with mud and
mortar, mixed together. The more immediate place of the
shekinah is honoured with a little chapel, which this old fra-
ternity of St. Basil, has in such esteem and veneration, that,
in imitation ot Moses, they put ojf' their shoes from off their
feet, whenever tbey enter it. This, with several other chapels
dedicated to particiilar saints, are included within the church,
as they call it of the transfiguration; which is a large beau-
tiful structure covered with leail, and supported by two rows
of marble columns. The floor is very elegantly laid out in
a variety of devices in mosaic work. Of the same tesselated
workmanship likewise, are both the floor and the walls of the
2>r. Sfmic's remarks on tke
■presbi/teriiim, upon the lalter vliereof is represented the effi-
gies of the Emperor Justinian, together with the history of the
iraifjigiiralion. Upoti the partition which separates ihe pres-
lyteriiim from the body of the church, there is placed a small
marble sjirine, wherein are preserved the skull and one of the
hands of St. Catharine ; the rest of the sacred body having
been beslowtd at dilferent times, upon such Christian princes,
as have contributed to the support of this convent.
" Mount Sinni which hangs over this convent, is called
by the Arabs, Jibbel Mousa, i. e. the mountain of Moses ; and
sometimes only, by way of eminence, El Tor, i. e. the moun-
tain. The summit of mount Sinai is not very spacious ;
vhere the Blahomcdans, the Latins, and the Greeks have
•each of them a small chapel.
" After we had descended, with no small difficulty, down
the other, or western side -of this mount, we come into the I
plain or wilderness of Kephidim, Exod. xvii. 1. where we see I
that extraordinary antiquity, the rock of Mcribah, Exod.
xvii. 6. which has contmued down to this day without the
least injury from time or accidents. This is rightly called,
from its hardness!, Deut. viii. 15. a rock of flint, a^'oVfln IIX
Though from tlie purple or reddish colour of it, it may be
rather' rendered the rock of :D7n or nobflX amethyst, or the
amethystine, or granite rock. It is about six yards square,
lying totttring as it were, and loose, near the middle of the
valley, and seems to have been formerly, a part or cliff of
mount Sinai, which hangs in a variety of precipices all over
Ihis plain. The waters which gushed out, and the stream
which Jioned tvitkal^ Ps. Ixxviii. 20. have hollowed across one
■comer of this rock, a channel about two inches deep, and
twenty wide, all over incrustated like the inside of a tea kettle
that has been long used. JBesides several mossy productions,
that are still preserved by the dew, we see all over this chan-
nel a great number of holes, some of them four or five inches
deep, and one or two in diameter; the livelj' and demonstra-
tive tokens of their having been formerly so many fountains.
Neither could art or chance be concerned in the contrivance;
in as much as every circumstance points out lo us a miracle:
and, in the same manner, with the rent in the rock of mount
Caharj/ in Jerusalem, never fails to produce the greatest seri-
ousness and devotion in all who see it.
■" From mount Sinai, the Israelites directed their marches
northward, toward the land of Canaan. The next remark-
able encampments, therefore, were in the desart of Paran,
which seems to have commenced immediately upon their de-
parting from Hazarotk, three stations, or days' journey, i. e.
thirti/ miles, as we will only compute them from Sinai,
Numb. X. 33. and xii. lo. And as tradition has continued
do«n to us the names of Shur, Marah, and Sin; so it has
also that of Paran ; the ruins of the late convent of Paran
built upon the ruins of an ancient city of that name, (which
might give denomination to the wliole of tliat desart) being
about the half way betwixt Sinai and Corondcl, which lie at
forty leagues distance. This situation of Paran, so far to
the South of Kadesh, will illustrate Gen. xiv. 5, 6. where
Chederlaomer, and the kings t/iat were with him, are said to
have smote the Ilorites in their mount Scir unto El Paran, (i. c.
unto the city, as I fake it, of that name) which is in, or by
the witdernest. From ihe more advanced ))art of the wilderness
of Paran, (the same that Jay in the road betwixt Midiaii and
EXODUS. tramls of Vie Ismelites,
Egypt, 1 Rin. xi. 18.) Moses sent a man out of every tribe to
spy out the land of Caniian, Numb, xxiii. 3. who returned to
him after forty day% unto the same wilderness, to Kadesh Bar-
nca, Numb, xxxii. 8. Deut. i. 10. and ix. 23. Josh. xiv. 7.
This place or city, which in Gen. xiv. T. is called Enmisk-
pat (i. c. the fountain of Mishpat) is (in Numb, xx 1. xxvii.
14. xSxiii. 36.) called Tzin. Kadesh, or simply Kadesh (as in
Gen. xvi. 14. xx. 1.) and being equally ascribed to the de»
sart of Tzin J<X, and to the desart of Paran, we may presume-
that the desart of Tzin and Paran were one and the same,
p{ or C30S may be so called from the plants of divers palm
grounds upon it.
" A late ingenious aathor has situated Kadesh Barnea, a
place of no small consequence in Scripture history, which
we are now enquiring after, at eight hours or t.venty miles
distance only, from mount Sinai, which I presume, cannot
be admitted for various reasons. Because several texts of
Scripture insinuate, that Kadesh lay at a much greater dis-
tance. Thus in Deut. i. 9., it is said, they df|)arti:d from
Horeb through that great and terrible wilderness (which sup-
poses by far a much greater extent both of time and space)
and came to Kadeth Barnea.; and in chap ix. 23. whentlte
Lord sent you from Kadesh Barnea to possess the land : whicil
Numb. X.X. 16. is described to be a city in the uttermost parts
of the border of Edom ; the border of the land of Edoin and
that of the land of promise being contiguous, and in fact the
very same. And further, Deut. i. 2. it is expressly said, there
are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir
to Kadesh Barnea : which, from the context, cannot be other-
wise understood, than of marching along the direct road.
For Moses hereby intimates, how soon the Israelites might
have entered upon the borders of the land of promise, if they
had not been a stubborn and rebellious people. Whereas
the number of their stations betwixt Sinai and Kadesh, as
they are particularly enumerated, Nuaib. xxxiii. (each of
which must have been at least one day's journey) appear to be
near twice as many, or twenty-one, in which they are said with
great truth and propriety (Ps. cvii. 4-.) lo have wandered in
the icilderncss out of the luay : and in Deut. ii 1. to have com-
passed mount Seir, rather than to have travelled directly through
It. If then we allow ten miles for each of these eleven-
day.s' journey (and fewer I presume cannot well be insisted
upon) the distance of Kadesh from mount Sinai will be about.
one hundred and ten miles. That ten miles a day (I mean
in a direct line, as laid down in the map, without considering'!
the deviations, which are every where, more or les-;) were
equivalent to one day's journey, may be further proved from
tlR' history of the spies, who searched the land (Ncmb. xiii.
21.) from Kadesh to liehob, as men come to Hamath, and
returned in forty days. Reltob then, the farthest point of this
expedition lo the northward, may well be conceived to have
been twenty days' journey from Kadesh ; and therefore to
know the true position of Rehob, will be a material piiint in
this disquisition. Now it appears from Josh. xix. 29, 30.
and Judg. i. 31. that Rehob was one of the maritime cities of
the tribe of Ashtr ; and lay (in travelling, as we may supufue,
by the common or nearest way along the sea coast) riDH N3>
Numb. xiii. 2 1. (not, as we render it, as men come to Ilu.mtth,
but) as men go towards Hamath. in going to Hamath, or in the
way, or road to Ilamatli. For to have searched the land as
Dr. 8110X0*3 remarks on the
CHAP. XL.
ti-avets of the Israelites.
far as Humath, and to have returned to Kadesh in forty daySi
wo'ild have been altogether impossible. My^cover, as the
tribe of Asker did not reacli beyond Sidon (ibr tliat was its
northern boundary, Josli. xix. 28.) Reliob must have been
situated to the southward of Sidon, upon, or (beinpf a deriva-
tire perhaps from am latum esse) below in the plain, under
a long chain ol mountains, that runs East and ^\'est, through
the midst of that tribe. And as these mountains, called by
some the mountains of Sartin, are all along, except in the
narrow road, which I have mentioned, near the sea, very rugged
and difficult to pass over, the spies, who could not well take
another way, might imagine they would run too great a
risk of being discovered, in attempting to pass through it.
For in these eastern countries a watchtiil eye was always, as
it is still, kept upon strangers, as we may collect tlotn the
history of the two angels at Sodom, Gen. xix. 5. and of the
spies at Jericho, Josh. ii. 2. and from otlier instances. If
then, we fix Rehob upon the skirts of the plains of Acre, a
little to the South of this narrow road, the {Scala Tj/rionwi,
an it was afterwards named) somewhere near E-^dippa, the
distance betwixt Kadesli and llchoh, will be about tico hundred
end ten miles; whereas by placing Kiidesh iwentif miles only
from Sinai OT Horeb, the distance will be three hundred and
thirty nules. And instead of ten. miles a day, accordmg to
J the formei' computation, the spies must ha>e travelled near
Iseiiaueen, which for fortt/ days successively, seems to have
•been too difficult an expedition in this hot, and consequently,
'fatiguing climate; especially as they were on foot, or foot-
pads, a.s :D'7J'10 (their a))pLliation in the original) may ))ro-
bably import. These geographical circumstances tlierefoie,
tlius corresponding with what is aciually known of those
countries at this time, should induce us to situate Kndesh, as
I have already done, one hundred and ten miles to the north-
ward of mount Sinai, and forty-two miles to the westward of
Elnth, near Callah Nahar, i. e. the castle of the river or
fountain, (probably the Ain Mishpat) a noted station of the
Muhomedans in their pilgrimage to Mecca.
From Kadesh the Israelites were ordered to turn into the
wilderness by the v;iiy of the Red sea, (Numb. xiv. 25. Deut.
1. 40.) i. e. they were at this time, in punishment of their
Hiurmurings, infidelity, and disobedience, to advani'e no farther
northward, towards tlie land of Canaan. Now, these marches
are called the compassing of mount Seir, Deut. ii. 1 . and the
passing by from the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir,
through the way of the plain of Eloth and Ezion-gubcr, ver. 8.
The wandering, therefore, of the children of Israel, during
the space of thirty-eight years, Deut. ii. 14. was tonfnied,
in all probability, to that neck of land only which lies
bounded by the gulphs of Eloth and lleroopolis. If then,
I we could adjust the true position of Eloth, we should gain
', one considerable point towards the better laying down, and
' circumscribing, this mountainous tract, where the Israelites
' Wandered for so many years. Now, there is an universal con-
sent among Geographers, that nS'P Eloth, Allah, or Aelana,
as it is ditll-rently named, was situated ujjon the northern
extremity of the gulph of that name, i'lokmy, indeed,
places it forty-five 7ninutes to the South of lleroopolis, and
\ nearly three degrees to the East ; whereas Abulfeda, whose
: later authority, and perhaps greater experience, should be
more regarded, makes the ext*emities of tjie two gulphs to
He nearly in the same parallel, though without recording the
distance between them. 1 have been often infonned by the
Mahomcdan pilgrirjis, who, in their way to Mecca, pass by
them both, that they direct their marches from Kairo
Eastward, till they amve at Callah Accaba, or the ca»tle
(situated below the mountains) of Accaba, upon the Elanitic
point of the Red sea. Here they begin to travel betwixt the
South and ."^outll-ea5t, with their faces directly toward.i
Mecca, which lay hitherto upon their right l>pnd ; having
' made III all, from Adjcroute, ten miles to the North North-
west of ^'ut•^, to this castle, a journey of seventy l\o»n. But
as this whole tract is very mountainous, the road must
consequently be attended with gieat variety o( windings and
turnings, which would hinder them from making any greater
progress, than at the rate, we will suppose, of about half a league
an hour. Eloih, then, (which is the place of a Turkish
garrison at present, as it was a presidium of the Romans in
former time,) will lie. according to this calculation, about otwt
hundred and forty rniles from Adjeroute, in an East by South
direction; a position which will likewi>e receive farther confir-
mation, from the distance that is assigned to it from Gaza,
111 the old geography. For, as this distance was one hundred
and fifty Roman iniles, according to Pliny, or one hundred
and ffiy-seven, according to other authors, Eloth could not
have had a more southern situation than latitude twenty-nine
degrees, forty minutes ; neither Could it have bad a more
northern latitude, insomuch as this would have so far
invalidated a just observation of Straho's, who makes Heroo-
polis and reltt.sium to be much nearer each other than Eloth
and Orizu. And, besides, as Gaza is well known to lie in
latitude, thirty-one degrees forty minutes, (as we have placed
Eloth in latitude twenty-nine degreesforty minutes,) the dlfl'erence
of latitude betwixt thcni will be two degrees or one hundred
and menty geographical miles ; which converted into Roman
miles, (seventy-jiie auii a Aa//" of which make one degree) wc
have the very distance (especially as they lie nearly under the
same meridian), that is ascribed to them above by Strabo
and Pliny. Yet, notwithstanding this point may be gained,
it would be too daring an attempt, even to pretend to trace
out above two or three of the encampments mentioned. Numb.
xxxlii. though the greatest part of them was, in all probability,
confined to this tract of Arabia I'etraa, which I have
bounded to the East by the meridian of Eloth, and to the
West by that of lleroopolis; Kadesh lying near, or upon,
the skirts of it to the northward.
" However, one of their more southern stations, after thev
had left mount Sinai, and Paran, seems to have been at
Ezion-gaber ; which being tlie place from whence Solomon's
navy went for gold to Ojhir, 1 Kings ijf. 26. 2 Chron. viii. J 7.
we may be induced to take it for the present, Meennh el
Dsahub, i.e. the pan of gold. According lo the account I
had of this place from the monies of St. Catharire, it lies
in the gulph of Eloth, betwixt two and ilirec days' journey
from them, — enjoying a .spacioii.s harbour; from whtnce
they are sometimes supplied, as I have already mentioned,
with plenty of lobsteis and shell fish. Mccr.ah el Dsaliah,
therefore, trom this circumstance, may be nearly at the
same distance Iroin Snicz with Tor; from whence thev are
likewise furnished with the same provisions, which, unlrs*
they are brought with the utmost expedition, frequently
?. O
Dr. Shcm's remarks on the
EXODUS.
travels of the Israelites.
corrupt and putrify, I have ilrfady given the distance
between the North-west part of the desart of Sin, and mount
Sinai to be tv:en!y-ont liours; and if we farther add three
hours, (the distance betwixt the desart of Sin and the port
of Tor, fium whence these fish are obtained), we shall have,
in all, iiventij-fnur hours; i. e. in round numbers, about
si.\ty miles. Ezion-guber, consequently may he a little more
or less at l!>9t distance fri;m Sinai ; because the days' journeys
which the monks speak of, are not, perhaps, to be considered
as ordinary and common ones ; but such as are made in
hastp, that the fish may arrive in good condition.
" In the description of the East, p. 1 57, Ezion-gaber is
placed to the South-east of Elotk, and at two or three miles
only from it ; which, I presuuie, cannot be admitted. For,
as Eloth itself is situated upon the very point of tlie gulph,
Ezion gaber, by lying to the South-east of it, would belong
to the land of Midian ; whereas Ezion-guber was, undoubtedly
a sea-port in the land of Edorn ; as we learn from the
authorities above related, viz. where king Solomon is said to
have made a navy of sliips in Ezion-gaber, which is rh^V nx
beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Eilom.
Here it may be observed, thai the word ns which we render
beside (viz.) Eloth, should be rendered, together iviih Eloth; not
denoting any vicinity between them, but that they were both
of tliem ports of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.
" From Ezion-gaber the Israelites turned back again to
Kadcsh, with an intent to direct their marches that way
into the land of Canaan. But upon Edom's refusing to give
Israel passage through his border, (Numb. xx. 18.) they turned
OMMy front him to the right hand, as I suppose, towards
mount Hor, (Numb xx. 21.) which might lie to the eastward
of Kadesh, in the road from thence to the Red sea ; and as
the soul of the children of Israel is said to have been here 7nuch
discouraged because of the uay, it is very probable tliat mount
Hor was the same chain of mountains that are now called
Accaba by the Arabs, and were the eastermost range, as we
may take them to be, of Ptolemy's /nfMva ofn above described.
Here, from the badness of the road, and the many rugged
passes that are to be surmounted, the Mahomedan pilgriva
lose a number of camels, and are no less fatigued than the
Israelites were formerly in getting over them. I have already
hinted, that this chain of mountains, the /yitXana ojn of
Ptolemy, leached from Varan to Judea. Pctra, therefore,
according to its later name, the metropolis of this part of
Arabia, may well be supposed to lie among them, and to have
been left by t!ie Israelites, on their lefl hand, in journeying
toward BJoab. Yet it will be difficult to determine the
situation of this city, for want of a sufficient number of
geographical data to proceed upon. In the old geography,
Pctra is placed one hundred and thirty-five miles to the
eastward of Gaza, and four days journey from Jericho, to
the southward. But neither of these distances can be any
ways accounted for ; the first being too great, the other too
deficient. For, as we may well suppose Petra to lie near,
or upon the border o( 3Ioab, seven days' journey would be the
least; the same that the three kings took thither, 2 Kings
iii. 9. (by fetching a compass, as we imagine), from Jerusalem,
vvhich was nearer to that border than Jericho. However, at
a medium, Peira lay, in all probability, about the half way
betwixt the South extremity of the Asphaltic lake, and the
gulph of Eloth, and may be therefore fixed near the confines
of the country of the Midianites and Moabites, at seventy
miles distance from Kadesh, towards the North-east ;
aixl eighty-five from Gaza, to the South. According to Jo-
seplivs, it was formerly called jirce, which Bochart sup-
poses to be a corruption of Rekem, the true and ancient
name. The Ainalekites, so frequently mentioned in .Scripture,
were once seated in the neighbourhood of this place, who were
succee<led by the Nabathccans, a people no less famous in
profane history. From mount Hor, the direction of their
marches through Zahnona, Punon, &c. seems to have been
between the North and Nortli-ea.st. For it does not appear,
that they icnndered any more in the ivildeniess out of the direct
■txay that was to conduct them through the country of Moah^
(Numb. xiii. ."^8, 49.) into the land of promise."
SUAW'S Travels, chap. v. p. 304, &c. 4to. edition.
It may be necessary to inform the reader, that the map which accompanies this book, has been constructed
from the very best authorities, and mitch pains have been taken to make it correct. Great difficulty however,
has occurred in laying down the different places; no two travellers agreeing in their accounts of the positions,
bearings, and distances of the towns, villages, mountains, &e. which they mention. The confusion here is inde-
scribable, and 1 am far from supposing that every difficulty is removed, by the pains that have been taken to
correct and reconcile others. Several embarrassments still rcinaiii, but they are not such as affect the general
accuracy of the map. The position of Egypt, the Nile, Mediterranean sea, Red sea, with its Heroopolitic
and Elanitic gulphs, the Desart or Stony Arabia, Mount Sinai, and the Promised Land, are, 1 hope, sufficiently
correct.
Though I have inserted the preceding remarks fiom Dr. Shaw, yet, as many respectable writers differ from
him in some ])ositions and distances, 1 could not construct the map so as to tally with his account, much less
with his map, which is obviously incorrect : therefore the reader must not be surprized if he find some stations,
not exactly in the places in which Dr. Shaw lays them down. The difficulty of placing these correctly in a
tMctless wilderness, which has never been accurately measured, will at once plead both his excuse and mine.
The track of the jouruof of the hmelites, 1 have laid down exactly from Dr. Shaw's map: but this difiers
widely from Calniet and others. The fortif-treo stations, mentioned Numb, xxxiii. I could not pretend to lay
down v/i'.h any degree of correctness, as most that has been said on the subject, appears to me to be founded
rather on coj-jecture than facts.
Erratum. Ch. i. v r. 22. for A. M. 2224. B. C. 1580. r. A. M. 24.31. B. C. 1573.
V, batever errata may be discovered in tins book, on a close revision, shall be noticed in a subsequent part of the work.
Mat/ I, HI],
A CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE
PRINCIPAL EVENTS RECORDED IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS,
aREWIK-S
rSi WHAT VKAIt OF THE WOULD, IN WFIAT YEAfl BEFORE CHRIST, IN WHAT. YEAR FROM THE DELUGE, AND W
WHAT YEAR rUOM THEIR DKPARTURE VROM EGYPT, EACH EVENT HAPPENED ;
INTERSfERHD WITH
A FEW CONNECTING CIRCUMSTANCES FROM PROFANE HISTORY,
ACCOIIDINC TO
THE PL/iy OFJRCHBISHOP ISSUER.
2rii
2431
2433
2448
2+65
2466
2413
B.C.
1639
1629
2385
1619
238T
16n
2396
1608
2400
1C04
2409
1595
2421
1583
2425
1519
2427
15-T
2430
15T4
IS-zS
1571
1556
1539
153S
1531
1530
1510
Levi, the tliird son of Jacob, dies in the 137th year of liis aje, Exod. vi. 16. N. B. This
event is placed twenty years later by most chronologists, but I have followed the computation of Mr.
Skinner and Dr. Kennicott. fke the note on Gen. xxxi. 41.
About litis time, Accncrts, son of Orus, began to reign in Egypt, and reigned twelve years and one
month.
'!'lie Jlthiopians, from the other side of the Indus, frst settle in the middle of Egypt.
RathotiS, the brother of Ace acres, begun about this time, to reign over the Egyptians, and reigned nine
years,
Acenclieres, the son o/'Rathotis, succeeds his father, and reigns twelve years and six months.
About this time, it is supposed the Egyptians began to be jealous of the Hebrews, on account of
tlieir prodigious muitiphcatioii.
Anctnehercs succeeds Aceiicheres, and reii^ii twelve year* and three months.
Ariiiais succeeds Ancencliercs, and reigns lour ytars and one month.
About this time, Kohatli, the son of Levi, and grandfatlitr of Moses, died in the 133d year of
his age, Exod. vi. 18. N. B. There are several years of uncertainty in the date ot tiii-
event
Rameses succeeds Armais in the government, and reigns one year and four months.
Barneses Miamun succeeds Hanie<es, and reigns sixty-seven years.
Aaron, son of Amram, brother of Moses, born eighty-three j'ears before the Exodus of the Israel-
ites, Exod. vi. 20. vii. 7.
About this time, Pharaoii (supjioscd to bo the same with R imeses Miamun) published ;in edict,.
ordering all the male ciuldren of the Hebrews to be drowned in the Nile, Exod. i. 22.-
N. B. This erent is probably dated seven years too early in the note on the above place; as it is
not likely that this edict leas made previously to the birth of Aaron : the reader is therefore requested
to correct the chronology in the margin of Exod. i. 22. from A. M. 2424. B. C. 1580. to A. M.
2431. B.C. 1573.
Moses, the .Jewish lawijivrr, born, Kxod. ii. 2.
The kingdom of the Athenians founded about this time, hy Cecrops.
In this year, which uas the eighteenth of Vecrops, the Chaldeans luaged uar mith the Pha-niciuns.
Abuut this time, the Arabians subdued the Chaldeans, and took possession of their countiy.
Moses, bein<r 40 years of age, kills an Egyptian, whom he found smiting a Hebrew; in conse-
c|uence of wiiich, being oljliged to fly for his life, lie escapes to the land of Midian, wlitre, be-
coming acquainted with the family of Jelhio, he marries Zipporah, Exod. ii. 11 — 22.
Tile birth of Caleb, tlie son of .leplumneh.
Ramesses Miamun, king of Egypt, dies about this time in the Glthyearofhis reign, and is succeeded by
his son Amenophis, who rei'^ns nineteen years and six7nonths.
2495 1509 j The deatli of Amram, the father of Moses, is supposed to have taken place about this time.
\n.Dil.
70J
719
729
731
740
44
753
765
/o'J
771
774
777
7S>2
S09
810
817
83S
as.'*
3 o 2
CHRONOLOGY TO EXODUS.
A. M.
2513
B.C.
1491
2513
1491
While Mose? keeps tlie flock of Jcthro at Mount Horeb, the angel of God appears to him in a
biirnini; busli, promises to deliver the Hebrews from their oppression i« Kgypt, and sends him to
Piiaraoh, to command him to let Israel go, Exod. iii.
Aaron and Moses assemble the elders of Israel, inform them of the divine purpose, and then go
to Piiaraoh, and desire him, in the name of the God of the Hebrews, to let the people go three
days' journey into the wilderness, to hold a feast unto the Lord. Pharaoh is enraged, and increases
the oppression of the Israelitfs, Exod. v.
Aaron throws down his rod, which becomes a serpent. The Egyptian magicians imitate this mi-
racle, F.xod. vii.
Pharaoh refusing to let the Israelites go, God sends his FIRSY plague upon the Egyptians,, and the
waters are turned into blood, Exod. vii. 19 — 25.
Pharaoh remaining impenitent, God sends iiiimense numbers o{ frogs, which infest ll»e whole land
of Egypt. This was the SECOND ;>?rt;'!ie, chap. viii. 1 — 7.
This plague not producing the desired tflect, God sends the THIRD plague, the dust of the ground
becoming lice on man and beast, chap. viii. 16 — 20.
Pharaoh's heart still remaining obdurate, God sends the FOURTH plague upon the nation, by
causing great swarms of flies to cover the whole land, chap. viii. 20 — 32.
The Egyptian king still refusing to dismiss the Hebrews, God sends his FIFTH plague, which is a
universal murrain, or mortality among the cattle, Exod. ix. 1 — 1.
This producing no good eflect, the SIXTH plague of boils and blains is sent, chap. ix. 8 — 12.
Pharaoh still hardening his heart, God sends the SEVENTH plague, viz. a grievous hail which de-
stroyed the whole produce of the field, chap. ix. 22 — 26.
This, through Pharaoh's obstinacy, proving ineffectual, the ElGUTU plague is sent, immense swarms
of locusts, which devour the land, Exod. x. 1 — 20.
Pharaoh refusing to submit to the divine authority, the NINTH plague, a total darkness of three
dap' continuance is spread over the whole land of Egypt, chap. x. 21 — 24.
Pharaoh continuing to refuse to let the people go, God in.-titutes the rite of the pass-over, and sends
the TENTH plague upon the Egyptians, and ihe first born of man and beast died, throughout the
whole laud. This was in the fourteenth night of the month Abih. The Israelites are driven out
of Egypt, chap. xii. 1 — 36, and carry Joseph's bones with them, chap. xiii. 19.
The Israelites march from Suecoth to Etham; thence to Pi-ha-hiroth, the Lord guiding
them by a miraculous jiillar, Exod. xiii. 20 — 22. xir. 1, 2.
Towards the close of this month, Pharaoh and the Egyptians pursue the Israelites: — God
opens a passage for these through the Ued sea, and they pass over, as on dry land,
which the l''gyptians assaying to do, are all drowned, Exod. xiv. Heb. xi. 29.
The Israelites come to Marah, and murmur because of the bitter waters : Moses is
directed to throw in a certain tree into them, by which they are rendered sweet, chap.
XV. 23 — 25.
About the beginning of this month the Israelites come to Elim, chap. xv. 27.
On the fifteenth day of this month the Israelites come to the desart of Sin, where, murmur-
ing for want of bread, quails are sent, and inanna from heaven, chap. xvi.
Corning to Rephidim, they murmur for want of water, and God supphes this want by
miraculously bringing water out of a rock in Horeb, chap. xvii. 1 — 7.
The Amalekites attack the Israelites in Rephidim, and are discomfited, chap. xvii.
8—16.
The Israelites come to the wilderness of Sinai. God calls Moses up to the mount, where
he receives the ten commandments and other precepts, Exod. xix — xxiv. is instructed
how to make the tabernacle, xxv — xxvii. Aaron and his sons are dedicated to the
priest's office, chap, xxviii.
Moses delaying to come down from the mount, the people make a molten calf, and
worship it. Moses, coming down, sees their idolatry, is distressed, and breaks the
tables — three thousand of the idolaters are slain : and, at the intercession of Moses, the
rest of the p«-ople are saved from destniction," chap, xxxii.
Moses is again called up into the mount, where God renews the covenant, and writes
the two lahlts afresh. Moses desires to see the Divine glory; his request is partially
granted, chap. xxx:ii. 18 — 23. xxxiv. 1 — 27.
An.Dil
857
A.M.
B.C.
SSI.T
1491
2514
ugo
CHRONOLOGY TO EXODUS.
Moses, after having been in the mount forty days and forty nij^ht^, during which time
he ate nothing, comes down with ibe two tahles of stone : hia face shines so that he
is obhged to cover it with avail, chap, xxxiv. 29 — 3.5.
From this time, lo the nunilh Adur, including Marchc.tvan, Cisleu, Thehct, and
Sebat, Bezaleel, Ahohab, and their assistants, are employed in constructing the taber-
nacle, Sec. accoithng to the pattern dcHvered to Moses on the mount, Exod. xxxvi —
xxxix.
On the first of this raonlH, being the first month of the second year, after their departure
from Egypt, the tabernacle is reared up, and Aaron and his sons set apart tor the
priest's oflice, Exod. xl. 17 — 32. N. B. The ceremonies uttcndinj this consecration,
form the chief part of the fnllou'inf; book, Leviticus.
Jethro brings Zipporah and her two sons to Closes in the wilderness, and gives him
wiiolesoine directions concerning the best mode of governing the people, which Moses
thankfully accepts, and God approves, Exod. xviii. and. see the notes tliere.
An.Di!, Ex. Isr.
857
855
I.
Elul.
Tisri.
i-tbih or
Kisjn.
Ijar at
Zif
A TABLE of the THREE GREAT F.PtXTIS, A. M. B. C. and the JULL-VN PERIOD, synchronized with (Tic reigns of th«?
sovereigns of the four principal moi.archies; viz. Egypt, Sicyon, the Argivi, and the .'Vtheniuns, from the death of Jacob,
A.M. -2 515, to the erection of the Talternacle, A. !Vi. 4514, by which, any event in the preceding Chronological Table, may
be referred lo its corresponding ytar of the reigu of any of the above Sovereigns.
E.G. To find out the year of the birth of Moses, insjiect the jircceding Table, by which it appears, he was bom A. M. 243^?,
j B. C. 157 I, aiirl from the Deli'gk 777. Then look in the following Table for A. M. 44.3;'., wiiere it appears, that tliis event
' took place in the year of the Julian Period, 3143 — the 7th of Rame.ses Miumwi, king of Ei^ypt — the 46lh of OrJhupoUs,
I king of Sicyon — the I7th of Phorbas, king of the Argivi — and the 15th before the reign of Cecrops, king of the Alhauam.
I y
Kings
Kings
Kin;;s of
Kingdom
.tiilimi
Kings
Kings
Kini^ol
Kingdom
A. M.
B.C.
Perioil.
of
Egypt.
of
Sicyoa.
the
-Argivi.
uf tlie A-
thenians.
A.M.
2;550
E. C.
Period.
of
F-sypt.
of
Sicyon.
tiie
Aipivi.
of tlie A-
tliuninns.
3315
16S9
3025
6 >
22 5
23 >
133 W
1654
3060
11 C
11 5
58 >
98 S)
97 %
2316
1688
3026
7 g
23 8
24 <^
132 3^
2351
1653
3061
'3 i
12 S
59 02
2317
](iS7
3027
8 g
24 =
25 ^
131 ro
2352
1652
.3062
13
!■' i
60 "
96 n
a3I8
16S6
3028
9 "^
25
26
l.iOS-
2353
1 65 1
3063
14
14 i
61
95 =•
2319
1685
3029
10 ~
26
27
129 Z,
2354
I6,j0
3064
15
15 "
62
94 i,
2320
1684
.3030
11
27
28
128 2
2355
1649
3065
16
16
63
9> 2
2321
1683
.31)31
12
28
29
127 g.
2356
1648
3066
17
17
64
92 E.
2322
1683
3032
13
29
30
126^.
2357
1647
3067
18
18
65
91 %.
2323
1681
3033
14
30
31
125 g
2358
1646
3068
19
19
66
90 2
2324
1680
3031
15
31
32
124 o
2359
1645
3069
20
20
67
89 ^
2325
1679
3035
k;
32
33
123!?
2360
1614
3070
21
21
68
88 -
2326
1678
3036
17
33
34
122^
2361
1643
307 1
22
22
69
87 s-
2327
1677
3037
18
34
35
121 ^
2362
1642
3072
23
23
70
86 >-
2;i28
1676
3038
19
35
36
V20?:,
2363
1641
.3073
21
24
1 Q
85 =
2329
1675
3G39
20
30
37
119 5-
2364
1640
3074
25
25
2 i
J-.
84 5-
2330
1674
3040
21
37
38
IIS 3
2365
1639
3075
26
26
Jj
ti-i §
2331
1673
3041
22
38
39
117
2366
1638
3076
27
27
4
82
2332
1672
3042
23
39
40
116
2367
1637
3077
28
28
5
81
2333
1671
3043
24
40
41
115
2368
Ui36
3078
29
29
6
80
2334
1670
3041
25
41
42
114
2369
1 6.35
3079
30
30
7
79
2335
1669
3045
26
42
43
113
2370
1634
3080
31
31
8
78
2336
1668
3016
27
43
44
112
2371
1633
30S1
32
32
9
77
2337
16()7
3047
28
44
45
III
2372
1632
3082
33
33
10
76
2338
1666
3048
29
45
46
110
2373
1631
3083
34
34
11
75
23.S9
1665
3049
30
46
47
109
2374
1630
3084
35
35
12
74
2340
]6(;4
3050
1 C
1 S
48
108
2375
1629
3085
36
36
l;3
73
2341
1663
3051
2 i
2 3
49
107
2376
1628
•3086
1 >
37
14
72
2^342
16ti2
3052
3
•i =
50
106
2377
1627
3087
2 8
38
15
71
2843
1661
,'5053
4
4 Z
51
105
2378
1626
3088
3 S.
39
16
70
3344
1660
3054
5
5 "
52
104
3379
1625
3089
4 ?.
40
17
69
2345
1659
3055
6
6
53
103
2380
1624
.3090
5 "
41
18
68
2346
lti58
3056
7
7
54
10-3
2381
162-1
3091
6
42
19
67
2347
1657
3057
8
H
55
101
2382
1622
3092
7,
43
20
66
2S4«
1656
3058
9
9
56
100
2:583
1U21
309,:
8
44
21
65
«349
11^5
3059
10
10
57
99
2384
162t)
3094
9
45
22
64
Clironology of ancient kingdoms.
Julian
Kinjs
Kings
villus li
Kinsdcitii
Julian
Period.
Klni^s
Kings
Kings of
Kin;;S ai
A. M.
B. C.
Period.
of
Egypi.
of
Sicyon.
the
Argivi.
jftlie A-
lieuiaiis.
A. M.
B.C.
of
Egypt.
of
Sicyon.
tlie
Argivi.
theAtl)e.
nians.
2385
1619
3095
10 >
46 S
23 Qi
63 W
2450
1554
3160
24 W
1 g
34
3 9
2386
1618
3096
11 H
47 g
24 si
62 §>
2451
1553
3161
25 i
3 £J
35
4 q
3387
2388
1617
1616
3097
3098
12 1
1 (T
ii
25 i
26
61 n
60 S-
2452
2453
1552
1551
3163
3163
26 1
27 "
3 1
4 g
2 5-
5^
6 i
2389
1615
3099
o '^■
2 "
27
59 Z,
2454
1550
3164 <
28 g
5
3 -S
7 g"
2390
1614
3100
3 r
3 C
28
58 g
2455
1549
3165
QQ a
6
4 "
8 3.
2391
1613
3101
* f
4 S:
29
57 g.
2456
1548
3166
30 3
7
5
9 I
2392
1613
3102
5 &^
5 1
30
56 &.
2457
1547
3167
31 ==
^
6
10 g
2393
1611
3103
6 '"
6l
31
55 2
2458
1546
3168
32
9
7
11 §
2394
1610
3104
7
7 ai
32
■54 o
2459
1545
3169
33
10
8
12 S
2395
1609
3105
8
8
33
53 g.
2460
1544
3170
34
11
9
13 S-
239G
1608
3106
9
9
34
52 ^■
2461
1543
3171
35
13
10
14
2397
1607
3107
1 >
10
35
51 E
2462
1542
3172
36
13
11
15
2398
1606
3108
3 S
11
36
50 Jq
2463
1541
3173
37
14
12
16
2399
1605
3109
3 S
12
37
49 §-
2464
1.540
3174
38
15
13
17
2400
1604
3110
4 S
13
38
48 3
2465
1539
3175
39
16
14
18
2401
1603
3111
5 i
14
39
47
2466
1538
3176
40
17
15
19
2402
1602
3112
6
15
40
46
2467
1537
3177
41
18
16
20
2403
1601
3113
7
16
41
45
2468
1536
3178
43
19
17
21
2404
1600
3114
8
17
42
44
2469
1535
3179
43
20
18
22
2405
1599
3115
9
18
43
43
2470
1534
3180
44
21
19
23
2406
1598
3116
10
19
44
42
2471
1533
3181
45
23
30
24
2407
1597
3117
11
20
45
41
2473
1532
3182
46
h
21
25
2408
1596
3118
12
21
46
40
2473
1531
3183
47
24
22
36
2409
1595
3119
I >
22
47
39
2474
1530
3184
48
25
23
37
2410
1594
3120
2 ^
23
48
38
2475
1539
3185
49
26
24
28
2411
1593
3121
3 i
24
49
37
2476
1528
3186
50
27
25
29
2412
1592
3122
* 1
25
50
36
2477
1527
3187
51
28
26
30
2413
1591
3123
5 rf
26
51
35
2478
1526
3188
52
29
27
31
2414
1590
3124
6 "
27
52
34
3479
1525
3189
53
30
28
32
2415
1589
3125
7
28
53
33
2480
1524
3190
54
1 2
39
33
2416
1588
3126
8
29
54
32
2481
1523
3191
55
2 1
30
34
2417
1587
3127
9
30
1
31
2482
1523
3192
56
3 1-
31
35
2418
1586
3128
10
31
2 *T3
30
2483
1521
3193
57
4 £
32
36
2419
1585
3129
11
32
3 1
29
2484
1520
3194
58
5
33
37
2420
1584
3130
12
33
4 g-
28
2485
1519
3195
59
6
34
38
2421
1583
3131
1 >
34
5 "
27
2486
1518
3196
60
7
35
39
2422
1582
3132
2 3
35
6
26
2487
1517
3197
61
8
36
40
2423
1581
31:^3
3 1-
36
7
25
2488
1516
3198
62
9
37
41
2424
1580
3134
4
37
8
24
2489
1515
3199
63
10
38
43
2425
1579
3135
5
38
9
23
2490
1514
3200
64
11
39
43
2426
1578
3136
1 ^
39
10
22
2491
1513
3201
65
12
40
44
2427
1577
3137
1 1
40
11
21
2493
1513
3203
66
13
41
45
2428
1576
3138
2 i
41
12
20
2493
1511
3203
67
14
42
46
2429
1575
3139
3 "■
42
13
19
2494
1510
3204
1 >
15
43
47
2430
1574
3140
4 ??
43
14
18
2495
1509
3205
2 s
16
44
48
2431
1573
3141
5 5
44
15
17
2496
1508
3306
3 S
17
45
49
2432
1572
3142
45
16
16
2497
1507
3207
.1 "*
18
46
50
2433
1571
3143
7 "
46
17
15
2498
1506
3208
5 ^'
19
1 Q
1
2434
l57(r
3144
8 2
47
18
14
2499
1505
3209
6 t:
20
"> s
2 C
2435
1569
3145
9 1
48
19
13
2500
1504
3210
7 ■
1
3 4
3 g
243G
1568
3146
10 c
49
20
12
2501
1503
3311
8
2 t^
4 £
4 1
2437
1567
3147
11 ^
50
21
11
25()2
1502
3312
9
3|-
5
5 S
2438
1566
3148
12
51
22
10
2503
1501
3213
10
o
6
6
2439
1565
3149
13
52
23
9
2504
1500
3214
11
5 7.
7
7
2440
1564
3150
14
53
24
8
2505
1499
3215
12
6
8 ,
8
2441
1563
3151
15
54
25
7
2506
1498
3216
13
7
9
9
2442
1562
3152
16
55
26
6
2507
1497
3217
14
8
10
10
2443
1561
3153
17
56
27
5
2508
1496
3318
15
9
11
' >
2444
I5(i0
3154
18
57
28
4
2509
1495
3219
16
10
12
2 5
2445
1559
3155
19
58
29
3
2510
1494
3220
17
11
13
3 "S-
2446
1558
3156
20
59
30
2
2511
1493
3221
18
13
14
4 "^
2447
1557
3157
21
60
31
1 9
2512
1492
3223
19
13
15
5 5
2448
1556
3158
22
61
32
1 3
2513
1491
3323
20
14
16
6 =>
.?449
(.-.5.)
31.^>i
'-/ i
62
33
2 -f
2514
1490
3224
15
17
7
CORKECTIONS AND EMENDATIONS FOR THE NOTES ON THE BOOK OF GENESIS.
On a revision of this work, which could not possibly be done sooner, several errata have been
discovered which are here pointed out, and the friendly reader is requested to exciise and cor-
rect them. Some eniemlations are also introduced, because, though they may be found in
several copies of the work, they do not appear in all.
- September 2Slh. 1810.
General Preface, xi. 1. 3. from bottom, dele ulio
P. xii. 1. 10. {or seiisuin r. sensimm
P. XIV. 1. n. after luriiings add us the city of London;
works
P. xvi. 1. 17. after verxious add as tiny stand in the Poli/'^lott.
P. xxii. Note 1. 5. afttr tlie word uU, the Ibllowing definition
has been omitted, " or XtiToi/pyia, from Xhto; public, and
tfyov work, tile public or coiiimon prayer or service, in
wiiicii all should < nga^e."
P. xxiii. Note, 1. 17. for reversion r. revision
P. xxiv. 1. 5. from tlie bottom, after i ice-chancellor add and
the principal "
IN THE
CI), i. p. iii. col. 1. 1. 33. after qf«n add the emphatic
Id. ver. 11. 1. 18. for to r. throu'j;h
lb. ver. 12. 1. 9. from ihe bottom, for eis,hiy-f(>ur r. eighty.
The other sums thus rectified, make tlie vvlioie amount six
sextillions ttvo hundred and tliirly-lwo thousatid and twelve
tpuntiUions nine hundred and sixty thousand (juadriliions.
lb. ver. 14. 1. IS. after moon is, add computed to be
lb. ver. 20. 1. 8. after viscera, add in general
lb. ver. 26. among the references, in that to Acts xvii. in-
stead of ver. 20, r. 26.
Ch. ii. ver. 8. col. 2. read the conclusion of the note thus,
" The word Paradise is not Greek; in Arabic and Persian,
it sijjnifies a garden, a vineyard, and also tlie place of the
blessed. The Mohammedans say, that God created the
(j^viJI CuL^ Jennet al Ferdoos, the garden of Paradise,
from light, and the prophets and wise men ascend thither.
Wilmet places it after the root ^,3 farada to separate,
especially a person or place for the purposes of devotion, but
supposes it to be originally a Persian word, vox originis Per-
siciE quant in sua lingua conservarunt Armeni. As it is a
word of doubtful origin, its etymology is uncertain."
lb. ver. 9. 1. 10. instead oi life growini^, v. life giving
lb. ver. 17. the Hebrew words nion mo are improperly di-
vided.
lb. ver. 23. 1. 27. r. Symmachus.
lb. ver. 2.3. 1. 28. erase the Arabic line, it is both mutilated
and corruptly printed in some copies, in others it is right ;
and at the end of the Note add Verstegan.
Ch. iii. ver. 6. col. 2. 1. 6. from the bottom, for there is in
fine, r. there arc, ice.
Ch. iv. after tlie Note on ver. 4. add " Dr. Magce, in bis Dis-
t courses on the Atonement, criticises the opinion of Dr. Ken-
1 nicott, and contends that there is no ground for the distinc-
tion made by the latter on the words he also brought, and shews
thi.1 though the Mincah signifies in general an unbloody of-
fering, yet it is sometimes aUo used to express both kinds;
and that the IVIincah in question, is to be understood of the
sacrifice " then oflered by Aliel."
Ch. vi. ver. 4. after tlie words because children of God, add,
" Hence we may suppose, originated the dJIlerent names
NOTES.
given to sinners and saints; the former were terme<l yiyanrii
earth-born, the latter ayioi sui)Us, i. e. persons not of the earth,
or separated from the earth."
Ch. ix. ver. 17. I. 17. umier the quotation from Homer, after
tile word SIGN, read, " to mankind, or to men of various lan-
guages, as some have understood the /Jte^oitav avSfuTwv of
the poet; supjwsinLT that tlie ancient Greek writers f^ave this
epithet to man, from some tradition of the confusion of
t<)n.;ues at Habil : hence, in this place, the wor(l> may be
considered as implying mankind at large, the whole human
race : God having given the rain-bow for a sign to all the
sons of Noah, by whom the whole earth was peopled after
the flood. According to this view of the subiect, the rain-
bow speaks a universal language, understood by all the sons-
and daughters of Adam."
Ch. X. ver. 3. 1. ult. r. ^Iscanitici
lb. ver. 7. under Havituh, afler included, for beti::een r. VDithin.
lb. ver. 8. 1. 18. dele tiie quotations from the .Sept. and .'\rab.
both of which are misprinted ; and of little importance.
Ch. xiii. last line of the last note, for case r. wife
Ch. XV. ver. 6. 1. 9. after Jehevah r. to HIM
lb. ver. 10. Greek quotation, for Mffoi/; r. M);poi/{
lb. after the translation add, " But this place may be difler-
ently understood."
lb. end of chajiter col. 2. 1. 23. for tspiritual, r. spiritual; aii^
1. 26. for hereforc, r. therefore
Ci). xix. ver. 1 1. last line, tor Elijah r. Elisha
lb. ver. 21. 1. 1. for deny, r. grant
lb. ver. 26. in the Latin quotation 1. 4. for cethram r. athro'
lb. after the note on ver. 38. bottom of the l)age, add, " There
is a distinction made here by Ongen, which is worthy of
observation. A single bad act, though a sin, does not ne-
cessarily argue a vicious heart ; as to be vicious, a man
must be habituated to sinful acts."
Ch. XX. ver. 4. to Ch. xxi. ver. 7. in the Chronology in the
margin, relative to the birth of Isaac, r. A. M. 2 108. B. C-
1896.
Ch. xxi. ver. 6. 1. 2. for chap. xvii. r. ch. xviii.
Ch. xxii. ver. 24. 1. 2. after compound, r. concubina, f-oifi.
Ch. xxiii. end, '2(1 col. 1. 3. dele past for ever past.
Ch. XXV. ver. 22. 1, 4. afWr supposing tliat, r, tids
Corrections, S^c. in Genesis.
Ch. xxri. ver. 12. for t>caro(Trevov/rcv r. txaroarcuouaav
Cli. xxvii. ver. 15. 1. 9. before likelihood, add all
lb. ver. 33. in the quotation from Heb. xii. 17. after fiEravoiag
T. ya^ TOTtov ovx Ei/f e
Ch. xxviiL ver. 18. first line of the quotation from Homer,
for ^troiai r. Isroirt
lb. ver. 22, 1. 5. for anointing and pouring r. anointed and poured
Ch. xxix. ver. 31. 1. 14-. after /or lier, r. than for lur s/sti;r
Ch. sxx. ver. 11. 1. 17. and wherever else the words occur,
for Taverjier's Bihk, r. the Bible published by Bccke, 1549.
Ch. xxxiii. ver. 4. 1. 8. for Bible r. Bibles
Ch. xxxvi. ver. 24. 1. I. of the quotation from Homer, for
ni/Xai/MEvof r. Tlv\aitJ.tvcog.
lb. concluding note, (No. 2.) I. 6. from the bottom, for it, r. is.
Ch. xxxvii. ver. 2. col. 1. 1. penuk. for Tindafs translation r.
Edmund Beck's Bible, 1549.
lb. ver. 4. 1. 8. after Solum r. ^.i..^
peace, or peace Co thee my friend.
lb. ver. 25. col. 1. 1. I. for *aJIx^! r. .Jlsyi! 1-
Iskmaelite Arabs
J^Xm, Salam hebihi.
lb. ver. 28. 1. 5. for J|jui.« r. JliLc
Ch. xxxix. ver. €. col. 2. 1. 4. after po«5r. and Eastern hit.
torians
Ch. xli. ver. 45. 1. 9. for unprincipled r. extraordinary
Ch. xlui. ver. 1 8. for liSp r. vhv
Ch. xliv. ver. 5. 1. 10. atler tradition add, the commencement (f
lb. for 1^ r. l^
Ch. xlv. ver. 3. 1. 19. for forired r. formed
Ch xlvi. ver. 7. 1. 3. for thirty-seventh, r. thirtieth
Ch. xlvii. ver. 26. last line, for this r. fiftieth
Ch. xlviii. ver. 22. 1. 18. fir xxxi. r. xxxiii.
Ch. x!ix. ver. 1 8. 1. ult. for case r. end
lb. ver. 28. 1. penult, for makivg r. made
Ch. I. ver. 2. p. 2. col. 1. 1. 10. for ovojio. r. ouvofui
lb. for TouToi r. TOtovra
lb. 1. ult. for rouTa r. roi/Ta
Last page, under Masuretic notes, 1.16 and 1 9. for 1 54S. r,
1534.
Last page of the Chronology, col. 1 . head^ for B. C. r.
A.M.
N.B. Many copie.s will be found in which these errata do not appear, as very few of them run throsgh the whole impression.
Some mistakes in the foreis^ti c'Jiaracters and other minor matters have also been rectified without particular notice; being
either of comparatively little importance, or such a.s the generality of Readers could not easily correct. The candid
reader will have the goodness to excuse whatever others \t& may meet with. •
PREFACE TO THE BOOK
OK
LEVITICUS.
' 1 HE Greek version of the Septuagint, and the A^ulgate Latin, have given the title of Leviti-
I cus to the third book of the Pentateuch / and the name has been retained in ahnost all the mo-
dern versions. Tlie book was thus called, because it treats principally of the laws and regulations
of the Levites, and priests in general. In Hebrew it is termed Nipn, Vayikra, " And he called,"
which is the Jirst word in the book ; and which, as in preceding cases, became the running title
to the whole. It contains an account of the ceremonies to be observed in the ottering of
burnt-sacrifices ; meat, peace, and sin-offerings ; the consecration of priests, together with the
j institution of the three grand national festivals of the Jews, Pass-over, Pentecost, and Taber-
I NACLEs; with a great variety of other ecclesiastical matters. It seems to contain little more than
' the history of what passed during the eight days of the consecration of Aaron and his sons ; though
; Archbishop Usher supposes that it comprises the history of the transactions of a whole month,
I viz. from April 21 to May 21, of tlie year of the world 2514, which answers to i\\c Jirst month
( of the second year after the departure from Egypt. As there are no data by wliich any chronolo-
! gical arrangement of the facts mentioned in it can be made, it would be useless to encumber the
■ page with conjectures, wliich, because uncertain, can answer no end to the serious reader for doc-
; trine, reproof, or edification in righteousness. As the larv teas our schoolmaster unto Christ, the
. whole sacrificial system was intended to point out that Lamb q/'God, Christ Jesus, xcho tales axvay
the sin of the •woi'ld. In reading over this book, this point should be kept particularly in view ; as
without this spiritual reference, no interest can be excited by a perusal of the work..
The principal events recorded in this book, may be thus deduced in the order of the chapters.
Moses having set up the tabernacle as has been related in the conclusion of the preceding
book, and the cloud of tlie divine glory, the symbol of the presence of God, having rested
upon it, God caDed to him out of this tabernacle, and dchvered the laws and precepts contained
in the seven first chapters.
In Chap. i. he prescribes every thing relative to the nature and quality of bui-nt-offerings, and
8 P
- . PREFACE TO LEVITICUS.
tlie ceremonies which should be observed, as well by the person who brought tlic sacrifice, as by
the priest who offered it.
In Chap. ii. he treats of meat-qffhrings, of fine flour, with oil and firankincense ; of cakes, and
the oblations of first fruits.
Chap. iii. treats of peace-offerings, prcscrfljcs the ceremonies to be used in such offerings, and
the parts which should be consumed by fire.
Chap. iv. treats of the offerings made for sins of ignorance ; for the sins of the prieslSy rulers,
and of the common people.
Chap. V. ti'eats of the sin of him who being adjured as a rcifness, conceals his knowledge of a
fact ; the case of him who touches an unclean thing ; of him who binds himself by a vorv or an
&ath ; and of trespass-offeri7igs in cases of sacrilege, and in sins of ignoraiKe.
Chap. vi. treats of the trespass-offerings for sins Icnotvingly committed ; and of the offerings for
the priests, the parts which should be consumed, and the parts which should be considered as tlie
priests' portion. And in i
Chap. vii. the same subject is continued.
Chap. viii. treats of the cofisecrafion of Aaron and his sons ; their sin-offering; burnt-offering ;
3-am of consecration, and the time during which these solemn rites should continue.
Chap. ix. After Aaron and his sons were consecrated, on the eighth day they were commanded
to offer sin-offerings and burnt-offerings for themselves and for the people, which they accordingly
did, and Aaron and Moses having blessed the people, a fire came forth from before the Lord, and
consumed the offering that was laid upon the altar.
Chap. X. Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron, having offered strange Jire before the Lord, are
consumed ; and the priests are forbidden the use of wine and all inebriating liquors.
Chap. xi. treats of clean and uiiclean beasts, fishes, birds, and reptiles.
Chap. xii. treats of the purification of women after child-birth, and the offerings they should
present before the Lord.
Chap. xiii. prescribes the manner of discerning the infection of the kprosij in persons, gar-
ments and houses. ,
Chap. xiv. prescribes the sacrifices and ceremonies which should be ofi'ered by those who were
cleansed from the leprosy.
Chap. XV. treats of certain uncleannesses in man and woman ; and of their purifications.
Chap. xvi. treats of the solemn yearly expiation to be made for the sins of the priest and of
the people, of the goat and bullock for a sacrifice, and of the scape goat ; all which should be
offered annually, on the tenth day of the seventh month.
Chap. xvii. the Israelites are commanded to offer all their sacrifices at the tabernacle : — the
eating of blood is prohibited ; as also the flesli of those animals which die of themselves, and of
those that are torn by dogs.
Chap, xviii. shews the different degrees within which marriages were not to be contracted :
and prohibits various acts of impurity.
Chap. xix. recapitulates a variety of laws which had been mentioned in the preceding book
^Exodus) and adds several new ones.
TREFACE TO LEVITICUS.
I Chap. XX. proliiblts the consecration of their cliildron to Moloch, forbids their consulting
mzzards and those whicli hud faviUiar spirits, and also a variety of incestuous and unnatural
j mixtures.
i Chap. xxi. gives different ordinances concerning the mmirning and marriages of priests, and
prohibits those from the sacerdotal office, who have certain personal dejects.
. Chap. xxii. treats of those infirmities and uncleannesses which rendered tlie priests unfit to
ofRciate in sacred things, and lays down directions for the perfection of the sacrifices which
should be offered to the Lord.
j Chap, xxiii. treats of the sabbath and the great annual festivals — the pass-over, pentecost, feast
I of trumpets, day of atonement, and feast of tabernacles.
I Chap. xxiv. treats of the oil for the lamps and the shew-bread ; the law concerning which had
: already been given, see Exodus xxv. &c. mentions the case of the person who blasphemed God,
j and his punishment — lays down the law in cases of blasphenij/, and murder ; and recapitulates the
le-v talionis, or law of like for like, prescribed Exod. xxi.
Chap. xxv. recapitulates the law, given Exod. xxiii. relative to the sabbatical year, prescribes
itlie year of jubilee, and lays down a variety of statutes relative to mercy, kindness, benevolence,
^charity, &c.
■ Chap. xxvi. prohibits idolatry, promises a great variety of blessings to the obedient, and threat-
fens the disobedient with many and grievous curses.
Chap, xxvii. treats of vozvs, of things devoted, and of the tithes which should be given for the
■ service of the tabernacle.
No Chronological Table can be affixed to this book ; as the transactions of it seem to have been
included within the space of eight days, or of a month at the utmost, as we have already seen.
And even some of the facts related here, seem to have taken place previously to the erection of
the tabernacle : nor is the order in which the others occurred, so distinguished as to enable us
to lay down the. precise days in which they took place,
3 p a
THE
THIRD BOOK OF MOSES,
CALLED
LEVITICUS.
: Year before the common Year of Christ, 1490.— Julian Period, 32':4.— Cycle of the Sun, 27.— Dominical Letter, D.—
\ Cycle of the Moon, 9.— Indiction, 6.— Creation from Tisri or September, 2514.
CHAPTER I.
The Lord calls to Moses out of the tabernacle, and gives him directions concerning burnt-offerings of the beeve
kind, 1, G. The burnt-offering to be a male, zcithout blemish, 3. The person bringing it, to lay his hands upon
its head, that it might be accepted for him, 4. He is to kill,Jiai/, and cut it in pieces, and bring the blood to the
priests, that they might sprinkle it round about the altar, 5, (i. All the pieces to be laid upon the altar and
burnt, 7—9. Directions concerning offerings of the smaller cattle, such as sheep and goats, 10—13.
Directions concernitig offerings of fowls, such as doves and pigeons, 14 — 17.
2 Speak unto the children of
A.M. 2514.
i B.C. M90.
j An. ExoH. Isr.
; 2.
Ahib OT fiitun.
AN D the Lord ' called unto
Moses, and spake unto him
^ out of the tabernacle of the con-
gregation, saying.
• Exod. 19. 3. » Exod. 40. 34, 35. Numb. 12. 4, 5.
NOTES ON CHAP. 1.
Verse 1. And the Lord called unto Moses] From the
manner in which this book commences, it appears plainly
to he a continuation of the preceding: and, indeed, the
i whole is but odtf /«tu, though divided into /re portions; and
why llius divided, is not easy to he conjectured.
Previously to the erection of the tabernacle, God had
given no particular directions concerning the manner of
fifferint; the difl'erent kinds of sacrifices; but as soon as this
divine structure was established and consecrated, Jehovah
took it as his dwellinsj-place ; described the rites and cere-
monies which he would have observed in his worship, that
his people mii;ht jcnovv what was best pleasing in bis sight ;
jiiid that, when thus worshippmg him, they might have con-
Israel, and say unto them, " If any
man of you bring an offering unto
the Lord, ye shall bring your offer-
A.ni.2.''14.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. U'
Abibort\iittn.
e Ch. 22. 18, 19.
fidcnce that they pleased him, every thing being done ac-
cording to his own directions. A consciousness of acting
according to ihe revealed will of God, gives strong confi-
dence to an upright mind.
Verse 2. Bring an offerim;'] The word pip korban, from
3ip karab, to approach, or draw war, signifies an offering or
gift, by which a person had access unto God : and this re-
ceives light from the universal custom that prevails in the
East, no man being permitted to approach the presence of
a superior without a present or gift ; and the ofl'ering thus
brought was called korban, which properly means the in-
troduction offering, or offering of access. This custom has
been often referred to in the preceding books. — §ee also
chap. vii.
A.JI. 2.S14.
B.C. 14il0.
An. Exod.Isr,
Of the hurjit-offering of the herd ;
ing of the cattle, even of the herd,
and of the flock.
3 ^ If his offering he a bm'nt sa-
-^^''""^^"''"- crifice of the herd, let him offer a
male " witliout blemish : he shall offer it of his
o\vn voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle
of the congregation betbre the Lord.
4 " And he shall put his hand upon the head-
of the burnt offering ; and it shall be ' accepted
> Exod. 12. 6. ch. 3. 1. & 22. 20, 21. Deut. 1.5. 21. Mai. 1 . 14. Eph. 5.
27. Hebr. 9. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 19. » ch. 4. 15. & 3. 2, 8, 13. & 8. 14, 22. it
16.21. Exod. 29. 10, 15, 19. ' ch. 22. 21, 27. Isai. 56. 7. Horn. 12. 1.
Of the cattlt] HOnDn ha-hehemah, animals of the heeve
kind, such as the bull, heifer, bullock, and culf; and re-
strained to these alone by the term herd, ip3 haquar, which,
from its general use in the Levitical writings, is known to
refer to the ox, heifer, &c. And therefore other animals of
the beeve kind were excluded.
Of thejiock] ]\X^ tson, SHEEP and GOATS ; for we have
already seen that this term implies both kmds : and we know,
from its use, that no other animal of the smaller clean do-
mestic quadrupeds is intended ; as no other animal of this
class, besides the sheep and goat, were ever ottered in sa-
crifice to God. The animals mentioned in this chapter as
proper for sacrifice, are the very same which God com-
manded Abraham to ofter, see Gen. xv. 9. And thus it is
evident, that God delivered to the Patriarchs an epitome of
that law which was afterwards given in detail to Moses, the
essence of which consisted in its sacrifces ; and those sacri-
fices were of clean animals, the most perfect, useful, and
liealthy of all that are brought under the immediate go-
vernment and influence of man. Gross feeding, and feroci-
ous animals, were all excluded, as were also all birds of
prey. In the pagan worship, it was widely different; for
although the ox was esteemed among them, according to
JLivy, as the 7najor hoslia — and according to riiny, the
nictiiiicE optima, cV hmdatissima deoriim placatio, Plin. Hist.
Kat. lib. viii. ch. 45. the chief sacrifice, and the most
availing oliering which could be made to the gods ; yet
ob.<icene fowls, and ravenous beasts, according to the nature
of their df ities, were frequently offered in sacrifice. Thus
they sacrificed horses, to the SuN; luohes, to MauS; asses,
fopRIAPUS; suinc, to CeheS ; dogs, to HeCATE, &c. &c.
13ut in the worship of God, all these were declared unclean,
and only the three following kinds of QUADRUPEDS were
commanded to be sacrificed: 1. The bull or ox, the cow or
heifer, and the calf. 2. The he-gout, she-goat, and the kid.
3. The rum, the eue, and the Ucjnb. Amdng FOWLS, only
pigeons, and turtle-doves,' were conmianded to be oflered, ex-
cept in the case of cleansing the leper, mentioned ch. xiv. 4.
where two clean birds, generally supposed to be sparroivs,
or other small birds, though of what species is not well
known. 7'7.s/( were not oflered, because they could not be
readily brought to the tabernacle ahre.
Verse 3. Iiurnt-offcrini{\ Tiie most important of all the
sacrifices offered to God, called by the Septuagint o)i<iKauTu//,(x,
and the manner of offering if.
make atonement for
LEVITICUS.
for him '' to
him.
5 And he shall kill the ' bullock be
fore the Lord: "^and the priests, Aa^
to
A.J\1.2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod.Isr,
Abih or Nisan,
ron's sons, shall bring the blood, ^ and sprinkle
the blood round about upon the altar, that is by
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
6 And he shall flay the burnt offering, and
cut it into his pieces.
Phil. 4. 18.-
2Cliion. 2'.>.
Hebr. 10. 11
23
■> ch
y4.
-E C
4. 20
Rom.
1. 3. 8.
26, 31, .3.i
.5. 11.
Hebr. 12.
. & 9. .7. & 16.
' Micah 6. 6 —
21. 1 Pet. 1. 2
24.
f
Numb.
2 Chron.
1.5.
35
85.
11.
because it was wholly consumed, which was not the case in any
other offering. — See on chap. vii.
His own voluntary wilt] Ui'lS leretsono — to gain himself
acceptance before the Lord : in this way all the versions a' pear
to have understood the original words ; and the connection in
which they stand, obviously requires this meaning.
Verse 4. He shall put his hand upon the head of the bumt-i
offering.'} By the imposition of hands, the person bringing"''
the victim acknowledged, 1. The sacrifice as his own. 2.'
That he oflered it as an atonement for his sins. .3. That he
was worthy of death, because he had .sinned, having for-
feited his life by breaking the law. 4. That he entreated
God to accept the life of the innocent animal in place of his
own. 5. And all this, to be done profitably, must have
respect to HIM whose life, in the fulness of time, should
be made a sacrifice for sin. 6. The blood was to be sprinkled
round about upon the altar, ver. 5. as by the sprinkling of
blood the atonement was made; for the blood was the life
of the beast, and it was always supposed, that life went to
redeem life. See note on Exod. xxix. 10. On the required
perfection of the sacrifice, see the note on Exod. xii. 5.
It has been sufficiently remarked by learned men, that
almost all the people of the earth had their burnt- offerings;
on which also they placed the greatest dependance. Jt wag
a general maxim through the heathen world, that there was
no other way to appease the incensed gods; and they some-
tim-i's even oflered human sacrifices, from the supposition, as
Cffisar expresses it, that life was necessary to redeem life,
and that the gods would be satisfied with nothing less. —
Sluod pro vita hominis nisi vita reddatur, non posse uliter deO'
rum immortaliuin numen placari. Com. de Bell. Gal. lib. vi.—
But this was not the case only with the Gauls ; for we see
by Ovid, Vast. lib. vi. that it was a commonly received
maxim among more polished people :
-Pio parzo victima parva cadit.
Cor pro cor de, precor, pro fibris sumile fibras.
Hunc unimam vobis pro meliore damns.
See the whole of this passage in the above work, from ver.
133 to 163.
Verse 6. He .ihall flay'] Probably meaning the />fr4-on mjAo
brought the sacrifice, who, according to sume of the Rabbins,
killed, flayed, cut up, and washe i the sacrifice, and then
presented the parts and the blood to the priest, that be might
The offering from the flock. CHAP,
7 And the sons of Aaron the priest
I.
A M. '.':>it.
U. C. 14«0.
'An.Exod.lsr.
'AbiborNiittn.
shall put lire upon the altar, and " lay
the wood in order ujion the tire.
8 And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall
lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order
upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon
the altar.
9 But hi-^ inwards and lu's legs shall he wash in
water : and the priest shall biu'U all on the altar,
to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire,
of a "" sweet savour unto the Loud.
10 % And it'his oHcring l/c of the flocks, namely,
I .of the sheep, or of the goats, for aburnt sacrifice ;
he shall bring it a male ' without blemish.
p 1 1 " And he shall kill it on the side of the altar
[ Inorthward before the Lord : and the priests,
Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round
■I'liout upon the altar :
: And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his
1 :.d and his fat: and the priest shall lay them
111 order on the wood that is on the fire, which
(V upon the altar.
'(..(■11.22.9. ''Gen. 8. 21. Ezek. 20. 28, 41. 2Cor. 2. !">. Kpli. .5. 2.
r.^1, -j, 18. = vcr. a — -" ver. j. = cli. 5. 7. & 12. 8. Luke 2. iH.
burn the one, and sprinkle the otiier upon the altar. But
it is certain, that the priests also, and the Levites, fl.iyed the
Tictimg, and tlie priest had the skin to himself, see chap. vii. 8.
;and 2 Cliron. xxix. 34. The red heiftr alone was not
iflayed ; hut the whole body, with the skin, &c. consumed
with fire. — See Numb. xix. S.
' Verse 7. Put firc\ The fire that came out of the taber-
■nacle from before the Lord, and which was kept perpetually
'buminiT, see chap. ix. 24. Nor was it lawful to use any
;0lh(T fire in the service of God. — See the cise of Nadab and
.jAbiliu, chap. x.
i Verse 8. Tlie prit.tls — sliall lay the partsl The sacrifice
.was divided according- to its larger joints. 1. After its blood
'Was puuied out, and tlie >kin removed, the head was cut oft".
i2. 'i'hey then opened it, and took out the omentum, or
'caul, that invests the intestines. 3. They took out the in-
Mestines with the mesentery, and washed them well, as also
;tlie t^at. 4. They then placed the four quarters upon the
[altar, covered them with the fat, laid the remains of the
■intestines upon them, and llan laid the head above all. 5.
;1 he sacred (iie was then ajiphcd, and the whole mass was con-
|sumed. This was the holocaust, or complete burnt-ofierino;.
i Verse 9. An ofning — of a su:eet savour] mn'J H'T nCN*
• ishch reyach nichoach, a Jire offering, an odmir of rest — or,
'as the Septua^jint expresses it, fiucria (3£r,«>i tuuStai, " a sa-
|crifire for a sweet smellmjr savour;" which place St Paul
ihad evidently in \iew when he wrote Ephes. v. 2. — " Christ
jhalli loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering, xai
jm-jix;' — iti ocr/^iiy eua^icti, and a sacrifice, for a suvcl smelHni^
A. .M. 2514.
15. C. two.
An. Exyd.Tsr.
2.
Abibor Kisan.
The offering of fowls.
13 But he shall wash the inwards
and the legs with water : and the
priest shall bring it ail, and burn it
upon the altar : it is a burnt sacri-
fice, an oflering made by fire, of a sweet savour
unto the Lord.
14 ^ And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering
to the Lord be of f()wls, then he shall brin"- his
offering of " turtk^ -doves, or of young pigeons.
15 And the priest shall bring it unto the altar,
and ' wring off his head, and burn it on tiic
altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out
at the side of the altar.
16 And he shall jiluck away his crop with ^ his
feathers, and cast it " beside the altar on the east
part, by the place of the asiies.
17 And he shall cleave it with the wings there-
of, but ' shall not divide // asunder : and the
priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the
wood that is upon the fire : "^ it is a burnt sacri-
fice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour
unto the Lord.
•■ Or, pinch off the head vith the nnil. « Or, the filth thereof. •> cli
10. ' Gen. 15. 10.—" vcr. 9. \j.
savour :" where he u.ses the same terms as the Septuafjint.
Hence we find, that the holocaust, or burnt-ojf'erirt^, typified
the sacrifice and death of Christ, for the .sins of the world.
Verse 10. An offering of the flocks] See on ver. 2. and
ver. 14.
Verse 1 2. Cut it into his pieces] See the notes on Gen. xv.
\'er.se 16. I'luck auay his crop with his feathers] In this
sacrifice of fowls, the head was violently wrung- off", then the
blood was poured out — then the feathers were plucked off,,
the breast was cut open, and the crop, stomach, and in-
testines, taken out, and then the body was bui iit. Though
the bird was split up, yet it was not divided asunder. This
circumstance is particularly remarked in Abram's sacrifice.
Gen, XV. 10. — See the notes there. — See Ainsworeh.
We have already seen, on ver. 2. that/owr kinds of ani-
mals might be made burnt-oflerings to the Lord. J. Aeat
cattle, such as bulls, oxen, ctws, and calves. 2. He-goats,
she-goals, and kids. 3. Hams, ewes, and Iambs. 4. Pio-eons
and turtle-dove^ and in one case, the cleansing of the
leper, sparroics, or some small bird. All these must be
without spot or blemish — the most perfect of their respective
kinds, and be wholly consumed by fire. The RICH were to
bring the most cosily ; the POOR, those of least price. Even
in this requisition of justice, how much J'leiCj^ was mingled !
If a man could not bring a hiiUock or a heifer, a gout or a
sheep, let him bring a calf, a kid, or a lavib. If he could
not bring any of these, because of \m poverty, let him brin.i-
a turtle-dove, or a young pigeon, see chap. v. 7. and it ap-
Of the different kinds
LEVITICUS.
of meai-ojferings.
jicars that, in cases of extreme poverty, even a little meal, or
fine Jlour, was accepted by the bountit'ul Lord, as a sufiicient
oblation, see cliap. v. ver. 1 1. This broujrlit down the bene-
fits of the sacrificial service within the reach of the poorest
of the poor; as we may take for granted, that every person,
howsoever low in his circumstances, might be able to provide
the tenth part of an ephah, about three quarts of meal, to
make an offering for his soul unto the Lord. But every man
iiuist bring sonielhing — the law stooped to the lowest cir-
cumstances of the poorest of the people; but every man
must sacrifice, because every man had sinned. — Reader, what
sort of a sacrifice dost thou bring to God? To Him thou
owest thy whole body, soul, and substance — are all these
consecrated to his service ? Or, has he the refuse of thy time,
and the offal of thy estate ? God requires thee to sacrifice as
I his providence has blessed thee. If thou have much, thou
I sliouldcst give liberally to God and the poor: if thou have
[ but little, do thy diligince to give of that little. GaA' % justice
requires a measure of that which his mercy has bestowed.
' But remember, that as thou hast sinned, thou needesl a Sa-
viour.— Jesus is that Lamb without spot, which has been
offered to God for the sin of the world, and which thou
must ofl'er to him for thy sin ; and it is only through Him
that thou canst be accepted, even when thou dedicates! thy
whole body, soul, and substance, to thy Maker. Even when.-
we present ourselves a living sacrifice to God, we ar? ac-
cepted for his sake who carried our sins, and bore our sor-
rows. Thanks be to God, the rich and the poor have equal
access unto him through the Son of his love ! And equal right
lo claim the benefits of the great sacrifice.
CHAPTER 11.
The meat-offering o/" flour Xi'ith oil and incense, 1 — 3. !/'A«^ oblation of the meat-off'ering baked in the oven, and in
the pan, 4 — ti. The meat-offl'ri)ig baked in the frying-pan, 7 — 10. No leawen nor honey to be offered tiiih tite
meat-olf'ering, 11. 'J'he oblation of the first-fruits, 1<2. Salt to be offered zcith the meat-offering, 13. Green ears,
dried by the fire, and corn to be beaten out of full ears, with oil and frankincense, to be offered as a meat-offering
of Jirst fruits, 14 — 16. '
A M.2514
B. C. 1*
An. Exud
2
AUb or Kisan,
;^- AND when any will offer " a
"hr. Y^ meat offering unto the Lord,
his offering shall be of fine flour ;
» Ch. 6. M. & 9. 17.
NOTES ON CH.^P. II.
Verse 1. j\Ieat-off'ering1 m^ minchuh. For an explana-
tion of this word, sf e the note on G(n. iv. 3. and Lev. vii.
Calniet has remarked, that there are fiic kmds of the minchah
mentioned in this chapter: 1. n"?D soleth, simple /four or
meal, ver. 1. 2. Cu/ces and luafers, or whatever was baked
in the oven, ver. 4. 3. Cakes baked in the pan, ver. 5. 4.
Cakes baked on iht frying-pan, or probably a gridiron, ver. 1.
.5. Gretn ears of corn jwrched, ver. 14. All these were
otTertd without honey or leaven, but accompanied with Kinc,
oil, and frankincense. It is very likely that the minchah, in
some or all of the above forms, was the earliest oblation
offered to the Sujireme Being; and probably was in use be-
fore sin entered into the world, and conseiiuently before
bloody sacrifices, or pincular victims, bad been ordained,
'file minchah of green ears of corn, dri^l by the fire,
&c. was properly the gratitude - offering for a good seed-
time, and the prospect of a ])ltntiful haivest. This appeals
lo have been the offering brought by Cain, Gen. iv. 3. — See
the note there. The four, w liether of wheat, rice, barley,
rye, or any other grain used for aliment, was in all likelihood
fqually proper; for in Num. v. 1.5. we find the jlour of
barley, or barley-meal, is called minchah. It is plain, that in
the institution of the viinchah here, no animal was included.
and he shall pour oil upon it, and b c im
put frankincense thereon. Aii.Kxod.ist.
2 And he shall bring it to Aaron's AbiborMsan.,
Numb. 1.5. 4.
though, in other places, it seems to include both kinds : but,
in general, the »iinchah was not a. bloody offering, nor u.sed
by wav of atonement or expiation, but merely in a eucharistic
way, expressing gratitude to God for the produce of thej
soil. It is such an ofli?ring, as, what is called natural re- \
ligion, iniglil be reasonably expected to suggest : but, alas!!
so far lost is man, that even thankfulness to God for the fi-uits i
of the earth, must be taught by a divine revelation ; for in I
the heart of man, even the seeds of gratitude are not found,;
till sown there by the hand of divine Grace.
Offerings, of different kinds of grain, flour, bread, fruits, i
&c. are the most ancient among the heathen nations ; and
even the people of God have had them from tlie beginning of,
the worhi. See this subject largely discussed on Exod. xxiii> ;
29. where several examples are given. Ovid intimates, that
these gratitude-offerings originated with agriculture. " lo
the most ancient times, men lived by rapine, hunting, &c. j
for the sivord was considered to be more honourable than the ,
plough ; but when they sowed their fields, they dedicated
the first-fruits of their harvest to Ceres, to whom the ancients
attribuied the art of agriculture, and to whom burnt-offerings
of corn were made, according lo imine morial usages." lh«
pa.s,sage to which I refer, and of which I have given tb*
&ubstai>ce, is the following:
Of the 7neat offerings CHAP. II.
sons the priests: and he shall take
thereout his handt'Lil of the Hour
thereof, and of tlic oil tlicrcof, with
; movj.un^ ^jj ^jjg frankincense thei-cof; and the
priest shall burn ' the memorial of it upon the
A, M.-JJll.
B.C. 1190.
An. Exod.
Isr. 'A
altar, to he an offering made by fire, o^ a sweet
savour unto the Lord :
|| 3 And ""the remnant of the meat offering
$1hiII be Aaron's and his sons' : " it is a thing
most holy of the oU'erings of the Lokd made
by fire.
i ^ And if thou bring an oblation of a meat
bali-ed in the over, pan, &;c.
offering baken in the oven, if shall
be unleavened cakes of fine flour
mingled with oil, or unleavened wa-
ters '^ anointed v.iUi oil.
A. M. Toii.
B. C. 1190.
An. Exod.
Tsr. 2.
AbibuiKiStin.
• Vcr. 9. & cli. 5. Vi. & 6. 1.5. k 24. 7. Isai. 66. 3. Ecclus. 43. 16. Acts
10. 4. " ch. 7. 9. k 10. 12, 13. Ecclus. 7. 31.
JS'on hubuit tdlus doctos antiqua colonoi :
Lussabant agites aspera bclla viros.
Plus erat in gladio qudm ciirvo l/iudis aratro :
Neglectus domino pauca /t rcA«( agcr.
Farra lumen vetctcsjticiebant, favra metebant :
Priiiiili.is Cercvifuria rcsccla dabant.
Usihii.s adutoniti flaniiuis torrenda dcdere ;
!■ Multaquc peccato datnna tidcre sua.
Fastor. lib. ii. ver. .515.
J Plint/ observes that " Nujim taught the Romans to offer
fruits to the gods, and to make .applications before them,
bringing- salt cakes and parclied coin ; as grain in this state
deemed most wholesome." Nwnu insiiluit dfos I-KUGE
• if, et KOLA, sxisx supplicare aique (lit auctor est He-
<mmj) far lorrcre, quoniam tostum cibo salubrius esset. HiST.
Nat. lib. xviii. c. 2. And it is worthy of remark, that the
ancient Romans considered " no grain as pure or proper for
divine service that had not been previously parched." Id uno
tnodo consiciituiii, Hatuendo non esx puriim ad rem diiinum nisi
tesltim. Ibid.
God, says Cnlmct, requires nothing here which was not in
coiiiinon use for nourishment ; but be commands that these
• things should be offered with such articles as might give them
|the most exquisite relish, such as salt, oil, and wine, and
that the flour should be of the finest and purest kind. The
ancients, according to Suidas, seem to have made mucli use
'of meal formed into a paste with milk, and somi limi s with
; water; see Suidas in Mafa. "The jiriests kept in the temples
a certain mixture of flour mingled with oil and wine, which
jthey called Tynia Hygieiu, or health, and which they used as 1
ja kind of amulet or cliann against aickneiss : after they had ]
;finishcd their .sacrifices, they generally threw mnne flour upon
|tbe fire, mingled witli oil and -.i'inc, wtiicli they called 6i/An-
'.fittta thulematn, and wliicli, according to Theopiirastus, was
itlie ordinary sacrifice of the poor." — Caliiiet.
Verse 2. A handful of the Jlourl I'his was for a memo-
\rial, to put God in mind of his covenant with their fathers,
'and to recal to thtir mind I'.is gracious conduct towards them
;and their ancestors. Mr. Ainm-orih properly remarks " that
illiere was ncitLtr oil nor incense ofleied i^ith the fin and jea- ''
5 % And if thy oblation be a meat offering
ba/,yn Mn a jian, it shall be ofixne floiu- uu-
lea\encd, mingled with oil.
6 Thou shalt part it in pieces, and poar oil
thereon : it is a meat offering.
7 ^ And if thy oblation be a meat oftering
bati-en in the fiying pan, it shall be made of fine
flour with oil.
« Exod. 29.^37. Numb. 18. 9 '' Exod. S9. 2, ' Or, on a flat plate,
or, slice.
lousj/ ofierings; because they were no offerings of memoria'.,
but such as brougljt iniquities to remembrance, which was
not gracious nor sweet-smelling before the Lord." Numb. v.
15. Levit. V. 11.
In this case, only a handful was burnt, the rest was re-
served for the priest's use, but all the frankincense was burnt,
because from it the priest could derive no advantage.
V'erse 4. Baken in the ovenl "ron tannur, from TJ nar, to
split, divide, says Mr. Parkhurst, and hence the oven, be-
cause of its burning, dissolving and melting heat.
Verse 5. Baken in a pan] r\2!T0 machabath, supposed to
be a flat iron plate, placed orer the fire ; such as is called a
griddle in some countries.
Verse 7. The fiyingpan] nuTno viarechesheth, supposed to
be the same with that called by the Arabs a ta-jen, a shallow
earthen vessel like a frying pan, ased not only to fry in, but
for other purixiscs. On the diflerent instruments, as well as
the manner of baking in the East, Mr. Manner in his obser-
vations on select passages of Scripture, has collected the fol-
lowing curious inlormation.
" Dr. Shaw informs us, that in the cities and villages of
Barbary there are public ovens, but that among the Bedouins,
(who live in tents) and the Kabyles, (who live in miserable
hovels in the mountains) their bread made into thin cakes, is
baked eillier iniinediatcly upon the coals, or else in a ta-jen,
wiiich lie tells us is a s/iallotu earthen vessel like a frying pan:
and then cites the Septuagint to shew, that the siippo,>ed pan,
mentioned Lev. ii. 5. was the .eatne thing as a la-jen. The
ta-Jen, according to Dr. Russel, is exactly the same amonj;
the Bedouins, as the Tyiya'jov, a word of the same sound, as
well as meaning, was among the Greeks. So the Septua-
gint, Lev. ii. 5. If thy obUuion be a meat-ojfhing baken in a
pan, (a-To Tr,yavou) it sliull be of fine four unleavened, mingled
luith oil.
" This account given by the Doctor is curious ; but as it does
not giw us all the Eastern wtiys of baking, so neither does it
furnish us, I am afiaid. with a complete comment on that
variety of mctliods, of preparing the meatoflerings, which
is mentioned by Moses in Lev. li. So long ago as Queca
Elizabeth's time, /fai(uo//r observed, that travellers frequently
baked bread .n the dcsarls of Arabia, on the ground, heated
3 ti
Different methods of baking
LEVITICUS.
among the Asiatics,
for that purpose, by fire, covering their cakes of bread with
ashes and coals, and turning tliein several times, until they
•were enough ; but that some of the Arabians had in their
tents stones, or copper plates, made on purpose for baking.
Dr. Pococke very lately made a like observation, speaking of
iron hearths used for the baking their bread.
" i>K John Chard in, mentioning the several ways of baking
their bread in the East, describes these iron plates, as small
and convex. These plates are most commonly useil, he tells
us, in Persia, and among the wandering people that dwell
in tents, as being the easiest way of baking, and done with
the least expence; the bread being as thin as a skin, and
soon prepared. Another way, (for he mentions four) is Ijy
baking on the hearth. That bread is about an inch thick;
they make no other all along the Black Sea, from the Palus
Mseotis, to the Caspian Sea, in Chaldea, and in Mesopota-
mia, except in towns. This, he supposes, is owing to their
being woody countries. These people make a fire in the
middle of a room, when the bread is ready for baking, they
sweep a corner of the hearth, lay the bread there, cover it
■with hot ashes and embers; in a quarter of an hour they turn
it; this bread is very good. The third way, is that which
is common among us. The last way, and that which is
common through all Asia, is thus: they make an oven in the
ground four or five feet deep, and three in diameter, well
plastered with morter. When it is hot, they place the bread
(which is commonly long, and not thicker than a finger)
against the sides, and it is baked in a moment.
" D'Anieux mentions another way, used by the Arabs about
Mount Carmel, who sometimes bake in an oven, and at other
times on the hearth; but have a third method, which is, to
make a fire in a great stone pitcher, and when it is heated,
they mix ineal and water, as we do to make paste, to glue
things together, which they apply with the hollow of tlieir
hands to the outside of the pitcher, and this extreme soft
paste, spreading itself upon it, is baked in an instant. The
heat of the pitcher having dried up all the moisture, the
bread comes off as thin as our wafers; and the operation is
so speedily performed, that in a very little time a sufficient
quantity is made.
" Maimonides, and the Septuat^int, differ in their explanation
of Lev. ii. 5. for that Egyptian Rabbi supposes this verse
speaks of a flat plate, and these more ancient interpreters, of
a ta-jen. But tliey both seem to agree, that these were two
of the methods, of preparing the meat-offering : for Mai-
monides supposes, the seventh verse speaks of a frying pun or
ta-jen; whereas the Septuagint, on the contrary, thought the
word there, meant a hearth, which term takes in an iron, or
copper plate, though it extend's farther.
" The meat-offerings of the fourth verse answer, as well to
the Arab bread, baked by means of their stone pitchers, which
are used by them for the baking of ivtifers ; as their cakes of
bread mentioned by M'Arvieux, who describing the way of
baking among the modern Arabs, after mentioning some of
their methods, says, they bake their best sort of bread, either
by heating an oven, or a large pitcher, half full of certain little
smooth, shining flints, upon which they lay the dough,
sprejd out in form of a thin broad cake. The mention of
•wafers seems to fix ihc meaning of Moses to these oven-pit-
chers ; though perhaps it may be thought an object, that tliis
meat-offering is said to have been baked in an oven; but it
will be sullicient to observe, that the Hebrew words only sig-
nify a meat-offering of the oven : and consequently may be
understood as well of wafers baked on the outside of these
oven pitchers, as of cakes of bread baked in them. And if
thou bring an oblation, a baked thing, of tlie oren, it shall be
an unleavened cake of fine flour, mingled with oil, or ur».
leavened. W'afers anointed with oil. ^\'hoever then attends to
these accounts of the stone pitcher, the ta-jen, and the cop-
per plate or iron hearth, will enter into this second of Le-
viticus, I believe much more perfectly, than any commenta-
tor has done, and will find in these accounts what answers
perfectly well to the description Moses gives us, of the dif-
ferent ways of preparing the mrat-olVerings. A ta-jen in-
deed, according to Dr. ?i\ia.\v, serves fuv a frijing pan, as well
as for a baking vessel ; for he says, tlie bagreah of the people
of Barbary diifers not much from our pancakes, only thai
instead of rubbing tlie ta-jen or pan in which they fry them
with butler, they rub it with soap to make tliem like a honey-
comb.
" Moses possibly intended, a meat-offering of that kind miglit
be presented to the Lord ; and our translators seem to pre-
fer that supposition, since though the margin mentions the
opinion of i\Iaimonides, the reading of the text in the sixth
verse, opposes a pan for baking, to a pan for frying in the
seventeenth verse. The thought, however, of Maimonides,
seems to be most just, as Moses appears to be speaking of
ditlLncnt kinds of bread only, not of other farinaceous pre-
parations.
" These oven pitchers mentioned by H'Ariicux, and used by
the modern Arabs for baking cakes of bread in them, and
wafers on their outsides, are not the only portable ovens of
the East: St. Jerom in his commentary on Lam. v. 10., de-
scribes an Eastern oven as a round vessel of brass black-
ened on the outside by the surrounding fire, which heats it
within. Such an oven I have seen used in England. \V hich
of these the Mishnah refers to, when it speaks of the women
lending their ovens to one another, as well as their mills, and
their sieves, I do not know ; but the foregoing observations
may serve to remove a surprise, that this circumstance may
otherwise occasion in the re;ulrr of the Mishnah. Every
body almost knows, that little portable haudmills are ex-
tremely connnon in the Levant: moveable ovens are not so
well known. Whether ovens of the kind, which Si. Jerom men-
tions, be as ancient as the days of Moses, does not appear,
unless the ta-jen be used after this manner ; but the pitcher
ovens of the Arabs, are without doubt, of that remote an-
tiquity.
" Travellers agree that the Eastern bread is made in small,
thin, moist cakes, must be .eaten new, and is good for no-
thing, when kept longer than a day. This, however, admits
of exceptions. Dr. Russel of late, and Rauwolff formerly,
assure us, that they have several sorts of brtaa and cakes.
Some, Rauwolff tells us, done with yolk of eggs, sen.ie
mixed with several sorts of seed, as of scsumum, Romish co-
riander, and wild garden saffron, whu h are also strewed
upon it ; and he elsewhere supposes, that they prepare bis-
cuits for travelling. Russel, who mentions this strewing of
seeds on their cakes, says they have a variety ot rusks
and biscuits. To these authors let me add Pitts, who tells
6
neither leaven nor ho7iey
8 And thou shalt bring tlic meat
oftering that is made of these things
unto the Lord : and when it is pre-
A. M. £^14.
B.C. liW.
Aii.Exixi.lsr.
AhihoT Kisari.
;nted unto the priest, lie shall bring
it unto the altar.
9 And the piiest shall take from the meat
offering ' a memorial thereof, and shall burn it
upon the altar : it is an " oHering made by fire,
of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
• Ver. 2. ^^ Exod. 29. 18. ' ver. 3. « cli. 6. 17. See Matth. 16. 12.
us, the liiscuils they carry with them from Egypt, will last
them to Mecca and back a^ain.
"The Scriplurcs suppose their loaves of bread were very
small, three ol' them being requisite for the entertainment of
a single ])erson, Luke xi. 5. Tiiat they were generally eaten
new, and baked as they wanted them, as appears from tiie
icase of Abraham. That sometimes however tliey were made
.so as to keep several days, so the slieiubread was fit food,
fafter lying before the Lord a week. And that bread for
I travellers was wont to be made to keep some time, as appears
[from the pretences of the Gibeonites, Josh. ix. 12. and the
.preparations made for Jacob's journey into I'-sypt, Gen. xlv.
23. The bread or rusks for travclhng is often made in the
form of large rings ; and is moistened or soaked in water before
it is used. In like manner too, thi y seem to have had there,
a variety of eatables of this kind as the Aleppines now have.
In particular, some made like those on which seeds are strew-
ed, as we may collect from that part of the presents of Jero-
boam's wife to the prophet Ahijah, which our translators
have rendered cruclcncls, 1 Kings xiv. 3. Buxtorf indeed sup-
poses the original word C3>lp3 nak/cudecm, signifies biscuits,
called by this name, cither because they were formed into
little buttons like some of our gingerbread, or because they
I were pricked full of holes after a particular manner. The
j last of these two conjectures, I imagine, was embraced by
j our translators of this passage ; for cracknels, if they are all
1 over England of the same form, are full of holes, being formed
; into a kind of flourisl) of latticework. I have seen some of
I the unleavened bread of the English Jew.s, made in like man-
]ner in a net form. Nevertheless I should think it more na-
1 tural to understand tlie word of biscuit spotted with seeds ;
for it is used elsewhere to signify works of gold spotted with
j studs of silver; and as it should seem, bread sjiolted with
iinould. Josh. ix. 5 — 12. how much more natural is it then
iiiderstand the word of cakes, spotted viitk seeds, which
> common in the Ea^it ? Is not n^SsS kbiholh in particu-
lar, the word that in general means rich cakes? A sort of
. whici), Tamar used to prepare that was not common, and fur-
nished Amnon with a pretence for desiring her being sent to
this house, that she might make some of that kind for him in
I the time of his indisposition, his fancy running ujKjii'them ;
jsee 2 Sam. xiii. 1 — 3. Paikhurst supposes the original word
I to signify pancakes, and translates the root 33S lahali to move,
s tcp and dnv.n ; ' And .she took the dough V^ri) vata-
-, and kneaded, D2.r^ raiilabah, and tossed it in his sight.
A. M. e,5i4.
15. C. 1490.
An.Kxod. Isr,
a. _
Abib orNisan.
CHAP. IL to be offered rcith the yneat offering
10 And " that which is left of the
meat oftering shall be Aaron's and his
sons' : it is a thing most holy of the
oiferings of the Lord made by fire.
11 No meat ottering, which ye shall bring
unto the Loud, shall be made with "* leaven :
for yc shall burn no leaven, nor any honey,
in any oftering of the Lord made by fire.
12 If ' As for tlie oblation of the first-fruits, ye
Marks. 15. Luke 13. 1. 1 Cor. 5. 8. Gal. 5.9. 'Exod. 22. 29. cb. 23. 10, II.
"7lS'3ni vutibashel, and dressed the cakes. In this passage, says
Mr. Parkhurst, it is to be observed, that 337 is distinguished
fiom ^:h lo knead, and from 'jB'3 to drcis, which agrees witll
the interpri^talion here given.'
" The account which Mr. Jackson gives of an Arab baking;
apparatus, and the manner oi kneading and tossing their cakes,
will at once, if I mistake not, fix the meaning of this passage,
and cast much light upon Lev. xi. 35. ' I was much amused
by observing the dexterity of the Arab women in baking their
bread. '1 hey have a small place built with clay, between two
and three feet high, having a liole in the bottom for the
convenience of drawing out the ashes, somewhat similar to
that of a lime-kiln. The oven (which I think is the most
proper name for this place) is usually about fifteen inches
wide at top, and gradually grows wider to the bottom. It is
heated with wood, and when snihciently hot, and perfectly
clear from smoke, having nothing but clear embers at bottom,
which continue to reflect great heat, they prepare the dough
in a large bowl, and mould the cakes to the desired size on a
board or stone placed near the oven. After they have kneaded
the cake to a proper consistence, they pat it a little, then toss
it about with great dexterity in one hand till it is as thin as
they choose to m.ike it. They then w et one side of it with
water, at the same time wetting the hand and arm, with
which they put it into the oven. The side of the cake ad-
heres fast to the side of the oven, till it is sufficiently baked,
when, if not payed proper attention to, it would fall down
among the embers. If they were not exceedingly quick at
this work, the heat of the oven would burn their arms, but
they perform it with such amazing dexterity, that one woman
will continue keeping three or four cakes in the oven at once,
till she has done baking. This mode, let me add, does not
require half the fuel that is made use of in Europe." — See
more in Harmi:k's Observat. Vol. i. p. 414, &c. Edit 1808.
Verse 8. Thou shalt bring the meat-offering] It is likely
that the person himself who offered the sacrifice, brought it
to the priest, and then the priest presented it before tlie
Lord.
Verse 1 1. No meat-offering shall be made viith leaten] Sec
the reason of this prohibition in the note on Exod. xii. 8,
Nor avy hone})] Because it was apt to produce acidity, as
some think, when wrought up with flour paste ; or rather
because it was apt to gripe and prove purgative. On this lat-
ter account, the College of Physicians have totally lefl it out
of all medicinal preparations. This eftect which it has ir«
3q2
Every offering muxt
shall offer them unto the Lord : but
they shall not " be burnt on the altar
tor a sweet savour.
AM.iijhi.
B C 1490
An, Exod. Isr.
LEVITICUS. be seasoned "jclth salt.
the meat ofFering of thy first-fruits,
green ears of corn dried by the fire.
AbihotNisau.
13 % And every oblation of thy
meat offering ^ shalt thou season with salt : nei-
ther shalt thou suffer ' the salt of the covenant
of thy God to be lacking from^thy meat offer-
ing : ** with all thine offerings thou shalt offer
salt.
14 ^ And if thou offer a m.eat offering of thy
first-fruits unto the Lord, ' thou shalt offer tor
» Heb. ascend. ^ Mark 9. 49. Col. 4. 6. "^ Numb. 18. 19.
most constitutions, was a sufficient reason why it should be
prohibited here, as a principal part of all these oderings was
used by the priests as a part of their ordinary diet ; and these
offerings, being those of the poorer sort, were in greater
abundance than most others. On this account, the griping
and purgative quality of the honey must render it extremely
improper. As leaven was forbidden because producing fer-
vitnuuion, it was considered a species of cornjition, and was
therefore used to signify hypocrisy, malice, &c. which corrupt
the soul; it is possiljle that honey might have had a moral
reference also, and have signified, as St. Jerom thought, car-
nal pleasures and sensual gratifications. Some suppose that
the honey mentioned here, was a sort of saccharine matter,
extracted from dates. Leaven and honey might be offered
vith the first-fruits, as we learn from the next verse; but
they were forbidden to lie burnt on the altar.
Verse 13. With all thine offerings thou shah offer salt.]
Salt was the opposite to leaven, for it preserved fi'om jmtre-
faciion and corruption, and signified the purity and persever-
ing fidelity that were necessary in the worship of God. Every
thing was seasoned with it, to signify the purity and perfec-
tion that should be extended through every part of the divine
service, and through the hearts and lives of God's wor-
shippers. It was called the salt of the covenant of God ; be-
cause as salt is incorruptible, so was the covenant made with
Abram, Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchs, relative to the
redemption of the world by the incarnation and dtath of
Je.sus Christ. Among the heathens, salt was a common in-
gredient in all their sacrificial olferings, and as it was con-
sidered essential to the comfort and preservation of -life, and
an emblem of the most perfect corporeal and mental endow-
ments, so it was ^apposed to be one of the most acceptable
presents they could make unto their gods, from whose .sacri-
fices it was never absent. That inimitable and invaluable
writer Pliny, has left a long cha[)ter on tliis subject, the
seventh of the thiiy first book of his Natural History, a few
extracts from which, will not displease the intelligent reader.
Ergo hercule, vita luumnior sine Sale nequitdegere : adeoque
necessarium elementum est iit transierit intellectus ad vohip-
tal€8 animi quoque. Nam ita S.VLES appellantur omnisque
vita; lepos & summa hilarit^is, laborumque requies non alio
roa^isvocabulo tonslat. Honohbus etiaui mihtisque inter-
even com beaten out of ' tiill ears
15 And ^thou shalt put oil
A. M. 2r,l4.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod.Isr.
upon
Ahih 01 Nitan,
It, and lay frankincense thereon : it is a meat
offering.
1 6 And the priest shall burn " the memorial
of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part
of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense
thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the
Lord.
"I Ezek. 45. 24. ' ch, 23. 10, 14. f » Kingb4. 42. « ver. 1. — » ver. S.
ponitur, Salariis inde dictis — Maxime tamen in sacris in»
telligitur autoritas, quando nulla conficiuntur sine jnola salsa,
" So essentially necessary is salt, that without it human life
cannot be preserved, and even the pleasures and endowments
of the mind are expressed by it; the delights of life, repose,
and the highe.st mental serenity are expressed by no other
term than sales among the Latins. It has also been applied
to designate the honourable rewards given to soldiers, which
are called salarii or salaries. — But its importance may be
farther understood by its use in sacred things, as no sacrifice
was offered to the gods without the salt cake."
So Virgil Eclog. viii. v. 32. Sparge molam.
" Crumble the sacred 7no!e oi salt and corn."
And again, j^Lneid. iv. 517.
Ipsa mala, mp.nibus piis allaria juxta.
" Now with the sacred cake, and lifted hands.
All bent on death, before her altar stands." PiTT.-
In like manner Homer,
Tlaiaat ^'aXoi Bcioio, x^ctTevramv frraii^aq.
Iliad. Lib. ix. ver. 214»
And taking sacred salt from the hearth side
Where it was treasured, poured it o'er the feast.
COWPER,
Quotations of this kind might be easily multiplied,/but the
above may be deemed sufficient.
Verse It. Great ears of corn dried by the /re] Green or
half ripe ears of wheat parched with fire, is a species of food
in use among the poor people of Palestine and Egypt to the
jiresent day. As God is represented as keeping a table among
liis people, for the tabernacle was his house, where he had the
golden table, sliewbread, &c. so he represents himself as
partaking with them of all tiic aliments that were in use, and
even sitting down with the poor, to a repast on parched corn!
We Ivavc already seen that these green ears were presented as a
sort of eucliaristical offering for the blessings of seed time,
and the praspect of a plentiful harvest. See the note on
ver. \.; several other examples might be added here, but they
are not neces.sary.
The command to offer salt «ith every ob'ation, nnd which,
was punctually observed by the Jews, will afford , tbc pioua-
■'g-
Of the peace q/Jlri/i,
reader some profitable reflection?. It is flcll known tliat salt
has two grami properties. 1. It season* and renders palata-
ble tlic principal alinicnt.^ used for the sujiport of life. '2. Ii
urevciits pulrei'action and decay. The covenant of God, that
is, his a!i;reeineiit with his people, is ealled a covenunt of .salt,
to denote. a>i we have seen above, it.-; stahle undecaying na-
ture, as well as to pi.int out its importance and utility in llie
preservation of the life of the soul. The grace of God by.
CHAP. III.
ylll the fat viust he burned.
Christ Jesus, Ts represented under the emblem of salt, (see
Mark is. 1-9. Kpii. iv. '29. Col. iv. 6.) because of its relish-
ing, nourishin'f, and preserving-, qudity. Without it no
ofl'erin^, no sacrifice, no religious service, no \iork even of
charity and mercy, can be acceptable in the si^'ht of God.
In all thing* we must come unto the Father THROUGH HIM.
And from none of our sacrifices or services must this salt of
the covenant of our God be lacking.
CHAPTER III..
The lars of the ■peace-offering in general, 1 — 5. That of the peace-off'erwg taken from the flock, 6—\\. and llie
same zchen tJie offering is a goat, 12 — l?-
A.M. c.iii.
B C. MHO.
lAii.Exod. Isr.
irA'ison.
AND if his oblation be a. " sacri-
fice of peace ortering, if he ofier
it of the herd ; -whether it be a male
or female, he shall oftbr it ^ without
buiiiish before the Lord.
•J And " he shall lay his hand upon the- head
ot' his oHering, and kill it at the door of the
t;i!)crnacle of the congregation : and Aaron's
suiis the priests, shall sprinkle the blood upon
jthc altar round about>
I 3 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the
[peace offering an offering made by lire unto the
iLoRD ; " the ' fiit that covercth the inwards, and
all the fat ihat is upon the inwards,
4 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on
them, which is by the flanks^ and the ' caul
above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he
;take away.
I 5 And Aaron's sons ^ shall burn it on the altar
'upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the
■wood that is on' the fire : it is an offering made
■by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
• Cii. 7. 11, 20. & 22. 21. ^^ ch. 1. 3. <: ch. 1. 4, ,5. Exod. 29. 10.
" Kxod. 2'.). 1 J, 22. cli. 4. 8, 9. » Or, ineU
NOTES ON CH-iP. III.
Verse 1. Peace-offering] DWli' Shdamim: an offering to make
ipface betwef II God and man; see on chap. vii. andCJfii.xiv. 18.
I Verse 2. l^iy lus hands upon the lieinl' of his offering] See
Ithis rite explained on Kxod. xxix. 10. and Levit. i. 4. As
>tbe burnt-offering (Lev. I.) says Mr. Ainsworth, figured our
rennciliation to God by the death of Christ ; and the mcat-
toffei ing, chap, ii; our sanctification in him before God ; so
Uhis peace-offering signified both Christ's oblation of himstlf,
Iwlureby iie became our Feace and Salvation, Eph. ii. I'l —
16. Acts xiii. 47. Ileb. v. 9. ix. L'S. and our oblation of
praiscj thank.- jji .'in^j, and prayer unio God."
A. M. 2514.
15. C. MIX).
An. £.\ud. Isr,
</^
Ahih or Aisim.
6 ^ And if his offering for a sacri-
fice of peace ofteriiig unto the Loud
be of the flock ; male or female, "he
shall oflcr it without blemish.
7 If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall-
he offer it before the Lord.
8 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of
his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle
of the congregation : and Aaron's sons shall
sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the
altar..
9 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the
peace offering, an offering made by fire unto the
Lord ; the fiit thereof, and the whole rump, it
shall he take off hard by the backbone ; and
tlie fat that covcreth the inwards, and all the
fat that is upon the inwards,
10 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is
upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul
above the liver, with the kidneys, it sluiU he
take away..
1 1 And the priest shall burn it upon the altar:
•- Or, midriff' tvCT the limr, and over the kidiicys.-
" vcr. 1, i:c.
: ch. G. 12. Exod. 29. Ii.
Verse 3. The fat that covcreth the imvards] The omentum,
caul or itt'i, as some term it. The fat that in upon the in-
ivanis ; probably the mesenterj/, or fatty part of tlie substance
whicii connects the convolutiivns of the alimentary canal, or
small intestines.
Verse 5. yiaron's sons shall lumi it] As the fnt was
deemed the most valuahie part of the animal, it was offered
in preference to all other parts : and the heathens probaljly
borrowed this custom fiom the Jews; for they burnt the
omentum or caul in honour of their gods.
Verse 9. The whole rump, it shall he lake off hard h the back-
bone} To what has already been said on the tails of the
TJie peace offering of a goat, LEVITICUS.
it is "the food of the offering made
by fire unto the Lord.
1 2 ^ And if his offering be a goat,
then '' lie shall offer it before the
A. M. 2.51-J.
B.C. 1400.
An. Exnd. lir.
Abfb 01- Kisiin.
Lord.
13 And he shall lay his hand upon the head
of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the
congregation : and the sons of Aaron shall
sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round
about.
14 And he shall offer thereof his offering,
even an offering made by fire unto the Lord ;
• See ch. 21. 6, 8, 17, 21, 22. & 22. 25. Ezek. 44. 7. Mai. 1. 7, 12. >> ver.
1. 7, &c. 'ch. 7. 2.1, 2.5. I Sara. 2. 15. 2 Chroii. 7. 7. "ch. 6. 18.
& 7. 36. & 17. 7. & 23. 14.
Eastern sheep, in the note on Exod. xxix. 22. we may add
the following observation from Dr. Russel concerning the
sheep at Aleppo. Their faHs, says he, are of a substance
between /n< and marrow, and are not eaten separately, but
mixed with the lean meat in many of their dishes, and also
often used instead of butter. He states also that a common
sheep of this kind, without the head, fat, skin, and entrails,
weighs from sixty to seventy English pounds, of which the tail
usually weighs Jifieen pounds and upwards ; but that those
of the largest breed, when fattened, will weigh o)ie Imndred
and fifty pounds, and their tails fifty ; which corresponds
with the account given by Ludolf in the note referred to above.
The sheep about Jerusalem are the same with those in Abys-
sinia, mentioned by Ludolf, and those of Syria mentioned by
Dr. Russel.
Verse 11./^ is the food of the offering] We have already
remarked that God is frequently represented as feasting with
his people on the sacrifices they offered ; and because these
sacrifices were consumed by that fire that was kindled from
heaven ; therefore, they were considered as the food of that
fire, or rather of the divine Being who was represented by it.
In the same idiom of speech, says Dodd, the gods of
the heathens are said, Deut. xxxii. .38. to eat the fat and
drink the wine which were consumed on their altars.
Verse 12. A goat] Implying the whole species, he-goat,
she-goat, and kid, as we have already seen.
Verse 17. That ye eat neither fat nor blood.] It is not
likely that the. /«< should be forbidden in the same manner
and in the same latitude as the blood. The blood was the
life of the beast, and that was offered to make an atonement
for their souls; consequently, this was never eaten in all
their generations, hut it was impo.ssible to separate the fat
from the flesh, which, in many part-, is so intimately inter-
mixed with the muscular fibres; but the blood being contained
and the manner of offering it,
the fat that covereth the inwards,
and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
15 And the two kidneys, and the
fat that is upon them, which is by
A.M. 2914.
B. C. 149Q.
An. Exod. Isr.
2.
AbxhorJimn.
the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with
the kidneys, it shall he take away.
16 And the priest shall burn them upon the
altar : it is the food of the offering made by
fire for a sweet savour : "all the fat is the Lord's.
n It shall be a "perpetual statute for your
generations throughout all your dwelhngs, that
ye eat neither 'fat nor 'blood.
= ver. 16. compare with Deut. ."2. 14. Neh. 8. 10. ^Uen. 9. 4. cK 7. 23,
26. & 17. 10, 14. Deut. 12. 16. 1 Sam. 14. 3j. Ezok. 44. 7, 15.
in separate vessels, the arteries and reins, might, with great
ease, be entirely removed by cutting the throat of the animal,
which was the Jewish method. By the fat, therefore,
mentioned here and in the preceding verse, we may under-
stand any fat that exists in a separate or unmixed state, sucb
as the omentum or caul, the fat of the mesentery, the fat on tlie
kidneysjdind whatever else of the internal fat was easily separable,
together with tlie whole of the tail already described. And
probably, it was the fat of such animals only, as were offered
to God in sacrifice, that was unlawful to be eaten.
As all temporal as well as spiritual blessings come from
God, he has a right to require, that such of them should be
dedicated to his service as he may think proper to demand.
He required the most perfect of all the animals, and the best
parts of iheie perfect animals. This he did, not that he
needed any thing, but to shew the perfection of his nature,
and the purity of his service. Had he condescended to
receive the meanest animals, and the meanest parts of animals
as his offerings, what opinion could his worshippers hare
entertained of the perfection of his nature ? If such im-
perfect offerings were worthy of this God, then his nature
must be only worthy of such offerings. It is necessary that
every thing employed in the worship of God, should be
the most perfect of its kind that the time and circumstances
can afford. As sensible things are generally the medium
through which spiritual impressions are made, and the im-
pression usually partakes of the nature of the medium through
which these impressions are communicated. Hence, every
thing should not only be decent, but as far as circumstances
will admit, dignified in the worship of God ; the object
of religious worship, the place in which he is worshipped,
and the worship itself should have the strongc.-;t and most
impressive correspondence possible.
CHAPTER IV.
Tlie laze concerning the sin-offering for transgressions auninitted ihroitgh ignorance, 1, 2. For the priest thus
sinnin", 3 — 12. For the sins of ignorance of tite Jthole congregation, 13 — ^21. For the sins of ignorance of
a ruler, 22 — 20. Fur the sins of ignorance of any of the common i^ieoplc, 27 — 35.
Of sins of ignorance; of those of CHAP. IV,
AND the LoKD spake unto Moses,
A.M.esw.
B. C 1 IW.
An.Exod.Isr.
AhibotHiian.
_ saying,
2 Speak unto the cliildren of Israel,
* It" a soul shall sin through
ignorance against any of the commandments
of' the Lord, {concerning things which ought
not to be done,) and shall do against any of
them :
3 " If the priest that is anointed do sin accord-
ing to the sin of the people; then let him bring
for his sin, wliich he hath sinned, 'a young
bullock without blemish, unto the Lord, for
a sin otit^ring.
4 And he shall bring the bullock "unto the
door of the tabernacle of the congregation, be-
fore the Lord; and shall lay his hand upon
the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before
tlie Lord.
5 And the priest that is anointed, Shall take
1 of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the ta-
^bcrnacle of the congregation.
\ 6 And the priest shall dip his finger in the
blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times be-
ifore the Lord, before the vail of the sanctuary.
7 And the priest shall "^put some of the blood
upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense
' •Ch. 5. 15, 17. Numb. 15. 22, «:c. 1 Sam. 14. 27. Ps. 19. 12. 'ch.
& \-2. ' cli. 9 2 " ch. 1. J, t. ' ch. 16. 14. Numb. 10. 4.— fell.
, 8. 1 j. & 9. 9. &. It). 18. tch. 3. 9. "ch. o. 3, 4, 5. 'Eiod. Si9. 14.
I NOTES OX CHAP. IV.
I Verse 2. If a scad slmll sin throut^h ^^lwranK^ That is,
■ if any man shall do what God has forbidden, or leave undone
' what God has commanded, through ignorance oi' the law
relative to these points; as soon as the transijression or
; omission comes to liis knowledge, he shall ollir the sacrifice
here prescribed; and shall not suppose that bis it^norancc is
an excuse for his sin. He who, wlien his iniquity comes to
, his knowledge, refuses to offer such a sacrifice, sins obstinately
■ and wilfully, and to him there rcnutins no other sacrifice for
sin, no other mode by which he can be reconciled to God ;
but lie has a certain fearful looking for of judgment, which
shall devour such adversaries ; and this seems the case to
wliich the apostle alludes, Heb. x 26, &c. in tlie words above
quoted. 'J'lipre have b^en a great number of subule questions
, started on this subject, both by Jews and Christians ; but
, the above I believe to be the sense and spirit of the law.
Ver.^e 3. If the priest that is anointed] Meaning, most
probably, the high-priest. According to the sin of the people ;
for, although he bad greater advantages than the people
could have, in being more conversant with the law of God,
and his lips should understand and preserve knowledge, yet
it was possible even for hiin, in that lime in which the will
ftf God had not been fully revealed, to transgress tlirough
.\.M.iJ14.
B. C. 1490.
An. 1 jocj.lsr.
2
/ibibvr Kistm^
the fat of
the fiit that
lat that is
an individual, and the sacrifice
i before the Lord, which is in the taber-
j nacle of the congregation ; and shall
pour ^all the blood o: the bullock at
[ the bottom of the altar of the burnt
' oflferino- which is at the door of the tabernacle
of the congregation.
I 8 And he shall take off from it all
the bullock tor the sin offering;
covereth the inwards, and all the
I upon the inwards,
9 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is
upon them, which is by the flanks, and tlie
caul above the liver, with tlie kidneys, it shall
he take away.
10 "As it was taken off" from the bullock of
the sacrifice of peace otlerings: and the priest
shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt
offering.
1 1 ' And the skin of the bullock, and all his
flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his
inwards, and his dung.
12 Even the whole bullock shall he carry-
forth "without the camp unto a clean place,
'where the ashes are poured out, and "burn
him on the wood with fire: "where the ashes
are poured out shall he bs burnt.
Numb. 19. !^. ' Hcb. to withnut the camp.
11. " Heb. at Uhe fouring uut nf the ashes.
icb. 6. 11. ^"Hebr. 13.
ignorance; and his transgression might have the very worst
tendency, because the people might be thereby led into sin.
Hence, several critics understand this passage in this ,way,
and translate it thus: If the anointed priest shall lead the
people to sin — or, literally, if the anointed priest stiall sin to the
sin of the people; that i.s, so as to cause the people to
transgress, the shepherd going astray, and the sheep follow-
ing alter him.
Verse 4. Lay his hand upon the bullock's head"} See on
chap. i. 4.
Verse 6. Seven times'] ■ See the note on Exod. xxix. .30.
The blood of this sacrifice was applied in three different
ways. 1. The priest put his finger in it and sprinkled it
seven limes betlire the vail, ver. 6. 2. He put some of it
on the horns of the altar of incense. 3. He poured the remain-
ing part at the bottom of the altar of burnt-offerings, ver. 7.
Verse 12. Without the camp] This was intended, figura-
tively, to express the sinfvdness of this sin, and the available-
ness of the atonement. The sacrifice, as having the sin of
the priest transft rred from himself to it by his confession and
imposition of hands, was become unclean and abominable,
and was carried, as it wire, out of the Lord's sight; from
the tabernacle and congiegation, it must be carried without
the camp : and thus its own offensiveness was removed, and
B. C. 1 1'JO.
All. Kxod. Ur.
Of sins of ignora-nce
1 3 i[ And ' if the whole congrega-
tion of Israel sin through ignorance,
'' and the thing be hid ti:om the eyes
of the assembly, and they have done
somexihat agahist any of tliC commandments of
the LoKD, concerning tilings whicli should not be
done, and are guilty ;
1.4 When the sin, which they have sinned
against it, is known, then the congregation
shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring
him before the tabernacle of the congrega-
tion.
15 And the elders of the congregation "'shall
lay their hands upon the head of the bullock
before tlie Loiio: and the bullock shall be killed
-before the Louu.
1 6 "^ And the priest that is anointed shall bring
of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the
congregation.
17 And the priest shall dip his finger in some
of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before
the Lord, even before the vail.
18 And he shall put 50??/(? of the blood upon
die horns ef the altar which is before the Lord,
that is in the tabernacle of the congregation,
and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom
^f the altar of the burnt offering, which is at
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
19 And he shall take all his fat from him, and
burn it upon tlie altar.
20 And he sh.ill do M-ith the bullock as he
did * with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall
he do mth this : ^ and the piiest shall make an
LEVITICUS. m tlie whole congregation, ^r.
atonement for them, and it shall be
'Nuich. IS. 24. .lo'li. 7. 11. ''ch. 5. 2, 3, 4, 17 "^cli. 1. 4.
» vcr. 5. He.br. 9. IL', Ij, 14. ' ver 3. f Numb. 15. S.'.5. Dan. 9. 24.
Rom. 5. 11. Hebr. 2. 17. & 10. 10, 11, 12. Ijohii 1. 7. & 2. 2. Sver. 2,
tlie sin of the peri^on in whose behalf it was offerert. The
apostle (Hell. xiii. II — 13.) ajipUes lliis in the most pointed
manner to Chri.st. For the bodies of tho'ie bca.-<ls luhose blood
is brounktintn the sar.C'.uury by the !ii'^li-prkxl,for sin, are bumtd
without the Cfimji. Wherffore, J^'sue (iho, that he iniglu ■simcl{f)j
■the people wiihhis own blood, suffered ivitJiout the gute. Letus go
forth therefore unto him luiihontdhe annp, bearing his reproach.
Verse 13. If the 'ahole coni^regalion of Israel sin'] This
.jirobabiy refers to some oversi^jht in acts of religious worship,
or to some transjrression "f the tetter of the la>v, wiiiih arose
■out of the peculiar cireinnstancis in which they were then
foimfl, .siK h as the case mentioned 1 San\. xiv. 32, &c. wlxre
■the people, throii;.^h their long and excessive fatip^ue in llitir
combat with the Philistines, being faint, Jlav on the. spoil,
and took sheep, oxen, anf\ calves, and stcui them on the ground,
iu'.ddid eat vjich the blood: and this was jiartly occasioned
rgiven them.
And he shall
A.M. 2.914.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. Isr.
2.
Ahib or Nii
isan.
it IS a sin
fo^
2r And he shall carry forth the
bullock without the camp, and burn
him as he bin-ned the first bullock :
oMering for the congregation.
22 % When a ruler hath sinned, and ^done
some-ivhdt through ignorance against any of the
commandments of the Lord his God, concern-
ing things which should not be done, and is
guilty,
23 Or " if his sin, wherein he hath sinned,
come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offer-
ing, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish :
24 And 'he shall lay his hand upon the head
of the goat, and kill it in the place where they
kill the burnt offering before the Lord : it is a
sin offering.
25 "And the priest shall take of the blood
of the sin offering wth his finger, and put it
upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering,
and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of
the altar of burnt offering.
26 And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar,
as 'the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings:
"and the priest shall make an atonement tor
him as concerning his siu, and it shall be for-
given him.
27 ^' And " if "any one of the "^ common
people sin through ignorance, while he doeth
someidiat against any of the commandments
of the Lord, coticerning things
not to be done, and be guilty;
which ought
l:i. ''ver. 14.—
Numb. 15. 28.
jHoiile of til c land.
-'■vet. 4, &c. ''ver. 30. 'ch. 3. H. ""ver. 20.
'ver. 2. JNumb. 15. 27. " Heb. any soui PHeb.
by the rash adjuration of Said, mentioned verse 24. Curseil
be the men that cateth any food until evening.
The sacrifices and rites in this case were the same as tho.««
prescribed in the prece«lin<^ ; only here the elders of the con-
s^Tes;ation, i. e. three of the !i<inhedriin, accordin^j to Mui-
monides, laid their hands on the head of the victim in the
n.ame of all the congregation.
Verse 22. When a ruler hath sinned] Under the term N'lW
7iusi, it is probable that any person is meant who held any
kind of political dignity among the people, though the Rab-
bins generally understand it of the king.
A kid of tiu- goals was the sacrifice in this case, the rites
nearly the same as in the preceding cases, only the./iiMvas
burnt as that ot the peace-offering. — See ver. 26. and ch.
iii. 5.
Verse 27. The common people] ynNH Cjy dm ha-arett, tlie
lIoiD the blood is to be sprinkled, CHAP. V.
28 Or "if liis sin, which he hath
sinned, come to his l^nowletlgc: then
he shall bring his ottering, a kid of
the goats, a tcmale without blemish,
A.M.«514.
I). C. 14'.X>.
All. ExiH.lsr.
'2.
^fcifcor iVisoii.
tor his sin whicli he hath sinned.
b
and the Jilt burr>t.
brirg a lamb for a
le shall bring it a
iemale without blemish.
33 And he shall lay his hand upon
32 And if lie
sin offering, *
A.M.e.iU
B. C. 14iX).
Au. Eitod Isf.
2
AliihoxHiim.
the head of the sin ortering, and slay it for a
29 " And he shall lay his hand upon the head i sin oftering, in the place where they kill the
of the sin offering, and slay the sin oftering in 1 burnt oftering.
the place of the i)urnt offering
30 And the priest shall take of the blood
tliercof with his finger, and put it upon the
horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall
pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom
of the altar.
31 And 'he shall take away all the fat thereof,
" as the fat is taken awav from oft' the sacriftce of
peace offerings ; and the priest shall burn it upon
the altar for a 'sweet savour unto the Lord;
•^and the priest shall make an atonement for
him, and it shall be forgiven him.
» Wr. 23. 1- ver. 4, 24. =eli. 3. 14. "cli. 3. 3. ^"Exod. 29. 18.
people of the land ; that is, any individual who was not a
priest, A/?;if or ruler among the people ; any of the poor or
ordinary sort ; any of these having transgressed through
ignorance, was obliged to bring a lamb or a kid, the cere-
monies being nearly the same as in the preceding cases.
Tlic law relative totlie general ca?esofj^ins committed through
ignorance, and the sacrifices to be oflfered on such occasions,
so amply detailed in this cliapter, may be thus rerapitu-
latfd. For all sins and transgreosions of this kind, committed
by the pt:ople, the prince, and tlic priest, they must offer expiatory
ofleriiigs. The (x-rson so sinning, must bring the sacrifice to
the door of the tabernacle, and lay his hands upon its head,
as in a case already referred to, acknowledging the sacrifice
to be his, that he needed it for his transgression; and thus
he was considered as confessing his sin ; and the sin was con-
sidered as transferred to the animal, whose blood was then
spilt to make an atonement. See on chap. i. verse 4. Such
institutions as these could not be considered as terminating in
■themselves; tiiey necessarily had reference to somethmg of
infinitely higher moment: in a word, they typified Him
whose soul was made an offering for sin, Isa. liii. 10. And
taken out of this reference, ihcy seem both absurd and
I irrational. It is obviou.sly in reference to these imiocent
! creatures being brought as sin-ofl'erings to God fur the guilty,
' that St. Paul alludes, 2 Cor. v. 'j 1 . where he says, lie (God)
34 And the priest shall take of the blood of
the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon
the horns of the altar of burnt olicring, and
shall pom- out all the blood thereof at the bottom
of the altar :
35 And he shall take away all the fat thereof,
as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the
sacrifice of the peace ofterings; and the priest
shall burn them upon the altar, '' according to the
ofterings made by fire unto the Lord: ' and the
priest shall make an atonement for his sin that
he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.
ch. 1. 9. f ver. 26. ^ ver. 28. " cli. 3. 5. ' ver. 26, 31.
made him to he sin (a/jia^Tiav, a sin-offering) for us WHO
KNEW NO t>liN', lliat tie 7niglu be made the righteousness of God,
holy and pure by the power and grace of God, in or through lam.
And it is worthy of remark, that the Greek word used by
the apostle, is the same by which the Septuagint, in more
than fourscore places in the f'entateuch, translate the
Hebrew word nstJPt, cluitah, sin, which in all those places
our translation renders sin-offering. Even sins of ignorance
cannot be unnoticed, by a strict and holy law : these also
need the great atonement; on which account we should
oitcn pray, with David, Cleanse thou nie from secret fau/ls ;
Ps. xix. 12. How little attention is paid to this solemn subject!
sins of this kind, sins committed sometimes ignorantly, and more
frequently, heedlessly, are permitted to accumulate in their
number, and consequently in their guilt ; and from this very
circumstance, we may often account for those painfiil
desertions, as they are called, under which many com-
paratively good people labour. They have committed sins
of ?ij)7oruHC(; or heedlessness, and have not oflered the sacrifice
which can alone avail in their behalf. How necessaiy. in
ten thousand cases, is the following excellent prayer. " That
it may please thee to give us true repentance; to forgive us
all our sins, iici^ligences and ignorances, and to indue us
with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, to amend our lives accord-
ing to thy Holy Word." — Litany.
CHAPTER V.
^Concerning zcitnesies who, being adjured, refuse to tell the tru'Ji , 1. Of those who contract deJilemeiH by loitrhivg
vnclean things or persona, 2. Of those who bind themselves by vows or oaths, and do not fvljil them, 4,5. The
3 R
Different ordinances relative to LEVITICUS. uncleannesses, to vows, ^x. <§-c.
trespass offering prescribed in such cases, a Iamb or a kid, 6. A iurtle Jove or tzco young pigeons, 7 — 10; or an
ephahofjinejioiirwith oil and frankincense, 11 — 13. Other laws relative to trespasses, through ignorance, in
holt/ things, 14 — 16. Of trespasses in things unknown, 17 — 19.
AND if a soul sin, ' and hear
A.M. 2514.
'UuExod.isr J^^\. ^^ voice of swcaring, and is a
2. witness, whether he hath seen or
Abiho.NUan. ^^0^^^ of it; if hc do not utter it.
then he shall "' bear his iniquity.
2 Or " if a soul touch any unclean thing, whe-
ther it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a
carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of
unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden
from him ; he also shall be unclean, and
" guilty.
3 Or if he touch ' the uncleanness of man,
whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall
be defiled withal, and it be hid from him ; when
he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty.
4 Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his
lips ^ to do evil, or ^ to do good, whatsoever it
be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and
it be hid from him ; wlien he knoweth of it, then
he shall be guilty in one of these.
5 And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in
one of these things, that he shall ^ confess that
he hath sinned in that thi7ig :
6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto
A. W. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod.Isi.
2. ;
Abib ur Siinn,
the LoED for his sin which he hath
sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb
or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering ;
and the priest shall make an atone-
ment for him concerning his sin.
7 ^ And ' if " he be not able to
lamb, then he shall bring for his
which hc hath committed, two '
or two young pigeons, unto the
for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt
bring a
trespass,
turtle -doves.
Lord
one
offering.
> iKingsS. 31. Walt, 2(3. 63. *■ ver.l7. ch.7. 18. &. 17. 16. & 19.8.
& 20. 17. Numb. 9. 1j <: cli. 11. 24, i'B, 31, 39. Nurah. 19. 11, 13, 16.
" ver. 17. ' cli. 1'.', & 13, & 15. f See 1 Sam. 25. 22. Acts 23. 12.
6 See Mark 6. 23. " cli. 16. 21. & 26. 40. Numb. 5. 7. Ezra 10, 11, 12.
NOTES ON CHAP. V.
Verse 1. If u soul sin] It is generally supposed, that tlie
case referred to here, is that of a person who, being de-
manded by the civil magistrate to answer upon oath, refuses
to tell what he knows concerning the subject — such an oue
shall bear his iniquity — shall be considered as guilty in the
sight of God of the transgression which hc has endeavoured
to conceal, and must expect to be punished by him for hiding
the iniquity to which he was privy; or suppressing the truth,
which being discovered, would have led to the exculpation of
the innocent, and the punishment of the guilty.
Verse 2. Any unclean thing] Either the dead body of a
clean animal, or the living or dead carcase of any unclean
creature. All such persons were to wash their clothes and
themselves in clean water, and were considered as unclean
till the evening, chap. xi. 24 — 3 1 . But if this had been
neglected, they were obliged to bring a trespass- ojcrijig.
What this meant, .sec the notes on chap. vii.
Verse 4. To do evil, or to do good'] It is very likely that
rash pnimise.s are here intended : for if a man vow to do an
act that is evil, thou;^h it would be criminal to keep such an
8 And he shall bring them unto the priest,
who shall offer that which is for the sin offering
first, and "wring off his head from his neck, but
shall not divide it asunder :
9 And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin
offering upon the side of the altar ; and " the '
rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bot-
tom of the altar : it is a sin offering.
10 And he shall offer the second Jor a burnt
offering, according to the ° manner p-. '' and the
priest shall make an atonement for him for his
sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be for-
given him.
'cli. 12. 8. & 14. 21. i^Heb. his hand cannot reach tn the suffi-
ckncy of a lamb. ' cli. 1. 14. "■ cli. 1. 15. " ch. 4. 7, 18, 30, 34.
" Or, onlinance. P cli. 1. 14. 1 cli. 4. 26.
oath or vow, yet he is guilty, because he made it; and there-
fore must offer the trespass-offering. If he neglect to do the,
good he has vowed, he is guilty, and must, in both cases,
confess his iniquity, and bring his trespass-offering.
Verse 6. He shall confess that he hath sinned] Even resti-
tution was not sufficient without this confession, because a:
man might make restitution without being nuich humbled:
but the confession of sin has a direct tendency to humble the
soul ; and hence it is so frequently required in the Holy Scrip*
tures, as without humiliation there can be no salvation.
Verse 7. If he be not able to bring a hnnb] See the con-
clusion of chapter the first.
Verse S. But shall not divide it] See the note on chap. i.
16.
Verse 10. He shall offer the second for a burnt-offering}
The pigeon for the burnt-offering was wliolly consumed; it:
was the Lord's property : that fijr the sin-offering was the
priest's property, and was to be eaten by him, after its blood
had been partly .sprinkled on the side of the altar, and the.
rest poured out at the bollom of the altar. — See also chap. vi.
26.
Sins committed through ignorance, CHAP. V. in the holy things of the Lord.
11^ But if he be not able to bring |i estimation by shekels of silver, after a.m. saw.
" the shekel of the sanctuary, for a
trepass ottering
A.M. 25 U.
B. C U90.
An. Exod. Isr.
a.
AWi or A'isan,
two turtle-doves, or
pigeons, then, he that
two young-
sinned shall
bring for his ottering the tenth part
of an ephah of fine flour for a sin ottering ; ' he
shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any
frankincense thereon: for it is a sin ottering.
12 Then shall he bring it to the priest, and
the priest shall take his handful of it, ^ even a
memorial thereof, and biun it on the altar, " ac-
cording to tlie offerings made by fire unto the
Lord : it is a sin ottering.
13 ''And the priest shall make an atonement
for him as toucliing his sin that he hath sinned
in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him :
and ' the remnant shall be the priest's, as a meat
offering.
14 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
15 ' If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through
ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord ; then
^ he shall bring tor his trespass unto the Lord a
ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy
» Numb. 5. 15. •> ch. 2 2. ' cli. 4. 33. " cli.4. 26. ' cli. 2. 3.
f cli. 22. 14. s Kzra 10. )9. " Exod. 30. 13. cli. 27. 25. ' ch. 6.
5. & 22. 14. ic 27. 13,15, 5^,31. Numb.5.7. "cli. 4 26. 'cli. 4. 2.
Verse 11. Tcnlli part o/anephalt] About three quarts. The
epliah contained a little more than seven gallons and a half.
Vorse 15. In the lioly things of the Loid] This law seems
to relate particularly to sacrilege, and defrauds in spiritual
matters — such as the neglect to consecrate or redeem the
first-born — the withholding of the first-fruits, tythes, and such
like ; and, according to the llabbins, making any secular
gain of divine things, keeping back any part of the price of
things dedicated to God, or withholding what a man had vowed
to pay. — See a long list of these things in Ainsivorlh.
With thy estimation'] The wrong done, or the defraud com-
mitted, should be estimated at the number of shekels it vvas
worth, or for which it would sell. These the defrauder was
to pay down, to which he was to add a fifth part more, and
bring a ram without blemish, for a sin-offering, besides.
There is an obscurity in the text ; but this seems to be its
meaning.
Verse 16. Shall make amends] ]\Iake restitution for the
V rong he had done according to what is laid down in the
preceding verse.
Verse 19. He hath certainly trespassed] And I.ecause he
hath sinned, therefore he must bring a sacrifice. On no
othev ground shall he be accepted by the Lord. — Reader, how
dost thou stand in the sight of thy Maker .?
On the subject of this chapter, it may be proper to make
the following reflections.
When the infinite ])urity and strict justice of God are con-
sidered, the exceeding breadth of his commandment, our
L. C. 1490.
All. Eiod. 1st.
2.
AbihmKUan.
16 And he shall make amends for
the harm that he hath done in the holy thing,
and ' shall add the fvftli part thereto, and give
it unto the priest : " and the priest shall make an
atonement for him with the ram of the trespass
ottering, and it shall be forgiven him.
1 7 % And if a ' soul sin, and commit any of
these things which are forbidden to be done by
the commandments of the Lord ; ™ though he
wist it not, yet is he " guilty, and shall bear his
iniquity.
18 "And he shall bring a ram without blemish
out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a tres-
pass ottering, unto the priest : '' and the priest
I shall make an atonement for him concerning his
I ignorance wherein he erred and w^ist it not, and
it shall be forgiven him.
1 9 It is a trespass offering ;
trespassed against the Lord.
'' he hath certainly
" ver. 15. cli. 4. 2, 13, 22, 27. Ps. 19. 12. Luke 12. 48. " ver. 1, '.
" ver. 15. P ver. 16. 1 Ezra 10. 2.
slowness of heart to believe, and our comparatively cold per-
formance of sacred duties, no wonder that there is sinfulness
found in our holy things: and at what a low ebb must the
Clnislian life be found, when this is the case ! This is a sore
and degrading evil in the church of God ; but there is one
even worse than this, that is, the strenuous endeavour of many
religious people to reconcile their minds to this state of inex-
cusable imperfection; and defend it zealously, on the sup-
position that it is at once both unazoidable and useful — un-
avoidable, for they think they cannot live without it— and
useful, because they suppose it tends to humble them ! The
more inward sin a man has, the more pride he will feel: the
Ics.s, the more humili/y. A sense of God's infinite kindness
to us, and our constant dependance on him, will ever keep
the soul in the dust. Sin can never be necessary to the mainte-
nance or extension of the Christian life : — it is the thing
which Jesus Christ came into the world to destroy; and his
name is called .If.SUS, or Sa7:iour, because he saves his people
from their sins. But how little of the spirit and influence of
his Ciospel is known in the world ! He saves, unto the utter-
most, llicm who come unto the Father through him — but,
alas ! how few are thus saved ! — for they will not come unto
him, that they might have life. Should any Christian refuse
to offer up the following prayer to God ? — " Almighty God!
unto whom all heart* be open, and from whom no secrets are
iiid ; cleanse tiie thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of
tliy holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily
magnify thy holy Name, through Christ our Lord. Amen."
— The Liturgy.
3 R 2
Djffiireni lauis relative to
LEVITICUS.
fraudulent practices.
.CHAPTER VI.
LaKS relative to detention of proper!)/ entrusted to the care of unotlier, to rohherj/ and deceit, 1, d ; finding ofgoodH
lost, keeping them from tlieir owner, ajidszoearingfahelyr, 3. Such a person shall not only restore zehat he has
thus unhmfuUti gotten, but shall add a fiftli part of the value of the property besides, 4, 5. A)id shall bring «
ram tcithout blemish, as a trespass-offering to the Lord, 6, 7. Laus relative to the burat-oflering, and the
perpetual firp, 8 — 13. Larc; o/" fAe meat-offering, and zchq matf laufullj/ eat of it, 14 — 18. Laws relative to
the offerings o/' Aaron and his sons and their successors, on the day of their anointing, 19 — 13. Laws relative,
to the sin-offering, and those who 7uight cat of it, 14 — 30.
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
Aii.Exod.br.
2.
AhibOr Xisan.
AND
j^Y Moses, saying.
the Lord spake unto | he took violently away, or the thing
which he hath deceithilly gotten, or
that wliich was delivered him to
keep, or the lost thing which he
unto his neighbour in that "which was deli\'ered i found,
5 Or all that about which he hath
2 If a soal sin, and ' commit a
trespass against the Lord, and ^ lie
A. M. 2.514.
B. C. 1)90.'
Aii.Exiid.lsr.
2.
AbihorNisam.
him to keep, or in "^ rcllowship% or in a thing
taken away by violence, or hath ^ deceived liis
neighbour ;
3 Or ^have found that which was lost, and
lieth concerning it, and * sweareth falsely ; in
any of all these that a man doeth, sinning
then in :
4 Then It shall be, because he liath sinned,
and is guilty, that he shall restore that which
» Numb 5. 6. " ch. 19. 11. Acts 5.4. Col. 3. 9 " Exod. 2-2. 7,
1^. " Or, in dealing. ' Hcb. putting of the liand. f Prov. 24. 23.
1 26. 19. 6 Ueut. 2a. J, 2, 3. >> Exod. 22. 11. ch. 19. 12. Jer. 7. 9.
NOTES ON CHAP. VI.
Verse 2. Lie imto Ids neighbour, ^c] This must refer to
a case in whicli a per.'^on delivered his properly to his neigh-
bour to be preserved for him, and took no witness to attest
the delivery of the goods; such a person, therefore, niighl
deny that lie had ever received such goods, for he who had
deposited them with him, could bring no proof of the delivery-
On the other hand, a man might accuse his neighbour of
detaining property which he had never confided to him, or
after having been confided, had restored it again; hence,
the law here is very cautious on these points ; and, because
in many cases, it was impossible to come at the whole truth,
without a direct revelation from God, which should in no
common case be expected ; the penalties are very moderate ;
for in such cases, even when guilt was discovered, the man
might not be so criminal as appearances miglit intimate. —
Sec the law concerning this, laid down and explained on
Exod. xxii. 7, &c.
Verse '.i. Have found that Kliich ii-as lost] The Roman
l.iwyers laid it down as a sound maxim in jurisprudence,
" 1 bat he who found any property, and applied it to his
own use, shouhl be considered as a thief, whether he knew
the owntr or not; for in their view, the crime was not
lessened, suppose the tinder was totally ignorant of the right
owner." Sui alienum quidjacens, htcri fiiciendi causa suslulit,
fuTti ebstringitur, tive scil, cujtis sit, sive ignoravit; nihil
sworn
falsely ; he shall even ' restore it in the princi-
pal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto,
(tnd give it unto him to whom it appertaineth,
" in ' the day of his trespass offering.
6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto
the Lord, "" a ram without blemish out of the
flock, Avith thy estimation, for a trespass offer-
ing, unto the piiest :
Zecli. 5. 4 ' cli. 5. 16. Numb. 5. 7. 2 Sam. 12, 6. Luke 19. 8. k Cr,
in the day (if his being found guilty. ' Heb, in the day of his trespass.——
™ ch. 5. 15.
enim ad furtum minuendiim facit, quod cujiis sit, ignoret.—
DlGESTOR. lib. xlvii. Tit. ii. de furtis. Leg. -sMW. Sect. 4.
On this subject every honest man must sa_v, that the man
who finds any lost propertj-, and does not make all due
enquiry to find out the owner, should, in sound polic}-, be
treated as a thief. It is said of the Dyrboeans, a [jeopte who
inhabited the tract between Bactria and India, that if they
met with any lost property, even on the public road, tliey
never even touched it This was actually the case in this kin"-
d(im in the time of Alfred the Great, about A. D. 888 ; so that
golden bracelets, hung up on the public roads, were un-
touched by the finger of rapine. One of Solon's laws was,
Take not up, ivhat you laid not doicn. How easy to act b}'
this principle in case of finding lost property: " This is not
mine, and it would be criminal to convert it to my use,
unless the owner be dead, and his family extinct." When all
due enquiry is made, if no owner can be found, the lost property
may be legally considered to lie the property of the finder.
Verse 5. All that about which he hath ivorn falsely] Thi»
supposes the case of a man who, being convicted by his own
conscience, comes forward and confesses his sin.
•Restore it in the principal] The property itself if still
remaining, or the full value of it, to which a fifth part more
xvas to be added.
Verse 6. fVitk thy esiimation] — See the note on chap. r.
ver. 15.
A.M. 2514.
B.C. MOO.
An. Exo(). Isr.
Mill or Kisan.
The Ictw of the hurnt-offbr'mg,
7 * And the priest shall make an
atonement for liini before the Loud :
and it sliall be tbrfriven him for any
thing of all that he liath done in tres-
pas.sing therein.
8 ^ And the Lord spake unto IMoscs, saying,
'9 Command Aaron and his sons, saying. This
is the law of the burnt oftering : It is the burnt
ottering, '' because ot the burning upon the altar
all night unto the morning; and the fire of the
altar shall be burning in it.
10 " And the priest shall put on his linen gar-
ment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon
his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire
luith consumed with the burnt offering on the
altar, and he shall put them '' beside the altar.
1 1 And "^ he shall put off his garments, and
put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes
without the camp ' unto a clean place.
12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burn-
ing in it } it shall not be put out : and the
» Ch. 4. 26. >• Or, for the bimiim;. = ch. 16. -i. Exod. 28. .SP, 40,
41, *}. Ezek. 'U. 17, 18. " cii. 1. 16. ' Ezek. 4-1. 19. f ch. 4. 12.
Verse S. And the Lord spake unto Closes'] At this verse
tlie Jew.s besfin the 25th Section of the L.-iw ; and liere, un-
.doubteiliy, the 6tli chapter should coinuience, as the writer
enters upon a new subject, and the preceding verses belong
to tlie fftli chapter. The best edited Hebrew Bibles begin
the sixth chapter at this ver-e.
. Verse 9. This is the bivj of the bumt-nfferlug'] This law
properly refers to that burnt-ofTering, which vvas daily made
in v.hat was termed the morning and evening sacrifice: and as
he had explained the nature of this bumt-oflerin<; in general,
with its necessary ceremowes. as far as the persons who
brought them wtie concerned, he now takes up the same in
relation to the priests who were to receive them from the
hands of the oflerer, and present them to the Lord on the
altar of burnt-oHerings.
Because of the burning upon the altar all nighl'\ If the
burnt-offering were put all upon the fire at once, it could not
be burning all night. We may therefore reasonably conclude,
that the priests sat up by turns the whole night, and fed the
fire with portions of this offerinsf till the whole was consumed ;
which they would take care to lengthen out till the time of
the morning sacrifice. The same we may suppose was done
with the morning sacrifice : it was also consumed by piece-
meal throuEjh the whole day, till the time of offering the
evening sacrifice. Thus there was a continual offerm^f by fire
unto the Lord: and hence, in ver. 13. it is said. The fire
shall ever be burning upon the attar ; it shall mver go out. If
at any time any extraordinary oflerings were to be made,
the daily sacrifice was consumed more spcedilj', in order to
make roo/n for such extra offerings,— hiee more on this
subject in the note on ver. 20.
.A.M.n.Mt.
U.C. MOO.
AuKicKl.hr.
o
Alilli or Kiiin.
CHAP. VI. and of the 'perpetual Jire.
priest shall burn wood on it every
morning, and lay the burnt offering
in order upon it ; and he shall burn
thereon ^ the fat of the peace offer-
ings.
l;3 Tlie fire shall ever be burning upon the
altar •, it shall never go out.
14 ^ " And this is the law of the meat offer-
ing : the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the
Lord, before the altar.
15 And he shall take of it his handful, of the
flour of the meatoffering, and of the oil thereof,
and all the frankincense which is upon the meat
ofl'ering, tuid shall bum it upon the altar Jur a
sweet savour, even the ' memorial of it, unto the
Lord.
16 And "the remainder thereof shall Aaron
and his sons eat : ' with unleavened bread shall
it be eaten in the holy place ; in the court of
the tabernacle of the congregation tliey shall
eat it.
s ch. A 3, 9, 14. •> ch. 2. 1. Numb. 15. 4. ' ch. 2. 2, 9.-
Ezek. 44. 29. ' ver. 26. ch. 10. 12, 13. Numb. 18. 10.
-^ ch. 2. 3.
The Hebrew doctors teach that no sacrifice was ever offered
in the morning, before the morning sacrifice: and none,
the pass-oxer excepted, ever ofiered in the evening, after the
evening's sacrifice; for all sacrifices were made by da^-light.
The fat seems to have been chiefly burned in the night
season, for the greater light, and conveniency of keeping
the fire alive, which could not be so easily done as in tiie
day time.
Verse 1 1 . Shall piu on other garments] The priests
approached the altar in their holiest garments : when caiTy-
ing the ashes, &c. from the altar, they put on other garments,
the holy garments being only used in the holy place.
Clean place} A place where no dead carcases, dung,
or filth of any kind, was laid; lor the ashes were holy,
as being the reinains of the offerings made by fire unto the
Lord.
Verse 1 3. The fire shall be erer burning] See on ver. 9.
and ver. 20. In imitation of this perpetual fire, the ancient
Persian Magi, and their descendants tlie Farsees, kept up a
perpetual fire; the latter continue it to the present day. This
is strictly enjoined in the Zend Avesta, which is a code of
laws, as sacred among them, as the Pentateuch is among the
Jews.
Verse 14. The meat-offering] — .See on chap. ii. 1, &c.
Verse 15. His handful of the Jlotir.] An o;Hfr of flour,
which was the tenth part of an ephah, and equal to about
three quarts of our measure, was the least quantity that could
be oftered even by the poorest sort, and this was generally
accompanied with a log of oil, which was a little more than
half a pint. This quantity, both of flour and oil, might be-
incrcased at pleasure, but no less could be offered.
The meat-qffer'mg of
A. M. 2514. 17 ^It shall not be bakeu with j
leaven. " I have given it unto them
for their portion of my offerings
made by iire ; " it is most holy, as is
the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.
18 ■* All the males
LEVITICUS.
his
Aaron and his sons.
B. C. 1490.
An. Eti.d. Isr.
AhiborKisan.
among
the children of
Aaron shall eat of it. ' It shall be a statute for
ever in your generations concerning the ofier-
ings of the Lord made by fire : ' every one that
toucheth them shall be holy.
19 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
20 ^ This is the offering of Aaron and of his
sons, which they shall ofter unto the Lord in
the day when he is anointed ; the tenth part of it : '' in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the
m
A. M. 2.514.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod.Isr.
a.
AUb or Nisan.
stead shall offer it : it is a
statute for ever unto the Lord ; ^ it
shall be wholly burnt.
23 For every meat offering for the
priest shall be whoUy burnt : it shall not be
eaten.
24 % And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
25 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying,
' This is the law of the sin ottering : "^ In the
place where the burnt offering is killed shall the
sin offering be killed before the Lord : " it is
most holy.
26 ° The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat
an * ephah of fine flour for a meat offering per-
petual, half of it in the morning, and half there-
of at night.
21 In a pan it shall be made with oil; and
•when it is baken, thou shalt bring it in : a7id the
court of the tabernacle of the congregation.
27 ■" Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof
shall be holy : and when there is sprinkled of
the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt
wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy
baken pieces of the meat offering slialt thou offer | place
for a sweet savour unto the Lord. ! 28 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden
22 And the priest of his sons ' that is anointed
a Ch.2. 11. '' Numb. 18. 9, 10. <: vcr. 2.i. cli. 2. 3. & 7. 1. Exod.
39. 37. x ver. 29. N umb. 18. 10. = cli. 3. 17. f cli. 22. 3, 4, .5, 6, 7.
Exod. 29. 37. s Exod. 29. 2. •■ Exod. 16. 36. ' cli.4. 3. '' Exod.
Verse 20. In the day luhen he is anointed] Not only in
that (lay, hut from that day forwartl ; for this was to them
and their successors, a statute for ever. — See ver. 22.
Verse 23. For every meat-offering for the priest shall be
wholly burnt] Whatever the priest offered, was ivholly the
Lord's, and therefore must be entirely consumed: the
sacrifices of the common people were offered to the Lord, but
the priests partook of them ; and thus, they who ministered
at the altar, were fed by the altar. Had the priests been
permitted to live on their own offerings, as they did on those
of the people, it would have been as if they had offered
nothing, as they would liave taken again to themselves, what
they appeared to give unto the Lord. Theodoret says, that
this marked, " The high perfection which God required in
the ministers of his sanctuary," as his not eating of his own
sin-offering, supposes him to stand free from all sin: but a
better reason is given by Mr. Ainsworth. " The people's
meat-offering was eaten by the priests that made atonement
for them, ver. l.j, 16. chap. vii. 1. but because no priest,
being a sinner, could make atonement for iiimsclf, therefore
his meat-offering might not be eaten, but all burnt on the
altar, to teach him to expect salvation, not by his legal
service or works, but by Christ: for the eating of the sin-
offering, fiLjured the bearing of the sinner's iniquity." — Ch.
X. n.
Ver.=e 25. In the place ichere the burnt-offering was killed,
&c.] The place iiere referred to, was the North side of the
altar. — See chap. i. 1 1 .
Verse 26. The priest — shall cat it] From the c.\postulation
7
*■ shall be bi^oken : and if it be sodden in a brasen
29. 2.1. ' ch. 4. 2. " cli. 1. 3, .5, 11. & 4. 24, '.'9, 33. " ver. 17.
ch. 21,22. " ch. 10. 17, 18. Numb. 18. 9, 10. Ezek. 44. 28, 29. •
P vcr. 16. 1 Exod. 29. 37. & 30. 29. ' ch. 11. 33. & 15. 12.
of Moses with Aaron, chap. x. 1 1. we learn that the priest,
by eating the sin-offering of the people, was considered as
bearing their sin, and typically removing it from them : and
besides, this was a part of their maintenance, or what the
Scripture calls their inheritance, see Ezek. xliv. 27 — 30.
This was afterwards greatly abused ; for improper persons
endeavoured to get into the priest's office merely that they
might get a secular provision, which is a horrible profanity
in the sight of God. — See 1 Saai. ii. 36. Jer. xxiii. 1, 2.
Ezek. x.xxiv. 2 — 4. and Hos. iv. 8.
Verse 27. Whatsoever shall touch the Jlesh thereof shall be
holy] The following note of Mr. Ainsworth is not less ju-
dicious than it is pious:
" All this rite was peculiar to the sin-offering, (whether it
were that which was to be eaten, or that which was to be
burnt) above all the other most holy things. As the sin-
offering in special sort figured Christ, who was made sin for
us, 2 Cor. v. 21. so this ordinance, for all that touched the
flesh of the sin-oilering, to be holy; the garments sprinkled
with the l)iood, to be washed ; the vessels wherein the flesh
was boiled, to be broken, or scoured and rinsed : taught a holy
use of this mystery of our redemption, whereof they that are
made partakers ought to be washed, cleansed, and sanctified
by the Spirit of God ; that we possess our vessels in holiness
and honour, and yield not our members as instruments of
unri;;liteousness unto sin." 1 Thess. iv. 4, Rom. vi. 13.
Verse 28. The earthen vessel — shall be broken] Calmet
states, that this should be considered as implying tjie vessels
brought by individuals to the court of the tample or taber-
Concerning the vessels in which the
A. .M. -M 1.
B. c. iiyo.
An. Exoil.Isr
o
Abibor Kban.
holv.
pot, it shall be both scoured, and
linsed in water.
29 * All the males among the
priests ^all eat thereof: " it is most
CHAP. VII. sin-offering shall be sodden.
30 " And no sin offering, whereof
am/ of the blood is brought into the
tabernaclfof the congregation, to re-
concile idthalm X\\c\\o\y place, shall
be eaten : it shall be burnt in the fire
» Ver. 18. Numb. 10. 10. •■ vcr. Si5.
naclc, and not oF the vessels tliat belonged to the priests for
the ordinary service. That the people dressed their sacrifices
sometiints in the court of the tal)ernacle, he gathers from
1 .Sam. ii. 13, 14. to wiiich the reader is desired to refer.
In addition to what has been already said on the diflerent
subjects in this chapter, it may be necessary to notice a few
more particulars. The perpetual meat-offering, TOH rJlSO
minchali tumid, ver. 20, — tiie perpetual fire, TDH tPN* csh
tamid, ver. 13. — and tlie perpetual Inirnt-offerin'r, l«Dn rhv
otoili tumid, Exod. xxix. 42. translated by the Septuaj^int,
Qvcna haTravro;, ttu^ SiixTravroi, and oAoxai/Toxrif, and oM-
nauTuiAa haTTavTo;, all cast niucii light on Heb. vii. 25.
• where it is said, Clirist is able to save them to the uttermost
\{tii varrexif, perpetually to all intents and purposes) that
\cojne unto God ly him ; teeing tie ever livelh (ttocvtote ^uv, he
!is perpetually living) to make intercession for tlicvi : in which
'words there is a manifest allusion to the peipelual minchali,
lihe perpetual fire, and \.\\c perpetual burnt-offering, mentioned
I here by Moses. As the minchali, or gratitude-oftering, should
tbe perpetual, so our gratitude for the innumerable mercies of
God should be perpetual. As the burnt-offering must be
i perpetual, so should the sacrifiee of our blessed Lord be con-
; sidtred as a perpetual offering, that all men, in ull ages,
; should come unto God through him, who is ever living in his
- sacrificial character, to niake intercession for men ; and who is,
tlinefoie, represented, even in the heavens, as the Lamb
A.M. S!ol4.
B. C. 1 IPO.
An. Exod. Isr.
'2.
AhibotK'isan,
' Ch. i. 7, 1), 12, 18, 21 . & 10. 18. ic 16. 2T. H«br. 13. 11.
just slain, standing before the throne, Rev. v. 6. Heb. x.
I 9 — 22. AnJ. cs the fire on the altar must be perpetual, so
should the influences of the Holy Spirit in every member of
the church, and the flame of pure devotion in the hearts of
believers be ever energetic and permanent. A continual
sacrifice, for continual successive generations of sinners, was
essentially necessary. Continual influences of the Holy
Spirit on the souls of men were essentially necessary to apply
and rendtr eflectual this atonement, to the salvation of the
soul. And, incessant gratitude for the ineftable love of God,
manifested by his unspeakable gift, is surely required of all
those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious. — Reader,
dost thou feel thy obligations to thy Maker ? Does the per-
petual fire burn on the altar of thj/ heart ? Art thou ever
looking unto Jesus, and beholding, by faith, the Lamb of
God which taketh away the sin of the world ? And dost thou
feel the influences of his Spirit, at all times witnessing, with
thy spirit, that thou art his child, and exciting Ihee to acts
of gratitude and obedience? If not, of what benefit has the
religion of Christ been to thee, to the present day } Of a
contrary state to that referred to above, it may be well said.
This is not the way to heaven, for the way of life is above
to the wise, that they may depart from the snares of death
beneath. Arise, therefore, and shake ihy.sclf from the dust,
and earnestly call upon the Lord thy God, that he may
save thy soul, and ilut thou fall not into the bitter pains of
an eternal death.
CHAPTER VII.,
V/.t hno of the trespass-offering, and the priest's portion in it, 1 — 7- .^a' «/w "< tl't^ sin-offerings and meaf'offe rings
8 — 10, The law of the sacrijice of peace-offering, 11, xchether it teas a thanksgiving o^mHg, 12 — Ij. Or a
vow or voluntary offering, l6 — 18. Concerning thefesh that touched any unclean thing, \[), 20, and the person
Ziho touched am/ thing unclean, 21. Lazes concerning eating of fat, 22 — 25, and concerning eating of blood,
S6, 27. Farther ordinances concerning the peace-offerings and the priest's portion in them, 28 — 36. Conclusion of
the lazi's and ordinances relative to bunit-off'erings, meat-offerings, sin-offerings and peace-offerings, delivered in this
and the preceding chapters, ,'57, "S.
\A.M.t>r,U.
B, C, 1190.
, £.\ud. l^r,
lAiib or Nisan.
L
IKE WISE Uhis is the law of
the trespass ofl'cring : '' it is
most holy.
2 " In the place where they kill
• oil. 5, & 6, 1,-7. » ch. 6. 17, 85. «e 21. 22.
NOTES ON CHAP. VII.
Verse I. Trespass-fffering] See at the end of the chapter.
the burnt offering, sliall they kill the
trespass offering: and the blood there-
of shall he sprinkle round about upon
the altar.
A. M. 2,=)14.
1'. 1. 1190.
An. Exod. Isr.
2.
AUb or A isan.
« Ch, 1. 3, 5, 11. & 4. 31, ».; 3S.
Verse 2. In the place ivltere they kill the bunit-offering'\ Viz.
on the North side of the altar, chap. i. 1 1.
The skin of the burnt-offering
3 And he shall offer
LEVITICUS.
A.M. rAi.
1). c. i4yo.
An.E:<0(!.I»r.
2.
Ahib or Nisan.
of it
fat thereof; the rump, and
' all the
the fat
that covereth the inwards,
4 And the two kidneys, and the fat
that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the
caul that is above the liver, with the kidneys, it
shall he take away :
5 And the priest shall burn them upon the
Rharjbr an offering made by fire unto the Lord:
it is a trespass offering.
6 " Every male among the priests shall eat
• Cli. 3. 4, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16. & 4. 8, 9. Exod. 20. 13. " ch. 6. IC, 17, 13.
Numb. 18. 9, 10.
Verse 3. T/ic rump] See the notes on chap. iii. 9. where
the principal subjects in this chapter are explained, being
nearly the same in boll).
Verse 4. The fat that is on theni] Chiefly the fat that was
found in a detached slate, not mixed with the muscles ; such
as the omentum or caul, the fat of the mesenteiy, the fat about
the kidneys, &c. — See the notes on chap. iii. 9, Sec.
Verse 8. The priest shall hare to himself lite skin^ Bishop
Patrick supposes, that this riyht of the priest to the skin, com-
menced with tlie oflering of Adam : " For it is probable,"
says lie, " tliat Adam himself offered the first sacrifice, and
had the skin given him by God, to make garments for him
and his wife : in conformity to which, the priests ever after
had the skin of the whole burnt-ofierings for their |ioriion ;
which was a custom among the Gentiles as well as the Jews,
who gave the skins of their sacrifices to their priests, when
they were not burnt with the sacrifices, as in some sin-oflTering
they were among the Jews, see chap. iv. 1 1. And they em-
ployed them to a superstitious use, by lying upon them in
their temples, in hopes to have future things revealed to them
in their dreams. Of this we have a proof in Virgil's viith
.Sneid, ver. 86—95.
hue dona sacerdos
Cum tidit, If caesarum ovium sub node siknti
Peilibus incubuit stratis, somnoscjue petivit ;
3Iulta niodis sirindacra videt votitanlia miris :
El varias audit voces, fruiturque deorum
Colloquio, atcjue iinis Acheronta affatur Avemis.
Ilic ^ turn pater ipse petens responsa Lntir.us,
Centum lanigeras mactabat rite bidentes,
Atque haiMU effuttus tergo stratisque jacebat
Velleribus. Subita ex alto vox reddita luco est.
First, on the fleeces of the slaughter d sheep
J5y night the sacred priest dissolzes in sleep:
\\ hen in a train, before his slumb'ring eye,
Thin airy forms, and wondrous visions, fly.
He calls the power.s who guard th' iiiltrnal floods.
And talks, inspir'd, familiar with the gods.
To this dread oracle the prince withdrew.
And first a hundred sheep the monarch slew ;
Then on their fleeces lay; and from the wood
He heard, di.stinct, these accents of the god.
Pitt.
A.iM. 2.T14.
li. C. U90.
Au.Lxud. Ifcr,
2.
Abiliov Nisan.
shall he tlie priesfs.
thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy
place : " it is most holy.
7 As the sin offering is, so is ■* the
trespass offering : there is one law for
them : the priest that maketh the atonement
therewith shall have it.
8 And the priest that offereth any man's burnt
offering, even the priest shall have to himself
the skin of the burnt offering which he hath
offered.
9 And ' all the meat offering that is baken in
<: Cli. 2. 3. " cli. C. 25,
2C. & 14. 13.-
Eick. 44. 2D
-= ch. 2. 3, 10. Numb. 18. 9.
The same superstition, practised precisely in the same
way, and for the same purposes, prevails to the present day
in the Highlands of Scotland, as the reader may see from the
following note of Mr. Scott, in his Lady nf the Lake.
" The Higiilanders of Scotland, like all rude people, had
various superstitious modes of enquiring into futurity. One
of the most noted was the toghnrm. A person was wrapped
up in the skin of a newly slain bullock, and deposited beside
a water-fall, or at the bottom of a precipice, or in some other
strange, wild, and unusual situation, where the scenery around
him suggested nothing but objects of horror. In this situ-
ation, he revolved in his mind the question proposed ; and
whatever was impressed upon him by his exalted imagi-
nation, passed lor the inspiration of the disembodied spirits
w ho haunt these desolate recesses. On way of consulting this
oracle, was by a party of men, who first retired to solitary
[)laccs, remote from any house, and there they singled out
one of their number, and wrapt him in a big cow's hide,
which they folded about him ; his whole body was covered
with it, except his head, and so left in this posture all night,
until his invisible friends relieved him, by giving a proper
answer to the question in hand ; which he received, as he
fancied, from several persons that he found about him all
that time. His consorts returned to him at break of day ;
and then he communicated his news to them, which often
proved fatal to those concerned in such unwarrantable en-
quiries.
" Mr. Alexander Coooer, present minister of North-Virt,
told me, that one John Erach, in the Isle of Lewis, assured
him, it was his fate to have been led by his curiosity with
some who consulted this oracle, and that he was a night
within the hide above-mentioned ; during which time he felt
and heard such terrible things, that he could not express
them : the impression made on him, was such as could never
go oil'; and he said, for a thousand worlds, he would never
jigain be concerned in the like performance, for it had dis-
ordered him to a high degree. He confessed it ingenuously,
and with an air o( great remorse, and seemed to be very
penitent under a just sense of so great a crime: he declared
tliH, about five years since, and is still living in the Isle of
Lewis, for any thing I know." — Description of the fVesiem
Isles, p. 110. See also Pennant's Scottish Tour,' VoL II.
p. 301. and Mr. W. Scott's Lady of the Lake.
Coyicerning the peace-offerings, CHAP
A.M.vsi}. the oven, and all that is dressed in
B. c. i-*yo ^jjg fpyin^ pan and " in the pan, sliall
2 be the pnest s that oftcieth it.
AKibuvMiu,,. jQ ^jjj every meat offering, min-
gled with oil, and dry, shall all the sons of
Aaron have, one as much as another.
1 1 IF And " this is the law of the sacrifice
of peace offerings, which he shall oiier unto i
the Lord.
1 2 if he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he
shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unlea-
vened wafers ' anointed with oil, an;! cakes
mingled with oil, of fine flower, tried.
1^ Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his i
offering '^ leavened bread with the sacrifice of |
thanksgiving of his peace offerings.
14 And of it he shall ofier one out of the
tn'hole oblation for a heave offering unto the |
LoHD, ^ and it shall be the priest's that sprink-
1ft h the blood of the peace ofl'erings.
l.T ' And the flesh of the sacrifice of his
peace oiterings for thanksgiving shall be eaten
the same day that it is offered ; he shall not
leave any of it until the morning.
16 But ^ if the sacrifice of his offering be a
vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten
the same day that he offereth his sacrifice :
and on the morrow also the remainder of it
shall be eaten :
"l)r, mi thejint j4pt(. i<t tlire. * ch. 3. 1. & 22. V,1\. ' cli. V.
4. Nuiiili. C. 15- ■■ Anius 4. 5. ' Numb. 18. 8, H, 11). 'th. 'ii.
30. s ch. 19. 6, 7, 8.
Vprse 9. Bitken in the oveii] See the notes on chap. ii.
5, &c.
Vtriic 12. // he offer it for a tlianksgiviiigl See the notes
at the end of this chapter.
Verse 15. Jh sliall not leave ttmj of it until l/ie moniirt^']
Because, in siuli a liot country, it *• a< apt to putnly ; and
as it w;-.s considered lo be li'ty, it would have hcin very im-
proper 1(1 (XpiKt that lo piitrct'aclion vvhicli had heen conse-
cratu'd to t!',c Divin'- Heing. Mr. Mariner sii|iposcs, that llie
few iiere retLrs rather to the cn.stom o\' drijiii'^ jleih, which had
been devoted lo religious purposes, whirh is practised anionof
the Mohammedans lo the present time. 'I'hi.s he thinks,
niipiit have ^wtn rise lo the proliihiiinn, as tlie sacred tlesh
tliiiR preserved, misjht have been abused lo superNtitioiis pur-
po.CH. 'I hi rc'bre God savs, ver. 18. If riiiy of llie Jlesh nf
the snc) ificc—ie eiilni at till on the third tlai/, it shall not be
aiccp/ed, neither shall it be impitttd unto him thiit offenih it ;
it is au ubcminatinn, tind the soul that eateih of it shiill bear
his iniquity, 'that \s, on Mr. Harmcv's hypo'hrsis, this
. ^'^II. afid those uho may partake of them.
17 But the remainder of the flesh '\ ^^[ -'i-t-
of the sacrifice" on the third day shall .^^ £,'„d [j,..
be burnt with fire. -'•
18 Aiidif rt;.'.y of the flesh of the """j'"'/'^""':
sacrifice of Iiis peace offerings be eaten at all
on the third d;iy, it shall not be accepted,
neither shall it be "imputed unto him that
offereth it: it shall be an 'abomination, and
the soul that eatcth of it shall bear his iniquity.
19 And the flesh that toucheth any unclean
thing shall not be eaten ; it .^^hall be burnt with
fire : and as for the flesh, all that be clean shall
eat thereof.
20 But the soul that eateth of the fiesli of
the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain
unto l\\c Lord, " having his uncleanness up-
on him, even that soul ' shall be cut oft" firom
his people.
21 Moreover the soul that shall touch any
unclean thing, as "" the uncleanness of man,
or any " unclean beast, or any ° abominable
unclean thing, and eat of the flesh of the sa-
crifice of peace offerings, wliich pertain unto
the Loud, even that soul '' shall be cut off iiom
his people.
22 ^ And the Lord spake unto MoSes,
saying,
23 8peak unto the children of Israel, saying,
'' Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of
sheep, or of goat.
I " Numb. 18. 27. ' ch. II. 10. 11. 41. & 19. 7. 'cli. 15. 3. 'Cien.
I 17. 14. "' til. I-.', .Sc 13, & la. ° cli. 1 1. !!4, S!3. " Ezck. 4. 14. ► vcr.
SiO. ith.o. 17. •
sacred flesh shall avail nothing to him that eats it after the
first or .seoond day, on which it is offered : however conse-
crated before, it shall not be considered sacred afler that time.
See Hariiier's Observat. vol. i.^p. 394. edit. 1808.
Ver.se 20. Having; his uncleanness upon liini'\ Having touch-
ed any un<-lean ihing by v.liich he became legally defiled,
and had not washed his clothes, and bathed his fle.>h.
Verse 21. The itnclcanness of man] Any nicer, sore, or
leprosy — or any sort oF ciiitaneous disorder, either loltilisome
or infectious.
Verse 2'.i. Fat, of ox. or of sheep, or of goat.] Any oilier
fat, they might eat — bui the fat of the.se was sacred, because
they were the only animals which were ofl'ered in sacrifice,
tiioiioh many otlu rs ranked amoiit; t\\p clean animals as well
as ilie.^e. Hut it is likely that this prohibition is to be un-
dersioofl of these animals •.vhe-'i olTored in sacrifice, and
then only in relerence to the inuiurd fat, as mentioned on
ver. 4. Of the fat in any oiber circumstances, it cannot
be intended, as it was one of the eapecial blessings whicli
3 S
A.M. 2J1 1.
B.C. 1190.
Au.Exod. Isr.
2.
AbibotNisan.
The sum of the law relative to the burnt
24 And the fat of the * beast that
dieth of itself, and the fiit of that
which is torn with beasts, may be
used in any other use : but ye shall
in no wise eat of it.
25 For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast,
of which men offer an offering made by fire,
unto the Loud, even the soul that eateth it
shall be cut off from his people.
LuiVITICUS. offering, meat-offering, sin-offering, S^c
the priest yor a heave offering of the
A.M. S!514.
B. C. 14«0.
An.Kxod.lsr
2.
yltiior Aisim
right
sacrifices of your peace offerings
33 He among the sons of Aaron,
that oifereth the blood of the peace
offerings, and the fat, shall have the
shoulder for his part.
34 For ' the wave breast and the heave shoul
der have I taken of the children of Israel from
off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and
26 '' Moreover ye shall eat no manner of ) have given them unto Aaron the priest, and
blood, lihether it he of fowl or of beast, in unto his sons, by a statute for ever, from among
any of your dwellings. i the children of Israel
27 Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any man- I 35 IF This is the portion of the anointing of
ner of blood, even that soid shall be cut off ; Aaron, and of the anoindng of his sons, out
spake
unto Moses,
fi'om his people,
28 f And the Loud.
saying,
29 Speak unto the cliildren of Israel, saying,
; of the offerings of the Lord made by fire, in
i the day "when he presented them to minister
unto the Lord in the priest's office,
36 Which the Lord commanded to be given
He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace them of the children of Israel, '^ in the day
offerings unto the Loud, shall bring his obla- that he anointed them, by a statute for ever
tion unto the Lord, of the sacrifice of his peace
offerings.
SO " His own hands shall bring the offer-
ings of the Lord made by fire, the fat with
the breast, it shall he bring, that ' the breast
may be waved for a wave offering before the
Lokd.
31 ^ And the priest shall burn the fat upon
the altar : ^ but the breast shall be Aaron's and
his sons'.
32 And " the right shoulder shall ye give unto
" Heb. emcnse. cli. 17. 15. Deot. 14. 21. Ezek. 4.' 14. & 44. 31.
'Gen. <l. 4. cli. 3 17. & 1". 10—14. ' ch. 3. 1. " <:h. 3. 3, 4, 9, 14.
«Exod. 2;'. 24, v7. ch K. '.'7. & 9.21. Numb 6.20. fch. 3.5,
11, 16. 8 ver. 34. ■'■ ver. 34. tli. 9. 21. Kumb. 6. 20.
God gave lo the people. Butter of kine and milk of sheep
•with FAT of LAMBS, and RAMS of the breed of Bashan, and
■ GOATS, was the provision that he gave to his followtrs ; see ;
Dent, xxxii. 12 — 14. I
Verse 21. Wli/ttsoezer soul that eateth any manner of blood"] ,
See the note on Gen. ix. 4. Shall be cut off — excommuni-
cated from the people of Goil, and so deprived of any part
in lluir iniieritance, and in their blessings. See the note
on Gtn. xvii. 14.
Verse 29. Shall bring his ohlation'] Meaning those things
whii'li were given out ol the j.eace-offerings, to the Lord and
to the priest. Aimuorih.
Verse 30. Wave-'fferin::'\ See tlie note on Fxod. xxix. 27.
Verse 32. The right shoiitdtr] See on I'.xoil. xxix. 21.
Verse 3t>. In the dai/ that he anointed thmt} See the note
on Esod. xl. 15.
througliout their generations.
37 This is the law ' of the burnt offering,
" of the meat offering, "and of the sin offer-
ing, " and of the trespass offering, '' and of the
consecrations, and '^ of the sacrifice of the peace
offerings,
38 Which the Lord commanded Moses
in mount Sinai, in the day that he com-
manded the children of Israel "■ to offer their
oblations unto the Lord, in the wilderness of
Sinai.
• Exdd. 29. 28. rh. 10. 14, 15. Numb. 18. 18, 19. Dint. 18. 3
" ch. 8. 12, 30. Exod. 40. 13, 15. ch. 6. 9. " ch. ti. 14. ".I.. 6.
25. ' ver. 1. P ch. 6. 20. Excd. 29. 1. ^^ ver. 11. ch. 1. ,
Verse 38. In the ■wilderness of Sinail The.se laws were
proliably given to Moses while he was on tiie mount u ith
(ioil ; the lime was quite sulhciint, a^ he was tiiere with
God not Irs'i than fourscore days in all — forty days at tiie
i;ivi:>g, and furty days at the renewing of the law.
As in the course of this book, the difFerent kinds of Siicii-,
fices commanded to be offered, are repeatedly occurring, il
think it hest, once for all, to give a general account of thi-m,
and a definition of the original tf rms, as well as of all others
relatiie to this subject whicli are used in the Old Testament,
and the reference in which they all stood lo the great sacri-
fice ottered by Christ..
1. ai^N ASAM, TRESPASS-qffering, fiom ZZWH aiam, to
be cuilty, or liable to punishment ; for in this sacrifice the
guilt was considered as being transferred lo the animal of- i
Different hinds of sacrifices CHAP. VII.
fered up to God, and the ofTerer redeemed from the penally
of his sin, ver. 37. Christ is said to have made his soul
an olTcnng for sin, aiTN. Isai. liii. 10.
2. nii'N ISHEH, riRE-o/Ztr/n^, probably from VTS^ asfiaih,
b)be i;rieved, ani^aed, inJiamcJ ; either pointing- out the ilis-
tressinif nature of sin, or its property of incensin;^ divine jus-
tice against the odender, who, in consequence, deserxinu;
tdroino- for his offence, made use of this sacrifice to be freed
from the punishment due to his transgression. It occurs
Exud. xxix. 18. and in many places of tliis book.
3. ^,^3n H.ABEHAB, iterated or repeated offerings,
from an' yahab, to supply. The word occurs only in Hos.
Tiii. 13. and probably means no more than the continual
rep^iition of the accustomed offerings, or continuation of each
part of the sacred service.
4. nat ZEBACH, a SAC'KIFICE ; in Chaldee, Pim dcbach,
the T zaiii being changed into n dalelli, a creature slain in
Mcrifice, from 1131 zubacli, to xlmj ; hence tiie altar on which
«uch sacrifices were offered, was termed najD mizbeach, the
place of sacrifice. See the note on Gen. viii. 2. Zebuch is
a common name for sacrifices in general.
5. jn CHAG, a festival, especially such as had a period-
jical return, from iiT\ chagag, to celebrate u festival, to dance
I round and round in circles. See E.xod. v. 1. xii. 24. The
[circular dance was probably intended- to point out the revo-
jlution of the heavenly bodies, and the exact return of tiie
i different seasons. See Parkburst.
' tx nStan CHATAATH and HiSan CHATAAII, Slti- offer ins;, from
ft\St\c bat (I, to miss the mark: it aUo signifies sin in general, and
is a very apt term to express its nature by. A sinner is con-
tinually aiming at, and seeking happiness; but as lie does not
seek it In God, hence the Scripture represents him as missing
his aim, or missijig the mark. This is precisely the meaning of
the Greek word a^iapTia, translated sm and sin'Offcringt in
our version 5 and this is the term by which the Hebrew word
is translated both by the Septuaginl and the inspired writers
of the New Testament. The sin-oflering was at once an
acknowledgment of guilt, in having forsaken the fountain
I of living waters, and hewed out cisterns that coijd hold
! none ; and also of the firm purpose of the offerer to re-
turn 10 God, the true and pure fountain of blessedness.
This word often occurs. See the note on Gen. iv. 7.
ixiii. 13.
1. 1D3 COPHER, the EXPIATION or .-VTONEMENT, from
"l£3 capliar, to cover, to smear over, or obliterate or annul a
coii'ract. Used often to signify the atonement or expiation
made for the pardon or cancelling of iniquity. See more in
the note on Exod. xxv. 17.
S. npTO MOED, an APPOINTED annual festival, from TD'
ydtul, to appoint or constitute, signifying such feasts as were
instituted in commemoration of some great event or deliver-
ance, such as the deliverance from Egypt. See Exod. xiii.
10. and thus diiiering from the chag mentioned above. See
the note on (.nn. i. 14.
9. O'N'lbD MILLUIM, CONSECRATIONS or consecration-of-
'' ,'■{, honi N70 ;««/n, to Jill ; those offerings made in con-
itions, of wiiich the priests partook, or in the Hebrew
pliiase, had their bands filled. See the note on Exod. xxix.
19. and see '2 Chron. xiii. 9.
)0. nrUD MINCHAII, MEAT-q^em":, from IM nach, to rest.
mc7itioned in the Old Testament.
settle after toil. It generally con>isled of things without life,
such as green cai's of corn, full ears of corn, flour, oil, and
frankincense; see on chap. ii. I, &c. And may be consi-
dered as having its name from that rest from labour and toil,
wiiich a man liad when the fruits of the autumn were brought
in; or when, in consequence of obtaining any rest, ease, &c.
a significant offering or sacrifice was made to God. It often
occurs. See the note on Gen. iv. 3. The jealousy-offering.
Numb. v. 1 5. was a simple minchab, consisting of barley
meal only.
11. 1D0 MESEC and "[DOD MIMES AC, a MlXTUKE-o/fern;^',
or MIXED UB.ATION ; Called a DRINK-o^mw^, Isai. Iv. 11.
from ^DO musac, to mingle : it seehis in general to mean, old
wine mixed with the Ices, which made it extremely intoxi-
cating. This offering does not appear to have had any
place in the worship of t!ie true God ; but from Isai. Ixv. 1 1.
and Frov. xxiii. 30. it seems to have been used for idolatrous
purposes, such as the Baichanalia among the Greeks and
Romans, " when all got drunk in honour of the god."
12. TS&Vm MASEOTH, an OBLATION, things curried to the
temple to be presented to God, from NU?3 nasa, to bear or
carry, to bear sin ; typically, Exod. xxviii. 38. Lev. x. 17.
xvi. 21. really, Isai. Iiii. 4, 12. The sufferings and death
of Christ were the true maseoth, or vicarious bearing of the
sins of mankind, as the passage in Isaiah, above referred to,
sufficiently proves. See this alluded to by the Evangelist .
John i. 29. And see the root in Parkhurst.
13. naiJ NEDABAH, FREE-WILL Of so/u»/fl/3/ p/fmn?, from
313 nadab, to be free, liberal, princely. An offering not
commanded, but given as a particular proof of extraordinary
gratitude to God for especial mercies ; or on account of some
vow or engagement voluntarily taken. Ver. 1 6.
14. "JW NESEC, LIBATION or \)K.\HK-offering, from ^DJ
nasac, to diffuse or pour out. Water or wine poured out
at the concjusion or confirmation of a treaty or covenant.
To this kind of offering there is frequent allusion and refer-
ence in the New Testament, as it ty|)ified the blood of Clirist,
pound Out for the sin of the world; and to this our Lord
himself alludes in the institution of the holy Eucharist. I'he
whole gospel ceconomy is represented as a covenant or treaty
between God and man, Jesus Christ being not only the me-
diator, but the covenant sacrifice, whose blood was poured
out for the ratification and confirmation of this covenant or
agreement between (jod and man.
15. rhv OLAH and nSv OOLAII, BURNT-o^mn^, from rhv
dlah, to ascend, because this ofter-ing, as being wholly con-
sumed, ascended as it were to God in smoke and vapour. It
was a very expressive type of the sacrifice of Christ ; as no-
thing less than his complete and full sacrifice could make
atonement for the sin of the world. In most other ofli^rings,
the priest, and often the oflerer, had a share, but in the
whole burnt-ollering, all was given to God.
16. niDp ICAIORETH, INCENSE or PERI UME offering, from
Itap katar, to burn ; i. e. the frankincense, and other aroma-
tics used as a perfume in diflerent parts of the divine service.
To this St. Paul compares the agreeableness of the sacrifice
of Christ to God, Kph. v. 2. Christ hath given himself for
us an offering — to God for a .SWEET-SMELLLNG savour.
From Rev. v. 8. we learn, that it was intended also to repre-
sent the prayers of the saints, which, offered up on that altar
3 S 2
Different kinds of sacrifices
LEVITICUS.
mentioned in the Old Testament,
Clirist Jesus, that sanctifies every gift, are highly pleasing
in the siglit of God.
n. pip KOREAN, the CilTT-offerin^, from 3lp karab, to
driiw nigh or approach. See this expla ned on chap. i. 2.
Ko'bdn was a general name for any kind of offering, because
through these, it v/a.- supposed, a man iiad access lo his IMaker.
1«. a'cViS' SHtL.AMlM, PEACF.-o^'frin^, tram ZD^tlf shalam,
to com])!eie, make v:hcie, for, hy these offerings, tiiat which
\ras lucking was considered as being; now jnude up ; and tliat
vhicli was broken, \\i. the covenant of God hy his creature's
transgrtS!ion, was supposed to be made uhole ; so that after such
an ofierinij, thesincert and conscientious mind had a righl to con-
sider, tiiat the breach was made up between God and it, and that
it rri'ffiit lay confident hnld on this covenant of peace. To this
the Apostle evidently allvides, Eph. ii. 1 4 — 1 9 He is our peace,
(i. e. our shtilam or ptace-ofl'erinff) lu/io Itas made both one, and
broken down iheviiddtc uall; hating abolis/u a in hi.fjieffi ihecnmiiy,
&c. See the whole passage; and see the note on Gen. xiv. 18.
19. min TOB.^TH, I'HAisK-.'ffering, from m» yadah, to
confess ; offerings made to God with public confession of his
po«tr, L'oc aliens, mercy, &c.
!20. n^yn TF.NUPHAH, WAVE-offering, from i^ napk, to
stretch vuc ; an ofiisring of the first-fruits stretched out before
God, in acknowledgment of his providential goodness.
This offering was moved from thi right hand to the lefi.
See the nole on Exod. xxix. 2*7.
21. noiin TEKUMAH, HEAVK-ojfer/n^, from JD"I rant, to
lift up, because the offermsc was lifed up towards heaven, as
the tU'-ife-offering, in token of the kindness of God in grant-
ing rain and fruitful seasons-, and filhn;^ the heart with fond
and gladness. As the wave-tflVring vias moved from right
to left, so the hea^'e-ot}ering was moved vp and dow.i ; and
in both cases, this was done several times. These oflerings
had a blessed tendency to keep alive in the breasts of the
people a due sense of their dependance on the divine pro-
vidence and bounty ; and of their obligation to God for big
continual and liberal supply of all their w^nts. See the
note on F.xod. xxix. 27.
. In the above collection are comprized, as far as I can re-
collect, an explanation of all the terms used in the Hebrew
Scriptures which signify sacrifice, oblation, atonement, offer-
ing, &c. &c. as well as the reference they bear to the great
and only sufficient atonement, sacrifice, oblation, and satis-
'action, made by Christ Jesus, for the sins of mankind.
Larger accounts must be sought iii authors, who treat pro-
fessedly on these subjects.
CHAPTER VIII.
Moses is commanded to consecrate Aaron and his sons, 1 — 3. Moses convenes the congregation, zctTsIies, clothes,
and anoints Aaion, A — 12. He also clothes Aarous sons, 13. Offers a bullock for them ^ as a sin-offering, 14—
37. And a ram for a burnt-offering, 18 — 21. And another ram for a consecration offering, '2.1 — 24. The fat,
zcith cakes of unleavened bread, and the right shoulder of the ram he offers as a wave-offering, and afterwards
burns, 25— '-8. The breast, zehich was the part of Moses, he also waves, 29. And sprinkles oil and blood 'upon
Aaron and his sons, 30. The Jiesh of the consecration ram is to be boiled and eaten at the door of the tabernacle,
31, 32. Moses commands, Aaron and his sons to abide seven days at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
which they do accordingly, 33 — 3(i.
A.M.»14.
B. C. 1490.
An.Excid.Ur.
2.
Ahibot Nhan.
A-
ND the Lord spake unto Mo-
■ ses, saying,
2 ' Take Aaron and his sons Avith
him, and '' the garments, and "^ the
anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offer-
ing, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened
bread ;
3 And gather thou all the congregation to-
gether unto the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation.
4 And Moses did as the Lord commanded
» Eiod. 29. 1, 2. 3. 1- Exod. 28. 2, 4. "^ Exod. 30. 84, 25.
NOTES ON CHAP. VUI.
Verse 2. Take Aaron and his sons] The whole subject
of this chapter has been anticipated in the notes on Exod. J detail j and to those notes the reader is relerred.
3
A.M.C514.
11. C. i490.
All. K.xod.Isr.
2
Ahib ot }\isan.
him ; and the assembly was gathered
together unto the door of the taber-
nacle of the congregation.
5 And Moses said unto the con-
' gregation, '' This is the thing which the Lord
commanded to be done.
6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons^
' and washed them with water.
7 'And he put upon him the ^coat, and
girded him with tlie girdle, and clothed him i
with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, ;
" Exod. 29. 4. « Exod. 29. 4. ^ Exod. 29. 5. « Exod. 28. 4.
xxviii. 1, &c. and xxix. 1, &c. in which all the sacrifice*,
rites, and ceremonies have been explained in considerabltt
A M. 2J14-
B. C. 1490.
An ^x^ld. Isr.
2.
^bibotXisdn.
•Exod. 28.50. ""Exod. SP. 6. ' Kxod. '.'8. :i7, .'vr. ■! E,xml. .SO.
96, 27, 38, ai. 'rh. -.1. 10, IJ. Ex'id. 2i). 7. <c 30. SO. 1\. 1.53. li.
Ecclus. 45. 15. '"Extd. i9. 8, y. elleb. 6.mnd. "• Exud. ^9. 10.
Ver?e S. He put in the hreaslplate the Vriiii unci the Thtim-
rttim.^ Tlie Uriiii and Tluuiimhn are here supposed to lie
soiiieiliinjf difterent froiu the brecistplate itselt". See tli<'
notes on Exod. xxviii. 15, lb, and 30. It is only neressary
to observe, that Aaron and his ?ons were not anointed untd
now. Before, the thing was commanded; and twji, first
peiformed.
Verse 9- ^^'^ ^^ /"" '/"^ miire'\ See tlie note on Exod.
xxviii. 37.
Verse 14. The bullock for the sin-offerini;] This was of-
fered eai h day during the seven days of consecration. .See
Exod. xxix. 36.
Ver.-ie '23. J'ut of the blond on the tip of Aaron's ri^ht ear,
&c.] See tills significant ceremony explained in the note on
Exud. XX. X. 'JO C'ainict remarks that the con.*ecration of
the high-priest among tlie Romans, bore a considerable re-
Aaron and his sons •washed, CHAP.
and he girded him with the curious
girdle ot the ephod, and bound it i
unto him therewith.
8 And he put the breastplate upon [
him : also he ' put in the breastplate the Urim
and the Thuinniim. i
9 '' And he put the mitre upon his head ; also ;
upon the mitre, eirn uj)on his ibrefront, did he
put the golden plate, the holy crown ; as the
LoKD " commanded Moses.
10 '' And Mo>es took the anointing oil, and
anointed the tabernacle and all that a'cs there-
in, and sanctified thein.
11 And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar^
seven times, and anointed the altar and all his
vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctiiy
tliem.
1 2 And he ' poured of the anointing oil upon
Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify
him.
13 'And Moses brought Aaron's sons, and
put coats upon them, and girded them with
girdles, and ^ put bonnets upon them ; as the
Loud commanded Moses.
14 ^ "And he brought the bullock for the
sin ofi'ering : and Aaron and his sons ' hiid their
hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin
offering.
15 And he slew it; "and ^lo.ses took the
blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar
round about with his finger, and purified the
altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of
.A.M. '.514.
B.C. H.'O.
An E.xod. Isr.
VIII. clothed and consecrated by Moses.
the altar, and sanctified it, to make
reconciliation upon it.
16 ' And he took all the fat that «
was upon the inwards, and the caul ^'*^";N'"»'™-
ahoxe the liver, and the two kidneys, and their
fat, and Moses burned it upon the altar.
17 But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh,
and his dung, he burnt with fire without the
camp; as the Lord "commanded Moses.
1 8 ii" " And he brought tlie ram for the burnt
offering : and Aaron and his sons laid their
hands upon the head of the ram.
19 And he killed it; and Mo-;es .sprinkled the
blood upon the altar round about.
20 And he cut the ram into pieces; and
Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the
fat.
21 And he washed the inwards and the legs
in water ; and Mo.ses burnt the whole ram
upon the altar : it aas a burnt sacrifice for a
sweet savour, and an offering made by lire
unto the Lord ; . " as the Lord commanded
Moses.
22 ^ And " he brought the other ram, the
ram of consecration : and Aaron and his sons
laid their hands upon the head of the ram.
23 And he slew/7; and Moses took of the
blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's
right car, and upon the thumb of his right hand,
and upon the great toe of his right foot.
24 And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses
put of the blood upon the tip of their right
Ezeli. 43 10. icli. 4. 4 — -" Exod. 29. 1-', 36. ch. 4. 7. T.zek. 4.1. W,
2ii. Il.ljr. P. 2S(. 'Kxod. yo. 13. c)i 4. 8. ".h. 4, II, 1-,'. Exud.
i9. 14.^^" Exud. 2y. i5. "Exud. 29. 18. 1" Exud. 29. 19, jl.
semblance to the consecration of the Jewi.<h hijrh-priest.
"The Roman priest th)tlied with a garment of silk, his head
covered with a crown of gold, adorned with sacred ril>batid,«,
was conducted into a subten-anean place, over which there
wa.« a floor of planks pierced through with many holes On
this floor tluy sacrificed a bullock, whose blood was fi-eely
poured out on the planks or floor, which running through the
holes, fell upon the piie.^t, who stood under to receive this
sacred aspersion, and who, in order to be compktely covert d
With the blood, took care to present the whole of his body,
his clo.'hes, face, eyes, nose, lips, and even his tongue, to
receive the drops of blood falling throujib the pierced floor
above. Being completely covered with this sanguineous
shower, he ascended from this subterranean place, and
was acknowledged and adored by the people as Pontifex
Maiimus, or supreme high-priest." These rites which bear
A.AI.'J.5I4.
B C. 1l?0.
An.Exod. Isr.
■■^. ^
Abiborytsan.
Aaron and his sons make
ear, and upon the thumbs of their
right Hands, and upon the great toes
of their right feet : and Moses
sprinkled the blood upon the altar
round about.
23 ^ And he took the fat, and the rump, and
all the tt\t that zoas upon the inwards, and the
caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and
their fat, and the right shoulder :
26 '' And out of the basket of unleavened
bread, that 'was before, the Lord, he took one
unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread,
and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and
upon the right shoulder :
LEVITICUS. _ their offerings, and are anointed.
1 27 And he put all ' upon Aaron's
> Exod. 29. 22. ^ Exod. 29. 23. — -"= Exod. 29. 24, &c. ■" Exod. 29. 25.
a striking allusion to 'those used in the consecration of Aaron,
and from wliich Ihej' were probably borruwed, and disguised
by the introduction of their own superstitions, are particu-
larly described by Aurdius Pnulentius in his poem, entitled,
Roinani MurlyrJs Suppliciiim, Irom which I shall select those
verses, the substance of which is given above, as the passage
is curious, and the work not common.
Siminms snceidos nempe sub tcrram scrobe
Acta in profundum consecrandiis mergitur,
Mireinfidatus, festa vittis tempora
Nectms, corona turn npexus aurea,
Ciuclu Gabino sericam fidliis togam.
Tabulib superne strain teiunt piilpita,
Rimosa rari pirgnmtis compuj^ibus,
Scindtinl subinde vel terebrant nrenm,
Crebroque lignum perforant ucumine,
I'tUeiU minutis ut frequcns hiatibus. —
IIic lit statuta est imniolanda belliia.
Pectus surrata dividiint renubido,
Eructut iimplum vulnus undain sanguinis — &c.
Turn par frequentcs uuUe riuiarum vias
Illa|)sus imber, tabidum roreni pluit,
Defossus intus quern sacerdos excipit,
Quttus ad onmes tutpe subjecians caput,
,Et veste et omni pulrefactus corpore :
Siuin OS supinut, ohvias offert genas,
Si/pponit aures, labra, nares objicit,
Oculos et ipsns perluil liqrwribus,
Nee jam palato parcit, et linguam rigat.
Donee cntorcm tolus atriim combibat. —
Proeedit inde pontifex visn Itorridus — &c.
Omnts saUitant alque adorant emimis,
Vilis <niod ilium fansuis, et bos ii ortuus
Fccdis latentem sub cavcrnis laverint.
Of thfSP lines, the reader will not be displeased to find
the following poetical version.
" For when with sacred pomp and soleirui state
Their great high priest the Romans consecrate.
hands, and upon his sons' hands, and
waved them for a wave
fore the Lord.
28 " And Moses took them from
offering be-
A.M. «5i4.
B. C. 14110.
.'Vii.E.\od.Isr.
2.
AbibotWhan,
off theiF
hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the
burnt oiiering : they ivere consecrations for a
sweet savour : it is an offering made by fire uiji
I to the Lord.
i 29 And Moses took the breast, and waved it
for a wave offering before the Lord : for of the
j ram of conseciation it was Moses' ''part ; as the
Lord commanded Moses.
30 And "^ Moses took of the
anonitmg
oil,
oExod. 29. 26. fExod. 29.21. & 30.30. Numb. 3.
His silken vest in Gabine cincture bovmd,
A festal fillet twines his temples round :
And, while aloft the gorgeous mitre shines,
His awful brow a golden crown confines.
In a deep dyke, for mystic ritual made.
He stands, surrounded with terrific shade.
High o'er his holy head a stage they place.
Adorn with painting!^, and with statues grace;
Tiien with keen piercers perforate ihe floor
Till thronging aperlures admit no more.
Thither the victim ox is now convey'd,
To glut the vengeance of Ihe thir.-ly blade.
The sacred spear his sturdy throat divides,
Down, instant streaming, gush the gory tides.
Through countless crevices the gaping wood
Distils corrupted dew and smoking blood
Drop after drop, in swift succession shed.
Falls on the holy pontiff's mitred head.
\Vhile to imbibe the iianctifying power,
FJis out-spread garments drink the crimson shower;
Then on his back in reeking streams he lies.
And laves in livid blood his lips and eyes;
Bares every limb, exposes every pore
To Catch the virtueof the streaming gore.
With open niouth expects the falling flood.
Moistens his palate and liis longue vvith blood
Extends his ears to meet the putrid rain.
Nor lets a single drop descend in vain.
Then from the filthy cave comes forth to light.
Bathed in black blood, and horrible to sight ! —
By the vile torrml, and the victim slain.
In the dark cavern cleansed from mortal stain.
Their pricsl, enveloped in atoning gore.
With trembling awe surrounding tlirongs adore."
T. Green.
Prudentiuf. was born about ihe middle of the fourth cen-
tury, and was no doubt intimately acquainted with the cir-
cumstances he describes.
Verse 27. And waved than for a xuuve-ojering] See the
A. M. '-'514.
B.C. 1490.
All. K.x"<i It.
Concerning the offerings of Aaron and
and of the blood which tvas upon
the altar, and sprinkled it upon
Aaron, a)id upon his c;annents, and
garments wiUi him ; and sanctified Aaron, and
his g;u-iiicnts, and his sons, and his sons' gai'-
nients with him.
' 31 ^ And Moses said unto Aaron and to his
so I-, ^ Boil the flesh al the door of the taber-
ie of the congregation : and there eat it
V, iUi the bread that is in the basket of conse-
crations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and
his sons shall eat it.
32 '' And that wliich remaineth of the flesh
and of the bread shall ye burn M'ith fire
'33 And ye shall
CHAP. IX. his sons on the eighth days,
the tabernacle of the congregation
in se\en days, until the days of
your conseration be at an end :
for " seven days shall he consecrate
you.
34- " As he hath done this day, so
hath commanded to do, to make
ment for you.
35 Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation day and night
seven days, and " keep the charge of the Lord,
that ye die not : for so 1 am commanded.
36 So Aaron and his sons did all things
which the Lord commanded by the hand of
Moses.
not go out of the door of
■«Ex.'d. 29. SI, :«2.
v^
-Mixod 21). 3-1.-
'£xi;d.29.30,.;5. Eztk.43.25,2d.
chature of this and the heave-offering, in the note on Exod.
.. 27.
CISC 30. Ani Moses took — the blood — and sprmkted it
v: •! JaroH, &c.] ' Tims we find that the hi^^h-priest himself
■be sprinkled with the blood- of the sacrifite : and our
id Lord, of whom Aaron \va.^ a ty; e, was sprinkled with
n- own blood. 1. In his ai^ony in the jj-arden. 2, In
h> ijCin;; crowned with thorn*. 3. In tlie piercing of his
hands and his fret And 4. In his side beinu- pierced wiih
the spear. All these were so many acts of atonement per-
e-d by the liioh-priest.
\ erse 33. For seven days slinll he consecrate you ] This
number, was the number of perfection ainoiiij the Hebrews ;
•an<l the seven days' consecration, implied a pei/ect and full
consecration to the sacerdotal office. See the note on E.x.id.
Jfxix. 30.
Verse 36. So Aaron and his sons did^ This chapter shews
the exact fultiiment of the conmiands delivered to Mo^es,
Fvod. xxix. And constqutntly, the complete preparat on
I Aaron and his sons, to fdl the awfully important office of
jjnots and mediators belwc-eii God and i>rael, to nffer sacri-
fices and make atonement (or the sins of the people.
" Thus," says Mr. Ainsworth, " ti;e covenant of the priesl-
the Lord
an atone-
" Hebr. 7 16. ' Numb. 3. 7. & 9. 19. Deut. 11'. 1. t Kin. 2. 3.
hood was confirmed unio the tribe of Levi, in Aaron and
Ills sons, which covenant was life and peace, Mai. ii. 5. But
these are made pri-sts without an oath ; alsoj there were
many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by
reason of death ; and they served unto the example and
shadow of bea.'enly things, ofttrmi^ gifts and sacrifii es which
could not make him who did the service perfect, as per-
tainin;^ to the conscience; for they were carnal ordinances
imj)Osed upon them till the time of reformation, that is, un-
til ihe time of Christ, who was made a priest of God with
an oath, and made surety of a better covenant, established
on better promi^es. And because he continneth for ever,
he hath a priesthood wliirh passetli not from one to another,
and is a minisier of the true tabernacle, which God pitched
and not man. Not by the blood of bulls and of floats, but
by his own blood he entered once into the holy place, having
found everlastuiif redempiion for us; and is therefore able
to save to the utterniost them who come unto God through
him, as he ever liveth to make intercession for theni." Taken
in reference to his priesthood and sacrifice, all these rites
and ceremonies are significant and edifying : but taken out
of this relation, they would be as ab>urd and nugatory, as
the consecration of the Roman Pontifex Maximus, men-
tioned above by Prudenlius.
CHAPTER IX.
Aaron ts commanded to offer, on the eighth dai/, a sin-offering and a burnt-offering, 1, 2. Tlie people are commanded
also to ojer a sin-oj/ering, a burnt-offering, peace-offerings and a meat-offering, 3, 4. Tliey do as ihei/ zcere
commanded; and Moses pivmises that God s/uill appear among them, 5, 6. Aaron is commanded to make an
atonement for tlie people, 7- He and his sons prepare and offer the different sacrifices, 8—21. Jaron and Moses
hless the congregation, '12, 23. And the fire of the Lord consumes the sacrifice, 24.
7 '
The sin-offerhg, bumf-offcr'mgy and LEVITICUS, peace-offering of the priests and the people.
A..\i.y.ii4 ^ ]\j[> » it came to pass, on the the people, and make an atonement a m vsu.
j[~\_ eighth day, that Moses called for them ; as the Lord commanded.
-Aaron and his eonsand the elders of j 8 ^ Aaron therefore went unto t!ie
Israel ;
'2 And he said unto Aaron, '' Take thee a
vonn'T calf for a rin cfFcrinr, "^ and a ran'', for a
B. C. 1 !£0.
An. Exfid. Isr,
'J. _
• Ahih-or .Vis'7»7
B.C. 14V0.
All. Exod. Isr.
burnt clTering, Avithout blemishs and ofier them
before the LoaD.
3 And unto the children of Israel thcu shalt
speak, saying, '^ Take ye a kid of the goats for
a sin offering ; and a calf and a lamb, both cf
the first year, witlicut blemish, for a buiTit of-
fering;
4 Also a bullock and a ram for pe^ce offer-
ings, to sacri&e beiore the Lear ; and ' a meat
onei^ins mingled v/ith oil : for ' to diiv the Lord
-.■/ill apipear unto you.
5 And they brought that which Moses com-
manded before the tabernacle of the congrega-
tion : and all the congregation drew near and
stood before the Loud.
6 And Moses said, This is the thing which
the Lord commanded that ye should do : and
* the glory of the Lord shall appear unto
you.
7 And Moses said unto Aaron, Go. unto the
altar, and '' offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt
offering, and make an atonement for thyself, ' sin, as the first.
altar, and slew the calf of the sin of- ^^'^''^'^'"''"-
fering, which "was for himself.
9 " And the sons of Aaron brought the blood
unto him : and he dipped his finger in the blood,
and ' put it upon the horns of" the altar, and
poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar:
10 " But the fat, and the kidneys, and the caul
above the liver, of the sin offering, he burnt upon
the altar ; " as the Lord commanded Moses.
11° And the flesh and the hide he burnt with
5re without the camp.
j 1 2 And he slew the burnt offering ; and
' Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood,
I •' which he sprinkled round about upon the
' altar.
I 13 ■* And they presented the burnt offering
unto him, with the pieces thereof, and the head:
and he burnt them upon the altar.
J 4 ' And he did wash the inwards and the legs,
and burnt tliem upon the burnt offering on the
altar.
15 ^ ' And he brought the people's offering,
and took the goat, which tims the sin offering
for the people, and slew it, and offered it for
and for the people : and ' offer the offering of
» Ezf k. 4". 27. — -" ch. 4. 3. & 8. 14. ICxod. 29. 1. " rli. P. in. " di.
4. 2.f. K-^rii (i. Vf. K- 111. 19. <= ch. '_'. 4. ^ vir. 6. '-':.•. Kxdd. ■»>. 43.
e ver. 23. Kxod. 24. 16. "th. 4. 3. 1 Sam. 3. 14. Htbr. 5. 3. ;i 7, 27. & 9. '.
NOTE.S ON CHjVP. IX.
Verse 1. On rlic cinhih </«(,] Tliis was the first rlay after
tiltir consccrjtKin, belore wliiih they were deemtd unfit fo
ministt-r in lioly iliinus, beiiijr considered as in a state of
.imperfection. "All creatures," says Ainsworlli, "for the
■inoci part were in their unc!eanness and imperliection seven
days, and perfei ted on the e.inliih — as diildrtn by circum-
cision, [.6v. yii. 2, 3. — young beaMs (inr sacrifice, chap.
xxii. 21. persons that were unclean by lepmsifs. issues, and
the like, chap. x.v. 8 — 10. and xv. 13, !4. Numii. vi. 9, 10.
So he e, the pric-l.s, unid tiie eighth day, wtre not ad-
mitted to niini>it'r in their office."
Vtrse 2. Take thee a yiuiie; calf, &c.] As these sacrifices
V7ere for Aaron hiin-clf, they are furnished by himself and
not bv the people, for they wCre di sigr.i d to make atonemf-nt
for his own sin. Afe cliap. \v. 3. And this is supposed by
the Jet*s to have been intended to make an atonement for
his sm in the nuiiter of the p^nldcn calf. 'J his is very pro-
baWe, as no formal atonement for that transgression, had
yet been made.
16 And he brought the burnt offering, and
' c:h. 4 16,20. Hebr. H. 1. " cli. fi. !.=>. Set cli.4.r. ">ch. 8.16.
— " rli. 4. 8. " ih. 11. 17. & 4. H. P cli. 1. .-. V 8. 19. ' cli. 8. HO,
—I cli. 8. '-'1. ■ ver. 3. Isai. 53. 10. H. lir. S!. 17. .\ 5. 3.
Ver>e 3. Take ye a kid'] In chap. iv. 14. a yonng; bul-
lock i.s conmianded to be ottered for the sm of the (leople;
but here, the offering is a kid, which was the sacrifice ap-
pointed ibr the sm of the ruler, cha|). iv. 2_', 23. and hence
some thmk that the readmg of the Samtiritan and the SeplU'
agint, is to be preferred. Spenk unto the KLDF.KS of Israel,
these bein^ the only priiices or lukrs of Israel at Jhat time,
and for them, it is possible, this sacrifice was designed. It
is however .supposed, that the sacrifiie appointed, chap. iv.
14. was for a />.(ri7CM/ar sin, bwi t las, for sm in penerut ; and
that it is on this account, tliat ihe sacrifices diHer.
Verse 6. And the glory nj the Lord fhuU appeal-] God shall
ijive the most -sensible sitjns of his presence amnno; you; this
he did in general by the cloud on the tabernacle; but in this
case, the particular proof was the fire that came out from be-
fiire the Lord, and consumed the burnt- ollering ; see ver.
23, 2 ^.
Verse 1. Make an atonement for thyself] This shewed
the imperfection of the Ltviucal l4w ; the hisli-pricst was
obliged to make an expiation lor his own sins betbre be could
^fic sacrifice heinff ended, CHAP. iX.
otr'ered it ' according to the " man-
ner.
17 Antl lie brought " the. meat of-
^i,5.r,v..™. f^.,.|nrr, ami Hook a hiinu ail tiiereofjj breasts, -and'he burnt the lat upon
and burnt tt Jipon the altar, '■' beside the burnt ;| the altar
A.M.'.';. I J.
M.C. MM.
iUi. I'a.kI I-r,
Aaron blesses the people,
•cards, and tite kidneys, and the caul
above the liver :
0 And they put the fat upon the
•V.M. UJi;.
B c. M9a
All. Kx"d. ht.
jl'iiiorAijiin,
giicrificc of the morning.
Ml And the breasts and the right shoulder
IS He slew also the bullock and the ram^/o/' I' Aaron waved ^Jor a wave offering before ths
''a r, orifice of peace ofierings, which ^cas tor i Loud ; as ^Iq^es commanded,
the people : and Aaron'.s sons presented unto i 22 And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the
hiui the blood, which he sprinkled upon the
altar round al)out ;
19 And the flit of the bullock and of tiie ram,
the rump, and that which coveretli . the ■ in-
• r!i. I. 3, 10. "Or. oriiiiiTOff. 'ver. 4. cli. 1. 1, %—^» )Icb. filkd
his hand cut «J it. ' Kxod. S;9. 38. '" ch. 3. 1^ -Nc.
make one for the sins of the i>eopIe. See ;Uc U'Jc made of
this by the Ai)Oslle, Hah. v. 3. vii. '21 . and ix. 1.
Verse '22. AndAuronlifeduji liii hand tnn-iird the people,
and blessed theni] {)n hflini; up tlie haiuU in pmvtr; st-e
Fxi>il. ix. 29. '] .\rforiit (fllie h!^s^inp; we have in Kiun. vi.
■2:5, &e. The I/^rd I'less thee nnl hep il-ee ! Th: Lord iitdke his
■face shiiu upon li.ee, and be gracious unto ihee .' Tht Lord lift
ui) hh cnuntenaiiee iiptm thee, and give thee pej.ce! See the
notes on these pai^sages.
And Clime donit from oiTerinz of tlie fin-nfi'^rinir, &<■] A
*iii-offirin^, a hurnt-oflll iin;r, a inpat-oft'c-riiii;, and ptare-
oflerincr?, were n\ade to God tiiat Ills fflory ini'^ht appearfo
the who'.e ron^ie'^atir.n. ' This was the end of all sacrifice
and reliijio'i* service ; not to confer any obligation on God.
but to make an atonement for sin, and to engage liim to
drt'ell amon;^ and induence his worshippers.
Verse 23. Mosei and Airon went into the tahrntcle^ It
is supposed tliat Moses accoiiipanit<i Aaron into the taber-
n.irle to shew liim how to ofler the incense, prepare the lamps
and the perltiine, adjust the shtnv-hread, &c &c..
And the e:iori/ of the Lord appeared] To stiew thit every
t'liBij was done ticoorriin<r to the riivine mind, 1. The sl"'T
of Jehovah appears (into all the people: 2. a fire canje out
front before the lx>rti, and consii.ued the bunit-offcring. This
was the proof whith God gave, upon extraordinary occasions,
ot'iii-i acceptance of the sacrifice. This was ()one, (probably),
1. In the case of Abel, Gen. iv. 4. 2. in the case of Aaron;
see above, vcr. 34. 3. in the case of Gideon, Judges vi.
21. 4. in the case o!' ^^anoah and his v/ife. Compare Judges
xiii. 19 — 23. 5. in the case of David dedicating ibe thresh-
ing-floor of Oman, 1 Chron .TXi. 2»5. 6. in the case o'"Solo-
' luoii dtdicatiiig the temple, 2 Chron. vii. 1. 7. in the ca.'^e of
Klijah, 1 Kinjs xviii. 38. Hence to (xprtss the accepting
•f an o{R-rin;jr. sac-ifite, he. the verb J'.^'T dushan is used,
which signifies, to reduce to mhes, i. p. by fire I'roin h'^aven. ivre
Psalm XX. 3. In such a case as this, it was necesisary
that the fire should appear to be divinely sent, and should
tome in such a way, as to preclude the supposition that any
art or deceit had been pracii.>-ed on the occasion. Hcuce it
is not intiii.ated that Moses and Aaron brought it out of the
I people, and ' blessed Ihcni, and came dov-n
• from of^eri:\g of the sin offering, and the
' burnt Oiit-ring, and peace oAeriiig.s.
i 23 ^ And iiloses and Aaron went into the
Rrli.
. .^ Ifi.-
' Kind. '.•?. g4. 26; <h. 7. .'30. Ai, 32, 33,34. ' Kumb, C.
2;. I>eiil. il. .i.I.ii;,eS'4.'50. '
tabernacle, professina: that God had kindled it iltere for li'iem,
but the ./jVc ClMfi OUT /roni BEFORE tlie Lord, and .\1.L ilm
FKOr-LF. SAW it. The victims were consumed by a fire,
evidently of no /((wiflfi itinrf/iw^. Josepbus says, that "afire
proceedcu from tiie vicllcns ihei!i>eVvr.s, of its own aciord,
which h:id the apptaranci- of a (lash of lightning-;" c?, ««Tuy
jrup avrifSn avrcfiarov, y.ai o/iciov csffaT'iff \a,u,7itihtnu opantYOV
zr.<f?^yi. and consumed ^11 that wai upon the ailar : jlnliq.
lib. iii. c. 8. s. 6. erlit. Hav re. And it is veiy likely that by
the agency of the cMcrca/ or t/rc/r/c upark, sent iintntdiatcly
from the divine presence, the victims were consumed, 'i he
heathens, in order to "ive credit to their worship, imitated
this miracle, and pretended !h:it Jupiter testified his appro^
balion of tiie sacrifices of], red to him by thundei an<l li<,'iit-
niiig: to this VlKGlL .seems to alhtde, lliuiigh the vords ha\e
been understood differently.
Audiat hxc ^enitor, quifadera fuhnine snncit. /Fn. xii. v. 200.
" Let Jupiter hear, who sanctions covenants by his thnndtr."
on which words Servins makes this remarkable comment.
Quia cum fiunt fcedera, si coru.-catio fueril, confirnianltir.
Vel certe qnia apud majores arae non incendt l>antur, t^td
ittnem divinuui precibus fiiciebant q'ji inc» ndt-bant aliaiia-
" To .sanction the covenant signifies to confirm it ; for when
a covenant was made, il th.ie were a flash of ligiUiiitiff, ic
was considered to be thereby confirmed : or rather, because
our ANCESTORS lijihted no fiie upon the altars; but obtcined
by their supplications divine fire, &c." The expressiotj, apitd
mojures, among ovr (tncsiiors, shews that they could boast of
no such divine fire then, nor could they ever before, as ti.e
whole account was borrowed from tI.e Jew.s. Srtlimis foiy-
histor, gives u.s an sccount to the samcctlict; for speak mfl;
of the hill of Vidcan in Sicily, he say.s, — m quo, qui di\inje
rei operantiir, liana vilea super aras .struunt, nee i^iii* aupo, ^
nitur in haiic conoericin : ciKi> prosicias iotnlercnt, si ade.-st
Deus, si sacrum probatur, sarnitnia licet viridia, .-ponte rrn-
cipiunt, & nullo inflagrante halitn, ab ip.io numine fit acccn,
Uiiiin, cap. v. in fine. "They who ptr'.'ortn sacrrd rites "> h's
place, put a bundle of vint-;rce wood upon the altar, but put
no fire to it ; for, when they lay the pieces of the v;ct;ia
3 T
Thejire of the Lord
tabernacle of the congregation, and
came out, and blessed the people :
* and the glory of the Lord appeared
unto all the people.
24 And *" there came a fire out from before the
A.M. 2514.
U.C. 1490.
An. Exud.Isr.
Ahib or Kisan.
LEVITICUS. consumes the sacrifices.
Lord, and consumed upon the al-
tar, the burnt offering and the fat ;
which, when all the people saw,
" they shouted, and fell on their
faces.
• Vcr. 6. Numb. 14. tO. & 16. 19, 42.-
38. 2 Ch.on. 7. 1. Ps. I
" Gen. 4.>. Jiidg. 6. 21. 1 Kings 18.
>. 2 Mac's. 10, 11.
upon it, if the Deity be present, and he approve tlie sacrifice,
the bnnf'le, aithoiis;h of green wood, takes fire of itself, and
viliiout any other means, the Deiiy himself kimiles thv
flame." The<e are reniarkaliie instances, and shew hov,
exactly the liealiien writers have borrowed trom the sacred
records. And in larthrr iii.itation of this miracle, they had
their perpetual f re in the temple of Vesta, whicli they feigned
to lia're Jescended at fir?t from heaven, and which they kept
with ihe most religions veneration.
Vei.se 24 M'licii all ihe people saw, they shouted, and fell
on heir faces.] 1. The niiraclf was done in such a way as
gave the ful!e.-t c( iiviction to the people of its reality. '2.
They t.xulted )n the ihon!;lit that the God of almighty power
and energy had taken up his abode amongst them. 3. They
priistraied themsel es in his presence, thereby intimating the
deep s:'nse they had of His goodness, of tlieir unworthincss,
and of the obligation they were under to live in subjection to
his authority, and olxdirnce to his will. Thi.? celestial fuc
was carefully preserved amongst the Israelites till the time of
Solomon, when it was reaeived, and continued amongst them
till the Babylonish captivity. This divine fire was the em-
blem of the Holy Spirit. And as no sacrifice could be ac-
ceptable to God, which was not salted, i. e. seasoned and
rendered pleasing', bij this fire, as our Lord says, Mark ix.
49. so no s^ul can offer acceptable sacrifices to God, but
through the influences ot the divine Spirit. Hence \.\\e pro-
mise of the Spirit under ihe embltm ot fire. Matt. iii. 1 1. and
its actual descent in this similitude, on the day of Pentecost,
Acts ii. 3, 4.
The most remarkable circumstance in this chapter is the
manifestation of the presence of God, and the consuming of
the victims by the miraculous fire. We have already seen
A.M. s;,H4.
B.C. 1490.
An. Exod.Isr.
AhiborNiam.
' 1 Kings 18. 39. 2 Chron. 7. 3. Kzra. 3. 11.
that the chief design of these sacrificial rites was to obtain
reconciliation to God, that the divine presence might dwell
and be manifested among tbetn. To encourage the people
to make the necessary preparations, to offer the sacrifices iit
a proper spirit, and to expect especial mercies from the hand
of God, Moses promises, ver. 4. that the Lord would appear
unto them on the morrow, and that Ids glory should appear,
ver. 6. In hope or expectation of this, the priests, the elders,
and the people, purified themselves by offering the different
sacrifices which God had appointed ; and when this was done>
God did appear, and gave the fullest proofs of his approba-
tion, by miraculously consuming the sacrifices which were
prepared on the occasion. Does not St. John evidently re-
fer to these circumstances, 1 Epist. c. iii. 2, 3. Beloved, noto
lire we the sons of God ; and it doth not yet appear what we
shall be; but we know that when he shall APPEAR, we shall be
like him, for we shall see him AS HE ]S : and every man that
hath this HOPE in him, PUKIFIETH himself, even us he is pure.
This manifestation of God in the tabernacle, was a type of
his presence ; first, in the church militant on earth ; and
secondly, in the church triumphant in heaven. They who
expect to have thd presence of God here, must propitiate his
throne of justice by the only available sacrifice; they who
wish to enjoy everlasting felicity, must be purified from all
nnrighteousuess, for without holiness, none can see the Lord.
If we hope to see him as he is, we must resemble him. How
vain is the expectation of glory, where there is no meetness
for the place : and how can we enter into the holiest but by the
blood of Jesus; Hcb. x. 19. And of what use can this sacri-
fice be to those who do not properly believe in it .? And car*
any faith, even in that sacrifice, be effectual to salvation, that
does not jiurify the heart ? Reader ! earnestly pray to God
that thuu hold not the truth in unrighteousness.
CHAPTER X.
Nadab «hJ Abihu o^c;- strange Jire before the Lord, l. and are destroyed, G — 5. Aaron and his family for-
bidden to mourn for them, 6, 7. lie and his famili/ are forbidden the use of nine, 8 — 1 1. Directions to Aaron
and his sons comerning the eating of the meat-offerings, S;c. 12 — 15. Moses chides Aaron for not having eaten
the sin-offering, 16—18. Aaron excuses himself, 19. and Moses is satisfied, 20.
and are consumed.
Moses said unto Aaron, A.Ji;j6i4.
The sons of Aaron offer strange Jire, CHAP. X.
A.M...'M4. A ND "Nadab and Abihii, the l| 3 Then
B.C. iiw. Al gp„g of Aaron, "took either ofi This « // that the Lord spake, say-
^ii6or iVisnn
15. C. 1490.
— r • T -11 1 -i? 1 • 1 c 1 .'Vii.Exod.Isr.
them his censer, and put hre thereni, j ing, 1 will be sanctihed in them that «•
come nigh me, and before all the
and put incense thereon, and otfered
'strange fire before the Lord, which he com-
manded them not.
2 And there ''went out fire from the Lord,
and devoured them, and they died before the
Loud.
' I.. 16.1. &52.9. NuHib.3.3,4. &26.61. 1 Cliron. 24. 2. ''cIi.lC.
Numb. 16. IR.- — -' Ex. id. 30. 9. " cli. 9. 24. Numb IG. 35. SSiini.
' Kxod. 19. 22. & 29. 43. cb. 21. 6. 17, 21. Isai. 52. 11. Ezek. 20.
people I will be "^ glorified. ^ And Aaron held his
peace.
4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan,
the sons of "Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said
unto them, Come near, ' carry your brethren
41. fi 42. l.") ' Isui. 49. 3. Ezek. 28. 22. Jolin 13. 31, 32. & 14. 13.
2 TliEis. 1. 10. s Ps. 39. 9. » Evod. ti. 18, 22. Nuii.b. 3. 19, 30.
' Luke 7. 12. Acts 5. 6, 9, 10. It 8. 2.
NOTES ON CHAP. X.
Verse I . And ^udab and Abihu — look either of them his
eensei] The manner of burning incense in the temple service
was, according to the Jews, as follows: " One went and
gathrrcd the a-shes from off the altar into a golden ves.;el, a
jsecontl brought a vessel full of incense, and a third brought a
'censer with fire, and put coals on the altar, and he whose
'office it was to burn the incense, strewed it on th^ fire, at
ithe command of the governor. At the same time, all the
(people went oulof the temple from between the porch and the
jaltar. Each day they burned the v.eiiiht of a hundred
denarics of incense, Jifij/ in the morning, and Jif/y in the
evennig. The hundred denaries weighed Jifi)/ shekt Is of the
.sanctuary, each shekel WL-ighing three luindred and iutnti/
barley corns; and when the priest had burned the incense,
he boweil himself down and went his way out. See Mai-
\ monides' Treatise of the Daili/ Service, chap. 3. So when
I Zacharias, as his lot fell, burned incense in the temple, the
I whole multitude of the people were without at prayer, while
I the incense was burning, Luke i. 9, 10. By this .service
God taught them that the prayers of his failhliil people are
pleasing to him, whilst our High Priest, Christ Jesus, by
his mediation, puts incense to their praj'ers, see Psal. cxii.
2. Rom. viii. 34. Heb. viii. 1, 2. ix. 24. Rev. \-!ii. 3, 4.
for the priests, under the law, served unto the example and
shadow of heavenly things. Heb. viii. 5." — See Aimivoi'tk
in loco.
In the preceding chapter we have seen how God intended
that every part of his service should be conducted : and that
every sacrifice might be acceptable to him, he sent liis own
fire, as the emblem of his presence, and the means of con-
;.;ng the sacrifice. Here we find Aaron's sons rieglecting the
;,ie ordinance, and offering incense with strant^e, that is,
I co.ninon, fire; fire not of a celestial origin; and therefore the
I fire of God consumed them. So, thai very fire, which, if
i properly applied, would have Mnclified and consumed their
1 gift, becomes now the very instrument of their destruction !
i How true is the saying. The Lord is a comsuming Jire .' He
'■will either A«//ou) or destroy xis: he will ))urify our .souls by
] the influence of his Spirit, or consume them with the breath
1 of his mouth ! The tree which is properly planted in a good
soil, is nourished by the genial influences of the sun : pluck
it up from its root£, and the sun, which was the cause of its
vegetative life and perfection, now' dries up ils juices, de-
composes its parts, and causes it to moulder into dust. Thus
must it be done to tho.se who grieve and do despite to the
Spirit of God. Reader, hast thou this lieavenly fire .'' Hear
then the voice of God, QUFNCH not the SPIRIT ! Some
critics are of opinion, that the fire used by the sons of
Aaron was the sacred fire, and that it is only called strange,
from ihe manner of placing the incense on it. I cannot see
the force of this opinion.
Which he commanded tkem not.'\ Every part of the religion
of God is divine — He alone, knew what he designed by its
rites and cerenionies, for that which they prefigured, (the
v\hole oeconomy of redemption by Christ) was conceived in
his own mind, and was out of the reach of human wisdom
and conjecture. He, therefore, who a/rf/ecf any part of this
repre-eniative system, omitted or added any thing, assumed a
prerogative which belonged to God alone, and was certainly
guilty of a very high oflence against the wisdom, justice and
righteousness of his Maker. This appears to have been the
sin of Nadab and Abihu; and ihi.s at once, .shews the rea.son
why they were so severely puni.shed. The most awlul judg-
ments are threatened ai^aiust those who either add to, or take
away, from the declarations of God. — See Dent. iv. 2.
Prov. XXX. 6. and Rev. xxii. IS, 19.
Verse 3. And Aaron held his peace'\ pntJ ai'l va-yedom
Aharon, and Aaron was dumb. Hqn' elegantly expressive is
this of his parental affection, his deep sense of the presump-
tion of his sons, and his own .submission to the ju.-tice of
God ! The flower and hope of his family was nipped in the
bud and blasted, and while he exquisitely feels as a father,
he submits, without murmuring, to this awful dispensation of
Divine Justice. It is an awful thing to introduce innova-
tions either into the rites and ceremonies, or truths of the
religion of Christ : he who acts thus cannot stand guiltless
before his God.
It has often been remarked, that excessive grief stupifies
the mind, so tliat amazement and deep anguish prevent
at once both tears and complaints — hence that saying of
.Seneca, Curce levcs loquuntur; graviores silent. Slight sor-
rows are loquacious ; deep anguish has no voice. — See on
ver. 19.
Verse 4. Uzziel the uncle of Aaron] He was brother to
Amram, the father of Aaron, see Exod. vi. 18 — 22.
3 T 2
Tlicy are buried, and their brethren LEVlTICtJ*S.
fi'om before the sanctuary out of the
5 So they went near, and carried
yliH,or-f^«m. ^j^gj^j -^ ,|^^g-j, ^y^^^^ y^j,. (jf ^jje camp:
as- Moses had said^-
.i.M.v.-.U. •
B.'C.r:'.'o.
Alt. Kx^J Ur.
G ^ And Moses said unto Aaroii, and unto
Eleazar and unto Itliamar, his sons, "Uncover
not your heads, neither r^nd your clothes; lest
ye die, and lest " wrath come upon all the
people : but let your brethren, the whole house
of Israel, bewail the burnnig which the Lord
hath kindled.
7 'And ye shall not go out from the door
of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye
die: "for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon
vou. And they did according to the word of
Moses.
8 ^ And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying,
9 ".Do not di-ink wine nor strong drink, thou,
nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the
tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: il
tor
ever
throughout
your
shall be a statute
generations:
10 And tliat ye may "^put difference between
forbidden to viournfor them,
i, and between un- A.M.'.M-i,
holv and unliolv,
clean and clean;
11 *'And th.!t ye
! children of Israel
Vv'hiclithe Loud hath spoken unto tliem, by the
may teach the
ill the statutes.
1>. C, lliid,
i\\). Kxcd. la-.
'i.
Aiiih orNisani
» Exiid. 33. 5. ch. 13. 43. & 'it. 1, 10. Numb. 6. 6, 7. Dent. 33. 9.
f.'ct. ''1 \6,rT. ' Nimih. 16. 22, 4o. .fosh 7 1. & 22 18, 'iO. SSani.
24 1 <: t!i 51. 12. o Ex. id. 2.S. 41. cli. 8 30. ' Jizek. 44. V:i.
LuKel.15. lTiin.a.3. Tit 1. 7. '' cli. 11. 47. & iO. 25. Jir. li. I'J.
Verse 5. Carried: them in their cnnts out of the camji]
The rnoiiern iinproprifty of buryinff tlie dead within towns,
cities, or places inhiibited, had not yet been introduced ;
much less, tiiat iihamiruLlion, at which both piety and com-
mon sense shudder, burying- the dead about, and even
'j;ithin places dedicated to tlie worship of God !^
Ver-e 6. Uncover not^our lieaJ.i, &t.] They were to use
no sign of qriff or mourning — 1st, brcause those who weie
employed in the i-ervice of the sanctuary, should avoid every
thing that might incapacitate them for that service: and
2dlv, because the crime l)f (heir brethren was so higldy
provoking to God, and so fully merited the punishment
which he had ii.pjicted, lliat ilic.r iiiouinin;^ might be con-
Sidei-ed as acousin^j; die Divine Ju.-ticc of undue severity.
Verse 7. The aaointing oil of the Lord is upon i/'ni] They
were consecrated to the divine service, and this required
their constant attendance, and most willing and chearlul
service.
Verse 9. D) not drink xaine nor strnv^ drink'] The cabal-
istical commentator, B.ud llatturim, and others, have sup
DOS' d fro.ii the inltnihivtion o( tliis conniand iiere, that
Aaron's sons had sinned throu!i;h excess oi wine, and thai
they had attempted to celebrate the divine service in a state
of inebriation.
hand of Moses.
\'2 % And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto .
Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that -^ere
left, Take "the meat offering tliat rem;iineth of.
the offerings of the Louu made b}- fire, and eat
it without leaven beside the altar: for 'it is most
holy :
13 And ye shall eat it in the holy place, be-
cause it is thy due, and thy sons' due, of the
sacrifices of tlie Lord made by fire: for "so I
am commanded.
14 And 'the -wave breast and heave shoulder
shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons^'
and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy
due, snd thy sons' due, tMch are given out of
the sacriiicss of peace offerings of the cliildren
of Israel.
15 "'The heave shoulder and the wave breast
sliall they bring with the offerings made by fire
EzA. a-A 26. & 44. 23. c Dent. 24. 7,. Ncli. 8. ?, 8, P, 13. Jer. 18. 18.
Mai 2.7. ^ Exud. 29. 2 cli. C. 16. Numb. 18. P, W. ' (ill. 2V. *-» _'.
1- cli. 2. 3. & C. l(i. ' Exod. iy. 5;4, 26, 27. di. 7. jl,3-i. >.uiiiL.. 11). 11.
•"cli.7.29,oO, j4.
Strong drink] Tlie word "l2tjf shecer., from shucar, to
inebriate, signilies any kind of fermented liquor.s. This is
exactly the same prohibition that was given in the case of
Joltn Baptist, Luke i. 1 S. oivov. xai atki^a ou f^n k-o). Wine-
and sike:t. he shall not drink. Any inebriating- liquor, says
St. Jeiom,- (Kpist. ud Ncpot.) is called Sicera, whether
made of corn, apples, honey, dale:: or >j\\<at fruit. (Jne of
the four prohibited drinks among the Moluuiimedans in India,;
is calletl J^ iukar, (see the iicdam, vol. iv. p. 158.)
v\hich signifies inebriating drink in general, but especially
date wine. Frt.ui the original word, probably we have
borrowed our term cj/der or nider, v.hiih, anions: us, exclusively
signifies the !j-rmei!ted juice of apple?:. — See on Luke i. IS.
Verse 10. That ye may put difcrence between holy and unholy}
This is a strong reason why ihey should drink, no inebriating
liquor, tliat their understanding being clear, and their judg-
ment correct, they might be always able to discern between
the clean and the unclean, and ever pronounce righteous
iudgment. Injunctions similar tf>. this were ftnind among^
'he Egyptians, Carllr.igiiiians, and Gieek.s. Indeed, com-
mon sense it.-tlt' shev, s, that neither a drunkard nor a sot
•hould ever be suffered to minister in holy things.
Ver-e 1 4. Wave br.ast and heave shoulder] See chap. vii»
and on Lxod. xxix. 'J 7.
The shi-o^eripg, through mistaJiCt
of the fl\t, to v.'tave it\for a -vvavc
offyrinpf before the Lord; and it
shall be l'i;ino, and thy sous' v.itli I
tlice, by a statute for ever; as the
LoKD hath commanded.
IG "^ And Moses diligently sought 'the goat
of the sin olieritig, and, bcliold, it v/as burnt
a. c. u%>.
All. I.X'xl.lsr.
CTIAP. XI. is burnt, not e den.
of the conffrefjation, to make atone-
mcnt for thcin before the Loud?
A..M.v,'>i;.
Au.Kx'd. \it.
1 8 Behold, ' the blood of it was not v.
brought in vithin the holy place : ye -^''^o'^''^"-
should indeed have eaten it in tlie holy place,
" as I connnanded.
10 And Aaroii said unto Moses, Behold, 'this
and he v/a.s angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, j day have they offered- their sin oflering and their
the s;on:i of Aaron •u/iich iccic left alive, ■nc.y-
17 '' Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offer-
ing in the holy place, seeing it is most holy,
and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity
• Cli.9. S; 15. ' l!i. C. '20, 2.'. ' tli. 6.30.-
t!i. C. •,(
Verse Kr. Moses diligeni/j/ sought the goa/] The goat which
vas cill'..r€d the same day, lor the fins of the priests and the
people J s-ee chap. ix. 15, 16. and wliic.h, throuiji) the con-
lusi'jn li)at liapptiifd on acc(.iint of the death of Nadab and
ilihiliii, wAihuriit, instead of being ea/tf/i. — See \er. IS.
I \'erse 11. To bear the iiiitftiij/ of the congregaiio.'i] See
1 on chap. vi. L'G, &c.
' Vense 19. And wch things have befallen vk, £ic.} Tlie.cx-
CDst" wliith Aaron iiiakes lor viol fea^lil1g■ on the iiti-olVtrini^,
accordiij;.; to the law, i-; at onte appropriate and dignihtd: as
i! he hnd said, " God certainly his cuminariJed nne to eat
of llie sin-diTerin};; l)ut when such thiols as these have hap-
pmed unto me, C( old it be good in the -sigiit of the Lord .'
Dors he not expect tiiat I ^Iu)uhl feel as a father under such
-afflicting circumstances?" — AVitlithis spirited answer, Moses
vas saii.sfied; and God, wlio knew his s.lua'.ion, look iiO'
liotice of the irre^iu'ari'j/ whitli had taken place in the soleiiin
service. '1 o himi.iii nature, CJod has given tlie piivile^^e to
weep in times of afflict on and distress, in liis infinite kind-
ness he has ordained, tiiat tears, which are only cxteiiial evi-
dences of our grief, »-l:all be t'li" ottttets to our suriovvs, and tend
to txhiust the cause fioiii wlixh they flow. — See on vc-r. 3.
Verse 20 When 3Ioses lieard, lie ii:as content] The argu-
ment used by Aaron had in it both good-sense and s.troiig
reason; and Moses, as a reasonable man, felt its force; and
as God evidenced no kind of displeasure at this irregularity,
which wa.s, in a niea.-ure at least, justified by the present
neCLSsily, be thought proper to urge the matltr no furllKr.
Though the punishment of Nadah and Abibti may appear
severe, because the sacred text does not s|>ecify clearly tlie
nature and extent of their crime, we in'iy rest assured, that
it was of such a iiature as not only to justily, but to demand
such a punishiiitnt. God ha.>lu:re given us a full proof that he
burnt ofleriug belorethe Loud; and such things
j; hare befallen me : and j/" I had eaten the s^ni
j offerin;;; to day,' ^shou}d it have been accepted
' in the sio;ht of the Lord.''
I '20 And when Mo^c^ ho-'.ra that, he was content.
■: Ql. 9. ft, 12.-
will not .suOcr liairau insiiuukiin lo take the jJace oC Ins own
pre-cribed wor-,hiiJ. It is true, this is frequently done; for
by many, what is called v.ntural religion, is put in the iilace
oi' divine nidation, and God seems not to legard it; bnt
lliough vengeance is not sp;tdi'iy e.xecuted on ai> evil wqcV,
and therefore the hearts of tlie chilrfien of men are set lo do
wickedness, yet God ceases not lo be .just; and those .who
have titken from, or (uldul to his, words,, or put I heir own in-
; ventions in their ptate, shall he reproved and found bars in .
I Uic great day. liis long-suffering kads to repentance; but
if men v:i!l linrden their b;-art.«, and put tl;eir oien ceremonies, •
i rites, and citeds, in the place of divine ordinances and eternal-
j truths, tliey tinist expect to giye an awful account to him wlio-r
; is shortly tu judge the quick and tli^ ilead.
i Were the religion of Christ, stripped of all, that stale policy,
: fleshly interest, and gross superstition have added to it, how
p'ain and simple, and may we not add, how amiable and
glorious would it apjiear! Well iiu'y ue say of huuiun in-
ventions ill divine worship, what one, said of t\\f: vaiuiin^s on-
tld cathedral window.s, Thiir principal tendena/ is to prevent
the liglit from coming in. Nadab and Abilui would perform
the woi>hip of God, not according to hts command, but in
their oiun .tu(/j/ ; and God not only would nol receive the
sacrifice from their hand-., but, while encompassing them-
selves with ihtir oun sparks, and warming themselves with
tluir own fire, tins had they fr. m the hand of the Luid — Ihey-
lay down m sorrow, tor there xuent out a ftre front the Lord,
and devoured them. ^Vhat is written above, is to be tindtr-
stood of pei-sons who make a religion for tljemseUes, leavio"
diviiie revelation — .'or being wilfully ignoranl of God's riHitc-
j oQ.ne>.s Ihey go aSout to establish llitir own. This is a high
I offence in ihe si<;lil of God. Reader, God is a Spirit, and '
I Ihry who wors.iip him, must worship him in spirit and
i Iruih. Such worsiiippers the Father seeketh.
CHAPTER XL
LaKs concerning clean ant] unclean animals, 1, 2. Of QUAOttuPEDEs, ihosc are clean Kkich divide the hoof,
nad chew the cud, 3. Those to be reputed unclean a/ticA do not divide the Louf, though theif chew tU cud, ««,
Laws concerning clean
LEVITICUS.
and unclean animals.
the camel, rabbit, and hare, 4 — 6. Those to be reputed unclean also, which, though they divide the hoof, do
not chew the cud, as the swine, 7- Whosoever eats their Jiesh, or touches their carcases, shall be reputed uH'
clean, 8.
Of FISH, those are clean, and may be eaten, which have fins and scales, zchether bred in fresh or salt tcater, Q.
Those which have not fins and scales, whether salt or fresh water Jish, are to be reputed unclean ; their Jlesh is not
to be eaten, nor their carcases touched, 1 T, 12.
O/' FOWLS, the fulfozcing are unclean: Ossifrage wh^ ospray, 13; f^e vulture a«rf kite, 14; the r¥, 15; the
owl, night-hawk, cuckoo, andhawk, 16; f/^e little owl, cormorant, and great owl, 17; Me swan, pelican,
oHc? gicr eagle, 18; </ie stork, heron, lapwing, undhut, 19. Alt fowls that creep, 20. Those maybe eaten
which have legs above their feet, 31.
0/" INSECTS, the following may be eaten : T/^c baldlocust, beetle, oH«f grashopper, 22. Jll others are unclean
and abominable, their fesh not to be eaten, nor their bodies touched, 23 — 25. Farther directions relative to un-
clean beasts, 26 — 28.
O/" REPTILES, and some swza// qiiadrupedes, the foUozcing are unclean : The weasel, mouse, ahJ tortoise, 29;
the ferret, caraehon, lizard, snail, and mole, 30. Jll that touch them shall be unclean, 31; and the things
touched by their dead carcases are unclean also, 32; such as earthen vessels, 33; meat, 34; ovens, pots, ^c.
35. Large fountains, or pits of water, are not defied by their carcases, provided a part of the water be drawn
out, 36. Nor do they defle seed, by accidentally touching it, provided the water which has touched their fesh,
do not touch or moisten the seed, 37, 38. A beast that dieih of itself is unclean, and may not be touched or
eaten, 39,40. Jll creeping things are abominable, 41 — 44. The reason giveii for these lazes, 45 — 47.
^4- AND the Lord spake unto Moses saying, " These are the beasts which
Isr. 4 *^
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod.
Abib or Nhan.
N D the Lord spake unto Moses
and to Aaron, saying unto
them,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel,
» Deut. 14. 4.
NOTES ON CHAP. XI.
Verse 1. And the Lord spake unto 3Toses] In the preced-
ing chapter the priests arc expres>lj forbidden to drink wine.
and the reason for this law is given also, that they n.iglit be
able at all times to distinguish htttceen clean arid unclean, and
be qualified to teach the children of Israel all the statutes which
the Lord had spoken, chap. x. 10, U-; for as inebriation
unfits a person for the regular performance of every function
of life, it must be especially sinful in those who minister in
holy things, and to wlioni the teaching of the ignorant, and
the cure of souls in geiicral, arc entru.^ted.
Scheuchzer has remarked, that no Christian state has made
any civil law again.st drunkenness; (he must only mean the
German states, for we have several acts of parliament against
it in England) ; and that it is only punished by contempt.
" Custom," says he, " that tyrant of the human race, not only
permits it, but in some sort authorises the practice; insomuch,
that we see prifsts and ministers of the church ascend the
pulpit in a state of intoxication, jtidges seat themselves upon
the benches, plit/siciuns attend dieir patients, and others at-
tempt to perform the different avocations of life, in the same
disgraceful state." Physic. Saer. vol. III. p. 64.
Tliis is a horrible picture of German manners; and while
w« deplore the ejlensive ravages made by this vice, and the
ye shall eat among all the beasts that
are on tlie earth.
3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and
A. M. 2514.
vB. C. l490.
An. Exod. Isr.
•Ahih or Ni&an.
Acts 10. 12, 14.
disgrace with which its votaries are overwhelmed, we have
reason to thank God. that it very rarely has ever appeared
in the pulpit, and perhaps was never once -seen upon the
bench in our own country.
Having delivered the law against drinking wine, Moses
proceeds to deliver a series of ordinances, all well calculated
to prevent the Israelites from mixing with the surrounding
nations, and consequently from being contaminated by their
idolatry. In chap. x\. he treats oi unclean MEATS. In chap,
xii. xiii. xiv. and xv. he treats of unclean PERSONS, GAR-'
MENTS, and DWELLINGS. In chap. xvi. he treats of the un- ■
cleanness of the PRIESTS and the PEOPLE, and prescribes the
proper expiations and sacrifices for both. In chaj). xvii. he-
continues the subject, and gives particular directions concern-
ing the mode of offering, &c. In chap, xviii. he treats of
unclean matrimonicd connexions. In chap. xix. he repeats
sundry laws relative to these subjects, and introduces some
new ones. In chap. xx. he mentions certain uncleannesses
practised among the idolatrous nations, and prohibits them '
on pain of death. In chap. xxi. he treats of the mourning,
tnarriuges, and personal defects of the priests, which rendered
them imclean. And in chap. xxii. he speaks of unclean
sacrijices, or such as should not be offered to the Lord. After
this, to the close of the book, many important and excellent'
political and domestic regulations arc enjoined, thre whole
6
A.M. ijl4.
B. C. 1 1'.'O.
All. EioH. Isr.
o
Ahib or A'tjan.
Diffei^etit unclean
IS clovenfooted, <??««? cheweth the
cud, among the beasts, that shall ye
eat,
4 Nevertheless these shall ye not
eat of tliem that chew the cud, or of them that
divide the hoof: as the camel, because he
cheweth the cud, but dividcth not the hoof;
he is unclean unto you.
5 And the coney, because he cheweth the
cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean
unto you.
» 2 Mac. 6. 18. & 7. 1. <" Isai. 65. 4. & 66. 3, 17, ■: Isai. 52. 11.
See Watt. 15. 11, «). Mark 7. 2, 1.'), 18. Acts 10. 11, 15. St. 15. 29.
forming an ecclesiastico-political system, superior to any thing
the world ever saw.
Bishop Wilson \'cry properly ob.serves, that " by these laws
of clean and unclean animals, &c. God did keep this people
separated from the idolatrous world : and this is a standing-
proofj even to the present day, of the divine authority of
these Scriptures ; for no power or art of man could liave
oblifjed so great and turbulent a nation to submit to such
troublesome precepts as the .Jews always have submitted to,
had they net been fully convinced, from the very first, that
the command was from God, and that it was to be obeyed
at the peril of their souls."
Verse 3. Whatever parteth ike hoof, and is cloven footed]
These two words mean the ."iame thinfj, a divided hoof, such
as that of the o.\, where tlie hoof is divided into two toes, and
each toe is cased witli horn.
Chcivtth the nut] Ruminates, casts up the grass, &c. which
had been taken into the stomach, for the purpose of masti-
cation. Animals which chew the cud, or ruminate, are pro-
vided with imo, three or four stotnachs. The ox has four : in the
/)•«/ or largest, called the ventriculus, or paunch, the food is col-
lected without being masticated ; the grass, &c. being received
into it, as the beast crops it from the earth. The food, by
the force of the muscular coats of this stomach, and the liqnors
poured in, is suQiciently macerated, after wliich, formed into
small balls, it is thrown up by the CEsophagus into the mouth,
where it is made very small by mastic.ition or chewing, and
then sent down into the second stomach, into which the
oesophagus or gullet opens, as well as into the first, ending
exactly where the two stomachs meet, litis is what is termed
cheivin!^ the cud. The second .stomach, which is called the
reticulum, honey-comb, bonnet, or king's hood, has a great num-
ber of small shalliiw cells on its inward surface, of a penta-
gonal or fii-e-'sided form, exactly like the cells in a honey-
comb: in this the food is farther macerated, and then pushed
onward into the third stomach, called the omasum, or many-
plies, because its inward surlace is covered with a ureat num-
ber of thin membranous partitions. From this the lood pa-sscs
into the fourth stomach, cnllfd the abamassum, or reed. In
this stomach it is digested, and from the digested mass the
chyle IS formed, which be.ng absf.rbed by llie lacteal ves.sels,
is afterwards thrown into the mass of blood, and becomes the
B. C. UTO.
An. Ciud.lsr.
i .
AbiboT Khan.
CHAP. XI. quadrupedes forbidden.
6 And the hare because he chew-
eth the cud, but divideth not the
hoof; he is unclean unto you.
7 And " tlie swine, tliough he di-
vide the hoof, and be clovenlboted, yet he
cheweth not the cud ; ^ he is unclean to you.
8 Of their fiesh shall ye not cat, and their
carcase shall ye not touch ; " they are unclean
to you.
9 ^ "^ These shall ye eat of all that are in
the waters : whatsoever hath fins and scales
Rom. 14. 14, 17.
14. 9.
1 Cor. 8. 8. Col. 2. 16, 21. Hebr. 9. 10. " Dcut.
principle of nutrition to all the solids and fluids of the
body. The intenlion of rumination, or chexcin^ the cud,
seems to be, that the food may .be sufficiently comminuted,
that being more fully acted on by the stomachs, it may aRbnl
the greatest possible portion of nutritive juices.
The word cud, is probably not originally .Saxon, though
found in that language, in the same signification in which it is
still used. Junius, with great show of probability, derives it
from the Cambro-British c/iwi/d, a vomit, as it is the ball of
food vomited, or thrown up, from the first stomach or paunch,
through the oesophagus into the mouth, which is called by this
name. Those who prefer a iSaxon derivation, may have it in
the verb ceopan, whence our word chew ; and so cud might
be considered a contraction of chewed, but this is not so likely
as the preceding.
Verse 5. The CONEV] JSU' shaphan, not the rahhit, but
rather a creature nearly resembling it, which abounds in Ju-
dea, Palestine, and Arabia, and is called by Dr. ."^haw da-
man Israel, and by Mr. Bruce ashkoko. As this creature
nearly resembles the rabbit, with which Spain anciently
abounded, Bochart supposes, that the Phoenicians might have
given it the name of iTiSfff spaniah, from the muliiiude of
D'JStJ' ihaphanim, (or spanim, as others pronounce it,) which
weie found there. Hence the emblem of Spain is a woman
silting with a rabbit at her feet. See a coin of Hadrian in
Scheitchzer.
Ver.-e 6. The HARE] naJ^S arnebeth, as Bochart and
others suppose; from mx aruh to crop, and 3»J nib, t\\e pro-
duce of the ground ; these animals being remarkable lor de-
stroying the fruits of the earth. That they are notorious for
destroying the tender blade of the young corn is well known.
It is very likely that different species of these ani ■ als are
included under the general terms 'fi\ff shaphan. and n3i"iX ar-
nebeth, for some travellers have observed that there are four
or five .sorts of ihese animals, which are used for food in the
present day, in tho^e countries. See Harmer, vol. iii. p. 331.
edit. I80-<. Some think \\\e mountain rat, marmot, squirrel,
and hei/i;ehog may be intended, under tlie word shaphan.
Verse i And the SWINE] 1»tn c/iaii'r, one oJ' the most
gl'ittonous, libidinous, and filthy quadrupedes in the universe;
and because of these qualities, sacred to the Venus of the
Greeks and Romans ; and the Friga of our Sax.oi> ancestors j
Jji^erent unclean fish LEVITICUS. o/^d fowls jh hidden.
A.i\i iMi-. iu the waters, in the seas, and ia the |! waters, that shall he an abomination ^- '^'•'^yi'*-
K.c. li^. rivers, them shall ye eat, i unto you. iw.i.uo.
A...Kw.i=r. ^^ ^^^ all that 'have not fins and|l 13 f "And these arc thcij 'tcJdch '^"'^^/^ '*•
^.•jpor>is-«. g(.jjj£^ in the seas, and in the rivers, ; ye shail have in abominaticn among '"''*"»^';^'«w.
of all that niove in tiie waters, and of any living'! the fov.ls ; they sluvil nbt be eaten, tliey are an
aDoiinnation :
the 0 spray.
the
thing which is in the waters, they shall be an
* abomination unto yon
11 Tl'.ey shall be even an abomination unto' 14 And the vulture, and the kit
you ; ye 'shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall \ kind ;
June their carcases in abomination. jj 13 Every raven after his kind ;
eagle, and the ossiiiage, and
afler his
12 Whatsoever hath no tins nor scales in the
' Gil. 7. IS. Dent. 14. 3.
16 And the owl, and the night hav»k, and
£.)i<l perhaps on tlicse accounts forbidiien ; as well as on ar-
rount of Its liesh be in .4- .strung anil fliScuIt to (Igesi, aff.rd-
iusj a veiv .gross kind cl aiiintait, apt to prodii-e cuianeou'^,
►cotbiilic an'l scropbuloi-.s iiisoi-r;ers, especially 111 hot tlunate.s.
Verse 9. Whusoevey ha'.h .fins and scnhs] Because ihcs:-,
ofaH Ihe fi>h tribe, are the most nourishing; the others which
-are tvitbout scales, bcin;| in general, very daTicult of dio-ettion.
\'erse I 'i. And thtse — amoiii; iJi<;foi::lf — die eajrU] ^^'j ue-
iher, (roin nusluif to laccmie, cut, or tear Co pieces; lience lli.*>
eai^le, a most rapacious bird of prey, from its teann"; the
fle.-h of the an mals, it feeds on: and for this purpose, birds!
cf prev, liave, in gcneiai, ttronn: croolced t.dons and a hooked
beak. " Tbe ea^le is a cruti bird, eiceedingly ravenous, and
ahmost in>;2«iable.
The ossifragi^ Or bonc-breakcr, from os a bone, and
frdKHO I bniiL; because it not only strips oft" the flesh, bi;t
'lieakt the bmtc in order to extract the mnrro-j:. In Hebrew,
it is ca.l •<! triQ paes, fi-om pams to break or dhUle in tuo,
and pwbabiy M«niSes that specie.^ of eajle anciently known
bv the name of msifraga, and wliirh we render os^sifragt.
' Ofjiray} ^'i'V dzanitth, from ]:y dzan to be strong, vi-
etrous, -nrnvMy t-opposed to mean the blHck eiigk ; such as
V.iat described by Homer, Iliad, xxi. vir. 252.
Of i'aiMz K«fiiro{ te nai uiuro; wtrmoji:
" Having the raj idity of the black eagle, that bird of prey,
at once lhe''!.wiftesl and strongest of the feathered race."
Anions the Greeks and Romans, the eagle was held sa-
fr (1, and is represented as carrying the thiinder-bolts of
Jopiur. This oC(urs so fr-qiienlly, and is so ne!l known,
that re erenccN are almost net dbss. 8ee Scheuclaer.
Ver.se li-. The VUl.lLKl] r.S1 daub, fn,n» the root tof.y,
ind ibereroiv u;ore prv bably Ihc kue or j;l<:de, from its r.-
innrkabie pr.^Mty of ^Udin^ or sailing with < xpandcd wintrs
ti.roii^h ih'. air. 'The n>!"l Jcdh is a diflhent bud from the
nn X.iyaii uhieh signifies the vulture. See hochart, vol. iii.
Col. liii.
Thr KITF] iTS iiiyih, lhoiit;ht by some to liP the tul/nre,
I17 i.tUtis then.r)/(/i. Paikbur-l th nks it has ils name from
the rooi r5.^ <iiait to covei, lecau.-e of its laiiacumsness: si me
«.ouiKi4 lUi liK i;'* IS nuanl. That it is a species of the
limvk, most learned men allow. See Bochart, vol. iii. cd.
19i..
Verse 1.5. Ev^ry KX.Ve.y'^ 2"li; o-t;-, a, general t.nncora-
preber.dinii the ravtn. crow, nnik, jackdaw, and maijpie.
' Verse 16. The owl] r^T'nra hatk liriiyadnuh, the duiifil-
ler of vociferation, the far.ale osiru-li, probibly so called fioir.
the noi'e tiiey make. " In the lonesome part c?f the nijiht,"
says Dr. Shaw, " the ostriches frequently make a very doleful
and hideous noiss, someiimcs resembling the raar of the Hon ;\
al other times the l.oarser voice of the bull cr or." He addi>,;
" 1 have heard lliepi groan as if in the deepest a*onicii.
Travels, 4to edition, p. 467." The ostrich is a \ery unclean
animal, and eats its own ordure as soon as it voids it, and cf
this. Dr. IShaw observes (see above) it is remaikably fond !
This is a sufficient reason, were others wcnliriif, why such a
fowl should be reputed lo be unclean, and its use as an article
of diet, prohibited.
r/ieMlUIIT U.AWK] D'-Tin tachmas, from tr:n chanms to
force cnvaj/, act riolenily, and unjunl)/; supposed by Bochart
and Schcuchzcr to signily the mak ostrich, from its cruelty to-
wards its young, see Job xxxix. \1 — 19.; but others, with
mere reason, suppose it to be the bird described by Hafscl-
f|u!st, \ihicb he calls the strix Orienttdis, or (Jritnlal ofi).
" \l is oi the size oi' the common owl, living in the ruin?
and old deserted houses of Egypt and .^yria ; anil sometimes
in iuhabittd houses. The Arabs ia Egypt, call it JJasiasa,
llie Syrians Buna. It is vciy ravenous in ^yn.i, and in the
evenings, if the winilows be le.t open, it flics into bouses "«''
kills infants, unless they are carefully vi'atchcd; wherefore the
women are much afraid of it." T ravels, p. 196.
Tf this be the R>'.vl intended, this ;s a sufficient reason why
it .should fe ccnsidereil an ahomiiiaupa.
The cuckoo] fjrny shucuph, supposed rather to mean
the ica mcti;; called shachaph, fiom r^CTKf .shrtchrphcth, a
wastri}'^ distemper, or atrophy, (mentioned Levit xxvi. 16.
Deut. xxviii. 22 ) because its body is the lea/test, in propor-
tion to its bones and feather.';, of mo^t other birds; always
appearing, as if undir the iiilluencc i.i a wasting aistaiper.
i\ fowl, which from its natural const tu;iin, cr ii.';:r»otr of
life, IS incapable of Leci ming /)/««./>> r_/'i(«'y, m i.j, aUiMjs
be inwhoKSome : j. d this iii reasoi Si.fiicLi t v-Ijy t.w.is
should be prohibited.
Other wicleanjowb, "which are CHAP. XI
the cuckow, and the hawk after his
kind,
17 And the little 'owl, and the cor-
morant, and the great owl.
A.M. 2.514.
B.C. H'JCi.
Au.Kxiil.'sv.
AbibaT Sisan.
18 And the "swan, and the "pelican, and the
gier eagle.
to be reputed ahom'mable
19 And the "stork, the heron after
her kind, and the lapwing, and the
bat. 2.
20 All fowLs that creep, going ^*""'^a''»''-
IS. C. 1190.
An. E\od Isr'
» Isiii. 34. 11.—'' Deot. 14. 16.—' Psal. 102. 6. Deut. 14. 17.
And the HAWK] J'J vets, from llio root nSJ ntitsali lo .ifioot
forth, or sprini; fonvurd, because of Uie rapidity and Icnstii
of its flight, the hawk bein;^ remarkable for bolli. As tlii.s
is a bird of prey, it is forbidden, and all others of its kind.
Verse 17-. The LITTLE OWL] UO cos the bittern, ni^ht-
raren, or night-oxvl, according to most interpreters. Some
tliink the onocrolalus or pelican may l>e intended ; for as the
word oys cos, sigjnifies a ctip, in ilel)rew, and the pelictin is
remarkable for a pouch or i"^ under tlie lower jaw, it miiilit
have had its Hebrew name from ihi.s circumstance; but the
kanth in the following' verse, is ralher supposed to mean this
fow I, and that the cos meanB some species of the Lubo or oivl.
bee Bochart, vol. iii. col. 272.
The COllMORANT] "f^V •fhalac, from the root which sig-
nifies to ca^t dfAvn ; hence the Septuagint KaTx^^xKryti the
cntaruci, or bird which (aWa ]>recipita'e/y dnivn upon its prey.
It'f>robnbly signifies tlie plungeon or diver, a sea fowl,
which I have seen, at sea, dart doicn as swift as an arrow into
the water, and seize the fish which it had discovered while
even flying, or radier soaring, at a very great height.
TAe CRR.^T owl] ^ii'Sii yinsiiph, according to the Scpiii-
airiiit and tlie Vulgate signifies the Ihis, a bird well known
and held sacred in Kgypt. Some critics, witli our Ivanshition,
think it means a species of oxvl or nic,ht bird, because the
word may be derived fioiii r^i nesheph, which signifies the
twilight, the time in which oivls chiclly fly about. See Bo-
■ diart, vol. iii. col. 281.
\''erse 18. The SWAN] noty^n tinshenuth. The Septua-
gint translate the word by Trcf^u^iava, the porphj/rion, purple,
or scrrlel bird : could we depend on this translation, we
might suppose i\\e Jlamingo, or some such bird to be intended.
Some suppose the goose to be meant, but this is by no means
likclv, as it cannot be classed either among ravenous or un-
cleiiii fowls. Bochart thinks the owl is meant. See on ver.
30.
T7«f pelican] nap kanlh. As HSp ta«/i signifies to row;/^
up, the name is supposed to be very descriptive of the peli-
can, who receives its food into the pouch under its lower jaw,
and by pressing it on its breast with its bill, throws it up for
the nourishment of its young. Hence the fable which repre-
sents the pelican wounding her breast with her bill, that she
might feed her young with her own blood: a fiction which has
no foundation but in the above circumstance. Bochart thinks
the bittern is meant, vol. iii. col. 292.
The GIKR KAGLE] rDm rackam. As the root of this word
signifies tenderness and affection, it is supposed to refer to some
bird remarkable for its attachment to its young ; hence some
have thought that the pelican is to be understood. Bochart
npon all tour, shall be an abomination unto
you.
' Deut. 14. 18. Vsal. 104> 17. . Jer. 8. 7. Zech. 5. 9.
endeavours to prove that it means the vulture; probably that
species called the golden vulture. Bochart, vol. iii. col. 303.
Verse 19. 'iV/cr STOUk] rwon chasiduh, from -yon cliasad,
which signifies to be tibundant in kindness, or exuberant in acts
of beneficence ; hence applied to the stork because of its af-
fection to its young, and its kindness in tending and feeding
its parents when old ; facts attested by the best informed and
most judicious of the Greek and Latin natural historians.
.See Bochart, Sc/ieuchzer, and Parkhurst under the word IDH
chasad. It is remarkable for destroying and eating of ser-
pents; and on this account might be reckoned by Moses,
am''ng unclean birds.
T/ie HEUO.n] nSMi anuphah. This word has been vari-
ously understood ; some have rendered it the kite, others the
ivoodcock, others the curlieu, some the peacock, others the
parrot, and ol hers the cr^»!f. The root rpx anaph, signifies
to breathe short through the nostrils, to snujf, as in awer ;
hence to be angry : and it is supposed that the word is suffi-
ciently descriptive of the heron from its very irritable dispo-
sition. It will attack even a man in defence of its nest : and
I have known a case, where a man was in danger of losing his
life, by a stroke of a heron's bill, near tl.e eye, who had
cliuibL-d up into an high tree to lake its nest. Bocliart sup-
poses a species of the eagle to be meant, vol. iii. col. Si5.
The LAPWiNc;] n20n dukiphath, the upupd, hoopoe, or
hoop, a crested bird, with Ijeautiful plumage, but very un-
clean. See Bochart and Scheuchzer. Concernino^ the genuine
meaning of the original, there is little agreement amono- in-
terpreters.
The B.vr] i^ts:; aiulaph, .so called according to Parkhurst.
from BI? at to fly ; and r^y diaph, darkness or obscurity, be-
cause it flies about in the dusk of the eveniQg, and in the night ;
so the Septuagint vuKre^ig, from vu^, the night, and the Vul-
gate, vvspertilio, from vesper, the evening. This being a sort
of monster, partaking of the nature of both a bird and beast,
it might well be cla-sed among unclean animals, or animals,
the u.sc of which in food, should be avoided.
Verse 20. All foiuls that creep, such as the bat, already-
mentioned, which has claws attached to its leathern wings,
and which serve in place of feet, to crawl by ; the feet and
legs not being di.ninct : but this may also include all the dif-
ferent kinds oi' insects, with the exceptions in the following
ver.se.
Going on all fours] May signify no more than M-alkin"
regularly or progressively, foot after foot, as quadrupedes do ;
for it cannot be applied to insects literally, as they hare in
general six feet, many of them more, some reputed to have a
hundred, hence called centipedes ; and some a thousand, hence
3 u
Various insects and reptiles.
LEVITICUS.
dean and unclean.
21 Yet these may ye eat of every jj the hoof, and is not clovenfooted,
!' nor cheweth the cud, are unclean un-
to you : every one that toucheth them
shall be unclean.
27 And whatsoever goeth upon
among ail manner of beasts that
A..'\I. 2514.
A„.Exodj!!'r. ^y'"S creeping thing that goeth up-
2. on all four, which have legs above
^^'''°^^'""- their feet, to leap withal upon the
earth ;
22 Even these of them ye may eat ; ^ the
locust after his kind, and the bald locust after
his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the
grashopper after his kind.
23 But all other flying creeping things, which
have four feet, shcdl be an abomination unto you.
24 And for these ye shall be unclean : whoso-
ever toucheth the carcase of them shall be un-
clean until the even,
25 And whosoever beareth atght of the car-
case of them, " shall wash his clothes, and be
unclean until the even.
26 The carcases of every beast which chvideth
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 14i;«.
An. Esod. Isr.
2.
Abib or Nismi.
' Matt. 3. 4. Mark 1. 6. " ch. 14. (J. & 15. 5. Numb. 19. 10, 22. St 31.
called millipedes; words which often signify no more than
that such insects have a great nuntber qffeet.
Verse 21. That have legs above their feet'\ This appears to
refer to the different kinds of locusts and grashoppers, which
have very remarkable hind legs, long and witli higli joints,
projecting above their backs, by which they are enabled to
spring Uj) from the ground, and leap high and far.
Verse 22. The LOCUST] n3">SJ arabeh, either from 31K
arab, to lie in wait, or in ambush, because often immense
flights of them suddenly alight upon the fields, vineyards, &c.
and destroy all the produce of the earth ; or from rO") rahah,
he multiplied, because of their prodigious swarms. See a
particular account of these insects in the notes on Exod.
X. 4.
The BAtD LOCUST] DI^O sakam compounded, says Mr.
JParkhuTSt, from J?7D said, to cut, break, and DP dm, conti-
guity, a kind of locust, probably so called from the rugged,
cra^Zi/ form. See the first of Scheuchzer's plates, vol. iii. p. 100.
The beetle] Viin chargol. " The Hebrew name .seems a
derivative from Jin charag, to shake, and 7jn regel, the foot ;
and so to denote the nimbleness of ils motions. Thus in
English, we call an animal of the locust kind a grashopper ;
the French name of which is sauterelte, from the verb sauier,
to leap." — Parkhurst. I'his word occurs only in this place.
The beetle never can be intended here, as that insect never
was eaten by man, perhaps, in any country of the univcr.sc.
The (iKASHOPPKli] 3jn chagab. Bochart supposes that
this species of locust has its name from the Arabic verb »_»^:va»
hajabu, to reil; because when they fly, as they often do,
in great swarms, they eclipse even the light of the sun. See
the notes on Exod. x. 4. and the description of ten kinds of
locusts in Bochart, vol. iii. col. 4+1 And see the figures
jn Ocheuchzer, in whose plates 20 diflercnt species are repre-
sented, vol. iii. p. 100. And see Dr. Shaw on the animals
mentioned in this chapter. Travels, p. 4 1 9, &c. 4to. edition ;
his paws,
go on aU
four, those are unclean unto you : whoso
toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the
even.
28 And he that beareth the carcase of them
shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the
even : they are unclean unto you.
29 ^ These also shall be unclean unto you
among the creeping things that creep upon the
earth ; the weasel and " the mouse, and the
tortoise after his kind,
30 And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the
lizard, and the " snail, and the mole.
= Isai. 66. 17. " Psal. 58. 8.
and when all these are consulted, the reader will see how
little dependance can be placed on the most learned con-
jectures relative to these and the other animals mentioned ia
Scripture. One thing however is fully evident, viz. that the
locust was eaten not only in those ancient times, in the time
of John Baptist, Malt. in. 4. but also m the present day.
Dr. Shaw ate of them in Barbary, " fried and salted," and
tells us that " they tasted very like crayfish." They have been
eaten in Africa, Greece, Syria, Persia, and throughout
Asia ; and whole tribes seem to have lived on them, and were
hence called acridophagoi, or locust-eaters, by the Greeks. —
See Slrabo, lib. xvi. and Pliny, Hist. Nat. 1. xvii. c. .30.
Verse 27. iVhutsoever goeth upon his paws'] I'M caphaiv,
his palms, or hands, probably referring to those animals whose
feet resemble the hands and feet ot the human being, such as
apes, monkeys, and all creatures of that genus ; together with
bears, frogs, &c.
Verse 29. The WEASEL] iSh choUd, from chalad, Syr.
to creep in ; Bochart conjectures, with great propriety, that
the ?nole, not the weasel, is intended by the Hebrew word :
its property o{ dicing into the earth, and creeping or burrotD~
ing under the surface, is well known.
The mouse] -i33J?, debar. Probably the large field rat, or
what is called by the Germans, the hamster, though every
species of the mux oenus may be here prohibited.
The TOKTOtSE] 3X, tsab. Most critics allow that the tor-
toise is not intended here, but rather the crocodile, ihe frog,
or the toad. The frog is most probably the animal meant,
and all other creatures of its kind.
Verse 30. The FEKBEl] npj» anakah frum r>iti, anak, to
groan, to cry out : a species oi lizard, which derives its name
from its piei'cing doleful cry. See Bochurt, v. ii. col. 1066.
Tlie chameleon] na. couch. Bocbait contends that this
is the Jj_j waril, or guaril, another species of lizard,
which derives its name from its rtanarkable strength and vigor
A. M V>I4.
B.C. iiyit.
All. Eiud. Ur
/IfciAor.VKiin
How persons, garments, and CHAP. XI
31 These arc unclean to yon among \
all that creep : wiiosoever doth touch j
them, when they be dead, shall be ■
unclean until the even, i
32 And upon whatsoever any of them, when
they are dead, doth fiiil, it shall be unclean ;
whetiier it he any vessel oi wood, or raiment, or
skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it he, wherein
anij work is done, * it must be put into water,
and it shall be unclean until the even ; so it
shall be cleansed.
33 And every eartlien vessel, whcreinto any
of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be un-
clean ; and "" ye shall break it.
34 Of all meat which may be eaten, that on
which Sich water cometh, sliall be unclean : and
all drink that may be drunk in every suck vessel
shall be unclean.
35 And every thing, whereupon awj/ part of
tlieir carcase falleth, shall be unclean ; 'jchethcr it
be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken
down : for they are unclean, and shall be un-
clean unto you.
A.M. 4M4.
B.C. MVO.
Aii.Excxi. Ijr.
«/
Abiltor Nisan.
• Ch. 15. 12 -
-'■ ch. G. as. k 1"). le-
uateiS.
—^ fifb. a gatherljig tifgcthcr of
in de-troying serpents; the Hebrew n3 each, sii^nifyino: to be
slronz, firm, vigorous : it is probably the same Willi the
mongoose, a creature still well known in India, where it is
often doniestirated, in oider to keep the houses free from
snakes, rats, mice. &:c.
TJit: LIZAUD] nXuS Ictaali. Bocliart contends, that this
also is a species of lizard, calUd by the Arabs »»=*,
Mia/iara, which creeps close to t!ie ground, and is poisonous.
The SNAU.] BDTT chomet, another species of lizard, ac-
cording to Bochdit, called \SX^ huluka, by the Arabians,
■which lives cliicfly in the sand. Vol. li. col. 107.5.
The MOLF.J nDiyan tinshametk, from DITJ na^ham, to breathe.
Bochnrt seems to have proved, that this is the clumieleon, which
has its Hebrew name from its wide gaping mouth, very large
lungs, and its deriving its nourishment from small animals
which float in the air, so that it has been conjectured by
some, to tied on the air itself. Vol. ii. col. lOlS. A bird
of tiie same name is mentioned ver. 1 3. which Bochart sup-
poses to he the night-civl. Vol. iii. col. 28o.
Verse 3'J. Jny iessel of ivood'\ Such as the zt;ooden botch
still in use among the Arab.s — or raiment or skin — any trunks
or baskets covered with skiits, another part of the furniture of
an Arab tent — and the goatskins, in which they cluirn their
milk, may be also intended. Or suck — any hutr-ctoth used
for the purpose of iransportincr goods from place to place.
Verse .'33. And iveri/ earthen vessel] Such pitchvrs as are
commonly used for drinking out of, and lor ho'fliug li(|Mi(U.
M. J)e U Ro'.pe observes, that hair-sack), trunks, and baskets,
utetisils are defikd Iry these.
36 Nevertheless a fountain or pit,
' ■xhercin there is plenty of water,
shall be clean : but that which touch-
eth their carcase shall be unclean.
37 And if any part of tlieir carcase fall upon
any sowing seed, which is to be sown, it shall he
clean.
38 But \i any water be put upon the seed, and
any part of their carcase tall thereon, it sliall be
unclean unto you,
39 And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die;
he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be un-
clean until the even.
40 And " he that eateth of the carcase of it
shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the
even : lie also that beareth the carcase of it shall
wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.
41 And every creeping thing, that creepeth
upon the earth, shall be an abomination ; it shall
not be eaten.
42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and what-
soever goeth u\K)n all four, or whatsoever ' hath
more feet among aU creeping things that creep
" Ch. 17. 15, & -a.
Deut. 14. 21. Ezi-t:. 4. 14. & 4t. 31.-
muUiplyfeit.
-' Heb. dolh
covered with skin, are used among the travelling Arabs lo
carry their household utensils in, which are kettles or pots,
great vjooden bonis, hand-mills, and pitchers. It is very litelv
that these are nearly the same with those used by the l.sraelites
ill their Journey ings in the wilderness; for the customs of these
people do not change.
Verse 35. Ranges for pots'] To understand thi.?, we must
observe, that the Arabs dig a hole in their tent, about a foot
and half deep; three-fourths of this, says Rau-xolff, they lay
about with stones, and the fourth part is left open, for the
purpose of throwing in their fuel. This little temporary
building, is probably what is here designed by ravgesfvr pots';
and this was to be broken down, when any unclean thing had
fallen upon it. — See Harmer, Vol. I. p. 464.
Ver-se 36. A fountain or pit, &c.] This must either refer
to running water, the stream of which soon carries off all
impurities; or to large reservoir.-;, where the water soon puri-
fies itsf-lf: the water in either, which touched the unclean
thing, being considered as impure, the rest of the water be-
ing clean.
Verse 37. Any souiing seed] If any part of an impura car-
case, fall accidc7itally on seed about to be sown, it shall not,
on that account, be deemed unclean; but if the water put to
the seed, to prepare it for being sown, shall be touched by
such impure carcases, the seed shall be considered as un-
clean, ver. 38. Probably this may be the meaninc of these
passages.
Verse 42. Whatsoever goeth upon the belly] In the word
3 U 2
The Israelites shall he LEVITICUS. a separate- and holy peopld.
upon the earth, them ye shall not i 45 "For lam the Lord that bringeth
A. M. ','514.
B. C. 1490.
All. Exod. Isr.
2.
Ahik Kir Nisan
eat ; for they are an abomination. Ij you up out of the land of Egypt, to
43 ' Ye shall not make your " selves 'i he your God : ^ ye shall therefore be
abominable with any creeping thing jj holy ; tor I am holy.
A.M.y.il4.
B. C. 149a.
An. Exod. Isf.
Ahib ur Nisan.
that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves
unclean with them, that ye should be defiled
thereb}^:
44 For I am the Lord your God : ye shall
therefore sanctify yourself es, and " ye shall be
holy ; for I am lioly : neither shall ye defile your-
selves wich any manner of creeping thing that
creepeth upon the earth.
" Ch 20 '2j. >> Heb. smls ' Exod. 19 6. cli. 19. 2. & 20. 7, 26.
1 Tlie»s. 4 7 1 Pet. 1. 15, 16.
46 This is the law of the beasts, and of the
! fowl, and of every living creature that moveth
j in the waters, and of every creature that creep-
' eth upon the earth :
; 47 ^ To make a difterence between the un-
clean and the clean, and between the beast
that may be eaten, and the beast that may not
be eaten.
jlnj :::i'tOn, ilie van lioleni, in mo.«it Hebrew Bibles, is much
lartcfi- tlian liie other letters ; ;m(l as a Masoretic note i.s added
in .111- Mia'g:n whicli states, liial tliis is the middle letter of
the laiv ; ami, consequently, this verse is the middle verse of
the l-'eutaieiich.
Whatsoever hath more feei^ Th^,n four ; that is, all many-
footed reptiles as well as those which t^o upon the belly, havino-
no feet, such as serpents ; besides the four-footed smaller aiii-
nials, mentioned above.
" Exod. 6. 7.-
ver. '14. f ch. 10. 10.
in consequence of the influence of the bodily ortjans ; and
, these latter are greatly influenced by tlie kind ot' aliment
which the body receives. God knons what is in man, and
he knows what is in all creatures; he has thtrefi)re graciously
, forbidden what would injure both body and mind, and com-
manded what IS best calculated to be useful to both. Solid
fooled animals, such as the horse, and many-toed animals,
such as the cat, &c. are here proh.bited. Beasts which have
bifid or cloven hoofs, such as the ox, are considered as proper
Verse 44'. Ye shall — sanclif)/ yourselves] Ye s\m]\kee\) yow- i [hi- food, »nd therefore commanded. The former are urt-^
selves separate from a'l the people of the earth, ihal ye mai/ [ clean, i.e. unwholesome, ailbidnit; a gross nutriment, ofteo
be holy ; for I am h ily And this was the jjrand design of j' the parent of scorbutic and scrophiilous disorders; the latter
God in all these prohibitions and commands; for these ex- | dfau, i.e. afJbrding a copious and wholesome nutriment,
ternal sanctifications, were only the emblems of that internal | and not laying the foundation of any di-ease. Ruminating
purity which the holiness of God requires here, and without l[ animals, i. e. tlibse which chexv the cud, concoct their food
better than the otliers, which swallow it with little mastica-
tion, and therefore iheir flesh contains Inore of the nutri-
tious juices, and is more easy of digestion, and consequently
of as-imilation to tlie solids and fluids of the human body:
on this account they are termed clean, i. e. peculiarly wholes
which none can dwell with him in glory hereafter. — See at
the conclusion of this chapter.
The contents of this chapter must furnish many profitable
reHections to a oious mind.
1. From the great d.fticulty of ascertaining what animals j, .some, and fit for food. The animals which do not ruminate, do
are meant in this part of the Law, we may at once see, that |! not concoct their food so well, and hence they abound with
the Law itself must be considered as abnegated; for th. re is jj gross animal juices, which yield a comparatively unwhole-
not a Jew in the universe who knows what the animals are, a :: some nutriment lo the human system. Kven the animals
very few excepted, which are intended by these Hebrew j which have bifid hoofs, but do not chew the cud, such as the
■words: and therefore he may be repeatedly breaking this jj sainc; and those who chew the cud, but are not i/^J, such
law, by touching and being touched cithr by the animals ;' as the hare and rabbit, are by Him, who knows all things,
themselves or the-r produce, such as hair, wool, fur, skin, t iorbidden, because he knew them to be comparatively i«-
intcstines, diflferently manufactured, &c. &c. It therefore
appears, that this people have as little Law as they have
GosjkI.
2. While God keeps the eternal interests of man steadily
in view, he does not forget his earthly comfort : he is at once
solicitous both for the health of his body and his soul. He
has not forbidden certain alinieuL-i, because he is a Sovereign,
but because he knew they would be injurious to the health
nutritive. Li all this, God shews himself as the tender Father
of a numerous family, pointmg out to his inexperienced, fro-
ward, and ignorant children, tims.- kiiuK of aliments which he
knows will be injurious to their health and domestic happiness;
and piohibiting them on pa.n ol his hig'iest displeasure. On
the same ground, he forbad all fish that have not both
fins and scales, such as the conger, eel, &c. which abound in
gross juices, and fat, which very fi w stomachs are able to
and morals of hh people. The close connection that subsists digest. Who for instance, that lives solely on -rwine's tlesh, has
between the body and the soul, we cannot fully comprehend ; [pure blood and he.lthy juices.? And is it nut evident in
and as little can we comprehend the influence they have ou [' many cases, that the man partakes considerably o the nature
each olher. Many moral alterations take place in the mind l of the brute on which he exclusively t'teds .? — 1 could pursue
Ordinances concerning the
CHAP. XII.
purification of women.
this enquiry nuicb farther, and brings many proofs, founded
on indisputable facts but I fbrliear — for he who nught stand
most in need o\' cuutii^n, would be the first to lake offence.
3. As the /Wy ex sts only for the sake of the soul, and
Go<l feeds and nour shci it through the day of probation,
that the soul may here be prepared for the kingdom of
heaven ; therefore, he sbeus in the conclusion of these ordi-
nances, that the n^rand scope and dtsij^n of all was, that
they might be a holy people ; and that they might resemble
him who is a holy God. — GoD IS HOLY, and this is the
eternal reason why all his people should bo holy : — should be
purified from all filthimss of the Jlesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in tlie fear of God. No faith in any particular creed —
no rehgious observance — no actt qf benevolence and charily —
no moriijicativn, attrition or contrition can be a substitute for
this. We must be made partakers of the Divine Nature. —
We must be saved from our sins — from the corrtiption that
is in the world, and l>e made holy within and righteous
■xitliotit, or never see God. For this very piwpose Jesus
Christ livei), died, and revived, that be mi'jht punfy us
unto himbtlf; that, throui^h laith in his blood, our sins
might be blotted out, and our souls restored to the image of
God. Reader, art thou hungring and thirsting after righteous-
ness ? — Then blessed art thou, for ihou shall be filled.
CHAPTER XII.
Oidiiiames concerning the purification of women after childbirtli, 1; after the birth of a son, 2. Who is to be
circumciaed the eighth day, 3. The mother to be coimtkred lutcleanfor jortij days, 4. ^fter the birth of a
daughter, /owrsfore dai/s, 5. When the days of her purifying were ended, she was to bring a lamb for a burnt-
rji-riiig, and a ijoung pigeon or a turlle dove for a sin ofering, G, 7- If poor, and not able to bring a lamb,
she Zius lo bring ei'her ttco turlle doves, or two young pigeons, S.
3 And in the " eightli day, the
flesh of his foreskin shall be circum-
cised.
4 And slie shall then continue in
tlie blood of her purifying, three and thirty days;
she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come
A.M. '.'514.
JJ. C. 1400.
Aii.£^ud.Ur.
o
Ahib or Wisan.
AND the Lord spake unto INIoses,
saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel,
saying. If a "woman have conceived
seed, and borne a man child: then '' she shall be
unclean seven days; -according to the days of
the sepai'ation for her infirmity, shall she be un-
clean.
» Ch. 15. 19. '' Luke 2. 22. "= cli. 15. 19.
NOTES ON CHAP. Xlf.
Verse 2. If a womun have conceiTed'\ In tbe extent
mentioned here, the ordmances of this chapter have little
relation to us: and to enquire into their physical reasons,
as far as thty related to the .Jews, could afford but little
edification; and to make such a subject sufficiently plain,
would require such minute examination, and circumstantial
dela.l, as could scarcely be proper for general readers. All
that is necessary to be said, the reader will find (jn \cr. 4.
Verse 3. And in the cisfhtk day'] Before this time, the
child could scarcely be considered as having strength sufficient
to bear tbe operation; after ihis time it was not necessary to
delay it, as the child wa> not considered to be in covenant
with (jiid, and cons<q(iently not under the especial protection
of the Divine I'rovdence and grace, till this rite had been
performed. (.^n Ciieiutnisi'in see the note on Cien. xvii. iO.
Circumcision was to every man a cons/rtK<, evident sign of the
covenant, into which he liad entered with God ; and of (lie
moral obligations unler which he was the;tby laid, li wa>
also a means ef purity; and was especially neces»ary amonu
a people naturally inconlin( nt, and m a climate, noi
peculiarly favourable to ihastiiy. This is a liglit in which
this subject should ever be viewed ; and in which, we see lli<
A. M. 25t4.
B. C. 1490.
An. Ex. d.Isr.
'Z.
AhiburXisan.
into the sanctuary, until the days ot her puiify-
ing be fulfilled.
4 Gen. 17. 12. Luke 1. 59. & 2. 21. John 7. 22, 23.
reasonableness, propriety, expediency and moral teiidency of
the ceremony.
Verse 4. The blood of her purifying'] A few words will
make this subject sufficiently plain. 1. God design* that the
litiman female should bring forth children. 2. That chil-
dren should derive, under his providence, their being, all
their solids and all their fluids, in a word, the whole ma.«s of
their bodies, Iroiii tbe sub>tance of the mother. 3. For this
purpo,-e he has given to the body of the female, an extra
quantity of blood and nutritious juices. 4. Before pregnancy,
this superabundance is evacuated at periodical times. 5. In
;)regnancy that which was formerly evacuated, is retained for
the tormation and growth of the foetus. 6. After the birth
of the child, for seven or fourteen days, more or less, accord-
ing tp certain circumstances, that superabundance, no longer
• ecessary for the growth of the child, as before, continues to
bt' evacuated ; this was called the time of the female's purif-
cation, amung the Jews. 7- ^Vhen the lacerated vessels are
rejoined, this superfluity of blood is returned into the general
' irculaiion, and by a wise law of the Creator, becomes
;)rincipally determined to the breasts, where it is changed
^:iio nutk, for the nourishment of the new born infant.
3. jVnd thus it continues, till the weaning of the child, or
T?ie womun shall bring a burnt offering
5 But if she bear a maid child,
then she shall be unclean two weeks,
as in her separation : and she shall
continue in the blood of her purify-
ing, threescore and six days.
6 ^ And ' when the days of her purifying are
fiiltilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall
brinsc a lamb ""of the first year for a burnt oflf'er-
A.M.20M.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. I.'ir.
2. ^
Abib or ?lisim.
LEVITICUS. and a sin offering to the priest.
7 Who shall offer it before the Lord,
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. Isr.
AbiborKisan,
and make an atonement for her ; and
she shall be cleansed tiom the issue
of her blood. This w the law for her
that hath borne a male or a fensale.
8 ' And if " she be not able to bring a lamb,
then she shall bring two tuitles, or two young
pigeons ; the one for the burnt offering, and
ing, and a young pigeon, or a turtle dove, for the other for a' sin offering: 'and the priest shall
a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle 1 make an atonement for her, and she shall be
of the congregation, unto the priest : clean.
' Luke a. 22. •> Heb. a son n/ his year. "^ ch. 5.7. Lule 2. 2t.
renewed pregnancy takes place. Here is a series of mercies,
and wise providtntial regulation?, which cannot be known
without being admired ; and which should be known, that the
great Creator and Presen'er may have that praise from liis
creatures, which his wonderful working demands.
The term purifying here, does not imply that there is any
thing impure m the bloou at this, or the other times referred to
above; ©n the contrary the blooJ is pure, perfectly so, as to
its quality, but is excessive in quantity, for the reasons above
assigned. The idle tales found in certain works relative to
the infectious nature of this fluid, and of the female in such
times, are as impious as they are irrational and absurd.
Verse 6. lilien tlie days of her purifying] It is not easy to
account for the difference in tlie times of purification, after
the birth of a male and female child. After the birth of a
boy, the mother was considered unclean for forty days ; after
the birth of a girl, fourscore days. There is probably no
physical reason for this difference; and it is difficult to
assign a political one. Some of the ancient physicians assert,
that a woman is, m the order of nature, much longer in
completely recovering after the birth of a female, than after
the birth of a male child. This assertion is not justified
either by observation, or matter of fact. Others think that
the difference of the time of purification after the birth of a
male, or female, is intended to mark the inferiority of the
female sex. This is a miserable reason, and pitiiully sup-
ported.
She shall bring — a burnt-offering and a sin-offering.^ Il is
likely that all these ordinances wtre intended to shew man's
natural impurity, or original defilement by sin, and the
necessity of an atonement to cleanse the soul trom unrighteous-
ness.
Verse 8. And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall
bring two turtles, or two young pigeons.] As the Virgin
•* Heb. her handjind not sufrieienctj of. ^ cb. 4. 26.
Mary brought only the latter, hence it is evident that she
was not able, i. e. she was not n'c/i enough to provide the
former ; for such a holy woman would not have brought the
less offering, had she been capable of bringing the greater.
How astonishing is this ! the only heir to the throne of
David, was not able to bring a lamb to offer in sacrifice to
God ! How abominable mu»t bIN be, when it required him
wiio was in the form of God, thus to < mpty and to hunible
himself, yea, even to the death of ihe cross, m order to make
an atonement ibr it, and to purify the soul from all defile-
ment.
The priest shall make an atonement for her] Every act of
man is sinful, but such as proceed from the influence of th<^.«
grace and mercy of God. Her sorrow in conception, and
her paui in bringing forth children, reminded the woman of
her original offence: an offence which deserved death, as
offence whi h she cuuld not expiate, and Ibr which a sacrifice
must be offered; and, in reference to belter things, the life
of an animal must be offered as a ransom for her lite. And
being saved in childbed, though she deserved to die, she is
required, as soon as tht; days of her separation were ended, to
bring a sacrifice, according to her ability, to the priest, that
he might offer it to God as an atonement for her. Thus,
wherever God keeps up the remembrance of sin, he keeps up
also the memorial of sacrifice, to shew that the state of a
sinner, howsoever deplorable, is not hopeless; for that he him-
self has found out a Ransom. Every where, in the Law and
in the Gospel, in every ordinance, and in every ceremony, we
may see both the justice and the mercy of God. Hence,
while we have the knowledge of our sin, we have also the
knowledge of our cure.
Reader, whilst thou art confessing thy own niijery, do not
forget the Lord's lucrcy : and remember, he saves to the utter-
most all that come through Christ unto him.
CHAPTER Xin.
Laws relative to ihe leprosy. It is to be knozan Inj a rising iu tlic flesh, u scab or a brigiit spot, 1, 2. When
the priest sees these figrts, he shall pronounce the man unclean, iiifixled zeith the leprosy, and unfit for society, 3.
Dubious or equivocal signs of this xlisorder, and liozc the person is I j be treated iti zclom they appear, 4 — 3. hi
rchat dcite 6fthis disorder, the priest may pronounce a man clean or unclean, 9 — 13- Of the raw flesh, the sign
7
La-ws and ordinances CHAP. XIII. relative to the leprosy,
of t/ie unclean leprosj/, 14,15. Of tJie vhitc &esh, t/ie sign of the leprosi/ called clean, 16, I?. Of the leproi^y
vjhic/i succeeds a boil, 18 — 20. Equivocal marks relative to this kind of leprosy, 21, '22. Of the burning boil,
C3. Of the leprosy arising out of the burniitg boil, 24, 25. Efpnvocal marks relative to this kind of leprosu,
26 — 28. Of the plague on the iiead, or in the beard, 29. Of the scall, and how it is to be treated, SO — 37.
Of the plague of the bright white spots, 38, 3.y. Of the bald head, 40, 41. Of the white reddish sorem the
bald head, 42 — 44. The leper shall rend his clothes, put a patch on his upper lip, and cry unclean, 45. He
fha/l be obliged to avoid sorieti/, and live by himself rcithout the camp, 46. Of the garments infected by the
leprosy, and the signs of this injection, 47 — 5i. Equivocal marks relative to this infection, and hoh; the "arment
s to be treated, by washing or by burning, 53 — 58. Conclusion relative to the foregoing particulars, 59.
A.M. i'5U.
B. C. i4yo.
All. Exod.Isr.
3.
Abib or Khnn.
A
N D the Lord .spake unto Moses
and Aaron, saying,
2 When a man shall have in the
skin of his flesh a "ri.sinjj, "a scab, or
bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesii
like the plague of lepro.sy; 'tlien he shall be
brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of
his sons the priests :
3 And the priest shall look on the plague in
the skin of the flesh : and when the hair in the
' Or, swdiiti^. •> Ueut. 28. «7. Uai. 3. 17.
A.M.'Joli.
B. C. 1490.
An, Exod.Isr.
2.
AbihoTKiaen.
NOTES ON CHAP. XI II.
Verse 2. The plague of leprosy] '1 his dreaiKul disorder
ias its name leprosy tiom the Gret-k AcTT^a, from aewi;, a
scale, because in this disease the body was often covered with
thin ivhite scales, .«o as to give it the appearance ot sn"W
Hence it is said of the iiand of Moses, Kxod. iv. (j. that ii
was leprous as siioiv ; and of Miriam, Numb. xii. 10. that
she became leprous, as white as snou: ; and of Geh^izi,
2 Kiu£s V. 2^. that bein;;; jmhcially >truck with the distast
of Naaman, he tccnt out from I'-lisha's presence a leper, as
white as snow. — See the note on F.xorl. iv. 6
[ In Hebrew, this disease is tern.ed np^X luardaih, frum jnx
I tsard, to smile, ov strike; but the root in Arabic >i»;nifit- to
cast donn, or prostrate; and in Etliiopic, to cause to cease,
1 because, says Stockius, " it prostrates tln' strenirih of man,
'• and obliges him to cease from all work and labour."
\ There were three signs by which the Uprosy was known
'■ 1. A bright spot. 2. A rising (cnaintllin;;) of the siirta<e.
I 3. A scab ; the enamelled place pio<hicmg a variety of layt-rs,
I or stratum super-stratum of these scales. The account gi\en
' by Mr. Maundrel of the appearan'e of several persons whom
i he saw infec-ted with this disordt r in Paiestme, will serve to
' shew, in the clearest light, its horrible nature and tendency.
1 " When 1 was in the Holy Land," says lie, in hi.s li tier
; to the Rev. Mr. Osborn, Fellow of Fxsler Colli ge, " I saw
i several that laboured iiniU r Gehazi's disttmptr; particularl\
j at Sicliem, (now Napiosu), diere were no less than ten, thiit
came begging to ns at one time. Thiir manner is loctiin'
with small buvkets in their haiids, to r<cti\c the alms of ihi
chantalile; their <o«t7i being still liehl infectious, or at lea^i
'unclean. The distemper, as 1 saw it on llieni, was qini.
differtnt from what I liave seen it in England ; for it not onlj
plague is turned white, and the
plague in sight be deeper than the
skin of his flesh, it is a plague of
leprosy: and the priest shall look on
him, and pronounce him unclean.
4 If the bright spot l/e white in the skin of his
flesh, and in sight he not deeper than the skin,
and tiie hair tiiereof be not turned white ; then
the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague
seven days :
« Ueut 17. 8, 9. & 24. 8. Luke 17. 14.
defiles the whole surface of the body with a foul scurf, but
ll^o definns the joints of the body, particularly those of the
wrists and ankles, making them swell with a gouiy scrofulous
substance, very loathsome to look on. I thought their legs
like tho.se of old Imttered horses, such as are often seen in
drayM in England. The whole distemper, indeed, as it there
a|)peared, was .eo noi.sonie, that it might well pass for the
utmost corruption of the human body on this side the grave.
And <crtainly the inspired [jeninen could not have found out
a filter emblem, whereby to e.xpre.ss the uncleaimess and
odionsness of vice." Maundrel' s Travels. — Letters at the end.
The reader will do well to collate this account with that given
from Dr. Mead, in the note on Exod. iv. 6.
Ver.^e 3. The priest — shall pronounce him unclean.] N0B1
)r\!X ve-timme oiho ; literally shall pollute him, i. e. in Uie He-
brew idiom, shall declare or pronounce him polluted : and in
ver. 23. it is said, the priest shall pronounce him clean, TTlTUI
\ror\ve-tiharo ha-colten ; the priest shall cleanse him, i.e. de-
clare him clean. In this phrase we have the proper meaning
of Matt. xvi. 19. whatsoever ye bind on eurth shall be bound
in heaven; and whatsoevei- ye loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven. By which our Lord intimates, that the disciples fi-om
having the keys, i. e. the^JMf knoui/edge of the doetrine of the
kingdom of heaven, .should, from particular evidences, be at all
limes able to du-tinguish between the clean and the unclean,
the sincere and the hypocrite; and pronounce a jndgment as
nfall.ble as the priest did in the case of the leprosy, from
the tokens already specified. And as Uiis binding and loosing,
or pronouncing Jit or unjit for fellowship with the niemliers
of Christ, must in the case of the disciples, be always ac-
cording to the doctrine of the kingdom of heaven, the sen-
tence should be considered at proceeding ioiniediately from
Leprosy, different species,
5 And the priest shall look on him
the seventh day : and, behold, j/the
plague in his sight be at a stay, and
the plague spread not in the skin ;
then the priest shall shut him up seven days
more :
6 And the priest shall look on him again the
seventh day : and, behold, if the plague be some-
what dark, and the plague spread not in the
skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean : it is
but a scab : and he ' shall wash his clothes, and
be clean.
7 But if the scab spread much abroad in the
skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest
for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest
again :
8 And if the priest see that, behold, the scab
spreadeth in the skin, then tlie priesfshall pro-
nounce him unclean : it is a leprosy,
9 ^ When the plague of leprosy is in a
man, then he shall be brouglit unto the
priest ;
10 '' And the priest shall see him : and, behold,
if the rising be white in the skin, and it have
turned the hair white, and there be " quick raw
flesh in the rising ;
LEVITICUS.
how to be discerned^
• oil. 11. 25. Ji 14. 8. ^^ Numb 12. 10,12. 2 Kings 5. 27. 2 Cliron. 26. 20.
thence, and consequently as divinely ratified. The priest
polluted or cleansed, i. c. declared the man clean or unclean, ac-
cording to sie;n<; well known, and infallible. The disciples,
or mitii.sters of Christ bind or loose, declare to be fit or unfit
for church-fellowship, according to unequivocal evidences of
innocence or guilt. In the former case, tlie pries* declared
the person fit or unfit for civil society ; in the latter, the min-
isters of Christ declare the person against whom the sus-
picion of c^iilt is laid, fit or unftt for continued association
with the church of God. The oflfice was the same in both,
a declaration of the truth, not from any power that they pos-
sessed of cleamiiia or polluting, of binding or of loosing; but
bv the knowledge they gai.ied from the infallible sii;:ns and
evidences produced on the respective cases.
Verse 13. If the leprosy have covered all his Jlesh, he shall
pronounce him clean'] Why is it that the partial leper was
pronounced unclean, and the per.son totally covered with the
disease clean f This was probably owing to a dilTerent
species, or stage, of the disease : the partial dist'ase was con-
ta^lious; the total not contagious. That tiiere are two differ-
ent species, or degrees, of the same disease described here,
is sullicicntly evident. In one, the body was all covered with
a while enamelled scmf: in the other, there was a quick raw
Jksh in the risings. TJn this accoant the one might be deem-
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod. Isr.
2.
Ablb 01 Nisan,
1 1 It is an old leprosy in the skin
of his flesh, and the priest shall pro-
nounce him unclean, and shall not
shut him up : ibr he is unclean. __
12 And if a leprosy break out abroad in the
skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him
that Jiath the plague, from his head even to liis
foot, wheresoever the priest looketh ;
13 Then the priest shall consider: and, be-
hold, //'the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he
shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague :
it is all turned white : he is clean.
14 But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he
shall be unclean.
15 And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and.
pronounce him to be unclean : Jor the raw flesh
is unclean : it is a leprosy.
16 Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be
changed unto white, he shall come unto the
priest ;
17 And the priest shall see him : and, behold,
if the plague be turned into white ; then the
priest shall pronounce him clean tliat hath the
plague : he is clean.
] 8 % The flesh also, in which, even in the skin
thereof, was a " boil, and is healed.
' Heb. the quickening of living fiesh. '' Exud. 9, 9.
ed unclean, i. e. contagious; the other not: for contact with
the qiidck ra~d.' Jlesh woukl be more likely to communicate the
disease, tlian llie touch of the hard dry scurf. The ichor
proceeding from the former, when brought into contact with
the flesh of another, would .>-oon be taken into the constitu-
tion by means of {he absorbent vessels: but where the whole
surtiice was perfectly dry, the absorbent vessels of another
person coming in contact with the diseased man, could im-
bibe nothing ; and therefore there was comparatively no dan-
ger of infection. Hence that species, or stage, of the disease
that exhibited the quick raxc rising, was capable of conveying
the infection, for the reasons already assigned, when the
other was not. Dr. Mead thus accounts for the circumstance
mentioned in the Text. As the leprosy infected bodies, chthesy
and even the walls of houses, is it not rational to suppose that
it was occasioned by a species of ununalcula, or vermin, bur-
rowing under the skin ? Of this opinion there are som6
learned supporters.
Vc-rse 1 8. In the skin thereof, uas a boil] S<-heuch:er sup-
poses this and the luUowing verse to speak of phlegnionie,
erysipelatous, gangrenous, and phagedenic uker.s, all cf which
were subjected to the examination of the priest, to see whe^
ther they were inftctious, or whether ibe leprosy might not
take ito origin from them. A person with any sore, or dist
A.M.s;jl4.
B.C. 14SX).
All* Hxod.l^r.
o
JUiiboi Kiiaii.
Signs xcJierebj/ tin; CHAP.
19 And in the place of tlie boil
there be a white rising, or a briglit
spot, white, ami somewliat reddish,
and it be shewed to the jiriest ;
20 And if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it
be in sight lower than tlie skin, and the liair
thereof be turned white ; the priest shall pro-
nounce him unclean : it iv a plague of leprosy
broken out of the boil.
'_'i But if the priest look on it, and, behold,
mere be no wliite hairs therein, and //' it be not
lower than the skin, but be souicwhat dark ;
then the priest shall shut him up seven days :
22 And if it spread much abroad in the skin,
then tlie priest shall pronounce hiiu unclean : it
is a plague.
23 But if the bright spot stiiy in his place,'
mid sj)read not, it is a burning boil : and the
priest shall pronounce him clean.
24 ^1 Or if there be nuj/ flesh, in the
whereof there is * a hot burning, and the
Jlesh fliat burnetii have a white
bright
skin,
quick
spot.
somewhat reddish, or white ;
2~> Then the priest shall look upon it : and
behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned
white, and it be in sight deeper than the skin ;
it is a leprosy broken out of the burning :
wherefore the priest shall pronounce him un-
clean : it is the plague of leprosy.
26 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there
be no white hair in the bright spot, and it be no
lower than the other skin, but be somewhat dark ;
tlicn the priest shall shut him up seven days :
27 And the priest shall look upon him the se-
venth day : and if it be spread much abroad in
the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him
unclean : it is the plague of leprosy.
28 And if the bright spot stay in iiis place, and
spread not in the skin, but it be somewhat dark ;
it is a rising of the burning, and the priest shall
pronounce him clean : for it is an inflammation
of the burning.
29 ^ If a man or woman have a plague upon
the head or the beard ;
' ileb. a hiiTTiing ofjire.
position to contagion, was more likely to catch the infection
by contact with the diseased person, than lie was, whose skin
vas -jiliote and sound, and his liabit i^ood.
Verse 29. A plugue upon the head or the beard] This re-
XIII. leprosy mny^ he discerned.
30 Then the priest shall see the A.u.-iiu.
D.C. 119".
plaeue : and, behold, if it be in sight . ,, , ,
deeper tlian the skin ; ajid llicre Lie in a ^
it a yellow tliin hair; then the priest ^'"'" '"""''
shall pronounce him unclean : it is a dry scall,
even a leprosy upon tlie liead or beard.
31 And if the priest look on the plague of
the scdl, and, behold, it be not in sight deopcr
than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it;
then the priest shall shut up Mm that fiath the
plague of the scall seven days :
S2 And in the seventh day the priest shall
look on the plague : and, behold, //' the scall
spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and
the scall be not in sight deeper than tke skin;
33 lie shall be shaven, but the scall sliall he
not shave ; and the priest shall shut up him that
hath the scall seven days more :
34 And in the seventh day the priest shall look
on the scall : and, behold, // the scall be not s})read
in the skin, nor be in sigiit deeper than the skin ;
tiien the jjiiest shall pronounce him clean : and
he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
35 But if the scall spread much in the skin
after his cleansing;
3(5 Then the priest shall look on him : and, be-
hold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest
shall not seek for yellow hair ; he is unclean.
37 But if the scall be in his sight, at a stay,
and that there is black hair grown up therein ;
the scall is healed, he is clean : and the priest
shall pronounce him clean.
38 \ If a man also or a woman have in the
skin of their flesh bright spots, even white
bright spots ;
39 Then the priest shall look ; and, behold,
if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh he
"darkish white; it is a freckled spot, /Aa/growelh
in the skin ; he is clean.
40 And the man whose " hair is fallen off his
head, he is bald ; yet is he clean.
41 And he that hath his hair fallen off from
the part of his head toward his face, he is fore-
head bald ; yet is he clean.
•■ Heb. head is pilled.
fers to a disease, in which, ac.ccniing- to the Jews, the hair
cillier on tlie head or the clnn, dropiu.d ont by the roots.
Verse 33. The scall shall he not shave] Lt>t the place
should be irritated and inflamed, which, assuming in conse^
3 X
A.M.25I4.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exnd.Isr.
2.
Abib or Nisan.
Ofhp'osy in the forehead,
42 And if there be in the bald head,
or bald forehead, a white reddish sore ;
it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald
head, or his bald forehead.
43 Then the priest shall look upon it j and, be-
hold, j/'the rising of the sore be white reddish in
his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the le-
prosy appeared! in the skin of the flesh ;
44 He is a leprous man, he is unclean : the
priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean ; his
plague is in his head.
45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his
clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he
shall ' put a covering upon his upper lip, and
shall cry, ^ Unclean, unclean.
46 All the dayswherein the plague shallbe'inhim
he shall be defiled ; he is unclean : he shall dwell
alone ; " without the camp shall his habitation be.
47 ^ The garment also that the plague of le-
prosy is in, whetJier it be a woollen garment, or
a Hnen garment ; |
48 Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of
linen, or of woollen ; whether in a skin, or in
any " thing made of skin ;
49 And if the plague be greenish or reddish
in the garment, or in the skin, either in the
warp, or in the woof, or in any ' thing of skin ;
it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be shewed
unto the priest :
60 And the priest shall look upon the plague,
and shut up it that hath the plague seven days :
A.M. 3514.
B. C. 1491).
An. Exod.Isr.
2.
Abibor Nisan,
LEVITICUS. and in garments.
51 And he shall look on the plague
on the seventh day ; if the plague be
spread in the garment, either in the
warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or
in any work that is made of skin; the plague is
'a fretting leprosy ; it is unclean.
52 He shall therefore burn that garment, whe-
ther warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or
any thing of skin, wherein the plague is : for iti
is a fietting leprosy ; it shall be burnt in the fire.
53 And if the priest shall look, and, behold, |
the plague be not spread in the garment, either in I
the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin ; !
54 Then the priest shall command that they
wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he
shall shut it up seven days more :
55 And the priest shall look on the plague,
after that it is washed ; and, behold, ij' the
plague have not changed his colour, and the
plague be not spread; it is unclean ; thou shalt
burn it In the fire; it is fret inward, ^xvhether
it be bare within or without.
56 And If the priest look, and, behold, thei'
plague be somewhat dark after the wasliing of
it ; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or
out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of
the woof:
57 And if it appear still in the garment, either
in the wai^), or in the woof, or in any thing of
skin ; it is a spreading plague : thou shalt burn
that wherein the plague is with fire.
• Ezek. ?4. 17, 22. Mic. 3. 7. <> Lam. 4. 15. ' Numb. 5. 2. & 12. 14.
SKiiigs 7. 3. & 15. 5. 2Chi-on. 26. 21. Luke 17. 12. " Hcb. vork of.
quence, otlier appearances, besides those of a leprous infec-
tion, the priest might not be able to form an accurate judg-
ment.
Verse 45. His clothes shall he rent, &c.] The leprous per-
son is required to be as one that mourned for the dead, or for
some great and public calamity. He was to have bis clothes
rent in loken of extreme sorrow, his head was to be made
bare, the ordinary bonnet or turband being omitted, and to
have a covering upon his tipper lip, his jaws being tied up with
a linen cloth, after the same manner in which the Jews bind
up the dead ; which custom is still observed among tlie Jeu s
in Barbary, on funereal occasions. A custom, which from
Ezek. xxiv. 17. vi'e learn, had prevailed very anciently
among the Jews in P:ilesline. He was also to cry unclean,
unclean, in order to prevent any person from coming near
bim, lest the contagion might be tluis communicated and
diffused ihnjugli ' society : and hence thi' Targuuiist render^
it. Be not ijc made unclean! lie not ye made unclean! A caution
to others, not to come near him.
' Heb. %eistl, ot, instrument. ''ch. 14. 44. b Heb. wlictlier j( tje biM
ill the head thereof, or in the frrehead thereof.
Verse 47. The garment also'] The whole account here |
seems to intimate that the garment wa*; fretted by this conta- I
gion; and hence it is likely that it was occasioned by a species
of small animals, wliich we know to be tlie cause of the itch ;
these, by breeding in the garments, must necessarily mul-
tiply their kind; and fret the garments, i. e. corrode a portion
of the finer parts, after the manner of moths, for their nou-
risliincnt. See ver. 52.
Verse 52. He shall therefore hum that garment] There
being .scarcely any means of radically curing tlie infection
It IS well known that the garments infected by the psora, or
itch animal, have been known to communicate the disease,
even six or seven years after the first infection. This has
been also experienced by the sorters of rags, at some Paper
Mills.
Verse 54. He shall shut it up .icven da)/s mnre] To give
time for the spreading of the contagion, if it did exist there;
that there might be the most unequivocal marks and proofs,
that the garment teas or was not infected.
Moral reflexions on CHAP. XIV. the nature of tJie leprosy.
A.M.2.>ii. 58 And the garment, eitlier warp, or || 59 This is the law of the plague of
B. C. 1490. - ...... 1 . I. . . „ ..
An. Cxod. Ur.
woof, or whatsoever thing of skin ///^d", I leprosy in a garment of woollen or
Ahibut'Sisan.
Aviiich thou slialt wash, if the plague be
departed from them, "then it shall be
washed the second time, and shall be clean.
' 2 Kings 5. 10, 14. Psal. 51. 2.
i Verse 58. It shall be luxslitd the second lime} According-
! to the Jews, the first washing was to put away the plague ;
! the second to cleanse it.
Both among .lews and Gentiles, the leprosy has been
considered as a most expre.«sive emblem of sin, the properties
and circumstances of the one, pointing out those of the other.
I The similitude or parallel has been usually run in the follow-
ing manner :
1. Tiie lf?pro#y began with i\ (pot ; a simple hidden infec-
tion being the cause.
I - 2. This spot was very conspicuous, and argued the source
whence it proceeded.
3. It was of a diffusive nature, soon spreading over the
whole l>ody.
4. It communicated its infectious nature not only to the
whole of the person's body, hut also to his clothes and huhit-
ution.
5. It rendered the infected person loathsome, unfit for, and
dangerous to society, because of its infectious nature.
6. The person infected, was obliged to be sepuj-aled from
society, both religious and civil; to dwell by himself \\\\.\wa\.
the camp or city ; and hold commerce with none.
7. He was obliged to proclaim his oiin jincleanness, pub-
licklj' acknowledge his defilement, and sensible of his plague,
continue humbled and abased before God and man.
How expressive all these are of the nature of sin, and the
state of a sinner, a spiritual mind will at once perceive.
1. The original infection or corruption of nature is the
grand hidden cause, source, and spring of all transgression.
2. Iniquity is a seed that has its growth, gradual increase.
linen, either in the warp, or woof,
or any thing of skins, to pronounce
it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.
A. M. aSM.
B. C. 1490.
.\u. Etod, Isr.
2.
AhihoiNitan.
2 Cor. 7. 1. Kcv. 1. 5.-7. 14.
and perfection. As the various powers of the mind are de-
veloped, so it difl'uses itself, infecting every passion and appe-
tite, through their whole extent and operation.
3. As it spreads in the mind, so it diffuses itself through the
life; every action partaking of its influence, till the whole
conduct becomes a tissue of transgression ; because every ima-
gination of the thoughts of a sinner's heart, is only evil con-
tinuallj'. Gen. vi. This is the natural state of man.
4. As a sinner is infected, so is he infectious; by his pre-
cept and example he spreads the infernal contagion wherever
he goes ; joining with the multitude to do evil, strengthening
and beii.g strengthened in the ways of sin and death ; and
becoming especially, a snare and a curse to his own household.
5. That a sinner is uhominubk in the sight of God, and of
all good men, that he is unfit for the society of the righleou.s,
and that he cannot, as such, be adniitted into the kingdom of
God, need no proof.
6. It is owing to the universality of the evil, that sinners
are not expelled from society as the most dangerous of all
monsters ; and obliged to live widiout having any commerce
with their fellow-creatures. Ten lepers could associate toge-
ther, because partaking of the same infection : and civil so-
ciety is generally maintained, because composed of a leprous
community.
7. He that wishes to be saved from his sins must humble
himself before God and man, sensible of his own sore and
the plague of his heart; confess his transgressions, look to
God for a cure, from whom alone it can be received ; and
bring that sacrifice, by which alone, the guilt can be taken
away, and his soul be purified from all unrighteousness. See
the conclusion of the following chapter.
CHAPTER XIV.
Introduction to the sacrifices and ceremonies to he used in cleansing the leper, 1 — .'5. Tku living birds, cedar wood,
scarlet, and hyssop to be brought for him kIio teas to be cleansed, 4. One of the birds to be killed, 5. and the liviti<r
bird, with the cedar uood, scarlet, and hyssop to be dipped in the blood, and to he sprinkled oti^ him nho had been
infected ztith the Jeprosi/, G, 7. after rihich he must uash his clothes, shave his head, ei/ebrozcs, beard, &c. bathe
himself, tarri/ abroad seven daj^s, 8, 9. on tlte eighth day, he zmist bring two he lambs, one ewe lainb, a tenth
deal o/' flour, ««fi « log o/' oil, 10. which the priest zcas to present as a ticspass-oftering, wave-offering, and
sin-offering before the Lord, 1 1—13. Jfterzcards, he Zias to sprinkle both the blood and oil on the person to he
cleansed, 14 — 18. The atonement made by these offerings, 19,-0. Tf the person zcere poor, one \an\h, zcith the
flour a«rf oil, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, kc re onli/ required, '21,22. These to be presented, and
the blood and oil applied as before, 23 — 31 . Lazis and ordinances relative to houses infected by the leprosy, 35 — 48.
3x2
Method of LEVITICUS. " cleansing the leper.
An aionement to be made in order to cleanse the house, similar to that made fur the healed leper, 49—53. J sum-
*iiarj/ of this and the preceding chapter, relative to leprous persons, garmentSj a«6? houses, 54 — 5f). The end
for ivhich these different lazes were givn, 67.
3ses,
AND the LcUd spake unto Mo
2 ^ This shall be the law of the
B, C. 1190.
An.JjicMl.!:;.
AbihuTNisini. ^ • ^f -, n 1 * ^ • tt
leper in the day or his cleansing : He
' shall be brought unto the priest ;
3 And the priest shall go forth out of the
camp ; and the priest shall look, and, be-
hold, i/'the plague of leprosy be healed in the
leper ;
4 Then shall the priest command to take for
him that is to be cleansed, two '' birds alive mid
clean, and ' cedar wood, and " scarlet, and
' hyssop :
5 And the priest shall command that one of
Mait. 8. 2, 4. Mark 1.40,44. Luke 5. 12, 14. Jt 17.
' Numb. 19.6. "> Ilebr. 9. 19.
—^ Or, sparrous.
NOTES ON CHAP. XIV.
Verse 3. The priest shall no forth out of the camp] As the
leper was separated from the peunle, and ob!ig-ed, bccau.«e of
h-.s micie..nness, to dwell witliuiit the camp, and could not
be adniitted till the priest had declared that he was clean ;
hence it was necessary that the priest should tio out and in-
spect hiin, and it healed, oiler for him the sacrifices required,
in order to his re-admis.sion to the camp. As the priest alone
had authority to declare a person clean or unclean, it was
necessary that the healed person should .shew him-elf to the
priest, thai he might make a declaration that he was clean
and fit for civil and rclij^ious society, witliout which, in no
case, could he be admitted : hence when Christ cleansefl the
lepers, Mall. viii. 2 — 4. he commanded them logo and ihcw
ilievistlves to the priest, &c.
V. rse 4. Two birds alive and clean, &c.] Whether these
birds were sparrows, or turtledoves, or pigeons, we know not,
probably any kind of c.'eara bird, or bird proper to be ealen,
might be used on this occasion ; though it is iik re likely ih.ii
turtledoves or pi'^eons were employed, because these appear lo
have been the only birds offered in sacrifice. Of the ced/ir
•wood, ht/ssop, clean hird, and acarlet wjol or fillet, were made
an aspergilium, or instrument to sprinkle with. The cedar
xoood served for the Iiundle, the hj/ssop and living bird were
attached to it, by means of the scarlet wool or crimson fillet.
The bird was so bound to this handle, as that its tail j-hould
be downwards, in order to be dipped into the blood of the
hird that had been killed. The whole of this made an in-^lru-
luent for the sprinkling of this blood, and when this business
was done, the living bird was let loo.>^^e, and permitted to go
vhilhersoever it would. In this ceremony, according to so[ne
Kabbins, " the living bird signified that the dead Jiesh of the
leper was restored to .soundness — the cedar wood wliich is not
eaaily corrupted, that he was healed of his putrefaction. Th-
ncarlet thread, luool, oe fillet, that lie was restored to his good
A.M. 2514.
B- C. 1490.
An.Esod. la-.
AhiburNisan.
the birds be killed in an earthen vessel
over running water.
6 As for the living bird, he shall
take it, and the cedar wood, and the
scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and
the living bird in the blood of the bird that
leas killetl over the running water ;
7 And he shall ^ sprinkle upon him that is to
be cleansed from the leprosy ^ seven times, and
shall pronounce him clean; and shall let the liv-
ing bird loose " into the open field.
8 And he that is to be cleansed ' shall wash
his clothes, and shave off all his hair, '' and wash
himself in water, that he may be clean : an^
' Ps. 51. 7.-
— ff-K-br. 9. l.i.-
facc 0/ the Jield.-
-s 2 Kings 5.
-' cJ]. lo. 6. —
14. " Heb. upon the ,
ch. 11. 25.
complexion ; and the hyssop, which was purgative and odori-
ferous, that the disease was comp!etel3f removed, and the bad
scent that accoii>panied it, intirely gone." Alnsworth, DoJd
and otliers, have given many cf these rabbinical conceits.
Of all these purifications, and their accompanying circutru
stances, we may safely say, because authorized by the New
Testament so to do, that they pointed out the purification of
the soul, through the atonement and spirit of Christ; but to
run analogies between the type and the tlwig typified, is diffi-
cult and precarious. The general rueaning and design we
sufficiently understand ; tiie particulars are not readily ascer-
lainabl?, and consequently of little importance; had they
been otherwise, they would have been pointed out.
Verse 5. Over running water] Literally, living, that is,
spring water. 1 he meaning appears to be this; some water
(about a quarter of a log, an egg shell and half full, accord-
ing lo the Rabbins) was taken from a spring, and put in a
clean earthen ves.Kl, and they killed the bird over this water,
that the blood might drop into it: and in this blood and water
mixed, they dipped the instrument before described, and
sprinkled it seven times upon the person who was to be
cleansed. The living or spring water was chosen, because it was
purer than what was taken from pits or wells, the latter being
olten in a putrid or corrupt state ; f r, in a ceremony of puri-
lyin,r or cleansing, every thing must be as pure and perfect
as "ossible.
Verse 1. Shall let the living bird loose] The Jews teach
that tfiW birds were, employed on this occasion; no tame or
il'imestic animal was u.sed. Mr. y^inswortli pio\isly conjec-
tures, that the living and dead ''irds were intended to repre-
sent the deuik anci resurrection of Chri.-t, by which an atone-
m< nt was made to purify the nonl from its spiritual lepro-y.
The hird let loose bears a near analogy to the scape goat. —
•See chap. xvi.
Verse 8. S/iall shave oj all his luiii] That the water by
Sucrlfices offered CHAP.
after that he shall come into the
XIV.
072 the occasion.
A. M. ai'l-i.
li.c. Kill, camp, and ' sIuiU tarry jibroad out of
a. his tent seven days.
^itorAW g j3y^ jj. g,^.^n ^^ ^y ^l^g seventh day,
that he shall shuve all his hair off his liead and
bis beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he
feliall s!;ave off: and he shall wash his clothes;
also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he
shall be clean.
10 And on the eighth day '' he shall take two
he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb
"^of the first year without blemish, and three
tenth deals of fine flour yor " a meat offering,
mingled with oil, and one log of oil.
1 1 And the priest that maketh liim clean shall
present the man that is to be made clean, and
those things, before the Lord, at the door of
•the tabernacle of the congregation.
] 2 And the priest shall tiike one he lamb, and
* offer him for a trespass olJering, and the log
of oil, and ' wave them for a v/ave offering be-
fore the Lord.
13 And he shall slay the Iamb ^ in the place
where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt
offering, in the holy place : for " as the sin otter-
ing is the priest's, so is the trespass offering :
"' it is most holy.
', 14 And the priest shall take 5o»2e of the blood
of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put
it " upon the tip of the right ear of him that is
to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right
hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot :
15 And the priest sliall take some of the log of
oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand
> Niin.b. 12.15. I'Malt. 8. 4. Mart. 1. 41-. lule.'i. 14 « Ilcli. the
d<wi;iU(r of he' y(ar. " cli. 2. 1. Niinili. 15.4, Ij. = Cli. :''. a. lU. & (j.
6, 7. 'Exuti: i9. 24. 8 Exud. 29. 11. tli. 1. 5, 11. & 4.4, 24.
which he was to be washed, should reach every part of his body,
that he riii^ht be chaosed from whulevtr (JffiienK nt might
remain on any part of iht surlace of his body. TIic Egyp-
tian priests shiived the wliole btdy tvcry third day, to pnvetil
all maniitr of dtfilenient.
{ Verse 10. Tii-o he tiinibs] One for a trespass oj'cring,
j ver. 1'2. ihe olhcT for a. bill ni qffiri'ig, ver. 19,20.
I One cue ((niib^ 1 his was for a sin offering, ver. 19.
1 Three tenth detils^ Thrie parts of an ey.hali, or tlirec o/h-m ;
I see all thti-e mea-ures explaintd, Exod. xvi. 16. The ihrec
! tenth d^als of Hour were lor a minehah, meal, or t^ratiiude
offering, vtr. 20. The sin 'ff'ering was I' r his impurity; the
trespass offc:ing for his irarvgresHon ; and the griilitude offer-
ing for his gracious cleansing. These eonsliluted tlie oft'crin^
vhicli each was ordered to bring to tlie priest; see Matt. viii. 4.
16 And the ])riest shall dip his right a.m.om4.
finger in the oil that is in his left hand, " y^^^^f^^
and shall sprinkle of the oil with, his ' ' a. '
finger seven times before the Loud : "
1 7 And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand,
shall the priot put upon the tip of tiie right
ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the
thumb of his riglit hand, and ujicn the great
toe of his right foot, upon tlic blood ot' the
trespass ofiering:
18 And the remnant of the oil that is in the
priest's hand, he shall poui' upon the head of
him that is to be cleansed : ' and the priest
shall make an atonement for Lira before the
Lord.
1 9 And the priest shall offer " the sin offering,
and make an atonement for him that is to be
cleansed from his uucleanness; and afterward
he shall kill the burnt offering:
20 And the priest shall offer the burnt offering
and the meat offering upon the altar; and the
priest shall make an atonement for him, and he
shall be clean.
21 And "if he be poor, and" cannot get so
much, then he shall take one lamb /or a tres-
pass oilering''to be waved, to make an atone-
ment for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour
mingled with oil for a meat ofiering, and a log
of oil;
22 ' And two turtledoves, or two young
pigeons, such as he is able to get: and the
one shall be a sin offering, and the other a
burnt offering.
23 ^ And he shall bring them on the eighth
h cii. 7. 7. ' ch. 2 3. & 7. 6. ?< 21. 22. ^ Fxnd 29. 21'. cli. 8. 23.
' ( h. 4. 2rt. '"cli. .'>. 1, 6. S. 12 7 "ch 5 7. & 12. R " Hi-b. hU litmd
reach not. P llcb. fur a waving. '^ cli. 12. 0. ic Ij. 14, 15. ' > er. 11.
Ver.se 12. IVtne offering] See Exott xxix. 21. and
I cvit. vii. wliere the reader will find an ample account
of all the various ofVtrings and sacrifices us^td among the
J t ws.
Ver.'se ll. On the tip of ike righl ear, &c.] See the note
on Exod. xxix. 'JO.
Vcr^e 2 I . /ind if he be poor — he shall lake one lamb'}
Thrre could be no cleansing without a sacrifice. On this
ground the apostle has property ob><rved, thai all things ityid^r
the law arc puriied -.vith blood: and that, xoilhout shedding of
blood, there is no remission. Even if tlie person be poor, he
must provide one /«Hi6 ; ibis could not be dispensed widi : —
so<\<iv '^ovd to whom the word of divine revelation comes,
:mist lung that Lamb of Guil w hich takes away the bin of the
woritl. There is no redemption but in this blood.
The leper to he sprinkled
day for his cleansing unto the priest,
unto the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation, before the Lord.
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An.Esod. Isf'
2.
Abibom^an. 24"^ And the priest shaU take the
lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil,
and the priest shall wave them for a wave offer-
ing before the Lord :
25 And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass
offering, '' and the priest shall take some of the
blood of the trespass offering, and put it
upon the tip of the right ear of him that is
to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his
right hand, and upon the great toe of his
right foot:
26 And the priest shall pour of the oil into
the palm of his own left hand ;
27 And the priest shall sprinkle with his right
finger some of the oil that is in his left hand,
seven times before the Loud :
28 And the priests shall put of the oil that is
in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him
that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of
his right hand, and upon the great toe of his
right foot, upon the place of the blood of the
trespass offering :
29 And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's
hand, he shall put upon the head of him that is
to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him,
before the Lord.
30 And he shall offer the one of "the turtle-
doves, or of the yovmg pigeons, such as he can
get ;
31 Even such as he is able to get, the one for
a sin offering, and the other /or a burnt offering,
with the meat offering : and the priest shall
make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed,
before the Lord.
32 This is the law of him in whom is the
plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get
" that ivhich pertaineth to his cleansing.
33 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses and
unto Aaron, saying.
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
Aii.EKod.Isr.
2.
Ahib or Kijim.
LEVITICUS. mth the blood of the slain bird-
34 ' Wlien ye be come into the land
of Canaan, which I give to you for a
possession, and I put the plague of
leprosy in a house of the land of your
possession ;
35 And he that owneth the house shall come
and tell the priest, saying, It seemeth to me
there is as it were, ^ a plague in the house.
SQ Then the priest shall command that they
^ empty the house, before the priest go hito it to
see the plague, that all that is in the house be
not made unclean: and afterward the priest
shall go in to see the house:
37 And he shall look on the plague, and,
behold, if the plague be in the walls of the
\ house with hollow strakes, greenish or reddish,
which in sight are lower than the wall ;
38 Then the priest shall go out of the house to
the door of the house, and shut up the house |
seven days:
39 And the priest shall come again the seventh
day, and shall look: and, behold, ?/" the plague
be spread in the walls of the house;
40 Then the priest shall command that they
take away the stones in which the plague w,
and they shall cast them into an unclean place j
without the city:
41 And he shall cause the house to be scraped
within, round about, and they shall pour out the
dust tliat they scrape off, without the city, into
an unclean place:
42 And they shall take other stones, and put
them in the place of those stones ; and he
shall take othermorter,andshallplaister thehouse.
43 And if the plague come again, and break
out in the house, after that he hath taken away
the stones, and after he hath scraped the house,
and after it is plaistered:
44 Then the priest shall come and look,' and,
behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it
is "a fretting leprosy in the house: it is un-
clean.
» Vcr. i£.-
' vcr. 14. ' ver. 22. cli. 15. 1.5. '^ vcr. 10.-
0. Numb. 32. t'l;. Deut. 7. 1. & 32.49.
-' Oeii. 17.
Ts. 91. 10. Prov. .3. 33. Zech. .=>. 4. e Or, frtpare. " cli. 13. 15.
Zcch. 5.4.
Verse 34. Wfienye become into the land — and I pnt the phigitc
of kprosii] It was probably, from tliis text, that the leprosy
lias been generally con.si(lered to be a disease inflicted imme-
diately by God himseli'; but it is well known ih.it in scrip- [| ISee the notes on chap. xiii. 47. and 52.
ture, God is frequently reprcsenicd as dobv^, what, in the
course of his pro%'idence, he only permits or snfTers to be done.
it is supposed that the infection of the hou.se, as well as of
the person and the garments, proceeded from aniinaknlu. —
How to cleanse
CHAP. XIV.
the infected Jiotese.
A.M. 8311. 45 And he shall break down the
B.C. iipo. house, the stones of it, and the timber
a" ' thereof, and all the morter of the
^'"''°^'^''"'"- house; and he shall carry them forth
out of the city, into an unclean place.
4G Moreover he that goeth into the house all
the while that it is shut up, shall be unclean until
tlie even.
47 And he that lieth in the house shall wash
his clotlies; and he that cateth in the house
shall wash his clotlies.
48 ^ And if the priest "^ shall come in, and
look upo?i it, and, behold, the plague hath not
spread in the house, after the house was plaister-
ed: then the priest shall pronounce the house
clean, because the plague is healed.
49 And "he .shall take to cleanse the house,
two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and
hyssop:
50 And he shall kill the one of the birds in an
earthen vessel, over running water:
'Hcb. in coming in shull come in, ^c. ""vcr. 4. 'ver. 20. ''cIj.
- 13. 30. ' ch. la 47. f ver." 34.
Verse 45. Ke shall break doicn the hou.it] "On the suspicion
ot a house being- infected, the priest examined it, and ordered
it to be shut up seven days : it' he found the plague, or signs
of the plague, (hollow streaks, greenish or reddish) were not
spread, he commanded it to be shut up seven days more.
On the thirteenth day lie revisited it; and if he found the in-
fected place ditii, or gone away, he took out that part of the
■^vall, carried it out to an unclean place, mended the wall,
il caused the whole house to be new plaistered. It
then shut up a third seven days, and he caine on the
..■eciith, and if he found that the plague was broken out
v, he ordered tlie house to be pulled clown." — l^ee Aiiis-
ih. From all tiiis, may we not learn a lesson of instruc-
1 ? If the means made use of by God and his ministers
the conversion of a sinner, be, through his wilful obsti-
.M.y, rendered of no avail — if by his evil practice.^, he
;r uple under foot the blood of ihe covenant wherevvith he
j niii^ht have been sanctified, and do despite to the spirit of
j God, then God will pull down his house; dislodge his soul
\ from it.s earthly tabernacle, consign the house, the body to
I corrupt on, and the spirit to the perdition of ungodly men.
Eeadtr, kcc well bow it stands with thy soul. God is not
mocked : what a man soweth, that shall he reap.
Vf rse 53. He shall let go the living bird] This might as
I well be railed the scajie bird, as the goal, in chap. xvi. is
! called the scape goat. The rites are similar in both cases, and
I probably had nearly the same meaning.
1
We have already taken occasion to observe (see the end
, of the pieceding chapter) that the leprosy was strongly em-
blematical of sin ; to which we may add here :
7
51 And he shall take the cedar a.^i.sjh.
wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, ^^'^' "^"
and the living bird, and dip them in '2.
the blood of the slain bird, and in the ^^"'"^"'■"-
running water, and sprinkle the house seven
times :
52 And he shall cleanse the house wiUi the
blood of the bird, and with the running water,
and witii the living bird, and with the cedar
wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:
53 But he shall let go the li\'ing bird out of
the city, into the open fields, and "make an
atonement tor the house: and it shall be clean.
54 This is the law for all manner of plague of
leprosy, and ''scall,
55 And for the 'leprosy of a garment, "^and
of a house,
56 And ^ for a rising, and for a scab, and for
a bright spot :
57 To " teach ' when it is unclean, and when
it is clean : this is the law of leprosy.
e Ch. 13. 2. " Deut. 24. 8. Ezck 44. US. ' Heb. in the day of the
unclean, and in the daij of the clean.
1 . That the leprosy was a disease generally acknowledged
to be incurable by any human means ; and therefore the Jews
did not attempt to cure it. What is directed to be done
here, was not in order to cure the leper, but to declare him
cured and fit for society. — In like manner the contagion of
sin, its guilt and its pov/er, can only be removed by the hand
of God : all means, without his especial influence, can be
of no avail.
2. The body must be sprinkled and washed, and a sacrifice
offered for the sin of the soul, before the leper could be de-
clared to be clean." — To cleanse the spiritual leper, the Lamb
of God must be slain, and the sprinkling of his blood be
applied. Without the shedding of this blood, there is no
remission.
3. When the leper was cleansed, he was obliged to shew
himself to the priest, whose province it was to pronounce him
clean, and declare him fit ibr intercourse with civil and re-
ligious society — When a sinner is converted from the error
ot his way.s, it is the business, as it is the prerogative of the
ministers of Christ, after having duly acquainted themselves
with every circumstance, to declare the person converted from
sin to holiness, to unite him with the people of God, and
admit him to all the ordinances which belong to the faithful.
4. When a leper wiis cleansed, he was obliged by the law
to otV( r a gift unto the Lord for his healing, as a proof of his
gratitude, and an evidence of liis cbediencc. — \\'hen a sinner
is restored to ihe divine favour, he should offer continually
the sacrifice of a grateful heart; and, in willing obedience,
shew lonh the virtues of Him who has called him from dark-
ness and v\retcliedncss, to marvellous light and happiness.
5. Reader, such was the leprosy, its destructive nature
Differ ent uncleannesses ;
LEVITICUS.
and latvs respecting them^
an;] consequences, an J the means of removing il; such is the
spiritual evil represented by it, such its consequences, anil
sucii the means by which alone jV can be removed. The
disease of sin, inflicted by tlie Devil, can only be cured by
the power of God. 1. Art r/joM a leper ? Do the spots oi'
this spiritual inlectioii begin to appear on thee ? '2. Art thou
young, and only entering into the ways <if the world and sin ?
Stop ! bad habits are more easily conquered to-day, than they
will be to-morrow. 3. Art thou stricken in years, and rooted
in transgression ? How kind is thy Maker to have preserved
thee uUx-e so long! Turn from thy transgressions, humble thy
soul before hiai, confei-s thine iniquity, and implore forgive-
ness. Seek, and thou sbalt find ! Behold the Lamb of God
who takelh away the sin of the world! 4. Hast thou been
ckansed, and hast not returned to give glory to God ? Hast
not continued in the truth, serving thy Maker and !?aviour
with a loving and obedient heart ? How cutting is that
word. Were there not TEV cleansed, but where are j/ieNINE?
'I'hou art probably one of them ! Be confounded at thy
ingratitude, and distressed for tliy backsliding, and apply a
second time for the healing efficacy of the great Atone.nent.
Turn, thou backslider; for he is married unto thee, and will
he<d thy buckslidings, and will love thee freely. Amen. So
be it. Lord Jesus!
CHAPTER XV.
Lazes concerning uncleanness of men, 1 — 12. Mode of cleansing, 13-
casual, \G — 18. Lazes concerning the uncleanness of women, IQ — 27.
lation of the ordinances relative to the preceding cases, 31 — 33.
-15. Of uncleannesses, accidental and
Mode of cleansing, 28—30. liccamtn-
AND the Lord spake unto Moses
and to Aaron, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel,
and say unto them, " When any man
hath a ^ running issue out of his flesh, because of
his issue he is unclean.
3 And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue:
A.M. 2>14.
i'.. C. 1 IPO.
An.Exod. tsr.
2.
AhiharVisan.
» Ch. S2. 4. Jvurab. 5. 2. 2 Sam. 3. 29. Mutt. 9. 20. Mark o. 2o. Luke 0. 43.
NOTES ON CHAP. XV.
Verse 2. When any man hath a running issue'] The cases of
natural uncleanness, both of men and women, mentioned in
this chapter, taken in a theological point of view, are not of
such importance to us as to render a particular description
necessary, the letter of the text being, in genera', plain
enough The disease mentioned in the former part of this
chapter, appears to some, to have been either the consequence of
a verv bad infection, or of some criminal indulgence; for they find
that It might be c:)iiijnuHicated in a variety of ways, which they
imagine are here disiinctly specified. On this ground, the person
was declared unclean, and all commerce and connection with
bim strictly forbidden. The Septyagint renders 3tn ha-zab, the
man with the issue, by o yovop^uri;, the man with agonorrhwa, no
less than nine times in this chapter ; and that it means, what in
the present day, is commonly understood by that disorder, taken
not only in its mild, but in its '.vorst sense, they think, there
is little room to doubt. Hence they infer, that a disease which
is supposed to be comparatively recent in Europe, has existed
almost from time iuimeiiiorial in the Asiatic countries ; that it
ever has been, in certain measures, what it is now ; and that
it ever must be the effect of sensual indulgence, and illicit and
extrayagant intercourse between the sexes. The disgracei'ul
disorder referred to here, is a foul blot, which the justice of God,
in the course of providence, has made in general the inseparable
A. M. 2514.
B. C. U90.
An. Exod. Isr.
2.
Ahih OF Kisn:!,
whether his flesh laui with his issue,
or his flesh be stopped from his issue,
it is his uncleanness.
4 Every bed, wliereon he lieth that
hath the issue, is unclean : and every '^ thing,
whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.
5 And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash
^ Or, running pf the reins, ^ Heb. vessel.
consequent of these criminal indulgences; and serves in some
measure to correct and restrain the vice itself. In countries
where j^ublic prostitution was permitted, where it was even a
religious ceremony among those who were idolaters, this
disea.«e must necessarily have been frequent and prevalent.
When the pollutions and libertinism of former times are
considered, it seems rather strange that medical men should
have adopted the opinion, and consumed so much time
in endeavouring to prove it, viz. that the disease is mch-
dern. It must have existed, in certain measures, ever since
prostitution prevaded in the w orld ; and this has been in
every nation of the earth, from its earliest iera. Tliat the
Israelites might have received it from the Egyptians, and
that it must, through the Baal-peor and Ashteroth abominations,
which they learned and practised, have prevailed among the
Moabites, &c. there can be little reason to doubt. Supposing
this disease to be at all hinted at here, the laws, and ordinances,
enjoined were at once wisely and graciously calculated to remove
and prevent it. By contact, contagion of every kind is readily
communicated; and to keep the whole from the diseased,
must be essential to the check and eradication of a (ontagieus
disorder. This was the wise and grand object of this most en-
lightened Legislator, in the ordinances vt'hich he lays down in
this chapter. I grant, however, that it was probably of a
milder kind in ancient times ; that it has gained strength and
yarious ordinaitces
A.M.'^ii his clotlies.
CHAP. XV.
relative to those 'ioho have issues.
U C. ir 0.
Aii.r-.t"d.!!.r.
Aiili or Nisim.
md bathe himself in [j tabernacle of the congregation, and
give them unto tliu priest :
A M.'.Sl4.
All. Kiod.Isr.
water, and be vuiclcun until the even.
G And he that sitteth on anj/ thing
_ whereon he sat that hath the issue,
>hall wash hi* clotlies, and bathe himselfm water,
and be unclean until even.
7 And he that toucheth the flesh of him that
hath the issue, shall v/ash liis clothes, and bathe
■hirnselj'm water, and be unclean until the even.
1 a And if he that hath the issue spit upon him
that is clean ; then he shall wash his clothes,
and bathe hirnselj'm water, and be unclean until
the even.
' -9 And what .saddle soever lie rideth upon that
liath t!ie issue, shall be unclean.
10 And whosoever toucheth any thing that
■■ under him, shall be unclean until the even:
I he that beareth any of those things shall
■A\ his clothes, and bathe himselj' in water,
and be unclean until the even.
' 1 1 And whoiiisoc\'cr he toucheth that hath
'the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in ^
water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe \ that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.
himsc fin water, and be unclean until the even. }j 21 And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash
1 2 And the '^ vessel of earth, that he touch- j! his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be
eth which hath the issue, shall be broken: i| unclean until tiie even.
and every vessel of wood shall be rinseil in 22 And whosoever toucheth any thing that
water. Ijshe sat upon, shall wa«h his clothei^, and bathe
1 :i And when he that hath an issue is cleansed \> himselj'in water, and be unclean until tlie even.
his issue; then 'he shall number to himself! 23 And if it /ye on her bed, or on any thing
, 15 And the priest shall offer tliem, ,,_,,^^j^,,.^„
I'the one Jor a sin offering, and the :i!L!.°L '"":
other j^r a burnt oflering ; ^ and the priest sha!l
I make an atonement tor him before tiie Lord, for
his issue.
16 And ^if any man's seed of copulation go
out Irom him, then he shall wash all his flesh in
water, and be unclean until the even.
17 And every garment, and every skin, where-
on is the seed of copulation, shall be washed
with water, and be unclean until the even.
! 18 The woman also with whom man shall He
"d-ith seed of copidation,they shall both bathe Ihem-
' selves in water, and ''be unclean until the even.
I 19 IF And ' if a woman have an issue, and
her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be
'' put apart seven days : and whosoever touched!
her shall be unclean until the even. ,
20 And every thing that she lieth upon in her
separation, shall be unclean: every thing also
seven days for his cleansing, and wash his
.clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water,
and shall be clean.
14 And on the eighth day he sJiall take to him
",vo turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and
come before the Lord, inito the door of the
' Ch. 11.25. &17.15. —
" ch. 14. 22, 23.-
■i- cli. 6. 28. & 11. 32,33. ' ver. £8. ch. 14. 8.
— ^= ch. 14. 30, 31. f ch. 14. 1'.), 31.
virulence by continuance ; and that, as.fiociatfd with some
forei;»n causes, it became greatly exacerbated in Europe
about 1493, the tiwie in whic.li some have supposed it first
■began lo exist, though there are strong^ evidences of it in this
country, ever since the eleventli century.
Verse 1 1 . And whomseever he touchetit] Here we find
tbat the saliva, sitting on the same seat, lying on thir same bed,
riding on the same siwldie, or simple contact, were sufficient
4o rciKiertiie person unclean, meaning, /los.si/ji^y, in certain cases,
to conununicate ll>e disorder ; and it is well linown, that in
all these ways, the contagion of this disorder may be coni-
iDunirated — is it not even possible that tlie effluvia from the
body of an infected person, may be the means of coua-
whereon she sitteth, when lie toucheili it, he
sliall be unclean until the even.
24 And ' if any man He with her at all, and
her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean
sev^n days; and all the bed whereon he- lieth
shall be unclean.
■■ Ch. 8-2. 4. Deut. 23. 10. » 1 Sam. 21. 4. r' ch. 12. 2. " Hcb.
her separation. ' See ch. 20. i8.
municating the disease.? Sydenham expressly says, that it
may be communicated by lactation, handling, the sahva, sweat,
and by the breatli itself, as well as by those grosser means,
of wiiich there is no question. But the term wicknn, in this
and the following cases, is generally understood in a mere
leiral sense, the rendei-ing a person uvfit for sacred ordinances.
And as there was a mild kind of gonorrlicea that was
brought on Vjy excessive fatigue and the like, it may he
that kind only, which the law has in view in the above or-
dinances.
Verse 18. Tliey shall both hathe thernselves] What a
wonderful tendency had these ordinances to prevent ^11
exccssts! The pains wh'ch such persons must take, the
3 y
The sacrifices *which are to he
LEVITICUS.
offered for the defiled person^
AM i.il-t.
B.C. 1490
All. Exod.lsr.
AbiborKisaii.
25 And if "a woman have an issue
of her blood many days, out of the
time of lier separation, or if it run
beyond the time of her separation; all
the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as
the days of her separation : she xhall be unclean.
26 Every bed whereon she lieth, all the days
of her is.sue, shall be unto her as the bed of her
separation : and whatsoever she sitteth upon
shali be unclean, as the uncleanness of her se-
paration.
27 And whosoever toucheth those things shall
be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and
bathe liinisclf'm. water, and be unclean until the
even.
28 But '' if she be cleansed of her issue, then
she shall number to hei'self seven days, and after
that she shall be clean.
29 And on the eighth day, she shall take unto
» M:itl f . £0. Mark 5 25. Luke 8. 43. ■• ver. 13.-
8. Ezek. 4-1. 23.
-' cli. 11.47. Ueut.24.
se]iarutions which they must observe, and \ht privations which,
in consequence, tliey must be exposed to in the way of com-
merce, traffic, &c. would prevent them from mai<ing- an un-
lawful use of lawful things.
Verse 24. I'he common sense of all mankind has led them
to avoid the gross impropriety referred to in this verse; and
it has been a general opinion, that offspring obtained in
this way, has been infected with leprous, scrophulous, and
Other dee| ly radicated diseases, from which they and their
posterity have been scarcely ever freed. In chap. xx. 18.
persons guilty of this, are condenmed to death; here only to
a snen duj/s iepariition, because, in the former case, Moses
speaks of the act, when both the man and woman were ac-
quainted with the situation: in the latter, he speaks of a case,
where the circumstance was not biou;n till afterwards; at least,
so It appears these two places should be understood, so as to
be reconciled.
Verse 29. Txuo turtles, or txi-o young pii^euns] In all these
cases, moral pollution was ever considered as being less or more
present, as even such intirmities sprang from the original defec-
tion of man. On these accounts sacrifices must be offered;
and in the case of the woman, one of the birds above men-
tioned must be sacrificed as a sin-offering, the other as a burnt-
offering, ver. 30.
Verse .31. 'llms shall ijc separate the children of Israel front
their uncleanness] By this separation, the cause became less
frequent, and the contagion, if it did exist, Avas prevented
from spreading. So, pest-houses ani\ fever-wanls are constructed
for till' jjurpose of separating the infected from the sound; and
thus contagion is lessened, and its diffusion prevented.
That they die not] That life may be prolonged by these
Brudential cares; and that he who is morally and legally un-
clean, raay not presume to enter into the tabernacle of God,
or two young
them unto the
door of the taber-
bring
A.M. 2514,
B.C. 1490.
An Exod. Isr.
AbiborNimn.
her two turtles
pigeons, and
priest, to the
nacle of the congregation. _
30 And the priest shall offer the one^r a sin
offering, and the other ^or a burnt offering ; and
the priest shall make an atonement for her be-
fore the Lord, for the i,ssue of her uncleanness.
31 Thus shall ye "separate the children of
Israel from their uncleanness ; that they die not
in their uncleanness, when they " defile my ta-
bernacle that is among them.
32 ' This is the law of him that hath an issue,
•^and of him whose seed gocth from him, and is
defiled therewith ;
33 ^ And of her that is sick of her flowers, and
of him that hath an issue, of the man, " and of
the woman ; ' and of him that lieth with her that
is unclean.
' Numb. 5.3. .V: 19. 13,20. Ezek. 5. 11. Sc23.38.. "ver. 2. f ver. 1(5.-
E ver. 19. •' ver. 25.. — — ' vt'i-. 24.
till purified ; lest he provoke divine Justice to consume him,
while attempting to worship with a polluted mind, and impure
hands.
1. ITow unpromising and how forbidding, at the first view,
was this chapter ! and yet how full of wise, humane, and
moral regulations, i-nanifesting at once the wisdom and kind-
ness of the great Legislator ! Every word of God is pure in
itself, and of great importance to us. He who cannot derive
instruction from the chapter before him, and be led by a pro-
per consideration of its contents, to adore the wisdom and
goodness of God, must have either a very stupid or a very
vitiated mind.
2. In all these ordinances we may plainly see, that God
hSif. puriiy of heart continually in view — that the soul may be
holy, he cuts off' the occasions of sin ; and that men may be
obliged to keep in due bounds, and possess their vessels in sancti-
fieation and honour.he hedges up their way with briars and thorns,
and renders transgression painful, shameful and e.rpensive.
3. Preventing grace is not less necessary than that which
saves, and which preserves. These three chapters, avoided
and neglected by most, contain lessons of instruction for all:
and though many things contained in them, belong ex-.
clusively to the Jewish people, as to the letter, yet in the
spirit and graciotis design they form a part of those revealed
things which are for us and for our children; and although
they cannot be made the subjects of public oral instruction,
yet they are highly necessary to be kiiovvn : and hence the
advantage of reading the scriptures in regular order in private.
May we read so as to understand, and practise what we know,
that being wise unto salvation, we may walk as children of the
liiiht and of the day, in whom there shall be no occasion ^
stumbling !
Tf'e ordinance I'elative io the
CHAP. XVI.
great day of atoJiement,
CHAPTER XVI.
The so/t'iiui yearlij expiation fur t/ie Jiigh-priest, zcho must not lume at all times into the /lo/i/ plun, 1, 'J. Jle must
take a bullock for a siu o/fering, and a ram fir a burnt offering, bathe himself, and be dressed in his sacerdotal
robes, 3, 4. He shall take tico goats, ove of uhich is to be determined Iri/ lot, to be a sacrijicc; the other Co be a
scape goat, 5 — 10. He shall offer a biillnrkfor himself anil for his fimilif, 1 1 — 14. And shall kill the goat
as a sin offering for the people, sprinkle its blood upon the mercj/ seat, and halloa- the altar of burnt-offerings, 15
— 19. The scape goat shall be then brought, on the head of which he shall lay his hands, and confess the iniquities
of' Ike children of Israel ; after tvhich, the goat shall he permitted to escape to the wilderness, 20 — 2'2. Jfter this,
Aaron shall bathe himself, and make a burnt offering for himself and for the people, 2 3—28. This is to be an
everlasting statute, and the dai/ on which the atonement is to be made, shall be a sabbath, or day of rest through
all their generations, 29 — 34.
AND the Lord spake unto Moses
after * the death of'the two sons
A.M.2,ilt.
B.C. ll!>0.
All. Ksod. Isr. /. » , v i 1 /■
y. or Aaron, when tliev oliered belore
j ^*'*°^^'^''"'"- the Lord, and died :"
2 And tlie Lord said unto Mose.s, Speak unto
( Aaron thy brother, that he ^ come not at all
^_ times into the holy place within the vail before
Hhe mercy seat, which is upon the ark ; that he
I die not: for "I will appear in tlic cloud upon
the mercy seat.
3 Thus shall Aaron " come into the holy/?/(7C<?:
with a yoinig bullock for a sin offering, and a
ram for a burnt offering.
' (;h. JO. 1,2. 'Exod. ao. 10 <h. 23. 27. Hrbr. 9. 7. & 10. 19.
' Kxod. 25. 22. & 40. tH. 1 Kings 8. 10, 11, 12. '' Hebr. 9. 7, 12, 24, 2.i.
« ch. 4. 3. f Exoil. 28. Sy, 42, 4J. Sc ch. (i. 10. Ezl-'k. 44. 17, 18. 5 Exod.
NOTES ON CHAP. XVI.
Verse 1. After the death of the two sons of Aaron] It ap-
pears I'roin lliis verse, that the natural i)lace of tliis c:liapter
is iiiiniediatcly aftiT the tenth, v here probably it originally
stooil : but the transposition, if it did take place, must be very
ancient, as ail the versions acknoivledge this chapter, in the
place in which it now stands.
Verse 2. T/iat he come not at all times into the holy place]
By the holy place, we are to understand here, what is ordi-
narily called the Holy of Holies, or most holy place ; that place
wiliiin tlie vail, where the ark of the covenant, &:c. were laid
up; and wiierc God nuinifesttd his presence between tiic
clierubini. In ordinary cases, the high-priest could enter thi.s
place only once in tlie year, that is, on the day of annual atone-
ment; but in extraordinary cases, he might enter more fre-
quently, viz. while in the wilderness, in decamping and in-
caiiiping, lie iiRi.t enteric t'tke down or adjust the thin^^s:
and on solemn prp>sing public occasions, he was obliged to
enter in order to consult the Lord; but he never entered
without the deepest reverence and due preparation.
Thai it may appear that the grand subject of thi.s chapter,
the ordinance of the scape goat, typified the death and resur-
rection of Christ, and the atonement thereby made, I beg
leave to refer to Heb. i.\-. 7 — 12. and 2 1 — 26. which I shall
here ttanscribe, because it is a key to the whole of this chaptei-.
A. M. "ii.t.
)!.C. 1490.
An.Exod. Isr.
2.
Aliib 01 Nisan.
4 He shall put on ' the holy linen
coat, and he shall have the linen
breeches upon his flesh, and shall be
girded with a linen girdle, and with
the linen mitre shall he be attiretl : these are
holy garments ; therefore ^ shall he wash his fiesh
in water, and so put them on.
.5 And he shall take of '' the congregation of
the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a
sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
6 And Aaron sliall offer his bullock of the sin
offering, which ?'*■ for himscltj and 'make an
atonement for himself^ and for his house.
30 20. cli. 8. 6, 7. " Sec cli.4. 14 Numb. 29. 11. 2 Chron. 89. 21. Ezra
6. 17. Ezek. 4j. 22, 23. ' c!i. 9. 7. Hebr. 5. 2. it 7. 27. 28. & 9. 7.
Into the second (tabernacle) went the high priest alone once
every year, not luithout blood, ichich he offered for himself, and
for the errors of the people. The Holy Ghost, this si/rnifying,
that the way into the holiest of all, was not yet made niuniffst,
while as the first tubernucle was yet standing : which was a figure
for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and
sacrifices that could not make him that did tiie service perfect, as
pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and
drinks, and divers washings and carnal ordinances imposed on
them till the time of reformation. But Christ being come, a
high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this
building, neither by the RLOOn of GOATS and CALVES ; but by his
OWN BLOOD heentered into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption ibr us. — For Christ is not entered into the holy
places iiutdc with hands, which are the figures of the true, but
into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for tis :
nor yet that he should offer liimself often, as the high priest en-
tereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others;
(for then must'*he often have suffered siitce the foundation of the
world) but now, once in the end of the world, hath he appeared
TO PUT AWAY SIN BV THE SACRIl'ICE OF HIMSELP.
Verse U. With a young bullock for a sin offering.] Tiie bul-
lock was presented as a sin offering, for himself, hi* family, tiie
whole priesthood, and probably the Lcii/tf*. The ram wa«
3y 2
The ordinance of LEVITICUS. the scape goat,
7 And he shall take the two goats, |' the Lord's lot "fell, and offer him
and present them before the Lord at for a sin ottering,
*»
A.M. £514.
B. C. 1491).
An.Exod.Isr.
Abibur'Nisan.
the door of the tabernacle of the con-
gregation.
8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two
goats ; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot
for the " scape goat.
9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which
' Heb. Azaiel. ^ Heb. utnt up.
for a burnt offering, to signify that he and his associates were
whollt/ consecrated, and to he uholly employed in this worii of
the ministry. The ceremonies with which these two sacri-
fices were accompatiied, are detailed in the following verses.
Verse 4. He ihall put on the holy linen coat^ He was not
to dress in his pontifical garments, but in the simple sacer-
dotal vestments, or those of the Levites, because it was a day
of humiliation, and as he was to offer sacrifices for his own snis,
it was necessary that he should appear in habits suited to the
occasion. Hence he has neither the robe, the ep/iod, the
breast-plate, the tnilre, &c. these constituted his dress of dig-
nity, as the high priest of God, ministering for others, and the
representative of Christ : but now he appears before God as
a sinner, offering an atonement for his transgressions, and his
garments are those of humihation.
Ver.-e 7. And he shall take the tivo goats] It is allowed on
all hands that this ceremony, taken in all its parts, pointed
out the Lord Jesus dying for our sins, and rising again for
our justification : being put to death in the flesh, but quick-
ened by the Spirit. Two goats are brought, one to be slain
as a sacrifice for sin, the other to have the transgressions of
the people confessed over his head, and then to be sent away
into the wilderness. This animal, by this act, was represented
as bearing away, or car rj/iyig off, the sins of the people. The
two goats made only one sacrifice ; yet only one of them was
slain. One animal could not point out both the divine and
human nature of Christ, nor shew both his death and resur-
rection, for the goat that w as killed, could not be made a'it-e.
The divine and human natures in Christ, were essentia! to the
gi'and expiation ; yet the human nature alone suffered ; for the
divine nature could not suffer ; but its presence in the human
nature, while agonizing unto death, stamped those agonies,
and the consequent death, with infinite merit. The goat,
therefore, that was slain, prefigured his human nature, and
its death : the goat that escaped, pointed out his resurrection.
The one shews the atonement ior sin, as the ground of justi-
fication; the other Clirist's victory, and the total removal of
sin, in the sanctification of the soul. — Concerning these cere-
monies, we shall see farther particulars as we proceed.
According to Maimonides, fifteen beasts were oflered on
this day. " The daily, or morning and evening sacrifice,
was offered as usual : — besides a bullock, a ru7n, and seven
Iu7iibs, all burnt ofti:rings ; a goat for a sin offering, which
was eaten in the evening. Then a bullock for a sin offering,
and this they burnt, and a ram for a burnt-offering ; these
both for the high priest Then the ntm for the consecration;
see ver. 5. which is called the people's ram. They brought
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1400.
An.Exod.Isr.
Ahih or Nisan.
10 But the goat, on which the lot
!fell to be the scape goat, shall be
presented alive before the Lord, to make '^ an
atonement with him, a7id to let him go for a
scape goat into the wilderness.
11 ^ And Aaron shall bring tlie bullock of
' 1 John 2. 2.
also for the congregation, two he-goats; the one for a sin
offering, the other for a scape goat. Thus all the beasts
offered on this great and solenm day were FIFTKEN: the two
daily sacrifices, one bullock, tioo rams, and seven lambs : all
of these burnt offerings. 7\io goats for sin offerings; one
o'Tered without, and eaten on the evening ; the other offered
luithin, and burnt; and ons bullock for a sin offering for tlie
hisjh priest. The service of all these fifteen beasts, is per-
formed on this day by the high priest only." See Maimo-
nides, and Ainsworth on the place.
Verse 8. Aaron shall cast lasts upon the fwo goatsi The
I Jews inform us that there were two lots, made either of uoud,
.Hone, or any kind of metal. On one was ."titten ZD'i'b L.-V- .
SHEM for tlie ^AMK, i. e. nVT JtHOVAH, which the Jews
will neither write nor pronounce: — on the other was written
ilSiNTp'? la- AZAZEL, for the SCAPE-GOAT: then they put the
two lots into a vessel which was called ^thil kalpcy ; the goats
standing with their faces towards the west. Then the priest
came, and the goats stood before him, one on the right hand
and the other on the left ; the kalpey was then shaken, and
the priest put in both his hands, and brought out a lot in
each : that which was in his right hand, he laid on the goat
that was on his right ; and that in his left hand, he laid on
the goat thai was on his left; and according to what was'
written on the lots, the scape goat, and the goat for sacrifice
were ascertained.— See the Mishna, in Tract. Yoma.
The determining this solemn business by lot, the disposal
of which is with the Lord, Prov. xvi. 33. shews that God
alone was to select and point out the person by whom this
great atonement was to be made: hence he says, behold I
lay in Zionu stone elect (that is, chosen by himself) and preci-
ous, of infinite value.
Verse 10. To be the scapegoat] StxII? Azazcl, from ty dz,
a goat, and Sw azal, to dismiss, i. e. the disnussed, or sent
away goat, to distinguish it from the goat that was to be
offered m sacrifice. Most ancient nations had r2c«;-iou« sacri-
fices, to which they transferred by certain rites and cere-
monies, the guilt of the community at large, in the same
manner in which the scape goat was used by the Jews. Tiie
white bull that was sacrificed by the Egyjitians to their god
Apis, was of this kind, they cut off the head of the victim
which they had sacrificed, and after having loaded it with '
execrations, that, " if there be any evil hanging over them
or the land of Egypt, it may be poured out upon that head;"
they cither sold it to the Greeks or threw it into the Nile. —
See HkROD. Euterj). p. 104. edit. Gale.
Petroiiius Arbiter says, that it was a custom among the
A.M.2il4.
B. C. Ui'O.
An. Exod.lsr.
The bullock, a sin-offering for
the sin offering, which is for himself, j
and shall make an atonement for him-
self, and for his house, and shall kill |
the builock of the sin otfering which !
is for himself:
12 And he shall take ' a censer full of burn-
ing coals of fire, from off the altar before the
Lord, and his hands full of " sweet incense
beaten small, and bring it within the vail :
13 "And he shall put the incense upon the
fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the in-
cense may cover the '' mercy seat, that is upon
the testimony, that he die not :
14 And ' he shall take of the blood of the
bullock, and ^ sprinkle it with his finger upon
the mercy seat eastward ; and belbre the mercy
seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his fin-
ger seven times.
15 ^ ^ Then shall he kill the goat of the sin
offering, that is for the people, and bring his
blood " within the vail, and do with that blood
as he did with the bh)od of the bullock, and
sprinkle it upon the mercy scat, and before
the mercy seat :
CHAP. XVl/ the priest; the goat, for the people.
16 And he shall 'make an atone- -^Miisw.
ment for tlie holv place, because of , "„" ,', '
" ,• I 1 •( 1 £• An.l).xod.Isr.
the uncleanness of the children or i.
Israel, and because of tlieir trans-
it A/dorXi^an.
» oil. 10. 1. Numb. Ifi. 18, 46. Rev. 8. b.-
5 30. 1,7,8. Numb. 16.7,18, IG. Rev. 8.3,4. <i Exod. 2.5. 21. '^ch.4
Hobr. 9. 1.3, 2.5. & 10. 4. ^ c\\. 4. 6. eHcbr. S. 17. & 5. 2.
-" ver. 2. Hebr. 6. 19. & 9. 3, 7, 12.
"•Exod. 30. 34. 'Exffld.
it. y. 7, 23.
gressions in all their sins : and so shall he do for
the tabernacle of the congregation, that " re-
maineth among them in the midst of their un-
cleanness.
17 ' And there shall be no man in the taber-
nacle of the congregation, when he goeth in to
make an atonement in the holy place, until he
come out, and have made an atonement for
himself, and for his household, and for all the
congregation of Israel.
18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is
before the Lord, and " m.ake an atonement for
it ; and shall take of the blood of the bullock,
and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon
the horns of the altar round about.
19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon
it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it,
and " hallow it from the uncleanness of the
children of Israel.
20 *[[ And when he hath made an end of " re-
ancient inhabitants of Marseilles, whenever they were afflicted
by any pestilence, to take one of the poorer citizens who
cffered himself for the purpose, and having fed hiui a whole
year with the purest and best food, adorned him with ver-
vain, and having clothed him with sacred vestments, they
then led him round their city, loading him with execrations :
and having prayed that all the evils to which the city was ex-
posed, might fall upon him, they then precipitated him from
the top of a rock. Satiricon, in Jine.
Svidas, under the word Tri^i-^^'i/J-a, observes, that it was a
custom to devote a man annually to death, for ihe safety of
the people, with these words 7refi\^nf/,a riftav ycvov, Be thou
our purifi-r ; and having said so, lliey threw him into the
sea, as a sacrifice to Neptune. It was probably to this custom
that Virgil alludes, when speaking of the pilate Falinurus,
who fell into the sea and was drowned, he says,
Untim pro multis dahitur caput. iEn. lib. v. v. 815.
" One life is given for the preservation of many."
But the nearest resemblance to the si:upe goat of the
! Hebrews, is found in the Aihummcd Jusa^ of the Hindoos,
' where a liorse is used instead of a goat, the desciip-ion of
I which I shall here introduce Irom Mr. Halhcd's Code of
Gentoo Laws; Introduction, p. xix.
" That the curious," says he, " may form some idea of
' See Exod. 29. 30. Ezok. 4'). 18. Hebr."9. 29, 23. >< Hel). ducUettu
'See Exod. 34. 3. Luke 1. 10. " Exod. 30. 10. c!i. 4. 7, 18. llebr.
9. 22, i;o. ° Ezck. 43. 20. " ver. 16. Ezek. 45. 20.
this Gentoo sacrifice when reduced to a symbol, as well as;
from the subsequent plain account given of it in a chapter of
the Code, sect. ix. p. 127. an explanation of it is here in-
serted from Darul Shekuh's famous Persian translation of some
commentaries upon the four Beids, or original Scriptures of
Hindostan : the work itself is extremely scarce, and it was by-
mere accident that this httle specimen was procured.
" The Ashummted Ju^g does not merely tonsLst in the
performance of that ceremony which is open to the inspection
of the world, namely, in bringing a /io/it' and s;icrificing him;
but Ashummeed is to be taken in a mystic signification, as im-
plying, that the sacrificer must look upon himself to be ti/pijied ^
in that horse, such as he shall be described ; because the re-
ligious duty of the Ashummeed Jiigg comprehends all those
other religious duties, to the performance of which, all ths
wise and holy direct all their actions; and by which, all the
sincere professors of every different faith, aim at perfection.
The mystic signification thereof is as follows : the head of
that unblemished horse, is the symbol of the morning ; his cj/es
are the sun ; his breath the uiVirf ; his wide-opening mouth ii
the bish-wiiner, or that inncM warmth which invigorates all
the world ; his body typifies one entire year ; his buck, para-
dise; \m belly, the plains; h\s liocf, ihis earth ; his wW«, the
four quarters of flu: heatens ; tile bones diereof, the intermediate
^aces between the four quarters ; the r«st of his limbs represe^
A.M. l'.>14.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod.lsr.
1.
Abibot l\iian.
The scape goat dismissed LEVITICUS.
conciling the holy place, and the ta-
bernacle of the congregation, and the
altar, he shall bring the live goat :
21 And Aaron shall lay both his
hands upon the head of the live goat, and con-
fess over him all the iniquities of the children of
Israel, and all their transgressions in all their
sins, ' putting them upon the head of the goat,
and shall send J/im away by the hand of '' a fit
man into the wilderness :
22 And the goat shall " bear upon him all
their iniquities, unto a land ^ not inhabited : and
he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
23 And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle
■ Isai. 53. 6.-
-^ Ileb. a man of opportunity.—
29. Heb'r. 9. 28. 1 Pet.
-■^ Isai.
2. 24.
53. 11, 12. John 1.
all distinct matter ; the places where those limbs meet, or his
joints, imply the months, and liakes of tlie months, which are
called peche (or t'ortnioihts ;) \\\i feet signify night and tf(/y ;
and night and day are of four kinds: 1. The night and day
of Brihmie; 2. The night and day of angels; 3. The night
and day of the world of the spirits of deceased ancestors ; 4.
The niglit and day of mortals. These four kinds are typified
in his four feet. The rest of his bones are the constellations
of the fixed stars, which are the twenty-eight stages of the
moon's course, called the /«««)■ year; [»> Jiesli is the clouds ;
his food, tlie sand ; his tendons, the rivers ; his spleen and
liver, the mountains ; the /i«zr of his body, the vegetables, and
his long hair, the trees ; the forepart of his body typifies the
first half of the day, and the hinder part, the latter half; his
yawning is tlie Jtash of the lightning, and his turning himself
is the thunder of tiie cloud ; his urine represents the rain ;
and his mental reflection is his only speech. The golden vessels
which are prepared, before the horse is let loose, are the light
ef the day, and the place where those vessels are kept, is a
type of tlie ocean of the east ; the silver vessels which are pre-
pared after tlie hor^e is let loose, are the tight of the night,
and ihe place where those vessels are kept, is a type of the
occari of the west. These two sorts of vessels are always be-
fore and after the horse. — The Arabian horse, which on ac-
count of his swiftness is called Hy, is the performer of the
journeys of angels ; the Tajee, which is of the race of
Persian horse.s, is the performer of the journeys of the Kund-
herps (or good spirits ;) the IVazha, which is of the race of
the deformed Tazee horses, is the performer of the journeys
of the Jins (or d< mons;) and the Ashov, which is of the race
of Turkish liorses, is the performer of the journeys of man-
kind : this one hcjr.se, which performs these several services,
on account of liis four dilTerent sorts of riders, obtains the
four different appellations. The place where this horse re-
mains is ilie great ocean, which signifies the great spirit of
Perm-Atnia, or the universal soul, which proceeds also from
that Penn-Aima, and is comprehended in the same Perm-
Atvta. Tlie intent of this sacriiice is, that a man should con-
fo ihe 'Wilderness^
' and sliall put
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
All. Exod.Isr.
Ahib or A'ijan.
of the congregation,
off the linen garments, which he put
on wlien lie w eat into the holy place,
and shall leave them there :
24 And he shall wash his flesh with water
in tlie holy place, and put on his garments,
and come forth, ^ and offer his burnt offer-
ing, and the burnt offering of the people, and
make an atonement for himself, and for the
people.
25 And ^ the fat of the sin offering shall he
burn upon the altar.
26 And he that let go the goat for the
scape goat, shall wash his clothes, *■ and bathe
I" Heb. of separation. ' Ezek. 42. 14. & 44. 19. ' vcr. 3, 5. s ch. 4.
' 10. >• ch. 15. 5.
sider himself to be in the place of that horse, and look upon all
these articles as typified in himself; and conceiving the AtmS
(or divine soul) to be an ocean, should let all thought of self
be absorbed in that Atma."
This sacrifice is explained in Section IX. p. 127. of the
Code of Hindoo Laws thus,
"An Ashwnineed Jugg is when a person, having commenced
a Jugg, (i. e. religious ceren.ony) writes various articles upon a
scroll of paper, on a horse's neck, and dismisses the horse, sending
along with tlie horse a stout and valiant person, equipped with
tlie best necessaries and accoutrements to accompany the horse
day and night, whithersoever he shall choose to goj^mdif.
any creature, either man, genius or dragon, should seize the
horse, that man opposes such attempt, and, having gained the
victory upon a battle, again gives the horse his freedom. If
any one in this world, or in heaven, or beneath the earth,
would seize this horse, and the horse of himself comes to the
house of the celebrator of the Jugg, upon killing that horse,
he must throw the flesh of him upon the fire of the Juk, and
utter the prayers of his deity ; such a Jugg is called a Jugg
Ashummeed, and the merit of it, as a religions work, is infinite."
This is a most curious circumstance, and the coincidence
between the religious rites of two people who probably never
had any intercourse with each other, is very remarkable. I
would not however say, that the Hindoo ceremony could not
have been borrowed from the Jews, (though it is very un-
likely) no more than I should say, as some have done, that
the Jewish rite was borrowed from the Egyptian sacrifice to
Apis, mentioned above, which is still moie unlikely. See
particularly the note on Levit. i. 4.
Verse 12 1. Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head, &c.]
What this imposiiion of liands meant, see in the notes oo
Exod. xxix. 10. and Levit i. 4.
And confess over him all the iniquities — transgrcsiions — and '
Si.'!.'] The three teiTOs used here, INIQUITIES, r\i'^ff avonoth,
from nV avah, to pervert, distort, or turn aside — TK.'.NSURES-
SIONS, ZD'i?tt'3 pfshiim, from JWD p^shi'i, to pa.ts, to step for-
wards, or step over — ^and SINK, n>{!sn chataoth, from ftCTJ
A.M. <r)U.
B. C. 1-190.
All. KxiiJ.lsr.
Abiiur Xitan.
The ordinance of the atonement, CHAP. XVI.
his flesh in water, and afterward
come into the camp.
27 " And tlic bullock for the sin
__ _ offering, and the goat for the sin
offering, whose blood was brought in to make
atonement in the holy place, shall one carry
fortii without the camp; and they shall burn in
tlie fire their skins, and their flesh, and their
dung.
•28 And he that burneth them shall wash his
clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and after-
ward he shall come into the camp.
29 % And this shall be a statute for ever unto
you: that "in the seventh montli, on the tenth
day of die mouth, ye shall afflict your souls,
and do no work at all, Xi'lwthcr it be one of
your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth
among you:
.SO For on that day shall the priest make
to be an et'erlasti72fr statute.
an atonemen-t for you, to "cleanse }'ou, that
»Ch. 4. 12, 21. & 6. 30. Htbr. tX 11. '■Exod. 30. 10, cli. S3. S7.
Kuinb. 29. 7. Isai. 53. .i—S. Dm. 10. ,3—12. ' Tsal. 31. «. , .ler. .-a. 8.
Eph. 5. 2(j. Hehr. 9. 13, 14. & 10. 1, 2. 1 .lulin 1. 7—9. ''th. 23. 32.
chatah, to miss the marie — are supposed by tlie Jews to com-
prize every thing that Implies a breach of tlie Divine law or
an offence against God. See the note on Gen. xiii. 13.
Maimonides gives us the confession in the following words:
" () Lord, thy people, the house of Israel, have sinned
and done iniquity, and trespassed before thee. O Lord,
make atonement now for the iniquities and transgressions and
sins, that thy people, the house of Israel, have sinned and
transgressed against thee ; as it is written in the law of Moses
thy servant, saying. That in tlds day he shall tna/ce atonement
you, to cleanse ymi. from all your sins before the Lord, and
Jiall be clean." See the Mishnu, vol. ii. p. 239.
A\'hen this confession was finished, the goat was sent by
a proper hand to the wilderness, and there let loose ; and
nothing farther was ever heard of it. Did not all this
signify, that Christ has so carried and borne away our sins,
that against them who receive him as the only true atoning
sacrifice, they should never more be brought to remem-
brance ?
On the head of the scape i^oaf, a piece of scarlet cloth
was tied, and tlie tradition of the Jews states, that if God
accepted the sacrifice, the scarlet cloth turned while, while
the goat was leading to the desert; but if God had not
ai ( ppied this expiation, the redness continued, and the rest
of the year was spent in mourning.
From the foundation of the church of God, it was ever
believed by his followers, that there were certain infallible
tokens by which he discovered to genuine believers, his
acceptance of them and their services. This was sometimes
jdone by a fire from heaven consuming the sacrifice — some-
times by an oracular cemmunicatiun to the priest or prophet;
o
A.M. 0314.
13 C. 1190.
Aa.tjo(l. Isr.
o
AbihorKiaan;
ye may b© clean from all your sins
before the Loud.
31 "It shall he a sabbath of rest unto
you, and ye shall afflict your souls,
by a statute for e\'er.
32 'And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and
whom he shall "^ consecrate^ to minister in the
priest's office in liis tather's stead, shall make
the atonement, .nnd "shall put on the linen
clothes, even the holy garments:
33 And 'he shall make an atonement for the
holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement
for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for
the altar, and he .shall make an atonement for
the ])ricsts, and for all the people of the con-
gregation.
34 ""And this shall be an everlasting statute
unto you, to make an atonement for the children
of Israel, for all their sins ' once a year. And
he did as the Lord commanded Moses.
— -=cli. 4. 3, 5. 16. fHeb. fill hh hanil. eExod. 29. 29, 30. Numb.
20. 2li— 28. '■vcr. 4.- ' vc'r. 6, 16, 18, 19, 24. kch. 23. 31. Kuiub.
29. 7. ' Exod. 30. 10. ilebr. 9. 7—25.
and at other times, according to the Jewish account, by
changing the fdlet or cloth on the head of the scape goat,
I'roin scarlet to white : but most commonly, and especially
under the gospel dispensation, he gives this assurance to true
belitvers, by the testimony of his spirit, in their consciences,
that he has forgiven their iniquities, transgressions and sins,
for his sake, who has carried their griefs, and borne their
sorrows.
Verse 26. He titat let go the goat — shall wash, &c.] Not
only the person who led him away, but the priest who
consecrated him, were reputed unclean, because the goat
liim.self was unclean, being considered as bearing the sins of
the whole congregation. On this account, both the priest,
and the person wiio led him to the wilderness, were obliged
to wash their clothes, and bathe themselves, before they could
come into the camp.
Verse 29. The seventh month, on the tenth day of the ?noni/i'\
The commandment of fasting, and sanctifying this tenth day,
is again repeated, Le\H. xxiii. 27 — 32. ; but in the latter
verse, it is called ihc, ninth day at even, because the Jewish
day began with the evening. The sacriliees which the day
of atonement should have more than other day.s, are mentioned.
Num. xxix. 1 — 11. And the jubilee, which was celebrated
every 50th year, was solemnly jiroclaimed by sound of trum-
pet on this tenth day, Levit. xxv. 8, 9. A shadow, says. Mr.
Ainsworth, of that acceptable year of the Lord, the year of
freedom which Christ has proclaimed by the trumpet of hia
gospel, Luke iv. 18 — 21. 2 Cor. vi. 2. — This seventh
month was Tisri, and answers to a part of our September and
October. It was the seventh of the sacred, and thejirst month
of the civil year.
Moral uses of the
LEVITICUS.
Jewish ordinances of the scape goat
The great day of atonement, and the sacrifices, rites, and
ceremonies prescribed for it, were commanded to be solem-
nized by the Jews through the whole of their dispensation ;
and as long as God should acknowledge them for his people:
yet in the present day, scarceiy a shadow of these tilings
remains : there is no longer a scape soat, nor a goat for sacrijice
provided by them in any place. Tliey are sinners, and they
are without an atonement. How strange it is tliat tliey do
not see that the essence of their religion is gone, and that
consequently God has thrown tiiem entirely out of covenant
with himself. The true expiation, the Christ crucified, they
refuse to receive, and are consequently without temple, altar,
scape goat, atonement, or any means of salvation ! The
state of file Gentile wwld is bad ; but that of the Jews is
doubly dep!oral)Ie. Their total excision excepted, wrath is
come upon Ihem to tlie uttermost. What a proof is this of
the truth of the pi-edictions in their own law — and of those
in the gospel of Christ! Who, with the Jews and the bible
before his eyes, can doubt the truth of tliat bible as a
divine revelation! Had this people been extinct, we might
have doubted whether there were ever a people on the earth
that acknowledged such a law, or observed such ordinances ;
but the people, their law, and their prophets are still in
being, and all proclaim what God has wrought, and that he
has now cea-eil to work among them, because they have
refused to receive and profit by tlie great atone mcnt ; a
nd
yet he preserves thein alive, and in a state of roniplere
separation from all the people of the earth, in all places of
their dispersion! How powerfully does the preservation of
the Jews as a distinct people, bear testimony at once to the
truth of their own lata which they acknowledge, and the
^osptl of Christ which they reject!
2. But while the Jews sit in thick darkness, because of
the vail tliat is on their hearts, though the light of the glory
of God is shining all around llicm, but not into them, be-
cause of their unbelief; in what state are those who profess to
see their unbelief and obstinacy, acknowledge the truth of the
new Testament, and yet are living without an atonement
applied to their souls, for the removal of their iniquities,
transgressions and sins ? Tliese are also in the gall of
bitterness, and bond of iniquity. An all-sufficient Saviour
held out in the New Testament, can do ihem no more good than
a scape goat 3.ni\ day o{ atonement describtd in the law, can do
the Jews. As well may a man im.igine that the word bread,
can nourish his body, as the nu7ne ('lirist can save his soul.
Both must he received and applied in order that the man may
live.
3. The Jews prepared themselves to get benefit from this
most solemn ordinance, by the deepest humiliations. Accord-
ing to their canons, they were obliged to abstain from all
meat and drink — from the bath — from anointing themselves — ■
to go barefoot — and be in a state of perfect continency. He
who is likely to get benefit fur his soul through the rcderap- '
tion that is in Chrif, must humble himself under the mighty
hand of God, confess his iniquity, abstain from every appearance ,
of evil, and believe on him who died for his offences, andi
rose ai^ain for his justification. The soul thai seeks not, shall i
not/;2i/, even under the Gospel of Clirist.
CHAPTER XVII.
The people are commanded to bring all the cattle they intend to kill, to the door of the tabernacle, zvherethey are
to be made an offering to the Lord, and t/iose zcho disobey, are to b? cut of, 1 — -5. The priest is to sprinkle the
blood, 6. They are forbidden to offer sacrijices to devils, 7. The injunction to bring their offerings to tlie
door of the tabernacle, is repeated, 8,9- The eating of blood is solemnly forbidden, 10. It is the life of the
beast ; and is given to make an atonement for their souls, 11, 1.2. If a bird or beast be taken in hunting, its ,
blood must be poured out, and covered zcitk dust,j'or the reasons before assigned, 13, 14. None shall eat an
animal that dies of itself, or is lorn by beasts ; if any act othericise, he must bathe his clothes and his Jiesh, at
hear hts iniquity, 15, iS.
A.M.y=>14.
M.C. 1J90.
An.Exod. Ur.
ND the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying,
2 Speak unto Aaron, and unto bis
AhiborNisan. ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^jj ^^g children of
Israel, and say unto them ; This is the thing
which the Lord hath commanded, saying.
• See Deut. 12. 5, 15, 21.
NOTES ON CHAP. XVII.
Verse 4. And bringcth it not unto the doorl As sacrifice
was ever deemed essential to true religion, it was necessary
that it .should be performed in such a way as to secure the
gri-at purpose of its institution. God alone could shew how
tlji.f sljould be done so as tu be pleasing in his sight; and'
3 What man soever there be of the a.m.ssi*.
house of Israel, Hhat killeth an ox, ,'■,; ,",_
or Jainb, or goat, m the camp, or 2.
that killein it out or tlie camp, _l.
4 '' And bringeth it not unto the door of the ta-
bernacle of the congregation, to ofi'er an offer-
' Deut. IS, 5, 6, 13, 14.
therefore he has given the most plain and particular dire<^-
tions concerning it. The Israelites, from their long residence
in Egypt, an idolatrous country, had doubtless adopted many
uf their usages ; and many portions of the Pentateuch seem to
have been written mtrety to correct and bring them back to
the purity of the divine worship.
Eating of blood CHAP. XVII
A-.M-wH. ing unto the Lord before the taber-
nacle of" the Lord, blood shall be ' im-
puted unto that man ; he hath shetl
blood ; and that man "shall be cut off
solemnly forbidden.
B.C. IIW.
An.Exod. Ur.
'i.
XtikorA'uJii.
from among his people :
5 To the end that the children of Israel
may bring their sacrifices, " which they offer
in the open field, even that they may bring
them unto the Lord, unto the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation, unto the
priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto
die Lord.
6 And the priest " shall sprinkle the blood upon
the altar of the Lord at the door of the taber-
nacle of the congregation, and 'burn the fat for
a sweet savour unto the Lord.
7 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices
'unto devils, after whom they ''have gone a
whoring. This shall be a statute for
ever unto them throughout their ge-
nerations.
8 And thou shalt say luito tliem.
A.M. 2511.
U. C. 1490.
An. K»od. Isr.
2.
AliiboT Kipai.
' Rom. 5. 1.;. " Gen. 17. 14.—' Grn. 21.. '53. & 22. 2. & ."1.54.
Deut. 12. 2. 1 Kings 14. '23. S Kings 16. 4. & 17. 10. 2 Clirim. 2H. 4. Ejck.
20 23. & 22. 9. " ch. j. 2. = Exod. 29. 18. cli. 3. ;"), 11, 16. ic 4. jl.
Numb. 18. 17. f Deut. 32. 17. 2 Cliroji. 11. 15. I's. 106. 37. iCor. 10.
That no blood should be offered to idols, God commands
every animal used for food or sacrifire, to be slain at the door
of the tabernacle. While every animal was slain in lliis
sacrificial way, even tlie daily food of the people, must put
them in mind of the necessity of a .^iacrifice for sin. l\:rliaps
St. Paul had this circumstance in view wlicn he said, Whctlier
therefore ye eat or drink, or iiliatsoeter ye do, do all to the
don/ of God, 1 Cor. x. 31. ami, whatsoever ye do in viord or
■', do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
.J . y and the Father by him.
While the Israelites were encamped in the wilderness, it
was comparatively easy to prevent all abuses of this divine
in^titalion, ;ind therefore they were all commanded to hrin^
the oxen, 'heejt, and goals, to the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation, that they might be slain there, and their blood
sprinlcled upon the altar of the Lord. Rut when they became
settled in the promised land, and the distance, in many cases,
rendered it impossible for ihem to bring the animals to be
slain for domestic uses, to the temple, they were permitted to
pour out the blood in a sacrjficial way unto God, at their
Perspective dwellings, and to cover it with the dust; see ver.
13. and see Deut. xii. 20, 21.
Blood shall be imputed unto that mani Having poured out
the blood improperly, he sh.\ll be considered as guilty of
murder, because that blood, had it been properly and sacri-
ficially employed, might have made atonement for the life of
a man.
Verse 7. Tliey shall no more otVcr their sacrifices unto devils]
liu-y shall not sacrifi( e S'TW?, la-sliairiin, to the hairy
, ones, to goats. The famous heathen god. Pan, was repre-
, sented as having the posteriors, horns, and ears of a goat:
I and the RIaidcsians, a people of Egypt, had a deify which
, they worshipped under this form. Herodotus say.s, that all
I goats were worshipped in Egypt, but tlie he-goat particularly.
Wliatsoever man there be of the house of Israel,
or of the strangers which sojourn among you,
" that ofFereth a burnt offering or sacrifice,
9 And ' bringeth it not unto the door of the ta-
bernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the
Lord ; even that man shall be cut off firom
among his people.
10 ^ ^ And whatsoever man tJiere be of the
house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn
among you, that eateth any manner of blood ;
' I will even set my face against that soul tliat
eateth blood, and will cut him off from among
his people.
11 "For the life of the flesh is in tlie blood :
2^ Rev. 9. 20. « Exod. St. 15. cli.2(>. 5. Deut. 31. Ifi. Ezek. 23. 8.
•■ cli. 1. 2,.". ' ver. 4 k Gen. 9. 4. ch. .•}. 17. tc 7. 26, 27. & 18.
26. Dent. 12. 16, 23. & 15. 23. 1 Sam. 14. 33. Kzek. 44. 7. ' cli. 20. .",
- ^ « ,.,.- .., j^r ^ jj 'Eze^i. 14. 8. & 15. 7. "> ver. 14.
26
5, 6. & 26. 17
It appears also, that the different ape and monkey species
were objects of superstitious worship ; and from these sprang,
not only Mendes, and Jupiter Ammon, who was worshipped un-
der the figure of a ram, but also Pun and the Silent, with the in-
numerable herd of those imaginary beings, satyrs, dryads,
hamydryads, &c. &c. all woodland gods, and held in venera-
tion among the I'lgyptian.s, Greeks, and Romans.
After ivhom they have gone a whoring.] Though this term is
frequently used to express idolatry, yet we are not to sup-
pose, that it is not to be taken in a literal sense in many
places in Scripture, even where it is used in connection with
idolatrous acts of worship. It is well known that Baal Peor,
and Ashturotli, were worshipped with unclean rites; and that
public prostitution formed a grand part of the worship of
many deities among the Egyptian-^, Moabites, Canaanites,
Greeks, and Romans. The great god of the two latter na-
tions, Jupiter, was represented as the general corrupter of
women : and of Venus, Flora, Priapus, and others, it is
needless to speak. That there was public pro.stitution in the
patriarchal times, see the note on Gen. xxxviii. 21. And
that there was public prustitution of women to goats in Egypt,
see Herodotus, lib. ii. c. 4G. p. 108. edit. Gale, who gives
a case of this abominable kind thai took place in Egypt whde
he was in that country. See also many examples in Bochuri,
vol. ii. col. 641. and see the note on chap. xx. 16.
Verse 1 1 . For the life of the flesh is !/i the blood] This
sentence, which contains a most important truth, had existed
in the Mosaic writings for 3600 years, before the attention of
any philosopher was drawn to the subject This is the more
surprising, as the nations in which philosophy flourished,
%vere those, which especially enjoyed the divine oracles in their
respective languages. That the blood actually possesses a
living principle, and that the life of the whole body is derived
from it, is a doctrine of divine revelation, and a doctrine
3 z
The blood is ffiieri to viahc
A.M. 2)14.
B. C. 1190.
All. ExoJ, Isr.
and I have given it to you upon tlie
altar, * to make an atonement for
- 2. voiir souls : for '' it is the blood iliat
Abibo^isan. -^^.^i-g.]^ ^^ atoncmcnt for the soul.
12 Therefore I said unto the children of Is-
rael, No soul of you shall cat blood, neither
LEVITICUS. atonement for tlie soul.
shall any stranger that ^ojourneth
among you, eat blood.
13 And whatsoever man there he or
the children of Israel, or of the stran-
gers that sojourn among you, " which
• Matt. 26. 28. Blark 14. 24. Kom. 3. 23: fc !>. 9. Epli. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14,
aO; Hebr. 13. 12. iPct. 1. 2. 1 John 1. 7. llev. 1. 5.
v'hic'n the observations and experiments of the most accurate
anatomists liave served stron£>ly to condrm. The proper cir-
culation of this important fluid throimh the ■ii-hok hiiman sys-
tem, was first taught by Solomon in figurative language,
Ecdes. ,xii. 6. and discovered, as it is c;dled, and demon-
strated by Dr. Harveyin 1628; tliough some Italian philo-
sophers had the same notion a little before. This accurate ana-
tomist was the first who fiilly revived tlie Mosaic notion of the
zitality of the blood; which notion was afterwards adopted by
the jusdy celebrated Dr. Juim Hunter, professor of anatomy
in London ; and established by him, by a great variety of
strong reasoning and acci,irate experuneiUs. To support this
opinion, Dr. Hunter proves,
1. That the blood unites living parts in soine circum-
stances, as certainly as the yet recent juices of the branch of
one tree unite with that of another: and he thinks that if
either of these fluids were dead matter, they would act as
ittinmli, and no union would lake place in tlie animal or
vegetable kingdom ; and he shews diat m the nature of thmgs,
there is not a more intimate connection between life and a
solid, than between life and 2^ fluid.
2. He shews that the blood becomes vascular, like other
living parts of the body ; and he demonstrated this by a pre-
paration, in which vessels were clearly seen to arise, Iroin
what had been a coai^uhm of bloo<l ; for those vessels opened
into the stream of the circulating blood, which was in conti-
guity with this coagulated mass.
3. He proved, that if blood be taken from the arm, in the
most intense cold that the human body can suffer, it will raise
the thermometer to tlie same height, as blood taken in the most
sultry heat. This is a very powerful argument of the vitaliii/
of the blood, as it \» well known, that living- bodies alone,
have the power of resisting great ilegrees of heat and cold,
and fjf maintaining in almost every situation, while in health,
that temperature which we distinguish by the name of animal
heat.
4. He proves that blood is capable of being acted upon by
a stimulus, as it coagulates on e.\posure to the air, as cer-
tainly as the cavities of the abdomen and thorax, become in-
flamed frum the same cause. 1 he more the blood is alive,
r. e. the more (he animal is in health, the sooner the blo'd
coagulates on exposure : and tiie more it has lost of the
living principle, as in cases of violent inflammation, the less
sensible it is to t!ic stimulus produced by being exposed, and
coagulates more slowly.
5. He proves that the blood preserves life in difTtrent
psirts of llie body. When the wertrs going to any part, arc
tied or cut, the i)art hecoines paralytic, and loses all power of
.'K.M.2514.
B. C. 1490.
Aii.K.\ud.lsr;
AhibatNiian.
' liuutetk
and catcheth any beast or tbvvl that may be eaten j
*■ Hebr. 9- 2'.'. ' Ileb. that hunUth any hunting. '' cli. 7.
motion; but it does not mortify. But let the arteni be cut,
and then the part dies and morlifcution ensues. It must
therefi-re be the vital principle of the blood, that keeps the
part alivs ; nor does it appear that this fact can be accounted
for on any other principle.
6 He thinks this vilalily further proved, from the case of
a person who was brought to St. George's hospital, for a
simple fracture of the Os humeri, and who died about a month
after. As tlie bones had not united, he injected the arm, and
thus found, tluit the coagulated blood, which filled the cavity
betwten the extremities of the fractured bones, was become
z-asciilar, and in some places very much so, which vessels, bad
it been dead matter, it never could have produced.
This system has been opposed, and arguments have been
adduced to prove, that the principle of •vitality exists not in
the blood, but in the nervous si/stein. But every arguinent on
this ground, appears to be done away by the simple consider-
ation, that the whole nervous system, as v.'cli as every other
part of the body,' is originally derived from the blood ; for is
it not from the blood of the mother, that the fcetus has its
being and nourishment in the womb } Do not all the nerves,
as well as the brain, '&c. originate from that alone? And if.
it be not vital, can it give the principle of vitality to some-
thing else, which then exclusively (though the effect of a
cause) becomes the principle of vitality to all the solids and
fluids of the body ? This seems absurd. That the human
being proceeded originally from the blood, admits of no'
doubt : and it is natuial and reasonable to suppose, that as
it was the rau.se under God, which generated all the other
pans of the body, so it still continues to be the princrjile of life,
and by it alone, all the wastes of the system are repaired.
Two jKiints relative to this subject, are strongly asserted in-
Divine revelation, one by MoSES, the other by .^t. Paul. '
1. Moses says, The t.lt-£ cf the flesh is in the BLOOD, Levit.
xvii. 1 l.Ttiis has been proved by tlie most indisputable facts.
2. St. Pflw/say.s, God hath tnade of OS E I^LOOV) all nations qf
men. Acts xvii. 26. And this is demonstrated not only from there
beingonly one pair, from whom all the nations of men have been
derived, but also from the fact, that every human being, from the'
first-born of Kve, to the present hour, has been farmed out of, and
supporit d by; tiie mother's blood : and that frcm the agency of tWs
nM:d,the human body, after being born into the world, has its in-
crement and support. The reason given by God, for the law
against eat.ng blood, is perfectly conclusive — I u-ill set my face
I ■I'^.iiiisi that soul that taleth blood — for the LIFE, 'iT^i nephesh, of
I he flesh isinthe tll.OGD, and I t^ave given ittoynu vpon the altar,
to make an atonement for your sonh, aD'HCilJ naphshotej/cem,
your LIVES: for it is the blood (because it is tlje LIFE, ^ti
4
CHAP. XVIII.
Tlte blood of animals taken
he shiill even ^ pour out the blood il
thereof, and ''cover it with dust. j;
14 ""For it is the Hfe of all Hesh ; |I
the blood of it is lor tlie life thereof: j
I said unto the children of Israel, ij
Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh :
for the life of ail fic^h is the blood thereof:
wliosoeser eateth It shall be cut oft!
15 ^ "^ And every soul that eateth " that uhich
A. M.'.'ll.
li.C. lU'O.
All. Kxixl Isr.
AbrboryUati.
therefore
1 )eiit. 12. IG, 24. & 15. 23. <> Ezrk. 24. 7. < ver. 1 1, 12. Uen. 9. 4.
Dcul. 12. 33.' ^^Exod. 22. 31. cli. 22. 8. lJeut.l4. 21. Kzik. 4. I'J. ct
■ nephe^li) that niaketh un atonement for t\e snvt ; {'i?>yi bn-ne-
fhesh, fur llie life, for the word is llic saiiic in ull tlicst; cases.)
l>y transgression a man forfeits hi.-; LIFE to divine jirstice, and
he must die, did not vitrei/ provide liiin a suhsiiiuic — t!ie life
"f a Leiist is a])pointed and accepted by God, as a substitute
the sinner's life ; (in reference to ihe life of Cliri.», whicii
J ^^:ls to be <;iven for the life of the wold .-) but as this life is
\ in the blood, and as the blood is the tfiand principle of vi-
iktali/j/. therefore tlie blood is to be poiirtd out upon liie aUar ;
■nd liius the life of the beast becomes a sub^titulc ior the
ilife of the man.
And it is well worthy ofbeing remarked, tliat Clirist not only
'died for sinners, but our redemption is every where ailribuled
■to his BLOOD, and the shedding of that blood ; and, that on
the altar of the cross, t|iis might make an atonement Ibr llie
■ lives and souls of men, he not only bovicd his head, and. gave
up the nhou, but his .side was opened, the pericardium and
the heart evidently pierced, that the viutl fluid might be
poured out from the very seat of life, and that thus the blood,
which is the life, should be poured out to make an atone-
ment for the life of the soul.
The doctrine of Moses and St. Paul proves the truth of
the doctrine of Hui~ey mid Hunter : and llie reasoniui>s and
*xpcriinents of Harvei/ and Hunter illustrate and confirm the
doctrine of Moses and Paul. Here, then, is a further proof
of the truth and autiiority of Divine revelation. See the
note on Gen. ix. 4. Dr. J. Corrie's Essay on the Vitality of
the Blood, and the article Blood, in the Enn/clopcsdias.
in hunting, to he poured oiit.
died of itself, or that which was torn
-d'illi beasts, xvhetfier it be one of your
own country, or a stianger, ' he shall 2,
both wa>h his clothes, "^and bathe
himself in water, and be unclean until the even. :
then'.shall he be clean.
16 But if lie wash them not, nor bathe his
flesh; then "he shall bear his iniquity.
.■\M.'.'51-I.
h.c. uw.
All. lixoiiilw.
AliiburHisaH.
44. ."1. ' Hel). a carcase.— r-
7. 18. & !'.>. C. Numb. 19. 20.
^cli. 11. 23. Sell. 15 5-
"ch. ft. 1. &
Verse 1'4. Ye shall eat the blood of no manner officslt] Inde-
pendently of tile moral reasons given aliove, we may add,
1. 'J'hat blood heinj^ hi|ilily (illcalesccnt, especially in hot
climates, is subject to s-peetly pulrelaction. 2. That il aflords
a gross nutrinient, being very dilficult of diyjesiion, insomuch
so, I hat bulls' blood, was u.sed in ancient limes as poison,
" its extreme viscidity rendering it totally inditjcslibk by
the powers (.f the human stomach." 3. It is allowed (hat
when blood was used in this country in gfreat quantities, the
scurry was more iiiquent llian at oUier times. 4. Il appears
from history, that tlio.-e nations who lived most on it, w«ie
very tierce, savage, and barbarous, such as llic Scyt/iiaiis,
Tartars, Arabs of the d<;.«arl, the Scandinavians, S(c. i(c.
some of whom drank the blood of tteir enemies, making cups
of their sculls !
Vei.se 15. That 'xhich dielb o{ ]tsc]f, or that ivhich was torn]
Because in both cases, the blood was retained in the body;
hence, tlie council at Jerusalem forbad things strangled, as
well as 6/oorf; because in suih beasts, the blood was coasru-
lated in the veins and arteries.^hee Acts xv. 28.
Every thing considered, surely thera is as little projtrieiy
in eating of blood as there is necessity to do iL They who
will do otherwise, must bear their iniquity. If blood eating
be no oflence, then lliey have no sin to answer for. The
principal subjects of this chapter, have been already so amply
handled in the notes, that there is no need to add ^ny thing bj
way of reflexions or improvements.
CHAPTER XVIII.
T/ie people are cnmnianded to avoid the doi/igs of f/ic Egi/ptiaris and llie Canaanitea, 1 — ?,. They are to do God's
judgments, and to Iceep his ordinances, that they mat/ live, 4, 5. INTarriages with those nho are near of kia
are prohibited, G. 'None to marrtf with his mother or step-mother, 7, 8. 'uith his sister or step-sister, 9. with
f ;s grand daughter, 10. nor uith the daughter of his step-mother, II. nor with his aunt, In/ father or mother,
.2, 13. ?ior tcUh his unda's wife, 14. nor tcilh iiis daugliter-in-hnv, 15. nor sister-in-law, iC. wo/' with a woman
'.;.(/ her daughter, sou's daughter, or daltgliler'.s daughter, \~. nor with two sisters at the same time, IS.
^kveral abominations prohibited, 19—2:5. of zt'liich the Cunaaniles, Sjc. wcregidlly; andforuhich, they were cast
"'.t of the land, 24, 25. Tlie people are exhorted to avoid these abominations, lest they he treated as the ancient
iihabilarits of the land were treated, and sj cast out, 26 — -'8. Thrcntcnings against the disobedient, 29, and
promises to the obedient, HO.
3 z 2
Marriages xvitk near
A.M 'J514.
B.C. 14?0.
An Exud Ur.
■i.
Abibor Khan.
LEVITICUS.
N D the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel,
and say unto them, ^I am the Lord
your God.
3 "After the doings of the land of Egypt,
wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and "after
the doings of the land of Canaan, whitlier I
bring you, shall ye not do : neither shall ye
walk in their ordinances.
4 ''Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine
ordinances, to walk therein: I am the Lord
your God.
5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and
my judgments: "which if a man do, he shall
live in them : *^I am the Lord.
6 ^ None of you shall approach to any that
is ^near of kin to him, to uncover their naked-
ness: I am the Lord.
7 '"The nakedness of thy father, or the naked-
ness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she
is thy mother ; thou shalt not uncover her
nakedness.
8 ' The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt
thou not uncover: it is thy father's naked-
ness.
9 "The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter
of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether
she be born at home, or born abroad, even their
nakedness thou shalt not uncover.
»Ver. 4. Kxod. 6. 7. ch. 11. 44. & 19. 4, 10, 34. & 20. T. Ezek. 90. 5,
7, 19, 20. '' Ezfli. 20. 7, 8. & 23. 8. ' Exod. 23. 'Ji. ch. 20. 2.5. Di-ut.
12. 4, 30, 31. " Deut. 4. 1, 1'. & 6. 1. Ezck. 20. 19. <■ Ezek. 20. 11, 13.
SI. Luke 10. 38. Rom. 10. .i. Gal. 3. 12. 'Exod. 6. 2, 6. '-9. Blal. 3.
6. s Heb. remainder ofhisjitsh. "ch. 20. 11. ' Cien. 49. 4. ch. 20.
NOTES ON CHAP. XVIII.
Verse 3. The doings of the land of Egypt — and the land of
Canaan] The worshiping of cljemons, beasts, &c. as mention-
ed in the preceding chapter, ver. 1. and the abominations
mentioned in this chapter from ver. 21 to 23.
Verse 6. Any that i.s near of kin] mC^D 15W hs col shaar
basro, any remnant of hisjiesh : i. e. to any particularly allied
to Ills own family, the prohibited degrees in which, arc.
specified from the 7th to the ITth verse inclusive. Notwith-
standing the prohibitions here, it must be evident that in the
infancy of the world, persons very near of kin, must have been
joined in matrimonial alliances; and that even brothers must
have matched with their own sisters. This must have been
the case in the family of Adam. In tliese first in.'itances,
necc-sity required this : when this necessity no longer existed,
the thing became inexpedient and improper, for two reasons:
1. That the duties owing by nature to relatives, miglit not be
confounded v, ith those of a social or political kind : for could
7
A.JI. 2314.
B. C. 1490.
An Exod.Isr.
.^liiborNiian.
Jcindred, forbidden
10 The nakedness of thy son's
daughter, or of thy daughter's daugh-
ter, even their nakedness thou shalt
not uncover : for their's is thine own
nakedness.
1 1 The nakedness of thy father's wife's daugh-
ter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister,
thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
12 'Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness
of thy father's sister: she is tliy father's near
kinswoman.
13 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of
thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near
kinswoman.
14 "Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of
thy father's brother, thou Shalt not approach
to his wife: she is thine aunt.
15 "Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness
of thy daughter-in-law : she is thy son's wife ;
thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
16 °Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness
of thy brother's wife : it is thy brother's naked-
ness.
17 ''Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness
of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt
thou take her son's daughter, or her daugh-
ter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; ^or
they are her near kinswomen : it is wicked-
ness.
18 Neither shalt thou take ""a wife to her
11. Deut. 2?. 30. & 27. 20. Ezek. 22. 10. Amos 2. 7. 1 Cor. .5. 1.
i^ch. 20. 17. 2 Sam. 13. 12. Ezek. 22. 11. — — 'ch. 20. 19. "'tli. 20. 20.
"Gen. 38. 18, 26. ch. 20. 12. Ezi-k. 22. 11. " ch. 20. 21. iMatt. 14.
4. See Deut. 25. 5. Matt. 22. 24. Mark 12. 19. ^th. 20. 14.- — -■Ot,
one wife to another. Exod. 26. 3.
a man be a brother and a husband; a son and a husband,
at the same time, and fulfil tlie duties of both ? Impossible.
2. That by intermarrying with other families, the bonds of
.social compact might be strengthened and extended, so that
the love of our neighbour, &c. might at once be tijlt to be
not only a maxim of sound policy, but also a very practicable
and easy duty ; and thus li^ud.s, divisions and wars Ije pre-
vented.
Verse 16. Thy brother's wife] This was an illegal marriage,
unless the brother died childless In that case it was not
only lawful for her to marry her brother-in-law, but he was
obtii^ed liy the law, Deut. xxv. 5. to take her to wife.
Verse IS. A tiife to her sister] Thou shalt not man-y two
si.sters at the same time, as Jacob did Rachel and Leah:
but there is nothing in this law that rendered it illegal to
marry a si.Nter-in-la'.v, when her sister was dead ; thtrekire,
tlie text says, TIiou shalt not take her in liei' life time, to lex tier,
alludjug, probably, tOi the case of the jealousies and vexations
DiJJirent abominations CHAP.
AM. '-"14. sister, 'to vex he>', to uncover her
B. (;. 1 »y(). nakedness, beside the other in her
All. Kxod. Isr. ... .
•s. lire time.
proach unto a woman to uncover her nalved-,
ness, as long as she is put apart for her un-
cleanness.
'20 Moreover ' thou shalt not lie carnally with
thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.
21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed
•■pass through the fire to " Molech, ncitiier shalt
thou ^ profane the name of thy God : I am the
Loud.
'_'2 ^ Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with
womankind : it is abomination.
23 " Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to
defile thyself therewith : neither shall any wo-
man stand before a beast to lie down thereto : it
is ' confusion.
24 " Defile not ye yourselves in any of these
things : ' for in all these the nations are defiled
which I cast out belore you :
XVIII.
prohibited.
■ » 1 Sam. 1. 6. 8. " ch. 20. 18. Ezck. IS. 6. k 22. 10. ' ch. 20. 10.
Exod. M. U. Driit. 5 18. k 22. 22. I'rov. 6. 29, 32. iMal. 3. 5. Watt.
■fi.'i?. R(im 2. 2.'. ICiir. 6. 9. Ilebr. 13. 4. "ch. 20. 2. 2Kiimsl6. 3.
k 21. 6. & 2.;. 10. J< r. 19. 3. Eze . 20. 31. & 23. 37, 39. ' 1 Knifis 11.
7,33. Callid, Arts 7 4.), Mutorh. ' ch. 19. It'. & -lO. ,3. & 21. tj. &
82. 2, 32. Kzck. 36. 20, ike. Alal. 1. 12. e ch. 20. 13. Rom. 1. 27.
iCcv. 6. 9. 1 i im. 1. 10.
which subsisted between I.eah and Rachel; and by which,
the family peace was so ollen disturbed. .Some think that
llie text may be so understood as also to forbid polj/ganty.
Verse 1£). As long as she is put aparl] See the note on
chap. XV. ver. 24.
Verse 20. 7'Ay neighbour's wife] See the note on Exod.
XX. 14.
Verse 21. Puss ihroii^h the fire to Molech] The name of
this iddl i,< mentioned fur the first time in ibis place. As the
word "^Sd tiwUc or 7nelec signifies king or governor, it is very
likely tliat this idol represented the sun; and more particnlarly
as the Jiie appears to have been so much employed in his
wor.-hip. 1 here are several opinions concerninsf the meaning
o( pttssing l/iiougli the Jtie to Molech. 1. Some think tliat the
semen humuuum, was odered on the fire to this idol. 2
Others think that the children were aettially made a burnt-
offering to hull. 3. But olhern suppose the children were not
burnt, but only passed through the fire, or heiwetn tKO _fires,
by way of const rration to him. That some were actually
burnt alive to this idol, several scriptures, according to the
opinion of commentator^, sieivi strongly to intimate, see among
others, Psal. cvi. 3!>. Jerem. vii. 31. and F.zek. xxni. 'iT — 39.
That others were only cotuccraied to his servxe by pat,stng
beivieen iwo fires, the Rabbins stronijly .isseri ; and if Ahsz had
but one son, Hczekiah, (though, it is probable he had others, see
2 Chron. xxviii. 3.) he is said to \ya.\t passed through the fire to
25 And "■ the land is defiled : there- a.ai.i.su.
fore I do "visit the iniquity thereof /•^"■"'•?"
, , , 1 ■ w> o • Aii.Lxod.Isr.
upon It, and the land itseli vomit- 2.
eth out her inhabitants. ""'""'^^'"J:
26 •■ Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my
judgments, and shall not commit any of tiiese
abominations : neither any of your own nation,
nor any stranger that sojourneth among you :
27 (For all these abominations have the men
of the land done, which Kere before you, and
the land is defiled :)
28 That " the land spue not you out also,
when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations
that were before you.
29 For whosoever shall commit any of these
abomina.tions, even the soids that commit tlievi,
shall be cut ofi' from among tlieir people.
30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance,
' that ye commit not any one of these abomina-
ble customs, which were committed before you,
and that ye ' defile not yourselves therein : ' I
am the Lord your God.
^ oil. 20. 15, 16. E.xod. 22. 19. ' ch. 20. 12. 1" vcr. 30 Matt. 15.
18. 19, 20. Mark 7. 21, 22, 23 1 Cor. 3. 17. ' ch. 20. 23. Deut. 18. 12.
"'iNumb. ;i.i. .M. .ler. 2.7. k 16. 18. Ezck. 36 17.— "Ps. «9. 32.
Isai. 26. 21. Jor. b 9, 29. >\ 9. 9. ^<t 14. 10. \- 23. 2. H. s. 2. 13. & 8. 13.
& 9. 9. " vcr. 28. P ver. .5, 30. ch. 20. 22, 23. "• ch. 20. 22. Jer.
9. 19. Ezck. .JO. 13, 17. ' ver. 3, 26. cli. 20. 23. Oeut. 18. 9. ' ver.
24. f ver. 2, 4.
Molech, 2 Kings xvi. 3. yet he succeeded his father in the
kingdom, ch. xviii. I. therefore this could only be a consecra-
tion; his idolatrous father intending thereby to initiate him
early into the service of this daMiion. See the note on chap.
XX. 2.
Verse 22. With mankind^ This abominable crime, fre-
quent among the Greeks and Romans, as well as the Canaan-
ite.s may be punished with death in this country.
Verse 23 With any beuit] This abomination is also pun-
ishable with death, by the laws of this country.
A woman stand before a beasti That this was often done
in Egypt, there can be no doubt : and we have already seen
from the leNtimoiiy of Herodo'us, th-it a fact i<\' this kind,
aeiually tonk place, while he was in Egypt. See the note on
chap, xvii ver T. and xx. 16.
Verse 25. The land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.^
This is a very nervous prosopn]'aia, or personification ; a fi-
gure, by which any part of inanimate nature may be repre-
sented as possessing the pa.<sion^ and reason of man. Here
lUf land is rt pre.sented as an m'clhgeiit being, with a deep
and refined sense of mural gooj and evil : inibriiiation con-
( fining iht aliominations of the p'ople, is brought to this
persomfi.d land, with which it is sn deeply affceted, that a
miusea is produced, and it vomit* out its auominable and ac-
cursed inhabitants. Ft was natural for the mspird penman
to make use of such a figure, as the description he was ob-
Various ordinances, tending
LEVITICUS.
to promote holiness.
ligcd to give of so many and enormous abomination-, must
have affected him nearly in tlie same way, in which he re
presents the- land t.> be afllecttd.
Verse 30. Ye shall keen mine crdinarce] The only v ay
to 1 e prescr\ed from all fal>e worship, is seriously lo < onsidcr
and devoutly to observe the ordmances of the true religion.
He, who in the thinijs of God, goes no farther than he can
say, thus it is vniiien, and thus it behoves me to do, is neyer
hkely to receive a false creed, nor perform a superstitious let
of worship.
1. How true is that word. The law of the Lord is P'l-R-
FECT; in a small compass and yet in a most minute detail,
it comprizes every diing- that is calculated to instruct, direct,
convince, correct, and fortify the mind of man. Whatever
has a tendency to corrupt or injure man, that, it forbids ;
whatever is calculated to comfort him, promote and secure
his best interests, thai, it commands. It takes him in all pos-
sible stales, views him in all connections, and provides fur his
pre*ent and eternal happiness.
2. As the hu.nan soul is polluted and tends to poliut.on,
ihe ^reat doctrine of the law is holiness to the Lo'-d : this it
keejjs invariably in view, in all its commands, precepts, or-
dinances, rites, and ceremonies. And how forcibly in all
these does it say, thou shalt love the Lord thy God ivilh all t/m
heart, and with all lltj/ soul, and with all thy mmd, and with
all thy strength ; and thy neighbour as thyself. This is the
prominent doctrine of the preceding- chapter; and this shall
be fulfilled in all them who believe : for Christ is the end of
the lav; for righteousness, to them that believe. IJeader, mag-
nify God for his law, for by it is the Icnoiiiedge of sin; and
magnify him for his gospel, for by this is the cure of sin.
Let the law be thy school-master to bring; thee to Christ, that
thou mayesl be justified by faith ; and tbat the risjliteousness
of the law may be fulfilled in thee, and that thou maycst walk,
not after the flesh, but after the spirit.
CHAPTER XIX. ,
T.xhortation!> to holiness, and a repetition of various lams, 1, 2. Diitr/ to parents, and ohservalion of the sab- ;
bath, 3. against idolatry, 4. concerning peace-offerings, o — 8. The gleanings of the harvest and vintage
to be left for the poor, 9, 10. Jgainst stealing ami lying, 11. false swearing, 12. against defrauding the
hireling, i3. Lazes in behalf of tlie deaf and the blind, 14. Jgainst respect of Yiersona in judgment, 15.'
against tale-bearing, 16. against hatred and uncharitableness, 17. against revenge, 18. against unlawful
mixtures ?■« cattle, seed, and garments, 19. Laws relative to the hondm&id that is betrothed, 20—22. The
fruit of the trees of the land nut to be eaten for the first three years, '23. hut this is hinfiil in the fourth and
fifth </e«?«, 24,25. .//gn/wsf eating 0/' blood, a«d Ms;«g incantations, 26. «ga/«s? superstitious cutting o/' //iC
hair, 27- and cutting of the flesh in the times of mourning, 28. Jgainst prostitution", 29. Sabbaths to be
reverenced, 30. Jgainst consulting those nho arc wizards, and have familiar spirits, 31. Respect 7nust he
shezcn to the aged, 32. The stranger shall not be oppressed, 33, 33. ITAej/ shall keep just measures, weights,
and balances, 35, 36. Conclusion, 37.
A. M. 2ol t.
B. C. iipo.
An. Exod.lsr.
Abibor ?lisati.
A
N D the Lord spake unto Mo-
ses,
sayms
2 Speak unto all the congregation
of the children of Israel, and say
unto them, ' Ye shall be holy : for I the Lord
your God am holy,
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1-iro." '
An. Exod.lsr.
4 " Turn ye not unto idols, ' nor
make to yourselves molten gods : I
am the Lord your God.
5 And "^if ye offer a sacrifice of
peace-offerings unto the Lord, ye shall offer it
at your own will
AbiboT Kiiwu
3 ° Ye shall fear every man his mother, and 'i 6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it,
his father, and ' keep my sabbaths : I am tlie and on tlie morrow : and if ought remain until
Lord your God.
' Cli. U. 44. & 20. 7, 26. 1 P«t. 1. 16.-
SO. U. & 31. 13
-'Exod. 20. 12-
->^ Exod.
NOTR,S ON CH.^P. XIX.
Verse 3. Ye shalt fear ever^ mun his mother, &c ] Ye
shall have the piofoundest reverence and respect for them.
See the Notes on Gen. xlviii. 12. and on Exod. xx. 8. and
12.
the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire.
"Exod. 20. 4. di. 26. 1. iCi.r. 10. 14. iJolin 5. 21.-
Dent. 27. 15. ' cJi. 7. 16.
-' E.\od. 34. 17»
Verse 4. Turn ye not unto idols'] tI3?'7^« elilim, literally no-
things; and to tins St. l\iul seems to allude 1 Cor. viii. 4.
' where he say.". We Icnvw that an idol is NOriliNG in ihe world,
I Verse 5. Peace-ofcrings] See tlis Notes at the conclusion
of chap. vii.
Gkanings to be left for the poor. CHAP.
A.M.-'jM. 7 ^Y,jj if it be eaten at all on the
i /'"r *ft tliirc! day, it is abominable ; it shall
An.txori. Isr. i *^ . i
'i. not be acce|-tcd.
I f*'*"'-^''"''- 8 There tore evcnj one that eatcth it
' shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned
the liallowcd thii^g ol' the Loku : and tliat soul
shall be cut oil' iVom among his people.
9 And ' when yc reap the harvest of your
land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of
thy field, neither shalt thou gather the glean-
ings of thy harvest.
10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard,
t neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy
■vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor
, and stranger : I am the Loud your God.
I 1 1 "^ Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely,
I 'neither lie one to another.
! 12 And yc shall not "swear by my name
falsely, " neither shalt thou profane the name of
Itliy God : I can the Lord.
'' »Cli. S3. 22. Deul. 24. 19,80, «1. Kutli 2. 1.5, Ifi. >> Exod. 20. 15.
\ 1, 7, 111. IJetit. f>. 19. ' ih 6. e. Epii. 4. Si5. Col, 3. 9
.i. iO. 7. cli. (1. 3. IJeat. .'). 11. M;iU ;>. 33. .lam. 5. I'J
18. 21. fiicclus. 10 0. Wart 10. 19. iTIisss. 4. 6. e Ucut
i4. 14, 15. Mai. 3. h. 'Job. 4. 14. .taiu. 5 4 * Deur. 2?. 18.
Koni. 14. 13. ' ver. 32. ch. 25. 17. Geii. 4-J. 18. Ectles. 5. 7. 1 Pit.
t. 17.
Verse 7. If it he eaten on the third dui/^ See the note,
! chap. vii. 15.
Verse 9. When ye reap the harvest'^ Liberty for the poor
pt> glean both the corn fields and vineyards, was a divine in-
.stilulion amon^ tlie Jews; for the whole of the Mosaic dis-
[ pcnsation, breathed like the Christian, love to God, and bt-
ntvolence to man. The poor in Jiidca, were to live by
I gleanings from trie corn fields and vineyards. To the ho-
nour of the public and ch:;ritable spirit of the F.n;^li.-h, this
merciful law is, in general, as much attended to, as if it had
been incorporated with the gospel.
Verse 11. ie shall not steal, &c.] See the notes on
I Exod. XX.
Verse 13. The xvngcs — shall not abide vsith thee ail night"]
For this plain reason, it is the support of the man's life and
family ; and they need to expend it, as fast as it is earned.
Verse 14. Tliou shalt not curse the deaf ^ Or speak evil of
bim, because he cannot hutr, and so cannot vindicate his
own character.
Nor put a stumbling block brfore the blind'] He who is ca-
pable of doing this, must have a heart cased wilh cruelty.
The spirit and design of these precepts are, that no man
shall, in any case, take advantage of the ignorance, simpli-
city or inexperience of his ntighbour; but in all things, do
to liis neighbour, as he would, on a change of circumstances,
that his neighbour should do to him.
Verse 16. Thou sitall not go up and doivn as a talebearer']
7'3"1 racil signifies a trader, a jiedlur, and is here applied to
XIX. Various precepts.
13 '^'Ihou shalt not defraud thy a.m. '.-.mi.
neighbour, neither rob him: ^ tlie *''!i'.'"y'
" •• 1 • 1 1 • 1 I 11 Aii.Eic-d. Isr.
wages or him lliat is lureu, shall t.
not abide with thee all night until ^'"'' "^"^"""J
the morning.
14 Tliou sjialt not curse the deaf, ''nor put
a stumbling-block before the blind, but shalt
'iear thy God : I am the Loito.
15 *" Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judg-
ment : thou shalt not respect the person of the
poor, nor iionoiu' the pei.son of the mighty;
hut in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neigh-
bour.
1 6 ' Thou slialt not go up and down as a tale-
bearer among thy j7copIc : neither shalt thou
'" stand against the blood of thy neighbour : I
am the Loud.
17 "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine
heart: "thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy
neighbour, " and not sufier sin upon him.
the ))ersf)n who travels about dealing in scandal and calumny,
I getting the secrets of every person and family, and retailing
liiein wherever he goe.". A more despicable character exists
not: such a p<r.son is a pest to society; and should be ex-
iled from the habitations of men.
Neither shall ihoa stand against the blood, &c.] Thou shalt
not be a false witness; because by such testimony the blood,
the life of an iimocent man may be endangei'ed
Verse 17. Thou shalt not hate thj/ brother] Thou shall not
only, not do bim any kind of evil, but thou shalt harbour no
haired in thy heart towards bim. On the contrary, t/iou
ihalt love him as thyself, ver. 18. Many persons suppo.se,
fiom mi^unller^laIldmg our Lord's words, John xiii. 34. a
nciu comiiKindiiieiit give I unto yon, that ye loi-e one ano-
ther, &c. that lov.ng our neighbour as ourselves, was first
iiKstituied under the gospel. This verse shews the opinion to
be unl'oiMKlcd, but to love another as Christ has loved us, i, e.
10 lay doxun our lives for each other, is certainly a tteiv com-
mandment : we have it simply on the authority of Jesus
Christ alone.
And not suffer sin upon him] If ihou see him sin, or know
him to be addicted to any thing, by vliieh the safety of his soul
is tndangcred, thou shalt mildly anil afleclionately reprove
him, anil by no means permit h.m to go on, without counsel
and aduce, in a way that is leading lum to perdition. In a
multitude of cases, timely reproof has been the means of
.saving the soul. Speak to him privately if possible: if not
write to him in such a way, that himself alone shall see it.
The case of ttic
LEVITICUS.
A.JM.'i514.
B. C. 1490.
Aii.Eiod.Isr.
Ahiborliisan.
18 ' Tliou shalt not avenge, nor
bear any grudge against the children
of thy people, " but thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself: I am the
Lord.
19 Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not
let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind : "" thou
shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed :
" neither shall a garment mingled of linen and
woollen, come upon thee.
20 And whosoever lieth carnally with a wo-
man, that is a bondmaid, ' betrothed to a
husband ^, and not at all redeemed, nor free-
given
betrothed bondmaid.
her ; ^ she shall be a.m.25u.
• 2-Sain. 13. 2>. Prov. 20. 22. Rom. 12. 17, 19. Gal. .5. 20. Epii. 4.
31. I Pet. 2. 1. Jam. 5. 9. •■ Matt. 5. 43. it 22. 39. Kora. 13. 9. Gal.
5. 14. Jam. 2. 8.
Verse 19. Gender with a dii'erae ki/jd] These precepts taken
literally seem to imply that they should not permit the liorst:
and the she as.i, nor the he ass and the coiu (as they do in the
East) to couple together: nor sow difterent kinds of seeds in
the same field or garden : nor have garments of silk and wool-
len; cotton and silk; linen and wool, &c. And if all these
were forbidden, there must have been some moral reason i'or
the prohibitions, because domestic tBConomy required several
of these mixtures ; especially those which relate to seeds and
clothing. With respect to heterogeneous mixtures, among
cattle, there is something very unnatural in it ; and it was
probably forbidden, to prevent excitements to such unnatural
lusts, as those condemned in the preceding chapter, ver. 22,
23. As to seeds, in many casts it would be very improper
to sow ditVereiit kinds in the same [jlnt of ground. It would
be improvident to sow oats and ■wheat together : the latter
would be injured, the former ruined. The turnip and carrot,
would not succeed conjointly, where either of iheni sepa-
rately would prosper, and yield a good crop; so we may say
of many other kinds of seeds; and if this be all that is in-
tended, the counsels are prudential, agricultural maxims.
As to (lirterent kinds of garments, such as the linsey ivoohty,
the prohibition here might be intended as much against pride
and lanity, as any thing else : for it is certain that both these
articles may be so manufactured in conjunction, as to minister
to pride, though in general, the linsey woolsej/, or drugget is
the clotliing of the poor. Rut we really do not know what
the original word }:iSS}\ff shaatniz, which we translate linen
and woollen, means : it is true that in Deut. xxii 1 1. where
it is again used, it seems to be ex])lained by the words im-
mediately following : Thou shall not wear a garment of divers
sorts, as of linen and woollen together; but this may as well
refer to a garment made up of a sort of patch-work, differcn'lt/
coloured, and arranged, for pride and for show. A folly of
this kind prevailed anciently in this very land ; and 1 shall
give a proof cA' it, taken from a sermon against luxury in dress,
composed in X\\e fourteenth century.
" As to the first sinne in superfluitie of clothing, soche
dom
scourged "; they shall not be put to " ^- "'"•
J u 1 I i. X An.E«od.lsf.
death, because she was not tree. 2.
21 And 'he shaU bring his tres- ^"'l'^^
pass oftering unto the Lord, unto the door
of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a
ram for a trespass offering.
22 And the priest shall make an atonement
for him, with the ram of the trespass offering,
before the Lord, for his sin which he hath
done ; and the sis which he hath done shall
be forgiven him.
23 And when ye shall come into the land,
' Dcut. 22. 9, 111. " Dcut. 22. U. ' Or, abused by anv. f Heb. re-
proached by, or, for man. e Or, theij. " Heb. ihere'shali be a scourgin'r
'cii.5. 15. Si 6.b.
that maketh it so dere, to the harme of the peple, nat only
the cost of enbraudering, the disguised endenting, or barrin",
ounding paling, winding or bending and semblable wast of
clothe in vanite. But there i.-jilso the costlewe furring in ther
gounes, so moche ])ounsmg of chesel, to make holes ; so
moche dagging w ith sheres foortli ; with the superfluitie in
length of the forsaied gounes, — to grete dammage of pore
folke. — And more ouer — -the)' shewe throughe disguising, in
departing of ther hosen in white and red, semeth that halfe
ther members were slain.; — They departe ther hosen into
other colours, as is white and blcxie, or white and blacke, or
btacke and red, and so furth ; than semeth it as by variaunce
of colour, that the halfe part of ther members ben corrupt
by the fire of saint Anthony, or by ,canker, or other suche
miscl)nunce." The Parson's Tale, in Chaucer, p. 198. {/r-
rj/'s edition. The reader will pardon the antiquated spelling,
" What could exhibit," says Dr. Henry, " a more fanta.s-
tical appearance than an English beau of the I 4th century?
He wore long pointed shoes, fastened to his knees bv sfold
or silver chains ; hose of one colour on the one kg, and of an-
other colour on the other • short breeches, which did reach
to the middle of his thighs — a coat, the one half w-hite, the
other half black, or blue ; a long beard, a silk hood buttoned
under his chin, embroidered with grote.sque figures of animals,
dancing men, &c. and sonicliines ornamented with gold and
precious stones." This dress was the heigluh of the mode in
the reign of King Edward III.
Something of the same kind seems to have existed in the
patriarchal times, witness the coat of many colours, made by
Jacob for his son Jo.-eph. See the note on Gen. xxxvii. 3.
Concerning lhe.>.e diflertnt mixtures, much may be seen in
the Mishna Tract. Kiluim, and in 4in'>worlh, and Calmet on
this place.
Verse 20. A woman that is •« bondmaid'\ Had she been
free, th* law required that she should be put to death, see
Deut. xxii. C4. but as she was a slaze, she is sjipposed to
have le.ss self-command, and therefore less guilt — but as it i».
taken for granted, she did not make resistance, or did con*
» Hell, holiness of praises to the LORD. 1> Dent. 12. 17, 18. Erov. 3.
9 ^^cli. 17.10, &c. Ueut. 12.24 -"Ueut. 18. 10, 11,14. 1 Sam.
!>ent, she is to be scourged, and the man is to bring a ram
for a trcfpass-qft'ering.
Verse '23. Three years ultall it be as uncircunici.^etl'] I see no
great reason to seek for mystical meanings In this prohibition.
Tlie fruit of a young tree cannot be good ; for not having
[ arrived at a stale of maturity, tiie juices cannot be sufficiently
; elaborated, to produce fruit excellent in its kind. Tise Is-
( raelites are commanded not to eat of tlie fruit of a tree till
1 die fifth year after its planting — in the^ three first years, the
■ fruit is unwiioksonie ; in the fourth year the fruit is holy, it
, belongs to God, and should be consecrated to Iiitn, iter. 24.
And in the fifth year, and afterwards, the fruit may be em-
ployed for common use, ver. 25.
Verse 26. Neither shall ye use enchantment^ WIUH N? lo te-
nacheshu. Conjecture itself can do little towards a proper
explanation of the terms used in this verse. ttTU Nuchath in
Gen. iii. 1. we translate serpent, and with very little pro-
priety— but though the word may not signify a serpent in
that place, it has that signification in others. Possibly, there-
fore, the superstition here prubibited, may be what the Greeks
called Ophiomantcid, or di\inalion by serpents.
A'or observe timesi UJlJ^n 18*71 v'lo teoncnu, ye shall 7iot di-
vine by clouds, which was also a superstition much in practice
among the heathens ; as well as divination by the flii^kt of
birds. \V hat these prohibitions may particularly refer to,
we know not. See the notes on Gen. xti. 8. ^
Verse 27. Ye shall not ronnd the corners of your heads']
This, and the following verse, evidently refer to customs
■which must liave existed among the Egyptians, when the Is-
raelites sojourned in Egypt : and what they were, it is now
diflicult even, with any probability, to conjecture. Herodo-
tus ob.serves, that the Arabs shave, or cut their hair round, in
honour of Bacchus, who, they say, had his hair cut in this
way, lib. iii. chap. 8. He says also, that the Blacians, a
people of Lybia, cut their hair round, so as to leave a tuft
X3n the top of the head, lib. iv. chap. 175. In this manner
tlie Chinese cut their hair to the present day. This might
have been in honour of some idol, and therefore forbidden
to the Israelites.
The hair was much used in divination among the an-
cients; and for purposes of religious superstition, among the
Greeks; and particularly about the time of the giving of this
law, as this is supposed to have been the sera of the Trojan
war. We learn from Homer, that it was customary for pa-
Fruil of a young tree CHAP.
A.M.!j5it. and shall have planted all manner
B. c. nw. ^£- ^j.ggg ^Qj, fQQ^ ^j^g,^ yg jj1,j^i2 count
2. the rruit tneieot us uncircumcised :
MiborNmn. i\^j.qq years sliall it be as uncircum-
cised unto you : it shall not be eaten of :
24 But in the fotuth year, all the fiuit
thereof shall be " holy, ^ to praise the Lord
uiil/ial.
25 And in the fifth year shall ye eat of
XIX.
not to be eaten.
the fruit thereof, that it may yield a.m sau.
unto you the increase thereof: I ^-^ i**>-
.IT r^ ^ An. Lxod.lsr.
am the Loud your God. 2.
26 " Ye .shall not eat any thing ^'"''"rAW
with the blood : " neither shall ye use en-
chantment, nor obser\'e times.
27 ' Ye shall not round the comers of your
heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of
thy beard.
15. 23. 3 Kings 17. 17. & 21. 6. aCliron. S3. 6. Mai. S. 5.-
5. Jer. g. 26. & 48. 37. Ism. 15. 2.
-= ch. St.
rents to dedicate the hair of their children to some god;
which, when they came to manhood, they cut off and con-
secrated to the deity. Achilles, at the funeral of Patroclus,
cut off his golden locks, which his father had dedicated to
the river god Sperchius, and threw them into the flood.
Sras ccrrav luBe Trupri; ^av9m aTttKsipcno xeinnv,
Tdk fa Ztte^jjeiu Trora/xa Tpepe r-nXeSooKTav
O^Stf^ag Yapa nTnv t^nv stti otvoTra ttovtov,
27r£fX£(, aMfflj <rot ys Tramp ttpri(riXTO Hh^eu;. k. t. A.
Iliad, i. xxiii. v. 142, &c.
But great Achilles stands apart in prayer.
And from his head divides the yellow hair.
Those curling locks -xhich from his youth he vtyw'd.
And sacred grew to Sperchius' honoured Jlood.
I hen sighing, to the deep his looks he cast,
nd roll'd his eyes around the watry waste.
Sperchius ! whose waves in mazy errors lost.
Delightful roll along my native coast !
To whom wc vainly tow'd, at our return.
These locks lo fall, and hecatombs to burn-
So vov/d my father, but he pow'd in vain.
No more Achilles sees his native plain ;
In that vain hope, these hairs no longer grow ;
Patroclus bears them to the shades below. PoPE.
From Virgil we learn that the topmost lock of hair, was
dedicated to the infernal gods : see his account of the death
of Dido.
Nondum illi flavum Proserpina vertice crinem
Ahstulerat, Stygioquc caput damnaverat orco—
Hunc ego Dili
SoLCTum jussa fero ; teque isio corpore solvo.
Sic ait, et deitra crinem secat : — jEneid. 1. iv. t. 698.
The sisters had not ciU the topmost hair.
Which Proserpine and they can only know.
Nor made her sacred to the shades below—
This oflf'ring to the infernal gods I bear ;
Thus while she spoke, site cut the fatal hair, DUYDEN.
If the hair was rounded, and dedicated for purposes of this
kind, it will at once account for the prohibition in this verse.
The corners of thy beard.] Probably meaning the hair
of the cheek that connects the hair ef the liead with the
4a
Superstitious usages
28 Ye shall not * make any cut-
tings in your flesh for the dead,
print any marks upon you : I
LEVITICUS.
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. Isr.
Ahih or Nis fin.
nor
am the Lord.
29 " Do not *^ prostitute thy daughter, to
cause her to be a whore ; lest the land fall to
whoredom, and the land become full of wicked-
ness.
30 " Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and 're-
^ Ch. 21. 5. Deut. 14. 1. Jer. 16.
*^ Heb. profane. ** ver. 5. cli, 26. i.-
6. & 40. 37.-^" Dent. 23. 7.—
— = Eccles. 5. 1. f Exod. 22. 18.
beard. This was no doubt cut in some peculiar manner for
the superstitious purposes mentioned above ; several of our
own countrymen wear this said hair in a curious form ; for
what purposes they know best. We cannot say precisely,
that it is the ancient Egyptian custom revived. From the
images and paintings which remain of the ancient Eo:yptians,
we find that they were accustomed to shave the whole hair
off their face, except merely that upon the chin; which last
they cut off only in times of mourning.
Verse 28. Any cuttings in your flesh for the dead] That
the ancients were very violent in their grief, learini;- the hair
and face, beating the breast, &c. is well known : Virgil re-
presents the sister of Dido, " tearing her face with her nails,
and beating her breast with her fists."
Unguibus ora sotor faidans, et peclora pugnis.
jEn. 1. iv. V.
672.
Nor print any marks upon i/oul It was a very ancient, and
very general custom, to carry marks on the body in honour
of the object of their worship. All the castes of the Hindoos,
bear on their foreheads, or elsewhere, what are called the
sectarian murks, which not only distinguish them in a civil,
but also in a religious point of view, from each other.
Most of the barbarous nations lately discovered, have their
faces, arms, breasts, &c. curiously carved, or tatooed, pro-
bably for superstitious purposes. Ancient writers abound with
accounts of marks made on the face, arms, &c. in honour of
different idols — and to this the inspired penman alludes. Rev.
xiii. 16, n. xiv. 9, 1 1. xv. 2. xvi. 2. xix. 20. xx. 4. where
false worshippers are represented as receiving in their hands, and
in their forehead, the marks of the beast. These were called
utiJMTa, stigmalu among ihe Greeks, and to these St. Paul
refers, when he says, I bear about in my body the marks Cstig-
mataj of the Lord Jesus, Gal. vi. 17. I have seen several
cases where persons have got the figure of the cross, the Virgin
Mary, &.c. made on their arms, breasts, &c. the .skin being
first punctured, and thin a blue colouring matter rubbed in,
■which is never afterwards eflaced. All these were done for
superstitious purpose. s- and to such things probably, the pro-
hibition in this verse refers. Calmet, on this verse, gives
several exanples.
Verse 29. Do not prostitute t^y daughter'] This was a very
frequent custom, and with examples of it, writers of antiquity
abound. The Cyprian women, according to Justin, gained
verence my sanctuary :
Lord.
31 ' Regard not them
familiar spirits, neither
to be avoided,
am the
that have
seek after
A.M. 2514.
B.C. 1490.
An.Exud. Itr.
±
Ahih or Nisttti,
wizards, to be defiled by them : I am the Lord
your God.
32 ^ Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head,
and honour the face of the old man, and " fear
thy God : I am the Lord..
that portion which their husbands received with them at mar-
riage, by previous public prostitution. And the Phxnicians,.
according to Aiigustin, made a gifi to Venus of the gam ac-
<]uired by ihe public prostitution of their daughters, previ-
ously to their marriage. Veneii donuin dabant, S; prostitu-
tionesfdiarum nntequam jungercnt eas viris. De Civit. Dei,
lib. xviii. c. 5. And see Calmet.
Vevse 31. Regard not than t/iat have familiar spirits] The
Hebrew word ni2N obotit, probably signifies a kind of en-
gastromythi, or ventriloquius ; or such as the Pythoness men-
tioned Acts xvi. 16, lb. persons who, while under the in^u-
ence of their daemon, became greatly inflated, as the Hebrew
word implies, and gave answers in a sort of phrenzy. See a.
case of this kind in Virgil, jEneid. 1. vi. v. 46, &c.
Deus ecce, Deus f ciii talia fanti
Ante fores, subitv non vultiis, non color unus,
Non comptcE mansere coma ; sed pectus anhelum
Et rabiefera corda tumcnt ; majorque videri,
iVec mortale sonans, afflata est numine quando
Juin propioie Dei.
invoke tlie skies,
I feel the God, the rushing God, she cries.
While yet she spoke, enlarged her features grew.
Her colour changed, her locks dishevelled flew.
The heavenly tumult reigns in every part.
Pants in her breast, and sieells her rising heart :
Still swelling to the sight, the priestess glow'd.
And heavd impatient of the incumbent God. PITT.
Neither seek after wizzard'] CD'JPT yideonim, the wise of
knowing ones, from J>T yadd, to know or understand; called'
wizzard, in Scotland, wise or cunning man in England ; and
hence also the wise woman, the white witch. Not only all
real dealers with familiar spirits, or necromantic or magical'
superstitions, are here forbidden; but also all pretenders ta
the knowledge of futurity, ibrtune-lellers, astrologers, &c. &c.
i'o attempt to know what God has not thought proper to
reveal, is a sin against his wisdom, providence, and good-
ness. In mercy, great mercy, God has hidden the know-
ledge of futurity irom man, and given him hope, the expecta-
tion of future good, in its place. See the note on Exod.
xxii. 18.
Verse 32. Before the hoary head] See the note on Gen.
xlviii. 12.
A M.'A'il4.
B. C. HW
An.Exod. I>r.
2
/HilurA'iiin.
Benffvoknce to strangers.
33 And ' if a stranjfer sojourn
with thee in your land, ye shall not
'' vex him.
34 " But the stranger that dwdleth
•with you, shall be unto you as one born among
you, and " tiiou shalt love him as thyself; for
yc were strangers in the land of Kgypt : I am
tlie Lord your God.
35 " Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judg-
' Exod. 22. SI. & 23. 9. •> Or, opfrtss. = Exud. 12. 48. 49. " Deut.
10.19. «vcr. 15.
CHAP. XX. Just iveights, balances, S^c.
ment, in metcyard, in weight, or in
Verse 33. If a stranger sojovrn] This law to protect and
eoinlui-t the stranger, was at once humane ami politic. None
is so desolate as the stranger, and none needs ihe offices of
benevolence and charity more ; and we may add, that he
who is not jflected by the desolate state of the stranger, has
neither benevolence nor charity. It was politic to eticourage
strangers, as in copseqnence, many came not only to sojourn,
but to settle among the Jews; and thus their political strength
became increased ; and many of these settlers became at least
proselytes of the gate, if not proselytes of the co'ccnunl, and thus
got their souls saved. Hence humanity, sound policy, and
•religion, said, vex not the stranger; thou shall love him as
■^thyself. The apostle makes use of a strong argument to in-
duce men to hospitality towards strangers. Be not forgetful
to enlertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels
unawares, Heb. xiii. 2. Moses also uses a powerful mo-
tive; ye viere slrang/:rs in the land qf Egypt. Ihe spirit of
the precept here laid down, may be well expressed in
our Lord's words: Do unio all men us ye would they should
do vnio you.
Ver.'-e 35. Ye shall do no unrighteousness'] Ye shall not act
contrary to the strictest justice in any case ; and especially in
the four following, which, properly understood, comprize all
that can occur between a man and his fellow. 1. JuDG.MENT
in all cases that come before the civil magistrate — he is to
i'^p- and decide according to the hrja. 2. MeTE-YAUD,
■T>OZ bumidduh, in measures of lengih and surface, such as the
reed, cubit, fool, span, hand's-brcudlh, among the Jeius ; or
ell, yard, foot and inch, among us. 3. AVeighT, Vptyoa ha-
mishckal. in any thing thai is weighed : the weijjhls being all
accordmg to the standards kept for the purpose of trying the
rest, in the sanctuary, as apperTrs from Kxod. xxx. 13.
1 Chron. xxiii. 29. these weichts were the talent, dekel, bar-
leycorn, &c. 4. Me.^SUKE, miCOa ha-meswah, from which
we derive our term. This refers to all measures of capacity.
A. M. 2511.
b: c, 1490.
All. Kxod.hr.
measure.
36 '^Just Balances, just ^ Weights, a
Ijust Ephah, and ajust Hin, shall ye ^^'*"-^''""-
have : I am the Loud your God, which brought
you out of the land of Egypt.
37 " Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes,
and all my judgments, and do them : I am the
Lord.
f Deut. 25. 13, 15. Prov. 11. 1. & 16. 11. & 20. 10. « Ueb. Knnei
•> til. 18. 4, 5. Deut. 4. 5, 6. & 5. 1. & 6. 25.
such as the homer, ephah, seah, hin, omer, kah, and log. See
all these explained, Exod. xvi. 16.
Verse 3G. Just balances'] Scales, siee'yard, &c. Weights,
n»JDN abenim, stones, as the weights appear to have been
originally formed out of stones. — Ephah, hin, &c. see before.
Verse 37. Ye shall observe all my statutes] ^pn chukni, from
pH chuk, to describe, mark, or trace out — tlie righteousness
which I have described, and the path of duty which I have
traced out. Judgments, 't3£C"3 mishpata'i, from Die ihaphat,
to discern, determine, direct. Sec. that which Divine wisdom
has discerned to be best for man, that he has determined
shall promote his best mterests ; and that he has directed him
conscientiously to use. See the note on chap, xxvi, 15.
1. Many difficulties occur in this very important chapter;
but they are such only to us ; for there can be no doubt of
their having been perfectly well known to the Israelites, to
whom the precepts contained in this chapter, were given.
Considerable pains however have been taken to make them
plain, and no serious mind can read them without profit.
2. The precepts against injustice, fraud, slander, enmity,
&c. &c. are well worth the notice of every Christian ; and
those against superstitious usages, are not less so ; and by
these last we learn, that having recourse to astrologers, for-
tum-tcllers, &c. to get intelligence of lost or stolen goods; or
to know the future events of our own lives, or tho.se of other3,
is highly criminal in the sight of God. Those who have re-
course to such persons, renounce their baptism, and in effect
renounce the proiidence, as well as the word of God.
3. The precepts of humanity and mercy, relative to the
poor, the hireling, and the stranger, are worthy of our most
serious regard. Nor are tho.se which concern tixiglus and
measures, traffic and the whole system of commutati\e justice,
less necessary to be observed for the comfort and benefit of
the individual, and the safety and prosperity of the state.
CHAPTER XX.
4)f giving seed to Molech, and the punishment of this crime, 1 — 5. Of consulting wizzards, ^c. 6—8. Of dis-
r€spcxt to parents, 9. (>/" adultery, 10. Of incestuous mi.ilures, 11,1'i. Bestiality, 13—16. DiJ'crenl
4 A 2
None to he consecrated to Molech.
LEVITICUS.
Uncleanness, 8^c. forbidden^
cases of incest and uncleanness, 17 — 21. Exhortations and promises, 22 — 24. The difference beliceen c\eaxi
and unclean animals to be curefulli/ observed, 25. The Israelites are separated from other nations, that they man
be hohj, G6. A repetition of the Imo against wizzards and them that have familiar spirits, 27.
A. M. 2514.
B. C 14?0.
J\n Kx d. Isr
2.
AhikorNisaii,
AND the Lord spake unto Mo-
ses, saying,
2 ^ * Again thou shalt say to the
children of Israel, ^ Whosoever he be
of the children of Israel, or of the strangers
that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his
seed unto Molech ; he shall surely be put to
death : the people of the land shall stone him
with stones.
3 And " I will set my face against that man,
and will cut him off from among his people ;
because he hath given of his seed unto Mo-
lech, Lo " defile my sanctuary, and '^ to profane
my holy name.
4 % And if the people of the land do any
Avays hide their eyes from the man, when
he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and ' kill
him not ;
5 Then ^ I will set my face against that
man, and " against his family, and will cut
him off, (and all that ' go a whoring after him,
to commit whoredom with Molech,) from among
their people.
'Ch. 18. 21. "eh. 18 21. Deut. 12. 31. & 18. 10. 2 King! 17. 17. &
S3 10. SCliron. 3.S. 6. Jcr. 7.31. & 32. 35. Kzik. 20. 26, 31. ' ch.
17. 10. 0 |..zek. 5. 11. & 23. 38, 39. 'ch. 18. 21. ' Ueut. 17. 2, 3,
6. 8 ch. 17. 10. " Exod. 20. 6. ' ch. 17. 7.
NOTES ON CHAP. XX.
Verse 2. Tliat giveth any of his seed unto Motech} To what
has been said in the note on chap, xviii. 21. we may add,
that the Rabbins describe this idol (who was probably a re-
presentative or emblematical personification of tlie solar in-
fluence) as made of brass, in the form of a man, with the
head of an ox ; that a fire was kindled in the inside, and the
child to be sacrificed to him, was put in his arms and roasted
to death. Others say, that the idol which was hollow, was
divided into seven comparlmi-nis within ; in one of which they
put Jioicr, in the second turtle doves, in the third a ewe, in the
fourth a ra?n, in the fifth a cnlf, in the sixth an or, and in the
seventh a child, which (by heating the statue on the outside)
were all buiiit alive together. I question the whole truth of
these statemenls, whether from Jewish or Christian Kabbins.
There is no evidence of all this in the Sacred Writings.
And there is but presumptive proof, and that not very strong,
that hunmn sacrifices were at all oftered to Molech by the
Jews. The jmssing through the fire, so frequently spoken of,
might mean no more than a simple rite of consecration, to the
service of this idol. Probably a kind of ordeal was meant,
the persons passing suddenlj/ through the flame of a large j
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
All. Exod.Jsr.
o
Ahih or Kisan^
6 % And " the • soul that turneth
after such as have familiar spirits,
and after wizards, to go a whoring
after them, I Avill even set my face
against that soul, and will cut him off from
among his people.
7 5F ' Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye
holy : for I am the Lord your God.
8 '" And ye shall keep my statutes, and do
them : " I am the Lord which sanctity you.
9 ^ ° For every one that curseth his father
or his mother shall be surely put to death : he
hath cursed his father or his mother ; '' Iiis
blood sJiall be upon him.
10 ^ And ""the man that committeth adul-
tery with a?iother man's wife, even he that
committeth adultery with his neighbour's wifeSif;
the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be;"'
put to death.
11^' And the man that lieth with his fa^
ther's wife, hath uncovered his" father's naked-
ness : both of them shall surely be put to death ;
their blood shall be upon them.
" Ch. 19. 31. 'ch. 11. 41 & 19. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 16. "'du 19. ."7.
"Exod. 31. 13. ch. 21.8. Ezck. 37. 28. °Exod. 21. 17. Deut 27. 16.
Frov. 20. 20. Matt. 15. 4. Pver. H, 12, 13, 16, 27. 2 Sam. 1. 16. ^^ch.
18. 20. Deut. 22. 22. John 8. 4, 5. ' ch. 18. 8. Deut. 27. 23.
fire, by which, though they might be burnt or scorched, yet
they were neither killed nor consumcd.—-Or they might have
passed between two large fires, as a sort of purification. See
the note on ver. 14. and on chap, xviii. 21.
Verse 6. Familiar spirits^ See the note on chap. xix. 3 1 .
and Exod. xxii 18.
Verse 9. Curseth his father or his Tnother"] See the notes on
Gen. xlviii. 12. Exod. xx. 12. He who conscientiou.^ly keeps
the fifth commandment, can be in no danger of this judg-
ment. The term SSp' yekulel, signifies not only to curse, but
to speak of a person cvntemptuously and disrespectfully ; to make
light of; so that all speeches which have a tendency to lessen
our parents in the eyes of others, or to render their judgment,
piety, &c. suspected and contemptible, maybe liere inrluded:
though the act of cursing, or of treating the parent with in-
jurious and opprobrious language, is that which is particularly
intended.
Verse 10. Committeth aduttery] To what has been said in the
note on Exod. xx. 14. we may add, that the word adultery
coiues from the Latin adultcrium, which is compounded of <J(/,
to or vjith, and alter, another, or according to IMinshieu, of
ad alterius thorwn, he that approaches to another man's bed.
A.M. 2^14.
B.C. 1190.
An.E^od.lsr,
2.
/Ibih or Nitan.
1
Ch.
I!'.
1.1.
.bcl
.IS
2S.-
c
cU.18.22.
Ueut. 23
17
See Gen. 19:
5.
.Tut:
;7e5
lil.
22.
"cli.
18.
17.
Ueiil. 27.
23. «(
h.
18.23.
Deut.
-J7.
ii.-
fell
18
9.
Deut. 27
.22.
See Gen
20. 12.
Verse 12. T/if^j/ hare H'rojrght confiuionl See chap, xviii.
anJ especially the note on ver. 6.
Verse 14. Tlici/ shall be burnt with ftrc] As there are
worse crimes meiilionetl here, see verses II. and 17. where
the delinquent is ordered simply to be put to death, or to be
cut off, it is very likely that the crime mentioned in this verse,
was not punished by burning alive; but by some kind of
branding, by which they were ever after rendered infamous.
I need not add, that the original 1f^U/» 2^X3 ba-esh yishrephu,
may, without violence to its grammatical meaning, be under-
stood as above, though in other placx^s, it is certainly used
to signify a consuming by fire. But the case in question re-
quires sonic explanatioti ; it is this, a man marries a wife, and
afterwards takes his mother-in-law, or wife's mother, to wife
al.^o : now for this offence, the text says, all three shall be
burnt ■with fire ; and this is understood as signifying, that they
shall be burnt alive. Now the first wife we may safely pre-
sume, was completely innocent, and was legally married : for
a man may take to wife the daughter, if single; or, the mo-
ther, if a n'idoxv ; and in neither of these cases, can any
blame attach to the man <jr the jiarty he marries ; the crime
therefore lies in taking both. Either therefore, they were all
branded as infamous iiersons, and this certainly was severe
enough, in the case of the first wife; or the man and the
woman taken last, were burnt ; but the text says, both he and
they, thcrclbie wc should seek for another interpretation of
Diffh'ent abominaiiom CHAP.
12/ And if a man lie witli his
daughter in law, botli of tliein shall
surely be put to death : ^ they have
wrought confu.sion ; their blood shall
be upon them.
13 % " If a man also He with mankind, as he
lieth with a woman, both of them have com-
mitted an abomination : they shall surely be put
to death ; their blood shall be upon them.
14 ^ ■' And if a man take a wife and her mo-
ther, it is wickedness : they shall be burnt with
fire, both he and they ; that there be no wick-
edness among you.
15^' And if a man lie with a beast, he shall
surely be put to deatli : and yc shall slay the
beast.
1 6 And if a woman approach unto any beast,
and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the wo-
man, and the beast : they shall surely be put
to death ; their blood sliall be upon them.
17 ^ '^ And if a man s])all take his sister, his
father's daughter, or his mother's daughter,
and see her nakedness, and she see his naked-
ness ; it is a wicked thing ; and they shall be
\. M. 2.il4.
B. C. UIW.
An.Kxod. Iir,
J.
Abih orNisan,
XX. and uncleannessesjbr bidden.
cut off in the sight of their peo-
ple : he hath uncovered his sister's
nakedness ; he shall bear his ini-
quity.
18^^ And if a man shall lie with a woman
ha\ ing her sickness, and shall uncover her na-
kedness ; he hath " discovered her fountain, and
she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood :
and both of them shall be cut off from among
their people.
19^' And thou shalt not uncover die naked-
ness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's
sister : "^ for he uncovereth his near kin : they
shall beai" their iniquity.
20 ' And if a man shall lie with his
wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness :
they shall bear their sin ; they shall die child-
less.
21 "And if a man shall take his brother's
wife, it is " an unclean thing : he hath unco-
vered his brother's nakedness ; they shall be
childless.
22 ^ Ye shall therefore keep all my " statutes,
and all my judgments, and do them : that the
uncle's
eCh. 18. 19. See ch. 15. 24.—
!< ch. 18. 6. 1 ch. 18. 14,-
— • cb. 18. 26. & 19. 37.
-" Hcb. made naked.
— ">ch. 18. 16. '
' ch. 18. 18, 13.
Heb. a ieparution.
they shall be burnt with fire, than tliat which is commonly
given. Branding with a hot iron, would certainly accomplish
every desirable end, both for punishment and prevention of
the crime ; and because the Mosaic laws are so generally dis-
tinguished by humanity, it seems to be necessary to limit the
meaning of the words, as above.
Verse 16. If u woman approach unto any beast] We have
the authority of one of the most eminent historians in the
world, Herodotus:, to say, that this was a crime not unknown
in Egypt ; yea, that a case of this nature actually took place
while he was there. Eysi/ETO J' cv rco No/xu ra/Tcn ctt' tfitu
TOUTO TO Tffa;, TuvaiKt Tfayoj ifiuyiTO avapavSov. Tovtq
£j ettiJeiIiv avB^iii'Trav aTnxero. Herod, in Euterp. p. 108.
Edit. Gale. Lond. 1 67!.'. " In this district, within my own
recollection, this portentous business took place : a goat
coupled so publicly with a woman that every person knew it,
&c." After this, need we wonder that God should have made
laws- of this nature, when it appears, these abominations wer«
not only practised amongst the Egyptians, but were parts of a
super.stitious religious system. This one observation will ac-
count for many of those strange prohibitions which we find in
the I\Iosaic law: others, the reasons of which are not so
plain, we should see the projiriety of, equally, had we ampler
historic records, of the customs that existed in that country.
Verse 22. The land, whither I bring you to dwell tlterein^
spue you 7tot out.} See this energetic prosopopoeia explained
The good land is promised. LEVITICUS
land, wliither I bring you to dwell
therein, ' spue you not out.
23 ° And ye shall not walk in the
manners of the nation, which I cast
out before you : for they committed all these
things, and ' therefore I abhorred them.
24 But "^ I have said unto
A.M. 2ol-i.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. Isr.
2.
Ahib or Nisan.
you,
Ye shall in-
herit their land, and I will give it unto you to
possess it, a land that floweth with milk and
honey : I am the Lord your God, " which have
separated you from otiier people.
25 ' Ye shall therefore put ditierence between
clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean
•Ch. 18. 1»5, 2R. ""ch. 18. 3, ?4, SO. ■= ch. 18. 27. Dcut 9 5
' Exod. 3 17. & 6. 8. ' ver 26. Exid. 19. h. i 33. 16. Deut. 7. 6. &
14. 2. 1 Kings 8. 53 f ch. 11. 47. Dcut 14 4.
in the note on chap, xviii. 25. From this we learn, that the
cup of the iniquities of the Canaanitish nations was full;
and that consistently with divine justice, they could be no
longer spared.
Verse 24. A land that floweth ivith milk and koneij] See
this explained, Exod. iii. 8.
Verse 25. Between clean beasts and unckanl See the notes
on chap. xi.
Verse 27. A familiar spirit^ A spirit or djemon, which
by majrical rites, is supposed to be bound to appear at the
call of his employer. See the notes on Gen. xli. 8. E.xod.
vii. 1 1, 22, and 25. and on chap. xix. 31.
A M 2.1 14,
B.C. 1490.
An. Exod Isr.
Ahihm Nism.
The people must be holtf.
fowls and clean : ^ and ye shall not
make your souls abominable by beast,
or by fowl, or by any manner of
living thing that " creepeth on the
ground, which I have separated fi:om you as
unclean.
26 And ye shall be holy unto me : ' for I the
Lord am holy, and '' have severed you from other
people, that ye should be mine.
27 IF ' A man also, or woman that hath a fa-
miliar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely
be put to death : they shall stone them witli
stones : "" their blood shall be upon them.
ECh. 11. 4.".-
k MT. «4. Tit
1 Sam. 23. 7, 8.-
-*■ Or, movtth. —
14 'ch. 19.
-"> ver. 9.
-' vor. 7. ch. 19. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 16 .
31. Exod. tS 18. Deut. 18. 10, 11.
From the accounts we have of the abominations both of
Egypt and Canaan, we may blush for human nature ; for
wherever it is without cultivation, and without the revelation
of God, it is every tliino^ that is vile in principle and detest-
able in practice. Nor would any part of the Inibitrdile globe
materially difl'er from Egypt and Canaan, had they net that rule
of righteousnes.s, the revealed LAW of God ; and life and
imrnnrtalily been brought to light by the GOSPEL among them.
From these accounts, for which we could easily find parallels
in ancient Greece and Italy, We may see the absolute need
of a divine revelation, without which, man, even in his best
estate, difllrs little from the brute.
CHAPTER XXL
The priests shall not mourn for the dead, except for near relatives, such as mother, father, son, daughter, and
sister if a virgin, 1 — 4. Theij shall not shave their heads nor beards, nor make ani/ cuttings in the Jiesh, because
they are holy unto God, 5, 6. A priest shall not marrj/ a rcoman zcho is a whore, profane, or divorced from her
husband, 7,6- Of the priest's daughter zcho profanes herself , Q. The high-priest shall not nncover his head, or
rend his clothes, 10. nor go in unto a dead body, 11. nor go out of the sanciuary, 12. Of his marriage and
offspring, 13 — 15. No person shall be made a priest that has any blemish, nor shall any person with any of the
blemishes mentioned here, he permitted to ojjiciate in the zcorship of God, l6 — 24.
A.M.S014
B. C. 14'.I8.
An. Exod. Ur.
AN D the Lord said unto Moses,
Speak unto the priests the sons
of Aaron, and sav unto them, "There
^^orAW^ shall none be defiled for the dead
among his people :
• Ch. 10. 6. 7. Ezelt. 44. 25.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXL
Verse 1. There shall none be defiled for the dead]
No
2 But for his kin, that is near
unto him, that is, for his mother,
and for his fiither, and for his son,
and for his daughter, and for his
brother.
A.JI. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. Isr.
2.
AbiburNism.
1 Thcss. 4. 13, 14, 15.
prie t shall ass'st in laying out a do.nd body; or preparing it'
for interment. Any eonluCt with the dead was supposed to
JjUlDS concemitig the
3 And for his sister
is nigli unto him, which hath liad no
may
lor her
A. M- 2S' t-
B.C. 1490.
An. Exod. Isr. , , ,
.'. husband
i4,6 or A'iion. |j|pj_
4 But * he sliall not defile liimsclf, being a chief
man among his people, to j)roiiine himself".
5 '' They shall not make baldness upon their
head, neither shall they shave ofll" the corner of
tlieir beard, nor make any cuttings in their
flesh.
6 ^ They shall be holy unto their God, and
' not profane the name of their God : for the
of^erinj^s of tlie Lord made by fire, and '' the
bread of tlieir God, they do offer ; therefore
they shall be holy.
7 if 'They shall not take a wife that is a whore,
or profane ;" neither shall they take a woman
' put away from her husband : for he is holy
5 unto his God.
■ 8 Thou shalt sanctify him therefore ; for he
[ofltbreth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy
; unto thee : ^ for I the Lord, which sanctify you
] you, am holy.
9 ^ "^ And the daughter of any priest, if she
•Or, hciii; nn huibind nman^ hispecple, he shall twt defile himself (or his
ril'i;, A;c. St-e Ezck. '.'A. 10, 17. <> ch. 19. 'i7, 2!!. Deut. 14. 1. P^zek. 44.
20. <^ c!i. 18 t'l. >\ 19. IV. ■■ See ch. X H. ' Ezt-k. 44. H':.
'See Deiit. 24. 1, 2. e cli. iO. 7, 8. " Gen. 36. 24.
be of a defil)n|if nature, probably because putrefaction had
then taken place ; and animal putrefaction was ever held in
detestalion bj' all men.
Verse 4. A chief man among liis people] The word 7j?3
badi, signifies a master, chief, hiislxmd, &c. and is as vari-
ously tran.-lated here. 1. lie being; a chief among the
people, it would be improper to see biin in such a slate of
humiliation, as inourninji; for the dead necessarily implies.
2. Thoutjh a huibund, he shall not defile himself even for the
death of a wife, because the anointing of his God is upon
bim. But the first sense appears to be the best.
Verse 5. They shall not make baldness'] See the note on
chap. xix. 27. U is supposed that these tilings were particu-
larly jirohibited ; because used superstiliously by the Egyjitian
priests who. according to iye)0(/o/«s, shaved the whole body
every third day, that lliere might be no undeanness about
Ihem when they ministered in their temples. Tliis appear*
to have been a general ciistoin among tlie heathen. In the
book of Barucli, chap. vi. ver. 31. the priests of Babylon,
are represented ailting in tlieir temples, wtlh tlieir clothes rent,
and their heads and beards shaven, and having nothim^ upon
their heads, fivcry person knows the toniure of the Catholic
priests. Should not this be avoided as an approach to a
heatbenisli custom .'
Verse 1. Tliat is u uiliore] A prostitute ; — though even re-
claimed.
CHAP. XXL marriages of the priests.
a virgin, that Ij profane herself by playing the whore, a.m. voi4.
she profaneth her father : she shall be
he be de-, burnt with fire.
10 ^ ' And fit' that is the high priest
B. C. 1490.
Aii.K.Yud.lsr,
Ahiburtiisiin,
among his brethren, upon whose head the anoint-
ing oil was poured, and " that is consecrated to
put on the garments, ' shall not uncover his
head, nor rend his clotlies ;
1 1 Neither shall he "go in to any dead body, nor
defile himself for his father, or for his mother ;
12 "Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary,
nor profane the sanctuary of hi.s Gotl ; for ° the
crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon
him : I am the Lord.
1 3 ^ And ^ he shall take a wife in her vir-
ginity.
14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or pro-
fane, or a harlot, the.se shall he not take :
but he shall take a virgin of his own people to
wife.
15 Neither shall he profane his seed among his
people : for '' I the Lord do sanctify him.
16 ^ And the Lord spake unto Mioses, say-
ing,
' Exod 29. 29, 30. cli. 8. 12. & 16. 32. Numb. 35. 25. * Exod. 28. ?.
ch. 16. ji. 'ch. 10. 6. '" ^iiinb. 19. 14. St..- ver. 1, 2. " ch.
10. 7. — -■• Kxod. 2i{. 3o. ch. 8. 9, 12, 30. f ver. 7. izek. 44. t;2.
1 ver. 8.
Profane] A heathen, or one who is not a cordial believer
in the true God.
Put away from her husband] Becaase tliis very circum-
stance might lead to suspicion that the priest and ihe divorced
woman, might have been improperly connected before.
Verse 9. She shall be burnt with Jire.] Probably not burnt
alive, but strangled first, and then burnt afterwards. Though
it is barely possible, that some kmd of branding may be in-
tcndtd.
iVerse 10. He that is the hiiih priest]- This is the first place
where thii title is introduced: the title is very emphatic
Snjn \nn Im-cohen ha-gadol, that priest, the great one. For
the meaning of \rO colien, see the note on Gen. xiv. 18. A*
the chief or h gh priest was a representative of our b!e.'=.sed
Lord, therefore he was required to be especially holy j and
he is represenleJ as God's king among ihr people.
Verse 12. The croivn of the anointing oil — is upon ftim.] By
bis office the priesl represented Christ in his sacrificial cha-
racter. By jiis anointing, the prophetic iiitluence; and by
the crown, the regal dignity of our Lord.
Verse 13. He shall take a wife i'l her viri:;ini/y.] n'SlTia be-
thuUyah. This is a full proof that nSins bcihulah is the
proper Hebrew term for a tirgin ; Iroin the emphatic
root *?n3 bathal, to separate; because such a person was
in her separate state, and bad nevei been in any way united t»
man.
a
None to be made a priest
17 Speak unto
A.M. 2514.
B, C. 1490,
An. Exod. Isr.
saying,
AbiborNism.
Aaron,
Wliosoever he be of thy seed in their
generations, that hath miy blemish,
let him not * approach to ofter the
" bread of his God.
18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a
blemish, he shall not approach : a bUnd man,
or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any
thing ' superfluous ;
19 Or a man that is brokenfooted, or broken-
handed ;
» Ch. 10. 3. Nomb. 16. 5. P». 64. 4. •■ Or, food. cli. 3. 11. ' ch.
J2. J3. * Or, too slender. '^ Dent. 23. 1.
Verse 17. Whosoever — hath zny blemish, let him tioI approach
to offer the bread of his God.] Never was a wiser, a more
rational, and a more expedient law enacted relative to sacred
matters. The man who ministers in holy things, who pro-
fesses to be the interpreter of the will of God, should have
nothing in his person, nor in his maimer, which cannot con-
tribute to render him respectable in the eyes of those to whom
he ministers. If, on tbe contrary, he has any personal defect,
any thing that may render him contemptible or despicable,
his usefulness will be greatly injured, if not entirely pre-
vented. If, however, a man have received any damage in
the work of God, by persecution, or otherwise, his scars
are honourable, and will add to his respectability. But if
he be received into the ministi-y with any of the blemishes
specified here, he never will, and never can, have that re-
spect which is essentially necessary to secure his usefulness.
Let no man say this is a part of the Mosaic lavs, and He are
not bound by it. It is an eternal law, founded on reason, pro-
priety, common sense, and absolute necessity. The priest, the
prophet, the Christian minister, is the representative of Jesus
Christ — let nothing in his person, carriage, or doctrine, be un-
worthy of the personage he represents. A deformed person,
though consummate in diplomatic wisdom, would never be
employed as an ambassador, by any enlightened court, if any
fit person, unblemished, could possibly be procured.
Verse 18. A blind man] i. e. in sne eye ; for he that was
utterly blind could not possibly be employed in such a ser-
Tice. AJlai nose, like that of an ape; so the best versions ; —
any thing superfluous; such as six fingers, six toes, &c.
Verse 19. Broken footed, or broken handed] Club-footed,
bandy-legged, &c. or having the ancle, wrist, or fingers, dis-
located.
Verse 20. Crookbacki] Hunchbacked or gibbous ; — a
ilwarf rn dak, a person too short or too thin, so as to be either
particularly observable, or ridiculous in his appearance.
A blemish in his eye] A protuberance on the eye, observable
spots or s-nfFusions.
Scurvy or scabbed] A bad habit of body, evidenced by scor-
butic or scrophulous affections.
Stones broken.] la ruptured ? — an infirmity which would
render him incapable of fulfilling the duties of his office,
which inigUt be often very fatiguing.
6
LEVITICUS. that has amj blemish,
20 Or crookbackt, or "^ a dwarf, or
A.M.S.ili
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod.Isr.
2.
AbiltoTNisan.
that hath a blemish in his eye, or be
scurvy, or scabbed, or "hath his stones
broken :
21 No man that hath a blemish, of the seed of
Aaron the priest, shall come nigh to ' offer the
offerings of the Lcrd made by fire: he hath a
blemish ; he shaU not come nigh to offer the
bread of his God.
22 He shall eat the bread of his God, both of
the ^ most holy, and of the " holy.
•"Ver. 6. E cli. 2. 3, 10. & 0.17,29. & 7. 1. & 24.9. Numb. 18. 9.
" ch. 22. 10, 11, 12. Numb. 18. 19.
In the above list of blemishes, we meet with some that
might render the priest conienqnibU in the eyes of men, and
be the means of leading them not only to despise the mart,
but to despise the ministry itself: and we meet ^<ith others
that would be a very great impediment in the discharge of his
ministerial duties, and therefore any person thus blemished,
is by this law precluded from t!ie ministry.
The blemishes here ennmernled, have been considered by
some, in an allegorical point of \ iew, as if only referring to
the necessity of moral purity ; but although holiness of heart,
and righteousness of life, be essentially necessary in a minister
of God, yet an absence of the defects mentioned above, is, I
fully believe, what God intends here ; and for the reasons
too, which have been already advanced. It must however
be granted, that there have been some eminent divines who
have been deformed ; and some with certain blemishes have
been employed in the Christian ministry, and have been use-
ful. The Mosaic rule, however, will admit of but few ex-
ceptions, when even examined according to the more ex-
tended interpretation of the Christian system.
" The Hebrews say there are in all 140 blemishes which
disable the priest — eight in the head; two in the neck; nine
in the ears; five in the broius ; seven in the eyelids; nineteen
in the eyes ; nine in the nose ; nine in the mouth ; three in the
belly ; three in the back ; seven in the hands ; sixteen in the
secrets; e\g\\t in any part o( the body ; eight in ihe skin ; and
seven in the strength and in the breath." Ainsworth. In ancient
times, even among heathens, persons of the most respectable
appearance were appointed to the priesthood ; and the em-
peror, both among tlie ancient Greeks and Romans, was
both king and priest. It is reported of Meteltus, that having
lost an eye in endeavouring to save the Palladium from the
flames, when the temple of Vesta was on fire, that he was
denied the priesthood, though he had rendered such an ex-
cellent piece of service to the public; j'et the public opinion
was, that a priest who was defective in any member, was to
be avoided as ominous. — See Dodd. At Elis, in Greece, the
judges chose the finest looking man, to carry the sacred tesseli
of the deity ; he that was next him in beauty and elegance,
led the ox : and the third in personal beauty, &c. carried
the garlands, ribands, wine, and the other matters used for
the sacrifice. Athen, Deipnosoph, 1. xiii. c. 2,
Of ilie unclcanne$ses
23 Only he shall not po in unto
the vail, nor come nigh unto the
■ T "' altar, because he hath a blemish ;
j4.M.2.')lt.
B. C. MWI.
altar,
that Mie profane not my sanctuaries
CHAP. xxir.
for I the Lord do sanctify them.
34 "And MosCvS told it unto Aaron,
• Ver. 12. Jc cli. 15. 21. Ezck. 44. 9—14.
Verse 23. He shall not go in unto the vail] Tlie priest
villi a blemish was not pcnnilted to enter into tlic Holy of
Holier — nor to liiirn incense — nor to ofter the .shew-hroatl —
nor to light the yfoldcn eaiulK stick, i^c. In .^^hort, he was
not permitted to perl'orni any essential function of the priest-
Looil.
1. The great perfection required in the Jewish liigh-priest,
wa.s intended principally to point out the perfection of that
priesthood of which the Jewi.sh wa.s only the type. And yet
; that law made nolhin;i' perfect, hut pointed out that most
perfect priesthood and sacrifice, by which we draw near to
; God.
and to his so)is, and unto all the chil-
tlren of Israel.
qfprksts.
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. 1st.
2.
Ahih or Xium.
* Mai. 2. 1—7. Col. 4. 17. Col. 4 17. 2 Tim. 1 2.
2. As none who had a blemish could enter into the Holy
of Holies, and tliis Holy of Holies was a type of ihe kin^'dom
of God, so nothinij that is defiled can enter into heaven ; fpr
he gave himself for his church, that he might purify it to him-
self, and present it at last before tin presence of the divine
iilory, hazing neither spot nor 'j.<rin/cle, nor any such t^i»g,
Kph. V. 27. a jiassage wliidi evidently i-efers lo the direction*
in the preceding ver.se. Reader, art thou become a kins; and
priest unto God and the Lamb .i* and hast thou obtained, oc
art thou earnestly seeking that holiness, without which thou
canst not see the kingdom of lleaFcn ?
CHAPTER xxn.
O/" ihe uncleantiess of the priests, bif xchich they zotre prevented from ministering in holy things, I — 5. How they
should be cleansed, 6, 7. The priest must not cat of any animal that had died of itself, or n-as torn bi/ n'ild beasts,
but mml keep God's ordinances, 8, 9. No stranger, sojourner, nor hired servant shall eat of the holy things, 10.
ji servant, bought with money, 7nay eat of than, 11. Who of the priest's family 7nay not eat of them, J 2, 13. Of
improper persons zcho partake of the holy things unknowingly, 14 — 16. Freewill offerings, and sacrifices in
general, must here tthout blemiah, 1? — 25. The age at zt-hich different animals rcere to be offered to God, 2f), 27.
^0 animal and its young, shall be offered on the same day, 28. Hozo the sacrijice o/' thanksgiving n:as to be offered^
29, 30. All God's teslimonies to be observed, and the reason, 31 — S3.
B. C.1190.
An. I'.xixl. Isr.
ND the Lord spake unto jMoses,
saying-,
Jihihov Khtm.
A
2 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons,
that they ' separate themselves from
the holy things of the children of Israel, and
that they " profane not my holy name in those
tilings which they "" hallow unto me: I am the
Loud.
3 Say unto them. Whosoever lie be of all your
» Numb. 6. 3. ^ cb. 18. 21.-
-=Exrd. 28. 38.
15. 19.
Numb. 18. 32. Deut.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXir.
Verse 2. Speak unto Aaron and his .vows, that they separate
it{eni.':elve^'] The same subject is continued in this chapter, a&
in tlic preceding ; \\h\i the a<ldilion, that besides the perfec-
tion of the priests, it was iudispcn.sably necc.s.sary, that the
sacrifices also should be perfect. In the service of God,
according to the law, neither an imperfect offeriii-;, nor an
imperfect ojfcrer could be admitted. What need then ofj
A.M.S514.
B. C. llfiO.
An Exod. Ur.
S.
seed among your generations, that
goeth unto the holy things, which
the children of Israel hallow unto
the Loud, ''having his iinclcanness
upon him, that soul shall be cut olF from my
presence : I am the Lord.
4 Wliat man soever of the seed of Aaron is a
leper, or hath "a 'running issue; he shall not
eat of the holy things, '^ until he be clean. And
■■ ch. 7. iW. <= Cb. 15. 2.-
-'^Hob. Tunning of tht reins.'
15. IJ.
sCh. lis.*
a merf/Vitor between a holy God, and .«7!/«/ men! Andean
wc expect that any of our service.s, howsoever sincere and
v.-eJI-intenlioneJ, can be accepted, unless olFcred on that living
Altar tliat sanctities the gift ?
Verse -I. Is a leper, or hath a running issue] See the case
of the leper treated at large in the notes on diajiters xiii.
and xiv; and for other uncleannesses, see the notei on
chap. XV,
4 B
A, M. '2514.
B. C. 1490
An. Ex'id.br.
2.
Abib or Nisan.
Who may^ and nho may not,
' whoso toucheth any thing
unclean by the dead, or "a man
whose seed goeth from him;
5 Or Svhosoever toucheth any
creeping thing, whereby he may be made un-
clean, or ""a man of whom he may take un-
cleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath ;
6 The soul which hath touched any such shall
be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the
holy things, unless he 'wash his flesh vdth
water.
7 And when the sun is down, he shall be
clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things ;
because ^ it is his food.
8 ^That whieh dieth of itself, or is torn mth
beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself there-
with : I am the Lord.
9 They shall therefore keep mine ordinance,
" lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if
tliey profane it : I the Lord do sanctify them.
10 ^ 'There shall no stranger eat of the holy
thing: a sojourner of the priest, or a hired
sei-vant, shall not eat of the holy thing.
11 But if the priest buy a?7y soul ''with his
money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in
his house: 'they shall eat of his meat.
1 2 If the priest's daughter also be married unto
"a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of
the holy things.
1 3 But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or
divorced, and have no child, and is "returned
LEVITICUS.
that is
» Numb. 19. 11, 22. ^ ch. 15. 16 « ch. 11. 24, 43. 44. " ch. 15. 7,
19. 'ch. 15. 5. Hebr. 10. 82. 'ch. 21. 22. Numb. 18. 11, 13.
« Exod. 2t;. j1. ch. 17. 15. Kzck. 44. 31- -i' Exod. 28. 4.S. Nunb. IB.
£J, 3t\ 'See 1 Sam. 21. 6. ^ Hch. wilh the purchase of his money.
' Nnnib. 18. 11, 13. "Heb. a man a stranger. "Geru 33. 11. ^°cti.
10. 14. Numb. 18. 11, 19. Pch. 5. 15, 16. iNumb. la 32. 'Or,
Verse 10. There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing]
For the meanint? of the word stranger, see the note on Exod
xii. 43. The Jews suppose, that stranger here, means one
who has had his ear pierced, see the note on Exod. xxi. 6.
and that .lojourner means a .^rvant who is to go free on the
sabbatical year. Neither of these was permitted to tat of
the holy things, because they were not properly member.^
of the priests' family; and might go out and defile themselve.s
even with the abominations of the heathen : but the servant,
or slave that was bought with money, ver. 10. might eat ol
these things, because he was the property of the master for
erer.
We see that it was lawful, under the Mosaic oeconomy,
to have slaves under certain restrictions ; but these were taken
<)rom among the heathen, and instructed in the true religion :
liencc we find, as in the above case, that they were reckoned
A.M. 2314.
B.C. 1490.
An. Exod. Isr.
2.
Abib or A'isan,
eat of the holy things.
unto her father's house, "as in her
youth, she shall eat of her father's
meat: but there shall no stranger eat
thereof.
14 ^ "And if a man eat of the holy thing
unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part
thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest
with the holy thing.
15 And "they shall not profane the holy things
of the children of Israel, which they offer unto
the Lord ;
16 Or " suffer them ' to bear the iniquity of
tre.spass, when they eat their holy things : for I
the Lord do sanctify them.
17 If And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and
unto all the children of Israel, and say unto
them, ' Whatsoever he he of the house of Israel, ,
or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his
oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill
offerings, which they will offer unto the Lord
for a burnt offering ;
19 "Ye shall offer, at your own will, a male
without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep,
or of the goats.
20 "But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall
ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for
21 And ^whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace
offerings unto the Lord ^ to accomphsh his vow.
lade themselves with the iniquitii nf trespass in their eating. 'ver 9.
'ch. 1. 2, 3, 10 Numb. 15 14. "ch 1. 3. "Deut. 15 21. & 17. 1.
Mai. 1.8. 14. Eul). 5. 27. Hebr 9. Ik 1 Pet. 1. 19. 'ch. 3. 1, 6
= ch. 7. Iti. Numb. 15. 3, 8. Deut, 23. 21, 23. Ps. 61. 8. & 65. 1. Ecclcs.
5. 4, 5.
as Apart of the priest's own family, and treated as such. They
certainly had privileges which did not e.vtend either to
sojourners or to hired servants ; therefore, tht ir situation was
incomparably better than the situation of the slaves un<ler differ-
ent European governments, of whose souls their pitiless posses-
sors, in general, take no care, while ihey themselves venture
to profess the Christian religion, and quote the Mosaic law in
vindication of their system of slavery. How preposterous is such
conduct ! and how intolerable !
Verse 14. Then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto iti
The holy thing of which he has unknowingly eaten, shall be
fairly valued, and to this value he shall add one fifth more,
and give the whole to the priest.
Verse 20. Wliatsoever hath a blemish] The same perfec-
lion is required in the sacrifice, that was required \n the
priest, fee on ver. 2. and the notes on the preceding chapter^
2!Joth'ing monstrous or CHAP. XXII.
or a freewill oftering in beeves or
* sheep, it shall be perfect to be ac-
cepted ; there shall be no blemish
therein.
'' Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having
'to
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
/n. Exud.Isr.
.2.
Jlbib or KUan.
imperfect to be offered.
22
a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye rfudl not
ofter these unto the Lord, nor make ' an otler-
ing by fire of them upon the altar, unto the
Loud.
23 Either a bullock, or a ''lamb that hath any
thing ''superfluous or lacking in his parts, that
mayest thou offer Jor a freewill offering; but for
a vow it shall not be accepted.
24 Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that
which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut;
neither shall ye make ani/ ojfering thereof in
your land.
25 Neither '^from a stranger's hand shall
ye offer ^the bread of your God, of any of
these ; because their '' corruption is in them,
and blemishes be in them: they shall not be
accepted for you.
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
Aii.Exod.Isr,
2.
Ahib OT K'ltan.
2(5 % And the Lord spake unto
I Moses, sapng,
27 ' \Vnien a bullock, or a sheep, or
a goat, is brought forth, then it shall
be se\en days under the dam ; and from the
eighth day and thenceforth, it shall be accepted
for an offering made by fii'e unto the Lord.
28 And zchether it be cow or "ewe, ye shall
not kill it ' and her young both in one day.
29 % And when ye will *" offer a sacrifice of
thanksgiving unto the Lord, offer it at your
own will,
30 On the same day it shall be eaten up ; ye
shall leave " none of it until the morrow : I am
the Lord.
31 "Therefore shall ye keep my command-
ments, and do them : I am the Lord.
32 " Neither sliall ye profane my holy name ;
but ■' I will be hallowed among the children of
Israel : I am the Lord which ' hallow you,
33 * That brought you out of the land of
Egypt, to be youi- God ; I am tUe Loed.
• Or, goals. •> ver. SO. Mai. 1 , 8.
Jcid. =cli. 21 18. f Numb. 15 15, 16 —
14. ' Exod. 22 30. '' Or, she j^oat.
-' ch. 1. 9, 13. k 3. 3, 5. " Or,
-8 ch. 21. 6. 17. " Mai. 1.
Oeut. 22. 6. ■" ch. 7. 12.
Verse 23. Thai hath any thing superfluous or lacking] The
term pPtP sarua, signifies any thing extended beyond the
usual size : and the term tsi'^p kalut, signifies any thing
unusually contracted : and both mean any monstrosity, whether
in redundance or defect. Such things, it seems, might be
offered for a freewill nfi'eri/ig, because that was not prescribed
by the Law ; God lell it to a man's piety and gratitude to offer
such additional gifts as he could — what the law required was
indispensably necessary, because it pointed out the gospel
oeconomy ; — but, he that made a vow, to offer such a sacrifice
ac the law had not required, could ofcouise bring an imperfect
offering. Some contend that tlie last clause of this verse
should be thus read : If thou offer it either for afreeivill offering,
or for a tow, it shall not be accepted. It was the opinion of
the Jews, and jt appears to be correct, that none of these
imperfect animals was ever oftered on the altar : but the
person who made the freewill oflering of such things as he had,
told the animal, and gave its price, for the support of the
Banrtuary-
Verse 24. Bruised, or crushed, or hrnken, or cut] That
is, no bullock or lamb that is injured in any of the above
ways, shall be offered unto the Lord.
Verse 25. Their corruption is in them'} Viz. they are
bruised, crushed, broken, &c.
Verse 27. fVhen a bullock — is brought forth] This is a most
unfortunate, as well as absurd, translation. The creature
called an ox, is a bull castrated ; surely then a bullock was
never yet brought forth ! the original word 1W shor, signifies
Ps. 107. 22. & 116. 17. Amos 4. 5. ^"ch. 7. 15. ^»cb. 19. 37. Numb. 15.
40. Deut. 4. 40. Pcli. 18. 21. ich. 10. 3. Matt. 6. 9. Luke 11. 2.
' ch. 20, 8. ' Exod. 6. 7. ch. 11. 45. & 19. 36. it iia. 38. Numb. 15. 41.
a bull, a bullock, or indeed any thing of lUe neat kind : —
here, even common sense required that it should be translated
calf. And, did I not hold myself sacredly bound to print
the text of the common version with scrupulous exactness,
I should translate the former clause of this verse thus, and so
enter it in the text. When a CALF, or a LAMB, or a KID is
brought forth — instead of when a bullock, a sheep, or a goads
brought forth — the absurdity of which is glaring.
Seven days ujider the dam] In vindication of the propriety
of this precept, it may be justly asserted, that tlie flesh of
veiy young animals, is comparatively innutritive — and that
animal food is not sufficiently nourishing and wholesome, till
the animal has arrived at a certain growth ; or acquired the
])erfection of its nature. There is something brutish in eat-
ing the young of beast or fowl, before the hair and hoofs are
perfect in the one ; and the feathers and claws in the other.
Before this period, their flesh is not good for food. — See the
note on chap. ix. 1 .
Verse 28. Ye shall not kill it and her young — in one day.]
This precept %vas certainly intended to inculcate mercy and
/c«rf<;r?if.5s of heart ; and so the Jews understood it. When
it is necessary to take away the lives of innocent animals for
the support of our own, we should do it in such a way as not
to blunt our moral feelings; and deplore the necessity, while
we feel and express gratitude to God for the permission to do
it.
Verse 30. Leave none of it until the morrow] See the note
on chap. vii. 1 8.
4B 2
Different feasts
LEVITICUS.
of the Lori.
Verse 3'i. Neither shall ye profane my holy name] God's
name is profaned or rendered common, wlien we treat his
comntandf, as we often do those of our feriows, when they
do not appear to have self-interest to recommend them. He
therefore profanes God's holy name, who does not both !m-
plicit/y believe, and conscientiously obey all his -^ords, and all
his precepts.
J mill be halloived amontr the children of Israeli The words,
thildrcnof Israel, 7N1C" 'J3 bcney Yishrael, which so frequently
occur, should be translated either the descendants or posterity
cf Israel, or, the people of Israel. The word children has a
tendency to beget a false notion, especially in the miwds of
young- people, and lead them to think, that children, in the
proper sense of the word, i. e. little ones, are meant.
Verse o.'?. Brought you out of the land of E^^ypt] By such
a series of miraculous interferences — to be your God — to save
you from all idolatry, false and superstitious worship, teach-
you the right way, lead and support you m it, and preserve
you to my eternal kintrdom and glory. God, infinite in his
own perfections, has no need of his creatures ; but they need
him : and as a source of endless felicity, he oj)ens himself
to all his intelligent oilspring.
CHAPTER XXIII.
The feasts of the Lord, 1,2. 77(e sabbath, 3, The pass-over awrf unleavened bread, 4 — 8. T/ie feast of Erst-
fruits, 9 — 14. The fedst of ycntc.co&t, 15 — 21. Gkaiihigs te he l<ft for the potfr, 22. T/if_/t'arf o/" trumpets,,
23 — 23. 2'he great duif of atonement, 26 — 32. The fast of tabernacles, 33—44.
A.M.S5t4.
B. C. 1130.
An.Exiid.Isc.
dhib or A'wrtJi.
AND the Lord spake unto Mo-
ses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel,
and say unto them, Concerning ^ the
feasts of the Lord, which ye shall " proclaim
to be holy eonvocations, even these arx my
feasts.
5 ^ " Six days shall work be done : but the
seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy
convocation ; ye shall do no work therein :
it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwell-
ings.
4 «[ " These are the feasts of the Lord, even
haly convocations, which ye shall proclaim in
tlieir seasons.
.5 ' In the fourteenth dai/ of the first month
at even is the Lord's, passover.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same
month is the feast of unleavened bread unto
»Ver. 4. 37. "■ Excd. .i2. 5. 2 Kings JO. VO. Vs. 81. 3. = Exoil. 20.
9. fi 23. 12. «c 31. l.S. & 34. 21. fli. ly. 3. Uoiit. 5- 13. Luke 13. 14.
*vfr. 2, '37. Kxuti. 2.i. 14.- 'Exiid. 12. 6. 14, 18. & 13. 3, 10. & 23. 15.
it 34. 18. Numb. 9. 2, 3. & 28. 16, XT. Deut. 1». 1—8. Josh. 5. 10.
NOTES ON CIL4P. XXHI.
Verse 2. Tliese are ?/iy feasts."] The original word "^1>1D
ntodd, is properly ap))liedito any solemn anniversary, by which
great and important eccltsiasiical, political, or providential
ticts were recorded ; see on Gen. i. 1-k Anniversaries of this
kind were observed in all nations: and some of them, in ton-
sequence of 9cr^lpulou^ly regular oUservation. becauie chrono-
int(i<cal opodis of the greatest importance hi history. The
Olympiads, for example.
V«rse 3. TJic stveiuh day, is the sabbath] This, because the
A. M. 25t4.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exiid I»r,.
Ahil) ovNisan.
the Lord : seven days ye must eat
unleavened bread.
7 ^ In the first day ye shall have
a holy con\'ocation : ye shall do no
servile work therein.
8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire
unto the Lord seven days : in tlie seventh day
is a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile
work therein.
9 ^ And the Lord- spake unto Moses, say-.
10 Speak xmto the children of Israel, and
say unto them, ^ When ye be come into the
land which I give unto you, and shall reap
the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a
" sheaf' of '' the first-fruits of your harvest unto^
the priest:
11 And he shall ' wave the sheaf before the
Lord, to be accepted for you : ou the morrow.
f Exoil. 12. 16. NumI). 28. 18, 25.- e Exud. 23. 16, 1!>. & 34. 22, 26.
Nuuil.. 15. 2, 18. & Vil. 26. Deul. 16. 9. Josh. .3. 15.^—'' Or, hundfut.,
Mt.b. om.T. 'Horn. 11. 16. 1 Cur. 1 j. 20. Jam. 1. 18. Jtcv. 14. 4v.
'Kxod.29. 24.
first and greatest solemnity, is first mentioned. He. who kept-
not this, in the most n hgious manner, was not capable of;
keeping any of the others. The religious observation of the
sabbatli, stands at the very threshold of all religion. See the
note on Gen. ii. 3.
Verse 5. The Lord's pass-over] See this largely explained
in the notes on Exotl. xii. 21 — 27.
Verse 11. lie shall xcave the shenf] He .shall move it to
and fro before the people, and thereby call their attention IjO,
it tile wock of Uivioe providence, and e.\cite their gratitude t»»
Feast of rentecost.
A.M.e.=.ii. after the sabbath the priest shall
1. ,x^o<. sr. ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^_^jj ^j^,^^^ ^j^_^^ ^^^^^
i ■^*'*°^'^"'"''- when ve wave the sheaf, a he lan'ib
without bleniisli, of the first year, for a burnt
ottcriiio- unto the Lord.
13 ' And the meat offering thereof, shall
be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with
oil, an offering made by iiro unto the Loku
Jbr a sweet savour : and the drink offering
thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of a
bin.
14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parch-
ed corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day
that ye have brought an offering unto your
Gotl : it shall be a statute for ever throughout
your generations, in all your dweUings.,
15 % And '' ye shall count unto you from the
) morrow after tiie s;ibbath, from the day that ye
brought the sheaf of the wave offering ; seven
sabbaths shall be complete :
16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh
sabbath shall ye number " fifty days ; and yc
shall offer " a new meat offering unto the
Lord.
17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations
two wave loaves of two tenth deals : they
shall be of fine flour ; they shall be baken
with leaven ; theij are ' the first-fruits unto the
Loud*
18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven
lambs without blemish of the first year, and
one young bullock, and two rams : they shall
be for a burnt offering unto the J^ord, with
their meat offering, and their drink offerings,
even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour
unto the Lord.
*Ch. i. 14, 15, 16. "cli. 2.1. 8. Exod. 34. V3. Peat. 16 9. ^=Acts
S. 1. ^ Nuiiilj. iO. 26. ' Exod. %}. lii, lt>. & 22. 29. & 34. 28, 20
Nuuib. 15. 17. it 38. 2u. Ucut 2b. I.
CHAP. XXIir. Ojtmmpets.
19 Then ye shall sacrifice 'one kid a.m.«i4.
B. C. M!V.
All. K.xod.ljr..
J,
Ah'ib or Xisan,
God, for preservini^ to ihcm the kiiuUj/ fruits of the earth. See
the notes on F.xod. xxix. 27. and Levit. vii. at the end.
Verse 1 4. Ye shall eat ntilher bread, nor parched corn, nor
green ears] It is ri-jlit that God, the rhsptnser of every ble.«!-
ing, should he acknowlrdi^cd as .such ; and tlie first fru:is of
the field, &c. dedicated to him. Coneerning the dedication
of" the first fruiis, see tiie note on Kxod. xxiii '29. Parched
tars of corn and screen ears, fried, still constitute a part, and
not a disagreeahle one, of the food of the Arabs, now resi-
dent in the Holy Land. See Hassclquist.
Verse 15. Ye shall count unto ijou— seven sabbaths] That
of the goats for a sin offering, and
two lambs of the first year, for a sa-
crifice of * peace offerings.
20 And the priest shall wave them with the
bread of the first-fruits, for a wave ofToring be-
fore the Lord, with the two lambs : " thev shall
be holy to the Lord for the priest.
21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day,
that it may be an holy convocation unto you :
yc shall do no servile work therein : it shall be
a statute for ever in all youc dwellings through-
out your generations.
22 ^ And ' when ye reap the harvest of your
land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of
I the corners of thy fielil, w hen thou reapest,
I " neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy
harvest : thou shalt leave them unto the ])oor,
' and to the stranger : 1 am the Lord your
I God.
! 23 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
I 24 Speak unto the children of Israel, say-
i ing. In the ' seventh month, in the first daj/
of" the month, shall ye have a sabbath, " a
memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy
I convocation.
I 25 Ye shall do no ser^'ilc work therein : but
j ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto tli«
' Loud.
26 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
I 27 " Also on the tenth dai/ of this seventh
' month there shall be a dav of atonement : it
sliall be a. holy convocation imto you ; and ye
shall afflict yoiu' souls, and offer an offering
made by fire unto the Lord.
'Ch. 4. 23, 28. Numb. 88. 30 •' cli. 3. 1. ' Numb. 18. IS Doiit.
18. -1. 'cli 19 9. " Ofut. 21. 19. 'Nuiub. 29. 1. "cli. 25. i».
"ch. llj. 30. Numb. 29. T.
is. From the sixteenth of the first month, to the sixth of the
third month. These seven uee kf, called here Miiaz/w, were
to he complete, i. c. the forty-nine days inu.'-t he finished ;
and the next d.iy, the fifiieih, is what, from the Scptuagint,
«e call Pentecost. Sec the note on Luke \i. 1.
Verse 22. Neither shalt thou gather any gleaning] .Sec the
note on chap. xix. 9.
Verse 2i. A memorinl of iloiving of trHinptt.'i] This is ge-
nerally called the feast of tr)impcts ; and as it look place on
the Jirst day of tlK' seventh tnonth, Tisri ; which answers ta
September, which month wm the commencement of what waa
A.M.a51-l.
B.C. 1490.
An. Exod. Isr.
2. ^
Abib or Nisim.
The feast of tabernacles
28 And ye shall do no work in that
same day : for it is a day of atone-
ment, to make an atonement for you,
before the Lord your God.
29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be
afflicted in that same day, * he shall be cut off
from among his people.
SO And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any
work in that same day, '' the same soul will I
destroy from among his people.
31 Ye shall do no manner of work : it shall be
a statute for ever throughout your generations,
in all your dwelhngs.
32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and
ye shall afflict your souls : in the ninth day of
the mouth at even, from even unto even, shall
ye * celebrate your sabbath.
33 % And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
ing.
34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying,
LEVITICUS. to be held seven days.
unto the Lord : it is ' a solemn as- ^■'^^- 25i4.
sembly ^ ; and ye shall do no servile
B. C. 1490.
thei-em. o.
37 ' These are the feasts of the ^'"'-""^
Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy con-
vocations, to offer an offering made by fire un-
to the Lord, a burnt offering, and a meat of-
fering, a sacrifice, and drink oftierings, every
thing upon liis day :
38 ' Beside tlie sabbaths of the Lord, and be-
side your gifts, and beside all your vows, and
beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give
unto the Loud.
39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh
month, when ye have " gathered in the fruit
of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the
Lord seven days : on the first day shall be
a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a
sabbath.
40 And ' ye shall take you on the first day
The fifteenth day of this seventh month, shall the ■" boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm
he the feast of tabernacles, for seven days unto
the Lord.
35 On the first day shall be a holy convoca-
tion : ye shall do no servile work ther-ein.
36 Seven days ye sliall offer an offering
made by fire unto the Lord : ' on the eighth
day shall be a holy convocation unto you ;
and ye shall offer an offering made by fire
• Gen. 17. 14. *• ch. 20. 3. 5, C. "^ Heb. rest ' E.xod. 23. 16.
Numb. 29. 12. Dent. l(i. 1.3. Ezra 3. 4. Neh. 8. It. /ech. 14. 16. 1 Esd.
5. 51. Jolin 7. 2. « Numb. 29. 35. Neh. 8. 18. John 7. 37. f Hcb.
day of TestrainL
called the civil year: the feast, probablj', had no other design
than to celebrate the commencement oi that year, if, indeed,
such a distinction obtained among the ancient Jews. See the
note on Exod. xii. 2. 8onie think creation began at this time.
Verse 28. A chiy of atonement^ See the note on chap. xtI.
3, &c. where this subject is largely explained.
Verse 34. The feast of lubeniacles] In this solemnity, the
people left their houses, and dwelt in boollis or tents, made of
the branches of goodli/ trees, and thick trees (of what kind the
text does not specify) together with palm trees, and xvilloxos
of the brook, ver. 40. And in these they dwelt seven days,
in commemoration of their forty years .sojourning and dwell-
ing in teals in the wilderness, while destitute of any fixed ha-
bitations. In imitation of this feast among the people of
God, the Gentiles had their feasts of tents. Plutarch speaks
particularly of feasts of this kind, in honour of Bacchus ; and
thinks, from the custom of the Jews, in celebrating the feast
of tabernacles, that they worship the god Bacchus, " be-
cause he had a feast exactly of the saine kiitd, called the
Jcusi of tabernacles, Z«»v» ; which Ihey celebrated in the time
trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and wil-
lows of the brook ; ° and ye shall rejoice before
the Lord your God, seven days.
41 " And ye shall keep it a feast unto the
Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a
statute for ever in your generations : ye shall
celebrate it in the seventh month.
42 '' Ye shall dwell in booths seven days ;
E Deut. 1(5. 8. 2 f'luon. 7. 9. Neh. 8. 18. .loel 1. 14. & 2. 1.5. "ver.
2, 4 ' Numb. 29. 39. 1" Exod. -23. 16. ]_)i ut. 16. 13. ' Neh. 8. la.
""Heb. /iiiit. °Deut. 16. 14, 15. "Numb. 29. 12. Neh. 8.18.
"Neh. 8. 14,15,16.
of vintage, bringing tables out into the «ipen air, furnished
with all kinds of fruit, and sitting under tents made of vine-
branches and ivy." Plut. Synip. lib. iv. Q. 6. According
to Ovid, the feast of Anna Perenna was celebrated much in
the same way. Some remained in the open air, others formed
to themselves tents and booths made of branches of trees, over
which they spread garments, and kept the festival with great
rejoicings.
Sub Jove pars durat ; pauci tentoria ponunt ;
Sunt, cjuibus e raynis frondea facta casa est.
Pars sibi pin rigidis calainos statiiere cotuinnis ;
Desvper exlenias imposuere togas.
Ovid. Fast. lib. iii.
Concerning this feast of tabernacles, see the note on John
vii. 37, 38. .A.ud for the various feasts among the Jews, see
the note on Kxod. xxiii. 14.
Verse 40. Boughs of goodly trees] The Jews and many
critics imagine the citron tree to be intended, and by boughs
of thick trees — the myrtle.
Of the ordermg of
all that are Israelites born, shall dwell
in booths :
43 * That your generations may
know that I made the children of
Israel to dwell in booths, when I brouglit them
CHAP. XXIV.
A.M. S514.
B.C. 1490.
All. Kind. Ur.
Abih or tiisan.
• Deut. 31. 13. Vi. 78. 5. 6.
Verse 43. That your generations nmy know, &c.] By the
institution of this ftjsl, God hiH two fjieat objects in view :
1. To perpetuate the wonderful (h<p!av of his providence
and grace in bringing them out of lv.fypt, and in preserving
them in the wddrrnes.s. 2. To txcite and maintain in them
a spirit of cratitude and obedience, by leading ihein to con-
sider deeply, tlie greatness of the favours which they had re-
ceived from his most merciful hands.
the golden candlestick.
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod. Isr.
out of the land of Egypt : I am the
Lord your God.
44 And Moses ** declared unto the
children of Israel the leasts of the ^*'''"^'""
Lord.
'' ' ' II ■ ™ — . .— I-.— » ■ . . I.I. ■ ■ ■ ^l . ■ ' . __
" Ver. *.
Signal displays of the mercy, kindness, and providential
care of God, should Vie particularly reftiembered. When we
recollect, that we deserve nothing at hi> hands, and that the
debt of gratitude is all the debt we can pay, in it we should
be chearful, fervent, and frequent. An ungrateful heart is
an unfeeling, unloving, unbel eving, and disobedient heart.
Reader, pray to God that he may deliver thee from its influence
and its curse.
J CHAPTER XXIV.
f Pure olive oil must be provider! for the lamps, I, 2. Aaron is to take care that the lamps be lighted from evening
t to morning, conliuualtt/, 3,4. How the shezv-bread is to be made and ordered, 5 — 8. Aaron and his sons shall
eat this bread ill the hull/ place, 9- OfthesonofShelomilh, an Israelitish zcoman, who blasphemed the name,
' 10, II. He is imprisuited tilt ihe mind of the Lord should be known, 12. He is commanded to be stoned to death
13, 14. The ordinance concerning cursing and blaspheming the Lord, 15, 16. The Inic wainst murder 17.
The lex talioiiis, or laicofWke. for like repeated, 18 — 21. This law to be equally binding both on themselves and
on strangers, 'i'l. The blasphemer is stoned, 23.
A.M. 2511.
B. C. 14W.
An. fmui. Isr.
2
Abibor \ij(m.
AND the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying,
2 '' Command the children of Israel,
that they bring unto thee pure oil
olive beaten, for the light, ^ to cause the lamps
to burn continually.
3 Without the vail of tlie testimony, in the
tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron or-
der it from the evening unto the morning, before
the Lord continually : it shall be a statute for
ever in yonr gencfations.
4 He shall order the lamps upon " the pure
candlestick, before the Lord continually.
5 ^ And thou shalt Uike tine flour, and bake
twelve "^ cakes thereof : two tenth deals shall be
in one cake.
A.M y.514.
B. C. 1490. •
An. Exod.Isr.
6 And thou shalt set them in two
rows, six on a row, ' upon the piue
table before the Lord.
7 And thou shalt put pure frankin- ^'"^"'■^'•"^
cense upon each row, that it may be on the
bread for a memorial, even an oftering made by
fire unto the Lord.
8 ' Every sabbath he shall set it in order be-
fore the Lord, continually, being taken from the
children of Israel, by an everlasting covenant-
9 And ^ it shall be Aaron's and his sons' ; "and
they shall eat it in the holy place : for it is most
holy unto him, of the offerings of the Lord made
by fire by a perpetual statute.
10 % And the son of an Israelitish woman,
whose father was an Egyptian, went out among
• Exod. «7. m, •21.—
37. " Exod. as. 30.-
-■' Heb. to fame to ascenii. ' T!xod. 31. 8. & 39.
— « lKiiigs7.48. '.iCliiun.4. 19. >t l.i. 11. Ilcbr.y.2.
NOTES ON CHAP. X.XIV.
Verse 2. Purr olive oil] See every thing relative to this
ordinance explained in the no'es on I'.xod. xxvii. 20, 21.
Verse 5. Jiakt: civelix cakes] See the whole account of the
f Numb. 4. T. 1 Cliroii. 9, 3«.
12. i. Mark «. 26. Luke G. 4. —
8 Chron. 2. 4 « 1 S^rni. 21. 6, Matt.
-" Exod. 'i'J. 33. ch. 8. 3. A 21. S3.
shew-bread, in the notes on Exod. xxv. ^0. and relative to the
lahle on which tbey >tood, the •^oldm cmdIt.Muk and «7reT
frunipeis carried m triumph to Koine ; see the note on Exod.
xxv. 31.
Of Sheloviith'' s son li-ho
the childien of Israel : and this son
of the IsraeUtish icotnan and a man
of Israel strove to^jether in the
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1400.
All. Exod. Ur.
And the Israelitish
11
son " blas-
phemed the name of the LORD, and " cnrsed.
And they " brought him unto Moses : (and his
mother's name xvas Shelomith, the daughter of
Dibri, of the tribe of Dan :)
12 And they " ^nit him in ward, Hhat ^the
mind of the Loud miglit be shewed them.
A. M. 3314.
B. c. lao.
An.Exod. Isr,
AbibotSiian,
LEVITICUS. i!asph<rnKd the name,
13 And the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying,
14 Bring forth him that hath c^irsed
without the camp ; and let all that
heard Imn, '^ lay their hands upon his head, and
let all the congregation stone him.
15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of
Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God "shall
bear his sin.
16 And he that ' blasphemeth the name of the
" Vcr. 16. •> ,Iob 1. ,% 11, 2?. & 2. .5, 9, 10. Tsai. E. '>l. ■: Exod. 18.
'.'■2, 'JCi. "^ Nuiiil). 1.^. :il. ^ Ilch. tfi txpimrid unto thtm arciirllino to tht:
riouthef the LORD. ' Eiccd. 18. l.\ lo. Niuiib. iT. 5. :« 36. 5, 6.
Verse 10. The son of an IsraeUtish u-omnr?, ivhose father was
aa Egyptian, &c.] This is a \'ery obscure accoimt, and is
encumbered with many difficulties. 1. It seems strange that
a person proceeding from such an illegal mixture, should
have been incorporated uith the Israelites. 2. What the cause
of the strife between this mongrel person and the I.-raeiitish
man «as, is not even huited at. TUe Rabbins, it is true,
supply in their way, this deficiency : they say he was llie son
of the Egyptian whom Moses slew, and that attcni])ting to
pitch his tent anvong those of the tribe of Dan, to which he
belonged by his luolher's side, ver. 11. he was prevented by
a person of that tribe, as having no right to a station among
them who were true Lraehles, both l)y father and mother.
In consequence of this, they say, he blasphemed the name
of the Lord. But, 3. The sacred text d.oes not tell us n-hat
name he blasphemed : it is simply said nii'n nxap'l vayikkob
el hu-shan : he pierced through, distinguished, explained, or
expressed the niwie. (See below, article 10.) As the Jews
hold it impious to pronounce the name nin>, Jehovah, tliey
always put either »J15{, Adonny, Lord, or □'li'n ha-shem, 'IHE
}»AME in the place of it: but m this sense, ha-shem was never
used, prior to the days of rabbinical superstition ; and there-
fore it cannot be put here for liie word Jehovah. 4. Blas-
pheming the name of the Lord is mentioned in Ter. 1 G. and
there the proper Hebrew term i« Ufed ni.T ZDC Shein Jehotuh,
and not llie rabbinical nCH, ha-shem, as in ver. 11. 5. Of
all the MSS. collated both by Kennic«tt and De Rossi,. not
one, cither of the Hebrew or Samaritan, has the word Jihovah
in this place. 6. Not one of the ancient VERStONS, Taigum
ef Oiikelos, Jlchreo-Samaritun, Samaritan version, Sj/rtac,
Arabic, Septuagint, or Vulgate Latin, has even aUempted to
eupj>ly the sacred name. 1. Iloubigant supposes that the
Egyptio-lsraeliiish man did not use the name of the tnie
God at aU, Iwt had been swearing by one of his country
gods; and if this was the case, the intniion of the name of a
^rttn^ god in the camp of Israel, would constitute a very
high crline, and certainly t.\pose to the punishnicnt men-
tioned in ver. 14. 8. Probably the word z:un hashem, was the
proper name of some Egj'ptian dtLly. V. The fifteenth verse
eeems tu countenance the supposition, that the god whose
name was produced on this occasion, was not the true God,
foj it is there said, 'iikqioe;,cr curseth his God, vriVx elohaii-,
Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all
8 Dent. \?>. 9. & 17. 7 —
21. 10, 13. Vi.. 74. 10, IB.
-" ch. ."i. 1. & go. 17. Numli. ?. 13. > 1 King»
Matt. 13. 31. JMark 3. i!ti. Jumes t'. 7.
shaU bear his sin — shall liave the puni-hment due to him a»
an idolater — but he tkut bla^hcmeth the name of the Lor.D,
mrr ZJZ', shcm Jchotah, shall surely be put to death — ivken he
blasphemeth the name (ZDV^ shcmj he shall die, ver, 16. 10.
The verb 3,")J vukab, wlucii we translate i/«s/)^t77?e, signifies to
pierce, bore, make hollow; also to EXPa ESS or DISTINGUISH
by NAME; see Isai. Ixii. 2. Numb. i. 17. 1 Chron. xii. 31.
xvi. 41. xxviii. 15. or as the Persian translator has it,
- CU ^ ^Jr r-^*" cherah kerd, mir an nam, he ex-
' pounded or interpreted the name. Hence ail that we
term blasphe?ny here, may only signify the particv.larizin^
some false god , \. e. namint^ hini by his name ; or imploring
his aid as a helper; and when spoken of the true God, it
may signify using that sacred name as the idolaters did the
names of their idols. On blaspheming God, and the nature
of blasphemy, see the notes on Matt. ix. 3.
In whatever point of view we consider the relation which
has been the subject of this long note, one thing is sufficiently
plain, that he who speaks irreverently of God, of his works,
\i\s perfections, his providence, &c. is destitute of every moral
feeling, and of every religious principle; and consequently i.s
so dangerous to society, that it would be criminal to sufler
him to be at large, though the long-suffering of God may
lead him to repentance, and therefore it may be consistent
with mercy to preserve his life.
Verse 14. Lay their hands upon I; is head] It was by thi§
ceremony, that the people who heard him curse, bore their
public testimony, in order to his being fully convicted; for
without this, his punishment would not have been lawful.
By tliis cei-emony also, they in effect said to the man, thy
blood be upon thy own head.
Verse 1 5. Whosoeivr curseth his God] vrhit SVp' yekalel
Elohaiz\ lie who makes light of him — who does not treat hitn
and sacred things with due reverence — shall bear his sin, shall
have the guilt v)f this transgression imputed to him, and may
expect the puni>luBent.
Verse 1 6. Blasphemeth the name of the Lord] niiT ZZ!if 3PJ1
venokeb shcm Jehovah — lie who pierces, transfixes, or as souie
translate it, expounds the name of Jehovah; see the note ort
the tenth verse. This being the name by which especially
the Divine I'issemce was pointed out, it sliould be held pe-
i culiarly sacred. We have already seen tliat the Jews never
The laic of
CHAP. XXIV.
like for like.
A. Afi"*l4.
B. C. 1 190.
■ Aii.Exiid.Kr.
2.
) Abibor Nisaii.
tlie conpjregation shall certainly stone
him : as well the stranger, as he tiiat
is born in the land, when he blas-
phcMiieth the name o/" t/ie LORD,
shall be put to death.
17 IF ^ And he that " killeth any man shall
surely be put to death.
18 "^ " And he that killeth a beast shall make
it good ; '' beast for beast.
19 And il^a man cause a blemish in his neigh-
bour : as " he hath done, so shall it be done to
him ;
20 Breach lor breach, eye lor eye, tooth for
tooth : as he hath caused a blemish in a
I ■■ Exod. 21. 12. Numb. 35. 31. T)eut. 19. 11, 1'.'. >> Heli. mite'Ii the lifr
I .of a mim. ' rer. 21. « Hcb. life for life— — = Jixod. 'il. 24. Dcut. 19.
}ironoiin<"e this name ; and so long has it been disused amonsr
them, tliat the true pronunciation is now totally lost; see on
the wcrd Jf.UOVAlI, Exod. vi. 3. *"
Verse 17. He that killeth niiy viaii] Blasphemy against
God, i. e. speaking injurioiisli/ of his name, his attributes, his
government and his revelation, together with murder, are to be
punislied with death : he that blaspliemes God is a curse in
society: and he who takes away wiliiilly, and by malicious
intent, the life of any man, should certainly be jxit to death.
In this respect God has absolutely required that life shall go
lor life.
Verse 20. Breach for hrcnclt] This is a repetition of the
lex tulionis, which see explained Kxod. xxi. 24.
Verse 22. Ye shall have one manner of taw, as luell for the
slr/ingcr, us for one of your men country] Equal lans, v. heie
each individual receives the same protection, and the sauie
privileges, are the hoaii. on\y of a sound political constitution.
He «lio respects and ohnjs the laws, has a right to protection
and support : and his person and properly are as sacred in the
sight of justice, as the person and property of the prince.
He who does not obey the laws of his country, forfeits all right
and title to protection and privilege; his own actions con-
demn him ; and justice takes him up on the evidence of his
own transgressions. He who dots what is right, need not
fear the power of the civil magistrate, for he holds the sword
only to punish transgressors. Universal obedience to the
laws, is the duty of every citizen : none can do more; none
should do less; therefore each individual in a well regulated
state, must have equal rights and privileges in every thing that
relates to the safety of his person, and the security of his
property. Reader, such tvas the 3Ios(iic code .—Such' IS
the BRITISH CON.STITUTION.
\'^erse 23. And stone him luith stones] \Vc are not to sup-
pose that the culprit was exposed to the unbridled fury of the
thousands of Israel : this would be brutality, not justice ; for
the very worst of tempers and passions might be produced
and fostered by such a procedure. Tlic Jews themselves tell
us, that their manner of stoning was this ; they brought the
condemned person without the camp, because hii^ crime had
A.M. 2511.
U.C. 1490.
-lii.Eied.lir.
AbibotXisan.
man, so shall it be done to him
again.
21 'And he that killeth a beast,
he» shall restore it : ^ and he that
killeth a man, he shall be put to death.
22 Ye shall have " one manner of law, as well
for the stranger, as for one of your own country :
for I am the Lord your God.
23 ^ And Moses spake to the children of
Israel, ' that they should bring forth him that
had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with
stones. And the children of Israel did as the
Lord commanded Moses.
21. Malt. 5. :». & 7. 2. f Exod. 21. 33. ver. 18. e ver. 17.
•■ Exod. 12. 49. cli. 19. M. Aumb. 15. 16. ' ver. 14.
rendered him unclean, and whatever was unclean inuat he
put xvithout the camp. When they came within four cubits
of the place of execution, they stripped the criminal, if a
man, leaving him nothing but a cloth about the waist. The
place on which he was to be executed ^vas elevated, an i ihe
witnesses went up with him to it, and laid their hands u;>on
him, for the purposes mentioned ver. 14. Then one of the
witnesses struck him with a stone u| on the loins: if he ivas
not killed with that blow, then the wimessi s took up a great
stone, as much as two men could lifl, and threw it upon his
breast. This was the coup de grace, and finished ill'' tragedy.
\\ hen a man was stoned by the mob, then brutal rage armed
every man ; justice was set aside, and the Jt77/ and/»iy of the
people were law, judge, jury, and executioner. Such dis-
graceful stonings as the.^e were, no doubt, frequent among the
Jews. — See Calmct's Diet, article Stomng ; and Ainsuorth
on this place.
What the crime of Shelomith's son was, we cannot dis-
tinctly say ; doubtless, it was some species of blasphemy :
however, we find it was a new and unprecedented case ; and
as there was no law by which the quantum of guilt could be
ascertained, nor consequently the degree of punishment, it
was necessary to consult the great Lawgiver on the occasion.
The man was therefore secured, till the mind of the Lord should
be known, ftlose.s, no doubt, had recourse to tiie tabernacle,
and received the directions, afterwards mentioned, from him
«ho dwelt between the cherubim. In what way the answer of
the Lord was communicated, we know not; (probably by Urim
and Thummim) but it came in such a manner, as to preclude all
doubt upon the subject. The man was declared t) be guilty,
and was sentenced to be stoned to death. And on this occasion,
a law is made relative to blasphemy in general. However sin-
ful the Jeius might have been at this time, we have reason to
believe they did not take the name of the Lord in vain ; and
blasphemy was not known among them. But what shall we
say of Christians, so called, w hose mouths arc full of cursing
and bitterness ? Were every blasi)hemer among us to be
stoned to death, how many of the people would fall in every
4 C
Ordinance of the
LEVITICUS.
sahbatkal i/ear..
comer of the land! God is long-sufi'siing,: ixiay this lead
them to repentance ! We have exoeljent laws against all pro-
faneness ; but, alas^ for our country ! they are not enforced :
and he who attempts to put the laws in force against profane
swearers, sabbath-breakers, Lc. is considered a litigious man,
and a disturber of the peace of society ! W ill not God viait
for these things ? This is not only contaiipt of God's holy,
ivord and commandments, but rebellion against the laws.
CHAPTER XXV.
The lav concerning l/it sahhaticol or setenth-year repeated, 1 — 7. Tlie I<m relative to the jubilee, or Jiftieth
year, and the hallozcing of the Jiftieth, 8 — 1-. /;/ (he year of jubilee, every one to return unto his possessions, 13.
None to oppress another iu buying and selling, 14. Purchases to be rated from jubilee to jubilee, according
to the number of tjears unexiired, 13 — 17. Promises to obedience, IB, ly. Premises relative to the sabbatical
year, CO — CC. No inheritance must l/e Jiiuilly alienated, '^3, C4. No advantage to be taken of a man's poverty
in buying his luvd.,. 2.5 — 28. Oidinances relative to the selling of a house in a zcalled city, Qi), 30; in a village,
31. Houses oj' tlie Levites nun) be redeemed at any time, o1, 33. Thejields of the Levites in the suburbs, must
not be sold, 34. No iisuiy to be taken from a poor brother, 35—38. If an Israelite be sold to an Israelit&f
he must not be obliged to serve as a slave, 39, but be as a hired servant, or as a sojourner, till the year of
jubilee, 40. when he and his family shall have liberty to depart, 41. Because (lod claims all Israelites as his
servants, having rcdeenud them J'r.om bondage in Egypt, 4'2, 43. The Israelites are permit ted ta have hond- ,
men and hond-women (f the heathens, zeho being iought xeitli. their moneij, shall be considered as their pro- .
peril/, 44 — 46. Jf an Israelite, groicn poor, be sold to a sjourner zeho has icared rich, he niaij be redeemed
bi/ one of his relatives, an uncle, or uncle's son, 47 — 49. In the interim, bclKcen the jubilees, he ma i/ be re-]
deemed ; but if not redeemed, he shall go free in the jubilee, 50 — 54-^ Obedience enj'orccd bjj Cod's right over
them as his servants, 5o.
A.fti. 2514. AND the Lord spake unto Moses
A^Exnd'it /V i" moimt Sinai, saying,
2. 2 Speak unto the children of Israel,
Mihmmsa,,. j^^j g.^y ^ij^jQ ^j^gjj^^ When ye come
into the land which I give you, then shall the
land ' keep ''a sabbath unto the Lokd.
3 Six years thou shalt sow thy tield, and six
years thou shalt prune thy viaeyard, and gather
in the fliiit thereof:
4 But in the seventli year, shall be a sabbath
of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Loud :
thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy
vineyard.
* ileb. re^t.-
-" Exod. 123. 10. See cli. «6. 34, 55. SCliron. 36. 21.
^•OTI•■.s OX CHAP. xxv.
Verse 2. The land shall keep a subhalli] See this ordinance
explained in (he note on E\od. xxiii. 11. It may be asked
here, If it rcqiiirfd all the annual yjrodiice of the field to sup-
port the inhabitants, how ronld the people be nourished the
seventh vear, when no produce was received from the fields r
To this it may be answered, that God sent liis blessing in
.^n especial manner on the xi.rtli year, see verses 21, 22. and
it brought forth fruit fur three years. How astonishing and
A.M.25l<k
B.C. Mil*
All. Esod.Isr.
Ah'ilio\-}^isan^_
5 " lliat which groweth of its own
accord of thy harvest, thou shalt not
reap, neither gather the grapes '^ of
thy vine undressed : for it is a year
of rest imto the land.
6 And the sabbatli of the land shall be meat
for you ; for thee, and for thy servant, and for
thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy
stranger that sojournctii with thee,
7 And for thy cattle, and for the beast that
ore in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be
meat.
8 ^ And thou shalt niunbcr seven sabbaths of
' 2 Kings 19. 59. " Heb. ofOnj separation.
convincing was this miracle ! CoukV there possibly be any
deception here .? NO! The miracle speaks for itself, proves
the divine audienticity of llie law, and takes every prop and
stay from the system that wishes to convict tlie I\Io.-aic ordi-
nances of imposture. See Kxod. xxiii. 11. It is evident from
this, that the Mosaic law must have had a divine origin, as no.
man in his senses, with(nit God's autliority, could lia\e made
such an ordinance as iliis; for the siitli year, from it-s promulga-
tion, would have amply refuted hisprctensioiis to a divine mission».
•Ordinance of CHAP
A.M. 2.^1 1. year.s unto theo, feevcn times seven
A^Exodhr y^itis ; ^"fl the space of the seven
•-'. sabbaths of vears, shall be unto thee
l! roitv and nnie vears.
9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet ' of the
jubilee to sound, on the tenth diaj of the seventh
month, ''in the day of atonement, shall ye make
the trumpet souiul throughout all your land.
10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and
'proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto
all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee
unto you ; " and ye shall return every man unto
his possession, and ye shall return every man
imto his family.
1 1 A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto
you : " ye shall not sow, neither reap that which
» llcb. UmiofsoimS. » cli.23. U, 27.-
- 1.5, 17. Liil^e 4. 19. " ver. 13.
— ' Isai. .61.8. & 63. 4. Jcr. 34. 8,
Numb. 36.4. '="ver. 5.
\'crse S. Thou shall nwnber seven sabbaths of yerns^ This
'■ seems to state that tlic jubilee was to be celebrated on the/o;(j/-
, vinth year; but, in ver. 10. and II. it is said. It shall haUoiv
the fiflicth year ; and a jubilee shall this fiftieth year be. l-'iobably
in this verse, INIoses eitlier includes the pretcdiii;^ jubilee, n«d
tlius u-itl) xhc fortij-ninth makes up the immhQV fifii/; or he
speaks or;);-ot7u.v/!(;!i; the jubilee on tiic 49lh, and celebraliu;,'- it
on the 50th year, current. Some think it was celebrated on tlie
forty-ninth year, as is stated in ver. 8. and this prevented the
tubbi'.tiad year, or seventh year cf rest, from lieing con tbuiided
with the jubilee, uhich it must otherwise have bex-n, had ilie
Celebration of this great solemnity taken place on llie fiftieth
year; but it is most likely that the fiftieth was tlie le.il
jubilee.
Verse 11. A jubilee shall that fiftieth t/ear be] Tlie li feral
meaiiiny of the wovd jubilee /2\> yobel in Hebrew, and "rov
tfobil in the Sanutriian, has not been well ascertained. Josc-
j)hus and the Rabbins hai'e caused many to err : t4ie foriner
says the word signifies liberty ; E?.su9£fiz'j S't <7>i,aMV£i rovvo/xa,
Antiq. 1. .'5. cap. 12. Edit. Havcrc. vol. i. p. 184-; but
1 tlie «oid liberty signifies rather ilia intention of the iiistjiulinn,
! tlian the 7iieaui>ig of the Hebrew term. The Rabbins say,
it si.ijnities a rum's horn, because the trumpets wjiith were
used in proclaiming this solemnity, were made out of rams'
Lorns. l^iis meaning is adopted in a few places in our
translation, but none of the ancient versions acknowledge
this .sense of the term, llie .Chuldee escejited. Sonie derive
il from '^■2'' yabiit, to briit^, carry auay, because the Israelites
at this time, carried unay the right of reposse.-^>ing their
inheritances which had been f<)ifeitcd or alienated. The
most natural derivation is from V'^in hobil to cause to brin^
luck or recall, because estates, S;c. which liad been alienated,
were then brought, buck to their primitive owners. This .was a
wifC and txccllcnt institution, but appears to have been
' little regarded by the Jews after the Babylonish captivity.
Indeed it is not mentioned umJcr the tecoiid temple, and
H. C. I'lCO.
.\'.i. Kxod. Ur.
AbihoT Xisan.
XXV. l^ic jubilee
growetli of itself in it, nor gather (he
grapes in it, of thy vine undressed.
V2 For it is the jubilee ; it shall be
holy unto you : ' yc .shall eat the in-
crea.se thereof out of the field.
13 '"' In the year of this jubilee ye shall return
every man luito \\\>^ possession.
14 ^[ And if thou sell ought unto tliy neigh-
bour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour's hand,
" ye shall not oppress one another :
1.') 'According to the number of years after
Ihejubilee, thou shalt buy of thy neighbour; and
according luito the number of years of the fruits,
he .shall sell unto thee :
16 According to the multitude of years, thou
shalt increase the price thereof; and according
f V'cr. 6,7. « ver. 10. cli. Sr7. 24.. Numb. ;16. 4 -
1 Snm. 12. 3, 1. Mic. 2. 2. 1 Cor. 6.3. —
— 1> vpr. 17. rh. 19. 13.
I ill. 27. 18, 23.
the observance must have ceased among the Jews, when they
were brought under a foreign yoke.
The jubilee seems to have been typical, 1st. of the great
time ofielea.se, the gospel dispensation, when all who believe
in Cliri>t Jesus, arc ivdeemed from the bondage of sin — re-
posso-s the favour and image of God, the only inheritance
of (lie human soul, having all debts cancelled, and the right
of inheiitancc restored. To this the prophet .seems to allude,
see Jsai. .xxvi. 13. and particularly chap. Ixi. 1 — 'i.
2dly. 'I'o the general resurrection — " It is," says Mr.
Paikliurst, " a lively prefiguration of the jjrand ponsumrnation
of time, which wili be introduced in like manner, by the
trti:ii}) of God, I Cor. .xv. 52. when the children and heirs of
God shall be delivered from all their Ibrfeitures, and restored
to the eternal inheritance allotted to them by their father; and
ill! nceibrlh rest from their labours, and be supported in Jife
and happiness by what the field of God shall supply."
It is worthy of remark, that Ihejubilee was not proclaimed
till the lOtb ilay of the seventh inontli, f.'i the very day when
the great annual atonement was made for the sins of the
peojiie ; and docs not this jirove that the great liberty, or
redemption from thraldom, published under the gospel, could
not take jilaee till the great atonement, the sacrifice of the
Lord Jesus had been olVered up ? — See ver. 9.
\'erse 14. Ye shall not oppress one another] Vc shall take
no advantage of each othej-'s ignorance either in buying or
selling: for lie that buys an article at less than il is worth, or
.sells one iiir ;.'(orc- than it is worth, taking advantage, in both
cases, of the ignorance of the i-endir or buyer, is no better
tlian a thitf, as lie actually robs his neighbour of as much
pidjicrty as he lias bought the artick at Leloi:', or sold il, above
its current vuiuc.
Verse 15. According to the number of years] The purchases
that ucrc to be made of lands, were lo be regulated by tiic
iiiniiher of years unelapscd of the current jubilee. This was
souicihing hke buying the unexpired term of a kasc auu)ng'
4 C 2
A.M. 2.514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Emcl. Isr
2.
Af'ihoi Krml
Concerning the redemption of LEVITICUS. persons^ lands, houses, S^r.
to the fewness of years, thou shalt, for "the land is mme ; for ye are
diminish the price of it: for accord- " strangers and sojourners with me.
CT^ to the number of the years o^ ihe
fruits, doth he sell unto thee.
17 ^ Ye shall not therefore oppress one another j
*■ but tliou shalt fear thy God : for I am the
Lord your God.
18 ^ " Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and
keep my judgments, and do them ; ■* and ye shall j that which his brother sold
dwell in the land in safety. 26 And if the man have none to redeem it, and
19 And the land shall yield her fruit, and ^ ye ; "^ himself be able to redeem it ;
shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.
20 And if ye shall say, ' What shall we eat the
seventh year ? behold, ^ we shall not sow, nor
gather in our increase :
21 Then I will "command my blessing upon
A. M. -ioU.
B. C. 1490.
24 And in all the land of your ' ' 8. '
possession, ye shall grant a redemp- ■'^'>'''_^^>s«»-
tion for the land.
25 '' If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath
sold away some of his possession, and if " any of
his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem
and
it shall bring
forth
you in the sixth year
fruit for three years.
22 ' And ye shall sow the eighth year, and cat
yet of " old fruit, until the ninth year ; until her
tiuits come in, ye shall eat o/the old sto7'e.
23 ^ 'Hie land shall not be sold 'for™ ever:
» V.r. 14. !> vei.-4-? ch. 19. 14. S2. ' ch. 19. 37. <" ch. 26. 5.
Dfi.I. IV. 10. P.s. 4. «. i'lov. 1. 33. .ler. 23.6. ' ch. 26. 5. I-zck34.
Srt, 27, iS. f Matt. 6. 2.5, 31. « ver. 4, 5 " Ueiit. 28. 8. See Kx' d.
16. '.y. ' 2 hiri^s 19. 29 ' Josh. 5. 11, 12. ' Or, to be quite cut
off'. "- lU-b. f'l- cutting n^'.
lis: the purchase is always regulated by the number of years,
be'ween the lime of purchase, and the expiration of the
term.
Verse 20. fl'liat shall xtic eat t/ie serentli year ?j A very
natural question, which could only be laid at rest by the
sovereiiJU promise in the ne,\t verse. I will CO.MMAND ?ni/
BLf.SSliSG i//ion j/o!i in the sixth year, and it shall biing forth
fruit for THIllE YEARS. — See on ver. 2.
Vtrse 23. The la,id shall not be sold for ever— the land \»
mine.^ As (>od, in a miraculous manner, gave them pos-
session of this land, they were therefore to consider them-
selves merely as lenaJits to him ; and on this ground, he, as
the great landholder, or lord of the .soil, prescribes to them
all the conditions on which they shall hold it. This one
circumstance was peculiarly favourable to their advancement
in religion, in righteousness, and tiue holiness: for feeling
that they had riolhing which they could call their own upon
cartii, they mu<t frequently, by this, be put in mind of the
necessity of having a permanent dwelling in the heavenly
inheritance ; and of that preparation, without wliich it could
not be possessed.
Verse 25. Aity of Ids kin come to redtem 2/] The land
that was sold, might be redeemed in the interim between
jubilee and jubilee, by the former owner, or by one of his
kin-^nen or relatives. This kinsman is called in the text yHi
goel, or redeemer: and was not this a lively emblem of the
redemption of man by Christ Jesus? Tiiat he might have a
27 Then ' let him count the years of the sale
thereof, and restore the o\'erplus unto the man
to whom he sold it ; that he may return vmto
his possession.
28 But if he be not able to restore it to him,
then, that which is sold, shall remain in the hand
of him that hath bought it, until the year of
jubilee : ' and in the jubilee it shall go out, and
he shall return unto his possession. ;
29 5F And if a man sell a dwelling house in a ;
walled city, then he may redeem it within a
° Deut. 32. 4'5. 2 Chron. 7. 20. Ps. 85. 1. .Tod 2. 18. & 3. 2. » 1 Chron.
29. 1.5. Ps. •j':). 12. & 119. 19. 1 Pel. 2. 11.. ^ Itulh 2. 20. & 4. 4, 6
'iSce Rutli 3. 2,9, 12. Jer. 32. 7, 8. '' llcb. his liaoii hath attuiiicd and
found sujficiencij. ch. 5. 7. ^ ver. 30, .51, 52. ^ ver. 13.
right to redeem man, he look upon him human nature, and
! thus became a kinsman of llie great famdy of llie human race,
and tliereby possessed the right of jvdeeming that fallen nature,
of which he took part, and of baying back to man that;
inheritance which had been forfeited by transgression.
Verse 29. Sell a dwelling house in a. v:alled city'] A very
proper difterence is put betv.ecn houses in a city, and houses iit
the country. If a man sold his house in the citi/, he might
redeem it any. time, in the cour.se of a year ; but if it were.
not redeemed within that time, it could no more be redeem-
ed ; nor did it go out, even in the jubilee. It was not so witll
a house in the country; such a house inight be redeemed
during any part of the interim ; and if not redeemed, must
go out at the jubilee. The reason in both cases is suQlciently-
evident : tiie house in the city might be builded !br purposes,
of trade or traffic merely — the house in the country waft
builded on, or attached to the inheritance which God had
divided to the respective fanulics. It was, therefore, abso-
lutely necessary that the same law should apply to the house,
as to the inheritance : but the .same necessity did not hold,
good with respect to the house in the city. And as we may
presume the house in the city was merely for the purpose
of trade; vhcn a man bought such a house, and got his busi-
ness established there, it would have been very inconvenient
for him to have removed ; but as it was possible that the
former owner might have sold the house rashly, or through the
pressure of some very urgent necessity, aycar was allowed him,.
go out in the
, The houses of the
A.M. Soil, whole year after it is sold; 'within a
\ ^'^' "',"■ full year, may he redeem it.
2. 30 And ir it be not redeemed with-
house, that is in the walled city, shall be esta-
blished for ever to him that bought it, through-
out his generations : it shall -not
jubile.
31 But the houses of the villages, which have
no wall round about them, shall be counted as
the fields of the country : " they may be re-
deemed, and they shall go out in the jubilee.
32 Notwithstanding •" the cities of the Levites,
(md the houses of the cities of their possession,
may the Levites redeem at any time.
33 And if "^ a man purchase of the Levites,
then the house that was sold, and the city of
his possession, " shall go out in the year of\
, jubilee : for the houses of the cities of the Le- 1
i vites a)-e their possession among the children of
f Israel.
i 34 But ' the field of the suburbs of their
' cities may not be sold ; for it is their perpetual
possession.
S5 1[ And if thy brother be waxen poor, and
' fallen in decay with thee ; then thou shalt ^ re-
lieve him ": yea, though he be a stranger, or a
CHAP. XXV.
Levites 7iot to le sold.
Heb. rcdcmptinn hthirtgeth unto if. <>Sce Numb. 35. S. Josh. 21. 2,
— ' Or, ouc of' the Ixrites rcdefm tiiciii. "i vor. i?B. '^ See Acts 4.
■ y.7. f I'.vh. Ilis hmid failc'Ji. k Heb. siretigtiit-n. 1' Ucut. l.'j. 7,
8. P-. 37. 26. 6l 41. 1. J: Hi.', o, y. Prov. 11. 31. l.iiko 6. 3.5. Acts 11.
i9. Uiini. 12. 18. l.IiamS. 17. ''Exot\. ri. Sry. Ocut. 23. 19. Null. 3.
7. I'.«. 15. 5. I'rov. i,3. 8. Ezck. 18. 8, 13, 17. & 22. 12.
that during that time, he might have leisure to reconsider his
ra.sh act — or so to ftet throujjh hi.< pressing' necessity, as to be
able to get back his <lwolhng. This time was sufficiently
loiig in cither of the above cases; and as such occurrences
might have been the cause of his selling his house, it was
necessary that he might have the opportunity of redeeming
his pledge. Again, as the purchaser, having bought the
house mtrtly lor the purpose of trade, niiimifacture, &c.
must have been at great pains and expense to fit the place for
his work, and establish iiis business, in which, himself and
his children, and his children's ehildren, «ere to labour and
get their bread ; hence it was necessary, that he should have
some certainly oi permanent possession: witliout which, we
may naturally conjecture, no sucli. purchases ever would be
made. This seems to be the simple reason of the law in
both cases.
Verse 32. The cities qf the Leiites] The law in this and
the following verses, was also a very wise one. A Levite
could not ultimatily sell his house — if sold, he could redeem
it at any time in the interim between the two jubilees ; but if
sojourner; that he may live with a.m. aju.
thee. I., c. 1190.
.„.,,, ,> 1 • An.Exod. hr.
M ' lake lliou no usury or him,. or 2. _
uicrease : but tear tliy Uod ; that ■
thy brother may li\'e with thee.
37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon
usuiy, nor lend him thy victuals Ibr increase.
38 ' I am the Lord your God, which
brought you Ibrth out of the land of Eg}-]it,
to give you the land of Canaan, a?id to be
your God.
39 f And ""if thy brother that d-d-eUeth by
thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee ;
thou shalt not " compel him to seiTC as a
bondservant :
40 But as a hired servant, and as a sojourner,
he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto
the year of jubilee :
41 And then shall he depart from thee, both
he and his children " with him, and shall return
unto liis own family, and '' unto the possession
of his fathers shall he leturn.
42 For they are '' my servants, which I brought
forth out of the land of Eg)i)t : they shall not
be sold ' as bondmen.
43 ' Thou shalt not ride over him ' with ri-
gour ; but " shalt fear thy God.
"■Ver. 17. Nell. 5.9. 'cli. 22. 32,3,3. "• Exod. 21.2. Deuf. 15.
12 1 Kuif;s 9. 2--'. 2 Kings 4. 1. Kcb. 5. b. .Ur 34. 11. " Heb. iCrve
tliiisclficith Inm uilh the scn'icc, ^c. vor. 46. Exod. 1. 14. Jcr. 2i. 14. & 27.
7.& 30. 8. " E.vod. 21. 3. ""vcr. 28. '' vcr. M. Uoiu. 6. 22 iCor.
7. 23. ' Heb. uilh the sale of a bondman. • Ephes. 6. 9. Col. 4. 1.
'vcr. llj. E.\od.l.l3 "vcr. 17. Exod. 1. 17,21. DeuU23.l8. JMal.3. 5.
not redeemed, it must go out, at the following jubilee. And
why ! " because Moses framed his laws so much io favour of
the priesthood, that they had peculiar privileges, &c." — just
t^e reverse — they were so far from being peculiarly favoured,
that Ihcy had no inheritance in Israel, only tlieir cities to dwell
in : and because their houses in these cities, were the whole
that they could call their own, therefore these houses could
not be ultimately alienated. All that they had to live on
besides, was from that most precarious source of support, the
freewill ollerings of the people, which depended on the pre-
valeiv;e of pure religion in the land.
Verse 30". Take thou no vsurj/ of him] Usury, at present,
signifies unlawful interest for money. Properly, it means the
reuard or compensation given for the use of a thine, but is
principally spoken of nwticy. See the definition of the origi-
nal terra in the note on Exod. xxii. 25.
Verse 42. For they are wy scrzants] As God redeemed
every Israelite out of Egyptian bondage, (hey were ihtrtlijre
to consider themselves as his property ; and that consequently,
they should not alienate themselves from luiu. It was ia.
Laxi's conccDi/ii'T
A. M. '::>i-i..
13. C. 1400.
An.Exod. Ir^r.
44 Both thy bondmen, and thy
bondmaids, which thou shalt hav^e,
shall be of the heathen that are round
about you ; of them shall ye buy bond-
men and bondmaids,
43 Moreover of ' the children of the stran-
sjers that do sojourn among you, of them shall
ye buy, and of their fiimilies that are with you,
which they begat in your land : and they shall
be yoru" possession.
46 And "^ ye sliall take them as an inherit-
ance for your children after you, to inherit
/hem for a possession ^ " they shall be yoin-
boRdmen for ever : but over your brethren the
children of Israel, '' }'e. shall liot rule one over
another witli rigour.
47 1[ And if a sojourner or stranger ^ wax
rich by thee, and ' thy brotlier that dzcelleth by
liim wax poor, and sell himself unto the stran-
ffer or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the
stranger's family :
48 After tliat he is sold he may be redeemed
Egain ; one of his brethren may ^ redeem him :
49 Either -liis uncle, or his uncle's son, may
redeem him, or avj/ that is nigh of kin unto
him, of his family, may redeem him ; or it
LEVITICUS. slat'ss and servants
'■ he be able, he may redeem him-
self.
50 And he shall reckon with him
that bought him, from the year that
A. I\I. 2:)14.
B. C. 1490.
All. Esod. br.
/liifcorA'iSiini
> Isai. hC. 3, C-
them, ver. jy. —
— '' Tsai. 14. ?, ^ Ueb. yc %h{ill i^ervc ynnmclvcx irilh
'ver. 4o. ^Ueb. Jds hand obtain, SjC. vcr. 20.
being ^lis servants, anil devoted lo bis «-orI<, tliat both their re-
ligious and jiolitical service consisted. And altliouy;li their
political liberty might be lo.~l, they knew that their spiritual
liberty never could be forieited except by an utter alienation from
Ood. God therefore claims the same rif^hl to tlieir peiions,
■R-liich he does to their lands. See the note on ver. 23.
Verse 43. Tliou slialt not rule over Mjh with rii^oiir] What
is riu;ovous service r " Service which is uot dettrmined, and
service whereof there is no need." This i.s the definition given
by the .lews: but much more is implied in this command,
tlian is expressed here. Labour beyond the person's strength
— or labour too long continued — or in uiiiiealtliy or iiivcom-
Ibrtalfle jjlaces and circumstances, or without sutlicient food,
&e. is liihour exuded viilh rigour — and consequently inhivman :
and this law is made, not lor the iMosaic dispensation, and
the Jewish peopl-e ; but for everj' dispensation, and for every
people under heaven.
•Verse 50. The price of his sale shall be, &c.] This was a
very equitable law, both for the sojourner to whom the man
vas sold, and to the Israelite who had been thus sold. 'I'ht-
Israelite niiprht redeem himscll', or one of his kindred inig-ht
redeem h.m — but this must not be done to the preju<Uce of
bis master, the sojourner. Tliey were therefore to reckon the
jeaii he must have served, flora that time, till the jubilee ;
he Vv-as sold to him unto the year of jubilee : and
the price of his sale shall be according unto the
ti umber of years, ' according to the time of a
hired servant shall it be -with him.
51 If there be yet many years behind, accord-
ing unto them, he shall give again the price of
his redemption, out of the money that he was
bought for.
52 And if there remain but few years unto
the year of jubile, then he shall count with him,
(7«fl' according unto his years, shall he give hini
again the price of his redemption.
5'3 And as a yearly liired servant sliall he be
with him : and the other shall not ruie v.ith ri-
gour over him in thv sight.
54 And if he be not redeemed *" in these i/earSy ;
then ' he shall go out in the year of jubilee, botH
he, and liis children with him.
55 For '" unto me the children of Israel ^r
servants ; tliey are my servants whom I brought
fortli out of the land of Egypt : I am the Loitu
vour God.
f ver. ?.■), 3,'>. E Nell. =,, ,5..
16. ''Or, bj tlicst: means. -
' ver. L'G. ' .Tnli 7. 1. Isai. Id. 14. & 31.
ver. 41. K.vud. ^'1. »', 3.—'" ver. 12.
and then takinfj the current wa^es of a servant, per year, at
that time, multiply the remaining years by that sum, and the
aggregate was the sum to be given to his master for his rc-
demplion. The Jews hold, that the kindred of such a per-
son were bound, if in their power, to redeem hiin, lest he
should be su allowed up amon^ tiie heathen : and we find,
Iroui Nehein. v. S. that this was done by the Jews on their
return from the Babylonish captivity — We, after our abiUiy,
have redeemed our brethren the Jens, iilio ii'ere sold unto tie
heathen.
Verse 5.5. For unto me the children of Israel are senaiHs]
The reason of this law we have already seen, see on ver. 42.
but we must look farther, to sec the great end of it. The Is-
raelites were a typical people ; they represented those tinder
the [Tospel dispmsalion, who are children of God, by faith in
Christ Jesus. But these last have a peculiarity of blessin;^ — ■
they are not merely sen-ant.'!, but they are SONif ; though they
also wnt God, yet it is in the newness of tlie Spirit, and not
in tlie oldncss of the letter. iVnd to this diirercnce of state,
llie Apostle seems cvidenlly to allude, (Jalat. iv. ], &c. Aiul
because ye are SONS, (ind hutk sent forth the i>pi)it of his Son
into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. IVIierefore thou art nit
ninre a SI-.ItVANT, but a SON ; (uid if a SON, then an UKIR of
Cod through Christ : gcuuiue believers in Christ, not being
4'
Jja'ii-S agaimt
CHAP. XXVI.
mage worship.
heirs of an caiihly iiilicrUur.ee, nor merely of a lieaveulj/ one,
for tliey arc lii-irs of God. God himself therc-rore is l/icir
{•orlieinv without whom, even Iteaicii itself, would not be a
state of consuininale blessedness to an immortal spirit.
The jubilee nas a woiulerfid institution, and was (f very
great servire to the rdiaion, fircihiii, and iiuiepeinleiice of IIk
Jewish iicopli'. " The motive oftliis law," says Calmet, " was
to prevent tiie rich from opjiressin;^ (he poor, and reducintj
them to perpetual slavery; and that they sliuuld nut get
jwsscssion of all the lands by way of purchase, mortgagee, or,
lastly, usiupation. That Mts should not be multiplied too
niucli, lest thereby the poor should be entirely ruined ; and '
tliat sluirs .should not continue always, they, their wives and
children,, in sen-itude. Besides, Moses intended to preserve,
as miieh as po.-sible, personal liberty, an equality of jiro-
perty, and tlie regular order of families an)oiii;- the Hebrews.
Lastly, he designed that the people should be stronj;ly at-
tached to their country, lands, and mheritances: that they
should have an affection for them, andconsider them as estates
vhich descended to them from their ancestors, which they were
to leave to their po^trrily, williout any fear of their going
uitiinalely out of tlieir families.'
But this insiitution especially, pointed out the rrdcmp-
tion of man by Christ Jtsiis: 1. Throujjh him. he who was
in debt to God's justice, had his debt discharged, and his Mn
forgiven. 2. He who sold himself for nought, who was a
homl-slave of sin anil Satan, regains his liberty, niul becouus
a son of God, through lailh in his blocd. 3. He who br
transgression h. d forleiled all right and tille to the kingdo'iv
of God, becomes an heir of God, and a joint-heir with
Christ. Heaven, his lorleitcd inheritance, is rendered, for the
kingdom of heaven is opeiicd to all believers ; and thus re-
deemeci from his debt, restored to his liberf)-, tnrited to the
heavenly family, and re-intitlcd to his inheritance, he goe.-v
on his way rejoicing, till. he enters Ihe Paradise of his Maker,
and is for ever with the Lord. Reader, hast thou applied
for this redemption ? Does not the trumpet of the jubilee,
the glad tidings of salvation, by Christ Jesus, .eound in the
land ? !Surely it does. Why then continue a bondslave of
sin, a child of wrath, and an heir of hell, when such a sal-
vation is ollered unto thee, without money and without price !
O, sufler not this provision to be made ultimately in vain for
iltec! For what art thou advantaged if thou g.iin the whole
liorld, and lose thy soul ?
CHAPTER XXVI.
.Idolatry fovbulikn, 1. The sabbalh to be samtijicd, 2,3. Promises to obedience, of fiuiiful J!ehh, iilaillful
harvests a7id ziiilage, 4,5. Of peace ami sec ur it i/, 6. Discomjitiire of their enemies, 7 — g. Of abundance., \0.
Of the Divine presence, 11 — ].S. Threatening- a<tainst the digobedienf, 14, Ij. Of terror and dismait, \G.
Tiicir enemies shall prevail against them, 17,18. Of barrenness, 19,-0. Of di:solation bi/ xcild beasts, 'JI,C2.
And if not humbled and rtf armed, icorse evils shall he injiiclcd upon them, 23,24. Their enemies shall prc-
rail, and thej/ shall be uasted by the pestilence, Cj, 2G. //' thej/ should still continue ref radon/, then shall be vet
more sorely punished, 27, 28. The famine shall so increase, that theij shall be obliged to eat their own citihireti
C'9. Their carcases shall be cast upon the carcases of tlieir idols, 30. Their cities shall be zcaslcd, and the
fancluary desolated, ,31; the land destroyed, 32;. themselves scattered among their enemies, and pursued idlfi
utter confusion and distress, 3.3 — 39- If under these judgments they conj'css their sin, and return to God, he ici/l
remember them in mercy, 40^—43 ; visit them even in the land of their enemies, 44 ; and remember his covenant
tcith their fathers, 45. The conclusion, stating these to be the Judgments and laws
hlmsslf and the children of Israel in mount Sinai, 4fi.
A.M.<?5it. "VT'-^ s^''^'' mal<e you 'no idols nor'
X gvaven imag-e, neither rear you
.Inch the Lord made betureu
1!. C. M!>0.
All. Kxod. lar.
'2.
JibihiiiKisait.
up a " .standing image, neither shall
't yc set up miT/ ' image '' of stone in
'Ij4od.20.<l,5. Dcut..5. 8. &1G. i'2. & S7. 15. Ps.OT. 7. '' Or, pillar.
KOTES ON CII.AP. XS.V1.
' Verse 1. Yc shall riiake t/ou no idols] .See the note on
F.xod. x.x. 4. and see the note on Gen. xxviii. 18. and 19.
concerning consecrated stones. Not only idotaliy in general
is fdibidden here, but also the superstitious use of innocent and
.'fid tliip;^s, l*robal)ly the stones or pillars which were fiisf
your land, to bow down unto it : for
I am the Lord yoiu" God.
2 "" Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and re-
verence my sanctuary : 1 am the Loujj.
A 51. 2iI-J.
).<, c. i-iyo.
.•\u. Ijii'd.isr.
Abibut Kistrii.
' Or, /jurni stone. '' Hcb. a sleiie of plctiirr. ' cli.
set up, and anointed by holy men, in commemoration of
signal interpositions of God in their behalf, were afterwanis
abused to idolatrous and superstitious purposes, and therefori"
prohibited. This we know w.is the case with the braztn
serpent, 2 Kings ,\viii. 4.
Glorious promises
3 IF
LEVITICUS.
If ye walk in my statutes, ! 9 For
to obedience,
1 will "hav'e respect unto
and keep my commandments, and do ; you, and "make you fruitful, and
multiply you, and establish my cove-
nant with you.
10 And ye shall eat ''old store, and bring
forth the old because of the new.
11" And I will set my tabernacle among you:
A.W.a5M.
B.C. 1490.
Aii.Exod. Isr. ,
2. them ;
season, ''and the land shall yield her increase,
and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
5 And ""your threshing shall reacli imto the
A Bl.sJSlt.
B.C. 1450.
All. lixod.lsr.
AltibosNimn'.
vintage, and the vintage .shall reach unto the , and my soul shall not ' abhor you
sowing time: and 'ye shall eat your bread to
the full, and ' dwell in your land safely.
6 And ^ I will give peace in the land, and
"ye shall lie down, and none shall make 7/02i
afraid : and I will ' rid "^ evil beasts out of the
land, neither shall ' the sword go through your
land.
7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they
shall fall before you by the sword.
8 And "five of you shall chase an hundred,
and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand
to flight : and your enemies shall fall before
you by the sword.
» Dcul. 11. 13, 14, 15. & 28. 1—14. ^ Isai. SO. 23. JiEclt. "4. 26, Juel 2.
63, 24. ' Ps. 67, 6. & 8.5. U'. Ezek. 34. 27. J. 3tl 30. Zecli. 8. l'^.
0 Amos 9. 13. ' cli. 25. 19. Deut. 11. 13. Joel 2. 19, 26. f cli. 25. 18.
.lob 11. 18. EzeL 34. 25, 27, 23. s 1 Cliroii. 22. 9. Ps. 29. 11 . & 147. 14.
Isai. 4,j. 7. Hag. 2. 9. " Job 11. 19. Ps. 3. 5. & 4. 8. Isai, 35. 9. Jcr.30.
10. Ezek. 34. 25. Hos. 2. 18. Zeph, 3. 13. ' Heb. cause M «ase
^ 2 Kings 17. 25, Ezek. 5. 17. & 14. 15. ' Ezek. 14. 17. "' Deut. 32.
Verse 3. //' ye walk in my STATt'TESj For the meaning-
of this and similar words used in the Law, see the note on
ver. 15.
Verse 4. Rain in due season] What in Scripture is called
the early and the latter rain. The first fell at the commence-
ment of Spring in Palestine, and the latter in Autumn. —
Calmel.
Verse 5. Your thres/ntis; shall reach unto the z'intagel Ac-
cording to Pliny, Hist. Nat. 1. xviii. c. 18. the Egyptians
reaped their barley six months, and their oats seven months,
after seed-time; for they sowed all their grain about the end
of Summer, when the overflowings of the Nile had ceased.
It was nearly the same in Judea: they sowed their corn and
barley towards the end of Autumn, and about tlie montli of
October ; and they began their barley-harvest after the Pass-
over, about the middle of March : and in one month or six
weeks after, about Pent&:ost, they began that of their wheat
After their wheat-harvest, their vintage commenced. Moses
here leads the Hebrews to hope, if they continued faith-
ful to God, that between their harvest and vintag;e, and be-
tween their vintage and seed-time, there should be no inter-
val, so great should the abundance be ; and tiie,~e promises
would appear to them tlie more impressive, as they had just
now come out of a country where the inhabitants were obliged
to remain, for nearly three months, shut up witiiin their cities,
because the Kile had then inundated the whole country. —
See Calmel.
I 12 'And I will walk among you, and 'will
be your God, and ye shall be my people.
i 13 " I am tlie Lord your God, which brought
you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye
sh.ould not be their bondmen ; "^ and I have
broken tlie bands of yoiu' yoke, and made you
go upright.
, 14 ^ ^ But if ye will not hearken unto me,
and will not do all these commandments ;
j 15 And if ye shall "^ despise my statutes, or if
your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will
not do all my commandments, btit that ye break
my covenant :
30. Josh. 23 10. — -" Exod. 2. 25, 2 Kin^s 13. 23, » Gen. 17. 6, 7. Nell. 9.
23. I's. 107, 38. P rh. 2,5. 2j'. 1 Exod. 2,5. 8. Jc 29. 4.i. Jusli, 22. 19.
Ps.76, 2. Ezek, 37 26, 27,'.;8. Rev. 21. 3. ' c!i, 1-0. 0;«. Deut 32.19.——
' 2 Cur. 6. 16. • Exod, 6. 7. .ler. 7. 23. kU 4. & .30, 22. Ezek. 11. 20.
& 36. 28. " cli. 2,>. 38, 42, 55. " Jer. 2. £0. E.:ek. J;. 27. )' Deut.
28. 15. Lam. 2. 17. Mai. 2. 2. ^ ver. 43. 2Kiiigs 17. 15.
" This is a nervous and beautiful promi.se of such entire
pli-nty of corn and wine, that befoie they cou'd hnye leaped
and threshed out their corn, the vintage si^culd be ready; and
before they could have pressed out their wine, it would be
time to sow again. The prophet Amos, chap. ix. 13. ex-
presses the same blessing in the same manner : The plowman
shall overtake the re.iper, and the Ireader of grapes hi n who
soweth seed." — Dodd.
Verse 11. 1 leill set my tabernacle among you] This and
the following verse contain the grand promise of the Gospel
dispensation, viz, the presence, manifestation, and indwelling
of God in human nature; and his constant indwelling in the
souls of his followers. So .luhn i. 14. the WORD was
made flesh, nxi tixKWcojiy ev nn'v, and SI.'IDE Ills lABER-
N..\ci.E among us. And to this promise of the Law, St. Paul
evidently refers, 2 Cor. vi. 16 — 18. and vii. I.
Verse 15. If ye despise my statutes — abhor my judgments]
As these words, and others of a similar import, which point
out difterent properties of the revelation of God, are fre-
quently occurring, I judge it best to take a general view of
them once for all in this place, and shew Ijow they differ
among themselves, and what property of the divine Law each
points out.
1. Statutes, npf] chukkoth, from nn chak, to mark out,
define, &c. This term seems to signify the things which God
has defined, marked, and traced out, that men might have a
perfect copy of pure conduct always before their eyes, to
6
Avful threalenings CHAP. XXVI. against the disobedient.
A. M. 4514. 16 I also will do tliis unto you ; ^ and cause sorrow of heart: and a.m. 2514.
i V, I will even anponit over you ter-i ye shall sow your seed in vani, ior i^-^ "^w-
Aii.Exod.Isr. ir 1 ,1 -^ 1 . I •' • I 11 ^ -i All. Ej(..d, hr.
s. ror, consiiniption, and the burning your enemies shall eat it. •/.
ague, that shall " consume the eyes.
• Jleb. u/ion you, >> Deut. 28. 6.i, C6, 67. & 3S. J.5. Jer. 15. 8.-
28. 22. 4 1 Sam. 2. 33.
-'■ Deut.
teacli them how they might walk so as to please him in all
things, which they could not do, without such instruction a.s
God gives in his word ; and the help which he aftords by his
Spirit.
2. Judgments. cBSir siiephatim, from mb' sha-
phat, to distinf^tdsh, regulate and delermine; meaning tlio>e
things which God has dcterjnined that men shall pursue ; by
which their whole conduct shall be regulated, making the
proper distinction between virtue and vice, good and evil,
right and wrong, justice and injustice — in a word, between
what is proper to be dune, and what is proper to be left
undone.
3. COMM.\NDMENTS. nii'O MITSEVOTII, from HIS tsuvah,
to command, ordain, and appoint, as a legislator. This term
is properly applied to those parts of the Law which con-
tain the obligation the people are under, to act according
to the statutes, judgments, &c. already established ; and which
prohibit thorn, by penal sanctions, from acting contrary to the
laws.
4. Covenant, nna berith, from is bur, to clear,
cleanse, or purify; because the covenant, the whole system
of revelation, given to the Jews, was intended to separate
them from all the people of the earth, and to make
them holy. Berith also signifies ihe .covenant-sacrijice, which
Jfrefigured the atonement made by Christ for the sin of the
vorUl; by which he purifies believers unto himself, and
makes them a. peculiar jieople, zealous of good uorks. Besides
those four, we may add the following from other places of
scripture.
5. Testimonies, nnp euoth, from iv ad, beyond,
further, besides; because the whole ritual Law referred to
something /H(i7(«r on, or beyond the Jewish dispensation: even
to that sacrifice, which in the fulness of time was to be offered
jbr the sins of men. Thus all the sacrifices, &c. of the
Mosaic law referred to Christ, and bore testimony to him '.vho
was to come.
6. Okdinances. onmiim mishemerotim, from noi:^
sliamar, to guard, keep safe, watch over: Those parts of
divine revelation, which exhorted men to tvatch their ways,
keep their hearts, and promised them, in consequence, the
continual protection and blessing of God their Maker.
7. Precepts. CDnpD pikudim, from ipQ pakad, to
overlook, i\ihe care, or notice of, to visit — a very ex-
pressive character of the divine tcslimonics, the overseers of a
man's conduct, those who stand by .\m\ look on, to see whether
he acts according to the commands of his Master: also, the
visitors, because God's precepts are suited to all the circum-
stances of human life; some are applicable in adversity,
others in prosperity ; some in times of temptation and sadness, 1
others to seasons of spiritual joy and exultation, &c. Sec. Thus j
17 And ^I will set my fiice against
' Deut. 28. SC; SI. Job 31. 8. Jer. 5. 17. & 12. IS. Mic. 6. 15.-
fch. 17. 10.
they may be said to overlook, and vitil man in all times, places,
and circumstances.
8. Truth, nw EMETH, from ox am, to support,
sustain, confirm : because God is immutable who has promised,
threatened, commanded ; and therefore all his promises,
tlireatenings, commandmt-nts, &c. are unalterable and eternal.
Error and falsity promise to direct and sustain, but they fail.
God's word is supported by his own faithfulness, and it supports
and confirms them who conscientiously believe it.
9. Righteousness, ripix tsidekath, from rns isa-
dak, M'hich, though not used as a verb in the Hebrew
bible, seem* to convey from its use as a noun, the idea of
giving just '.veight, or good measure, see chap. xix. 36. This
is one of the characters, which is attributed to the revelation
God makes of himself in Psal. cxix. And by this, the im-
partiality of the divine testimonies is pointed out. God gives
to all their due, and his word distributes to every man accord-
ing to his state, circumstances, talents, graces, &c. to none
too much ; to none too little ; to all enough.
10. WoKD of Jehovah. ,-i>n» ")3n dabar Yehovah,
from 131 dabar, to drive, lead, bring foi-ward ; hence,
to bring forward, or utter one's sentinumts : so, the word
of God is what God has brought forth to man, from his
own mind and counsel: it is a perfect similitude of his own
righteousness, holiness, goodness and truth. This divine law
is sometimes expressed by
11. mox IMRETH, SPEECH or WORD, variously modi,
fied, from ION amar, to branch out, because of the inter-
esting details into which the word of God enters, in order
to instruct man, and make hinj wise unto salvation ; or,
as the apostle expresses it, " God, who at sundry times, and
in divers manners, spake unto the fathers by the prophets,"
a-oXi//.tEj)wf xat 7ro>iUTf07rit(, in viany distinct parcels, and by
various tropes or figures ; a curious and elegant description of
divine revelation. Hob. i. 1.
12. All these, collectively, are termed the LAW, mv>
TORAu, or np' n-fln tor-wh Yehovah, the law of the
Lord, from JTf yarah, to direct, set straight and true, as stones
in a building, to teach and instruct — because this w hole system
of divine revelation is calculated to direct men to the attain-
ment of present and eternal felicity. To set them right in their
notions concerning the supreme God. To order and adjust
them in the several departments of civil and religious society ;
and thus -to teach and instnict them in the knowledge of them-
selves, and in the true knowledge of God. Thus, those who
receive the truth, become the city of the living God — the
temple of the Most High, buitded together for a habitation of
God through the Spirit. To complete this description of the
word law, see the note on Exod. xii. 49. where other
properties of the law of God are specified.
4 D
Awful threaten'mgs
you, and
LEVITICUS.
A.M.'/514.
B. C. 1490.
An.txoiilsr,
yc shall be slain before
your enemies : ^ they that hate you
shall reign over you ; and ' ye shall
AbibotKismi^ flee when none pursueth you.
3 8 And if ye will not yet for all this, hearken
unto me, then I will punish you " seven times
more for your sins.
19 And I will "break the pride of your pow-
er ; and I ' will make your heaven as iron, and
your earth as brass :
20 And your ^ strength shall be spent in
vain : for " your land shall not yield her in-
crease, neither shall the trees of the land yield
their fruits.
21 And if ye walk ' contrary unto me, and
will not hearken unto me ; I will bring seven
times more plagues upon you, according to your
sins.
22 " I will also send wild beasts among you,
which shall rob you of your children, and de-
stroy your cattle, and make you few in number ;
and ' your high ways shall be desolate.
23 And if ye ° will not be reformed by me by
these things, but will walk contrary unto me ;
24 " Then wiM I also walk contrary unto you,
» Dent. 2R. 25. Judg. 2. 14. .Ter. 19. 7. ^ Vs. IOC, 41. ' ver. 36.
p9. 53. d. I'rov. 28. 1- « 1 Sam. 2. 5. Ps. 119. UM. Prov 24. 16.
«lsai. 2.1. U. & -26. o. Eze. . 7. 24. & 30. 6. njciil. 28. 23. — -e P.s.
127. 1. Isai. 49. 4. " Dent. 11. 17. & 28. 18. Haa;. 1. 10. ' Or, o( nil
vilrentures nilh me, and *! ver. 24. '' Dcut. 32. 24. 3 Kings 17. gj. Ezck.
.'). 17. .i< 14.1* — '.ludg. .1.0. 2Chroii. 15. .1. Uai. 3.;. 8. Lam. 1.4.
Zf<:h. 7. 14. "Mcr. 2 M. & 5. :■ Anios 4. 6,-12. °2.Sam. 22. 27.
Ps, la. 26. " lizek. 5. 17. & 6. 3. & 14. 17. & 29. 8. it 33. 2. PMumb.
Verse 16, I ivill even appoint over you terror, Sec] How
dreadful is this curse ! A whole train of evils are here perso-
nified, and appointed to be the governors ot a disobedient
people. Terror is to be one of their keepers : how awful a
state ! to be continually under the influence of dismay ; feel-
ing indescribable evils, and fearing worse. Consumption, nCrUT
shuchephelh, generally allowed to be some kind of atrophy
or marasmus, by which the flesh was consumed, and the whole
body dried up, by raging fever, through lack of sustenance.
See the note on chap, xi 16. How circumstantially were
all these ibreatenings fulfilled in this disobedient and rebeHiou-s
people ! Let a Deist read over this chapter, and compare it
with the state of the Jews since the days of Vespasian, and
then let him doubt the authenticity of this word if he can.
Verse 22. / xuill send wild beasts among: y^} God fulfilled
these threatenings at diflerent times. He sent fety SERPENTS
among them. Num. xxi. 6. LIONS, 2 Kings wii. 25. bears,
2 Kings li. 24-. and threatened them with total desolation, so
that their land should be over-run with wild bcasis, &c. see
Ezek. V. n. Spiritually, says Mr, Ainsworth, these are
MDttked rulers and tyrants that kill and spoil, Prov. xxviii. 15.
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
Aii.Exod.Xsr.
2.
Ahib or JVuoik
egahist the disobedient
and will punish you yet seven times
for your sins.
25 And °I will bring a sword up-
on you, that shall avenge the quar- _
rel of mi/ covenant : and when ye are gathered
together within your cities, •" I will send the
pestilence among j^ou ; and ye shall be dehver-
ed into the hand of the enemy.
26 '' And when I have broken the staff of
your bread, ten women shall bake your bread
in one oven, and they shall deliver t/ou your
bread again by weight : and "■ ye shall eat, and
not be satisfied,
27 And '^ if ye will not for all this, hearken
unto me, but walk contrary unto me ;
28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also ' in
fury ; and I, even I, will chastise you seven
times for your sins.
29 " And ye shall eat the fTesh of your sons,
and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.
30 And " I will destroy your high places, and
cut down your images, and " cast your carcases
upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul
shall ^ abhor you.
3 1 * And I will make your cities waste, and
14. 12. Deut. 28 21. Jer. 14. 12. & &i. 10. & 29. 17, 18. Amos 4. 10,
fPs. 10.). 16. Isai. 3. 1. Eztlc. 4. 16. & 5. IS. Jic 14. 13. 'Isai. ft.
20. Mic. 6. l-l. Hag. 1. 6. "ver. 21, 24. 'Isai. 59. 18. & 6.3. 3. &
66. 15. Jtr. 21. .5. Ezei,. 5. 13, 15. it 8. 18. " Deut. 28. .53. 2Kino>
6.29. E?.(>1<. 5. 10. Lam. 4. 10. Bar. 2. 3. "'2Cliroii. 34. 3, 4, 7. Tsai.
27. 9. Ezck. G. 3, 4, 5, 6, 13. "oKmgs 23. 20. 2 Clirnn. 34. 5. ''Lev.
20. 23. Ps. 78. 59. & b9. 33. Jt-r. 14. 19. ^ Neh. 2. 3. Jer. 4. 7. EzcJt.
6. 6.
Dan. vii. 3 — 6. Psal. Ixxx. 13. And false prophets that da.
vour souls. Matt. vli. 15. Rer. xiii. 1, &c. So the prophet*
speaking of their punishment by tyrants, says, A LION out of
the forest shall slay them ; a WOLF of the evenings shall spoil
them ; a LEO^.^RD shall watch over their cities ; eveiy one that
goeth out thence shall be torn to pieces, because their transgres'
siuns be many. And of their prophets he says, 0 Israel, thy
prophets are like FOXES in the desarts, Ezek, xiii. d. Jer.
viii. 17. XV. :5."
Verse 26. Ten Women shall hake your bread in one oven\
Though, in general, every family in the East bakes its own
bread, yet there are some pulilic bake-houses, where the bread
of .several families is baked at a certain price. Mcses here
foretels that the desolation should be so great, and the want
so pressing, tliat there should be many idle hands to be em*
ployed, many mouths to be fed, and very little for each. Ten
xuotnen shall bake your bread in one oven, &c.
Verse 29. Ye shall eat the Jiesh of your Sons, &c.] Thil
was literally fulfilled at the siege of Jerusalem. Josephus,
Wars of tlie Jew,<, Book vii. chap. 2. gives us a particular
instance in dreadful detail^ of a woman named Mary, wLo ia
A. M. 2M4.
B. C. 1490.
An. Eiod. Isr.
2-
AbHorNiian,
Atfful thrcatenlngSy uith
* bring your sanctuaries unto deso-
lation, and I will not smell the sa-
vour ot" your sweet odours.
32 "And 1 will bring the land into
desolation: and your enemies which dwell there-
in shall be " astonished at it.
33 And ""I will scatter you among the heathen,
and will draw out a sword after you : and your
land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.
34 ' Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths,
as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your
enemies' land ; even then shall the land rest,
and enjoy her sjibbaths.
35 As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest ;
because it did not rest in your ^ sabbaths, when
ye dwelt upon it.
36 And upon them that are left alive of you,
^ I will send a faintness into their hearts in the
lands of their enemies ; and '' the sound of a
' shaken leaf shall chase them ; and they shall
tiee, as Heeing from a sword ; and they shall
lall when none pursueth.
.■)7 And " they shall fall one upon another, as
it were before a sword, when none pursueth :
and ' ye shall have no power to stand beibre
your enemies.
38 And ye shall perish among the, heathen,
and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.
39 And they that ai'e left of you " shall pine
» Vs. 74. 7. Lam. 1. 10. Ezek. 9. 6. h 21. 7. ^}cr. 9. 11. & S5. II,
18. 'Dcut. sa. j7. 1 Kings 9. 8. Jcr. 18. 10 & 19. 8. Ezck. 5. l.i.
"Dcul. 4. 27. Jt 28. 6-1. Ps. 44. 11. Jcr. 9. 16. K/.i-k. 12. 15. & Mi\ 2:5.
& 22. 15. Zrch. 7. 14. 'aCiifon. 3<i. 21. '"cli. 25. 2. c Kzck. 21.
7, 12. 15. " ver. 17. Jiib 1.5. 21. Viov. 28. 1. ' Hub. driven.—
► hai. 10. 4. See .Tudc. 7. 22. 1 Siim. 14. 15, 16 ' Josh. 7. 12, 13. .ludi;.
2. 14. "Dcut. 4. 37. & 28. 65. I^eli. 1. 9. Jcr. 3. 26. & 29. 12, 13.
CHAP. XXVI. promises of mercy,
away in their iniquity, in your ene- a.m. esu.
mies' lands; and also in the iniqui- .^5^**^
ties of their fathers, shall they pine
i the extremity of the famine, during the siege, killed lier suck-
1 iiig child, roasted, and had eaten part of it, when discovered
by ihe soldiers ! See this threatened, Jer. xix. 9.
I Verse 34. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths'] This,
I Houbigant observes to be a historical truth. " From Saul to
the Babylonish captivity are numbered about four hundxd
and ninety years, during which period, there %vere seventy sab-
baths of years ; for 1, multiplied by 70, make 490. Nou
the Babylonish captivity lasted seventy years, and during that
time, the land of Israel rested. Therefore the land rested
just as vumy years, in the Babylonish captivity, as it should
have rested sabbaths, if the Jews had observed the law relative
to the sabbaths of the land." Tliis is a most remarkable
feet, and deserves to be particularly noticed, as a mo.st literal
fulfilment of the prophetic declaration in this verse — Then
a/uU the land etyoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate;
and ye be in your enenues' land.
away with them. " " Ab,borNUan.
40 ^ " If they shall confess their iniquity, and
the iniquity of their fathers, with their tres-
pass which they tre.spassetl against me, and
that also they have walked contrary unto me ;
41 And that I also have walked contrary unto
them, and have brought them into the land of
their enemies ; if then their ° uncircunicised
hearts be '' humbled, and they then accept of
the punishment of their iniquity j
42 Then will I "^ remember my covenant with
Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and
also my covenant with Abraham will I remem-
ber; and I will ' remember the land.
43 ' The land also shall he left of them, and
shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate
without them : and they shall accept of the pu-
nishment of their iniquity : because, even be-
cause they 'despised my judgments, and because
their soul abiioired my statutes.
44 And yet for all that, when they be in the
land of their enemies, " I will not cast them
away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy
them utterly, and to break iny covenant with
them : lor I am the Lord their God.
45 But I will ™ lor their sakes, remember the
Ezek. 4. 17. & 6. 9. & 20. 43. A: 24. 23. & ;B. 10. & 36. 31. Ho>.. 5. l."..
Zech. 10. y. " Nuiiib. ,■>. 7. 1 Kings 8. 33, 35, 47. Ncli. 9. 2. Dan. ".
o, 4. friiv. 28. 13. Luke 15. 1». i John 1. 9. °See Jtr. 6. 10. i 9
25,26. Ezc.. 44. 7. Acl.* 7. 61. Horn. 2. 29. Col. 2. 11. P 1 Kmgj
21. 29. 2Cliron. 12. 6.7, 12. & 32. 26. & 33. 12, 13. ^'txod. 2. 24. Is
6. 5. Vt. 106. 45. Lzek. Id. 60. ' Ps. 136. 2.". ' vcr. 31, S.i.
'ver. 15. "Deut. 4. 31. 2 Kings 13. 23. Koiu. IL 3. "Roin. 11. 28.
Verse 38. The land of your enemies shall eat you tip.] Does
this refer to the total loss of the ten tribes ? These are so com-
pletely swallowed up in some enemies' land, that nothing con-
cerning their e.xistence, or place of residence retnains, but
mere conjecture.
Wrse 4-1-. Neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly]
Thoiigli God has literally fulfilled all Ins ilireatenings upon
this people, in dispossessing them of ilicir land, destroying
their polity, overturning their cit^-, demolishing iheir temple,
and scattering themselves over the face of the whole earth ;
yet he has, in his providence, strangely preserved them as a
distinct ptople, and in very considerable numbers also ! He
still remembers the covenant of their ancestors, and in his pro-
vidence and grace, he has some very impurtant design in thtir
lavoiir. All Israel shall yet be saved : and with the Gentile:*,
tiiey shall all be restored to hi:< favour, anelundcrCbrist Jesus, the
great Shepherd, become with them, one grand everlasting fold f
4 D 2 '
Ordinances concerning
covenant of their ancestors, ^ whom I
brought forth out of the land of Egypt,
in the sight of ^ the heathen, that I
I a?n the Lord.
LEVITICUS.
A.M. 2514.
B.C. 1490.
An.Exod. Isr,
2.
Ahib or Nisan
might be their God :
• Ch. ti. S3. & 25. 38. " Pj. 98. 2. Ezck. 20. 9, 14, 22.
Verse 46. These are tlie statutes and judgments, &c.] See
on ver. 15. This verse appears to be the proper concluding
verse of the whole book: and I rather think that the 21th
chapter originally followed the 25th. As the law was an-
ciently written upon skins of parchment, sheep or goat skins,
pasted or stitched together, and all rolled up in one roll, the
matter being written in columns : one of those columns might
have been very easily displaced, and thus, whole chapters might
have been readily interchanged. It is likely that this might
have been the case in the present instance. Others endeavour
to solve this difficulty, by supposing that the 27th chapter
was added after the book had been finished ; and therefore,
there is apparently a double conclusion, one at the end of
the 26th and the other at the end of the 27th chapter.
different »ow&
46 " These are the statutes, and judg-
ments, and laws, which the Lord made
between him and the children of Israel
* in mount Sinai, by the hand of Moses.
A.M. 2514,
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. Isr,
2.
AbiborNiian.
' Ch. 27.34. Deut. 6. 1. & 12. 1. «c 33. 4. Jobo 1. 17. i ch. 25. 1.
However the above may have been, all the ancient versions
agree in concluding both the chapters in nearly the same
way; yet the 26th chapter must be allowed to be, by far, the
most natural conclusion of the book.
The most important points in this chapter have already
been particularly noticed ii> the notes : and to those on the
15th, .34th, and liie 44th verses the Reader is especially refer-
red. How unwilling is God to cast oft" his people ! and yet how
sure is their rejection, if they refuse to obey and live to him.
No nation has ever been so signally elected as the Jews : and
yet no nation has ever been so signally and so awfully repro-
bated .' O Britain ! be not high minded, but fear I Behold
here, the goodness and severity of God !
CHAPTER XXVII.
Laws concerning vows, 1, 2. Of males and females from ticenty to sixti/ years of age, and their valuation, 3, 4.
Of the same from five to twenty years, 5. Of the same from a month to five years of age, 6. Of males and,
females from sixty years old and upwards, and their valuation, 7- The priest shall value the poor according to
his ability, 8. Concerning beasts that are vozeed, and their valuation, 9 — 13. Concerning the sanctfication of
a house, 14, 15. Concerning the field that is sanctified or consecrated to the Jjord, to the year of jubilee, 16—-
24. Every estimation shall he made in shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, 25. The firstlings of
clean beasts being already the Lord's, cannot be vozied, 26. That of an xinclcan beast may be redeemed, 27»
Mvery thing devoted to God shall be unalienable, and unredeemable, and continue (he Lord's property till death,
28, 29. All the tithe of the land is the Lord's, 30, but it may be redeemed by adding a fifth part, 31. The
tithe of the herd aiul the flock is also his, 32. The tenth, that passes under the rod, shall not be changed, 33.
The conclusion of the book, 34.
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod.hr.
2.
Abib or Nisan.
ND the Lord spake unto Mo-
ses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel,
and say unto them, * When a man
A'
'Nurab. 6. 2. See Judg. 11. 30, 31, 39. 1 Sam. 1. 11, 28.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXVlI.
Verse 2. Wheii a man shall make a singular rouj] Tlie verse
is s\jprt and obscure, and may be translattd thus — A man who
shall have separated a vow, according to thy estimation, of souls
vnio the Lord — which may be paraphrased thus. He who
shall have vowed, or consecrated a soul, i. e. a living creature,
whether man or beast, if he wish to redeem what he has thus
TOwed, or consecrated, he shall ransom or redeem it, aceord-
ing to the priest's estimation : for the priest shall judge of the
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod. Isr.
2.
Ahib or NiittTi^
shall make a singular vow, the per-
sons shall be for the Lord, by thy es-
timation.
3 ^ And thy estimation shall be
Geu. 28. 20—22. Deut. 23. 21—23.
properties, qualifications, and age of the person or beast, and
the circumstanres of the person who has vowed it, and shall
ngulate the value accordingly; and the money shall be put
into his hands, for the service of the sanctuary. A vow, say*
Mr. .Auiswortli, is a religious promise made unto the Lord,,
and for the most part with prayer, and paid with thanksgiving.
Numb. xxi. 9, 3. Psal. l.xvi. 13, 14. Vows were eiib r of
absmience, such as are spoken of. Numb. xxx. and the vowi:
of the Nazarite, Numb. vi. or they were to give something
n
Things voxoed, and
CHAP. XXVII.
kow to be redeemed.
A.M. '25)4. Qf the male, fi-om twenty years old
B.C. 1490. even unto sixty years old, even thy
"■ 2" " "' estimation ' shall be fifty shekels of
Mii-or]^ gjj^.g^^ bj^fjgr the shekel "of the sane
tuary.
4 And if it be a female, then thy estimation
shall be thirty shekels.
5 And if it he from five years old even unto
twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be
of the male twenty shekels, and for the iemale
ten shekels.
• 6 And if it be from a month old even unto five
years old, then thy estimation shall be of the
male five shekels of silver, and for the Ie-
male, thy estimation sfiall be three shekels of
silver.
7 And if it be from sixty years old and above ;
if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be
fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
8 But if he be poorer than thy estimation,
then he shall present himself before the priest,
and the priest shall value him; according to his
» Num. 13. 16. ^^ Exod. 30. 13. ' Jam. 1. 8.
to the Lord, as sacrifices. Lev. vii. 16. or the value of per-
sons, beasts, houses, or lands, concerning which, the law is
here given. A man miglit vow or devote lUmsetf, his child-
rtn, (ver. 5, 6.) his domestics, his cattle, his t;oods, &c. And
in this chapter, rules are laid down for the redemption of all
these things. But, if after consecratinfj these things, he re-
fused to redeenn them, then they heeaine the Lord's property
for ever. The persons continued all their lives devoted to tiie
service of the sanctuary ; the goods were sold for the profit
of the temple or the priests ; the animals, if clean, were of-
fered in sacrifice ; if not proper for sacrifice, were sold, and
the price devoted to sacred uses. This is a general view
of the diflcrent laws, relative to vows, mentioned in tlu.<
chapter.
Verse .3. Fro)ii twenty years old even unto sixty— fifty
shekels] A man from tivaiiy to sixty years of age, if conse-
crated to the Lord by a vow, might be redeemed for Jffty
shekels, which at 3«. each, amounted to II. 10s. sterling.
Verse 4. And if it he a femuli] The vjoman, at the same
age, vowed unto the Lord, might be redeemed for thirty
shekels, 41. 10s. sttiling, a little more than one half of
the value of the man; tor this obvious reason, that a woimm
if employed, couid not be of so nuieh use in the service of the
sanctuary as the tiKin ; and therefore of much less value.
Verse 5. From five years old] The boy that was vowed,
might be redeemed Cot twenty shekels, 3/. sterling; ihe girl,
for ten shekels, just one lialf, 1 / 10 s.
Verse 6. A month old] The male child. Jive slu'kels, 1 5 s.
the/t/H«/e, Mree shekels, 9s. Bemg tioth in comparative in-
fancy, they were aearly of an equal value. None were vowed
ability that vowed, shall the priest a.m.2.m4.
, ■', . ^ B C. 1490.
value him. .^ , , , ^ An.Exod.hr.
9 If And It tt be a beast, whereof x.
, . Lf ■ i ii T _ AbiboT Mian.
men bnng an ofienng unto the Loed, __
all that 0712/ man giveth of such unto the Lord,
shall be holy.
10 He " shall not alter it, nor change it, a good
for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at
all change beast for beast, then it and the ex-
change thereof shall be holy.
1 1 And if it be any unclean beast, of which
they do not otter a sacrifice unto the Lord, then
he shall present the beast before the priest:
12 And the priest shall value it, whether it
be good or bad : '' as thou valuest it, 7c7/o art
the priest, so shall it be.
13 ' But if he will at all redeem it, then
he shall add a fifth part thereof, unto tliy csti-
niation.
14 % And when a man shall sanctif)" his house
to be holy unto the Lord, then the priest shall
estimate" it, whether it be good or bad : as the
* Ileb. accordiitg to thy titimatimi, 0 priest, ^c. ' »er. 15, 19.
under a month old : the first-born being always considered at
the Lord's property, could not be vowed, see ver. 26.
Verse 7. Sixty years old] The old man and the old woman
being nearly past labour, were nearly of an equal value;
hence the one was estimated at fifteen shekels, 2 1. 5 .'. the
oiher at ten shekels, I /. 10*. This was about the same ratio
of the children, ver. 5. and for the same reason.
Ver-e 10. He shall not alter it, or change it, a good for a
bud, &c.] Whatever was consecrated to God by a vow, or
purpose of heart, was considered from that moment as the
Lord's property; to change which, ^as impiety; to withhold
It, sacrilege. Reader, hast thou ever dedicated thyself, or
any part of thy property, to the service of thy Maker ? If so,
hast thou paid thy vows ? Or hast thou altered thy purpose,
or changed thy offering .» Has he received from thy hands a
bad for d good ? ^\■ert thou not vowed and consecrated to
God in thy baptism .? Are his vows still upon thee ? Hast
thou " renounced the Devil and all his works, the pomps and
vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the
flesh?" Dost thou feel thyself bound " to keep God's holy
will and conmiandments, and walk in the same all the days
of thy life?" Was not this thy baptismal covenant? And
hast thou renounced IT .? Take heed ! God is not mocked :
that which thou sowest, thou shalt also reap. If thou rob
God ol thy heart, he will <U prive thee of his heaven.
Vei>e 11. Any unclean beast] See on ver. 2.
Ver-e 13. Shall add a fij)h ptiri] This was probably
inteiidtd to prevent rash vows, and covetous redemptions.
The pnesl alone, was to value llie thing; and to whatever his
valuation was, a fifth part must be added by liia\ who
Things vo'wed, atid
LEVITICUS.
Jioii:> to he redeemed.
A.ir. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod.Isr.
2.
AbiiiirKiiiin.
priest shall estimate it, so shall it
stand.
1 5 * And if he that sanctified it will
redeem his house, then he shall add
the fifth part of the money ot thy estimation
unto it, and it shall be his.
16 ^ And if a man shall sanctify unto the
Lord some part of a field of his possession, then
thy estimation shall be according to the seed
thereof: ^ a homer of barley seed shall be valued
at fifty shekels of silver.
17 If he sanctify his field from the year of
jubilee, according to thy estimation it shall
stand.
18 But if he sanctify his field afler the jubilee,
then the priest shall ^ reckon unto him the
money according to the years that remain, even
unto the year of the jubilee, and it shall be
abated from thy estimation.
19 '' And if he that sanctified the field, will
in any wise redeem it, then he shall add the
fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto
it, and it shall be assured to him.
20 And if he will not redeem the field, or
if lie have sold the field to another man, it shall
not be redeemed any more.
21 But the field, ^when it goeth out in the
jubilee, shall be holy unto the Lord, as a field
* devoted ; ^ the possession thereof shall be the
priest's.
22 And if a man sanctify unto the Lord a field
» Ver. 13. >> Or, the land of a homer, tj-c. <: ch. 2^. 1,5, 16.
•> ver. lo. >= cli. 25. 10, ;>8, 31. 'vcr. 28. sNumb. 18. 14. Ezck.
44. 2?. " ch. 25. 10, 25. ' ver. 28. " ch. 25. 2S. ' E.xod. 30. 13.
wi.^lied to redeem the consecrated thing. Thus, if the priest
valued if at foriy shekels, if the former owner redeemed it,
he was obhsjed to \i\ve Jifl)/.
Verse 14. SluiU sanclij'y Itis hoiise] The yearly rent of
which, when thus consecrated, went towards tlie repairs of
iLe tahcrnacle; which was the house of tlie Lord.
Verse 16. .Some pan of a Jield] Though the preceding
words are not in the text, yet it is generally allowed they
should be supplied here, as it was not lawful for a man to
▼ow his li/ioie estate, and thus make his family beggars, in
order to enrich the Lord's sanctuary : tiiLs, God would not
permit. The Rabbins teach, that the land or field, whether
good or bad, was valued at _fiftj/ shekels, for all the years of
the jubilee, provi<lcd the field was large enough to sow a
homer of barley. The "lOH ckonier was ditfcrent from the ")I31?
omer — the latter held about three quarts ; the former, ser^enly-
fifc gallons three pints ; see the note on Exod. xvi. 16. Some
suppose that the laud was rated not at f/ty shekels, for the
Numb. 3. 47. & 18. 16. Ezck. 45. 12. ™ Heb. Jirst-horn, 4,-c. * Exod.
13. 2, 12. k 22. 30. Numb. 18. 1*. Deut. 15. 19. " v«r. 11, 12, 13.——
f ver. 21. Josh. 6. 17, 18, 19. 1 Numb. 21. 2, 3.
whole of the years of the jubilee, for this would be but about
3s. per annum ; but, that it was rated accordin:^ to its produce,
fifty shekels for every homer of barley it produced.
Verse 21. As a field devoted'] It is ZDlM cherem, a thing
so devoted to God, as never more to be capable of being re-
deemed.— See on ver. 29.
Verse 25. Shekel of the sanctuary'] A standard shekel;
the standard being kept in the sanctuary to try and regulate
all the weights in the land by. — See Gen. xx. 16. XTtiii. 15.
Verse 28. No devoted thing — shall be sold or redeemed] Tliis
is the CDin cherem, which always meant an absolute unredeem-
able grant to God.
Verse 29. Ifliich shall be devoted of men] Every man who
is devoted, shall surely be put to death; or, as some under-
stand it, be the Lord's property, or be employed in his
service till death. The law mentioned in the.se two verses,
has been appt aled to by the enemies of divine revelation, as a
proof, that under the Mosaic di.spensatJon, human sacrificet
2
which he hath bought, which «« not a.m. 2514.
of the fields of " his possession ; f S" ^f^-
23 ' Ihen the priest shall reckon 2.
unto him the worth of thy estima- ^'''^°''^"''"-
tion, even unto the year of the jubilee : and he
shall give thine estimation in that day, as a holy
thing unto the Lord.
24 " In the year of the jubilee the field shall
return unto him of whom it was bought, even
to him to whom the possession of the land did
belong.
25 And aU thy estimations shall be according
to the shekel of the sanctuary : ' twenty gerahs
shall be the shekel.
26 f Only the ""firstling" of the beasts, which
should be the Lord's firsthng, no man shall
sanctify it ; whether it be ox, or sheep : it is
the Lord's.
27 And if it be of an unclean beast, then he
shall redeem it according to thine estimation, ,
"and shall add a fifth j^ar^ of it thereto: or if it '
be not redeemed, then it shall be sold accord-
ing to thy estimation.
28 ^ " Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that ]
a man shall devote unto the Lord of all that he
hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of
his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every
devoted thing is most holy unto the Lord.
29 ■* None devoted, which shall be devoted of
men, shall be redeemed j but shall surely be put
to death.
B.C. IIW.
An. Eiod.Iw.
t.
AhiboT J\'tSrt?i.
Concerning the tithe of the CHAP.
A.M.25U. 30 ^ And 'all the tithe of the
lai)d, ivliether of the seed of the
land, or of the fruit of the tree, is
the Loivd's : it is holy unto the
Lord.
SI " And if a man will at all redeem atght of
his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part
thereof
32 And concerning the tithe of the herd,
or of the flock, even of whatsoever ' passeth
•Gen. 28. 22. Numb. 18. 21, S4. S Chron. 31. 5, 6, 12. Neli. 13. 12.
Mai. 3. 8, 10.
XXVII.
land, the herd, and thejtock.
were offered to God ; but this can never be conceded. Had
there been such a law, it certainly would have been more
explicitly revealed, and not left in the compass of a few
words only, where the meaning is very difiiciill to be ascer-
tained ; and the words themselves difTtrently translated bj'
most interpreters. That there v/ere persons dtvofed to destruc-
tion, under the Mosaic dispensation, is sufticlcntly evident ;
for the whole Canaanitish nations were thus devoted by the
Supreme Being himself; because the cup of iheir initjuily
was full — but that lliey were not sacrijiced to God, the whole
history suflBciently declares. Iloubi^aiit understands the
passage as speaking of these alone; and says, Non alios
liccbat unathemute voveri, quam Chanunaos, quosjusscrai J3ch.?
ad internecionem dekri. " It was not lawful to devote any
persons to death but the Canaanitcs, whom God had com-
manded to be entirely extirpated." This is jjcrfectly correct ;
but he might have added, that it was because they were ihe
most impure idolattrs, and because the cup of their iniquity
was full. These, God commanded to be put to death : and
who can doubt his right to do so, who is tlie maker of man,
and the fountain of ju.stice ? But what has this to do with
human sucrifices ? Just rwthing. No more than the execution
' of an ordinary criminal, or a traitor, in the common course
of justice, has to do with a sacrifice to God. In the de-
', struction of such idolaters, no religious formality whatever
was observed ; nor any thmg that could give ihe transaction
even the most distant semblance of a sacrifice. In this way,
; Jcneho was commanded to be destroyed, Jo.sh. vi. IT. and
i the Ainaiekites, Ueut. xxv. 19. 1 Sam. xv. 3. But in all
' thtse cases, the people commanded to he destroyed, were
such sinners as God's justice did not think proper to spare
longer. And has not every system of law the same power ?
I And do we not concede such power to the civil magistrate,
for the welfare of the state } God, who is the sovereign
Arliitier of lilie and death, acts here in his juridical and
legislative capacity; but these are victims to justice — not rt-
ligioits sacnjices.
i It may be necessary just farther to note, that two kinds of
^Vows are mentioned in this chapter: 1st. The TU nedcr, (see
on chap, vii.) which comprehends all those things which,
*hen once devoted, might be redeemed at a certain pricf ,
according to the valuation of the priest. 2dly. 'J he SiH
thcretn, those things vowed to God, of which there remained
under the rod, the tenth shall be a.m.joh.
holy unto the Loud. ^^■^': 'f,'-
•',,,,, 111 • .'ill. i.\ud.Isr.
33 He shall not search whether it «.
be good or bad, " neither shall he ^>>''""^^''"'"-
change it: and if he change it at all, then both
it and the change thereof shall be holy ; it shall
not be redeemed.
34 * These are the commanciments, which the
Loud commanded Moses for the children of
Israel in motuit Sinai.
" Vcr. 13.-
-' S«» Jer. 33. 15. E»ek. aO. 37. Mic. 7. 14.-
«cli.26. 46.
-" ver. 10.
no power of redemption ; they were most holy ; i. e. so abso«
lutely devoted to God, that they could neither be changed,
alienated, nor redeemed : probably, because no mental re-
servation had been made, as in the above case, may be sup^
posed. On this ground, the word was afterwards applied to
the most solemn and awful kind of excommwiication — mean-
ing a person so entirely devoted to tlie stroke of vindictire
justice, as never to be capable of receiving pardon ; and
hence the word may be well applied in this sense to the
Canaa/iiles, the cup of who>e iniquity was full, and who were
consigned, without reprieve, to tinal exteniiination.
Verse 30. All the tithe of the land] This God claims as
his own ; and it is spoken of here as being a point perfectly
settled, and concerning which there was neither duubl nor
difficulty. — See my view of this subject. Gen. xxviii. after
verse 22d, to which 1 do not see the necessity of adding any
thing.
Verse ,'52. Whatsoever passeth under the rod] The sigiifi.
cation of this verse is well given by the Rabl)ins. " \\'hen a
man was to give the tithe of his sheep or calves to God, he
was to shut up the whole flock in one fold, in yihich there
was one narrow door capable of letting out one at a time.
Tlie owner, about to give the tenth to the Lord, stood by the
door with a rod in his hand, the end of which was dip|icd m
vermilion, or red oihre. The mothers of those lambs or
calves stood without : the door being opened, the young ones
ran out to join themselves to their dams; and as they passed
out, the owner stood with his rod over them, and counted
i, 2, 3, 4, 5, &c. and when the tenth came, he touched it
with die coloured rod, by which it was distinguished to be
the tithe calf, sheep, &c. and whether poor or lean, perfect
or blemished, that was received as the legitimate lithe." It
seems to be in reference to this custom, that the prophet
I'lzekiel, speaking to Israel, says, I tvill cause you to pass un*
dcr the rod, and ivill bring you into the bond i<f the covenant :—
you shall be once move claimed as the Lord's property, and
be in all things devoted to his service, being marked, or as»
certaiiied by especial providences and manileslations of hiS-
kindness, to be his peculiar people^
Verse 34. These are the commandn\ents] This ecnclusion i?
very similar to that at the end of the preceding chapter. 1 have
already sup|X)sed, that this chapter should have I'ollowtd llj»
25th, and that the 26th «iiginail> leiminated (6« bvvk.
Concluding remarlcs.
LEVITICUS.
Masoretic notes.
Mr. Ainsioorth, the wlwle of whose writings are animated
with the spiiit of pjety, concludes this book with the follow-
ing excellent remarks.
" The tithes in Israel being thus sanctified by the com-
mandment of God, to liis honour, the maintenance of his
ministers, and the relief of the poor, it taught them, and
teaches us to honour the Lord ■with our substance, Prov. iii. 9.
acknowledging him to be the author of all our increase and
store, Dent. viii. 13 — 18. Hos. ii. 8. To honour his MI-
NISTERS, and to communicate unto them in all good things,
1 Tim. V. 17, IS. Gulat. vi. 6. that tltey who sow unto us
spiritual things, should reap our carnal things, 1 Cor. ix. II.
And to give ALMS of such things as lue have, that all things
may he clear unto us, Luke xi. 41. Yea even to sell that we
have, and give alms ; to provide ourselves bags that wax not old,
a treasure in the heavens thatfaileth not, Luke xii. 33." — They
who forget their Maker, his ministers, and the poor, are never
likely to hear that blessed word in the great day ; " Come
ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for
you — for 1 was hungry, and j/e gave me meat, thirsty, andj/e
gave me drink, naked, and ye clothed me, sick, and in pri-
son, and^e came unto me."
Reader, thou hast now gone through the whole of this
most interesting book ; a book, whose subject is too little re-
garded by Christians in general. Here thou mayest discover
the rigid requisitions of divine justice ; the sinfulness of sin ;
the exceeding breadth of the commandment; and the end of
all human perfection. And now what thickest thou of that
word .? "Whatsoever the law saith, it saith to them who are un-
der the law," Rom. iii. 19. But who are under the law, the
condemning power of the pure, rigid, moral law of God ? Not
the Jews only, but every soul of man : all to whom it is sent,
and who acknowledge it as a divine revelation, and have not
been redeemed from the guilt of sin by the grace of oir Lord
Jesus Christ ; for " cursed is every one that continueth not
in all things that are written in the book of the law to do
them." By this law then is the knowledge, but not the cure,
of sin. Hear then what God saith unto thee: " If therefore
perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the
])eople received the law,) what further need was there that
another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and
not be called after the order of Aaron ? For the priesthood
being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of
the law, Hcb. vii. 11, 12. Now of the things which we
have spoken, this is the sum : We have such a high-priest,
who is set on the right-hand of the throne of the majesty in
the heavens ; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true
tabernacle, whicii the Lord pitched, and not man. For it
is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats s'hould
take away sins. Ibid. x. 4. But Christ being come a high-
priest of good things to come,— neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the
holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. And
for this cause, he is the mediator of the new testament, that
by means of death, — they which are called might receive the
promise of eternal inheritance. And without shedding of
blood is no reunssion. So Christ was once ofiered to bear
the sins of manv : and unto them that look for him shall he
appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation," Heb,
ix. 11, 12 — 15 — 22 — 28. We see then that Christ was the
END of the law for righteousness {for Justification) to every
one that believeth. Unto him, therefore, who hath loved
us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath
made us kings and priests unto God and his Father ; to him be
glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Rev. i. 5, 6.
SECTIONS in the Book of Leviticus, carried on from
Exodus which ends with the TWF.NTY-THIRB.
The TWENTY-FOURTH, called jnpM vayikra, begins chap,
i. 6 and ends chap. vi. T. ^
The TWENTY-FIFTH, called IX tsav, begins chap. vi. 8. and
ends chap. viii. 36.
Tiie TWENTY-SIXTH, called 'J'OB' shemini, begins chap, ix,
1. and ends cliap. xi. 47.
The TWENTY-SEVENTH, Called pnTH tazrid, begins chap,
xii. 1. and ends chap. xiii. 59.
The TWENTY-EIGHTH, called jnSO mitsora, begins chap,
xiv. i. and ends chap. xv. 33.
The TWENTY-NINTH, called niO nTlX acharey mot, begins
chap. xvi. 1. and ends chap, xviii. 30.
The THIRTIETH, called n'B'lp kedoshim, begins chap. xis.
1. and ends chap. xx. 27.
The THIRTY-FIRST, called ■lO^? emor, begins chap. xxi. 1.
and ends chap. xxiv. 23.
The THIRTY-SECOND, called »3»D "ma behar Sinai, begins
chap. XXV. 1. and ends chap. xxvi. 2.
The THIRTY-THIRD, Called »npn3 bechukotm, begins chap,
xxvi. 3. and ends chap, xxvii. 34.
These sections, as was observed on Exodus, have their tech-
nical names from some remarkable word, either in the first
or second verse of their commencement.
Masoretic Notes on Leviticus,
The number of verses in Vayikra, i. e. Leviticus, is 859.
The symbol of which is ^'tSi. Pe t\ final stands for 800, nun 3
for 50, and teth t3 for 9.
The middle verse is the 11th of chap. xv. And he that
lovcheth the flesh, &c.
Its paresltioth, or larger sections, are 10, the memorial
symbol of which is taken from Gen. xxx. 11. 1^X3 ba gad,
a troop cometh : in which beth 3 stands for 2, aleph N for 1,
gimel i for 3, and daleth 1 for 4.
Its sedarim, or Masoretic sections, are 23. The symbol
of which is taken from Psal. i. 2. njiT yehegeh. In thy laio
shall he .MEDITATE day and night.
lis perakim, or modern chapters, are 27. The memorial
sign of which i>s rrnXI ve-eheyeh, Gen. xxvi. 3. AND I WILL
BE icith thee, and will bless thee.
The inimber of its open divisions, is 52 : of its close divi-
sio7is, 46: total, 98. The memorial sign of which is TVitsach,
ClanL V. 10. My beloved zs WHITE and mddy. In this word,
tsaddi S stands for 90, and cheth H for 8.
Verses, 859. Words, 11,902. Letters, computed
to be 44,989.
See the concluding note on GENESIS.
PREFACE TO THE BOOK
OP
NUMBERS.
k
■< This, which is the fourth book in order, of the Pentateuch, has been called Numbers, from
■ its con'tainin.^ an account of the numbering and marsMUng the Israelites, in their journey
' through the wilderness to the promised land. Its English name is derived from the title it
bearskin the Vulgate Latin, Numeri, which is a literal translation of the Greek word A^i^^o/,
its title in the Septuagint ; and from both, our Saxon ancestors called it Detei, numeration :
« because in this, the children of Israel were numbered," F-n t-'n |,e Irnabela be.nn },.e,.on on ),a-ne
.ereai.. This title, howevcr, does not properly apply to more than the three first chapters, and
the xxvi The book, like the preceding, takes its name among the Hebkews, from a distmguish-
inc. word in the commencement. It is frequently caUed inTi Va-yedabber, and he spoke, from
its" initial word ; but in most Hebrew bibles, its running title is 121,02 Bemidbar tn the
wilderness, which is the/i/?/t word in the//-5/ verse. ^ ,u /r , ^ f .1 . y? -c/
The contents of the book of Numbers arc briefly the followmg : On the/r^/ day of the > st
month of the second year after the departure from Egypt, the tabernacle being erected and
it and the priests consecrated, Moses is commanded to make a census or enumeration of the
people, the Levites excepted, who were appointed to watch over, guard, pitch and cany the
tabernacle and its holy furniture.— Chap. i.
To form the vast mass of the people into a regular camp, each tnbe by itself under
its own captain or chief, known by his proper standard, and occupying an assigned place lu
reference to the tabernacle.— Chap. ii. ^ , , i i , r-^.i
Moses is commanded to separate the Levites to the service of the tabernacle, whom God
chuses to take, instead of the first-born of every flimily, which he clauned as his own. When
these were selected in their families, &c. the sum amounted to 22,273.-Chap. in.
All this tribe is appointed to serve the tabernacle in a variety of offices, each person from
the age of thirty till fifty, after which he was excused from farther service.-Chap. iv.
4 E
PREFACE TO NUMBERS^
When these points were settled, God commands them to purify the camp, by the expulsion
of every unclean person, and establishes the trial of the suspected adultress by the waters of
jealousy. — Cliap. v.
He next institutes the laws relative to Nazarites ; and lays do^nl the Jorm according to
which the people shall be blessed. — Chap. vi.
Then follows a particular account of the offerings made to the tabernacle, by the princes
or chiefs of the twelve tribes, and the amount of those offerings. — Chap. vii.
When this work was finished, the Levites were consecrated to their respective services, and
the duration of the service of each ascertained. — Chap. viii.
The pass-over is commanded to be kept, and the first one is celebrated in the' wilderness,
on the 14th of the first month, of the second year after their departure fr^m Egypt;^Chap. ix.
Moses is commanded to make two silver trumpets ; he is informed of their use — in what order
the different tribes shall march ; with the ceremonies at fixing and removing the tabernacle,,
and the departure of the people from the wilderness of Sinai, on the 20th day, of the second
month, of the second year of their Exodus fi-om Egypt., — Chap. x.
Tiie people murmuring, the fire of the Lord consumes many of them ; it ceases on the
intercession of Moses ; they murmur again — Quails are sent, and they are smitten with a great,
plague. — Chap. xi.
Miriam and her brother Aaron rise up seditiously against Moses, having conceived some
dislike against his CusJiite wife ; and' supposing that he assumed too great an authority over
the people ; at this sedition the Lord is disijleased, and smites Miriam with the leprosy. —
Chap. xii.
Twelve spies are sent to examine the promised land ; — they pass through the whole, return-
at the end of forty days, and by bringing an evil report, dishearten the people. — Chap. xiii.
Li consequence of this, the whole congregation meditate a return to Egypt — God is displeased,,
and pronounces that all of them, from twenty years old and upwards, shall die in the wil-
derness.— They repent — attack the Amalekites contrary to the commandment of God, and are.
discomfited. — Chap. xiv.
A number of ordinances and directions are given, relative to the manner of conducting the
worship of God in the promised land — different laws are repeated, and. a sabbath-breaker;
stoned to death. — Chap. xv.
Korah, Dathan, Abiram and their associates, form an insurrection against Moses- — they are
swallowed up by an earthquake — the congregation murmur, and 14,700 of them are cut off. —
Chap. xvi.
As a proof that Gotl had called Aaron and his family to the piiestliood : his rod, or stajf, luds,,
and miraculously brings ibrth blossoms and Jhiit, and is commanded to be laid up before the Tes-
timony.— Chap. xvii.
The charges of the Priests and Levites, and th« portions they were to have of the Lord's offer-
ings, for their support in the work. — Chap, xviii.
The ordinances of the red heij'er ; — the xcater of furljication, and its uses. — Chap. xix.
The death of Miriam — the waters of Mcribah.— The Lord tcUs Moses, that because he didv
PREFACE TO NUMBERS.
aiot sanctify Iiim in tlie eyes of the congregation, lie shall not bring the people into tlie
promised land. Tiic king of Edom refuses the Israelites a passage througii In's territories* —
-Aaron is stripped of his sacerdotal vestments on mount Hor, and they are put on Eleazar, his
son, who is to be high-priest in his stead. Aaron ches, and the people mourn for him thirty days.
— Chap. XX.
ylrad, one of the Canaanitish kings, attacks Israel, and he and his people are utterly destroy-
ed— the people murmur lor lack of bread and water— //V/y serpents are sent among them, they
•repent— are healed by looking at a brazen scrpetit — they journey and come to Beer, where they
id water — Si/io/i, king of the Amorites, attacks them, and is defeated — so is likewise Og,
king of Bashan, and the people possess the lands of both. — Chap. xxi.
Balak, king of Moab, sends for Balaam to curse Israel ; he dejjarts, is opposed by an angel,
and reproved by his ass, whom God, for the purpose, miraculously endued with the gift of
speech. — He comes to Balak, king of IMoab, and shews him that Jehovah had limited his power.
— Chap. xxii.
Balak offers sacrifices, and Balaam, under the influence of God, prophesies good concerning
\ Israel. — Chap, xxiii.
f Continuing to forctel the prosperity of Israel, and the destruction of their enemies, the king
I of Moab dismisses Balaam in great wrath. — Chap. xxiv.
The Israelites, seduced by the women of Jlfuab and Midiaji, commit fornication and idolatry :
— the chiefs are hanged — bold act of Phineas — Chap. xxv.
A second census, or enumeration of the people takes place, and the amount is 601,730, among
whom not one of those of the first census was now found, except Joshua and Caleb. — Chap. xxvi.
From the case of the daughters of Zelopliebad, a law is made to enable daughters to inherit.
]Moses ascends mount Abarim, sees the promised land, and constitutes Joshua his successor. —
Chap, xxvii.
A repetition of the laws relative to burnt-ojfcrings, the sabbath, the j)ass-ovcr, Jirst-fruits, &c.
— Chap, xxviii.
The three solemnities of the seventh month are commanded to be held on tlio Jii'st, tenth, anil
juurteenth days of the month. — Chap. xxix.
Several laws and ordinances concerning vo'ws of different kinds, made by various persons :
-when they should be confirmed, and in what cases annulled. — Chap. xxx.
Twelve thousand Israelites go against the people of Midian, and slay them, their five kings,
and Balaam their prophet ; and the Israelites take immense booty in persons, cattle, gold, silver,
and precious stones, of which they make a great offering to the Lord, because in this contest, they
lost not one man. — Chap. xxxi. •
The children of Ecu ben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, request to receive for their in-
heritance, the territories of Sihon and Og on the east side of Jordan : their desire is granted on the
condition of their going over armed with their brethren, to assist them in conquering the land.
— Chap, xxxii.
A circumstantial account of the forty-two journies of the Israelites from their departure fr©in
liameses, till their arrival at Jordan. They are commanded to expel all the ancient inhabitants.
— Chap, xxxiii.
4 E.2
PREFACE TO NUMBERS.
Tlie borders of the land are described, and the persons appointed by God, who should assist
Joshua in dividing the land among the nine tribes and half. — Chap, xxxiv.
Forty-eight cities are to be assigned to the Levites, out of the twelve tribes, for tlieir goods
and for their cattle ; and out of these, they were to appoint six cities of refuge, for the person
who had unawares slain his neighbour : to one of which cities the manslayer was to escape, and
tarry there till the death of the high priest. — Chap. xxxv.
A law established that the daughters to whom the paternal inheritance descends, shall not marry
out of their own ti'ibes, lest their inheritances should become alienated and lost, by being blended
with those of other tribes, chaji. xxxvi. — See the case of Zelophehad's daughters. — Chap, xxvii.
In this book, which comprehends the history of between thirty-eight and thirty-nine years,
we have in one word, a distinct account of the several stages of the Israelites' journey in the
wilderness, the various occurrences on the way ; their trials, rebellions, punishments, deliver-
ances, conquests, kc. with sevei-al laws and ordinances, not mentioned in the preceding books ;
together with a repetition and explanation of some others which had been previously delivered.
The whole forming a most interesting history of the Justice, Mercy, and Providence of God.
THE
FOURTH BOOK Ol MOSES,
CALLED
NUMBERS.
Year before the common Year of CJirist, 149O. — Julian Period, 32'24. — Cycle of the Sun, 27. — Dominical Letter, D.'
Cycle of the Moon, 0. — Intliction, 6.— Creation from Tisri or September, 2514.
CHAPTER I.
I On the first day of the second month of the second year after Israel came out of Egypt, God commamh Moses
m to 7iumber all the males of the people from twenty years atid itpzcards, who nere effective men, and able to s;o
P to war, 1 — 3. A chief of each tribe is associated uith Moses and Aaron in this business, 4. the names of uhom
are given, 5 — 16. Moses assembles the people, tcho declare their pedigrees according to their families, 17 — 19.
The descendants of Keuben are numbered, and amount to 4^,500, ver. CO, 21. Those of Simeon, 59,300,
ver. '20., 23. ThoseofGAD, 4;),6jO, rer. 24, 25. Those of Jvdau, 74,600, vtr. 26, 27. Those of Lssach An,
54,400, ver. 28, 29. Those o/Zebulun, 57,400, ler. 30, 31. Those of Evhraiu, 40,500, tcr. 32, 33. Those
o/" Man A ssEii, 32,200, re;-. 34, 35. I'Aosco/'Benjamin, 35,400, ver.36,37. 3'Aosf q/" Dan, 62,700, rer.38,
39. Those q/'AsiiER, 41,500, ver. 40, 41. Those oj Naphtali, 53,400, rer. 4<2, 43. The amount of all
the effective men in Israel, from twenty i/ears old and upwards, was 603,550, ter. 44 — 46. The LEvnr.s
are not numbered with the tribes, because they ztere dedicated to the se7rice of God. Their particular work is
specified, 47 — 54.
A.M. Silt. AND the Lord spake unto Moses ]] in the second year after they were
A'
B.C. 1490. y-» a jjj ^j^^ wilderness of Shiai, "in 'come out of the land of Egypt, say-
2. the tabernacle or the congregation,
on the first day of the second month,
Ij'tr or Zif.
• Exod. 19. 1. Numb. 10. II, 12. ' Exod. 25. 22.
NOTES ON CTIAP. I.
Verse 1. The I^ord spake unto Moses — on the first day of
the seeond month'\ As the tabernacle was erected upon the first
clay of the first month, in the second year, after their coming
out of Egypt, Exod. xl. n. and this mnsifrof tiie people was
made on the first day of the second montii, in the same year; it
<fc evident that the transactions related io the preceding book.
ing.
A. M. 2514.
B.C. 1490.
An.Exod.Isr.
2 ' Take ye the sum of all the con-
Ijar or Zif.
' E.xod. SO. 12. ie 30. 26. ch. 26. 2, G3, 64. 2 Sam. 24. 2. 1 Cliroii.21.2.
must all have taken place in the space of one month, and
during the time the Israelites were encam]K'd at mount
Sinai, before they had begiiu their journey to the promised
land.
A'erse 2. Take ye the sum, &c.] God, having established
the commonwealth of Israel by just and equitable laws, or-
dained every thing relative to llie due performance of his own
T}ie persons appointed
NUMBERS.
to number the Israelites.
gregation of the children of Israel, 11 Of Benjamin ; Abidan the son
A.M.'25I4 '
afte^" their famlHcs, by the house of ofGidconi. - ^^'^'T?'
12 Ot Dan; Ahiezer tne son oi ^■^.
Ijar or Zif.
their lathers, with the number of
iJieir names, every male by their
A.JV1.2D14.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exocl.lbr.
2.
Ijar or Zif.
polls ;
3 From * twenty years old and upward, all that
are able to go forth to war iy Israel : thou anfl
Aaron shall number them by their '' armies.
4 And M'ith you there shall be a man of every
tribe; every one head of the house of his. fa-
thers.
5 *[ And these are the name-; of tke men that
shall stand w'ith you : of ilie tribe of Reuben ;
Elizur the son of Shedeur.
6 Of Simeon ; Shelumiel the son of Zurishad-
dai,
Ammishaddai.
13 OfiVsher; Pagiel the son of Ocran. ,
1 4 Of Gad ; EHasaph the son of " Deuel.
15 OfNaphtali; Ahira the son of Enan.
16 " These zcere the renowned of the congre-
gation, princes of the tribes of their fathers,
. " heads of thousands in Israel.
17 ^ And Moses and Aaron took these men
Avhich are expressed by th&r names :
1 8 And they" assembled all the congregation
together on the first dai/ of the second month,
and they declared their pedigrees alter their fa-
milies, by the house of their fathers, according
7 Of Juduh ; Nahshon the son of Ammina- to the number of the names, from twenty years
xlab. ' , old and upward, by their polls.
19 As the Lord commanded Moses, so he
numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
20 ^ And the children of Reuben, Israel's
I eldest son, by their generations, after their fa-
' milies, by the house of their fathers, according
8 Of Issachar ; Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
9 Of Zebulun ; Ehab the son of Helon.
10 Qf the chddren of Joseph : of Ephraim ;
Elishama the son of Ammihud : of Manasseh ;
Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
*Exod. 30. 1-1. Dcut. 3. 18.-
->> ]ixod. 12. ir.-
= N1U-1..7. 48. ch. 10. 2a.
wofr^hip; erected his tabcrn.icley v.liich was bis throne, and
the place of his. rcsiflenct, among the people; and consctrated
liis pi-iests, who Mcvo to mu)i»ter before him : he now order.s
his subjects to be muttered, 1 . That they might see he had
not fornotten his promise to Abraham, but was multiplying
his posterity. 2. That Ihcy might observe due order m their
inarch towards the promised land. 3. Tliat the tribes and
families uiiglit be properly distinguislied ; that all litigations
Concerning property, inheritance, &c. might, in all future
times, be prevented. .4. Tlwt the promise concerning the
]\Iessiah might be known to have its due accom])lishroent,
vlien, in the fulness of thue, God should send him from the
seed of Abraham, through the house of David. And, 5.
That they might know their strength for war. For although
they should ever consider God as their protector and defence ;
yet it was ncces.sary Lhey sliould be assured of their own fit-
nets, naturally speaking, to cope with any ortlinaiy enemy,
or to surmount any common difficulties.
Verse o. Fiom iu,'ai(j/ i/fars old and upn-ard] In this census
no women were reckoned, nor chUdnn, nor strangers, nor the
Lerites, nor old vicn ; which, collectively, must have formed
an immen:ie multitude : the Levites alone amounted to
22,300. True-born Israelites only are reckoned; such as
More able to carry arms, and were exi)ert for war.
A'erse 14. Eliasaph tiic sun of Deuel] This person is called
Jleitel, chap. ii. 14. As the T dalcih, d, is very like the 1
resh, r, it, was easy to mistake the one for the other. The
Sepcui'sint and the Syriac i\a\e Reucl in this chapter; and in
chap. ii. .14. the Vulgate, the Snmuritan, and the Arabic, have
til. 2a4 he is called Rmel- — " cli. 7. 2. 1 Chron. 27. 16. « Exod. 18. 21 , 25.
Deuel, instead of Reuel, with which reading a vast number
of MSB. concur; and this reading is supported by chap. x.
\er. 20. we may safely conclude, therefore, '?NU'"l Ddiial, not.
SsiyT I'duri', was the original rexiding. See Kennicott.
An ancient Jewish Rabbin pretends to solve every ditficulty,
by saying that "Eliasaph was a proselyte; that before he
embraced the true faith, he was called the son of Reuel, but
that after his conversion, he was called the son of Dnicl."
As Rdttcl may be translated the breac/i of God, and Duucl,
the kiioivlcd'j;e of Cud, 1 suppose the Rabbin grounded his .
supposition on the different meanings of the two words.
Verse 15. Tliae xvcre the reno-.uned} Literally, tke callfd
of the congregation — those who were summoned by name to
attend. The order of the tribes in the abidve enumeration
may be .viewed thus :
1.
Reuben
2.
Simeon
3.
.Tudah
4.
Issachar
5.
Zebulun
6.
Ephraim
7.
Manasseh
8-.
Ijenjamin
.0.
Dan
10.
Asher
11.
Gad
12.
Napthali
)
Sons of Leah.
Sons of Rachel.
4
i
1st son ofBilhah, Rachel's maid.
2d son of Zilpah, Leah's maid. :
1st sen of Zilpah.
2d son of Bilhah. #
The amount of
CHAP. I.
tTte several IribeJ.
A.M. '.'514.
PC. 1190.
.A , Exod. l»r.
2.
ir or Zif.
to the number of the names, by their
polls, exory male from twenty years
old and upward, all that were able to
go forth to war ;
J 1 Those that were numbered of them, even
u. iJie tribe of 'Reuben, xccre tbrty and six thou-
sand and five hundred.
22 % Of the children of '' Simeon, by their ge-
nerations, after their families, by the house of
their fathers, those that were numbered of them,
according to the number of the names, by their
polls, ever}'^ male from twenty years old and up-
ward, all that were able to go forth to war ;
1 Those that were numbered of them, even
■ the tribe of Simeon, zcere fifty and nine thou-
■-;:nd and three hundred.
_'4 ^ Of the children of "Gad, by their gene-
'• lions, after their famihes, by the house of their
iiers, accorcUng to the number of the names,
m twenty years old and upward, all that were
ic to go forth to war ;
- 7 Those that were numbered of them, ez^en
iof the tribe of Gad, ttwe forty and five tliousand
'six hundred and iifty.
^6 IF Of the children of "Judah, by their ge-
nerations, after their families, by the house of
their fathers, according to the number of the
names, from twenty years old and upward, all
that were able to go forth to war ;
27 Those that were numbered of them, even
of the tribe of Judah, zcere threescore and four-
teen thousand and six hundred.
28 ^\ Of the children of * Issachar, by their
generations, after their families, by the house
of their fathers, accorcbng to the number of the
names, from tv/enty years old and upward, all
that were able to go forth to war ;
29 Those that were numbered of them, even
of the tribe of Issachar, Tfere fifty and foui* thou-
sand and four hundred.
A.M. 2514.
B. C. W90.
An. Eiod. Isr;
•Ch. 2. 10, 11. ch. 26.7. 'Gen. •!9. SS: ch. 3-i. 2.t— SO.-
30. 10, n " Ueii. 29. 35. « Oeii. 30. 18.
' Gen.
Verse 25.. Forty and fire thousand six hindred and ,l\l'ti/]
Mr. Airiiworth lias remarked, lliat Gad, ibe handiuaiiCs son,
is the only one of 'ail the tribes wliose number ends with/^/j/ :
ill the others are by thousands, and end vvilh hundreds; whitii
ihews God's ad;nuable providence and blessing in multiply-
ng them so, that no odd or broken number was among all
he tribes. Bui see on ver. 46.
Verse 33. T/te tribe of Ephruim acre lOjoOO] Ephraim,
30 f Of the children of ' Zebidun,
by their generations, after their fa-
milies, by the house of their fiithers,
according to the number of the 1""°^ ~'f-
names, from twenty years old and upward, all
tliat were able to go forth to war ;
31 Those that were niunbered of them, eien
of the tribe of Zebuhm, zvcrc fifty and seven
thousand and four hundred.
32 5F Of the children of ^Joseph, name/j/, of the
children of '' Kpiiraim, by their generations, after
their families, by the house of their fathers, ac-
cording to the number of the names, from twenty
years old and ujjward, all that were able to go
forth to war f
33 Those that were numbered of them, even
of the tribe of Ephraim, Ke?-e forty thousand and
five liundrod.
34 ^ Of the children of ' I^raiiasseh, by their
generations, after their families, by the house
of their fathers, according to the number of the
names, from twenty years old and ujiward, all
that were able to go forth to war ;
35 Those that were numbered of thcin, -.vcn
of the tribe of jNIanasseh, zcei'e thirty and twc
tliousand and two hundi'ed.
36 ^ Of the children of " Benjamin, by their
generations, after their families, by the house
of their fathers, according to the number of the
names, from tAventy years old and upward, all
that were able to go forth to war ;
37 Those that were numbered of them, even.
of the tribe of Benjamin, zcere thirty and five
thousand and four hundred..
38 % Of the children of ' Dan, by their gene-
rations, after their iitmilies, by the house of their
fathers, according to the number of the names,,
from twenty yeais old and upward, all that were,
able to go forth to war ;
39 Those that were numbered of tlieni^ even.
f Gen. 30. 20.-
t Gen. 30. 24. » Gen. 48. 5. 6. ' Gen. 4a 12—- '.-
''Gen. -M. lli— 18. 'Gcu. JO. 5 6.
as he was blessed beyond his eldest brother M.inasstli, Gen.
.\lviii. 20. so here he is increased by Ihonsamls more than
Manuiseh, and more than the whole tribe of Benjamin, and
his blessing continued above his brother, Deut. xxxiii. 17.
.Vnd llius the prophecj-, Gen. xlviii. 1 9. was fulfilled — il's^
j/oungest brother {Kjihraim) sliali be greulir ihnr. he (Manasscb).'
No word of God can possibly fall to the ground : he alone
sees the end from the begiurang; his iufiuite wisdaoi ciuv-
to number the Israelites,
The persons appointed NUMBERS.
gregation of the children of Israel, 11 Of Benjamin ; Abidan the son
after their families, by the house of ofGidconi.
their fathers, with the number of 1 2 Of Dan ; Ahiezer the
Iheir names, every male by their
A.M.23U.
B. C. 1490.
Aii.Exod.lir
2.
4)'aror Zif.
polls ;
3 From ^ twenty years old and iipv/ard, all that
are able to go forth to war iij Israel : thou ancl
Aaron shall number them by their '' armies.
4 And with you there shall be a man of every
tribe; every one head of the house of his. fa-
thers.
son of
A.M.'J514.
B. C. 1490.
Aii.Exod.Isr.
a.
Ijar or Zif.
Annnishaddai
13 Of Asher; Pagiei the son of Ocran.
14 Of Gad; Elia.saph the son of " Deuel.
15 Of Naphtah ; Ahira the son of Enan.
16 '^ These 'H'cre the renowned of the congi'e-
gation, princes of the tribes of their fathers,
" heads of thousands in Israel.
17 IF And Moses and Aaron took these men
5 *[ And these are the name.^. of tke men that w'hich are expressed by their names:
shall stand with you : of the tribe of Reuben ;
Elizur the son of Shedeur.
6 Of Simeon ; Shelumiel the son of Zurishad-
dai.
7 Of Juduh ; Nahshon the son of Ammina-
xlab.
8 Of Issachar ; Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
9 Of Zebulun ; Eliab the son of Helon.
10 Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim;
Elishania 'the son of Ammihud : of Maiiasseh ;
Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
■»Exod. .jO. 11. Ueiit. 3. 18. MCxod. 12. 17. 'Nm>i..7. 48. ch. 10. 22.
wor#hi|); erected 1 lis tabem.icley v.hich was his throne, and
the plate of his. rtsirience, among the people; and consecrated
liis priests who veve to minister before him : he now orders
his subjects to be musttrrd, 1 . Tliat they miglit s,ec he had
not fornotten his promise to Abraham, but was multiplying
his posterity. -• "^ilial lliey might observe due order m their
inavch towards ilie promised land. 3. TJiat the tribes and
fainihcs mi^^Ut be properly distinguislied ; that all litigations
concerning property, iiiherilance, kc. might, in all futin-e
times, 1)0 prevented. .4. Tlr.t the promise concerning the
INIfssiah might be known to have its due accomj^lisliment,
vhen, iu the fulness of time, God should send him from the
seed of Abraham, through the house of David. And, 5.
- That they might know their strength for wsr. Ver although
they should ever consider God as their protector and defence ;
vet it was ncces.sary Cbey sjiould be assured of their own fit-
ness, naturally speaking, to cope with any ortlinary enemy,
or to surmount any conuiion difficulties.
Verse 3. Fwin twcnly years old unci iipvami] In this census
no WwHCM wore reckoned, \wr cliiUlnn, nw slruns^ers, nor the
Letites, m>r old wen; which, collectively, must have formed
an immen-i.e multitude: the Levites alone amounted to
22,300. True-born Israelites only arc reckoned; such as
were able to c;irry arms, and were expert for war.
■\'ersc 1 k Eliasnph the son of Deuel'] This person is called
Jieiiel, chap. ii. Ik As the T diilcih, d, is very like the 1
resh, r, it, was easy to mistake the one for the olhfr. The
fvptrntirint and the Si/riac iiave Reuel in this chapter ; and in
chap. ii. 14. the Vulgate, the SmmirUan, and the Arabic, have
4
18 And they assembled all the congregation
together on the first day of the second month,
and they declarctl their pedigrees after their fa-
milies, by the house of their fiithers, accorchng
to the number of the names, from twenty years
old and upward, by their polls.
19 As the Loud commanded Moses, so he
numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
20 ^ And the children of Reuben, Israel's
eldest son, by their generations, after their fa-
miUes, by the house of their fathers, according
ch. 2.14^ he is called lleuel. " ch. 7. -L iCliron. 27. IC. =Exod. 18. 21, L'5.
De:wl, instead of Reuel, with which reading a vast number
of MSS. concur ; and this reading is supported by chap. x.
\er. 20. we may safely conclude, therefore, 'jtClJ'T Ddual, not
7N1I?"l I'duii', was the original rending. See Kennicott.
An ancient Jewish KnUbin pretends to solve every ditliculty,
by saying that " Eliusdjih was a proselyte; that before he
embraced the true faiih, he was called the son of Reuel, but
that after his conversion, he was called the son of Dcucl."
As Rducl may be translated the breach of God, and Dduel,
the hwwled'j;e of God, I suppose the Rabbin grounded his
supposition on the dilTerent meanings of the two words.
\'erse 15. Thae were the renowned'] Literally, the called
of the coii'^rcgation — those who were summoned by name to
attend. The order of the tribes in the abevc enumeration
may be .viewed thus :
1.
Reuben
^
2.
3.
Simeon
.Tudali
}
Sons of Leah.
4.
5.
Issachar
Zebulon
.1
6.
7.
Ephraim
Manasstb
Sons of Rachel.
8'.
IJcnjamin
D.
)0.
11.
12.
Dan
Asher
Gad
Napthali
•
1st son ofBilhah, Rachel's maid.
2d son of Zilpah, Leah's maid.
1st son of Zilpah.
2d son of Bilhah. 4
The amount of CHAP,
to the number of the names, by their
polls, every male from twenty years
old and upward, all that were able to
I,
the several tribe:}.
A.M.K5I4.
B.C. 1190.
Ari.Kxod. Itr.
M- or Zif.
go forth to war ,
21 Those that were numbered of them, even
of the tribe of ' Reuben, '.vcre Ibrty and six thou- 1
sand and five hundred.
22 ^ Of the children of '' Simoon, by their ge-
nerations, after their families, by the house of
their fiithcrs, those that were numbered of them,
according to the number of the names, by their
polls, e\'ery male from twenty years old and up-
ward, all that were able to go tbrth to war ;
23 Those that were numbered of them, evefi
of the tribe of Simeon, rcere fifty and nine thou-
sand and three hundred.
24 ^ Of the children of ''Gad, by their gene-
rations, after their families, by the house of their
fiithers, according to the number of the names,
from twenty years old and upward, all that were
able to go forth to war ;
25 Those that were numbered of them, even
of the tribe of Gad, rvere forty and five tliousand
' ■; hundred and f^fty.
-■) i[ Of the children of '' Judah, by their ge-
nerations, after their fiimilies, by the house of
their fathers, according to the number of the
names, from twenty years old and upward, all
ttliat were able to go tbrth to war ;
f- 27 Those that were- numbered of them, even
of the tribe of Judah, xcere threescore and four-
teen thousand and six hundred.
28 if Of the children of ' Issachar, by their
generations, after their families, by the house
o!' their fathers, accorchng to the number of the
names, from twenty years old and upward, all
that were able to go forth to war ;
29 Those that were numbered of them, even
of the tribe of Issachar, icere fifty and four thou-
sand and four hundred.
•Cli. 2. 10, 11. ch. 26.7. "Gen. ^9. SS: ch. St. 2,1—30.-
30. 10, 11 " Ueii. 29. 35.- «Oeii. 30. 18.
' Gen.
Verse 25. . Forty and five thousand six hundred and ./i/'(y]
Mr. Airijwortli has remarked, tliat Gad, tlie handjiiaid's son,
is tile only one oi' ail the tribes wiiose number ends witb./i/zj/ :
all tlie otliers arc by i/iousaiids, and tad with himdixds; whieli
shews God's ad:niral>le providence and blessinfj in multiply-
ing tliem so, that no odd or broken nmnbtr was among all
llie tribes. But see on ver. 46.
^'^ersc 33. The tribe of Ephruim uere 10,000] EpUraini,
.\.'S\. 8514.
13. C. 1490.
An. Eiod.lsr;
IjOTOT Zif.
30 f Of the children of ' Zebulun,
by their generations, aixer their fii-
mihes, by the house of their fitliers,
according to the number of the
names, from twenty years old and upward, all
that were able to go forth to war ;
31 Those that were numbered of them, even
of the tribe of Zebulun, rvcre fiftv and seven
thousand and lour hundred.
32 ^ Of the children of ^Joseph, namely, of the
children of ''Epliraim, by ihcir generations, after
their fiimilies, by the house of their fathers, ac-
cording to the number of the names, from twenty
years old and upward, all that were able to go
forth to war j
33 Those that were numbered of them, even
of the tribe of Ephraim, tro-e forty thousand and
five hundred.
34 ^ Of the children of "' Man.asseh, by their
generations, after their fiimilies, by the house
of their fathers, according to the number of the
names, from twenty years old and upward, all
that were able to go forth to war ;
35 Those that were numbered of them, even
of the tribe of Alanasseh, xcere thirty and t\vo<
tliousand and two lumdred.
2>Q> \ Of the children of " Benjamin, by their
generations, after their families, by the house
of their fathers, according to the number of the
names, from twenty years old and upward, all
that w ere able to go forth to war ;
37 Those that were numbered of them, evot
of the tribe of Benjamin, 'ncere thirty and five
thonsand and four hundred..
38 ^ Of the children of ' Dan, by their gene-
rations, after tlreir limiilies, by the house of their
fathers, according to the number of the names,,
from twenty years old and upward, all that were,
able to go forth to war ;
39 Those thaX were numbered of them,- eveti>
fGen. 30.21). sGen. 30.2-1. IGen. 48. 5.6. 'Gen. 4a 12—20..
kGen. ob. 16—18. 'Ucn. oO. 5, 6.
as he was blessed beyond liis eldest brother Mana.-sseli, Gen.
xlviii. 20. so here he is increased by thousands more than
Manssseh, and more than the whole tribe of Benjamin, and
his blessing continued above his brother. Dent, xvxiii. 17. •
.\nd thus the prophecy. Gen. xlviii. IS.', was fulfilled — Ws^
j/ouitgest brother (Kphraim) shali be greater than he (Manassch).*
No word of God can possibly fall to the ground : he alone
sees the end from the beginning; his infinite wisdom ciui^
Total amount of
NUMBERS.
all the tribes.
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1-190.
Ah. Exod. Isr.
Jjam Zif.
of the tribe of Dan, xvere threescore
and two thousand and seven hun-
dred.
40 ^ Of the children of Asher, by
their generations, after their, iainihes, by the
house of their fathers, according to the number
of the names, from twenty years old and up-
ward, all that were able to go forth to war ;
41 Those that were numbered of tliem, even
of the tribe of Asher, teere forty and one thou-
sand and five hundred.
42 ^f Of the children of Naphtali, throughout
their generations, after their families, by the
house of their fathers, according to the number
of the names, from twenty years old and up-
ward, all that were able to go forth to war ;
43 Those that were numbered of them, even
of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three
thousand and four hundred.
44 ^ * These are those that were numbered,
which Moses and Aaron niimbered, and the
princes of Israel, l)ei?ig twelve men : each one
was for the house of his fathers.
45 So were all those that were numbered of
tlie children of Israel, by the house of their fa-
» Ch. 26. 64. » Exod. 38. 26. See Exod. 12. 37. ch. 2. 32. fa 2u. ."il.
«cli.2.33. Seeth.3. &4. Nae..")?. lChron.6.& 21.6. " ch. 2. 33. .Ic
braces all occurrences; and it is his province alone to deter-
mine what is right, and to predict what hiiiiselt' has purposed
to accomplish.
Verse 46. jill that icere numbered ivere 603,550.] What
an astonit.hing increase from seventy souls that went down into
K^ypt, Gen. xlvi. 27. about 215 years before, where latterly
they had endured the greatest hardships ! But God's promise
cannot fail — Thei/ shall be as the stars nf heaven for multitude —
and who can rcsif-t his will, and bring to nought his counsel !
That a comparative view may be easily taken of the state of
the tribes, I shall produce them here from the first census
mentioned in the first chapter of this book, in their deereasini;
proportion, beginning with the greatest, and proceeding to
the least; and in the second census mentioned chap. xxvi.
fvhere the increase of some, and the decrease of others, may
be seen in one point of view. It may be just remarked, that
except in the case of Gad in this chapter, and Reuben in
chap. xxvi. all the numbers are what may be called uholc
cr rou'id numbers, beginning with thousands, and ending
with hundreds, Gad and Reuben alone ending with tens; but
the Scripture generally uses round numbers ; units and frac-
tions being almost constantly disregarded.
lit C<?nsus. Num. ch. i. 2J Census. Num. cb. xxvi,
1. Judah . . 14,600 76,500
2. Dan . . 62,700 64,4C0
3. Simeon . . 59/>iOO 22,200
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 14P0.
An. Exod. Isr,
•2.
IJar or Zif.
thers, from twenty years old and up-
ward, all that were able to go forth
to war in Israel ;
43 Even all they that were num-
bered were "six hundred thousand and three
thousand and five hundred and fifty.
47 ^ But ' the Levites after the tribe of their
fathers were not numbered among them.
48 For the Lord had spoken unto Moses,
saying,
49 ** Only thou shalt not number the tribe of
Levi, neither take the sum of them among the
children of Israel :
50 ^ But thou shalt appoint the Levites over
the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the
vessels thereof, and over all things that belong
to it : they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the
vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it,
■^and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
51 ^ And when the tabernacle setteth forward,
the Levites shall take it down : and when the
tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set
it up " '
be put to deatli.
52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their
26. 62. ' E.TOd. 38. 21. ch. 3. 7, 8. & 4 15, 25, 'J6, ?7, 33. f ch. 3. 23,
29, 35. 38. e di. 10. 17, 21. " ch. 3. 10.38. &• 18. 22.
and the stranger that cometh nigh shall
4.
Zabulun
57,400
60,500
5.
l.«sachar
54,400
64,300
6.
Naphtali .
5:1,400
45,400
7.
Reuben
46,500
43,730
8.
Gad
45,650
40,500
9.
Asher
41,500
53,400
10.
Ephraim
40,500
32,500
11.
Benjamin .
35,400
45,600
12.
^^lana9^ch .
32,200
52,700
Total 603,550
Total 601,730
Thus we find Judah the most populous tribe, and Manasseh
the least ^rt; the difl'crcuce between them bring so great aj
42,400, for which no very sati.-factory reason can be assigned.
In the second census, mentioned chap. xxvi. 34. Judah
still has the pre-eminenry ; and Simeon, the third in number
before, is become the least. Now we see also, that the little
Inbe of Uliinasseh occupies the seventh place for number. Seven
of the tribes had an increase ; Jive a decrease, tilunasseh had an
increase of 1^0,500 ; Judah, I, POO; Issachur, 9,i)00; Zahu-
lon, 3.100; Benjamin, 10,200; Dan, 1,700; Asher, 11,900.
On the contrary, there was a decrease in Reuben of 2,770;
in Simeon. 37,100; Gad, 5,150; Ephraim, 8,000; Naph.
tali, 8,000. Decrea.ie in the whole, 61,020 effective meiJ.
See on chap. xxvi. but ballanced with the increase, the d*\
crease was upon the whole, only 1,820.
How the tribes xoere disposed
tents, ' every man by liis own camp,
and every man by his o\vni stand-
ard, throughout their liosts.
^r or zif. ^3 b gyj. ^]jg Levites shall pitch
round about the tabernacle of testimony, that
there be no 'wrath upon the congregation of
AM 2514.
B. C. 149i).
An. E.Kod. Isr.
CHAP. I. in their encampments.
the children of Israel : " and the Le-
vites shall keep the charge of the
tiibernacie of te:^timony.
54 And the chikkcn of Israel did
• Ch. 2. 2, 34.-
->> vcr. 50.-
-« J.ev. 10. 6. cli. 0. 19. & IC. 46. & 18. 5.
1 Sam. 6. 19.
AM. iol").
B. C. 1490.
An. Kvod. Isr.
Ijar or Zif.
On the .subject of tlicsc enumerations, an«l the manner in
which this vast nuiltitude sprung in about four generations
from seveniy-five persons, Schenchzer lias some vaUiable cal-
culations, which I shall take the liberty to in.sert, as they
tend to throw con-iderable light upon the subject.
" ^V'e fintl in the writings of Muses, dure enumerations
of the Jewish people, that follow each other pretty closely.
The first, which was made at their departure from ligypt,
(Exod. xii. 37.) amounted to . . 600,000
One year after, to . . . 60:},550
On entering; the land of Canaan, to . (^01,7:50
If we add to the number . . 603,550
that of the Invites fjiven us in Num. iii. 39.
and whicli amounted to . . . 22,000
We shall have tor tlic sum total
625,550
We find the same number, or adding that of each tribe,
given us in detail, which is the best proof of the exactness of
the calculation.
" I think 1 shall afford the reader some degree of pleasure
by presenting him, in this i^lace, the number of each tribe
separately, beginning at their earliest ancestors. We shall
see, by this means, how faithfully God fulfilled the promise
he had made to Abraham, as well as the great utdity of
the matlifuiaties for the right understanding of the Holy
Scriptures. I shall hegm with a Genealo.;ical Table of that
iUy, which God so wonderfully blessed; and to it, I
Miall atlerwards add each separate tribe, folloHing the cal-
culation of Ret/her (Math. Mos. p. 222.) And we shall
see, that the fourth generation taken with the third, jiroduce
the very number mentioned in the Te.xt.
Children of JACOB by Leah. , Gen. xlvi. 1 5.
■ /'Hanoch
RFX'BEN
SI.MEON
/■Hanocl:
3 Phalln
1 Hezron
\. L'ari'.ii
/■ Jemuel
i .lamiii
JO had
J Jachm
I Zohar
VShaul
46,500. Num. i. 21.
59,300. Num. i. 23.
j LEVI I Gershon 1 1,'^^"^"^. \ 7,500. Num. iii. 22.
according to al^'that the Lord commanded
Moses, so did they.
■< Cli. 3. r, 8. & 3. 24, ^5, 26. & IS. 3, 4, 5. & SI. 30, 17. 1 Chroii. 23. 32.
2 Cliioii. la. 10.
^ Amram "\
' Izeh.ir f
J Hebron (
VUzziel }
JUD.MI
ISS.'iCHAlJ
8,600. Num. iii. 26.
-i^J"'\''. \ 6,200. Num. iii. 34.
t .\lusln )
f llezron I _ , „„„ xt ■ m
> ,. , - 74,«)00. Num. I. 27.
I ilamul i
{Tola ■\
Phmah / 5,^^4Qo_ Num. 1.29.
Shimron J
C .Sered ' j
BULON .? I'.lon [•
(.Jalileel )
C Shelah
] Fharez
( Zeraii
'Tola
57,400. Num. i. 51.
DINAH
Children of Jacob by ZlLPAlI. Gen. xlvi. 18.
''Ziphlor^
GAD
Hagnai
Shuni
■^ Ezboii
Kri
Arodi
^_AreIi
Jimnah
>
45,650. Num. i. 25.
J
•nmnaU v
Ishuah i
Isui V4I,500. Nu
R . , ( Heber I
^^'■'*-»'' hlalchiel ;
Children of JaCOB by Rachel. Gen. xlvi. 22.
in. i. 41.
JOSEPH
( IVIanasseh
1 r:pi
in'aim
rOelah
Bechcr
A.shbel
Gerah
BEN'J.\MI.N^' ;..'*''
) Kin
Kosh
Muppim
Huppim
LArd-
^
>
32,200.
40,500.
35,400. Num. i. 37.
4 F
}
Gen. xlvl. 25.
62,700. Num. i. 39.
53,400. Num. i. 43.
Remarks on the multiplication
Children of JACOB by BiLHAH.
DAN Husl'im
fJabzcel
NAPHTALI ] ?""'
I J ezer
l.ShilIem
I. Reuben 46,500
Let us now descend to the particular enu:neration of each
Tribe. Reuben had four sons : no^v if ve supposf, that
one of these four sons had seven, and that each of the other
three had eight; we shall find the number 31, for the first
Egyptian generation. If we afterwards suppose, that each
of these 3 1 sons had fvc sons, the second generation will
amount to 155 ; which, nuiltiplied by 15, will produce 2,325
for the third generation; and these, multiplied by 19, will
make 44,175 for the fourth ; so that the third, together with
the /oi«v/(, will make 46,500. We shall liave the same pro-
duct, if the given siun, 46,500, he divided by the most pro-
bable number of children, for example, by the number 19;
we shall then have 2,447 for the third generation; which sum
■being deducted from the sum total, there will remain 44,0_r3
for the fourth generation, which is exactly the number that
is produced in multiplying 2,440 of the third generation, by
18, and the other 7 by 19. If we wish to make the same
calculation, with respect to the preceding generations, i. e.
divide them by the most probable number of children, we
jhall have the folloviing sums.
Sons of Reuben
I. Generation
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
NUMBERS.
ofiJte Israelites.
II.
III.
IV.
4.
31.
2 15.
2,583.
43,917.
Amount of generations III. and IV. 46,500.
11. Simeon 59,300.
Simeon had six sons. Let us suppose that each of
the
three first had six children, and each of the three others seven;
we shall have thirty-nine for the first generation. If we
multiply 31 of this number by D, and 8 by 10, we shall have
for the second generation 359; of which number, if we
multiply 355 by 1 1, and 4 by 12, the third generation will
give us 3,953. Let us then multijily 3,948 of these by 14,
and 5 of them by 15, and we shall have for the fourth, 55,347.
The third and fourth, added together, will make 59,300.
III. Levi 22,300.
Gershon, Levi's eldest son, had two children : let us give
to one of these, 16 children, and to the other, 17; and
we shall have 33 for the second generation: 28 of which,
multiplied by 15, and 5 by 16, will produce 500 for the
third. Multiply each by 14, and these will produce 7000;
and the iA/Vd and /ouri/i together, 7500.
Kohath, Levi's second son, had four sons, which form the
first line. Give to one of them 10 sons, and 11 to each of
the other three ; for the second generation there will be 43.
Multiply them by 10, there will be 430 for the third; the.«e
multiplied by 19 fvr iht fourth, will produce the number of
8170. The third and fourth added together, make i},600.
Merari, the third son of Levi, had tuo sons. Give 10
children to each of them, there wilV then be 20 for the second
generation. Now if we say that 10 of these 20 had each 15
sons, and each of the others 16, we shall have 310; which
multiplied by 19, will give us 5,890 for ihe fourt'., and the
tKo last together, 6,200. This may be seen by the foilowing^
example :
Gershonites.
Kohathites.
Merari tes.
r.
Generation 2.
4.
2.
11.
Ditto 33.
43.
20.
111.
Ditto 500.
430.
310.
IV.
Ditto 7000.
8170.
5890.
Am', of gen. III. & IV. 7500.
8600.
6200.
Total number of Levites 22,300.
IV. JUDAU 74,600.
The sons of Judah were Sheluh, Pharez and Zerah. His
grandsons by Shelah, were Htzron and Hamul. Hezron had
tH'o sons. Suppose each of them had six children, which will
make 12 for the first generation: to eight of whom allow
eight children, and nine to each of the others; and there will
be 100 for the second generation. To 92 of these, then give
18 children, and 19 to the eight others; this will produce for
the third generation, 1,808. If we then suppose that 1,800 of
these had each 18 children, and that each of the other
eight had 19, Ihe fourth generation will be 32,552, which,
added to the product of the third, will make the descendant"
of Hezron amount to 34,360.
Hamul had two sons, who, multiplied by 10, produce the
number of 20 tor the second generation : these multiplied by
20, will make 400 for the third, and these again by 25, will
produce 10,000 for the fourth. And thus, the two last
generations will amount together, to the number of 10,400.
If we allow ^re sons to Pharez, andsij: to Zerah, we "shall
have 11 for the first generation. To three of whom allow 10
children, and 1 1 to the other eight, this will give us 118 for
the second. To 113 of these give 14, and 15 to the other
Jite, and 1,657 will be produced for the third. Give 17 to
1,643, and 18 to the 14 remaining, and for the fourth there
will be i.8,lS3. The third And fourth added together will
produce the nimiber of 29,840.
According to this calculation, all these generations will
amount lo the following numbers:
Hezioniies . . 34,360.
Hamuhtes . . . 10,400.
Perezites and Zerathitcs 29,840.
74,600.
V. IsSACHAB 54,400.
LsSACHAR had fve sons. Suppose that three of them had
each fnc children, and the other tivo, six; we shall have 27
for tie first generation. If we then iuiag'ne that of these,
19 had each nine sons, and each of the other eight, 10, the
second generation will be 251. Now 241 of these, multi-.
plied by 12, will produce 2892; and the 10 others, multiplied
by 13, will make 130; consequently the third generation
will amount lo .3,022. If 3,018 of these ibad each 17 sons,
and e:ich of the other /o?/r had 18, the yb!<rr/( generation will
he 51,378; the third and fourth generations then, will
produce a number of 54,400.
jRenmrks on tJie multiplication CHAP. I.
VI. Zebulon 57,400.
Zebulon had three sons. If we suppose thai lico of them
had in a!!, 14 children, and the ihiid, six, here will be 20
for the _firsl generation. The second will produce 143. on
niultiplyins: 17 by 7, and 3 by 8. If we multiply 135 by
16, and 8 by 17, the i/iird "will amount to '2,->9G. By
niu)tiplyini> the third by 24, ihe fourth will give us 55,104.
The two last will jjroduce, together, 57,400.
VII. Gad 45,650.
Gad had sevfn sons.
I. Generation : multiply 3 by 9, and 4 by 10,
there will be .....
II. Ditto multiply 61 by 7, and 6 by 8
III. Ditto multiply 471 by 8, and 4 by 9
IV. Ditto multiply S,802 by 1 1 , and 2 by 1 2
Amount of generations the III and IV. 45,650
VIII. A.SHER 41,500.
The sons of Aslier, Jimnali, Jshuah and Jsui, multiplied
by 8, produce fur the
I. Generation ..... 24
II. Ditto multiply 24 by 8 . . 192
III. Ditto multiply 182 by 11, and 10 by 12 2,122
IV. Ditto multiply 2,1 18 by 12, and 4 by 13 25,468
Amount of generations tiie III. and IV.
Hcher and Maichiel were sons of BeviaU. Now
sons multiplied by 5, give us for
1. Generation .....
II. Ditto multiply 10 by 11
III. Ditto multiply by 9 ...
1V^ Ditto multiply by 12
Amount of generations the III. and IV.
Anotlier son of Beriah had in the
I. Generation .....
n. Ditto nuiltiply by 8 . .
III. Ditto multiply by 10
IV. Ditto multiply by 12 . . .
Amount of generations the III. and IV.
All these generations added together, amount to
IX. Jost:PH.
Manassi-.ii 32,200.
I. GeT>cration .....
II. Ditto multiply 6 by 13, and 4 by 14
III. Ditto multiply 132 by 12, and 2 by 13
IV. Ditto multiply by 19
Amount of generations the III. and IV.
Epiiraim 40,500.
I. Generation .....
11. Ditto multiply by 10
111. Ditto multiply 152 ny 12, and 8 by 13
JV. Ditto multii>l y 1,9 1 6 by -0, and 1 2 Ly 2 1
27,590
these tvjo
10
1101
990 j
11,880
12,870
1
8
80
960
1,040
41,500
10
134
1,610
30,590
32,200
16
160
1,91:8
38,572
Amount of generations the III. and IV. 40,500 |
of tJie IsraelUles.
X. Benjamin 35,400.
He had 10 sons; two of whom, multiplied bjr 9, bimI the
other 8 by 10, will give lor the
I. Generation ..... 98
Ditto multiply 95 by 9, and 3 by 10 885
Ditto multiply by 5 ... 4,425
Ditto multiply by 7 . . . 30,975
II.
III.
IV.
Amount of generations the III. and IV.
XI. Dan 62,100.
I. Generation . . . . .
II. Ditto multiply by 12
III. Ditto multiply by 19
IV. Ditto multiply by 24
35,400
n
132
2.508
60.192
Amount of generations the III. and IV. 62,700
XII. N.iPHTALi 53,400.
He had 4 sons, the half of whom, multiplied by 7, and
the other half by 6, give us for the
I. Generation ..... 26
II. Ditto multiply 16 by 11, and 10 by 12 296
HI. Ditto multiply 288 by 12, and 8 by 13 3,560
IV. Ditto multiply by 14 . . . 49,840
Amount of generations the HI. and IV. 53,400
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X
XI.
XII.
Total number of all tke Tribes.
Reuben .... 46,500
Simeon .... 59,300
Levi .... 22,300
Judah .... 74,600
Is-sachar .... 54,400
Zebulon .... 57,400
Gad .... 45,650
Asher .... 41,500
Manasseh .... 32,200
Ephraim . . . 40,500
Benjamin .... 35,400
Dan .... 62,700
Naphtali .... 53,400
Total 625,850
And indeed, without counting the Levites, the number of
the Israelites (Num. i. 46.) amountt to . 603,550
The Levites (Num. iii. 39.) amount to . 22,300
The whole number together, as above . 625,850
In the above calculations, Scheuchzer and Reyher take for
granted, 1. That from the going down to Etrypt to the
I'l.xodus, there were four generations. 2. That the fiiat tvyo
generations had died in Egypt. 3. Tiial the promise of
God in iniiliiplying them as the stais of heaven, had taken
place particularly in the two last generations. 4. That these
two last generations alone, form the aggregate sums given in
the Sacied Text. 5. That their method of accounting for
this aggregate through the four generations, is not only per-
4 F 2
I
H(M) the different tribes
fectly natural, and mathematical; but strictly accordant with
the promises made by God to them, as the sum of each
Tribe sufficiently proves. G. That tlie whole account thews
NUMBERS. xcere disposed in camp,
the truth of the divme promise, the great accuracy of the
Jewish lawgiver, and a proof of the inspiration of the Sacred
Writinffs.
A. M. 2SI4.
B.C 1490.
An. Exod. I?r.
Ijar or Zif.
AND the Lord spake unto Mo-
ses and unto Aaron, saying,
2 * Every man of the children of
Israel shall pitch by his own stand-
the ensign of their father's house :
the tabernacle of the consrrea;a-
ard, with
" far off about
lion shall they pitch
3 % And on the east side toward the rising of
the sun, shall they of the standard of the camp
of Judah pitch throughout their armies : and
" Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, shall be cap-
tain of the children of Judah.
4 And his host, and those that were numbered
of them, "iSere threescore and fourteen thousand
and six hundred.
5 And those that do pitch next unto him shall
be the tribe of Issachar : and Nethaneel, the
son of Zuar, shall be captain of the children of
Issachar.
G And his host, and those that were numbered
thereof, were fifty and lour thousand and four
hundred.
7 Then the tribe of Zebulun : and Eliab, the
son of Helon, shall be captain of tlie children
of Zebulun.
8 And his host, and those that were numbered
thereof, were fifty and seven thousand and four
hundred.
AM. 2514.
B. C. 14?0.
Aii.Exod. Isr.
2.
Ijar or Zif.
CHAPTER II.
Moses is commanded to teach the Israelites how theij are to pitch their tents, and erect the ensigns of their fathers'
houses, \, 2. Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun on the east, amounting to 180,400 men, 3 — 9. Reuben, Simeon^
and Gad, on the south, K'ith 151,450 me?;, 10 — 16. The Levites to be in the midst of the camp, I7. Epbraim,
Manasseh, and Benjamin, on the west, xcilh 108,100 men, 18 — 24. Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, on the
NORTH, tilth I57/>00 men, 25 — 31. The sum total of the whole, 603,550, 32. But the Levites a*c wot ?n-
cluded, 33. The people do as the Lord commands them, 34.
9 All that were numbered in the
camp of Judah, "were a hundred thou-
sand, and fourscore thousand, and six
thousand, and four hundred, through-
out their armies. * These shall first set forth.
10 ^ On the south side shall be the standard
of the camp of Reuben according to their ar-
mies : and the captain of the children of Reu-
ben shall be Elizur, the son of Shedeur.
1 1 And his host, and those that were num-
bered thereof, were forty and six thousand and
five hundred.
1 2 And those which pitch by him shall be the
tribe of Simeon : and the captain of the child-
ren of Simeon sliall be Shelumiel, the son of
Zurishaddai.
1 3 And his host, and those that were num-
bered of them, were fifty and nine thousand and
three hundred.
1 4 Then the tribe of Gad : and the captain
of the sons of Gad shall be Eliasaph, the son of
' Reuel.
15 And his host, and those that were num-
bered of them, were forty and five thousand
and six hundred and fifty.
IG All that were numbered in the camp of
Reuben xcere a hundred thousand, and fifty and
one thousand, and four hundred and fifty,
' Ch. 1.52. ''Hcb. over against. '^.'o.sh. 3.4
4. 20. 1 Chron. 2. 10. MaU. 1. 4. Luke 3. 32, 33.
■<' ch. 10. 14. Rutli
NOTES ON CIIAP. II.
Verse 2. Eveiy man — shall piicli ly his own standard]
Cotftmentators, critics, philosoplier!*, and professional men
have taken a great deal of pains to illustrate this chapter,
bv shewing the best method of encampment, for such a vast
nvjmber of men, and the manner in Which they conceive the
' Cli. 10. 14. f Dcue/. ch. 1. 14. Sc 7. 42, 47. k la !
Israelites formed their camp in the wilderness. As God
gave them the plan, it was doubtless in every respect perfect;
and fully answered the double purpose of convenience and
.security. Sc/ituclizer has entered into this subject with hi*
usual ability, and in very considerable detail. Following the
plan of Rtyhtt, as in tbe preceding chapter, h«f endeavours to
A.M 2Mt.
B.C. 1W0.
An. Exud. Isr.
2.
Ijar or Zif.
with the
CHAP. II. Tiere disposed In camp
26 And his liost, aiul" those tiiat
A.!M.v^i!(.
U C. irv.
An.Kxdi). lir.
•2.
Jjiir or Zij
were numbered of them, trt/r three-
score and two thousand and .seven
hundred.
27 And those that encamp by him s/iali be
the tribe of Ashcr : and tlie captain of the
cliildren of Asher shall be Pagiel the s:>n of
Ocran.
28 And his host, and those that were num-
bered of them, were ibrtv and one thousand
and five hundred.
29 Then the tribe of Naphtah : and the cap-
tain of the children of Naphtali shull be Afiira
the son of Euan.
SO And his host, and those that were num-
bered of them, xvere tifly and three thousand
How the different tribes
throughout their armies. * And they
shall set forth in the second rank.
17 ^ " Then the tabernacle of
the congregation shall set ibrward
camp of the Levites in the midst
of the camp : as they encamp, so shall they
set forward, every man in his place by their
standards.
18 •[ On the west side shall be the standard
of the camp of Kphraim, according to tlieir
armies : and the captain of the sons of Eph-
raim shall be Elishama, the son of Ammihud.
19 And his host, and those that were num-
bered of them, xccre forty thousand and five
hundred.
20 And by him shall be the tribe of i>Ianasseh:
and the captain of the children of Manasseh, and four hundred.
shall be Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. Il 31 All they that were numbered in the
21 And his host, and those that were num- ! camp of Dan li-ere an hundred thousand
bered of them, xvere thirty and two thousand ; and fifty and seven thousand, and six iuui-
and two hundred. | dred. ° They shall go hindmost with their
22 Then the tribe of Benjamin : and the cap- standards.
tain of the sons of Benjamin shall be Abidan, I 3'2 % These are those which were numbered
the son of Gideoni. I of the children of Israel by the house of tlieir
23 And his host, and tliose that were num- , fathers ; "all tliose that were numbered of the
bered of them, xvere thirty and live thousand i camps throughout their hosts, xi-ere si.K hun-
and four hundred, || dretl thousand and three thousand ami five
24 All that were numbered of the camp of hundred and fifty.
Epliraim xvere a hundred thousand, and eight jj '53 But 'the Levites were not numbered
thousand, and a hundred, throughout their ar- j among the children of Israel; as the Eoud
mies. "^ And they shall go forward in the third ii commanded Closes.
rank. I 34 And the chiklren of Israel did according
2.5 if The standard of tlie camp of Dan shall to all that the Loud conunanded Moses: * so
be on the north side by their armies : and the ; they pitched by their standards, and so they
captain of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer, • set forward, every one after their flunilies, ac-
the son of Ammishaddai.
•Ch. 10. 18. ""th. 10. 17, 21. = eh. 10. £2. ^ch. 10. S5.
ascertain the i)roci?^e OT(\er ifi which the sevfral tribes were
disposed ; and ns his «ork is both scarce and dear, ihc Reader
Will not be displeased to meet here with a translation of all
that re'ers to the subject.
SCHEUCHZER's DESCRIPTION AND PLAN
OF TIIE
EKCAMPMENTS OF THE ISRAKLITES IN THE WU-OEUNESS.
" If we form a proper idea of God, of his essence and his
attributes, we shall easily perceive that this infinite and su-
preme Being, wills and executes what his divine ruisdom ap-
points; in a word, we shall see that be is the God of order.
cording to the house of tlieir father.s
' Exod. 38. 26. ch. 1. 4fi. & 11. •il.-^i ch. 1. 47. S ch. 84. S. ^, 6.
This order displays itself in the perfection, aJTan;jement, and
assemblai;e of all created beings j in the construction of the
earth which we inhabit, where every thing is farmed in order,
number, weiajht, and measure; and in all bodies, great and
small It is certain that Noah's ark is a perfect mo(kl of
naval arcliiKCtwe. The temple of Solotnon, and that of /?:i-
kid, were likewise niaider- pieces in their kind. But at pre*
sent, we arc to consider the divine arranijemcnt of the Israel*
itish camp, and the manner in which it was fornif^d.
"The Israilitisharmy \xas dividid into thr<ie princip.il divi-
sions. The firm, wliich was the least in extent, but the
strongest and the most powerful, occupied the centre of the
army; this was the Throiic of God, i.e. the TABEKN'.iCLE.
Remarks on the
NUMBERS.
castrametatlon of the Israelites^
The sccotid, ivhich was composed of the Priests and Levttcs,
surrounded the first. The third, and the farthest from the
centre, took in all the other tribes of Israel, who were at
least about a mile from the Tabernacle. For it appears from
Josephus iii. 4. that the nearest approach they dared make
to the ark, except during' the time of worship, was a distance
of 2,000 cubits. The reverence due to the Divine Majesty,
the numerous army of tiie Israelites, composed of 600,000
soldiers, with their families, which made about 3,000,000
souls, naturally demanded a considerable extent of ground.
We are not to imasjine, that all these families pitched their
tents pell mell, without order, hke beasts, or as the troops of
Tartary, and the Eastern armies : on the contrary, their
camp was divided according to the most exact rules. And
we cannot even doubt, that their camp was laid out, and the
place of every division and tribe exactly assigned by some
engineers or geometricians, Ijefore the army stopped to en-
camp, in order that every person might, at once, find his
own quarter, and the road he ought to take to reach the
oilier tents.
" Four divisions, which faced the four quarters of the hea-
vens, each with its own ensign, formed the centre of the
army. JuD.\H was placed on the east; and under him he
had Issachar and Zebuloii: on the south was Rbuben, and
under him Simeon and Gad: on the west was EpHR.^lM, and
under him ^lanasselt and Benjamin : finall)', Dan was on
the north, and he had under him Ashcr and Nap/itali. It
has been jiretended by some, that these four principal divi-
sions, were not alone distinguished by their ensigns, but that
each particular tribe had likewise its standard or ensign.
On this subject we might refer to the Talmudists, who have
gone so far as to define the colours, and the fgures or arms
of the very ensigns. They pretend that on that of JuDAH,
a lion was painted with this inscription : ' Rise, Lord, let
thine enemies be dispersed, and let those that hate thi-e, flee be-
fore thee;' and they found this description of Judah's ensign
in Gen. xlix. 9. They give to IsSACHAR an ass. Gen. xlix.
14. to ZebULON, a ship, Gen. xlix. 13. to Reuben, a river,
Gen. xlix. 4. (others give Reuben the figure cf a man) to
Simeon, a svjord, Gen. 1. 5. to Gad, a lion, Deut. xxxiM.
22. 10 EphraIM, an unicorn, Deut. xxxiii. 17. an or to
MaN.A.SSEH, Deut. xxxiii. n. a wolf to BENJAMIN, Gen.
xlix. 27. and a serpent to Dj\N, Gen. xlix. 17. though others
give him an eagi;. In short, they pietend that the ensign of
A.SIIEII was a handful of corn. Gen. xlix. 20. and that of
Nai'HTALI a stag. Gen. xlix. 21.
" To prove that the sums liere are correelly added, we have
but to join together the detached nunitiers, and see if thty
agree wiih the total. The Text will l'u;nish us with an ex-
ample of this : there was in the quarter of
Judah 18G,400 ver. 9.
Reuben 151,4J0 ver. 16.
Ephraim 108,100 ver. 24.
Dan 157,600 ver. .31.
" Among other things, we must remark tluit rule of military
tactic.", ivliich rcquuxs that the advanced and rear-guards
should be striinger than the centic.
" In a well regulated camp, cleanliness is considered indis-
pensably necessary; this is particularly remarkable n the
Israeliti.-h army, v.here the most exaot order was itiaintaincd.
Hence every person who had any kind of disease, and those
who were reputed unclean, were forbidden to enter it. Num.
V. 2, 3. Deut. xxiii. 10.
" Those who have the health of men, and of a wbole army
confided to them, are not ignorant, that diseases may be
easily produced by putrid exhalations from excrtmentitiowg
matter; and that such matter will produce in camps, pesti-
lential fevers, and dysenteries. For this reason, care shouldl
be always taken, that offices, at a distance from the camp, be
jjrovided for the soldiers, and also that those who arc sick
should be separated from the others, and sent to hospitals, to
be properly treated.
" In military tactics, we find two distinct wing;s spoken
of; the right and the left. The Israelitish army, not only
had them on one side, as is customary ; but on all their four
sides. On the eastern side, the tribe of Issachar formed the
right, that of Zebulon the left, and that of Judah the centre.
On the south, Simeon formed the right wing. Gad the left,
and Reuben the centre. Towards the west, Manasseh com-
posed the right, Benjamin the left, and Ephraim the centre.
And on the north, Asher was on the nght uiing, Naphtali on
the left wing, and Dan in the centre. Notwithstanding this,
however, the army was not in danger of being easily broken ;
for every tribe being numerous, they were supported by se-
veral ranks, in such a manner that the first being broken,
the second was capable of making resistance ; and if the se-
cond ga\e way, or shared the same fate as the first, it found
itself supported by the third, and so on with the rest. The
square form, in which the Jewish army was ordinarily placed,
was the very best for security and defence. The use and
importance of the hollow S(]uure, in military tactics, is well
known.
'• For so large a multitude of people, and for so numerous
an army, it was needlul thai all the necessary articles of life
should be prepared beforehand, or be found ready to pur-
chase. In these respf cts nothing was wanting to the Israel-
ites. Their bread came down to them from heaven ; and
they had besidts an abundance of every thing that could
contribute to magnificence. If we may credit Josephus, they
had amongst them public markets, and a variety of shops.
Ant. 1. iii. c. 12. sec. 5. The tabernacle being erected, it
was placed in the midst of the camp, each of the three tribes
stretching themselves on the witigs, and leaving hetwteft them
a suflScient space to pass.
" It was, says Josephus, like a well appointed market,
where every thing was ready for ,«ale in due order, and all
sorts of artificers kept their shops ; so that this camp might
be considered a moveable city.
" In Exod. xxxii. 27. we likewise find that mention is
made of the gates of the camp, ' Put every man his sword by
his side, and go in and out from gate to gate, throughout the
camp.' From whence we may certainly conclude, that if
the camp had gtdes, the Israelites had also cenlinels to guard
them. If this be true, we may also tielieve thai they were
surrounded luiih enn-eiichinents, or that at lei-.st, their gates
were defended by some tbrtific aliens. Srgittarius (de Jan.
IvS. I 10.) pretends, that the Tabeinade was not
by the Leviies, but that there were likewise
cenlinels at the gales, and at the entrance of the Israelitish
camps. See the note on Exod. xxxii. 27.
7
V'lt. c.
only guarded
Remarks on the
CHAP. ir.
" If we examine, and compare tlie camp of Israel wilh that
of onr most niiinerous armies, which in these days are com-
posed of 100,000, or of 150,000 men, we cannot but con-
sider it of vast extent. The Jews say, it was 12 milts in
circumference; tliis is not at all improbable, and conse-
quently, the front of earh wing must be 3 miles in extent.
But taking in the tents, the soldiers, and their numerous fa-
milies, the beasts of burden, the tattle, an*! the goods, it
certainly must have formed a very considerable enclosure,
much more than 12 miles. See the notes on i'"xnd. xii. 31.
and xiii. 18. Reyher, (Math. Mos. p. 568.) as-signs to the
Tribe of JuDAH,
A space of 298f cubits in breadth
and 250
in length
Which makes 74,' 00 square cubits.
" We must observe, (hat we are here merely speaking of the
ground which the soldiers of this tribe occupieil, whilst re-
maining; dose to each other, in their rank.s and that in this
computation, there is but one square cubit allowed for each
man ; wherefore if we take in the arrangement of the soldiers,
the tents, the necessary spaces, the families, the beasts of
burden, and the moveables, a much larger extent of ground
is requisite. All those circumstances do not come into Rei/-
her'h calculation. He continues thus.
For the Tribe of ISSACHAR.
2n| cubits in breadth
250 in length.
Total 54,400
For the Tribe of GaD,
140 *j cubits in breadth
325 in knirlh
Total 45,fi50
For the Tribe of ZfiBlJLONj
229| cubits in breadth
250 m Itii'nh.
Total 51,40Q
For the Tribe of EPHRAlMj
202i cubits in breadth
200 in length
Total 40,500
For the Tribe of Reuben^
1431-
3'-' 5
cubit«
in lenj.
ribe of
cubits
in leijj.
in
th
M
in
th
breadth
3tal 46,500
For the T
161
VOO
Total 3i,200
ANASSEH,
breadth
castrametation of the Israelites.
For the Tribe of .SiMEO.v.
Total
182A-
cubits in breadth
325
in length
59,300
For the Tribe of Benjamin,
177
cubits in breadth
200
in lenglli
Total 35,400
For the tribe of DaN,
156:? cubits in breadth
400 in length
Total 62,700
For the tribe of Asiier,
103f cubits in breadth
400 in length
Total 41,500
For the tribe of Naphtali,
cubits in breadth
400 in length
133^
Total 53,400
If we make the ichnography, or even the scenography
of the camp on this plan, in folioumg it. we must first, in
Ijie centre, form a parallelogram of lOO cubits long, and 50
broad, for the court of the Tabernacle ; with an empty space
all round, of 50 cubits broad. We must then place the camp
of the Levites towards the west, viz.
The Gen/ioniles, Num. iii. 22, 23.
Breadth 30 cubits
Length 250 cubits
Total 7500
To the south, the Kohathites, Num.
Breadth 86 cubits
Length J 00 cubits
Total .S600
To the north, the Merarites, Num.
Breadth 62 cubits
Length 100 cubits
Total 6200
ii. 28, 29.
iii. 34, 35,
" On the west, we must place icnis for Moses, Aaron, and
his sons. Num. iii. 38.
Ai the place wiiere the camp o*' the Lcvitcs ends, a
sf)ace must be left of 2,000 square cubits, afVer whu h we must
lake the dimensions of llie camp of ihe.twelvi tribes.
'liiis plan is in ihe mam will imagined, biu it does not
aflOrd an uhi.o-raphy of Hillicifiii , xieiit To coine more
accurately to a proper understanuing of this subject, I shall
Bemarks on the
NUMBERS.
caslrametalion of the Israelites,
examine the rules that are now in use for encampments, and I
compare them afterwards with what is laid down in the Holy
Scriptures, in order that we may hereby form to ourselves an
idea of the camp of God ; the grandeur and perfection of
•which, surpassed every thing of the kind ever seen. I shall
now mention what I am about to propose, as the foundation
upon which I shall proceed.
" In Exodus xviii. CI. Deut. ii. 15. we find the advice
given by Jethro to Moses, respecting political government,
and military discipline. ' Thou shall provide out of all the
people, able mtn, such as fear God, men of trutli, hating co-
vetousness ; and place such over tliem, to be rulers of thou-
sands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of
tens.' (See the note on Exod. xviii. 21.) We may very
well compare these tribunes, or rather these chiliarchs, to our
colonels ; the centurions or hecatonarchs, to commanders or ctip-
tains ; the quinquagenaries or penteconlarchs, to lieutenants ;
and the decurions or decarchs, to our sfjeants. These chiefs,
whetlier they were named magistrates or officers, were each
drawn from his own particular tribe, so that it was not per-
mitted to place over one tribe, an officer taken from another.
M'hatcver matter the decarchs could not decide upon, or ter-
minate, went to the penteconlarchs, and from thence by de-
grees to the hecatonurehs, to the chiliarchs, to Moses, and at
length to God himself, the sovereign head of the army. If we
divide the whole army (such as it was at its departure from
Egypt) by the numbers already laid down, we shall find 600
chiliarchs, 6,000 hecatonarchs, 1 2,000 pentecontarchs, 60,000
decarchs, vi hich in all make 78,600 officers. Josephus regu-
lates the number of them still more exactly, by savin"' that
there were chiefs set over 10,000, 1,000, 500, 50, 30, 20,
and 10. We find this regulation in Ant. Jud. B. iii. c. *.
' Take a review of the army, and appoint chosen rulers over
tens of thousands; and then over thousands; then divide
them into five hundreds ; and again into hundreds ; and into
fifties ,- and set rulers over each of them, who may distinguish
them into thirties; and keep them in order: and at last num-
ber them by twenties and by tens : and let there be one com-
mander over each number, to be denominated from the num-
ber of those over whom they are rulers.'
" We ought not to pass over in silence this division by
tens; fortwice 10, makes 20; three times 10, '.'lO; fi\e times
10, 50; ten times 10, 100; ten tunes 50, 500; ten times
1,000, 10,000. It was in this manner, as is pretended, that
Cangii, the first of the great Khams (as he is called) and after
him Tamerlane, drew out an army, i. e. by 10, 100, 1,000,
10,000. meutioned in Athuzen, c. v. Probably these Tartars
borrowed, from the very Hebrews themselves, this inanner of
laying out a camp. At all events, it is certain that nothing
more ancient of the kind can be found, than that mentioned
in the books of Moses. To distinguish it from that of the
Greeks and Romans, we may with justice call it the Hebrew
castrametation, or if we judge it more proper, the Divine
caslrametation, and consequently the most perfect of all.
For ulihougU 'Moses places the penteconlarchs in the middle,
between the hecatonarchs and the decarchs, i. e. 50 between
I''0 and 10; and although Josephus afterwards places 1,000
between 500 and 10,000, and 30 and 20, between 10 and
50, this does not at all derange the progression by lens, uhicli
IS the foundation of arithmetic. 1'liese subalttrn officers were
equally useful and i>ecessary, as we now see thai their num-
ber, far from creating confusion, helps to maintain order, and
that the more there are of them, the better is ordtr j 'reserved.
According to the modern method of carrying on war, the
next in rank to the generals of the army (who have the su-
preme command) are field marshals and brigadiers, who com-
mand 5000 men.
" There are then, between the chiliarchs or colonels, and
the hecatonarchs or captains, lieutenant colonels ; and between
the hecatonarchs and the decarchs, lieutenant captains, and
these again have under them lieutenants and ensigns.
" It is certain that this method of distributing an army by
tens, and of encamping, which is very concise, \\zs far greater
advantages even with respect to expense, than the very best
plans of the Greeks, Romans, or any other ancient nation.
On this subject we have the testimony of Simon Slcidn, Cas-
trametat. c. !. art. 1. and c. 4. art. 3. Oper. 3Iat!i. p. 514:
and 596. and ful. According to this arrangement, each sol-
dier, or, if more proper, <ach father of a famili/, bemg thus
placed by ten and ten in a straight line one after the other,
might very easily name themselves frst, second, &c. Each
troop in like manner, might be distinguished by its ensigns ;
that of 100 might have them small ; that of 1,000, larger;
and that of 10,000 still larger. Every officer from the low-
est subaltern, to the general officers of the camp, and even to
the generalissimos themselves, had only an easy inspection of
ten men each: the decarch had the inspection of 10 soldiers;
the hecatonarch of 10 decarchs ; and the chiliarch of 10 heca-
tonarchs. After the chiliarchs, which in no troop can amount
to ten, there is the chief or head of each tribe Each then,
exactly fulfilling the duty assigned him, we may suppose every
thing to be in good order, even were the camp larger and
more numerous. The same may be said respecting the con-
tentions that might arise among the soldiers, as well as every
thing relative to the general duty of the officers, as to the la-
bours they- were to undertake, whether for striking their tents
for works of fortification, or tor making entrenchments. This
arrangement might be easily retained in the memory, or a
general list be kept of the names of both officers and soldiers,
to distribute to them their pay, and to keep exact accounts.
" It was possible in one moment to know the number of
those who were either wanting, or were out of their ranks,
and to avoid this disorder in future, by obliging each man to
attend to his duty, and to keep in his rank. If by chance it
happened that any one man wished to desert, or had escaped,
it was easy to notice him, and inflict on him the punishment
he merited. The ensigns being distinguished by their jnarks,
and the company being known, it was easy to find any soldier
whatever.
" The armies themselves might have certain marks to dis-
tinguish them, and by that means they might at once ascer-
tain the person in question, for example, 8 2. T. 3. might
signify tl>e eighth soldier, or father of a family, of the second
rank, of the seventh company, in the third chiliad : 1. 3 5.
the halberdier of the deciirion, or scijeant, of the seventh line,
in the third company, of the fflh chiliad, or thousand ; 5. 8.
till* hecatonarchs or captains of the fifth company, in the
eighth chiliad ; 7. the chiliarchs or colo7ith uf the seventh
rank; 0. finally, the general of the whole army. Further, by
the same means, the loss or misplacing of their arms might
2
Remarls en the castramctatiaii
CHAP. 11.
of the Israelites.
ai'.ii by liius follow
lit be kept in good
\x in>tniclcd and formed to the exercise of arms each dccad
' ■iviii'j its ferjcant for its master : and the chariots or other
iiiages nii;>lil easily be divided amoDi^st several; 10 under
liie deem ion, 100 iiniler the /iicaloiinrch ;
iiicf tlic above inelliod, eveiy thing mi;j
order."
A PLVN OF THE WliOLF. ISRAELITISU CAMP.
" A\'e shall, finally, in one plate, represent the wliole camp
.li' the Israclilts, in that oitlcr which appears the most pro-
lix r. For this purpose, «e must extract the square roots of ;
lie preceding spaces, in order tlial «c may l)c able to assign \
lie prevented. Again, the soldiers might m a very short lime, ji Israelites caitrametation was more perfect than nny ihinff «e
j can well imagine ; for as it was the |)lan v.bich God himtflf
I probably laid down, it must be in cvtry respect what it ouplit
i to be, (or the comfort and safely of this numerous tnulti-
j tude.
As there arc some differences bet^veen ih? mode ofdisiribnt-
] ing the comniand of a large army among tlie Ijriii.sh, and tlmt
used on the Contment, which is followed by Stbeucbzcr, I shall
lay down Ihe dcscaiding scale of British commanders, wiiicli
some may think applies better to the preceding arangcnv.'nt
olilie Israelitisb array than the other.
The command of a large army in the British service ii
thus divided.
1. The commander in chief.
2. Lieut.-gtneruls, who command divisions of the army; (tl cse
divisions consist of 2 or 3 brigades each, and may,
on an average, amount to 5000 men).
3. Major-generals, who command brigades ; (these brigades
consist of froin 2 to .3000 men ['J500 is perhaps the
average] according to the strength of the respective
regiments of which the brigade is composed.)
4. Colonels in the army, or lieutenant-colonels, who com-
mand single regiments; they are assisted in the com-
mand of these regiments by the majors of the regimsnts.
[I mention the major, that there may be no break in
the descending jicale of gradation of ranks, as in the
event of the absence of the above two officers, kcistlic
next in command].
5. Captains who command companies : these companies (on
the war e.slablishment) consist of 100 men each, and
there are 10 companies in every regiment, conseq-.iently
a colonel, or lieutenant-colonel, commands 1000 men
J. Lieutenants, of which there are") .*^ubaUcrn odicers, having
2 to every company.
7. Ensign ; 1 to each company,
each tribe square areas.
or rettani;ular i)aralielogian)s. ]
:efore find for
I'cuben
3049 square cnbits
Simeon
3^43
The Gershonites
1224
The Koliatliites
1311
The .Mtrsr
tcs
111:5
Juildll
3862
IsMichar
329S
Z( buloii
3:iS8
(^ad
301t»
Ashor
2ssa
ManasMJi
2537
I'.phraiin
2846
l^enjamin
26«)
Dan
3.541
Naphtali
32oS
■ The tabernacle, wliii
h was
100 cubits long and 50
broad, I place in the centre of the camp, at the distance of
t 840 feet from the camp of the I.evites, which is placed
exactly in the same manner as described in llie Sacred
; Writings. I find therefore that the whole space of the camp
is 259,(100,000 feet. Now, according to the manner we
have just divided the camp for each tribe, the sum total be-
ing 125,210,000, it follows, that the space between the tents
contained 134,390,000. It', with Eist-nscli/iitd, we estimate the
Poman mite at TCfi French fathoms ;.nd two feet (consequently
21,141,(i0 1- square feet to a Roman square mile) the Isracl-
. itisii camp will contain a little more than 12 such square
miles."
The Header will have the goodness to observe, that the pre-
ceding observations, as well as the following plate or diagram
which was made by .Scheuchzer on the exactest proportions,
- *ould not be accurately copied here without an engraved plate, ■
w Iiich w ould have created jjreat dtUn/, though hllle more exjience, I
and alitr all, the common reader could have profited no more 1
by the /)/fi/f, than he can iiy the diagram. It is not even 1
lio))cd that di-quisilions of this kind can give any thing more !
than a general idea how the thing probably was : lor to ])re- |
tend to minute exactness, in such cases, would be absurd. |
The Sacred Text informs us that .such and such tribes occupied :
the East, such the IVcst, &c. &c. but how they were arranged j
individually, we cannot pretend absolutely to say. ,Scheuch- |
■ zer's plan is sui:h as we may suppose judgment and skill would
lay duun; but still it is very probable that the plan of the
1
no command, but assibt-
ing the captain.
divi- ^ These are called
4 general officers.
}
1. Commander in chief.
2. Lieutenant-generals commanding
sions 5000 each.
3. IVIajor-generals, brigades 2500.
4. Colontls, lieutenant-colonels, and majors; 3' oflicerii
belonging to eadi regiment in the service, and are
solely em]iloyed in tiie disciplining and commanding the
men r these are mounted on horseback, and termed field-
officers.
5. 1 Captain
0. 2 Lieutenants J- to each company.
7. 1 Ensign
Ascending scale of ranks which every officer must pass
Ihruugh.
Ensign,
Lieutenant,
Captain,
.Major,
Lieutenant-colonel,
Colonel,
Major-general, brigade-commander.
Liiutenant-goiieral, divisii-n-comniandcr.
General iu chief, who commands the whole army.
4 G
to every regiment.
Camp of the IsraeliUs
NUMBERS.
in the mldoiiessi
Zo
W
CD
DD
So
Li)-*
1
1
'S31IJM0IISH3t>
DD
H2
•oos'se
'HaSSVMVlM
'IMIVHHda
'Mii\!VfN:ia
i/3
in tlic 'Wilderness.
Camp of the Israelites CHAP, II.
Thousli I particularly refer the Reader to the diagram of the Israclilish camp on the preceding page, taken from .Scheucii-
zer's plate, which I hav- thought necesjary to be subjoined to his description, yet I think it also proper to introduce the fol-
lowing', as it gives a general and tolerably correct idea of this immense camp, in the description of which, the inspired
writer lias been so very particular.
The whole may be said to consist of three camps, r^:. 1 . The camp of the Lord. 2. The camp of the Lfvites. 3. And the
camp of the People. These, in the grand cuuip in the wilderness, corresponded with the Holy of Holies, the Holy place, and
the oiuxnard court of the I'emple at Jerusalem. — See Ainsworth.
EAST.
H
O
186.400 Men.
FIRST GRAND DIVISION.
o
o
o
O
a
o
JUDAH,
74,600.
issAcHAK, and zauulon.
54,400. 57,400.
5, o
a. -ra
/■-.
W.9
t: .^
MOSES, AARON,
and
THE PRIESTS.
J^
" PS^
nj»3iy
.oO s
^'~<%
S-o <
TABERNACLE.
f5
eras
'iMOHsaao
JO
saxiAai
© z
a.
Or O
few
f c
O W
•OOl-'ffg •OOS'SE
'NiNvrnaa puc 'HassvNvK
•OOC'Ot
'iMIVJIHda
H
O
o
O
(T)
>
O
o
•NoisiAia aMVHo aaiHx
•uajM OOI'SOI
■XS3AV
O
G
H
S
4g 2
The family of Aaron.
NUMBERS.
Consecration of the LetHes,
CHAPTER III.
The generations of Aaron and Moses, 1 — 4. 77/c tribe of Levi to minister to the Lord^ under Aaron and his sons,
5 — 10. They are taken in the place of tlie Jirst-boDi, 11 — 13. Moses is commanded to number them, 14 — 16,
Gcrshoii, Koliath «W .Merari, the namesoftlie three heads of families of the Levifes, 17. 0/"Gerslion and Ids
faniilij, 18—21. 7 7w> number 7500, i;. 22. Their ^VacQ, behind tite tabernnclc, westward, 23. Tlieir chief,
Eliasjipli, 24. Their charire, 2,5, 26. Of Kohatli and liis familij, 27. 7V(«'/' number 8G0O, r. 28. Their
YiVacc, bcbide the ialternacle, soutinvard, 29. Their chief, Elizaphan, 30. r//f/> charge, 31. The chief of the
Lcvites, Eleazar, son of Aaron, 32. Of Mcnm and his family, 33. 77(c//- number G200, v. 34. Their chief,
Zuriel, thcj/ shut/ pilch beside the fabtrnnc/c, nortiiward, 3."). Their charge, 35 — 37. ^^asEs and A ARO}f
to encamp before the tabernctcJe, eastward, 38. The amount of all the males among the Leviles from a vionth
old and upK-ards, 22,000, zer. 39. Moses is commanded to number the first-born, 40; and to take the Levites
and iheir cattle, instead of thejirst-born of man and beast among the Israelites, 4 1 . Moses numbers tlwfirst-born,
zchn amount to 22,273, ler. 43. y/s ///e first-borti ii.ere 27.'3 more than the Lciitcs, Moses is commmided to tuhe
from the people five shekels a piece for them, 44 — 47, Khich is to be given to Aaron and his sons, 48. Moses does
accordinglij, and Jinds the amount of the moneij to be 1365 shekels, 49, 50, ichich is given to Aaron and to his
sons, 5 1.
B.C. 1490.
An Exod.Isr.
2.
J/jr or Z>f.
THESE also are the gensrations
of Aaron aaid Moses in the day
that the Lord spake with IMoses in
mount Sinai.
2 And these arc the names of the sons of
Aaron ; Nachib the ' first-born, and Abihu,
Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 Tiiese ere the names of the sons of Aaron,
"the priests which were anointed, 'whom he
consecrated to minister in the priest's office.
4 "And Nadab and Abihu died before the
Loud, when they offered strange fire before
A. 51. 2514..
11. C. 14Lii>.
rVn. E\"d. Tsr.
2.
}Jar ur Z'tf.
"Kxod. 6.23.-
-•■Exotl. 23. 41. Lci-. 8.-
"Lev. 10. 1. cli. SJti. (il.
— '^ licb. whose hand hefi^ed.-
1 Cliroii. 84. 2.
NOTES ON CHAP. HI.
Verse 1. Tlie generations of Aaron and 3Ioses\ Tliougli
Aaroti and Moses are both mentioned here, yet the family
of Aaron a4on(;, appe.-irs in the list : hence, some have
thought that the word Moses, v.-as not originally in the text.
(Jlher.-i think thai the words n"i"lS,-| nSxi vdlelt ioledolh, these
are the j^cnerations, shoidd be renikred lliesc are ilie acts, or
transactions, or tlie history of the lives, as the same phrase may
be understood in Gen. ii. 4. vi. 9. However this may be, it is
evident tiiat in this genealogy, the family of Aaron are alone
mentioned, probably because tliese belonged to the priesthood.
INIoses passes by iiis own family, or immediate descend-mls ;
he gave no rank or privilege to them during- his life, and left
nothing' to them at his death. They became incorporated
wit!) the Levites; from or amongst whom they are never
distinguished. ^V'hat a strong proof is this of the celestial
origin of his religion ! Had it been of ?naii, it must have
had the gratification of some impure passion for its object ;
Just, ambition, or avarice: but none of these ever a]ipcar
tlie Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai,
and they had no children: and Eleazar
and Ithamar ministered in the priest's
office, in the sightof Aarontheir father.
5 % And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
6 ' Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present
them before Aaron the priest, that they may
minister inito him.
7 And they shall keep his charge, and the
charge of the whole congregation before the
tabernacle of the congregation, to do '^the
service of the tabernacle.
■ Cli 8. C. 5>: 18 2. 'Sei: cli. 1. iO. & 8. 11, 15, 21, 26.
during the whole of his administration amongst the Israelites,
though he had it constantly in his power to have gratified
each. \^'^hnt an essential diflerence between the religion of
o
the Pcnlatcuch, and that of the Koran .' The former is God's-
workmanship; the latter is a motley mixture of all bad crafts,
widi here and there a portion of the heavenly fire, stolen from
the divine altar in (he Old and New Testaments, to give
some vitality to the otherwise, inert mass.
Verse 4. Nadab and Abihu diedj See the notes on Levit.
chap. X.
Wrse 6. Bring tlie trilie of Levi m'Mr] The original
word 3lpn hakereb, is properly a sacrificial word, and signifies
die presenting of a saentice or offering to tlie Lord. As an
oilering, the tribe of Levi was given up entirely to the strvice
of the sanctuary, to be no longer their own, but the Lord'.s
property.
Verse 7. The charge of the tehole congregation} They
shall work for the whole congregation ; and, instead of the
JlrsC-bi'rn,
A.M. '.'jM-
]?. C. 1 190.
Aii.Ksod. Isr
JMo.tcs is commanded to
8 And they sliall keep all the instru- 1
ments of the tabcruacle of the con-
gregation, and tlie charge of the cliil- :
J'""[~"' drcn of Israel, to do the service of the •
tabernacle.
9 And ' thou shalt give the Lcvites unto Aa-
ron and to his sons : tliey arc wholly given unto
him out of the children of Israel.
10 And thou shalt ajjpoint Aaron and his
sons, ^ and they shall wait on their priest's
olHce : ' and the stranger that conicth nigli shall
bo put to death
A. M.-2;.14.
r.. c. uw.
Ati.KwA.lir.
liar w Zif.
CHAP. III. number the Lcvites
born in Israel, both Hian and beast :
mine shall they be : I am the Loud.
14 ^ And the Loun spake unto
Moses in the wilderness of Sinai,
saying,
J 5 Numboi- the children of Levi attiU' the house
of their tiithers, by their iiiniilies : ^evcry male,
rtom a month old and upward, shalt thou number
them
16 And Moses numbered them according to
the " word of the I.x)rd, as he was commanded
L put H7 w^cL... , 17 'And these were the sons of Levi by their
11 f And the Loud spake unto Moses, .saying, | names ; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.
12 And I, behold, "l" have taken the Levites ! 18 And these are the names of the sons of
from among the children of Israel instead Gershon by their famihes ; ''Libni, and Shhnei.
of all the tirst-born tliat openeth the matrix ji 19 And "the sons of Kohath by their tiunihes;
among the children of Israel : therefore the Le- '[ ' Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
vites shall be mine : j! 20 "'And the sons of iMerari by their families;^
1.'3 Because 'all the first-born r/rc mine ; '^^/o?*'' Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of
on the day that I smote all the Urst-born in the ' the Levites, according to the house of their
land of Egypt, I hallowed unto me all the first-
' Ch. R. 19. & IR. fi. " cli. 18. 7. ' ver. 38. ch. 1 . .il. & 10. 40.
■'vrr. 41. cii. D. l(i. i: 18. 6. 'Kxod. 13. 2. Ltv. 2?. '-'li. cli. 8. Id.
I.uko 2. 23. > Kxod. 13. 12, 15. cli. 8. 1?.
Vcr>e S. All the inslrmnents] The tabernacle ilself and
all its contents: see all dosciibeiJ ver. 25, '2ti — :jl — o.5 — 37.
i lie Levites were to perforin the most common and laborious
cfllces. It was their business to take down, put up, and
€-arry the tabernacle and its utensils ; for it was the object of
tiieir peculiar care. In a word, tlici/ were the sen-ants of the
prksls.
Verse 10. Aaron and his so}is shall ivtiit on their priest's
qgtcc] It wafi tlie business of the priests to ofler the diflcrent
sacrifices to God: to consecrate the .'•liew- bread: pour out
the libations; burn the incense — sprinkle the blood of the
■victims, and bless the people. lu a word, they were the
servants of GOD alone.
Verse 12. I have taken the Lsviles — instead of all the first-
horn] The Levites are taken for the service of the sanctuary
in place of the fir^t-bo^n. "^Vhe Jiml-born were dedicated to
God in commemoration of his slayin;^ the first-born of the
K^yptians, and prcservinii; those of the Israelites. Kvcn the
(;<//t'of the Levites were taken in place of the Jirst-born of the
cattle of the rest of the tribes — See verse 45.
Several reasons have been assigned, why God should give
this honour to the tribe of Levi in preference to all the others,
but they do not seein to me to be conclusive. Their zeal in
destniymii; those who had corrupted the woisliip of God, in
the business of the goldtn calf, Exod. xxxii. 28. h is been
thought a siidicient reason. A better reason is, that this was
the smallest tribe, and tliey were quite enough for the service.
To have had a more nwnerous tribe, at tlii» time, would have
been very inconvenient.
Aiii'on^ says Mr. Ainswortl), being in his pricslbooJ a tvpe
3
fathers
t
Ver. 39.
_ rh. 26.
(•.2.
h
Hch
VlflUth.
'Gen
46.
11.
Exud.
6.
16.
ch.
26. 57.
-" E.\od
1 Chroii
G. 19.
(i.
1
lo
it •-
■3,C.
-"i.
xi.d.
6. 17
-1 £»,d
0.
IB.
of Christ, all these rites are fulfilled in him. For unto Christ.
God gave children, Heb. ii. 13. And lluy are a congregation
cf firsl-horn, whose yiaiiies are xviitten in heaven, Heb. xii. 23.
being of God's own wdl begotten hi; the word of truth, that
they should be « kind offirst-fndts of his creatures, James i. 1 6,
I to whom he also gives :he first-fruits of his Spirit, Rom. viii.
' 23. These u-ait on and folh'.u the Lamb, being frst-fru!:.f
unto God and to tlie Lamb, Uev. xiv. i. And Christ hatli
made us kings and priests un'o God and his Father, — that we
may serve hiin day (ind night in his temple, Rev. i. 6. —
vii. 15.
Verse 1 5. A month old and iipvjard] The males of all the
other tribes were nunibeied from tivcnty years and up'u:ards;
li.id the Levi'es been nuiiibered in this way, tin y would not
have been nearly equal in number (o the firsi-born of the
twelve tribes. Add to this, that as tliere luust have b^en
first-born, oi' all ai;es in the other tribes, it was neces.sary that
the L/viies, who were to be their substitutes, should be also of
ullages: and it appears to have been on this ground, at least
jiarily, that the Levites were numbered from four ueeks old
and upwards.
Verse 16. JFoses vumbered them] Though Moses and
Aaron conjointly numbered the twelve tribes, yet Mo^es
alone nuiuliercd llie Levites: " for as the money with which
ftlie first-born of Israel, who exceeded the nuii.ber of Levites,
were redeemed, was lo be paid to Aaron and his sons, ver. 48.
it was dtcent that he, whose advantage it was, that l!ie
number of the first-born of Israel should exceed, should not be
authorized to take that number liiuiseit^" — Dodd, from bishop
Kidder.
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
All. Exod. Isr.
2.
J/'-rr or Zif.
Eyiumeration of the
21 ^ Of Gershon was the family of
tlie Libnites, and the family of the
Shimites : these are the families of
the Gershonite.s.
22 Those that were numbered of them, ac-
cording to the number oi'all the males, from a
month old and upward, even tliose that were
numbered of them were seven thousand and five
hundred.
23 ' The families of the Gershonites shall pitch
behind the tabernacle westward.
24 And the chief of the house of the father
of the Gershonites sJiall be Eliasajjh the son of
Lael.
25 And *" the charge of the sons of Gershon
in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be
" the tabernacle, and " the tent, ' the covering
thereof, and ^ the hanging for the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation,
26 And ^ the hangings of the court, and " the
eurtain for the door of the court, which is by
the tabernacle, and by the altar round about,
and ' the cords of it for all the service thereof.
27 % " And of Kohath "dcas the family of the
Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites,
and tlie family of the Hebronites, and the family
of the Uzzielites : these are the families of the
Kohathites.
28 In the number of all the males, from a
month old and upward, xvere eight thousand
and six hundred, keeping the charge of the
sanctuary.
29 ' The families of the sons of Kohath shall
pitcli on the side of the tabernacle south-
ward.
30 And tlie chief of the house of the father
of the families of the Kohathites, shall be Eliza-
phan the son of Uzziel.
ai And '"their charf^e shall be "the ark, and
NUMBERS. Levitkal fa miUes.
the table, and ''the candlestick, and
» oil. 1. .55. ^ cli 4. 21, 25, 56. "^ Exod. 5.5. 9. " Exod. 2G. 1. •
'Kxod. 2ti. 7, 14. f Exnd. 26. ;i6. «Exc;d. '>T. P. " Kxod. 'J.T. 16.
— ^' Kxod. ;». iij. >= 1 Cliroci. 26. 2:). ' cli. 1. ftJ. " ch. 4. 15.
" lixdd. 25. 10. ^»Exod. 2.5. 2J. fExod. 25. 31. 'iExod. 27. 1. &
Verse 39. Which Moses and Aaron mmibered] The word pnxi
veahon, " and Aaron," has, a point over each of its
letters, probably designed as a mark of spnriousness. The
«ord is wanting in the Samarilati, Si/riar and Coptic; it is
wanting also in cighl of l)f. Kennicott'i MSS. and in /our of
l)e Rossi'f. Moses alone, as Iloubigant observes, is com-
tnanded to take the number of the Lttitcs, see ver. 5, 11 , 40,
44 and 51.
A. M. 2514.
B.C. 14<tO.
An. Exod. Isr.
2.
Ijar or ;
^!f-
"the altars, and the vessels of the
sanctuary wherewith they minister,
and ' the hanging, and all tlie service
thereof.
32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest
sliall he chief over tlie chief of the Levites, a?id
have the oversight of them that keep the charge
of the sanctuary.
33 if Of Merari rvas the family of the Mahlites,
and the family of the Mushites : these are the
families of Merari.
34 And those that were numbered of them,
according to the number of all the males, from
a month old and upward, were six thousand
and two hundred.
33 And the chief of the house of the father of
the families of Merari, was Zuriel the son of
Abihail : ' these shall pitch on the side of the
tabernacle northward.
36 And Umder" the custody and charge of
the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the
tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars
thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the
vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto.
37 And the pillars of the court round about,
and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.
38 ^ " But those that encamp before the taber-
nacle toward the east, even before the taber-
nacle of the congregation eastward, shall be
Moses, and Aaron and his sons, 'keeping the
charge of the sanctuary ''for the charge of the
children of Israel ; and " the stranger that
cometh nigh .shall be put to death.
39 ''''All that were numbered of the Levites,
which Moses and Aaron numbered at the com-
mandmeiit of the Lord, througliout their fa-
mihes, all the males from a montli old and up-
ward, were twenty and two thousand.
30. 1. 'Exod. 2ii. 32. 'cli. 1.5".— 'Heb. t/ici'^i-i of the chmge.
"cli. 4. .SI, 3'J. "ch. 1.53. s-ch. 18. 5. ^'ver. 7, li. »Mer. 10.
!>'' See ch. 26. 62.
Jll the males were 122,000] This total does not agree
witli the particulars; for the Gershonites were 7500, the
Koiiathites 8600, the Mcraritcs 6200, total, 22, .300. Several
methods of solving this ditTiculty have been propcsed by
learned men; Dr. Kcnn icon's is the most simple. Formerly
llie numbers in the Hebrew bible were expressed by letters,
;uid not by ■u.ords at full len^ih ; and if two nearly simi'ar
letters were mistaken for each other, manv errors in the
7
A.M. 2514.
B. C 1400.
An.Esod. Isr.
2.
Ijar or Zif.
Enumeration of CHAP. IV.
40 ^ And the Lord said unto Moses,
* Number all the first-born of" the males
of the children of Israel, iiom a month
old and upward, and take the number
of their names. I
4-1 "And thou sh alt take the Levites for me,
(I am the Lord) instead of all the first-born
among the children of Israel ; and the cattle of
the Levites instead of all the firstlings among
the cattle of the children of Israel.
42 And Moses numbered, as the Lord com-
manded him, all the first-born among the chil-
dren of Israel.
43 And all the first-born males by the number
of names, Iiom a month old and upward, of
those that were numbered of tliem, were twenty
and two thousand two hundred and threescore
and thirteen.
44 % And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
4.5 " Take the Levites instead of all the first-
born among the childi'en of Israel, and the
cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and
the Levites shall be mine : I am the Lord.
the Jirst-bom.
be
A..M. 2514.
11. C. MW.
All. Kxod. lit.
1 Vcr. 15. >> vcr. i% 45.-
-M-cr. l'A41.-
' ver. 39. 43.
-■" Exod. 13. 13. cii. 18. 15.
numbers must be the cnnsequence. Now it is probable that
an error bns crept into ilie number of the Gtrshi.nilcs, ver. 22,
where, instead of 7500, we .should read 7200, as "^ rtipli,
500, minht have been ea.sily mistalien for 1 nsh 200
especially if the down stroke of the c«^/» had been a liltle sho ter
than ordinary, which is often the case in MSS. The extra 300
being taken ofT, the total is just 22,000 as mentioned in the
39th verse.
Verse 43. All the first-born males xiere 22,2'73.] Tiuis we
find there were 273 first-born, beyond the number of the
Levites. These are ordered, ver. 46. to be redetmed ; and
the redemption ])rice is to bcjhe shekels each, ver. 47. about
15s. And this money, amounting to 1365 shekels, equal to
.f 204- 15 English, he took of the fir.st-born of Israel, ver. 50.
But how was this collected among 22,273 persons? Rtibbi
Solomon Jurchi says, to prevent contcnlion, Moses took 22,000
slips of parchment, and wrote on each, « son of Levi; aiid
273 others, on which he wrote fre sitekets; then he mixed
them in a basket, and each man took out one — those who drew
the slips, on which _/Jpe slukcls were written, paid the money;
the others went free. This is a most stupid and silly tale, for
46 And for those that are to
" redeemed of the two hundred antl
threescore and thirteen of the first- . - . .
born of the children of Israel, ' which _:^''"L_^_
are more than the Levites :
47 Thou shalt even take ' five shekels apiece
by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary,
shalt thou take tfiem : (Hhe shekel is twenty
gerahs :)
48 And thou shalt give the money, w^herewith
the odd number of them is to be redeemed,
unto Aaron and to his sons.
49 And Moses took the redemption money
of them that were over and above them that
were redeemed by the Le\ntes :
50 Of the first-born of the children of Israel
took he the money; "a thousand three hundred
and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel
of the sanctuary:
51 And Moses 'gave the money of them that
were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons,
according to the word of the Lord, as the
Lord commanded Moses.
'Lev. 27. 6. cli. 18. 16. eExod. 31. 13. Lev. 27. 25. ch. 18. 16.
Ezek. 45. 12. "ver. •«>,47. ' ver. 48.
sucli a mode of settlement never could have been resorted to
by an intelligent people. It would have been much more
simple to have paid it out of a general fund : and it is very
likely that, in this way, the expense was defrayed.
This species of redeeming of men is referred to by St.
Peter, 1 Epist. i. 18, 19. " Ye know that ye ivere not re-
deemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your
vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers; but,
with the precious (ti/mco aiixan valuable) blood of Christ, as of
a lamb u-ithuut blemish and without spot, &.C." And, it is not
ihc first-born only which are thus redeemed ; for he, by the
grace of God, tasted death for EVERY man, Ileb. ii. 9.
Header, give glory to God, that such a ransom has been
paid for thy soul ; and see, that redeemed from thy vain
conversation ; thy em()ty, fruitless and graceless observances,
on vvhieh thou hast builded thy hopes of salvation ; thou
walk in neniiess of life, giving thy whole .soul with tliankful-
ncss unto the Father who hath translated thee from darkness,
and placed thee in the kingdom of his beloved Son : To Hitn
be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen !
CHAPTER IV.
Moses is commanded to take the sum of the sons of Kohath front thirty years old and upward, I — ,3. The service
lohich iheij had to perform, 5 — 15. T/ie o/^i'cc i)/" Elcazar, l6. The faviili/ of }io\\&\.\\ to be continued among the
The Levites io scire from NUMBERS. iJiirt^ io fijiy years.
Leviiis, 17— U)- f/iei/ are not fo go into tlie Holif of Holies, 20. T7ie siiiii of the sons 0/ G'ei-shou, 21 — -23.
Thescivice tlici/ htidtojicrform, C4— 27. '/V/tyy aya to Iw tinder llhamar, 28. TIte sum of the so«.s o/' Merari,
29,30. The service tlmy had to perforin, 31 — ."W. The sum of all the families of Kohiith, 2750, rer. 34 — 37.
The Slim of the families of GersUon 2G.-0, ver. 38 — 41. The sunt of the families q/"Mcrari, 42 — 45. The sum total
of the families of Gvrihon, Kohath and ^levari, S5S0, re;-. 4G— 49-
A.M.'-'.il!.
li. C. 14»).
An.F.xod.i'.r.
AN D the Lord spake unto Moses
and unto Aaron, saying,
2 Take the sum of the sons of
V'"'"^^'!- Kohiath ti-om among the sons of Levi,
their families, by the house of their
after
fathers.
3 ^Fiora thirty years old and upward even
until fifty years old, all that enter into the host,
to do the work in the tabernacle of the congre-
gation.
4.^ "This sliall he the service of tlie sons
of Kohath in the t;v1)ernac!e of the congregation,
about 'the most holy things:
'5 And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron
shall come, and his sotv", and they sluiU take
down "the covering vail, and cover tlie "ark of
testimony with it :
6 And shall ])ut thereon the covering of
badgers' skins, and sliall spread over // a cloth
wholly of blue, and shall put in ^the staves
thereof.
»Ste cli. 8. ->l. 1 ('liron. Sj. ."!, 24, 27.^ *• vcr li. = vcr. 19.-
^6, 31. » E.\od. 25.10, 16. f Kxod. 545. 13.
-'' Exod
NOTES ON CHAP. IV.
Verse 3. From thirty years old] In chap. viii. 24. the Le-
vites are oidtred to enler on the service of tlie tabernack at the
a-^e of f.vertty-five years ; and in 1 Chron. xxiii. 24. they were
ordered to ccnin.ence that uoric at tvjaity years of age. How
can these diftererit times he reconciled.? 1. At the time of
which Mos€s speaks heie, tlic Le\ itical service was exceed-
in sjly scfff, and con.<eqiiently required \\\en J'ull grown, strong
and itout, to perform if. the age, therefore, of thirty years,
«-as appointed as tlie period for commencing tliis service, tlie
-Mightier part of which is, probably, here intended. 2. In
chap. viii. 24. Moses steni.s to speak of the .service in a
general nay; the sercrc, which was to be performed by the foil
grown LeVites, and the le^s laborious wurk which yonn^er
.men itiij,dit assist m : hence, the ai^e o( livcnty-jhe is fixid.
3. In David's time andaflerwards, in the. //.«•(/ taberna'le and
temple, the laboriousiicss of the service no longer existed, and
Ifcncc, tiveiity years was the age fixed on for all Levites to
enter into the work oftiie sanctuary. The Ilabbins say that Ihc
I.«vites began to learn to do the service at ticenly-fivc; and
that having been inslnicttd .ft'ir years, they began the public
service at thirty, and tbiis they reeoncde the tU'O periods
referred to above. Wc may well suppose that the ao^is of ih<.
A.:\i.i'JM.
B. C. 14'.11).
An. Kxdd. Isr.
I/dy ur Zif.
7 And upon the ^ table of shew-
bread they shall spread a cloth of
blue, and put thereon the dishes,
and the spoons, and the bowls, and
covers to "cover withal: and the continual bread
shall be thereon:
8 And they shall spread upon them a cloth
of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering
of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves
thereof
9 And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover
the ' candlestick of the light, " and his lamps, and
his tongs, and his snuftdishe.-J, and all the oil
vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it:
10 And they shall put it and all tlie vessels
thereof within a covering of badgers' skins, and
shall put it upon a bar,
1 1 And upon ' the golden altar they shall
spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a
covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to
the staves thereof:
s Exod. «5. 2.), 20, 30. Lev. 21, •6, g. "Or, pour ont withal. 'Exod.
'2j. Lil. 1" £xod. iij. 3T. SS. ' £xod. SO. 1, j.
prophets rontinued a considerable time under instructions
before iliey were called fully to exercise Uiemselvcs in the
prophetic office.
Until fifty years old] This was allowing Itvenfy years for
public severe .service. A very considerate and merciful ordi-
nance. A preacher who devotes his whole time and strength
to the service of the cliurcli of God, from tvvcnly till fifty or
sixty years of age, sliould be tlien excused from his severer
labour, and maintained at the charge of the sanctuary. This
would not only be a great comfort to a worn out servant of
God, but also of great use to the work of the ministry, which,
to be (iaithfuUy and efTectually performed, requires all the
powers of the body and mind of man. Old fctithfiit ministers
are to be highly respected for their work's ..^akc, and to be
siipyjlied with all the necessaries and comforts of life; but, how
liitle can they do in the public ministry of the word, however
wilbng to uoik, when their eye waxes dim and their bodily
strength fails ! — See on chap. viii. 25. Both for their own
sakes, and for the good of the church, they should be excused
from a labour to which they must be almost every way inade-
quate. I'lit notwithi-tanding this comparative inactivity, their
counsels, aiivice and e\peri< nee, will always be considered us
a treusure to the church oi' Christ.
The different services CHAP. IV. to be performed by the Levites.
12 And they shall take all the in- i! throughout the houses of their fathers,
struments of ministry, wherewith they i by their families ;
2. minister in the sanctuary, and put | 23 ' From tliirty years old and up-
iJ«r_otZif. ^1^^^^^ -j^ ^ ^lyj^lj ^C IjI,,^.^' a,jj cover \ ward, until tifty yeai-s old, shalt thi;u
them with a covering of badgers' skins, and' number them; all that enter in "'to i)erform the
A.JI. L'.>11.
13. C. M'.H).
All. Kxod.Isr,
A.
IM.'i514.
b
C. 1^90.
Aii.Kxud. Ur.
V.
lj«r or Zif.
shall put tliem on a bar
13 And they shall take away the ashes from
the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon :
Ir And they shall ))ut upon it all the vessels
thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even
the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels.
service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the
congregation.
24 This is the service of the families of the
Gershonites, to serve, and for "burdens:
25 And "they shall bear the curtains of the
tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congre-
hanjvinff for the door of the tabernacle ol the
congregation,
26 And the hanoiiiirs of the court, and the
awd the ^basons, all the vessels of the altar ; !| gation. Ins covering, and the covering of the
and they shall spread upon it a co\ering of badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the
badgers' skins, and put to the staves of it.
15 And when Aaron and his sons have made
an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the
vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set i. hanging for the door of the gate of the court,
forward; after that, "the sons of Kohath shall; which is by the tabernacle and by the altar
come to bear it : ' but they shall not touch j round about, and their cords, and all the instru-
any holy thing, lest they die. "These things] ments of their service, and all that is made lor
are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the i; them: so shall lliey serve.
tabernacle of the congregation. |j 27 At the "appointment of Aaron and his
16 ^ And to the office of Eleazar the son .j sons shall be all the service of the sons of the
of Aaron the priest, pertaineth 'the oil for the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all
light, and the '^ sweet incense, and "^the daily j| their service: and ye shall appoint unto them
meat-offering, and the " anointing oil, and the
oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that
therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels
thereof. I
IT ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses and
unto Aaron, saying, I
1 8 Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of:
the Kohathites from among the Levites:
19 But thus do unto them, that they may,
live, and not die, when they approach unto]
' the most holy things : Aaron and his sons shall :
go in, and appoint them every one to his service '
and to his burden : j
20 " But they shall not go in to see when the
holy things are covered, lest they die.
21 ^ And the Loud spake unto Moses, say-
ing,
22 Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon,
^ Or, bowls. I'd]. 7.9. & 10. 21. Doiit. 31. 9. 2 Sam. 6. 13. 1 Ctiron.
l.r 2, 1,5 ' 2 Sam. <i. (5, 7. 1 Cliroii. IS. 0, 10. i rli. 3. 31.- — ■' Kxoil.
£5. 6. Lev. 24. 2. f Kxod. 30. 34. e P^xod. 5>9. 40 » Exod. 30. 23.
Verse 20. il'lien the holy things are covered'] Literally, J?733
bi'hitlii. when they are swallowed jIowii; wliicli sliew.s the prompt-
in charge all theii' burdens.
28 Thi.s is the service of the flimilies of the
sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the con-
gregation: and their charge shall be under tlie
hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
29 ^ As lor the sons of Merari, thou shalt
number them after their families, by the house
of their fathers;
30 "'From thirty years old and upvard, even
unto fifty years old, shalt thou number them,
every one that entereth into the ' service, to
do the work of the tabernacle of the congre-
gation.
31 And "this /,-> the charge of their hinden,
according to all their service in the tabernacle
of the congregation ; ' the boards of the taber-
nacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars there-
of, and sockets thereof,
Iyer. 4. 'See Exod. 19. 81. 1 Sam. 6. 19. 'ver. S. "Heh.
to war (he wutfarc. °Or, ctrrriige. ''ch. 3. 03,26. 'Hcb. mouth.
''ver. 3. — ^'ileb. uarjare. 'ch. 3. 30,37. 'Exod. i'6. 15.
w as put out of siftlit, for these mysteries must ever be treated with
the deepest reverence; an.'l indeed without thi.s, they could not
I
itude with whicli every thing, belonging to tlic Holy ol Holies, have been to them, the representatives of h< a\enly realities
4 u
A. M. 'Joll.
B. C. 1490.
A n. Exod. lit.
IJar
■if-
The sum of the several NUMBERS,
S2 And the pillars of the court round
about, and tlieir sockets, and their
pins, and tlieir cords, with all their
instruments, and with all their ser-
vice: and by name ye shall' ^reckon tlie instru-
ments of the charofe of their burden.
33 This is the service of the families of the
sons of Merari, according to all their service,
in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the
hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
34 ^ ''And Moses and Aaron and the chief
of the congregation numbered the sons of the
Kohathites after their families, and after the
house of their fathers,
35 From thirty years old and upward, even
unto fifty years old, every one that entereth
into the service, for the work in the tabernacle
of the congregation:
36 And those that were numbered of them by
their famihes, were two thousand seven hundred
and fifty.
37 These "icet'C they that w^ere numbered of
the families of the Kohathites, all that miffht
do service in the tabernacle of the congregation,
according
which Moses and Aaron did number
to the commandment of tlie Lord, by the hand
of Moses.
38 ^ And those that were numbered of the
sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and
by the house of their fathers,
39 From thirty years old and upward, even
unto fifty years old, every one that entereth
into the service, for the work in the tabernacle
of the congregation,
40 Even those that were numbered of them,
throughout their famihes, by tlie house of their
fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and
thirty.
A.M. !^514.
B. C. 1400.
An. Kxod.Isr.
> Exod. 33. til.-
-" ver. 29.
Verse 36. Tho.K that were numlered] In cbap. iii. 21, &c.
we have an account of the whole number of the Levites ; and
here of those only who were able to scire the Lord in the
aanctuary. By cojuparing the two places we find the numbers
to stand thus:
rAble men 27.50')
KotlATIHTES J Unable 5850 ^
Total 8600
Levitical families.
41 ' These arc they that were num-
bered of the families of the sons of
Gershon, of all that might do service
in the tabernacle of the congregation,
whom Moses and Aaron did number according
to the commandment of the Lord.
42 ^ And those that w ere numbered of the
families of the sons of ^M^rari, througliout their
families, by the house of their fathers,
43 From tliirty years old and upward, even
unto fifty years old, every one that entereth
into the service, for the work in the tabernacle
of the congregation,
44 Even those that were numbered of them
after their families, were three thousand and
two hundred.
45 These be those that were numbered of
the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses
and Aaron numbered "according to the word
of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
46 All those that were numbered of the Le-
vites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of
Israel numbered, after their families, and after
the house of their fathers.
47 "From thirty years old and upward, even
unto fifty years old, every one that came to d©
the service of the ministry, and the service of
the burden in the tabernacle of the congrega-
tion.
48 Even those that were numbered of them,
were eight thousand and five himdred and four-
score.
49 According to the commandment of the
Lord they were .numbered by the hand of
Moses, ' every one according to his service,
and according to his burden : thus were they
numbered of him, ^as the I^ord commanded
Moses.
' Ver. 3. yS, 30.-
f vcr. 15. 21, 31. — — » ver. 1, 21.
r Able men 2G30")
GeRSIIONITES J Unable 4870 >■
Total 7500
Merarites
f Able men 3200")
•j Unable 3000 V
Total 6200
Thus we find that the whole number of the Levites
All unclean persons to he
CHAP. V.
put out of the camp.
amounted to 22,300, of whom 8500 were fit for service, and
13,720 unfit, bein<f either too olil or too young. W'lial an
astonisliing number of nitn, all properly ecclesiastics ! all
performing- some service by which Cod w.is cjlorified, and the
congregation at large l)cnefited ! See Ainyuortli.
From this and the preceding chapter, we see the very severe
labour which the Levites were obliged to perform, while the
jounieyintjs of the Israelites lasted. When we consider that
there was not less than 14 tons, 266/is. of melal em-
ployed in the tabernacle, see the notes on Exod. xxxviii.
besides the immense weight of the skins, hangings, cords,
boards, and posts, we shall find it was no easy matter to
transport this moveable temple fiom place to place.
The (ierslionilts, who were 7,500 men in the service, had
to carry the ten!, coverings, veil, liangin;^ of the CDurt, cords,
&c. &;c. chap. iii. ver. 25, 26.
The Kohatldtes, who were 8,600 men, had to carry the
ark, table, candlestick, altars, and instruments of the sanc-
tuary. Ibid. 31.
I'he IMcrarites, who were 6,200 men, had to carry the
boards, bars, jylllars, sockets, and aH mutters connected w'ith
these belonging to the tabernacle ; with the pillars of the court,
their sockets, pint:, and cords. Ibid. 36, 37.
The tabernacle was an epitome of the temple : the temple
and tabernacle were representatives of the church of the living
God, and of the hiiinanitj/ of our blessed Lord. As God
dwelt in the tabernacle and tetnple, so his fulness dwelt in
the 3Ian Christ Jesus. These again were types of the Chris-
tian church, which is termed the body of Christ, Ephes. i. 23.
where he dwells in the plenitude of the graces of his .spirit.
Mr. Ainsworth has a very useful iwte on the 20*li ver^e
of this chapter, the moit edifying part of which I shall here
lay before the Reader. He considers the tabernacle and
temple not only as pointing cut the old dispensation; i\\e. an-
nulling itf wiiich was typified by their d^'struition, but he coi^-
siders also tile former as emblematical of the body of min.
" The apostle," says he, " treating of the death of the
saints, uses this simjhtude : If our earthly house of this taber-
nacle were dissolved, wc have a building of God, a house not
made ii-ith hands, eternal in the heavens. For nc that are in
THIS TAUF.HN.iCLE rfo groan, being burdened, not for that we
luoiild be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be
srxalloiited tip of life, 2 Cor. v. 1 — \. So Peter calls his
death, \.\^e putting off oiXw T.\BERNACLE, 2 Pet. i. \\. And
this similitude is very fit ! for, as here, in the tabernacle of
Moses, the most holy things were first covered, and taken
away ; see ver. 20. so the soul and its jjowers are fust with-
drawn from the body by death. 2. As the curtains and
coverings were taken ofTand folded up ; so the skin and flesh
of our bodies arc pulled off and consumed. 3. As the boards
of the tabernacle were disjointed and pulled asunder, so shall
our bones and sinev\s: — compare Job's description of the
formation of man, chap. x. 8 — 12. And Solomon's account
of his dissolution, Eceles. xii. 3, 4. — 4. As the disjointed and
dissolved tabernacle was afterwards set up again, Num*D. x. 21.
so shall our bodies in the day of the resurrection ; see 1 Cor.
XV. 51— 54."
CHAPTER V.
The Israelites are commanded to purify the eamp by excluding all lepers, and all diseased and unclean persons,
1 — 3. They do so, 4. Law concerning him who has defrauded another — he shall confess his sin, restore the
principal, ajid add besides, o)/c dMi of its ralue, 5 — 7. If he htivc no kinaniMX to zchom the recotnpence can be
made, it shall be given unto the Lord, 8. u4ll the hob/ things offered to the Lord shall be the priest's portion,
9,10. The law concerning jealousy, 11 — 14. The suspected woman's qfering, 15. She is to be brought before
the Lord, If). The priest shall take holy zcater, and put in it dust from the foor of the tabernacle, 17. Shall
put the offering in her hand, and adjure her, 18 — 20. The form of the oath, Q\, 22. which is to be Jtritfcn on
a book, blotted out in the Oilier waters, and these the suspected person shall be obliged to drink, 2.'3, 24. The
jealousy offering shall be wared before the Lord, 25, 26. The effect which shall be produced if the suspected
person be guilty, 27. The effect if not guilty, 28. Recapitulation, with the purpose and design of the laie,
29, 30.
leper, and every one that hath an
A, M. 2514.
B. C. 1450.
An.Exod.Isr.
'i.
l)ar or Zif.
AND the Loud spake unto ^Moses,
saying,
2 Command the cliildren of Israel,
tliat they put out of the camp every
= Lev. 13. 3, 46. & ch. )i.'. 11. ' Lev. 15. 2.
NOTES ON CHAP. V.
Verse 2. Put out of the camp every lcper'\ According to
the preceding plan, it is sufiiciently evident, that each camp
" issue, and whosoever is defiled by
the " dead :
3 Both male and female shall ye
A. M. 'J.^U.
B. C. 1490.
Am. Exod. I6r.
JJar or Zif.
'Lev. 21. 1. €h. 9.6, 10. & 19. 11, 13. & 31. 19.
lYiight be removed, and where probablj', convenient places
were erected for the atcommodation of the hifected; lor we
annot suppose that they were driven out into the naked will
had a space behind it, and on one side, whither the infected ii deriicjs. But the expulsion mentioned here, «as luundcd,
1 4 II 2
The origin of the loiv
put out, without the camp shall ye
put them ; that they defile not their
camps, * in the midst M'hereof I
dwell.
NUMBERS.
beside
concerning jealousies^
the ram of the atonement, a. m. 2514.
A. M. 2)11.
fl. C. 1 lilO.
An.Exod.Isr,
Jjar or Ztf.
4 And the cliildren of Israel did so, and put
them out without the camp : as the Lord spake
unto Moses, so did the children of Israel.
5 ^ And the Loud spake unto Moses, saying,
6 Speak unto the children of Israel, '' When
a man or woman shall commit any sin t!iat men
commit, to do a trespass against the Lord, and
that person be guilty ;
7 "^ Then they shall confess their sin which
they have done : and he shall recompense his
trespa's "with the principal thereof, and add ij it be hid from the eyes of her husband, "and be
unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto ;; kept close, and she be defiled, and there he no
him against whom he hath trespassed. \\ witness against her, neither she be taken 'with
8 But if the man have no kinsman to recom- ' the manner ;
14 And the spirit of jealousy come upon him,,
and he be jealous of his wife, and she be de-.
whereby an atonement shall be made .^' ^' "^'•
o I • An. Exod. Isr.
tor hufl. 2.
9 •[ And every ' offering^ of all the V'''"'"f-
holy things of the children of Israel, which they
bring unto the priest, shall be his.
10 And every man's hallowed things shall be
his : whatsoever any man giveth the priest, it
shall be " his.
11^ And the Lord spake unto IMoses, saying,
12 Speak unto the chddren of Israel, and say
unto them. If any man's wife go aside, and
commit a trespass against him,
13 And a man ' lie with her carnally, and.
j)ense the trespass unto, let the trespass be I'e-
compensed unto the Lord, even to the priest ;
' I-ev. 26, 11, 12. 2 Cor. 6.
.'o.-li. 7. ly. " Lev. 6. 5.-
16 !> Lev. 6. S, o —
—' Lew 6. C, 7. & 7. 7.-
-' Lev. 5. 5. & 26. 40.
— 'Or, huavt offering.
1st. On a purely ;;/(y.siai? reason, viz. the diseases were con-
im^ioiis, and therefore there was a necessity of putttnjT those
afflicted hy them apart, that the inTection might not be coni-
ivmiiicated. 2. There was also a spiritual leason ; the camp
was the habitation of God, and nothing impure should be
permitted to rcjiiain wliere he dwelt. 3. The camp was an
emblem of the church where nothing that is defiled should en-
ter; and in whicii nuthini; that is unholy should be tolerated.
All lepers, all persevering' impenitent sinners, should be driven
from- the sacred pale: nur should any such ever be permitted
to enter.
Verse -i. And the children of hracl — put them out] This is
the earliest account we. have of such separations; and probably
this ordinance gave the first idea of an hospital, where all
those who are afflicted with contagious disorders are put into
particular wands, under medical treatment. Though no mention
be made of the situation, circumstances, &c. of those e\pelled
persons, we may certainly infer that they were treatfd with
tliat humanity whicli their <lialrcssed state required. Though
smners must be separated from llie church of God, yet they
should he treated with aQ'LClioaate regard, because thct/ maj/ be
reclaimed. It is loo often the case, when a man backslides
from the way of truth, lie is abandoned liy all : finding his
case desperate, he plunges yet deeper into the mire of sin ;-
and the man becomes incurably hardened, who with tender
treatment mi;;ht have been reclaimed. One class says he
cannot finally fall, and shall in due time be restored : another
class says he may hnally fall and uttuly perisli. If the un-
tortnnate ])erson be restored, his recovery is taken as a proof
of the tirsl doctrine : if he be not, his wretched end is con-
fidcred u proof of the second. In the first case tlje person
h;ni.-elf may presume on his restoration as a point infallibly
4
B Exod. 29. 28. Lev. 6. 17, 18, 26. k 7. 6, 7, 9, 10, l*. ch. 18. 8, 9, 19.
Ueut. 18. 3,4. Ezek. '14. 29, 3l(. " Lev. 10. 13. ' Lev. 18. 20.
determined in the divine counsel — or in the second, he may
consider his case iiopcless, and so abandon himself to profligacy
and desperation. Thus both parties leave him — and both
opinions (misunderstood certainly) render him secure or des-
perate : and in either case, totally inactive in behalf of his
ow.ii soul. \V ho is he that properly estimates the worth ef
one immortal sjiirit ? He who doe.s, will at once feel, that in
a state o'i probation, any man may fall through sin— and any-
sinner may be renewed again unto repentance, through the
infinitely meritorious sacrifice, and all powerfully cfHcacious
grace of Christ. This truth properly felt, equally precludes
both presumption and despair, and will induce the followers,
of God to be active in preservir,-^ those who have escaped
from the corruption that is in the world; and make them dili-.
gent to recover those who have turned back to earth and sin.
Verse 7. Shall confess their sin] Without confession or ac- .
knoxi'kdi^emenl of sin, there was no hope of mercy held outi
lie shall recompense] For without restitution, in every pos-.
sible case, God will not forgive the iniquity of a man's sin.
How c;m any person in a case of defraud, with his neighbour's,
property in his jiossession, e.xpect to receive mercy from the
liand of a just and holy God ^ See this subject considered in,
the notes on Gen. xlii. at the close.
Verse 8. If he have no kinsman] The Jews think that this,
laiv respects the stranger and the sojourner only, because
every Israelite is.ina state of affinity to all the rest; but there-
miglit be a stranger.m the camp who has no relative in an.3^
of the tribes of Israel. ' '-""^
Verse 14. The spirit of jealousy] HNjp H,"! ruach kinuh,
either a supernatural diabolic influence, exciting him to jea-
lousy; or \.\\c passion or affection of jealoasy : for (o the-wor4»
may be understood.
A.ai. 1:514.
B. C. 1490.
All. Exod.I»r,
2.
IJnr or Zif.
The hitter xcaters of jealousy, CHAP. V,
filed : or if the spirit of jealousy come
upon him, and he be jealous of his
vife, and she be not defiled : I
15 Then shall the man bring hisj
■wii'e unto the priest, and he shall bring her |
offering tor her, the tenth jmrt of an ephah of
barley meal ; he sliall jiour no oil upon it, nor
put frankincense thereon ; for it is an ofi'ering
of jealousy, an offering of memorial, '' bringing
iniquity to remembrance. |
1 6 And the priest shall bring her near, and
set her before the Lord : I
17 And the priest shall take holy water in an I
earthen vessel ; and of the dust that is in the
floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and
put // into the water :
18 And tlic priest shall set tlie woman before
the Lord, and uncover the woman's head, and
put the offering of memorial in her hands, which
is the jealousy offering : and the priest sh.all
liave in his hand the bitter water that causeth
the curse :
19 And the priest shall charge her by an
A. M.2.M4.
B. C. 1 1'.H).
All. E.xo(l.I>r,
Ijar or Zif,
» 1 Kings 17. 18. Ezek. 20. 16. ^ Or, fcfmg in the pniier itf ihij husbmiil,
Roiu. 7. a. ' llcb. under th^hiisbnml.
Verse 17. Holy icata-'] Water out of the laver, called
holy, because consecrated to .sacred uses. Tins is the most an-
cient case oC the trial by ordeal. See at the end of the chapter.
Li (IK earthen ie.?se/] Supposed by the Jews to be such as
had never been previously used.
Dust that is on the floor ] Probably intended' to point out
the baseness of the criuie of which she was accused.
Verse 1 8. Uncover tite wojntin's heti(l'\ To take off a
woman's veil, and expose her to the sight of men, would be
consielered a very great degradation in the East. To this
St. Paul appears to allude, 1 Cor. xi. 5, 6, and 10.
Verse 21. Tllc Lord make thee a curse and an oath] Let
•diy name and piinishnient be rcmemberrd, and mentioned
as an example and terror to all others. Like that mentioned,
Jer. xxix. 22, 23. " The Lord make thee like Zedekiah,
and like Ahab, uhom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,
because they liave committed villany in Israel, and have com- I
mitted adultery with their neighbours wives." Ainsworth. 1
Verse 22. Thy be/ly to sttc//, and thy thigh to lOl] What
is meant by these expressions cannot be easily ascertained.
"1"1» Vfc:'? lanepcl yarec, signifies literally thy ihigh to fall. As
the thigh, feet, &c. were used aniunj; the Hebrews dclicalclj',
to express the parts which nature conceals; r'c Gen. xlvi. 26.
the expression here is probably to be understood in this sense;
and the falling dotvn of the thigh here, must mean something
similar to the prolapsus uteri, or falling down of the womb,
which might be a natural elVect of the preternatural distention
of the abdomen. In 1 Cor. xi. 29. St. Paul seems to allude
and iJu'ir effects^
oath, and say unto the woman, If
no man have lain with thee, and if
thou hast not gone aside to unclean-
ness ^ Xiith uiwlher" in,stead of thy
husband, be thou free liom this bittQr water
that causeth tlie curse :
20 But if thou hast gone aside to another in-
stead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled,
and some man have lain with thee beside thine
husband :
21 Then the priest shall ''charge the woman
with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say
unto the woman, "^ The Lord make thee a curse
and an oath among thy people, when the Lord
doth make thy thigh to "^rot, and thy belly to
swell ;
22 And this water that causeth the curse ^shall
go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell,
and thy thigh to rot : " And t!ic woman shall
say. Amen, Amen.
23 And the priest shall write these curses in a
book, and he siiall blot them out with the bitter
water :
" Josh. 6. 26. 1 Sam. 14. 24. Nf ti. 10. <.'<). ' .'er. •29. 22.-
B Ps. 109. 18. " Dc-ut. 27. la.
fJlel../<iH.
to tlie case of the guilty woman, drinking the bitter cursed
waters, that cauocd her destruction. He ivho caleih and drinketh
unworthily, eaieth and drinket/l damnation {K^t/yta condemnation
or judgment) to himself: and there is probably a referiucc
to the same thing in P.^alm cix. 18. and In Dan. ix. 1 1.
And the leoman shall say. Amen, Amc>i.\ This is the fu>t
place where this word occurs in the common form of a con-
cluding wish in jirayer. The root JCN uman, ignifiestobe
steady, true, permanent. And in prayer it signifies, let it Ix
SO — make it steady — let it be ratified. Some have supposed
that it is composed of the initial letters of p;NJ "|So 'JtN
Adenai Melee Veeman ; My Lord the faithful King : but this
derivation is both far fetched and unnecessary.
Verse 23. The priest shall lerite these curses — and he shall
blot them out] It appears that the cur.-es which were written
down with a kind of ink, prepared for the purpose, as some
of the Rabbins think, without any calx of iron, or oth<;r
material that could make a permanent dye, were washed oil
the parchment into the water which the woman was obliged
to drink ; so that she drank the very uords of the execration.
The ink used in the East is almost all of this kind — a wri
sponge will completely ellace the finest of their writings. The-
Kabbins sav, that thi? trial by the waters of jealousy wa?
omitted after the Babylonish captivity, bccauKc adultene-
wcre so frequent amongst them, that they were afraid of hal-
ing the name of the Lord profaned, by being so liequcntly a}>-
pealed to ! This is a most humiliating confession. — " 1 hough,"'
says i>ious bishop Wilsen, "this jud^nunt is not exycultu.
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod.lsr.
Ijar PI- Zif.
The bitter tpaters of jealousy,
24 And he shall cause tke woman
to drink the bitter water that causeth
the curse : and the v/ater that causeth
the curse shall enter into her, and
become hiiiex.
25 Then the priest shall take the jealousy of-
fering out of the woman's hand, and shall " wave
the offering before the Lord, and offer it upon
the altar :
26 '' And the priest shall take an handful of
the offering, eve^i the memorial thereof, and
burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause
the woman to drink the water.
27 And when he hath made her to drink the
water, then it shall come to pass^ that, if she
be defiled, and have done trespass against her
husband, that the water that causetli the curse
• Lei-. 8. 27. ^ Lev. 2. 2, 9. "^ Dcut. eC. 37. Ps. 83. 9, 11. Jer. 5:4. 9.
now on adultrcsses, yet they have reason from this to con-
clude, that a more teniblf vengeance will await them iiere-
at'ter, without a bitter repentance ; these being only a shadow
of heavenly things, i..e. of what the gospel requires of its
professors, k':. a strict purity, or a severe repentance." The
pious biAop would not preclude the necessity of pardon
through the blood of tlie cross; for without this, the severest
".cpcntance would be of no avail.
Verse 24. Tke hitler water that causeth the curse"] Though
the Rabbins think tliat the priest put some bitter substance in
the water, yet, as nothing of the kind is intimated by Moses,
we may consider tlie word as used here metaphorically for
uffiiction, death, &c. These waters were afflicting and deadly/
to her who drank them, being guilty. In this sense affiictions
are said to be hitter, Isai. xxxviii. 17. so also is death,
1 Sam. XV. 32. Eccles. vii. 28.
Verse 29. This is the law of jealousies'] And this is the most
singular law in the whole Pentateuch : a law that seems to
have been copied Ijy almost all the nations of the earth,
■whether civilized or barbarian, as we find that similar modes of
trial for suspected offences were used, when complete evi-
dence was wanting to convict; and where it was expected
that the object of their worship would interfere for the sake
of justice, in order that the f^idlly should be brought to punish-
ment, and the innocent be cleared. For general information
on this head, see at the end of this chapter.
Verse 31. The ivoman shall bear her iniquitj/.] i. e. Her
belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot; see on ver. 22.
But if not guilty, after such a trial, she had great honour ;
and, according to the Rabbins, became strong, heulthj/, and
fruitful ; for if she was before barren, she now began to bear
children ; if before she had only daughters, she now bej;an to
have sons ; if before she had hard travail, she now had easy ;
in a word, she was blessed in her body, her soul, and her sub-
stance : so shall it be done unto the holy and faithful woma.a;
for such the Lord dclighteth to honour; see 1 Tim. i. 15.
NUMBERS
13. C. llfiO.
An. Lj^od. lit.
2.
Ijar or Zif.
atid their effects,
shall enter into her, and become bitter, •^- ^^ -^i*-
and her belly shall swell, and her
thigh shall rot : and the woman " shall
be a curse among her people.
28 And if the woman be not defiled, but be
clean ; then she shall be free, and shall con-
ceive seed.
29 This is the law of jealousies, when a wife
goeth aside to another * instead of her husband,
and is defiled ;
30 Or when tlie spirit of jealousy cometh upon
him, and he be jealous over his wife, and shall
set the woman before the Lord, and the priest
shall execute upon her all this law.
31 Then shall the man be guiltless from
iniquity, and tliis woman " shall bear her ini-
quity.
& 29.18, 22. & 42. 18. Zecli. 8. 13. "ver. 19. = Lev. 20. 17,19, 20.
On tiic principal subject of this chapter, I shall here in-
troduce a short account of the trial by ordeal, as practised ir»
different parts of the world, and which is supposed to have
taken its origin from the waters of Jealousy.
The trial by what was afterwards called ORDEAL, is cer-
tainly of very remote antiquity, and was evidently of divine
appointment. In this place we have an institution relative to
a mode of trial precisely of tliat kind, which among our ances-
tors was called ordeal: aisd from this all similar trials in Asia,
Africa, and Europe, have very probably derived their origin.
Ordeal, oribsl, Latin, ordalium, is, according to Ver-
stegun, from the Saxon ojibajl, ordal and ordel, and is derived
by some from Op, gTcat, and D.5L, judgment, signifying the
greatest, most solemn, and decisive mode oCjudginent. Hicks.
Others derive it from the Prancic or Teutonic Urdela vrhich
signifies simply to Judge. But Lye, in his Anglo-Saxon Dic-
tionary, derives the term from oy\, which is often, in Anglo-
Saxon, a privatixe particle, and dal bael, distinction or dif-
ference : and hence applied to that kind of judgment in which
there was no respect of persons; hut every one had absolute justice
done him ; as the decision of the business was supposed to bo-
long to God alone. It always signified an appeal to the im-
mediate interposition of GOD, and was therefore called Judi-
cium Dei, God's judgment; and we may naturally suppose
was never resorted to but in very important cases, where pei--
sons accused of great criines protested their innocence, and
there was no sufficient evidence by which they could be clear-
ed from the accusation, or proved to be guilty of the crime
laid to their charge. Such were the cases of jealousy referred
to in tliis clwptcr.
Tiie Rabbins who have commented on this text, give
us the following information : When any man, promptetl
by the spirit of jealousy, suspected his wife to have committed
adultery, he brought her first before the judges, and accused
her of the crime; but as she asserted her innocency, and re-
fused to acknowledge herself guilty, and as he bad no wit-
General account of die
CHAP. V.
trial hy ordeal.
nesses lo produce, he req'.iired tint she should be sentencecl I
to drink the i:\ilers of bitlenx!^, wliicli the luw had appointed;
that God, by this means, mis^hl discover what slie wished
to conceal. After the judo;ci liad' heard the accusation and
the denial, the man and his wife were both sent to Jerusalem,
ro appear bifmc tiie Sanhedrim, who were the sole judges in
such matters. The Rabbins say, lliat tlie judges of the San-
hedrim, at'first, eniloavoured with thrcalenins^s to cunfound
tlie woman, and cause her to confess her crime — when she
still persisted in her innocence, she was led to the eastern gate
of tlie court of Israel, where she was stripped of tlie clotlies
she wore, and dressed in black, before a number of persons
of her own'^cx. The priest then told her, that if she knew
herself to be innocent, she had no evil to apprehend; but
if she were guilty, slie mi;.^l)t expect to suflLr ail that the
law threatened ; to which she answered. Amen, umcn.
Tile priest then wrote the words of the law upon a piece
of vellum, with ink that had no vitriol in it, that it nii<fiit
be the more easily blotted out. The words written on the
vellum were, according to the Rabbins, the following:
" If a strange man have not come near thee, and thou
srt not polluted by forsaking the bed of thy husband, these
bitter waters which I have cursed will not Imrt thee : but if
Ihon have gone astray from thy husband, and have polluted
ihy.sclf by coming near to another man, may tliou be accursed
of the Lord, and become an example for all his people ; may
thy thigh rot, and thy belly sued till it burst! may tliese
cursed waters enter into tliy belly, and being swelled there-
with, may thy thigh putrity !"
After this tlie priest took a new pitcher, filled it wifh water
out of the brazen bason that was near the altar of burnt offer-
ings, cast some dust into it taken from the pavement of the
temple, min-^-led something bitter, as ivormivood, with it, and
having read the curses abovementioned to the wonian, and
received her answer of Amen, he scraped ofl' the curses from
the vellum into the pitcher of water. During this time, ano-
ther priest tore her clothes as low as her bosom, made her
head bare, untied the tresses of her hair, fa-;tened titr torn
clothes with a girdle below her breasts, and presented her
with the tenth part of an ephah, or about three pints of bin ley
meat, which was in a frying pan, without oil or incense.
The other priest who had prepared the waters of jealousy,
then gave them to be drank by the accused person, and as
soon as she had swallowed them, he put the pan with the
meal in it, into her hand. This was waved before the Lord,
and a part of it thrown into the fire of the altar. If the
■woman were innocent, she returned with her husband ; and
the waters, instead of incommoding her, made her more
healthy and fruitful than ever : if on the contrary she were
guilty, she was seen immediately to grow pale, her eyes
started out of her head, and, lest the temple should be de-
filed with her death, she was carried out, and died instantly
with all the ignominious circumstances related in the curses,
which the Rabbins say had the same effect on him with whom
sh'' had been criminal, though he were absent and at a distance.
Tiiey add, however, that if the husband himself had been guilty
with another woman, tlien the waters had no bad eftlet even
on his criminal wife; as in that case the transgression on the
one part was, in a cevlain sense, balanced by the transgres-
sion on the other.
There is no instance in the Scriptures of this kind o? ordeal
having ever been resorted to ; and probably it never was
during the purer times of the Hebrew republic— God hud
rendered himself so terrible by his Judgments, that no pcrwri
would dare to appeal to this mode of trial, who was collsci(lU^
of her guill : and in cases of simple adultery, where tht
matter was eitiier delected or confessed, the parties weri
ordered by the law lo lie put to death.
But other ancient nations have ai.so had their trials hyordcai.
We are told by f'eidoosee, a Persian poet, whose autho-
rity we have no reason to suspect, that the Jiie ordeal was in
u.se at a very early period among the ancient l*ersian.i. In
I the famous epic poem called the Shah Nameh, of this author,
j who is not improperly stilcd the Homer of Persia, under the
1 title iJistan Seeuiesh vc Soodalieh, lie gives a very remark-
! able and circumstantial account of a trial of this kind.
It is very probable lliatlhe/re ordeal originated among ihf.
I ancient Persians, for by them Jire was not only held sacred,
but considered as a god, or rather as the visible emblem of the
1 supreme Deity ; and indeed this kind of trial continues in
I extensive use among the Hindoos to tlie present day. lo
j the code of Gentoo la«s, it is .several times referred to under
the title of Puna Reh, but in the Shiih Nameh, the word
jO;.Sivw Soogend is used, which signifies literally an oath,
as the persons were obliged to declare their innocence by an
oath, and then put their veracity to test by passing through the
jjijl s»5 ^'"/'i atesh, or fire pile ; see the Shah Nameh in the
title Dastan Seeavesh re Soodabe/i, and Hrdhead's code of
Gentoo laws; Preliminary Discourse, p. Iviii. and chap. v. sect.
3. pp. in, &c.
A circumstantial account of the difterent kinds of ordenl
practised among the Hindoos, communicated by Warren
Hastings, Esq. who received it from Ali Ibrahim Khan, chief
magistrate at Benares, may be found in the Asiatic Re-
searches, vol. i. p. 389.
This trial was conducle<l among this people nine difTerent .
ways: first, by the balance; secondly, hy Jire ; thirdly, by
leuter ;, fourthly, bv poison ; fifthly, by the cosha, or watc r
in which an idol has bi en washed ; sixthly, by rice ,- seventiily.
by lioiling oil ; eighthly, l)y red hot iron ; ninthly, by imagca.
There is, perhaps, no mode of judiciary decision that h.is
been in more common use in ancient times, than that of or-
deal, in some form or other. We find that it was also used
hy the ancient Greeks 500 years before the Christian a'ra ;
for in the Antigone of Sophocles, a |>cr.son suspected by
Creon of a misdemeanor, ileclares himself ready " (o handle
hot iron, and to walk over fire;" in proof of his innocence,
which the scholiast tells lis was then a very usual purgation.
Kai ffi/f 5i£f?rfiv, xai Occui c^KOfinrciv. Ver. 270.
Virgil informs us, that the priests of Apollo at Soracie, were
accustomed to lualk over burning coals unhurt.
■ ' el medium frcii pietate, per igneni
Cuiiores mulla premunus vestigia pruna. /En. xi. v. 787.
Grotius gives many instances of water ordeal in Bithynia,
Sardinia, and other places. Different species of fire and
water ordeal, is said to have prevailed among the Indians on
the toast of Malabar ; the ne~roes of Loanjjo, TVIosambique,
&ic, tin:, and the Calmuc Tartars.
General account of the
NUMBERS.
trial by ordeal.
The first forma! mention I find of this trial in Europe, is in
the laws of king Inu, composed about A.D. 700. See L. 77.
entitled, Dom be li.icen ij-ene anb pacep, Decision In/ hot iron
und water : I find it also mentioned in the council of Mtntz,
A.D. 847 ; h\\\.Aj,o>!ard, archbishop of Lyons, wrote against it
"SO years before this time. It is afterwards mentioned in the
council of Trererf, A. D. 895. It did not exist in Noruijndy
till after the Coiiqusit, and vas probably fir.'-t introduced into
England in tlie time of Inu, in whose laws, and tliose o^Allielsiun
■dnd'Ethelred, it was afterwards inserted. The ordeal by/re was fur
noblemen and women, and such as \vere/;ee born : the water or-
deal was hr'hi/thandmen, and the meaner classes of the people, and
was of two sorts; by cold ',\ ater and by hoi. See the proceedings
ill these tr:a!s declared particularly, in the law of king Iiia ;
^^'It.l■Cl^■S, Leges Angln-Saxoriica, p. 27.
. Several popes publi?hed editts against this species of trial.
Henry JII. abolislied trials by ordeal in the third year of his
re.ign, 1219. — Seethe act in Ri/vier, vol i. p. 228. and see
Du^dide's Origines Juridicales, fol. 87. Spelvian's Glossary,
Wilkins, Hicks, Ldmburd, Somner, and Du Cange, VLTU^Ferriiiii.
The ordeal, or trial by hnllle or combat, is supposed to
have c-mie to us from the Lornbaid<, who, leann^ Scandinavia,
overran Europe : it is thoiighl that this mode of trial was
instituted by Frotlia III. king of Denmark, about the time
of the birth of Christ ; for he ordained that every controversy
silonld be determined liy the sivord. It continued in flol-
salstin till the time of Christian III. king of Denmark, who
began his reign in 1535. — From these Northern nations, the
practice of duels was introduced into Great Britain.
I need scarcely add, that this detestable form of trial was
the foundation of the no le.ss detestable crime of duelling,
which so much disgraces our age and nation, a practice that
« defended only by ignorance, false honour, and injustice :
it is a relic of barbarous superstition, and was absolutely
unknown to tho.se brave and generous nations the Greeks
And Romans, whoin it is so much the fashion to admire;
and who, in this particular, so well merit our admiration!
The getieral practice of duelling is supposed to have taken its
rise in 1 527, at the breaking up of a treaty between the empe-
ror Ciiarles V. and Francis 1. The former having sent a herald
with an insulting message to Francis, the king of France sent
back the herald with a cartel of defiance, ni which he gave the
Enijieror the lie, and challenged him to single combat; Charles
acce]ited it; but after several messages concerning the arrange-
ment of all the circumstances relative to the combat, the
thoughts of it were entirely laid aside. The example of two per-
sonages so illustrious, drew such general attention, and carried
vith it so much authority, that it had considerable influence in
introducing an important change in manners all over Europe.
It wa.s.si) nujch the custom in the middle ages of Christianity
• rt'Sfiecl the cross, even to superslition, that it woidd have been
indeed tvonderlul il the same ignorant bigotry had not converted
it into ait ordeal : accordinglj- we find it used lor this purpose
in so many difterent ways, as almost to preclude description.
Another tj ial of this kind was the Corsned, or the conse-
crated bread and cheese : this was the ordeal to which the
clergy commonly appealed when they were accused of any
crime. A few concluding observations from Dr. Henry, may
net be unacceptable to the Reader.
" If we suppose that few or none escaped conviction, who
exposed themselves to these fiery trials, wc shall be very
much mistaken. For the histories of those times contain in-
numerable examples of per.<ons plunging their naked arms into
boiling water, handling red hot balls of iron, and walking upon
burning ploughshares, w ithout receiving the least injury. Many
learned men have been much puzzled to account for this, and
disposed to think that Providence graciously interposed in a
miraculous manner for the preservation of injured innocence.
But if we examine every circumstance of these fiery ordeals
with due attention, we shall see sulheient reason to suspect
that the whole was a gross imposition on the credulity of
mankind. The accused person was committed wholly to the
priest, who was to perform the ceremony three days before
the trial, in which he had time enough to bargain with him
for his deliverance, and give him instructions how to net his
part. On the day of trial, no person was permitted to en-
ter the church but the ])riest and the accused, till after the
iron was heated, when twelve friends of the accuser, and
twelve of the accused, and no more, were admitted and
ranged along the wall on each side of the church, at a re-
spectful distance. After the iron was t.iken out of the fire,
several prayers were said : the accused drank a cup of holy
water, and sprinkled his hand with it, which might take a
considerable time if the priest were indulgent. The space
of nine leet was measured by the accused himself, with
his own feet, and he would probably give but scanty mea-
sure. He was obliged only to touch one of the marks with
the toe of his right foot, and allowed to stretch the other foot
as far towards the other mark as he could, .so that the con-
veyance was almost instantaneous. His hand was not imme-
diately examined, but wrapped in a clotii prepared for that
purjiose three days. i\Iay we not then, from all these pre-
caution.s, suspect that these priests were in possession of some
secret that secured the hand from the impression of such a
momentary touch of hot iron, or removed all appearances of
these impressions in three days; and that they made use of
this secret when they saw reason ? Such readers as are curious
in matters of this kind, may find two difi<;rent directions for
making ointments that will have this effect, in the work here
quoted. What greatly strengthens these suspicions is, that
we meet with no example of any champion of the church who
sufitred the least injury from the totich of hot iron in this
ordeal : but where any one was so foolhardy as to appeal to
it, or to that of /(o^ water, with a view to deprive the church
of any of her possessions, he never failed to burn his fingers,
and lose his cause." I have made the scanty extract above,
from a very extensive history of the trial by ordeal, which
was written several years ago, but never published.
CHAPTER VI.
TiJie vow of I he Nazariic, 1, 2. In zchtit il consisted, 3—8. Whin aceidcntallt/ defiled, how he is to be piirijied,
9 — 12. The sacrijices he is to bring, and the rites he is to perform nhcn the vote of his separation is fit Iji lied,
13— CI. The manner in zolitch the priests are to bless the people, 22 — 2(>. The name of the Lord is to be put
on the children of Israel, zchom lie promises to bless, 27.
The ordinance relative CHAP. VI.
AN D the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel,
and say unto them. When either man
or woman shall "separate'' themselves to vow a
to the Nazarile and his fo^.
A.M. 2514.
11. C. IIW).
All. r.xod.Isr.
•i.
IJar or Zif.
VOW of" a Nazaritc, to separate themselves unto
the Loud :
;> "lie shall separate himself from wine and
strong drink ; and sliall drink no vinegar of
wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neitlier shall
lie drink any licjuor of grapes, nor eat moist
grapes, or dried.
4 All the days of his " separation shall he eat
nothing that is made of the 'vine tree, from the
kernels even to the husk.
• Or, make tlierasclvcs Vaiaritti. *■ Lev. 27. 2. Judg. 13. .5. -Acts ?1.
33. l«om. 1. 1. 'AmosS. li. Luke 1. 15. •> Or, NazunUship.
NOTES ON CHAP. VL
Verse 2. IMien either man or irnmnn shall separate, &c.]
Tlie' word TU nazir, from fli nazar, to sepuiatc, .signifies
merely a separated person; i.e. one peculiarly devoted to
the service of God, by beinpf separated from all servile em-
ployments. From the Nuzarites sprung the Rechahites, from
the Rechubites the Essenes, from the Essencs the Anchorites, or
Hermits; and, in imitation of those, the diflcrent monastic
orders. Some contend strongly, that the Nazarite was a
type of our T.ord ; but neither analogy nor proof can be pro-
duced. Our blessed Lord both drank wine and touched the
dead, which no Kazante would do; as to his either shaving
his hair, or letting it grow, we know nothing. His being
called a Nazarene, Matt. li. 2Z. is nothing to the purpose;
as it can mean no more than either that he was an inhabitant
of Nazareth, which was a place of no credit, and therefore
used as a term o( reproach ; or that he wa.«, in a general sense,
consecrated to the f.cnice of God — so was Sainsoii, Samuel, Jere-
miah, and Jo/tn Baptist ; or rather that he was the nxi nelser, or
BRANCH, Isai. xi. I. Zech. vi. 12. which is quite a dilh^r-
ent word : but this title is expressly applied to our blessed
Lord by the above prophets; but in no place do they, or any
other prophets, call him a Nozariie, in the .sense in which TU
7iezir'\s used. Indeed, it could not in truth be ajiiilied to him,
as the distingtiishing marks «f a Nazaritc never belonged to
him. He was, it is true, the 1S3 netser, or brunch, out of the
root of Je.ve, the genuine heir to the tltrone of ])avid, vhose
donnniondiould extend over the universe, who .should be King
of kings, and Lord of lords : but the word Na^ui^aio;, Matt. ii.
i.'3. signifies merely a Nazorccan, or inhabitant of Nazareth.
Verse 3. No vinezur of wine, &c.] j'aT chomets, signifies
fermented wipe, and is ])robably used here to signify wine of
a strong body, or any highly intoxicating liquor. Dr. Light-
foot supposes, that the LKPF.R bting the most defiled and
loathsome of rreatuns, was an cmlilcm of the wretched mise-
rable state of m:in by the full; and that tlie NazarITE was
liie emblem of man in his state of innocence. Wine and
5 All the days of the vow of his
separation there sliall no ^azor come
upon hi*; head; until the days be iul-
iilled, in the which he separateth
A.M.g.ill.
]J. C. 14'J0.
An. Kxnd.Iir.
Ijar or Zlf.
himself unto the Loud, lie shall be holy, aj^d
shall let the locks of the hair of his head
grow.
6 All the da}s lliat he separateth himself wnio
the Lord, ''he shall come at no dead body.
7 " He shall not make himself unclean for his
father, or for his mother, for his brotiier, or for
his sister, when they die; because the 'conse-
cration of his God is upon his head.
8 All tlie days of his separation he is holy
unto the Loud.
<^ TTcb. vine of the u>inff.-
21.11. ch. 19. 11, 16. —
-f Jiid-. 1.3.5. & 16 17. 1 Sam. 1. 11. s Lev.
' Lev. 21. 1, 4, 11. cb.9.6. ' Heb. teparatiou.
grapes are here particularly forbidden to the Nazarite, be-
cause, Hs the Doctor thinks, being an emblem of man in his
paradisiacal state, he was forbidden that tree and lis fruits,
by eating of which Adam fell ; for the Doctor, as well as the
Jewish Uabbins, believed the tree of knowledge to have been
none other than the vine.
Vinegar of strong drink] See the note on Lev. x. 9.
Verse a. 7'/iere shall no razor come upon his head] The
vow of the Nazarite consisted in the following particulars :
1. He consecrated himself in a very especial and extra-
ordinary manner to God. 2. This was to continue for a
certain season, probably never less than a whole yesr, that
he might have a full growth of hair to burn in ihe fire vliich
is under the sacrifice of the peace-oj'ering, ver. 18. 3. During
the time of his .separation, or Nazarate, he drank no wine
nor strong drink ; nor used any vinegar formed fiom any in-
ebriating liquor, nor ate fresh or oried grapes, nor tasted even
the kernels or husks of any thing that had grown upon the
vine. 4. He never shaved his head, but let his hair jfrout,
as the proof of bis being in this separated state, ami
under vows of pecidiar austerity. 5. He never touched
any dead body, nor did any of the last offices, even to liis
iKMrcst km ; but was considered as the priests, who were
wholly taken up with the service of God, and regarded no-
thing else. 6. All the days of his separation he vxis holy,
ver. 8. During the whole time, he was to be incessantly
employed in religious acts. It is very likely that St. Paul
had taken the vow of a Nazarite on him, from the circum-
stance mentioned Acts xviii. 18. Having shorn his head in
Cenchrea, for he had a iwui.
Verse 1. The consecration qf his God is upon his head."]
Literally, the separation of his God is upon his head ; mean-
ing his hair, which was the proof and emblem of his se-
paration. Now, as the hair of the Nazarite was a token of
his subjection to God through all the peculiarities of his
Nazarate, a woman, who is married, is coiuidercd as a Na-
zarite lor life; i. e. separated from all others, and joined to
4 I
•lichen his ww was fulfilled.
The offerings of the Nazarite NUMBERS.
9 And if any man die very sud- | 15 And a basket of unleavened
denly by him, and he hatli defiled bread, "cakes of fine flour mingled
the head of his consecration; then -j with oil, and wafers of unleavened
be shall "shave his head in the day ij bread 'anointed with oil, and their
of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he ; meat-offering, and their
A.M. 3514.
B. C. 14011.
A,n. Kxnri. ! !i
U.
Ijar or Zif,
A. M. 2514.
B.C. 1490.
Au. E.\od. Isr,
2
Ijar or Zif.
shave it,
10 And ''on the eighth day he shall bring
two turtle^!, or two young pigeons, to the priest,
to the door of the tabernacle of the congrega-
tion :
1 1 And the priest shall offer the one for a sin-
" drink-offerings.
1 6 And the priest shall bring theni before the
Lord, and shall offer his sin-offering, and his
burnt-offering :
1 7 And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice
of peace offerings unto the Lord, with the
basket of unleavened bread : the priest shall
offering, and the other lor a burnt-oftering, and , offer also his meat-offering, and his drink-offer-
make an atonement for him, for that he sinned
by the dead, and shall hallow his head that
same day
12 And he shall consecrate unto the Lord
the days of his separation, and shall bring a
lamb of the first year 'for a trespass-offering
but the days that were before shiill '' be lost, offerings.
18 ' And the Nazarite shall shave the head
of his separation at the door of the tabernacle
of the congregation, and shall take the hair of
the head of his separation, and put it in the
fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace-
because his separation was defiled
13 "If And this is the law of the Nazarite,
* when the days of his separation are fulfilled :
he shall be brought unto the door of the taber-
nacle of the congregation ;
14 And he shall offer his offering unto the
Lord, one he lamb of the first year without
blemish for a burnt-offering, and one ewe lamb
of the first year without blemish ' for a sin-offer-
ing, and one ram without blemish ^ for peace-
offerings ;
•Acts 18.18, i 21.24.— ''Le». 5.7. & 14.22. ic 15. 14,29. "^ Lev. 5.
" Heb. fall. « Acts 21. 26. ' Lev. 4. 2, 27., 32. e Lev. 3. 6.
19 And the priest shall take the "sodden
shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake
] out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer,
'. and ° shall put them upon the hands of the
I Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is
■■ shaven :
j 20 And the priest shall wave them^r a wave*
, offering before the Lord : ° this is holy for the
' priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder :
and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.
21 This is the law of the Nazarite who hath
" Lev. 2. 4. ' Exod. 29. 2. ^ ch. 15. 5, 7, 10. ' Acts 21. 24.-
"> 1 Sam. 2. 15. ° Exod. i:9. 23, 24. " Exod. 29. 27, 28.
one husband, who is her lord : hence St Paul, probably
alluding to this circumstance, says, 1 Cor. xi. 10. The wo-
jimn ouglit to have power upon her head ; i. e. wear her hair
and veil ; for this hair is a proof of her Nazarate, and of her
being in subjection to her husband, as the Nazarite was under
subjection to the LORD, by the rule of liis order.
Verse 10. Tivo lurtlef:, or iwo young pigeons] The same
kind of otTering made by him who had an issue. Lev. xv.
14, &c.
Verse 18. Shall take the hair — rind put it in the fire] The
hair was permitted to grow for this purpose; and as the Na-
zarite was a kind of sacrifice, offered to God through the
whole term of his Nazarate, or sipnration, and no human
flesh or blood could be oftercd on the altar of the Lord, he
ofieied his hair, at the conclusion of his separation, as a sa-
crifice— that hair which was the token of his complete sub-
jection to the Lord, and which was now considered as the
Lord's property.
That the hair of the head was superslilioussly used among
difitrent nations, we have already had occasion to remark,
o
see the notes on Lev. xix. 21. And that the Gentiles might
have learnt this from the Jews, is possible, though some
learned men think that this consecration of the hair to a
deity, was in use among the heathens before the time of
Moses, and in nations who had no intercourse or connexion
with the Jews.
Verse 2 1 . This is the law of the Nazarite] We learn from
IMaimonides, in his Treatise of the Nazarite, that a man
might become a Nazarite in behalf of another ; that is, might
assist him in bearintr the expenses of the sacrifices, &:c. " A
son may fulfil the vow his deceased father had made, but did
not live to accomplish : — He that saith, Upon me be the shaving
of a Nazarite, he is bound to bring the offerings of shaving for
cleanness, and may offer them by the hand of what Nazarite
he luill. Jf he sriy. Upon me be half the oblations of a
Nazarite, — then he bringeth half the offerings by xohat Nazarite
he will, and tliat Nazarite payeth his offerings out of that which
is his."
" By this," says Mr. Ainsworth, " we may see the reason
of that which Jumcs said to Paul, though he had no Nazarite'*
A.M.'-'jU-
h. C. 1490.
An. Kxud.lsr.
2.
Ijar gr Zif.
The form of blessing
vowed, a7}d o/'his oflering unto the
Lord for his separation, beside that
that his hand shall get : according
to tlie vow which lie vowed, so he
must do after the law of his separation.
22 % And the Lokd spake unto Moses, say-
23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, say-
ing. On this wise ' ye shall bless the children
ot Israel, saying unto them,
• I-eir. 9. 22. 1 Cliron. 23. 13. *Ps. 121.7. .1ohnl7. 11. ' Ps. 31.
16. & 67. 1. & BO. 3, 7, 19. ii 119. 135. Uan. 9. 17. " Uen. 43. 29.
VOW upon him — We have four mi'n who haze a vow on
them ; them take and sunctift/ thi/self wiih litem, and BE AT
CUAKGl-.S WITH THEM, that they may shave their head.:,
&c. Then Paul took the men, and the next day, sanctifying
himself with them, entered into the temple to signify the ac-
complishment of the days of sanclification, (or I^uzuriteihip)
until that an offering should be offered for every one of them,
se€ Acts xxi. 23—26. For though Paul had not vowed, or
fulfil.ed a Nazariteship himself, ytt mij^hl he contribute
Willi tliein, and partake of their charges, about the sa-
crifices."
Verse 23. On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel]
■ The prayer which God makes for his followers, and puts into
their month, we are Eur« must be rioht ; and to it, when
sincerely, f.uthfully, and fervently oflered, we may confi-
dently expect an answer. If he condescend to give us a
form of blessing, or a form qf prayer, we may rest assured
that he will accept what he himself has made. This con-
sideration may produce great confidence in them who come
with either |)rayer or praise to the 'Ilirone of Grace, both of
which should be, as far as circumstances will admit, m the
very words of Scripture: for we can readily attach a conse-
quence to the words of Cod, which we shall find difficult to
attach to the best ordered words of men. Take xcith you
words, and turn unto the Lord. What word.t ? ^\'hy those
which God immedia'ely puts into their mouths. Take away
all iniquity, and I'cceivi' us graciously; so will we render the
calves of cur lips — we shall then give the sucnjices, of which
our lips have spoken, when we made our lows unto tlite. —
See Hos. xiv. 2.
Verse 24. The Lord ble.'ss thee] There are three forms ot
blessing here, any or all of which the priests mi^lit use on any
©ccasion. The following is a verbal translation :
1. May Jehovah bless thee, and preserve thee!
2. May Jehovah cause his fates to shine upon thee, and be
gracious unto thee !
3. May Ji hovah hit up his fates upon thee, and may he
put prosperity unto thee !
CHAP. VI. for the Israelites.
24 The Lord bless thee, and " keep
A.M.'.'5U.
B C. H9«.
.\n. Kmd.lir.
Ijiir vc Zif.
thee :
25 The LoKD " make his face
sliine upon thee, and " be gracious
unto thee :
26 ' The Lord lift up his countenance upon
thee, and ^ give thee peace.
27 ^ And they shall put my name upon
the children of Israel ; and " I will bless
them.
' Vs. 4. 6.-
-f Julm 14. 27. 2 Tlioss. 3. 16.—
11. ]sai. 43. 7. Daii.9. 18, 1?.-
-sDeuf. 28. 10. SChron. 7.
— " I's. 115. I-.-.
This is a very comprehensive and excellent prayer, and
may be paraphrased thus :
1. May God speak good unto thee, by giving thee his ex-
cellent promises ! ISee tlie note on Gen. ii. 3. May he pre-
serve thee in the possession of all the good thou hast, and from
all the tvil with which thou art threatened.
2. May the Holy 'Jrinity ilhitninate thy heart, giving thee
the true knowledge of thyself and of thy Maker: and may
he shew thee his gracioumcss in pardoning thy sins, and sup-
porting thy soul !
3. May God give thee coinmnnion with the Father, Son,
and .Spirit, w ill) a constant sense of his approbation ' and grant
thee pro.-:periiy in thy soul, and in all thy secular affairs !
This I suppose to be the spirit and design of this form of
benediction. Others will, doubtless, inter])ret it after their
manner. Several wise and learned men believe, that the
mystery of the Holy Trinity is not ob.scurely hinted at in it.
God the Father bles.ses and keeps his followers. God the
Son is gracious unto sinners in remitting thiir ollLncts,
wliieh he died to blot out. God, the HoLY SlMRlT, lakes
of the things which are Chri^t's, and shews them unlo ge-
nuine Christians, and dilVu.ses the peace of Ucd in their
hearts. In a word, Christ, the gift of the Father by tlie
energy of the Holy Spirit, came to bless every one of us, by
turning us away from our iniquities.
1. F! very genuine Christian is a true A'azamc. He is se-
parated from the world, and dedicated solely to the service of
God. 2. His hie is a life of self-denial: he mortifies and
keeps the fle>h in obidienee to the spirit. 3. All this enters
iiilo the spirit of his baptismal vow : lor in that he promises
to renounce the Uevil and all his works, the pomps and
vanities of this wicked world, and al! the sinful lusts of the
flesh — to keep Goci's lioly word and tommandments, and to
\va k in the sane all the days of his hti-. 4. The per>on who
IS faith ill, has the blessing of God entailed upon him. Thus
shall ye bless the children of Israel, &.C. &c. — See the notes
on ver. 5. and 1.
4l2
The princes of the twelve tribes
NUMBERS.
make offerings to God.
CHAPTER VII.
When the tahernade uas fuUy set up, it appeared that the princes of the tuehe tribes had prepared six covered
liaggoNS, draz^n by tito oxen each, one waggon for two tribes, for the service of the tabernacle, 1 — 3. Moses i$
commanded to receive this offering, and distribute the whole to the Levitts according to their service, 4, 5. Moses
does so, and gives tuo tfaggons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, 6, 7- and four zcaggons and eight oxen to
the sons of Mcrari, 8. The sons nf Kohath have none, because thei/ were to bear the ark, £fc. on their shoulders,
9. Each prince is to take a day for presenting his offerings, 10, 11. On the &tst day, Nahsbon, of the tribe
oj JcDAH, offers a silver charger, a silver bowl, a golden spoon, a young bullock, a ram, a lamb, and a
kid, for a si.\-orFEEiNG — two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five lambs, ^br a peace-offering,
1'2— 17. On the second day, Nethaneel, of the tribe o/ Issachak, offers the like, 18 — 2S. On the ihhd
day, Eliab, of the tribe o/Zebulun, offers the like, 24 — 29. On the fourth day, Elizur, of the tribe of
Reuben, offers the like, 30 — 35. On the fifth day, Shelumiel, of the tribe o/ Simeon, made a similar
offering, 36 — 41. On the sixth day, Eliasaph, of the tribe o/" Gad, made his offering, 42 — 47. On the.
seventh rf«j/, Elishama, of the tribe of Efhraim, made his offering, 48 — 53. On the eighth day, Gamaliel,
of the tribe ofMANAssEH, made his offering, 54 — 59. On the ninth, day, Abidan, of the tribe q/' Benja/-
jiiN, made his offering, 60 — 65. On f/(e tenth day, Ahiezer, of the tribe of Dan, made his offering, 66 — 71.
On the eleventh day, Pagicl, of the tribe of Asher, made his offering, 72 — 77. On the twelfth day, AhLra,
of the tribe o/Naphtali, 7nade the same kind of offering, 78 — 83. The sum total of all vessels and cattle
zchich acre offered, was twelve silver chargers, and twelve silver bowls : twelve golden spoons : twelve
bullocks, twelve rams, and twelve kids : twenty-four bullocks, sixty rams, sixty he-goats, and sixty lambs,
84 — 88. The offerings being ended, Moses goes into the tabernacle, and hears the toice of the Lord from the
mercy-seat, 89.
a waggon for two of the princes,
and for each one an ox: and they
brought them before the taber-
nacle.
4 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
5 " Take it of them, that they may be to do
the service of the tabernacle of the congrega-
tion; and thou shalt give them unto the Le-
vites, to every man according to his service.
6 And Moses took the waggons and the oxen,
and gave them unto the Levites.
7 Two waggons and four oxen ' he gave unto
the sons of Gershon, according to their service*.
A.M. 2314.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod.Isr.
2.
Ijar or Zif.
AN D it came to pass on the day
that Moses had flilly * set up
the tabernacle, and had anointed it,
and sanctified it, and all the instru-
ments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels
thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified
them;
2 That ''the princes of Israel, heads of the
house of their fathers, who "were the princes
of the tribes, 'and were over them that were
numbered, offered:
3 And they brought their offering before the
Lord, six covered waggons, and twelve oxen ;
» Exod.40.18. Le^.e. 10, tl. " ch. 1.4, fcc. ' Heb. vihaslood.
NOTES ON CHAP. VII.
Verse 1. On the day that Moses hnd fully set up the taber-
ruute'\ The transactions mentioned in this chapter, took place
en the second day of the second month, of the second year after
the departure from Egypt : and the proper place of this ac-
count is immediately after the tenth chapter of Leviticus.
Verse 3. iSV.r covered xuaggons] 3X nVjf df shesh egeloth tsab,
six lilted wagons. The Septuagint translates t| afiaia^
>~a/i'7rtiH)taf, with which the Coptic agrees ; but what lampenic
chtiriots were, no person pretends to know. Covered, or tilled,
is probably tbe iricaning of the original. The waggons were
A. JI. 2514.
B. C. 1190.
Aii.Exod.Isr.
2.
Ijar or Zif.
' Exod. 25. 2. & 35. 5. ' cli. 4. 25.
given for the more convenient exporting the heavier parts of
the tabernacle, which could not be conveniently carried on
men's shoulders.
Verse 5. According to his service.] That is, distribute
them amoug the Leviles <i-5 t/iey may need them — giving most
to those who have the heaviest burdens to bear.
Verse 7. Two icaegons — untu the sons of Gershon'] The •
Gershonites carried only the curtains, cotaings, and hang-
ings, chap. iv. 25. And although this was a cumbersome
carriage, and they needed the waggons, yet it was not a
heavy one.
A.M.2M1.
B. C. r-i'M.
An.Eiod. Ur.
2.
JJar or Zif,
eight
The princes of the twelve tnbes
8 *And four waggons and
oxen he gave unto the sons of Me
rari, according unto their service,
*" under the iuind of Ithamar the son
of Aaron the priest.
9 But unto the sons of Kohath lie gave none :
because ' the service of the sanctuary belonging
unto them ^ was tliat they should bear upon
their shoulders.
10 ^ And the princes offered for'dedica ting
of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even
the princes offered their offering before the
altar.
1 1 And the Lord said unto Moses, They
shall otter their offering, each prince on his
day, for the dedicating of the altar.
12 ^ And he that offered his offering the first
day was ' Nahshon the son of Amniinadab, of
the tribe of Juduh :
13 And his offering xoas one silver charger,
the weight thereof xvas a hundred and thirty
shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after
A.M.
V5U.
li.C.
M?('.
An.Ex
oii. Isr.
IJar or Zy.
CHAP. VII. make offerings to God.
^ the shekel of tlie sanctuary ; both
of them xvere fidl of fine flour mingled
with oil for a " meat offering :
14 One spoon often shekels of gold,
full of ' incense :
15 "One young bullock, one ram, one lamb
of the first year, for a burnt-offering:
16 One kid of the goats for a ' sin offering:
17 And for "a sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the
first year: this xvas the offering of Nahshon the
son of Amminadab.
18 % On the second day, Nethaneel the son
of Zuar, prince of Issachar, did ofler :
19 He offered for his offering one silver
charger, the weiirht whereof tiv/s a hundred
» Cli. 4. .11.-
2Sam. 6. IX —
— .' ch. 4. 9», 33. ' cli. 4. \f> " ch. 4. 6, 8, lO, 12. 14.
-'SeeUeat. 20.5. 1 Kings 8. 6J. iCluoii.7. 5, 9. Ezra 6. 16.
Verse 8. Four waggons — tmlo the sons of MerarQ Because
they had the boards, bars, pillars, and sockets of the taber-
nacle to carry, cliap. iv. 31, 32. therefore they had as many
more waggons as the Geishonites.
Vtine 9. Unto the sons of Kohath he gave none"] Because
they had the cliarge of the ark, table, candlestick, altars, &c.
chap. iv. 5 — 15. which were to be carried upon their
shoulders: for those sacred things must' not be drawn by
beasts.
Verse 10. And the princes offeredl FAety prince, or chief,
ofl'trcd ii) the behalf, and doubtless at the expense of his whole
tribe.
Verse 13. A silver charger] m'p kadralh, a dish, or deep
bowl, in whicii they kneaded the paste. — See Exod. xxv. 29.
One silver boivt] piID mizrak, a bason, to receive the blood
of the sacrifice in. — See on Exod. xxvii. 3.
Verse 1 4. One spoon] rp ctiph, a censer, on which they
put the incense. — See Exod. xxv. 29.
It is worthy of remark, that the different tribes are repre-
sented here as bringing their offerings precisely in the same
order in which they encamped about the tabernacle. — Sec
t.'liap. ii. and chap. x.
and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy
.shekels, afler the shekel of the sanctuary: both
of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a
I meat offering :
j 20 One spoon of gold of ten shekels, full of
incense :
Nc-h. 12. 27. Ps. 30. title.—
— ' Kxod. 30. 34. » Lev
1. JUDAH
2. issaciiar
3. Zebulun
4. Reuben
5. Simeon
6. Gad
the chief
Nahshon, ver. 1 2.
Nethaneel, 1 S
Eliah, 24,
Elizur,
Shelumiel,
Eliasaph,
30.
36
4;
-ft
-f«ll.
1. 2.-
2. .3.—
— 'Lei
-e Exod. 30. t'. " Ler
. 4. 23. ^ Lev. 3. 1.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Ephraim
Manasseh
Benjamin
Dan
ASIIER
Napiitali
Elishama,
Gamaliel,
Abidan,
Ahiezer,
Pagiel,
Ahira
60. J r
66."
56.) 2:
78.) F-
It is worthy of remark also, tliat every tribe offers the same
kind of offering, and in the same quantity, to .shew, that as •
every tribe was equally indebted to God for its support, so
each should testify an equal sense of obligation. Besides,
the vessels were all sacrificial vessels, and the animals were
all clean animals, such as were proper for sacrifices; and
therefore every thing was intended to point out, that the
people were to be a holy people, fully dedicated to God, and
that God was to dwell among them : hence there were Jirte
four and oil, for a meat-offering, ver. 1 3. A bullock, a ram,
and a lamb, for a burnt-offering, ver. 15, 16. Fiue oxen, five
rams, five he-goals and five lambs, for a peace-offering, ver. 17.
Thus, as the priest*, altar, &c. w-ere anointed, and the ta-
bernacle dedicated, so the people, by this offering, became
consecrated to God. Therefore every act here was a re-
I ligious act.
" Thus," says Mr. Ainsworth, " by sacrifices of all sorts,
figuring the death of Christ, and the benefits that were to be
received thereby, they reconciled and made lliemselves and
theirs acceptable to God, and were made partakers of his
grace, to remission of sins, and sanctification through faith,
and in the work of the Holy Ghost, in the communion aad
, feeling whereof they rejoiced before God."
The princes of the ttcelve tribes NUMBERS.
21 One young bullock, one ram,
one lamb of the first year, for a burnt
oli'ering :
22 One kid of the goats for a sin
TJialiC offer'mgs to God.
this ivas the ottering of Nethaneel the
A.M. 2514.
B.C. IJPO.
An.Exod. Isf.
2.
Jjar or Zif.
offering :
23 And for a sacrifice of " peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the
first year
son of Zuar,
24 ^ On the third day "^Eliab the son of Helon,
prince of the cliildren of Zebulun did offer :
25 His offering xcas one silver charger, the
weight whereof teas a hundred and thirty
shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after
the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full
of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offer-
ing:
26 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of j
incense :
27 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of
the first year, for a burnt offering :
28 One kid of the goats for a sin offering :
29 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the
first year: this teas the offering of Ehab the son
of Helon.
30 ^ On the fourth day 'Elizur the son of She-
deur, prince of the children of Reuben, did
offer:
31 His offering it'os one silver charger of the
weight of a hundred and thirty shekels, one
silver bowl of seventy sliekels, after the shekel
of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour
mingled with oil for a meat offering :
32 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of
incense :
33 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of
the first year, for a burnt offering :
34 One kid of the goats for a sin offering :
S5 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the
first year : this
of Shedeur.
A.M. i;,14.
B C. U-».
An.Kxiii.Isr.
:as the offering of Elizur the son
»Lev.7.11— 18. iKingsg. 63. "cIi. 1.9. tli. V.7. ^^cli. 1. 5. ch.8. 10.
Verse 48. On the seienth day] Both Jewish and Christian
vriters liaie been surprised tliyl this work of offering went
forward on the seventh day, (viliicli ihey suppose to have been
a saihu'h) as «ell as on tlir oilier days. But, 1st. llitrc is no
abscdute proof that this seventh day oi' ofleriiig was a subbuih.
36 f On the fifth day " Shelumiel
the son of Zurishaddai, prince of
the children of Simeon, did offer : -
37 His oliering tea* one silver Ji^°^^^
charger, the weight whereof laas a hundred
and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy
shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary ; both
of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for
a meat offerina; :
38 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of
incense :
39 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of
the first year, for a burnt offering :
40 One kid of the goats lor a sm offering :
41 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the
first year : tliis was the otfiering of Shelumiel the
son of Zurishaddai.
42 ^ On the sixth day ' Eliasaph the son
of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad,
offered :
43 His offering "a^as one silver charger of the
weight of a hundred and thirty shekels, a silver
bowl of seventy shekels, after the ^lickel of the
sanctuary; both of them full of line flour mingled,
with oil for a meat offering :
44 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of
incense :
45 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of
the first year, for a burnt offering :
46 One kid of the goats for a sin offering :
47 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the
first year : this was the offering of Eliasaph the
son of Deuel.
48 % On the seventh day ' Elishama the son of
Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim,
offered :
49 His offering ivas one silver charger, the
weight whereof was a hundred and thirty
shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after
the shekel of the sanctuary ; both of them full
of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering :
"■Ch. 1. 16. ch. 2. 12.-
-'cb. 1. 14. ch. 2. 14. fch. 1. 10. ch. 2. 18.
2. Were it evmso, could the people be better em'loycd
tlian in tlius consecrating themselves and their servicer to die
Lord .' We Ikivc already sc> n that every act «as a ieli::ii'U8
act; and we may rest assured, tnat no day «as too holy ior
the perfoniiaiice of ^uch acts as are recorded here.
The princes of the twelve tribes CHAP. VII. make offerings to God^
65 And for a sacrifice of peace
A.M. 'J.U.
B. C. 1490.
An. Kxod. Ur.
2
50 One golden spoon of ten shekels,
full ofincen.se :
oilcrin;2;s, two oxen, five rams, iive
'Ijar or Zif.
offering :
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 14«>.
An.K50d.lsr.
a.
i/sr or Zif.
51 One young bullock, one ram, ^ he goats, tive lambs of the first year :
one lamb of the first year, for a burnt this teas the offering of Abidan tlie
|! son of Gideoni.
52 One kid of the goats for a sin offering : !| 66 ^ On the tenth day ' Ahiezcr the son of
'jti And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two ' Ammishaddai, prince of the cliildrcn of Dan,
oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the oj/ered :
first year : this xc^as the offering of Elishama the 67 His offering 'u-as one silver charger, tl;e
son of Ammiiiud. ! weiglit whereof -d'as a hundred and thirty
54 •[ On the eighth day offered 'Gamaliel the shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after
son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Ma- i the shekel of the sanctuary ; both of them full
nasseh
of fine flour minjijled with oil for a meat offer-
55 His offerinn; xvns one silver charter, of the ; in£3' :
weight of a hundred and thirty shekels, one ; 68 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full ol
silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel j incense :
of the sanctuary ; both of them fidl of fine flour ;l 69 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of
mingled with oil for a meat offering : |i the first year, for a burnt offering :
56 One golden spoon often shekels, full ofj 70 One kid of the goats for a sin offering :
incense: 'l 71 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two
57 One young btdlock, one ram, one lamb of oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the
the fir.-t year, for a burnt offering : first year : this xcas the offering of Ahiezer the
58 One kid of the goats for a sin offering : son of Ammishaddai.
59 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two I 72 *[ On the cleventli day * Pagiel the son of
oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the
fii'st year : this xvas the oH'ering of Gamaliel the
son of Pedahzur.
60 ^ On the ninth day " Abidan the son of
Ocran, prince of the children of Asher, ojjired :
73 His offering xoas one silver charger, the
weight whereof xoas a hundred and thirty
shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after
Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, i the shekel of tlie sanctuary; both of them full
offered:
61 His offering xoas one silver charger, the
weight whereof xvas an hundred and thirty
shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after
the shekel of the sanctuary ; both of them full
of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offer-
62 One golden spoon of ten shekels, flill of
incense :
63 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of
the first year, for a burnt offering :
64 One kid of the goats for a sin offering :
»ch. 1. 10. ch.2. 20. — 'ch. 1. n. cii. 2. 22.
Ver-ie 72. On ilie eleventh day] The Hebrew f<jrm of ex-
pression liere, anil in the 78th ver-ie, has something; curious
in it. ai< "WV "rVW C31'3 l>''yom u<ihley dsur yom — lii, the
day, the Jirst and tenth day. OV IIW :Zi''iV C3V3 b''yom
sheneim dscir yom — In tlie day, iivo anil tenth day. But this
is the idiom of the language ; and to an original Hebrew, our
almost anomalous words eleventh and twelfth, by which we
of fine flour mingled witli oil for a meat offer-
ing:
74 One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of
incense :
75 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of
tlie first year, for a burnt offering :
76 One kid of the goats for a sin offering :
77 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, iv;o
oxen, five rams, fiv^ he goats, five lambs of the
first year : this x^as the ofiering of Pagiel the
son of Ocran.
78 ^ On the twelfth day ' Ahira the son of
« oil. 1. 12. ch. 2. 23. ■• cb. 1. 18. ch. 2. 27. ' cb. 1. 13. cb. 2. U9.
translate the original, would appear as strange as his, literally
translated, would appear to us. In reckoning after txuclrc, it is
cafiy to find oivt the composition of the words thirteen, as three
and ten ; fourteen, four and (t^, and so on ; hut eleren and
tiuelve hear scarcely any analogy to ten and one, and ten and
tuo, which nevertheless they intend. But this is a subject
of philology, rather than of biblical criticism.
Tlie sum of all the offerings
NUMBERS.
of the twelve tribes.
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Eiod.Isr.
2.
Ijar or Zif.
Enan, prince of the ehildien ofi
Naplitali, offered :
79 His offering xvas one silver i
charger, tlie weight whereof xvas li
a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl
of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanc-
tuary ; both of them ftill of fine flour mingled
with oil for a meat offering :
80 One golden spoon of ten shekels, fliU of
incense :
81 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of
the first year, for a burnt offering :
82 One kid of the goats for a sin offering :
83 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the
first year : this leas the offering of Ahira the son
of Enan.
84 This xvas the dedication of the altar, in the j
day when it was anointed, by the princes of
Israel : twelve chargers of silver, twelve silver
bowls, twelve spoons of gold:
85 Each charger of silver weighing a hun-
dred and thirty shekels, each bowl seventy : all
the silver vessels weighed two thousand and four
' Ver. 1, 10— R4. *• cli. 12. 8. Exod. 33. 9, 11.
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490;
An. Eiod.Ur.
2.
IJaror Zif.
Verse 84. This was the dedication of the altar, in the day,
&.C.] Meaning here, the time in which it was dedicated ; for
as each tribe had a whole day, for its repi'esentative or
prince to present the offerings it had provided, consequently
the dedication, in which each had his day, must have lasted
twelve daj's: the words therefore in this text refer to the last
day or tivclfth, in which this dedication was completed.
Verse 88. j4jter that it wns anointed] By the anointing,
the altar was consecrated to God : by this dedication it was
solemnly appointed to that service for which it had been
erected.
Verse 8D. To speak with hitn] To confer with God, and to
receive farther discoveries of his will.
Jle heard the voice of one sjieahing unto him] Though
Moses saw no similitude, but only heard a voices yet he had
the fullest proof of the presence, as well as of the being of the
Almighty, in this way, God cbose to manifest himself
during that dispensation; till the fulness of the time came, in
lyhich the WORD was made flesh, aud DWELT AMONG US.
No man hath seen God at any time : the only begotten Son,
who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Tlie mercy-sent] See the note on Exod. xxv. 17. As God
gave oracular answers fiom this place, and spohc Xo ?>loses,
as it were face to face, hence the place was called the
ORACLE, T3T debir, or speaking place, from 13^ dabur, he
fpoke, 1 Kings vi. 23. And as this mercy-seat represented
our blessed Redeemer, so the Apostle says, that God, who
bad at sundry times, end in divers manners, SPDKEN in time
hundred shekels, after the shekel of
tlie sanctuary :
86 The golden spoons were twelve,
full of incense, weighing ten shekels
a piece, after the shekel of the sanctuary : all
the gold of the spoons was a hunched and
twenty shekels.
87 All the oxen for the burnt offering were
twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the lambs of
the first year twelve, with their meat offering :
and the kids of the goats for sin offering
twelve.
88 And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the
peace offerings were twenty and four bullocks,
the rams sixty, the he goats sixty, the lambs of
the fu'st year sixty. Tliis was the dedication
of the altar, after that it was ' anointed.
89 ^ And when Moses was gone into the ta-
bernacle of the congregation '' to speak with
' him, then he heard " the voice of one speaking
unto him from off tlie mercy seat, that was upon
the ark of testimony, from ' between the two
cherubims : and he spake unto him.
' That is, Gotl " Eiod. 25. 2«. 'Exod. 25. 13— SI. iSam. 4. 4.
past to the fathers by the prophets, hath, in these last days,
SPOKEN vnlo us by his Son, Heb. i. 1, 2. Hence the j"n-
carnated (Christ is the true I'm debir, or crude, in and by
whom God speaks unto man.
On this occasion, we find there were offered
12 Silver cAar^fri, each weighing 130 shekels.
12 Silver bowls, each ... 70 shekels.
Total amount of silver vessels . 2,400 shekels.
12 Golden yjooTii, each weighing . 10 shekels.
Total amount of golden vessels . 120 shekels.
A silver charger, at 1 30 shekels, reduced to
Troy weight, makes
A silver bowl, at 70 shekels, amounts to
Total weight of the 12 chargers . 905 16 3/^-
Total weight of the 12 bowls . 487 14 20^*j
oz. dwts. pr.
75 9 I6;A-
40 12 2\%\
Total
1393 10 23/j
^383 1 8J-
oz. dwts. gi'.
5 16 3;^
69 13 13/j
Whicli, at 5s. per oz. is equal to
The 12 golden spoons, allowing eacii to be
amount to .....
Which, at .£4 per ounce, is equal to . ^.320 14 lOi
And added to the amount of the silver . 383 1 8j
make a total of .... 0^703 16 C,,-
5
Dl
ectiom concemmg
IJesi.lce the above, llicre were
Bullocks
. 12
linms
. 12
Laiiiiji
. lU
Gonts
. 24
Kains
. CO
He- goats
. €0
Laiubi
. 00
CHAR viir.
the lamps, candlestick, <§t.
Total - JO clean beasts for sacrifice.
By whicli, wp may al once see, that :tlioiigh the pUice
in which they now sojourned, was a wilderness as to ciiies,
villtiges, and iv^ular iiiliubitiiiUx; yet there was jilcnty of pas-
i turage^ else the Lruelite« could not have furnished these
^ cattle,' with all the sacrifices necessary for diff-nent o;cas:Mns,
and especially for tlic p;iss-over, which was ceUbrateil during
their s(.journii!;^ in the dcsart, and which itself must have,re-
qiiired an immense number of lambs ; see chap. ix. when each
j family ol' 600,000 males was obliged to provide one for itself.
CHAPTER VIH.
' directions liozc' the /amps are to be lig/ilvd, 1 — 1. Iloiv the caiid/cstick rcas formed, 4. The Levi/cs to be coiise-
iraled to their service hi/ being cleansed, sprinkled, shaved, purified, and their clothes rcashed, 0,7. To ojfer a
meat-offering, and a sin-offering, 8. The people to put their hands upon them, Q, 10. Aaron is to offer them be-
fore the Lord, 11. The Levites to lay their hands on the heads of the bttlloclcs, C^c. 12. TJie Lnitcs are taken
to assist Aaron and his sons in the place of all the first-born of Israel, 13 — 19. Moses and Aaron do as they zccre
commanded, the Levites are presented, pitrfied, and commence their service, 20 — '2'2. I'he^ are to l/egin their
service at twenti^-five years of age, and leave off at fifty, 1'2> — 2b. After this they shall have the general inspee-
tion of the se7-vice, 20.
A.M. 25)4.
B.C. lUK).
All. Kxud.Isr.
2.
Ijar or Zif'.
AND the Loud spake unto Moses,
saying,
2 Speak unto Aai'on, and say unto
him. When thou ' hghtest the Lunps,
the seven lamps shall give light over against the
candlestick.
3 And Aaron did so ; he lighted the lamps
thereof over against the candlestick, as the
Lord commanded Moses.
4 " And this work of the candlestick li'as of
beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the
» Exod. 25. 37. & 40. 25. •> Exod. 25. .11 . ' Exod. 25. 18. " E.\od.
2d. 40. ' cli. ly. '.', 17, 18.
NOTES ON CHAP. VIIF.
Verse 2. The scrcn lamps shall give light] The whole seven
shall be liglited at oae time, that seven may be ever burn-
ing.
Verse 4. The work of the candleslick, &c.] See many curi-
ous particulars relative to this candlestick in the notes on
Exod. XXV. 31 and 39. The candlestick itself was an emblem
of the church of Christ; the oil, of the graces and gifts of the
Spirit of God; and the li^ht of those gifts and graces in
action among men. See Rev. i. ]'_' — 20. God builds his
church and sends forth his Spirit to dwell in it, to sanctify
and cleanse it, that it may be shewn unto the world as his
o:t'H workmanship. The seren lights in the candlesticks, point
out the seven spirits of God, the Holy Ghost being thus term-
ed, Rev. iii. 1. from the variety and abundance of his gifts
and influences : seien being used among the Hebrews to de-
note any Ihing full, complete, and pei feet. A candlestick oy lamp
A.M.SJlt.
B. C. 14i'ti.
All. Ejtod. Isr.
2.
7;iir or *i*".
flowers thereof, xcas "^beaten work:
'^ according unto the pattern which
the Loud had shewed Moses, so he
made the candlestick.
: .5 % And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
G Take the Levites from among the children
of Israel, and cleanse them.
7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse
them : Sprinkle "water of purifying upon them,
\ and ' \et^ them shave all their flesh, and let them
wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.
' Heb. Ut them cause a razor to pess over, ice. s Lev. 14. 8, 9.
without oil, is of no use: oil not burning is of no use. So \
church or society of religious people, without the influence of the
Holy Ghost, are dead, while they have a name to live: and
if they have a measure of this light, and do not let it^s/iiVje
by purity of living and holy zeal before men, their religion
is neither useful to themselves nor to others. Reader, it is possi-
ble to be in the church oftjod, and not be of that church —
it is possible to have a measure of the Spirit, and neither
profit nor be profited. Feel this dreadful possibility, ami prav
to God that thou be not a proof of it.
Verse 1. Sprinkle water of purifj/ing] nxUH »0 mey chat'
taalh, ivuter of sin, or water of the sin offering. As this puri-
fying water was made by the ashes of the red lieifer, ccdur
wood, hyssop, and scarlet ; and the heifer hirself was sacri-
ficed, and her blood sprinkled seven ticnes before the taber-
nacle, Numb. xix. 3 — 6. she may be considered as a proper
sacrifce for sin ; and consequently the water thus prepared
4 K
The Levites are to be consecrated
A. fli. «14.
B.C. 14>ja
Aq. Kind. Isr.
Ijar or Zif.
for a sin-offering
"And "
8 Then let them take a young bul-
lock with * his meat offering, even
fine flour mingled with oil, and ano-
ther young bullock shalt thou take
NUMBERS. in place of the Jirst-born,
do the service of the tabernacle of the
9 " And thou shalt bring the Levites before'
the tabernacle of the congregation : " and thou
shalt gather the whole assembly of the children
of Israel together :
10 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the
Lord : and the children of Israel ''shall put their
hands upon the Levites :
1 1 And Aaron shall * offer the Levites before
the Lord Jbr an ^ offering of the children of
Israel, that ^ they may execute the service of
the Lord.
12 '■ And the Levites shall lay their hands upon
the heads of the bullocks : and thou shalt offer
the one for a sin offering, and the other for a
burnt offering, unto the Lord, to make an
atonement for the Levites.
13 And thou .shalt set the Levites before
Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for
an offering unto the Lord.
14 Tlius shalt thou separate the Levites from
among the children of Israel : and the Levites
A W. 2514.
B. C. 1490. .
All. Exoci.Isi.
JjaT tn Zif,
shall be ' mine.
15 And after that
shall the Levites go in to
» Lev. 2. 1. ' See Exod. 29. 4. & 40. IS. • Lev.8. 3. " Lev. 1. 4.
• Heb. wave, ^ lieb. wave o^'erivg. EHeb. theu mm; be to execute. Sec.
" Exod. 29. 10. ' ch. 3. 45. & 16. 9. " ver. 11. 13. ' ch. 3. IV, 45.
be termed the water of the sin-offering. As the ashes were
kept ready at hand for purifying fi-om all legal pollutions, the
preparation might be considered as a concentration of the
essential properties of the sin-offering; and might be resorted
to at all times with comparatively little expense or trouble,
and no loss of time. As there were so many things by which
legal pollution might be contracted, it was necessary to have
always at liand, in all their dwellings, a mode of purifying at
once convenient and unexpensive. As the -uaier by which
the Levites were here purified njust have been the water
prepared from the ashes of the red heifer, this ordinance
uas undoubtedly instituted before this time, though not
described till the xixth chap. 1 — 10. of this book: but
that chapter might be in connexion with any of the preced-
ing ordinances, as well as where it is now found. We sec
from Heb. ix. 13 and 14. that these ashes mingled with
water, and sprinkled on the unclean, and which sanctified to
the purification of the flesh, were intended to typify the blvod
of Christ, which purges the conscience from dead works, to
serve the living God, ver. 15.; for, as without this sprinkling
with the water of the sin-qfering, the Levitts were not fit to serve
congregation : and thou shalt cleanse
them, and " offer them for an offer-
ing.
16 For they are wholly given unto me from
among the children of Israel ; ' instead of .such
as open every womb, even instead of the first-
born of all the children of Israel, have I taken
them unto me.
17 ""For all the firstborn of the children of
Israel are mine, both man and beast : on the
day that I smote every firstborn in the land of
Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
18 And I have taken the Levites for all the
firstborn of the children of Israel.
19 And " I have given the Levites as "a gift
to Aaron and his sons from among the children
j of Israel, to do the service of the children of
! Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and
to make an atonement for the children of Israel:
j '' that there be no plague among the children
: of Israel, when the children of Israel come
I nigh unto the sanctuary.
j 20 And Moses, and Aaron, and all the con-
gregation of the children of Israel, did to the
; Levites according unto all that the Lord com-
; manded Moses concerning the Levites, so did
the childien of Israel unto them.
" Exod. 13. 2, 12. 13, 1>5. ch. 3. 13. Luke 2. 23. -■■ ch. 3. 9. "Heb. given.
' ch. 1. 53. t< Id. 46. & 18. 5. 2Chron. 26. 16.
God in the wilderness ; so without this sprinkling of the
blood of Chrisl, no conscience can he purged from dead
works, to serve the living God. See the notes on chap. xix.
1—10.
Verse 1 0. Shall put their hands upon the Levites} It has
been argued from this, that the congregation had a part in
the appointment of their own ministers ; and that this was
done by the imposition of hands. However that may be, it
appear?, that what was done on this occasion, meant no more
than that the people gave up this whole tribe to God, in
place of their first-born; and that by this act they bound
themselves to provide for them, who, because of their sacred
service, could follow no secular work. And surely it was
light, that Ihty who served the altar should live by the altar.
The ministers of God perform olhces for the people, which
the people cannot perform for themselves; and nothing can
be more reasonable than that the people should give thein the
necessaries and comforts of life, while they are thus employed
in their behalf.
Verse 17. For all the first-born— 'are mine"} See the man*
ner of redeeming the first-born, chap, xviii. 6.
A. M- 2514-
B.C. 1490.
Ijar or ~i/'.
The Levites are to serve
21 * And the Le\ites were nuiilied,
and they washed their clothes ; " and
Auron offered them as an offering be-
fore the Loud; and Aaron made an
atonement for them to cleanse them.
22 " And after that went the Levites in to do
their service in the tabernacle of the congrega-
tion before Aaron, and before his sons : '' as
the Lord had commanded Moses concerning
the Levites, so did they inito them.
23 i[ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
24 This is it that belongeth unto the Levites :
CHAP. IX. Jrom 25 years old, till 50,
' from twenty and live years old and
upward, they shall go in ' to wait upon
the service of the tabernacle of the
' %'er. 7. " ver. 11, 12. ' ver. 15. ■" ver. 5, &c. ' See cli. 4. 3.
1 Chrou. 23. 3, 24, 87.
Verse 21. And Aaron made an atonement for them] Thoujrh
the Levitts liad been most solemnly consecrated to the Lord's
stTvice, and though all legal washings and purifications were
dulypertbrmed on the occasion; yet they could not approach
God till an atonement had been made for them. How .strange
is it, after all these significations of the will and purpose of
God, relative to man, that any priest, or any people, will
attempt to draw nigh to God without an atonement ! As sure
as God hath spoken it, there is no entrance into the Holiest,
but through the blood ofJe.su-!, Heb. x. 19, 20.
^'erse _'4. From tiventt/ fije years old] See the note on
chap. iv. 47. where the two terms of twenty-five and thirty
yeai"s, are reconciled.
Ver^e 2C. To keep the charge, and shall do no service.] They
shall no longer be obliged to perform any laborious service,
but act as general directors and counsellors ; therefore they
were to be near the camp, sing praises to God, and see that
no stranger or unclean person was permitted to enter. So
the Jews, and many other persons, have generally understood
this place.
1 . If it required so much legal purity to fit the Levites for
their work in the tabernacle ; can we suppose that it requires
A. M. C514.
h. C. 1490.
Ao.Exod.lsr.
congregation
Jjar or Zif.
25 And (iom the age of fifty years they shall
^ cease waiting upon the service thcreofy and
shall serve no more :
26 But shall minister with their brethren in
the tabernacle of the congregation, '' to keep
the charge, and shall do no service. Tlius
shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their
charge.
f Heb. to var the varfare of, &c. 1 Tim. 1. 18. » Hcb. return from the
viarfarc rf the service. " ch. 1. 53.
less spiritual purity to fit ministers of the Gospel to proclaim
the righteousness of the Most High, and administer the sa-
cred ordinances of Christianity to the flock of Christ ? If
these must be without spot, at the priests before without
blemish, and these were only typical men ; we may rest
assured that a Christian minister requires no ordinary measures
of holiness to prepare him for an acceptable and profitable
discharge of his office.
2. If tlw Christian ministry be established to prepare men
for the kingdom of God, of the holiness of whicli, the purity
of the camp was but a faint emblem; how can any man e.^c-
pect to enter that place of blessedness, who has not his heart
sprinkled iioni an evil conscience, and his body washed with
pure water — his life and conversation agreeable to the sacred
precepts laid _down in the Gospel of Christ ? If the Law of
Moses were more read in reference to the Gospel ; the Gospel
itself, and its requisitions would be much better understood.
Reader, however it maybe with thee, Antinomianism is more ge-
neral among religious people than is usually imagined. \\'hat
multitudes of all denominations are expecting to enter into
the kingdom of God, without any proper preparation for the
place ! Without holiness none shall see the Lord ; and from this
decision of the divine justice, there shall never be any appeal.
CHAPTER IX.
The Israelites are remivd^d of the law that required them to keep the pass-over at its proper time, and zc'tth all its
rites, 1—3. T/iei/ kept the pass-over on the fourteenth day of the first month, 4, 5. The case of the men ziho,
being unclean through touching a dead bodi/, could not keep the pass-over, 6, 7. Moses enquires at the Lord
concerning them, 8. Jnd the Lord appoints the fourteenth day of the second month for all those zcho through any
accidental uncleanncss, or by being absent on ajojtniey, could not keep it at the mual time, 9—12. Those tcho
neglect to keep this solemn feast, to be cut off from among his people, 13. The stranger, zcho zdshcs to keep the
pass-over, is at liberty to do it, 14. The cloud covers the tabernacle both by day and night, from the ti?ne]of
tts dedication, 15, l6. This cloud regulates all the encampments and marchings of the Israelites through the
;iilderness, 17— 2i2. T/*cirjourncyings and restings zcerc all directed by the commandment of the Lord, Q3.
4 K 2
Directions concernhis: tlie
A.M. 2014.
B. C. 14;0.
^ikExod. Isr.
NtJMBEIlS. keeping a second pass-ever,
A ND the Lord spake unt?> Mo- couldnotkeep the pass-over that day:
J\ scs in the -.vilderness of Sinai, Sind they came before Moses and
in the first montli of the second year before Aaron on that day :
after they were come out of the land! i 7 And those men said unto him, i'!!i'
-v.M. LA,n.
Ji.C. 149().
An. Kxoil.lbr.
'J
AhihoTj\isan.
We are defiled by the dead body of a man :
wherefore are we kept back, that Ave may not
offer an offering of the Lord in his appointed •
season, among the chikkeii of Israel ?
8 And IMoses said unto them. Stand still, and
^ I will hear what the Lord will command con-
cerning you.
9 % And the Lord spake unto jNIoses, saying,
10 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying.
If any man of you or of your posterity shall be
unclean by reason of a dead body, or he in a
journey afar off, yet he shall keej) the. pass-over
of I unto the Lord.
li 11 ^The fourteenth day of the second month
of Egypt, saying,
2 Let the children of Israel also keep * the
passover at his appointed season.
3 In the fourteenth day of this month, ^ at
even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season :
according to all tlie rites of it, and according to
all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.
4 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel,
tliat they should keep the pass-over. "
5 And "^ they kept the pass-over on the four-
teenth day of the first montli at even in the wil-
derness of Sinai : according to all that the Lord
commanded Moses, so did the chilth-en
Israel.
6 % And there were certain men, who were ! at even they shall keep it, and " eat it with un-
" defiled by the dead body of a man, that they i leavened bread and bitter herbs.
»E«od. 12. 1, &c. Lev.2j.5. cli. 28. 16. Deiit. 16. 1, 2 ''lieb. 19.11,16. Sfe John 18. 28. = T'xod. 18 15
iweeii the two evenings. Exud. 12. 6. '^ ]oi\>. 5. 10.- ■> cli. 5. 2. & 27. 5. S2 Cliroii. 30. 2, 13. 1> Kxod. 12. S.
bel
NOTES ON CIUV. IX.
^'^erse 1. Tlie Lord spake unlo JSIoscs] The fourteen first
Tprses of this chapter, certainly refer to transactions thai tooic
place at the time of those mentioned in the commencement of
this book, before the numbering of the people ; and several
learned men are of opinion that tlie.sc fourteen verses should
be referred back to that place. We have already met with
instances whevf^ transpositions have, very probably, taken place;
and it is not difficult to account for them. As in very
early times writing was generally on leaves of the Egyptian
flag; /'a/>5rn(s, or on thin hnuinm of difftrent subsfances, facts
end transactions thus entered, were very liable to be deranged ;
si> that when afterwards a scries was made up into a book,
many transactions might be inserted in wrong places; and
thus the exact chronology of the facts be greatly disturbed.
MyS. written on leaves of trees, having a hole in each,
through which a cord is passed to keep them all in
their places, are frequently to be met with in the cabinets of
the curious, and some such are now before me— should the
cord break or be accidentally unloosed, it would be exceed-
ingly difficult to string them all in their proper places:
accident.-, of this kind I have often met with, to my very great
perplexity; and in some cases found it almost impo.s!.ibIe to
restore each individual leaf to its own place; for it should be
observed that ihe.se separate pieces of oriental writing, are not
parcel like the leaves of our printed books : nor are there
frequently, any catchwords or signatures at the bottom to
connect the series. This one consideration will account for
.several trmupoiiiions, especially in the I'cntateuch, where
tbcy occur more frequently than in any other part of the
sacred Mritin^'^s. lloiibiganl, who grants the existence of
luch. transpositions^ thinks that this is co sitfScient reason
1
-= T'xod. 18 15, 19, 2(i. cli. 27. 2.-
-fth.
why the present order of narratiua should be changed: " It is
enough," says he, non ignorare libros cos J'losis esse acia
rerwn suo tempore gestarwn, non historlam filo perpcluo elabo-
rutam, " to know that these books contain an account of
thing.<4 transacted in the days of IMoses; though not in their
regular or chronological order."
Verse 3. According to all the rites of w] See all tliose
riles and ceremonies largely explained in the notes on Exod.
xii.
Verse 7. We are defiled hy the dead body of a vianl It is
probable that the defdcmeni mentioned here, was occasioned
by assisting at tlie burial of some person — a work both of
necessity and mercy. This circumstance, however, gave
rise to the ordinance delivered in the 10, 1 1, 12, 1.3 and 14
1 verses, so that on particular occasions the pass-over might be
] iiL-ice celebrated; 1st. At its regular time, the 14rh of the
fust month. 2d. An extra time, the 14th of the second
month. liut the man who had no legal hindrance, and did
not celebrate it on one or other of these times, was to be cut
I cfl' from the people of God ; and the reason given for this
I cutting off, is, that he brought not the offering of God in his
I appointed season — therefore, that man shall bear his sin, ver. !.'<.
! Me have already seen, from the authority of St. Paul, that
Christ, our pass-over, is sacrificed for us; and that it nas his
sacrifice that was pointed out by the paschal lamb : on this,
therefore, we may observe, that those who do not sooner or
I later eat the true Pass-over; and get the salvation proclircd by
I the sprinkling of his blood, shall be cut ofl'from among those
that shall enter into the rest prepared for the people of God ;
and for the same reason loo — They bring not the offering of
God in iis appointed season, and therefore tliey shall bear
I their sin.
1'he cloud rcsru'afes all the
CHAP. IX.
movcnicnls of the Isradidsh camp.
C. llilO.
A.M. S5M.
B.C. MM.
An. Exod.br.
12 "They shall leave hoik; of it unto !| 18 At the commandment of the
the morning, " nor brcuk nny bone jl Lord the children of Isiaol journey-
of it: 'according to all the ordi- 1 ed, and at the commandment of the -i.
nances of tlie pa^isovcr they shall il Lord they pitched : ' as long as the ^^"'''°'"^'''"";
" cloud abode upon the tabernacle ihey rested
in their tents.
19 .iliid v.'hen the cloud '^ranicd long upon
the tabernacle many da}s, then the children of
Israel " kept the charge of the Lord, and
journeyed not.
20 And so it was, when the cloud was a few-
days upon the tabernacle ; according to the
commandmeit of the Lord, they abode in their
tents, and according to the commandment of
the Lord, they journeyed.
21 And so it was, when the cloud "abode
from even unto the morning, and that the cloud
was taken up in the morning, then they jour-
neyed : whetl^.er it xcas by day or by nig'ht that
the cloud vAi taken up, they journeyed.
f?2 Or Kliether it "were two days, or a month,
or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the taber-
nacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel
keep it
13 But the man that is clean, and is not in a
' irney, and forbearcth to keep the pass-over,.
en the same soul '' shall be cut oft'trom among
liis people: because he 'brought not the otfer-
ing of tiie Lord in his appointed season, that
man sliall ' bear his sin.
14' And if a stranger shall sojourn among you,
ajul will keep the pass-over unto the Lord ; ac-
cording to the ordinance of the pass-over, and
•cording to the manner tiiereof, so shall he
do: ^ye shall have (me ordinance, both tor the
stranger, and for him that was born in the
land.
\5 % And "on the day tiiat the tabernacle
was reared ii]), the cloud covered tlie tabernacle,
namely, the tent of the testimony : and 'at even
there was uj)on the tabernacle as it w^ere the ap-
]")earance of firo, until the morning,
1 6 So it was ahvay : the cloud covered it ^ ' "^ abode in their tents, and joumeyed not : but
r/<7y, and the appearance of fire by night. | when it was taken up, they journeyed.
17 And v.'hen the cloud *" was taken up from | 23 At the commandment of the Lord, they
the tabernacle, then after that tiie children of I rested in the tents, and at the commandment of
Israel journeyed: and in the place where the | the Lord, they journeyed: they "kept the charn-e
cloud abode, there the childi-en of Israel pitched of the Lord, at the commandment of the Loud
their tents.
»Exo(1. 12. 10. •'Exocl. Vi. 4fi. Jolm i9. 36. ■= Exod. 12. ^S.
^Gi'ii 17. 11. Kxud. 12. 15. "vcr. 7. fch. o. .A. sEnyd. ly. 49.
. " F>; hI .10, 34. ^■ch. 9. 12, 19. Ps. 78. 1-1. ' Exod. 13. 21. iV 40.
Verse 1 5. 'The cloud covered the tabernacle] See the vliole
account of this .supernatural cloud largely explained. — E.\od,
xiii. 21. and xl. 34 — '■',».
Cahnet observes that the 15lli verse, beginning a new
subject, should begin a new chapter, as it lias no connexion
witli what goes before; and he thinks this chapter begun with
the 15th verse, sliould end with the L.'8th verse of the follow-
ing.
Verse 21. Whether by dot/ or bj/ >iii;ht] As the heat of the
flay is very severe in that same dtsart, the nti^ht season is some-
.ses chosen for tlie performance of a journey; though it is
ry likely, that in the case of the I^raehtes, this was seldom
I .'irtcd to.
Verse 22. Tivo days — a month — « year] It was by the
Divine counsel alone that they were directed in all their
j)eregrinations : and from the above words we see that their
times of tariyh^ at difierrnt stations, were very unequal.
Verse 23. Kept the charge of the Lord] When we con-
sider the strong disposition which this people ever testified to
I by the hand of Moses.
38. 1' Exod. 40. 3.5. dj. 10. 11, .-53, Si.
'" HcI). prvloiiseit. "ch. 1. 53. & 3. 8. —
37. 1 ver. 19.
Ps. 80. 1. 1 1 Cor. 10. t.
— "Hub. uius. P Exod. .10. :<6,
follow their own will in all things; we may be well surprized
to find them in these journeyings, so implicitly following ihe
direction of (jod. There could be no trii k or imposture here.
Moses, had he been the most cunning of men, never could
have imitated the appearances referred to in this chapter. Tiie
cloud, and every thing in its motion, was so evidently supei-^
natural, that the people had no doubt of its biing the symbol
of the Divine presence.
God chose to keep this p-'oplc so dependant upon himself,
and so submissive to the decisions of his own will; tint he
would not even give them ngular times of marcliing or
resting: they were to do both when and where God saw
best. Thus Ibey were ever kept ready for their march,
though perfectly ignorant of the lime when they sh luid
commence it. But this was all well ; they had the presence
of God with tliem: the cloud by d.iy and the fire by night
demonstrated that God was amongst them, llcad-.r, ih.iu
ait here a tenant at will to God Almighty : how soon, \i\.
Moses is commanded
NUMBERS.
■what place, or in what circumstances, he may call thee to
march into the eternal world, thou knoweit not! But this
uncertainty cannot perplex thee, if thou be properly subject to
the will of God, ever willing to lose thy own in it. But thou
to make ttjco siker trumpets.
canst not be thus subject, unless thou have the testimony of
the presence and approbation of God. How awful to be
obliged to walk into the valley of the shadow of death with-
out this ! Reader, prepare to meet thy God.
CHAPTER X.
Moses is commanded to make tKO silver trumpets for calling the assembly, 1,2. On what occasions these trumpets
should be sounded. First, for calling the assembly to the door of the tabernacle, 3. Secondly, to summon the
princes and captains of the thousa7ids of Israel, 4. Thirdly, (o make the eastern camps strike their tents, 5.
Fourthly, to make those on the south do the like, 6. No alarm to be sounded uhen the congregation only is to
he assembled, 7. The sons of Aaron alone, shall sound these trumpets, it shall be a perpetual ordinance, 8,
Fifthly, the trumpets are to be sounded in the time of zcar, g. Sixthly, on festival occasions, 10. On the
twentieth day of the second mo)ith, in the second year, the Israelites began their journey from the nilderness
of Sinai, and came to the rcilderness of Paran, 11, 12. By the commandment of God to Moses, the first divi-
sion, at the head of nhich uas the standard of JUDAH, marched first, IS, 14. Under him follozced the tribe
o/" IssACHAB, 15. and after thein the tribe of Zesvlo's, \6. Then the Gershomtas and '^lexa.n'ie?, folloiced
Kith the tabernacle, 17. At the head of the seeotid division zcas the standard and camp of REUBEN, 18. and
under him zcere, that o/ Simeon, 19- and that of Gad, GO. Next follozced the Kohathites, bearing the
sanctuary, 21. Then follotced the third division, at the head of zchich zcas the standard cf the camp of
EPHRAIM, 22. and turder him Mas asseh, 23. and Benjamin, 24. Jt the head of the fourth division,
was the standard of the camp of BA^, '25. a7id under him Asher, 26. fl«(^ Napiitali, 27. This uas their
ordinary method of marching in the zuilderness, 28. Moses entreats Hobab the Midianite to accompany them
through the tcilderness, 29. He refuses, 30. Moses continues and strengthens his entreaties zcith reaso?iings
and promises, 31,32. They depart from Sinai three days' journey, S3. The cloud accompanies them by day
and night, 34. The zcords used by Moses when the az-k set forzcard, 35. and zchen it rested, 36.
A.M.25M.
B. C. UTO.
An.Exod. Isr.
2. .
Ahihovlsisan.
AN D the Lord spake unto Mo-
ses, saying,
2 Make thee two trumpets of sil-
ver ; of a whole piece shalt thou
make them : that thou mayest use them tor the
* calhng of the assembly, and for the journey-
ing of the camps.
S And when ^ tliey shall blow with them,
> Isai. 1. 13. 1- Jer. 4. j. Joel '2. 15.
NOTES ON CHAP. X.
Verse 2. Make thee itvo tntmpets itf iihtr'\ The necessity
of .such instruments will at once appear, when the amazing
extent cf this numerous army is con.-idi red, and how, even
the sound of two trumpets could reach them all, is difficult
to conceive ; but we may suppose, that when they were
sounded, the motion of tiiose that were within reach tf that
sound, taught the others in .succession, what they should do.
As the tr<unj)rts were to be blown by iheprtesis only, the
sons of Aaron, there were only tico, because tiicre were only
t«o such persons to use thenj, at this lime, Elicur and Ii/ia-
mur. In the lime of Joshua, there were seven trumpets used
A.M. 2514.
B. C. 1490.
An.Exod. Isr.
AhibmXisan.
all the assembly shall assemble them-
selves to thee at tlie door of the ta-
bernacle of the congregation.
4 And if they blow but with one
trumpet, then the j)rinces, xchich are "heads of
the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves
unto thee.
5 When ye blow an alarm, then '' the camps
>= Exod. 13. 21. cii. 1. 1(5. &
-'> cii. s. a
by the priests ; but these were made .iccording to our text, of
ruma' horns, Josh. vi. 4. In the time of Solomon, when the
priests had greatly increased, there were 120 priests sounding
with trumpets, 2 Chr. v. 12.
Josephus intimates, that one of these trumpets was always
used to call the nobles together : the other to assemble the
people; see ver. 4. It is p. ssible, that tin -e trumpets were
made of diflrre nt lengths and iviJencss, and consequently they
would emit (hflercnt tones. Thus the sound itself would at
once shew, which was the suimiions fur the congregation, and
which for the princes only. These trumpets were allowed to
be emblematical of the sound of the Gospel; and in this
A.!\[. 2514.
B. C. 1190.
An.Exod.Tsr.
AbiburKisnn.
The use of these tnimpets.
that lie on the east parts shall go
forward.
6 When ye blow an alarm the se-
cond time, then the camps that lie
'on the south side shall take their journey:
they :>liall b^ow an alarm for their journeys.
7 But when the congregation is to be gathered
together, " ye shall blow, but ye shall not ' sound
an alarm.
8 " And the sons of Aaron, tiie priests, shall
blow with the trumpets ; and they shall be to
you for an ordinance for ever throughout your
generations.
9 And ' if ye go to war in your land against
the enemy that ^ oj)presseth you, then ye sliall
blow an alarm with the trumpets ; and ye shall
be • remembered before the Lord your God,
and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
10 Also " in the day of your gladness, and in
CHAP. X. The Israelites begin their journey.
your solemn days, and in the begin-
nings of your months, ye shall blow
with the trumpets over your burnt
offerings, and over the sacrifices of
your peace offerings ; that they may be to you
' for a memorial before your God : I am the
Loud your God.
11^ And it came to pass, on the
twentieth day of the second month,
in the second year, that the cloud
" was taken up from off the taber-
nacle of the testimony.
1 2 And the children of Israel took ' their
journeys out of the " wilderness of Sinai ; and
the cloud rested in the " wilderness of Paran.
13 And they first took their journey "accord-
ing to the commantlment of the Lord, by the
hand of Moses.
14 ^ ^In the fix%t place, went the standard
"Cli. 2. 10. ''ver. 3.-
- 1,^11. a. i\t. ■ vei. J. -Joel 'J. 1. ''cli. 31. C. Josh. 6. 4. 1 Chrori.
15.24. EChron. i;5. 12. IWac. 16. 8. 'cli. .SI. (!. .losh. 6. 5. 2Chrnn.
13. 14.— f .fndg. 2. la. & 4. 3. & 6. 9. & 10. 8, 12. 1 Sam. 10. 18. I's.
'"' •- sGeii. 8. 1. I's. 106. 4. " ch. 29. 1. Lev. 23. 24. 1 Chron.
13
106.42,
A. M. 2514.
B. C. 1 190.
All. Y.xai\. Isr.
2.
Ah'\b or A^sjit,
A.jr.2514.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod.Isr.
2.
Ij^r or Zif.
reference, they appear to be frequently nsecl. Of the fate
of the truuiptts of the sanctuary, .see the note on E,\od.
sxv. 31.
Verse 5. When yc blow an alarm'] rij?nn tcriidli, probably
meaning short, broken, sharp tones, termmaling with long ones,
blown with both the trumpets at once. From the similarity
in the words, some suppose that tlie Hebrew teriicih, was simi-
lar to the Roman taratantara, or .>-ound of their clarion.
Verse G. IVhcn ye bloxu a second alann] A single alarm, as
above stated, was a signal for the eastivurd division to marcli ;
mo such alarms, the signal for the south div.sion ; and probably
three for the xvest division, and futtr for the north. It is more
likelj-, that this was the case, than that a single alarm served
for each, with a small interval between thim.
The camps, or grand divisions of this great army, always
lay, as we have aheady seen, to the east, south, west, and
norlli : and here, the east and south camps alone are men-
tioned ; the Jirst containing Judah, Issachar and Zcbulon : the
second, Reuben, Simeon and Gud. The u«t and north divi-
sions are not named, and yet we are sure ihey marched in
consequence of express orders or signals, as well as the other
two. There appears therefore a deficiency here in tlje I lebrcw
Text, which is thus supplied by the Septuagint, xai aaXTrnm
trti/xainav TfiTtjv, xai cia^cv(nv at ■:zafi/x0oXai ai 7Taf£/ji.^a\-
>.ciu<7ai TTji^a da'Kaa(7aV xai craATriEiTc arifxacriav TcrapTriv, xat
i^a^ouciv ai 'jrapti/.^tXat at TTcc^s/x^aM^ouaai Tr^og ^of^av.
" And when ye blow a third alarm oi signal, the ■ amps on
the west shall march : and when ye blow a fourth alarm or
signal, the camps on the north shall march " This addition
however, is not ackno«lcdg< d by the iiamaritun, nor by any
of the other versions, but the Coptic. Nor are there any va-
rious readings in the collections of Keiinicott and Jje liossi.
15. 24. 2 Chron. 5. 12. & 7. 6. & 29. 26. Ezra 3. 10. Neh. 12. 35. Ps.
81. 3. ' ver. 9. " ch. 9. 17. ' Eiod. 40. 36. ch. 2. 9, 16, ^4, SI
"" Exod. 19. 1. ch. 1. 1. 6c 9. 5. " Uen. 21. 21. ch. 12. 16. * 13. 3, 26. D«ut.
1. 1. ^»ver. 3, 6. cli. 2. 3-1. ^cli. 2. 3, 9.
which countenance the addition in the above versions. Hou-
bigant thinks this addition so evidently necessary that he has
inserted the Latin in his text, and in a note supplied the He-
brew words ; and thinks that these words were originally in
the Hebrew Text, but happened to be omitted in conse-
quence of so many similar words occurring so often in the
same verse, which might dazzle and deceive the eye of a
transcriber.
Verse 9. If ye go to it.ar'] These trumpets shall be sound-
ed for the purpose of collecting the people together ; to deli-
berate about the war, and to implore the protection of God
against their enemies.
Verse 10. Jn the day of your gladness] On every festival
the people siiall be collected by the .same means.
Ye shall be remembered before the Lord] \^'hen ve de-
camp, incamp, make ti;ar, and hold religion.': fcuivals, accord-
ing to his appointment, which appointment shall be signified
to you by the priest.s, (who at the command of God, for
such purposes, shall blow the trumpets) then yc may expect
both the presence and blessing of Jehovah, in all that ve
undertake.
Verse 1 1. The tiventieth day of the second month] The Is-
raelites had lain encamped in the wilderness of Sinai about
eleven vtonths and twenty days, compare t.xod. xix. 1. with
this verse. They now received the order of God to decamp,
and proceed towards the promised land : and therefore the
Samaritan introduces at this place, the words which we find
Deul. i. 6 — 8. The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb,
•iaying : Yc htcoe dwelt long enough in this mount, turn and take
yt ur journey, &c.
Verse 12. The cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran]
This was three days' journey from the wilderness of Sinai,
Tlie ordei- observed
A.M.'Xi^l.
B. C. 1190.
All. I'..\ihI. Isr
15
of the camp of the cliildren of Ju-
dah, according to their armies : and
over his host 'was ^ Nahshon, the son
of Ammina'dab.
And over the host of th.e tribe of the
children of Issachar, icas Nethaneel, the son of
Ziiar.
16 And over the host of the tribe of the
children of Zebulun, xvas Eliab, the son of
Hcion.
17 And '' tlie tabernacle was taken down;
and the sons of Gershon, and the sons of Me-
rari, setibrward, "bearing the tabernacle.
18 ^Arid
ben set forward, according to their armies
over his host tvas Elizur, the son of Shedeur.
19 And over the host of the tribe of the
children of SLmeon, xvas Shelumiel, the son of
Zurishaddai.
20 And over the host of the tribe of the
children of Gad, "dcas Eliasaph, the son of
Deuel.
21 And the Kohathites set forward, bearing
the ' sanctuary : and ' t]ie other did set up the
tahernacle against they came.
NUMBERS.
22 f And
A.M. S!S14..
B. C. l.H!0.
All. E.xod.Iif.
S2.
Ijm or Zif.
n. 1. ;. ^''.ii. 1. .M.-
: ch. 4. 4, Id. ix 7. 9.—
■: cl, . 1. H, TA. & 7. 6, 7, 8. " cli. 9. 10, IC.
-*"Tlial ib, tke Gei'skonitcs and the MerarUes: see
see ver. 33. and the people had three stations — the first at
Kibroth Ilaiain-ali, the sacond at Hazeroth, chap. xi. 35. and
the third in the \vililcrue-.s of I'aran, sec chap. xii. 16. But
it is extretnely difRcuit to detenuine these journeyings with
any degree of exactness : and we are often at a loss to know,
whether the place in question, was in a direct or retrograde
position from the place previously mentioned.
Verse 14. The standard — of Juduli] See this order of
marching explained at large on chap, ii
in which this vast company
the order
march :
The fullovving is
proceeded in their
JuD.\rr
Issarhar
Zehulun
Gershonites, and
Merarites carrying the tabernacle.
llEtrBKN
Simeon
Gad
The Kohathites with the sanctuary.
Epiirai.m
Manassiii
Benjamin.
Ashcr
Naphtnli.
ver. 17. cli. 1.51. Bch. 2. 18,^1. i>cli. 2. 25, 31. Josh. 6. 9. 'Heb.
These. " cli. 2. 34.
hy the tribes in their march,
^ the _ standard of the
camp of the children of Ephraim set
forward, according to their armies:
and over his host xvas Eiishama, the .
son of Aramihud.
j 23 And over the host of the tribe of the child-
ren of IMunasseh, xvas Gamaliel, the son of Te-
\ dahzur.
j 24 And over the host of the tribe of the
j children of Benjamin, u^as Abidan, the son of
I Gideoni.
j 25 % And '^ the standard of the camp of the
I children of Dan set forward, xvhich xvas the rcar-
the standard of the camp of Reu- ji ward of all the camps throughout their hosts :
and I : and over his host a'a5 Ahiezer, the sou of Am-
mishaddai.
2G And over the host of the tribe of the
children of Asher xvas Pagiel, the son of Ocran.
27 And over the host of the tribe of the
children of Naphtali, xvas Ahira, the son of \
Euan.
28 ' Thus " were the journeyings of the child-
ren of Israel, according to their armies, when
they set forward.
29 ^ And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of
Verse 29. Moses said to Hobab'] For a circumstantial ac-
count of this person, see the noies on Exod. ii. 15, 1 6, and
18. iii. 1. iv. 20, 24.; and for the transaction recorded here,
and which is probably x)ut of its place, see Exod. xviii. 5.
where the subject is discussed at large.
iVe are journeying] God has brought us out of thraldom,
and we are thus far on our way through the viilderness, tra-
velling towards the place of rest which he has appointed us,
trusting in his promise, guided by his presence, and supported
by his power. Come thou ivilh us, and ive liill do thee good.
Those who wish to enjoy the heavenly inheritance, must walk
in the way towards it, and associate with the people who are
going in that way. — True religion is ever benevolent. — They
^^ho know jnost of the goodness of God, are the most forward
lo invite others to partake of that goodness. That religion,
which excludes all others from .salvation, imless they believe a
particular creed, and worship in a particular way, is not of
God. Even Jlobab, the Arab, according to tiie opinion
of Moses, might receive the same blessings which God had
promised to Israel, provided he accompanied them in the
same way.
The Ij}rd hath spoken good concernina Israel.] The name Zs-
rtiel, is taken in a general sen-se, to signify the folloti-ers of God;
and to ihcni, all the promises in the Bible are made. God
has spoken good of tiKm; and he has spoken good to them ;
and not one word that he hath spoken shall iail. Header,
hast thou left thy unhallowed connexions in life f Hast ihoa
B. C. 1 t9(l.
Aii.Fjod.Iw.
IJar or 2if,
Moses requests Hobab CHAP
* Raguel, the Midianitc, Moses' fa-
ther-in-law, We are journeying unto
the place of which the Loud said,
•" I will give it you : come tiioii with
us, and " we will do thee good : for "^ the Lord
hath spoken good concenuiig Israel
30 Ar.i I '3 .-aid unto him,
I will depart to mine own land, and to my
kindred.
31 And he said. Leave us not, I pray thee;
forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to en-
camp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to
us ' instead of eyes.
32 And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea,
I will not go
but
it shall be, that ' what goodness the Lord shall
•Kxud. 2. 18-
P2. 12. Kxod. 3.
Kxod. 3. 1.
— k Gen. 1'J.
8. i 6. 7, B..
' Jiirlg. 1. 16. & 4. 11 -
-■• Job 29. 15.^— ' Judg. 1. 16.
-" Gfn.
— .s SCO
got into the camp of the Most Hiprl> ? Then continue to fol-
low Goil wilh l.srael, and tlion siiah be incorporated in the
heavenly family, and siiare in Israel's lienedictions.
Verse 30. / uitl voi go ; hut I milt depart to my o-a-n land,
and to my kindnd.] From the »tron(T expostulations in verses
the .'51. and 32. and from Judges i. 16. iv. 11. and 1 Sam.
XT. G. it is likely, that Hobab changed his mind : or that if
he did go bark, to Madian, he returned again to Israel, as the
above scriptures shew, that his posterity dwelt among tlie Is-
raelites in Canaan. Reader, after having been almost per-
suaded to become a Christian, to take Clirist, h.is cross, liis
reproach, and his crown, for thy portion, art thou again pur-
posing to go back to thy own land, and to liij' kindred .?
Knowe.st thou not that this land is the place of destruction —
that the children of this world, who are not taking God for
their portion, are going to perdition ? Up, get thee hence,
for the Lord will destroy this place by fire : and all who are
not of the kindred and family of Christ, shall perish at the
brightness of hi.? appearing !
^'erse 31. Thou mayest be to us instead of eyes, &c.] But
what need had they of Hobab, when they had the pillar and
fire continually to point out their way .'' Answer. 1"he cloud
directed their general journeys, but not their particular excur-
sions. Parties tooli several journics while the grand army
lay still. See chap, xiii, xx, xxxi, xxxii, &c. They there-
fore needtd such a person as Hobab, who was well acquainted
with the desart, to direct these particular excursions ; to point
them out watering places, and places where they miglit meet
with fuel, &c. &c. W'iial man cannot, under the direction of
God's providence, do for himself, God will do in the way of
especial mercy. He could have directed them to the foun-
tains, and to the places of fuel ; but Hobab can do iViis,
therefore let Hobab be t mploycd : and let Hobab know, for
his encouragement, that while he is serving others in the way
of God's providence, be is securing his own best interests.
On these grounds Hobab should be invited; and for this
A M a.'iii.
li. C. H'.W.
An KxihI. Isr.
/;'tr or Zf,
X. io accmnpavy therft.
do unto us, the same will we do unto
thee.
33 % And they departed fiom ^the
mount of tlie Lord three days' jour-
ney : and the ark of the covenant of the Lord
"went before them in the thiee days' journey,
to .search out a resting place for them.
34 And 'th« cloud of the Lord ivas upon them
by day, when they went out of t!iecan;p.
S3 And it came to pa.ss, when the ark set for-
ward, that Moses said, '' Rise up, Lord, and
let thine enemies be scattered ; and let lliem
that hate thee flee before thee.
S6 And when it rested, he said. Return, O
Lord, unto the ' many thousands of Israel.
" Deut. 1. 33. Josh. 3. X 4; 6. Vs. l.".;
'Kxod. 13. i'l. Nell. 9. U, Itf. 'l*s.
thousand thousands.
■.ft. Jet. 31.2. Erellisioe
68. I, 2. & 1S2. 8. 'Jleb. Itn
reasoti Hobab should go. Man cannot do God's work ; and
God will not do the work which he has qualified and com-
manded man to perform. Thus then the Lord is ever seen,
even while he is helping man by man. See .some valuable
obscrrations on this subject in Harmer, vol. ii. 286. Instead
of, And thou mayest be to us instead of eyes — the Septuagint
translate thepassage thus, kxi itv, ev v\ii,iv -irptir^urn;, And tliou
shall he an elder «won» us. Bui Moses probably refers to
Hobab's accurate knowledge of the wilderness, and to the as-
sistance he could give them as a guide.
Vcne 33. The ark wtnt before them] W'e find from ver.
'21. that the ark was carried by the Kohathites in the centre
of the army : but as the army never moved, till the cloud
was taken up, it is said to go before them, i. c. to be the first
to move, as without, this motion, the Israelites continued in
their encampments.
Ver.se 35. Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scat-
tered .'] If Go4 did not arise in this way and scatter his ene-
mies, there could be no hope tliat Israel could get sadly
through the wilderness. God must go first, if Israel would
wikli to follow in safety.
Verse 36. Return, 0 Lord, unto the many thousands of /.?-
racL] These were the words spoken by Moses at the moment
the divisions halted in order to pitch their tents. In reference
to this subject, and the history with wliich it is connected, the
6Sth Psalm seems to have been composed. Many thousands ;
literally, the ten thousands thousands. Unless the ark tto« with
them, and the cloud of the divine glory with it, they could have
neither direction nor safety: unless the ark rested with them, and
the cloud of glory with it, they could have neither rest nor com-
fort. How necessary are the -xord qf God, and the Spirit of
God, for the direction, comfort, and defence, of every genuine
follower of Christ! Header, pray to God that thou mayest have
both with thee through all the wilderness ; — through all the
changes and chances of this mortal life : — if thou be guided by
his counsel, thou shalt be at last received into bis glory,
4 L
The people murmur
NUMBERS.
for "want ofjlesh to eat
CHAPTER XI.
The people complain, the hard is (Hspleased, and many of them are consumed by fire, 1. Moses intercedes for themf.
and the fire is quenched, 2. The place is called Taberah, 3. The misLed multitude long for fiesh, and murmur,
4 — 6. The manna described, 7 — 9- The people zceep in their tents, and the Ijord is displeased, 10. Moses de-
plores his lot in being obliged to hear and bear icith all their miirniurings, 11 — 15. He is commanded to bring
seventi/ of the elders to God, that he mai/ endue than, zcith the same spirit, and cause them to divide the burden-
Kith him, IG, 17. lie is also coiiuiianded to inform the people that thcij shall have flesh for a ichole month, 18 —
20. Moses expresses his doubt of the possibility of this, '21, 2'2. The Lord confirms his promise, 23. These'
venty men are brought to the tabernacle, '1^. And the spirit of prophecy rests upon them, 25. Eldad and
JNIedad stay in the camp and prophesy,- 16, 17. Joshua beseeches Moses to forbid them, 28. Moses refuses,
29, 30. A xcind from the Lord brings quails to the camp, 31, 32. JVhile feeding on the fiesh, a plague from
the Lord falls upon them, and many of them die, 33. The place is called Kibroth-hattaavali, or the graves of
lust, 34.
A.M. 2514.
I?. C. 1490.
An. Exod. Isr.
Ther/ journey to IJazeroth, 35.
AN D ' xcken the people " com-
plained, ' it displeased the
'-'• Lord : and the Lord heard it ;
"and his anger was kindled; and the ^fire of
the Lord burnt among them, and consumed
tliem that were in the uttermost parts of the
camp.
2 And the people cried unto Moses ; and
when Moses ' prayed unto the Lord, the fire
^was quenched.
3 And he called the name of the place ""Ta-
* Deut. 9.2". ^Or, were an it v-ere C(ymplfiiucrs. *^ Hcb. it wiis tv'il
in the ears of, t^c * Ps. "U. 21. ' Lev. 10. 2. ch. 16. 3."). i! Kings 1. li;.
Ps. iOo. IB.-^ — f Jam. 5. 16. 5 Heb. saiik.-^ — " That is, a burning-
NOTES ON CHAP. XI.
Verse 1. And when the people complained] What the
cause of this cumplaininr; was, we know not. The conjec-
ture of .'^t. Jerom is probable ; they complained because of
the kngtfi of tite icay. But surely no people had ever les.';
cause for murmuring — they had God among them ,• and
miracles of goodness were continually wrouglit in their
behalf.
/( displeased the Lord] For his extraordinary kindness was
lost on such an ungrateful and rebellions people. And his
a):r^er tva.-: kindled — Divine Justice was necessarily incensed
against .<;uch inexcusable conduct.
And the fire of the Lord Iturnt among theni] Either a super-
natural fire was sent for this occasion, or the lightning was
commissioned against them, or God smote them with one of
those hot suffocating winds, which are very common in those
countries.
And consumed —in tlic uttermost parts of the camp.] It per-
vaded the whole camp, from the centre to the circumference,
carrying death with it tn all the murniurers ; for we are not
to suppo.se, that it was confined to the uttermost parts (if the
camp, unless we could imagine, that there were none cuh[)able
any where dse. If this were the same with the case intn-
A. M. 25W.
li.C. H'.IO.
Ail. E.xod. W.
berah : because the fire of the Lord
burnt among them.
4 % And the ' mixt multitude that Z_ .
was among them " fell a lusting : and tlie child-
ren of Israel also ' wept again, and said, " Who
shall give us flesh to eat ?.
5 "We remember the fish, which we did eat
in Egypt freely ; the cucumbers, and the me-
lons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the
gaiiick :
6 But now ° our soul is dried away : there is
Deut. 9. CJ. ' \s Exod. 12. 33. k Iteb. lusted a liist. ' Htb. returned
and Kept- "> Ps. 78. 18. & 100. 14. 1 Cor. 10. (3. ° E.xod. 16. 3. ■
" ch. VLi.
tioned ver. 4-. then, as it is possible that the mixed multitude-
occupied the outermost parts of the camp, conseqiiently the
burnin<^ might have been confined to them.
Verse 2. The fire xvas qucKchcd.] Was .•:iink, or swallowed
up, iis in the margin. The plague, of whatever sort, ceased
to act, and the people had respite.
Verse 4. 'i'.V- juixt multitude] IDWNn hasaplisuph, the col-
lected or gathered people. Such as came out of Egypt with .
the Israelites ; and are mentioned Exod. .\ii. 38. This mon-
grel people, who had comparatively little of the knowledge of
God, feeling the dilhculiies and fatigues of the journey, were
the first to complain — and then we find the childreji of Lr.ael
joined them in tlifir complaining's, and made aeommon cause
with these demi-infulels.
Verse 5. lie remember; &c.] The choice aliments which
those murmuiers complained of liaving lost by their leaving
Egypt, were the fullowiug: fish, cucumbers, melor^s, leeks, onions,
and garlic. An European may smile at such deticacies ; but,
delicacies they were in tiiat couutry. Their fish is excellent,
their cucumbers and -.enter rm'lons highly salubrious and refresh-
ing : and their onions, gar-lie, &r. exquisitely flavoured, difl'cr-
ing as much from vegetables of the same species in these nor-
thern climes, as a bud turnip does from a good apple. In
4
Moses complains of his burden,
bc'h'v nothing at all, beside this manna, be- j
An.Exod.hr. Jlive our evcs. I
'fl 7 And " the manna xvas as cori-
ander seed, and the "* colour thereof as the co- ;
Jour of ' bdellium.
8 And tlie people went about, and gathered
it, and grotnid // in mills, or beat // in a mor-
tar, and bakeil it in pans, and made cakes of
it : and '' tlie taste of it was as the taste of fresh
oil.
9 And "when the dew fell upon the camp in
the night, the manna tell upon it.
10 ^1 Tlien Moses heard the people Avecp
throughout their families, every man in the
door of his tent : and ' the anger of tlie Lord
was kindled greatly ; Moses also was displeased.
11^ And Moses said unto the Lord, Where-
fore hast thou afflicted thy servant ? and where-
fore have I not ibund favour in thy sight, that
thou layest the burden of all this people upon
me ?
12 Have I conceived all this people i" have I
begotten them, that thou shouklest say unto
me, " Carry them in thy bosom, as a ' nursing
father bearetli tlie sucking child, unto the land
which thou " swarest imto their fathers ?
13 ' Whence should I have flesh to give luito
all this peo])le ? for they weep unto me, saying.
Give us flesh, that we may eat.
CHAP. XI. and 70 elders are appointed to assist him.
14. ° I am not able to bear all this i\-^r*5^.-
people alone, because i/ /i too heavy An.K.-id.isr.
tor me. — ' — '—
15 And if thou deal thus with me, "kill me,
I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found fa-
^ our in thy sight ; and let me not ° see my
wretchedness.
I (> % And the Lord said imto Moses, Gather
unto me ^ seventy men of the ciders of Israel,
whom thou knowest to be tiie elders of the
peojjle, and " officers over them ; and bring
tliem unto the tabernacle of the congregation,
that they may stand there witii thee.
17 And I will 'come down and talk with thee
there : and ' I will take of the spirit which is
upon thee, and will put it upon them ; and
they shall bear the burden of the people with
thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
18 And say thou unto the people, 'Sanctify
yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat
flesh : lor ye have wept " in the ears of the
Lord, saying. Who shall give us flesh to eat ?
" for it was well with us in Egypt : therefore the
Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.
19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days,
nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty
days ;
20 ^ Bit t even ii "whole month, until it come
out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto
« Exud. 16. 14, .ll . 1' Hfl). eiic o/' it as the t v' of. « GcB. 2. 12.
Exi'd. 16. 13, 11-. f P.s. 73. '.'1'. B I)f\n. 1. 32
- r.xod 16. ;}i.
" hai. *). 11.-
Exod. 13. 6.—
-Msai. 49. '23. 1 Tliess. V. 7.-
-'.Matt. 15. 33. Mark 8. 4.—
-» Gen. 26. 3. & 50. 24.
-■"Kxod. 18. 18. "Sec
lKin2Sl"J.4. Jon.ihl.o.
16. 18. 'ver. i>5. (jeii. U. .i. - .
2Kiiig»2.15 Nch.9.20. l5ai.4V ..>. J..cl2.'J8. ^'Excd.m 10. "Eiud
16.7. »ver.5. Ada 7. 39.
fcliort, tills enumeration takes in almost all the commonly at-
tuinablc dc-licaiULS in those countries.
Verse 7. 'I'hc manna was us coriander seed] Probably tliis
«b(irt description is added to shew th(; inifiuity of tlie jieoplc in
•: irniuring, while they bad so adequate a provision. 15ut the
, aseness of llicir minds appears in every part of their conduct.
About the hddliuvi of the ancients, the learned are not
agreed : and I shall not trouble the Reader with coiijeclures.
See the note on Gen. ii. 12. Concerning tlie uiamia, see the
notes on lOxod. xvi.
Verse 1 1 — 15. The complaint and remonstrance of Mosos
tn those \er.-is, serve at once to shew the tieeply distressed
state of hit mind, and the degradation of tiie minds of the
people. We have already seen, that the slavery they hatl so
long endured, had served to debase tiieir minds, and to ren-
der them incapable of every high and dignified sentiment,
and of every jftnerous act.
Verse 17. / H'iU take of the spirit xi-hich is upon tha] From
■this place, Oriijcn and Theodoret take occasion to compiire
Zepli. 3. l.i. PSee Exod. 24. 1,9. iDeut.
^ - IR. Jl. E.\od. 19. JO. '1 Sain. 10 6.
V .1. ji^ciz. jn. -Lxca. ly iir. -tiun.
J l's.T«. 29. &. 106. 15. Ucb. ino;i(;i 0/ dojs.
iMo.;es to a lamp, at which seventy others were lighted, with-
out losing any of its brightnes.<. To convince Moses, that
God had sufficiently <|ualifKd linn tor the work which he
bad given him to do, he tells him that of the gifts and graces
which he has given him, he will qualify seventy persons to
bear the charge with him. This was probably intended as a
gracious rc()roof. Query. Did not Nioses lose a measure of
•; ills gifts m this bn-iiiess ? And is it not right that he whom
■ \ God has called to and qualitied for some particular oflic«,
I sliould lose those gifts wliieh he eitJur undcr\ahioi> or retu<i s
P to employ fur God in the way appomied ' l^ (here not nuieij
:j reason to believe, that many casts have occurred, where thr
'I spiritual eiidowinenls of parlirular persons have been taken
i' away, and given to others who made a belter use of them ?
j Hence tlie propriety ol that exhortation, Hcv. ni. 11. Hold
i] that fast ivhich thou hunt, that no man take thy croivn.
1 The gracious God ncveri ailed a man to perform a work with-
' out furnishiu;^ him witli adtquate strength: to refuse to do it, on
j the pretence of inability, is little short of rebellion against God^-
' " 4 L 2
Flfish is promised to (hem.
NUMBERS
A. M.2oI4.
K. C. WW.
Aii.Exoil. Isr
'2.
you : because that ye have despised
the Lord which is among you, and
have wej>t before him, saying, ^ Why
came we forth out of Egypt ?
21 ^ And Moses said, " The people, among
whom I am, are six liundred thousand Ibotmen ;
and thou hast said, I will give them fiesh, that
they may eat a whole month !
22 ' Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for
them, to suffice them ? or shall all the iish of
the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice
them ?
iJ3 And the Lord said unto Moses, " Is the
Lord's hand waxed short ? thou shalt see now
whether " my word shall come to pass unto thee
or not,
24 ^ And Moses went out, and told the peo-
ple the words of the Lord, and ' gathered the
seventy men of the elders of the people, and set
them round about the tacernacle.
25 And the Lord ^ came down in a cloud,
and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that
A.Jl. '^514.
B. C. 1490.
An. £xod. Isr,
» Cliai). ei. 5. •■ Geii. V2. 2. Kxod. 12. ."7. & 38. 26. cli. 1. 46.
' See -J Kings 7. ',;. Matt. l.i. 33. Slark 8. 4. JoLn 6. 7, 9. ■" Isni. .SO. 2.
it 59. 1. — — ' th. e3. 19. Ezck. 12. 2.5. & 24. 14, f ver. 16. — ^^ \n. 17.
Eldad and Medad prophesy in the camp.
"was upon him, and gave it unto the
seventy elders ; and it came to pass,
that, " when the spirit rested upon ___J^:
them, 'they prophesied, and did not cease,
26 But there remained two of the men in the
camp, the name of the one xvas Eldad, and the
name of the other Medad ; and the spirit rested
upon them : and they Tverc of them that were
written, but "went not out unto the tabernacle:
and they prophesied in the camp.
27 And there ran a young man, and told
Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy
in the camp,
28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant
of Moses, one of his young men, answered and
said. My lord Moses, ' forbid them.
29 And Moses said imto him, Enviest thou
for my sake ? " would God that all the Lord's
people were prophets, and that the Lord would
put his spirit upon them.
.'30 And INIoses gat liiin into the camp, he and
the elders of Israel.
cli. 12. 5. " See 2K4ng5 2. 1.5. ' See 1 Sam. 10. 5, C, 10. & 19. 20,51,
%y. .loel 2. 29. Acts 2. 17,18. iCor. 14. 1, Ac. ' See 1 Sam. 20. 26. Jcr.
JO. 5. ' See Mark 9. 38. Luke 9. 49. Jolui 3. 26. "■ 1 Cor. 14. 5.
This iiistitution of the seventy persons to help Moses,
the Rabbins consider as the origin of tlieir grand council,
called the San/iedrin. But we find that a council of seventy
men, elders of Israel, had existed among the people, a
year before this tinu-. See Exod. xxiv. 9. see the advices
Xiven by Jethro to Moses, Exod. xviii. 17, Sec. and the notes
there.
Verse 22. Shalt the Jlocks and the herds be slain — ] There
is certainly a considerable measure of tueahicss and unbelitf
manifested in the complaints and que.-tions of Moses on this
occasion : but his conduct appears at the same time so very
simple, honest, and ajixiionuts, that we cannot but admire it,
■while we wonder that he had not stronger confidence in that
God, whose miracles he had so often witnessed in Esypt.
Verse 23. Is the Lord's hand waxed short?] Hast tiiou
forgotiten the miracles whlxh I have aheady peribrmed } Or
thinkest thou that my pov^er is decreased } The power that
is liidiniiicd, can ntver be diminished.
Verse 25. When the spirit rested upon thnn, thiy prophesied']
T3y prophesyinf^ here we are to understand their jitrfurmiiig
those civil and sacrtd functions fur wruch ihry were qualified ;
exhorting the people to quiet and peaceable submission,
to, trust and confidence in llie goodness and pro\idoncc of
God, would make no small part of the duties of their new
office. The ideal meaning of the word N3J «aia, is to pray,
«ntreat, he. The prt>phet is called N'SJ nabi, because he
pray.s ^upplicatts, in reference to God — exhorts, entreats, in
»eft«nce to man. See oa Gen. xx. 7,
A''erse 27. Eldad and Medad do prophexj/] These, it seem.s
made t«o of the seventy elders — they were '.vritten, though
they went not out to the tabernacle — they were enrolled as
of the elders, but went not to meet God at the tabernacle,
])robably at that timcj prevented by some legal hindrance —
but they continued in the camp using their new function in
exhorting the people.
Verse 28. Dfy lord Moses, forbid them.] Joslvja was afraid .
that the audiority and influence of his master Moses might be
lessened by the part Eldad and Medad were taking in the
government ef the people ; which might ultimately excite se-
dition or insurrection among them.
Verse 2D. Enviest thuit for niysake?] Art thou jealous of
iheir influence only on n;y ncconnt } I am not alarmed ; on
tlie contrary, I would to God tliat all his people were en-
dued with the satne influence, and actuated by the same
motives.
Persons may be under the especial direction of grace and
providence, while apparestly performing a work out of rcgJiluT
order. And if the act be good, and the ell'ects good, we
have no right to c[uestion the motive, nor to forbid the work.
What are order and regularity in the ^ight of man, may be
disorder and coofiision in the sight of (jod, and tier zersft.
John wished to prevent a man I'rora casting out danioiis in
the name of Jesus, because he did not fol'.ww Christ in com-
pany with the disciples. Our Lord's conduct in thai
case should rcguhue ours in all similar ones; see Luke ix.
A. 51. 2514.
B. C. 1 ISX).
An.Kxod.I^r.
camp, as
Quails tire sent ; and a CHAP. XI.
31 ^ And there went forth a 'wind
from the Lord, and brought quails
from the sea, and let tliem tall by the
it were a day's journey on this side,
and as it were a day's journey on the other side,
round about the camp ; and as it were two cubits
high upon lhi> liice of the earth.
32 And tlie people stood up all that day, and
all tliat night, and all the next day, and thev
gathered tlio quails: he that gathered least
gathered ten " homers : and they spread them
all abroad tor themselves round about the camp.
A.M. ;;,511.
li. C. WM.
An. Kxud. Isr,
a.
• Exod. Ifi. 13. Ps. 78. 9fi, ar, 88. & 105. 40. •> Heh. as it uerc the
way of' a diuj. ' Kiod. 16. 36. Kzck. 45. 11.
Versa 31. A niiid front the Lord] An extraordinary one,
not the etVect of a natural cause. And brought quails, a hird
which in great companies, visits Egypt about ihi> time of the
year Marcii or April, al which the circumstance marked here
took phice. .Mr. llax.sclqui.il, the friend and pupil of the
famous Linnocus, saw many of them about this time of the
year, wlien he \\as in t gyi>t. See his 'rravel.<, p. 201).
Tiuo cubii.t high upon the face of the earth.] We may con-
sider the quails as fyiif^ u-ithin two cubits of the ground ; so
that the Israelites could easily lake as many of them as tiny
wished, wliilc flying within the reach of their hands or their
clubs. The common notion is, that the quails were brought
round about tlic camp, and fell tlieie in such multitudes as
to lie t«'o ftet thick upon the ground : but tiic Hebrew will
not bear this version. The Vulgate has expressed the .sense
volabantque in acre duobits cubiti-i allitudinc super terrain.
And they flew in the air, two cubits high above the ground.
Verse 32. The people stood up, &e.] While these immense
flocks were flying at this short distance from the ground,
fatigued with the .strong wind, and the distance they had
come, they were easily taken by the people; and as various
flocks continued to succeed each other for two days and a
night, enow for' a month's provision might be collecled in
that time. If tl»c (juails !iad fallen about the tents, there was
no need to have stood up two days and a nigiit in gathering
them ; but if they were on the wing, as the text seems to
-suppose, it was necessary for them to use dispatch, and avail
themselves of the passing of these birds whilst it continued. —
See Harmcr, and .see the note on Exod. xvi. 13.
And tiny .fpread them ail' abroad] IVlaillet observes, that
birds of all kinds coine to Egypt for refuge from the cold of a
northern winter : and that llic people catch them, pluck, and
bury them in the burning sand for a tew minutes, and thus
prepare them for use. This is probably what is meant by
spreading (hem all tibroud round the camp.
Some authors think that the ^vord D'lSty shehiTiin, rendered
quails in our translation, siwuld be rendered locusts. There
is no need of this conjecture ; all ditiieiilties are easily re-
solved witb.out it. 'I'he Reader is particularly referred to the
Dole on I'-Kod. xvi. 13.
Verse 33. The wrath of the Lord- was kindled} In what [
pestilence smites the people.
33 And while the "flesh was yet be-
tween their teeth, ere it was chewed,
the wrath of the Lord was kindled
against the people, and the Lord smote the
people with a very great plague.
;;4 And he called the name of that place
' Kibroth-hattaa\ah : because there they buried
the people that lusted.
35 'A/id the peo)yle journeyed from Kibroth-
hattaavah unto Hazerodi; and ^ abode at llazc-
roth.
« Ps. 78. 30, 31. ' That is, Tlie grans of lust. Ueiil. 9. »■>..
fell. 33. 17. s Heb. ihcy tcerc in, ^c.
way, and with what effects, we cannot precisely determine.
Some heavy judgment fell upon these nuirmurers and com-
plainers, but of what kind the sacred writer says nothing.
Verse 34-. Kibroth-hatlaaiah] Th* graves of lust; and
thus their scandalous crime was perjietuated by the name of
the place.
1. St. ,Iudc speaks of persons who T;ere niurmurer-
and complainers, walking after their own lusts, ver. 16. and
seems to have this people particularly in view, whom the sa-
cred text calls ^cfui^iyttcifci, complainers of their lot. Thi-v
I could never be satijfied ; even God himself could not pk-ase
ithem, because they were ever preferring tliair own wjs-
1 doin to I:is. God will save us in liis own way, or not at
all; because that way, being iJie plan of infinite wisdom, i:
is impossible that we can be saved in any other. How
ofkn have we professed to pray, " Thy will be done !" And
how seldom, very seldom, have our hearts and lips corre-
sponded ! How careful shuuld we be in all our prayers to ask
nothing but what i.s perfectly consistent with the will of God.
Many times our prayers and desires are such, that, were they
answered, our rum would be inevitable. TllV will be done I
is the greatest of all prayer*; and he who would pray safe!'/
and successfully, must at Jeast have the spirit of these word.^
in all his petitions. Tlie Israelites asked flesh when they
should not have asked for it : God yields to their niiirmiirin-' ■
and the death of multitudes of these murmurers was the con-
sequence ! Wc hear of such punishments, and yet walk in
the same way, presuming on God's inercy, while we- con-
tinue to provoke his Justice. Let us settle it as an irdisputablf
truth, iliat God is better arqiiainted with our wants than we
are ourselves; that lie knows infinitely better what we need •
and that he is ever more ready to hear than «e ai-e to pray ;
and is wont to give more than we can desiit or deserve.
2. In no case has God at any time withheld from liis nieanecJ
followers any of the spiritird or tem|ioial merciei they needed.
Were he to call us to travel through a Kildemcs.s, lie would
send us bread from heaven, or cause the wilderness (o smile
and blossom as the rose. How strange is it that we will
neither believe that God has worked, or will worl;^ unless »e'
see bim working !
Insurrectio?i of Miriam
NUMBERS.
and Aaron against Moses.
CHAPTER XII.
Miriam and Aaron raise a sedition against Moses because of I lie Ethiopian woman he had married, 1, andthTOwh
jeaJomv of hi's increasing poicer and anthorifii, 1. The character of Moses, 3. Moses, Aaron and Miriam are
suddenly called to the tabernacle, 4. The Lord appears in the pillar of the cloud, and converses rcith them, 5.
Declares his purpose to communicate his will to Moses only, 6 — 8. His anger is kindled against Miriam, and
she is s>?2ittcn Kith the leprosy, Q, 10. Jaron deplores his transgression, and intreats for Miriam, 11, 12.
Moses intercedes for her, 13. The Lord requires that she be shut out of the ca/np for seven dai/s, 14. The
people rest till she is restored, 15, and afcerzvards leave Hazerotli, and pitch in the uilderness of Paran, l6.
N I) Miriam and Aaron spake
A. 5t. 251 1.
B.C. U90.
An. Es'id. I-sr.
J \ against Moses because of the
' Ethiopian woman whom he had
married: for ""he had "married an Ethiopian
woman.
2 And tb.ey said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken
only by Moses ? '^ hath he not spoken also by
us? And the Lokd '" heard it.
3 (Now the man Moses xcas ' very meek, above
all the men which xccrc upon the face of the
earth.)
4 ^ And the Loud spake suddenly unto Moses,
and unto Aai-ou, and unto Miriam, Come out
ye three unto the tabernacle of the ,^"- ??•*•
congregation. And they three came An.Eiod.isr.
out. 2.
»Or, Cnshiic. J' F.xnd. 2. 21. 'HcIi. Ic^ki-n. iu.x;yi. lu. iv.
jJii-. (j. 4. e(ien. 29. 3j. cli. 11. 1. 'J Kings 19. 1. Isai. j7. 4. Ezck.
55.12,13. f Ecclub. 45. -1. '" "'' " ' ' "'■ '" °"- '" "= "'
-6 I's. 7(3. 9.-
-^ E.\od. 15. 20.
.. Jsai. j7. 4. E
-" cl). 11. 25. & 16. la-
^OTES OX CHAP. XH.
Verse I. 31iriam and Aiiron spoke a<;ahist Moses] It
appears that jealousy of the power and influence of Moses
was the real cause of their complaint, though his having
marritd an Ethiopian woman; H'tt'^n njysn ha ishah ha-
CKshitli ; 1 HAT ^^■0^1A^■, llie Ciishite, probably meaning
Zipporali, who was an Arab born in the land of Midian, was
the ostens.'ble caij.^.
A'erse. 'J. ]Iaih the Lord imltcd spok-en nnlj/ hi/ Closes'] It is
rerlain that both Aaron and Miriam had received a porlionof (he
prophetic spirit, see Exod. iv. 15. and xv. 20., and therefore
rhey thought ihcy might have a share in the government ; for
though there was no kind of git in attached t^ this government;
and no honour but such as rame liom God, yet the love of
power is natural to ihe human mind; and in many instances
men will sacrifice even honour, picitsure and proj'ii to the lust
of poiur.
V^rse 3. Non- the man ]\Ioscs was very meek] How could
Moses, -who certainly wa.s as humble and modest as he was
meek, -write this .cncom-ium upon himself? I think the
word is not rightly understood; XV nnav, which we translate
meek, comes from nV thiah, to act upon, to hitmhie, depress,
affiiei, and is t.'-anslated .so in many places in the Old Testa-
ment : and in this sense it should be understood here. " Now
this man ]\lo»es was de]>resscd or iifHictcd more than any man,
TOisn lia-udamali, ol' that land." And why was he so .'
5 ■>
And the Lord came down in the pillar
of the cloud, and stood in the door of the taber-
nacle, and called Aaron and Miriam : and they
both came forth.
6 And he said. Hear now my words : If there
be a prophet among you, / the Lord will make
myself known unto him 'in a vision, and will
sj)eak unto him "in a dream.
7 ' My servant Moses is not so, "who is faithful
in all " mine house.
' Gen. 15. 1. & 46. 2. .lob 33. 15. Ezck. 1. 1. D;in. 8. 2. & 10. 8, 16, 17.
Luke 1. 11, 22. Acts 10. 11, 17. & 22. 17, 18. "Cicn. 31. 10, 11. 1 Kings
3. 5. JMiilt. 1. 20. 'Ps. 105. 26. ""lleb. 3.2,5. "I'fim. 3. 15.
Becau.se of the great burden he had to bear in the care and
goverument of tiiis people; and because of their ingratitude
and rebelKun both against God and himself: of this depression
and affliction, see the fullest proof in the jireceding chapter.
The very power they envied \<as oppressive to its possessor,
and was more than cither of their shoulders could sustain.
Verse 4. And the Lord spake snddenli/] The sudden inter-
ference of God in this business, shews at once the importance
of the case, and his displeasure.
Verse 6. 7/ there he a prophet] We see^here the different
ways in which God usually made himself known to the
prophets, viz. by visions, emblematic appearances, and by
dreams, in which the future was announced by dark speeches,
mTia bc-chidoth, by enigmas or figurative representations,
ver. 8. Put to Moses God had commuiucated himself in a
different way — he spoke to biin face to face, apparently,
sjiewiiighim his glory; not in dark or enigmatical speeches;
this could not be admitted in the case in which Mo.«es was
engaged, for he was to receive Iuxls by divine inspiration, the
precepts and expressions of which must all be ad cuptum vitlgi,
wititin the reach of the meanekt capacity. As Moses, there-
fore, was cliosen of God to be the /(/it'i'iter, so was he chosen
to ."(ee these laws duly enforced fur the benefit of the people
among whom he presided.
Verse 7. 3Iosfs — is faithful] pNJ necman, a p/efect or
superintendaiit. So Samuel is termed, 1 Sam. ii. 33. iii. 20.
Miriam is smitten ixiith tite leprofi/,
B.C.' u'a ^ ^^ *t'^ '"'" ■^'"'^l I speak ' mouth to
Aii.Exod. hr. mouth, even "^ apparently, and not in
. *!_ dark speeches ; and "^ the similitude
of the Lord shall he behold : wherefore then
'' were ye not atiaid to speak against my servant
Moses ?
9 And the anger of tiie Lord was kindled
against them; and he departed.
10 ^ And the cloud departed from oft" the
tabernacle ; and, " behohl, Miriam became ' le-
prous, white as snow : and Aaron looked upon
Miriam, and, behold, she teas leprous.
11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my;
lord, I beseech thee, ^ lay not the sin upon us,
wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we
have sinned.
A.M. 2.114.
B. C. Ufi.
.\n.lC\uil. Isr.
a.
CHAP. XII. and shut out of the camp.
12 Let her not be "as one dead, of
whom the flesh is half consumed
when he conieth out of his mother's
womb.
13 And jNIoses cried unto the Loud, saying.
Heal her now, () God, I beseech thee.
14 ^ And the Loud .^aid unto Mo.ses, 'H her
father had but spit in her face, should she not
be ashamed seven days ? let her be "shut out
from the camp seven days, and alter that let her
be received in again. .
15 'And Miriam was shut out from the camp
seven days: and the people journeyed not till
Miriam was broughf in again.
IG ^ And afterward the people removed fioni
"'Ha.zeroth,and pitched in the wilderness of i'aran.
•K.>tod. r^. 11. Dent 34. 10. >• 1 Cor. Kl. 12. 'F.Tod. 3;'.. 19.
2 Vtl. 'J. to. .ludc 8. =D<;ut. 24. y. '2 Kings 5. 'J7. & 15. 5.
: Chron. Idli. 19, 'M.
David is se calkd, I Sam. xviii. 27. Neeman, and son-in-law
of tlie king. Job xii. 20. speaks of the yeeanim as a name of
dignity. It seems al.so to have been a title of re.sjKCt "livcii to
ambassadois, Prov. xiii. 17. x.xv. 13. Caluiet well observts
that llic word fiJilily is often used for an employ, olliee or :
dignity, and refers tx> 1 Chron. ix. 22, 26, 31. 2 Chron. xxxi. ]
12, I5v xxxiv. 12, &c. ISIoses was a faithful well tried'
servant in the house of God; and therefore he uses him as
a familiar, and puts confidence in him.
Verse 10. Mn-iam became leprous] It is likely Miriam -
■was chief \n this mutiny; and it is probable that it was on |
this ground she is mentioned first, see ver. 1. and punisiied •
here, while Aaron is spared. Had he been smitten with the j
leprosy, his sacred character must have greatly suffered, and
perhaps the priesthood itsell have fallen into contempt. How
many priests and. preachers wiio deserved to be exposed to
reproach and infiiay, have been spared for the sake of the
holy character they bore, tliat the ministry might not be'
blamed ! but the jii>t God will visit their trausgressions in
some other way. Nothing, tends to discredit the work of
God so much. as the trau.<;gre>sioiis and miscarriages of those
w!io minister in holy things.
Verse 1 4. If htr father had hut spit in her face'] This
appears to have been done only in cases of great provocation '
on the part of the child ; and sirong irritation on the side of the
parent. Spittin<; in the face was a sign of the deepest
contempt. — See .lob xxx. 10. I.-ai. 1. 6. Mark xiv. C5. In'
a case where a p.nrcnt was obliged by the disobedient conduct '
of his child, to treat him in this way ; it appears he was '■
banished from the father's presence for set-en daijs. If then, j
this was an allowed and judged case in matters of high i
provocation on the part of a child; should not the punish- j
nient be equally severe, where the creature has rebelled 1
against the Creator.' — tlurefoiv- Minam was shutout of the >
camp for seven days, and thus d-baned from coming into the
presence of God her father, \\\vi is represented as dwelling |
5 '.' Sam
IP
1!)
. & 34
10.
V
rov.
;».
32
"K.
. 8B.
4.
Sec
Hi4.r.
l*i
'<.
k I.CV.
13. 46.
ch
a.
a, 3
-'Ucut.
24.
9. •
: Chran
2(5.
fO.x'l.
I
-"eh.
11.
.i5.
kSi.
IB.
"'
among the people. To a soul who knows the value anJ
inexpressible blessedness of communion with God, how in-
tolerable nnist -seven days of spiritual darkness be ! But-
how indt.scribaldy wretched must their case be, who are cast
out. into outer darkness, where the light of God no more
shines ; and where liis approbation can no more be felt for
ever! Header, God save thee from so great a curse!
Several of the fathers suppose there is a great mystery
hidden in the quarrel of Minam and Aaron with -Moses an<i
Zipjiorah. Origen, and alter hmi several others, speaks of
it in the following manner: " 1. Zipporah, a Cushitc espoused
by Hloses, evidently points out the choice which Jesus Christ
has made of the Geiitile.t for his spouse and church. 2. The
jealousy of Aaron and Miriam against Moses and Zipporah
signifies the hatred and envy of the Jews .against Christ. and
the apostle.^, when they saw that the mysteries of the king-
dom of heaven had been opened to the Gentile.?; of which
they had rendered themselves unworthy. 3. The Uproii/ with
which Miriam was smitten, shew* the gro-^s ignorance of. llu;
Jews; and the ruinous disordered slate of their religion, in
which there is neither a head, a temple nor a sacrifice. 4. Of
none but Jesus Christ can it be said, that he was the ino.st
meek and patient of men — that he saw God face to face ; th»t
he had every thing clearly revealed without enigmatical
representations; and that he U'o.* ^aiV/(/"Hi in all the hoiise of
God." This, and much more, Origen states in the sixth and
seventh homilies on the book of Numbers; and yet all this he
considers as little in comparison of the vast nly^tcric3 th.u lie .
hidden in these accounts; for I lie shortness of the time, and
the magnitude of the uiystcries, only permit him " to pluck
a few flowers from those vast field.s — not as many as the
exuberance of those fields atibrds ; but only .such as by their
odour he was led to select from the rest.'" Licebal tamen cv
iiii^cntibus campis paucos floscitlos Ic^cre, et nan quantmn ager '
exuhcret, sed quantum odorami s'lfficiat carpere.
Verse 16. The aildcmcss nf I'aran] This could not be
Twelve men are sent
NUMBERS.
to search the latid of Canaan.
the same Paran with that mentioned Deut. 1. i. for tbat was
on tilt borders of the promised Land, see the note on Dent. i.
1, ". they were lony near the borders of Canaan, and mit^ht
liave speedily entered into it, had it not been for their prov(V
cations and iniquities. They spent thirty-eight years in a
journey which might have been accomplished in a few weeks!
How many tln'ough their unlaithfulness have been mayiy years
in gaining that for which, in the ordinary jirocediire of divine
grace, a few days had been sufficient. How much ground
n^ay a man lose in the divine life, by ope act of unfaithiulness
or tiansgression ! Israel wandered in the wilderness because
Israel despised the plea.'^ant land, and did not give credence
to the word of the Lord. They would have a golden calf, and
they had nothing but tribulation and woe in return.
CHAPTER XIII.
Twelve men, one out of every tribe, arc sent to examine the nature and state of the land of Canaan, 1 — 3. J'/'ieir
names, 4 — 16. Moses gives them particular directions, 17—20. Thet/ proceed on their journey, 21, 2<?. Cowe
to Eshcol, and cut dozen a branch nith a cluster of grapes, nhich ihcy hear Leliceen tno of ihem itvon a s'aff, 0.3-,
24. After foHy days they return to Paran, from searching the land, and shczc to Moses and the people, the fruit
they had brought with them, 25, 26. Their report — they achnoidedge that the land i-: good ; hut that tltt
inhabitants are such as the Israelites cannot hope to conquer, 27 — 29. Caleb endeavours to do aziay the bad im-
pression, made by the report of hisfcUoics, upon the minds of the people, SO. But the others persist in their
former statement, 31, and greatly amplify the difficulties of conquest, 32,33.
A.M. 2.">14.
B. C. 1490.
An. Exod. Ur.
2.
A
N D the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying.
Send thou men, that they may
search the land of Canaan, which I give unto
the children of Israel: of every tribe of their
fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler
among them.
3 And Moses by the commandment of the
Lord sent them " from the wilderness of Paran :
all those men ivere heads of the chil'dren of
Israel.
4 And these tjcere their names : of the tribe
of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of
Hori.
•eh.S2. 8. DcuM.22.-
—» ch. 12. J6. & 32. 8.
& 9. 23.
Dtut. 1. 19.
NOTES ON CHAP. XHI.
Verse 2. Send men that ttiey may seaic'A] It appears from
Deut. i. 19 — 24. that this was done in consequence of the
request of the people, after the following address of Moses:
And when we departed from Jloreb, we went through all that
great and terrible wilderness — and we came unto Kadesk
J^arnea ; and I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mowituin
of the Amoriles, which the Lord our God doth give unto us.
Eeiiold the Lord thy Gnd. hulk set the land before thee: ^o up
xnil possess it, as the Lord God of ttiy fathers hath said unto
thee, fear not, neither be discourat^ed. And ye cnme near unto
me every one of you. and said: We wn.L .SbND MtN BEFOUE
US, AND TliEY SHALL SEARCH US OUT THE LAND, and
bring us word again, by what way we must go up, and into
6 ^Of the tribe of Judah, "Caleb
the son of Jephunneh.
7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the
.son of Josepli.
8 Ofthe tribe of Ephraim, ^Oshcatheson of Nun.
9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of
Raphu.
10 Ofthe tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of
Sodi.
11 Of the tribe of Joseph, namely., ofthe tribe
of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of
Gemalli.
13 Ofthe tribe cf Ashur, Sethur the son of
iSIichael.
« Ch. .'54. 19. 1 Chron. 4. 15. '' ver. 30. ch. 14. 6, 30. Josh. t4. 6,
7, lo, 14. Judg. 1. 12. ' ver. 16,
what cities we shall come. And /he saying pleased me welt,
and I took twe'rje men of you, one of a tr.be, Ifc. ^-c. Nearly
the whole of these verses is added here by the Samaritan.
Eixry man a rzder'] Not any of the princes of the people ;
see chap. i. for these names are different from these: but,
these now sent, were men of consideration and importance in.
their respective tribes.
Verse 13. Setiiur the son of Michael.] It would havei
been strange had not the numerous searchers aflcr the explati
nation of the mystical number 666. Hev. xiii. IS. xvii. 5.-
met with nothing to their purpose, in the name of this son of-
Michael. Selliur, liriD, from "inD, saihar, to hide or conceal,.,
signifies hidden or mysterious, and includes in it the numerical,
letters of the No. 6G6. D 60. +n 400. +1 «+■> 200 = 66C.:
Tfi6 spies search the land CHAP.
14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi
the son of Vophsi.
],5 Of the tribe of Cad, Geuel the
son of IMachi,
16 These are the names of the men which
Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses
called ^ Oshea tlie sou of Nun, Jehoshua.
17 ^ And Moses sent them to spy out the
land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you
up this ti'aj/ " southward, and go up into " the
mountain :
18 And see the land, what it is ; and the peo-
ple that dwelletli therein, whetlier they be strong
or weaky few or many ;
in And what the land is that they dwell in,
whether it be good or bad ; and wliat cities theji
be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in
strong iiolds ;
A.M. :sn.
l\. C. 11.10.
An.Kxod. Isr.
»Tcr.8. Exod. 17.9. rh.l4. 6.30. 1" vr r. 21. "^Gcn.
9, i;).— — " Neh. P. '.'.'),.«. lOzelv. 34. 14. ' l)iu». 31. (i, 7, 23
9
JdSl
15.1.
■<:Gcn.l4. 10. .'ndg. 1.
ch. 34. 3.
But of wliat ulility can such Pxposition.^ be to any subject of
history or theoloLj}' ?
Verse 16. And Moses called Oshea — Jehoshua.] OSHEA,
Htb. pann should be written Hashed. The word sig-iiifies
smed, or a saviour, or salvation — but I'Ciri' he shall save : or
tlie snlia'ion of Ood ; a Irtlcr, sav-s Calmct, of the inroiii-
nmiiicablc name of God, beiiia; added to his former name.
Tliis was not the fir.<t time in winch he had the name Joshua ;
see Kxod. x\ ii. 9. and the note lliere. Some suppose he had
this chanrre of name in consequence of his victory over Ania-
Ick; see Exod. xvii. 1.?, 14.
Verse 1 8, See the land, what it is] What sort of a COUN-
THY it is; how situated; its natural advantages or disadvan-
tages.
And the people — •.ihcthcr they he slron:; or ueak] Healthy,
robust, hardy men ; or little, weak, and ixisiUanimnns.
Verse 20. The land, whether it be fat or lean] NV'hether
the sou. be rich or poor ; which miphl be known by its being
well wooded, and by the fruits it produced ; and therefore
they were desired to examine it as to the trees, &c. and to
bring some of the /r«;V.s with them.
A'erse2I. From the wilduincss of Ziii'] The place called
]S Tsin, here, is different from that called J'D Sin, or Seen,
Kxod. x\i. 1. the latter was nigh to J'<'i/pi, but the former
was near Kadcsk Barneu, not i'ar from the borders of tiie Pro-
mised Land.
"Xhi" spies having left Kadesh Barnea, vihich was in the
desart o( Paran, .see ver. "0. they pioceeded to the desart of
Tsin, all along the land of Canaan, nearly following the
course <f the river Jordan, till they came to Uehob, a city
situated near mount Libanus, at the northern exlrennty of
the Holy Land, towards the road tluit leads to Hamath.
Thence they returned through the niid^t of the same land,
XIII. • according to their orders.
20 And what the land is, whether
it be " fat or lean, whether there be
wood therein, or not. And 'be ye "••'• ^ .
of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the
land. Now the time v:as the time of the first-
ripe grapes.
2L ^ >So they went up, and searched the land
'^from the wilderness of Zin unto ^Ilehob, as men
come to Hamath.
22 And they ascended by the south, and came
unto Hebron ; where "Ahiman, Sheshai, and Tal-
mai, ' the children of Anak, xvere. (Now " Hebron
was built seven years before ' Zoan in Egyjit.)
23 ""And they came unto the " brook of Kschol,
and cut down from thence a branch with one
cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two
upon a staft"; and they brought of the pomegra-
nates, and of the figs.
e Josh. 19. 28 •■ .lojh. 11.21, 22. & LS. 13, 14. .Tudg. 1.10. ' ver. 33.
^ .Tosh. 21. 11. ' Ps. 78. 12. Isa. 19. U. & M. 4. " Uout. 1. 24, 25.
' Or, zalicy, ch. 32. 9. .Tudg. Iti. 4.
by the borders of the Sidonians and Philistines, and pa.ssing
by mount Hebron, rendered I'amous by the residence of Abra-
ham formerly, and by the gigantic descendants of Anak, at
that time, they passed through the valley of the brook of
Eshcol, where they cut down the bunch of grapes mentioned
ver. 23. and returned to the Israelitish camp, after an ab-
.sence of forty days," ver. 2j. — See Calmct on this place.
\^erse 22. Hebron lens built serai yturs before Zoan in
Kjzypt.'] Tlie Zoan of the Scriptures is allowed to be the Tunis
of the heathen historians, which was the capital of lower
Egypt. Some think it was to humble the pride of the Egyp-
tians, who boasted the highest antiquity, that this note eoti-
cerning the higher antiquity of Hebron, was introdticcd by
Moses. Some have supposed that it is more likely to have-
been originally a marginal note, which in firocrssof lime crept
into the text : but all the ver>ions acknowledge it, and all the
MSS. that have as yet been collated.
Verse 23. They bare it between two upon a staf] It would
be very easy to produce a great number of Witnesses to prove
that grapes iu the promised land, and indeed in vario»i.s other
hot countries, grow to a prodigious size. By Calmet, Siheuch*
zer, and JLmner, tliis subject has been exhausted, and to
these I may refer the reader. Pliny mentions bunches of
grapes in Africa, rat li of which was larger than an infant.
R<idzvil .saw at Rhodes, bunches of grapes three quarters of
an ell in length, each grape as large as a plumb. Dandini
.saw grapes of this size at mount Libanus; and Vatd Lucas
mentions some bunches which he saw at Damascus, that
weighed above forty-five pounds. From the mOst authentic
accoiuits, the Egyptian grape is very .<w«//, and this being the
only one with \\lii(.li the Israelites were acquainted, the great
size of the grapes of Hibron would appear still more extraor-
dinary. I have mysdf once cut down a bunch of grapes
4 M
The spies bring up
B.C. H'.K).
An K.i'id Isr,
2.
24 The place was called the ' brook
" Eshcol, because of the cluster of
A.M.'J.51-J.
B.C. 14i)0.
All Kxod.lsr,-
NUMBERS. ' an evil report on the land.
south : and the Hittites, and the Je-
busites, and the Amorites, dwell in
the mountains : and the Canaanites "•
dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
30 And " Caleb stilled the people before Mo-
ses, and said. Let us go up at once, and possess-
it ; for we are well able to overcome it.
31 ' But the men that went up with him said,
^Ve be not able to go up against the people j:
ij for they m-e stronger than we.
jj 32 And they " brought up an evil report of.
I the land which they had searched unto the
grapes which the children of Israel
cut down from thence.
25 And they returned from searching of the
land after forty days.
26 % And they went and came to Moses, and
to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the
children of Israel, "^ unto the wilderness of Pa-
ran, to ^ Kadesh ; and brought back word un-
to tliem, and unto all the congregation, and
shewe^.! them the fruit of the land.
27 And they told him, and said, We came un- ^- children of Israel, saying. The land, through:
to the land whither thou sentest us, and surely
it flov.'eth with "milk and honey; '^ and this «
the fruit of it.
28 Nevertheless ^ the people ?/C strong that
dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and
very great : and moreover we saw " the children
of Anak there.
29 ' The Amalekites dwell in the land of the
» Or, riilleii. •> Tliat is, o cluster of grapes. ' ver. 3. 1" cli. 20. 1,
16. & IW. li. "& 33. 36. Ueut. 1. 19. .lush. 14 6. ' Exod. 3. 8. .V 33. 3.
■ ' Ueut. 1. 2.5. B Ueut. 1. Sl8. & 9. 1, '2. 1" vcr. SS. ' Exud. 17. «.
cli. 14. 43. Judg. 6. 3. 1 Sam. 1-1. 48. & 15. 3, ^*c.
nearlj' twenty poiintls in weight. Tho.se wiio live in cold
climate> can .scnrcely have any conception to what perfection
both grapes anil other fruits grow in climates that are warm,
and where the soil is suitable to them.
From what is mentioned ver. 20. noiv the time was the tone
of the first- ripe griipes, it is very probable that the spies re-
ceived their orders about the beginning of August, and re-
turned about the middle of September, as in those countries
p'apc!:, ]ioinegranates, and figs, are ripe about this time; see
tiarmtr, vol. i. p. 108 — 110. At Sheeraz. in Persia, I
find from a MS. journal, thai the small ii-liite grape, askerie,
came into season August 6; and pomegranates September 6;
and the large red grape, sahibi, Sept. 1 0.
The spies carrying the bunch of grapes on a staff between
two men, was probably not rendered necessary by the size
of the hunch or cluster; but to preserve it from being bruised,
that the Lsraclitc* might have a fair specimen of the fruit.
As Jofihua and Caleb were the only persons who gave a
favourable account of the land, it is most likely that they
■yvere the persons who bad gathered these fruits, and who
brought them to the Israclitish camp. And it is likely they
were gathered as short a time as possible, before their return,
that they might not be injured by the length of the time they
Jiad been separated from their respective trees.
Verse '21. We came unto the hind, &;c.] It is astonishing,
that men so dastardly as these, should have had courage
fnough t(* ri-k their' persons in searching llie land. But pro-
bably, thoi^b destitute of valour, tliey had a sufficiency of
cunninjj; and this carried ihem through. The report liiey
which we have gone, to search it, ?a' a land thatj
eateth up the inhabitants thereof: and "all the
I people that we saw in it, are ° men of a great:
stature.
■ 33 And there we saw the giants, ''the sons of)
Anak, xchich come of the giants : and we were -
in our own
were ""in their sight.
sight as '' grashoppers, and so we-
k See ch. 14. 6, '2i. Josli. 14. 7. ' eli. 32. 9. Dent. 1. 28. .Tosli. 14. 8.
""ch. lJ.3ti,37. "Amos ■i. 9. TIcb. men nf statures. ''Ueut./
1. 28. & 2. 10. & 9. 2. ilsiii. 40. 22. '1 Sam. 17. 42.
brought was exceedingly discouraging, and naturally tended
to produce the effect mentiuned in the next chapter. The
conduct of Joshua and Caleb was alone magnanimous, and
wortliy of the cause in which they were embarked.
Verse 32. Men of a great statute] miO '!y:^f Anshey mid--
doth, men <if measures — two men's heiglit ; i. e. exceeding
tall men.
Verse 33. There ice saiv the giants'] CD'Vw Nepkilijn. It is .
evident that they had seen a rolnibt, sturdy, warlike race of
men, and of great stature ; for the asserted fact is not denied
by .Joshua or Caleb.
Tales of gigantic men are frequent in all countries : but
they are generally of such, as have lived in times very remote
from those in which such tales are told. That there have been-
giants at different times, in various parts of the earth, there
can be no doubt : — but that there ever was a nation of men
twelve and fourteen feet high, we cannot, should not believe.
(j'oliah appears to have been at least nine feet high : this was
very extraordinary. 1 knew 'three young men in my own
neighbourhood — two of them brothers, each of whom was
upwards of seven feet, the third was eight feet sis inches :
and these men were very well proportioned. Others 1 have
seen of extraordinary stature, but they were generally dispro-
portioned, especially in their limbs. These instances serve to .
prove the ])ossibility of eases of this nature. The Eiiakiiti'.
might appear to the Israelites as a very tall, robust nation :
and in comparison of the latter, it is very probable that ihey-
were so : as it is very likely, that the growth of the Israelites',
liad been greatly cramped with their long and severe servitude
llie people nn/nnin-.
CHAP. XIV.
in Eiiypt. And this may, in some nicasuir, account for tlitii
ulnnn. On this subject, the reader is desired to turn back to
the note on Gen. vi. i.
Canaan was a type of the kingdom of God : the uilder-
ntss lliroii>jh which the Israehles passed, of the diflicullies
and trials to be met with in the present world. — The promise
of the kingdom of God is given to every believer ; but liow
tnany are discouraged by the dilHculties in the way ! A
slothful heart sees dangers, lions, and gianis, every where ;
and therefore refuses to proceed in the heavenly path. Many
of the spies contribute to this by the bad reports they bring of
•the heavenly country. Certain preachers allow " that the
land is good, that it tlows willi milk and honey," and go so
far as to shew some of its fruits ; l)ut ihey di.scoiu'age the
.people by stating ihc impossibility of overcoming their ene-
mies. " Sin," say they, " cannot be destroyed in this life —
and propose to return to E^ipt.
\i will always dwell in you — the Analdm cannot be conquered
— we are but as grasshoppers against the Anakim," &c. &c.
Here and there a Joshua and a Caleb, trusting alone in the
power of God, armed with faith in the infinite cfficary of
that blood which cleanses from all unrighteousness, boldly
stand forth and say, '• Their defence is de]>artcd from them",
and the Lord is with us : lot us go up at once, and possess
the laud ; for we are well able to overcome." \Ve can do
all things through Christ strengthening us: he will purify us
unto himself, and give us that rest from sin here, which his
death has procured, and his word has promised. Reader,
canst thou not take God at his word ? He has never yet
failed thee. .Surely then thou hast no reason to doubt. Thou
hast never yet tried him to the uttermost. Thou kn )Wf st lu.t
how far, and how fully lie can save. Do not be dispirited :
the sous of Aiiak shall fall before thee, if thou meet them in
the name of the l.ORD of IlOSr.S.
CHAPTER XIV.
The Tchoh cong^rcgation aecp at t/ie account l)rouglit Inj the spies, 1. They murmur, 2,3. And purpose to iiuike
ihe,iiselies a captain, and go bark to Egypt, 4. Moses and Aaron are greatly affected, 5. Joshua and Ca/cf?
endeavour to appease and encourage the peopfe, 6 — 9. The congregation are about to stone them, 10. The gtortf
of the Lord appears, and he is about to smite the rebels zcith the pestilence, II, 1'2. Moses makes a lomr and
pathetic intercession in their behalf , 13 — 19. 2'he Lord hears and forbears to punish, 20, but purposes that not
one of that generation shall enter into the promised land, save Joshua and Caleb, 21 — 24. Biases is commanded
to turn and get into the wilderness by zcay of the Red sea, 25. The Lord repeats his purpose that none of
that generation shall enter into the promised land — that their carcases shall fall in the tcilderness, and that
their children alone, zcith Joshua and Caleb, shall possess the land of the Canaanites, Sfc. 26 — 32. As mam/
day-s as they have searched the land, shall they icander years, in the desart, until t/iei/ shall be utterly consumed
33 — 35. All the spies, save Joshua and Caleb, die by a plague, 36 — 38. Moses declares God's purpose to the
people, at rvhieh they are greatly affected, 39- They acknoulcdge their sin, and purpose to go up at once and
possess the land, 40. Moses cautions them against resisting the purpose of' God, 41—13. They, nolrcil/istand-
ing, presume to go, but Moses and the ark abide in the camp, 44. The Amalekites and Canaanites come doun
from the mountains, and defeat them, 45.
K.c.Mw; A ^^ all the congregadon lilted 'or "would God we had died in this
Aii.£,od.isr. ±\ up tiieir voice, and cried ; and ;| wilderness !
't ' the people wept that night. i| 3 And wheref()re hath the Lokd '•
2 " And all the children of Israel miirmnred !| brought us unto tin's land, to fall hy the sword,
against Moses and against Aaron: and the I that our wives and our children shoiild be a prey?
A.-\r.-;,M..
U. C. i-l'Ji).
Ah.Kmk]. hr.
■whole congregation said luito them, Would
God that wo had died in the land of Egypt !
• Cli. 11. 4. " Exod. 16. 8. & 17. 3. ch. 16. 41. Vs. 106. ?5.
\vere it not better for us to return into Egypt ?
4 And they said one to another, " Let us
' See ver. se, 29. "" Neli. 9. 17.
NOTES ON CHAP. XIV.
Verse 1. Cried, and — luept tliat iiig/a] In almost every case,
tliis people gave deplorable evidence of the degraded state of
their minds. With scarcely any mental firmness, and with
almost no religion, they could bear no reverses, and were
ever at their wit's end. Tlu-y were headstrong, presumptu-
ous, pusillanimous, indecisive, ami fickle. And because tUev
VI ere such, therefore the power and wisdom of God appeared
the more conspicuously in the whole of their history.
Verse 4. I^l us wio^-t a captain] Here was a formal rcnun-
elation of the authority of iMoses; and flat rebellion a"-ainst
God. And it seems from Neh. ix. H. that they had^aciu-
4 M 2
A.M. 2514.
a. C. 141K).
All. K-xod. Ur.
•2.
NUMBERS,
^ let us return
Joshua ami Cakb ed'postulate ;
make a captain, and
into Egypt.
5 Tiien " Moses and Aaron fell on
their faces before all the assembly of the con-
gregation of the children of Israel.
6 <jf " And Joshua, the son of Nun, and Ca-
leb, the son of Jephunneh, xehich ti.'ere of them
that searched the land, rent their clothes :
7 And they spake unto all the company of
the children of Israel, saying, "^ The land, which
we passed through, to search it, is an exceeding
good land.
8 If tiie Lord ' delight in us, then he will
bring us into this land, and give it us ; 'a land
which floweth with milk and honey.
9 Only ^ rebel not yc against the Lord. " nei-
ther fear ye the peoj)le of the land ; for ' they
ifre bread for us : their ^ defence is departed
li-om them, ' and the Lord is with us : fear
them not.
10 "But all the congregation bade stone them
with stones. And " the glory of the Lord
appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation,
before all the children of Israel.
i/ie Lord is aiigri/ ; Moses intercedes.
A.M.2.il-t.
13. C. 1490.
An.Exod.Isr
'See Dciit. 17. 16. Acts 7. ?,<). >> ch. 16. 4, 2>. = v«t. 24, .TO, 38.
■Ji. 1j. fi, a. "I cli. 13. V. Dcut. 1. v.\ — -'Dent. 10. 15. 2 Sam. 15.
M. 2t'.. & 22. 20. 1 Kings 10. ti. ]'s. 22. U. h 147. 10, 11. hai. 62. 4.
■ cli. IS. 27. 5 Deut. y. 7, 23, 24.^—'' Dent. 7. 10. U 20. 3. ' cli. 24. 8.
>= Hcb. shiidow. I's. 121. 5. Isai. 3<). 2, 3. Jer. 48. 45. ' Ueii. 4«.
21 >:xud. o3. 16. Dcut. 20. 1, 3, 4. & 31. 6, 8. Jdsli 1. 5. Juclt'. 1. 22.
i; Cliiwi. 13. 1?. is 15. 2. Si 20. 17. Sf 32. 8. Pa. 46. 7, ^1. lsi)i,~41. 10.
ally appointed cmoiher leader, under who.se direction, they
were about to return to Kgypt. How astonishing is this !
Thuir lives were niade biittr, because of the rigour with
which they were made to serve in the land of Egypt ; and
yet they are willing, yea cajjer to f^et back into the same cir-
ciuiistances again ! Great evils, when once some time past,
afli'Ct the iiiiiid k>s than present ills, though niuch inferior.
Thiy had partly forgot tlieir Egyptian bondage, and now
imart under a little discouragement, having totally lost sight
of tlieir high calling, and <if the poweF and goodness of God.
Verse 6. And Joshua, &c ] See on the preceding chapter,
ver. 33.
\''erse 9. Their defence] ^dSs tsiilam, their ihudow, a mc-
tapiior highly expre>sive of protection and support in the sultry
Msttrn countries. Tile protection of God is so called, see
P.«al. xci. 1. cxxi. 5. see also Isai. li. 16. xlix. 2. xxx. 2.
The Arabs and Persians have the same word to expre.>is the
same thing. ^Ij ^jX^ wJp JJi »>v.^ nemayeeJ zuUi doulct
mamedond tad. " May the shadow of thy ])ro»perity be ex-
tended." J.J j,>^ ^I,=i^*>: j^li« jj C.]^:, Ji, :>^[^
jumicyeed zuUi doidet ber miifureki /:hnt/r khuahen meiiiadood
liii. '' .Muj tlie ihadoiv of thy prosperity be spread over
1 1 % And the Lord said unto
Moses, How long will this people
° provoke me ? and how long will it '•
be ere they '' believe me, for all the signs which
I have shewed among them ?
12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and
disinherit tliem, and '^ wiU make of thee a greater
nation and mightier than they.
l.S ^ And "^ Moses said unto the Lord, Then
the Egyptians shall hear //, (for thou brought-
est up this people in thy might from among
them ;)
14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of
this land: \for they have heard that thou Lord
art among this people, that thou Lord art seen
tace to face, and that ' thy cloud standeth over
them, and that thou goest before them, by day
time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of
fire by night.
15 Now if' thou shalt kill all this people as one
man, then the nation.s which have heard the
fame of thee will speak, saying,
16 Because the Lord was not " able to bring
this people into the land which he sware unto
Amos 5. 14. Zech. 8. 23. "• Exod. 17. 4. ° Exod. 16. 10. & 24. 16, 17.
i 40. 34. Lev. 9. 2:;. cli. 16. 19, 42. ..V 20 6. ■' ver. 23. Dcut. 9. 7,
8, 22. I's. 95. 8. ilcbr. 3. 8, 16. p Ueut. 1. 32. & '.'. 23. Vs. 78. 22,
32, 42. k 106. 24. Jolm 12. 37. llcbr. 3. 18.- — ^ Exod. 32. 10.
' Exi>d. 32. 12. Fs. lilii. 23 Ueut. 9. 26, 27, 28. &32. 27. Ezck. 20. 9, 14.
' Exod. 15. 14. Ji.sh. 2. 9, 10. 4; ,5. 1.. "Exod. 13. 21. St 40. 38. ch.
10. 34. Neh. 9. 11. Ps. 78. 14. & 105. 39. " Deut. 9. 28. Josh. 7. 9.
the heads of thy wellwishers." They have als» the following|
elegant distich.
Sayahdt kern mubdd as seri md
Bast Allah zullikent aheda.
" May thy protection never be removed from my head^
" May God extend thy shadoiv eternally."
Here the Arabic JJi zul/, answers exactly to the Hebrew
7X tsal, both signifymg to overspread or overshadow. See
the note on ver. 14.
Verse 1 0. The glory of the Lord appeared] This timely
appearance of the divine glory prevented tliese faithful ser-
vants of God from being stoned to death by this base and
treacherous ninltitude. " Every man is immortal till his
work is done," while in simplicity of heart he is following
his God.
Ver.se 14. That tla/ cloud standeth over iheyh] This clou4,.
the symbol of the divine glory, and proof of the divine pre-
sence, appears to have assumed thnx dillereut forms, fyr
three important purposes.
TJie mu7-murers are excluded
CHAP. XIV.
from the promised land.
A. M. '.'514.
It. C. l-iyo.
An.Kxod.Isr,
2.
them, therefore he hath slain them
ui the wilderness.
17 And now, I beseech thee, let
the ])ower of my Loiuj be great, according as
tliou hast spoken, saying,
18 The Loud is Mongsuffering, and of great
mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and
by no means clearing the gi/ilti/, ''visiting the
iniquity of tiie fathers upon the children unto
the third and f()urth generation.
19 'Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of
this people " according unto the greatness ot
thy mercy, and "as thou hast forgiven this
people, from Kgypt even ' until now.
20 And the Loiiu said, I have pardoned ^ac-
cording to thy word :
21 But as truly as I live, ''all the earth shall
be filled with the glory of the Lokd. [
22 ' Because all those men which have seen
my glory, and my miracles, which I did in j
Egypt, and in the wilderness, have tempted me :
now " these ten times, and have not hearkened
to my voice ; j
23 ' Surely" they shall not see the land which :
I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of
them that provoked me see it :
» Exod. 31. 6, 7. Ps. laS. 8. .1c 145. 8. Jonah 4. 2. ^ Exod 20. 5.
& 3.1. 7. ' Exod. .'i4. 9. ■^ Ps. 106. 4.5. ' Ps. 7B. i,'6. 'Or, hiiherto.
8 Ps. luri. f3. Jam. 5. 1(3. 1 Jului 6. 14, 1.5, lb.- " Ps. 72. IVL
•Deut. 1. 3.5. Ps. 95. 11. it 106. £6. Helir. J. 17, 18. k Uen. 31. 7.
'cli. j2. U. Ezuk. 20. 15. ™ Heb. If ihex) sei the Imd.
1. It appeared by day in tlie form of a pillar of a sufficient
height to be seen by all the camp, and thu,< went before
them to point out their way in the desart. Kxud. xl. 3S.
2. It appeared by nij^hl as a pilhir of fire to r^ive tliem
hfcht while travcUinj); by night, which they probably soiiietintes
did, see chap. ix. 21. or to illuminate their. Lents in tlieir
encampments. Exod. xiii. 21, 22.
3. It stood at certain times above the whole congregation,
overshadowing them from the scori hing rays of the .>iun ; and
probably at other times, coiidcnstd the vapmirs and precij)i-
tattfd rain or dew for the refreshment of tlit people. JIc
spread a cloud for their coverini; ; and fire to ;;ive It^lit in the
night. Psal. cv. 39. It was probably from tins circumstance
Uiat the shadow qf the Lord, was used to signify the di-
vine protection, not only by the Jew.s, but also by other
Asiatic nations. See the note on ver. !.'. and see particularly
the note on I'^xod. xiii. 2 1.
Verse I «. The Lord is long siifferinif\ See the note on
Exod. xsxiv. 6.
Verse i'J. Pardon, 1 beseech thee, the iniquity of this people]
From ver. 13 to ver. l!,'. inclusive, we have the words of
JMoses.' intercession ; they nctd no explanation ; they are full
24 But my servant " Caleb, because j^^J- 'f^}*
he had another spirit with him, and A..'i;xod.Ur,
"hath followed me fully, him will I t
bring into the land whcreinto he went ; and his
seed shall possess it.
25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites
dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you,
''and get you into the wilderness by the way
of the Reel sea.
26 % And tlie Loud spake unto Moses and
unto Aaron, saying,
27 '' How long shall I hear rcilh this evil con-
gregation, which murmin- against me ? ' I have
heard the murmurings of the children of Israel,
which they murmur against me.
28 Say unto them, '-As truly as I live, saith
the Lord, ' as ye have spoken in mine cars, so
will I do to you :
29 Your carcases shall fall in tliis wilderness ;
and "" all that were numbered of you, according
to your whole number, from twenty years old
and upward, which have murmured against me,
30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the lanti,
concerning which I "sware to make you dwell
therein, ''save Caleb the son of Jephunneh,
and Joshua the son of Nun.
" Dcut. 1. 36. Josh. 14. 6, 8, 9, 11.—
ivrr. 11. F..\()d 16. 28. .AIhU. 17. 7.—
26. 6.5. & 3'2. 11. Deut. 1. a5. Jli'tir. ;;
i 26. 64. "lleb htud uii my hand.
65.. ii 32, 12. Deut, 1. j6, Jti.
-°ch. .SO. 12. I'Doiit. 1. 40
-' Ijiud. 16. 12. > ver. to. cli.
ir. 'Sc« ver. 2. " cli. t. 15.
Gen. 14. 22. "ver. 38. cIj. 26.
of simplicity and energy; his arguments with God, for he
did rea.son and argue wiih his Maker, are pointed, co<Tent,
and respeetf'il ; and while they shew a heart full of humanity,,
they evidence the deepest concern for the glory of God. Tlie
argiwientum ad hominem, is here used in the most unexcep-
tionable maimer, and with the fullest eflcct.
Ver.-c 20. / have pardoned] 'I'iiat is, they .shall not be
cut oil' us they deserve, because thou hast interceded for their
lives.
Verse 2 1 . All the earth shall be filled] pxn Vj kol ha-urets,
all THIS land; i. e. the land of Canaan, which was only fuU
filled to the letter, when the preaching of Christ and his
apostles was heard through all the cities and villages of Ju-
dea. It does not apiiear, that the whole of the terraqueous
globe is meant by this expression in any of the places where
it occurs, connected with this promise of the ditlusion of the
divine light. See Psal. Ixxii. 19. Isai. xl. 5. Hab. ii. 14.
Verse 24. But mi/ sen-ant Caleb, &c.] Caleb had another
spirit, not only a bold, generous, courageous, noble, and
heroic spirit ; but the Spirit and influence of the God of hea-
ven, thus raised him above human inquietudes, and earthly
fears, Oicrefore he follonxd God fully; nnx nVu'1 v:mmulit
They are condemned to xeander
A.M. 251 1.
H.C.H'.X).
All. Exod. Isr.
31
said
bring
b
But your little ones, which ye
should be a prey, them will I
in, and they shall know the
land wliich '' ye have despised.
32 But as for you, ' your carcases, they shall
fall in this wilderness.
33 xlnd your children shall "^ wander ' in the
wilderness ^ forty years, and ^ bear your whore-
doms, imtil your carcases be wasted in the ^\\\•
derness.
34 ■■ After the number of the days in which
ye searched the land, even ' forty days, each
day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities,-
even forty years, "^ and ye shall know ' my breach
of promise.
35 "" I the Lord have said, I will surely do
it unto all ° this evil congreeration, that are
gathered togetlier against me : in this wilder-
ness they shall be consumed, and there they
shall die.
NUMBERS. Joriij years in the desar^,
36 ^ *And the men, which Moses bchw'
sent to search the land, who returned, An.F.Md.iJr.
and made all the congregation to mur- ^-
mur against him, by bringing up a slander upon
the land,
37 Even those men that did bring up the
evil report upon the land, '' died by the plague
before the Lord.
38 ""But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb
the son of Jephunneh, xvhiclt xvere of the men
that went to search the land, lived stilL
39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the
children of Israel : '' aiad the peojjle mourned
greatl}'.
40 ^ And tlrey rose up early in the morning,
and gat them up into the top of the mountain,
saying, Lo, * we be het'e, and will go up unto
the place which tlie Lord hath promised: for
we have sinned.
41 And Moses said. Wherefore now do ye
•Deut. 1. 39. ^Ps. IOC. 24- — '1 Cor. ]0. 5. Hebr, 3 17. "Or,
feed. 'ch. 32. 13. Ps. 107. 40. 'See Dent 'J. 14 6 Kzek. 23. ;«.
■'ch. 13. 2.1. '?s. 95. 10. Ezek. 4. 6. ''See 1 Kingb 8. oS. Ps.
77. 8. & 105. 42. Hebr. 4. 1. ' Or, altering of my purpoic. "• ch. 25.
lOcharai, literallv, lie Riled qfier me : God shewed him the wny
he was to take, and the line of conduct he was to pursue, and
he filled up this hne, and in yll tliings/o//ou.r(i the will of his
maker. He therefore shall see tlie promised lanil, and hii
seed shall possess it. A daslardlj/ spirit in the tliin|4's of God,
is a heavy curse. How many are retarded in their course,
and fall short of the blessings of the Gospel, through magnify-
ing the number and .strength of their adversaries, their own weak-
ness and the difliculties of the way ; willi which we may con-
nect their distrust of the power, faithfulness, and goodness of
God. And how many are prevented from receiving the higher
degrees of salvation, by foolishly attributing insurmount-
able power, either to their inward corruptions, or outward
enemies! Only such men as Joshua and Caleb, who take
God at his word, and who know that against his wisdom no
cunning can stan<l, and against his might, no strength can
prevail, are likely to folloiu God fulli;, and receive the heights,
lengths, breadths, and depths of the salvation of God.
Verse 34. After the nnmlicr of tlie A/yv] The spies were
forlj/ dayn in searching the land, and the people who rebelled
on their evil report, are condemned to wander forty years in
the wilderness! Now let them make them a captain, and
go back to Egypt if they can. God had so hedged theni
about with his power, and providence, that they could neither
go back to Egypt, nor get forward to the promised land !
God has provided innumerable spiritual blessings for man-
kind; but in the pursuit of earthly good, they lose them, and
often lose the others also ! If ye he willint^ and ohcdient, ye
shdU tat the fruit of the land ; but not olhcrvjise ; unless for
your farther punishment, God give you your portion in THIS
19. "ver. 27, 29. cli. 26. fi5. 1 Cor. 10. .5. "ch. V>. 31, 32.-
P 1 Cor 10. 10. Htbr. 3. 17. .lude 5. 1 ch. 26. 65. Jobh. 14. 6, 10.-
'Exud. 33. 4. ' Deut. 1. 41.
life, and ye get none in the life to come. From so great a
curse may God save ihee, thou money-loving, honour-hunting,
pleasure-taking, thoughtless, godless man !
And ye shall kno~i' my breach of promise] This is certainly
a most harsli expression : and most learned men agree that
the words <nsur\ iUC el temmti, should be translated my ven-
geance, which is the rendering of the Septuugint, Vidgale,
Coptic, and Anglo-Saxon; and which is followed by almost
all our ancient English translations. The mc.ining, however,
appears to be this : y\s God had promised to bring them
into the good land, provided they kept his statutes, ordi-
nances, &.C. and they had now broken tlieir engagements,
he was no longer held by his covenant; and therefore, by
excluding them from llie promi.sed land, he shewed them at
once his annulling of the covenant, which llicy had broken, and
his vengeance, because they had broken it.
Verse 37. Those men that did bring up the evil report — died^
Thus, ten of the twelve that searched out the land were
struck <lea(l, by the justice of God, on the spot! Caleb, of
the tribe of .fudali, and Joshua of the tribe of Ephraim, alone
escaped — because they had (ollowed God fully. Let preachers
of God's word lake heed how they strai-ten the way of salva-
tion; or render, by unjust description, that way perplexed and
difficult, which Gml has ma<le plain and easy.
Verse 40. Jfe — ivill go up unto the place, Si.c] They found
themselves on the very borders of the land — and they heard
God .say, they should not enter it; but should beconsnmo*?^
by a forty years wandering in the wilderness; — notwit' i
ill", they are determined to render vain this purpo.se o,
probably supposing that the temporary sorrow they
Theij go against the Amaleldtes, CHAP. XV.
transgress * the commandment of the 44
A. RI. VSI I.
An.Kxod.br. LoRu ? but it shuU Hot prospcr.
'' Go not up, for the Loun
2.
up.
IS
tliat ve be not smitten beibrc
42
not among you
yom" enemies.
* 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaaiiites
arc there before you, and ye shall tall by the
sword: "because ye arc turned away from the
Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you.
» Ver. 2j. aCliron. 24. 20. •> Deut. 1. 49.-
-<: 2 Cliron. 15. 2.
their late rebellion, would be accepted as a sudiLicnt aluiie-
nient for their crimes ! Tlicj- accordingly went U|), and
were cut down by tiieir enemies ; and why .' God went not
witii them, liow vain is the council of man again.st the
wisdom of God ! Nature, poor fallen human nature, is ever
runniriu into extremes. This miserable people, a short time
ago, thought, that tho.iijh they had Omnipotence with them,
they could not conquer and pusicss the land ! Now they
A.M. 2.514.
ti. C. l-JW.
.All. Kxod.Isr.
2.
and arc defeated.
But they presumed to go up
unto the hill top : nevertheless the
ark of the covenant of the Lord, and
Moses departed not out of the camp.
45 'Then the Amalekites came down, and
the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and
smote them, and discomfited them, eien unto
' Horniah.
' Deut. 1. 43. ' vcr. 43. Diut. 1. 41. fcli. 21. 3. Judg. 1. 17.
in)agine that though God himself go not with them, vet
they shall be sulVieient to drive out the inhabitants, and take
possession of their country ! INIan is ever supposing; he can
either do all t/tim^s, or do nothing : he is therefore sometimes
presumptuous, and at other times in despair. W'lio but aa
apostle, or one under the influence of the same spirit, can say:
/ can do do ALL THlNtiS THROUGH CllltlST vjho strengthen-
eth me f
GHAPTEIl XV.
Directions concerning the different offerings thei/ should bring unto the Lord, zchen they should come to the land of
Canaan, 1 — 3. Directions relative to the meat-offering, 4, to the ciriiik-offeiing, 5. Of the biiriU-offerina:,
vow-offering, peace-offering, drink-offering, S)C. G — 1'2. All born in the country must perform these rites, 13,
and tlie stra?igcrs also, 14—16. TJtei/ shall offer unto the Lord, a lieave-offcring of the first-fruits of the land,
17 — 21. Concerning omissions through ignorance, and the sacrifices to lie offered on such occasions, 0.1- — 29. He
liho sins presumptuously, shall be i-ut off, 30, 31. Ilislorij of the person who gatliered sticks on the sabbath,
32. IJe is brought to Moses and Aaron, 33. Thiy put him in confnement, tilt the mind of the Lord should be
knoTtn on the case, 34. The Lord commands him to be stoned, 35. lie is stoned to death, 36. The Israelites-
are commanded to make fringes to the borders of their garments, 37, 38. I'he end for uhich these fringes u-ere
to be made, that they might remember the commandments of the Lord, that they might be holy, 39 — 41.
A.M. 2514.
B. C. lli'O.
An.£!iod. Itir.
2.
A
ND the Lord spake unto Mo-!
ses, s.aying,
2 ^ Speak unto the children of Is-
rael, and say unto them. When ye be come in-
to the land of your habitations, which I give
unto you,
3 And '' will make an offering by fire unto
* Ver. 13. Lev 23. 10. Dent. 7. 1. >> Lev. J. g, 3. « Lev. 7. 16. k
22. W, 21.. " llcb. u:parating. Lev. 27. ii.- <^ Lev. 23. 8, 12, 36. cli.
NOTES ON CHAP. XV.
Verse 2. Wlicn ye be come into the )iind] Some, learned
men are-of opinion, that several offerings prescribed by
the law, were not intended to be made in the -.lildemess,
but in the promised laud ■ lie former not affording those
the Lord, a burnt offering, or a sa- Bc'f4'w"
crifice "" in '' jierfbrming avow, or in An. Exo<i. hr.
a freewill ottering, or ' in your so- '•
lemn feasts, to make a ^ sweet savour imto the
Lord, of the herd, or of the flock :
4 Then ^ shall he that otlereth his offering
unto the Lord bring '' a meat offering of a.
28. 19, 27. & 99. 2, 8, 13. Deut. 16. 10. f Ucn. 8. 21. Ex«d. 29. 18.-
s Lev. 2. 1. & 6. 14. ■> Exod. 29. 40. Lev. 23. 13.
conveniences which were necessary to the complete obser-
vance of the Divine worship, in this, and several other
respects.
Verse 3. And will make an offering] For the different kiud*
of offering, sacrifices, &c. see Levit i. 2. and via.
Directions concerning different
tenth (leal of flour
NUMBERS
minctled ° with
hill
A.M. 251-},
b.C. 14'.10. ,- 1 • - ^- -1
An.Exod.Isr. UlC tOUfth ^^fl// Ot a hill Ot Oil.
''• 5 " And the fourth part of a
of wine for a drink oiVering, shalt thou prepare
with the burnt offering or sacritice, for one
lamb,
6 " Or for a rain, thou shalt prepare for a
meat offering, two tenth deals of flour mingled
with the tliird part of a hin of oiL
7 And for a drink ottering, thou shalt offer the
third part of a hin of wine, for a sweet savour
unto the Lord.
8 And when thou preparest a bullock for a
A.M. ibM.
B. C. 1490.
An. Eicnd. hr.
offeririgs and sacri/ices.
sweet savour unto the Lord ; as ye
do, so shall he do.
15 " One ordinance shall be both for ''
you of the congregation, and also for the stran-
ger that sojourneth -tvith i/ov, an ordinance for
ever in your generations : as ye are, so shall the
stranger be before the Lord.
IG One law and one manner shall be for
you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with
you.
17 1[ And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
18 'Speak unto the children of Israel, and
burnt offering, or _yor a sacrifice in performing j| say unto them, Wlien ye come into the land'
whither I bring you,
19 Then it shall be, that, when ye eat of "the
bread of the land, ye shall offer up a heave
offering unto the Lord.
20 ' Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of
a vow, or " peace offerings unto tl.e Lord :
9 Then shall he bring '^ with a bullock, a meat
oifering of three tenth deals of flour mingled
with half a hin of oil.
10 And thou shalt bring; for a drink offering
half a hin of wine, for an offering made by : your dougli ^or a heave offering: as i/e do '"the
lire, ' of a sweet savour unto the Loud. I heave offering of the threshing-floor, so shall ye
11 ^ Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or heave it.
for one ram, or for a lamb, or a kid. {j 21 Of the first of your dough ye shall give
12 According to the number that ye shall pre- ' imto the Lord a heave offering in your gene-
pare, so shall ye do to every one according to rations.
their number. " '} 22 ^ And "if ye have erred, and not observed
13 All that are born of the country shall do ' all these commandments, which the Lord hath
these things after this manner, in offering an ot- " spoken unto Moses,
feriiig made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the I 23 Even all that the Lord hath commanded
Lord. ' you by the hand of Moses, from the day that
14 ^ And if a stranger sojourn with you, or : the Lord commanded Moses, and henceforward
whosoever be among you in your generations, < among your generations ;
and will offer an oifering made by fire, of a j 24 Then it shall be, " if ought be committed
■Le<-.11.10. cli. 28. 5. ""ch. «8. 7, 14. "^rh. 28. 12, 14. ■"Lev.! 12.40. ch. 9. 14. ' ver. 2. Deut. 26. 1. " Josli. .5. 11, 12.-
. 11.- ■^cli.aa. 12,1-1. 'Kcclus. .ill. 15. «cli.2«. i^vcr. 2'J. Exod. |i 2 10. Prov.3.9,10. — — '" Lev. 2. 14. i i;3. 10, 16. ° Lev. 4. 2.—
— ' Dent. 26.
-°Lcv.4.13.
Verse 5. Tlie fourth part of a liiii] Tiie quantity of meal
arxl flour was au^iiicuteil, in proportion lo tlie size of the sa- |
crifice with which it was oflereil. With a LAMB, or a KID, I
Here offcrwK one tenth ikal of flour, (the tenth part of an
pphah, see on Kxod. xxix. 40.) the fourth part of a hin o( oil ; ;
aiul the fourth part of a hin of v:inc. With a RAM, txi-n
tenth deals of flour, a 'third part of a hin of oil, and a third
part of a hin of ti'iwf. ^^'ltll a Iu;i.L()fK, thra- tenth deal.<:
of flour, half a hm of oil, and italf a hin of lane. See
verses 4- — 1 1 .
\'er.<e 14 If a stranger xojourn] fiee the notes on Levit.
xix. 33. xxii. 9. ^^'llen the ca.<e of the Jewisli people is
■fairly considered, and llicir sitnation with respect to the sur-
iToundinsj idolatrous nations ; we shall see the absolute neccs- '
sity of ha^in.: but one /on« of xiorshi]> in the lan<l. That
aloue was gt-nuine winch was prescribed by the AlniitjlUy,
and no others could be tolerated, because they were idol-
atrous. AH strangers, all that came to sojourn in the land,
were required lo conform to it ; and it was right that iho.se
who did conform to it, should have equal rights and privilepjes
with the llebrew^s themselves; which we find was the case. But
under the Christian dispensation, as no particular ./br;« of wor-
ship IS prescribed, the types and ceremonies of the Mosaic in-
stitution, V)einu; all fulfilled, unlimited toleration should be allow-
ed : and while the sacred writin<js are made the basis of the wor-
ship oiVered to God, every man should be allowed to worship
according; to his own conscience; for in this respect, every oiie is
" Lord of himself, accountable to none
But to his conscience, and his CJod alone."
Verse 20. ^V shall offer — the first of your dons^h] Concern-
ing the oftcrings offiist-fruiis, sec the notes on Esod. xxii. 23,
Of sins through ignora^ice.
CHAP. XV.
IVie case of thi sabbath-breaker.
A.M. 2,ill..
li.C. IJW.
An. Exod.Iir,
'2.
by
Ignorance,
ledge of the congregation,
sliall offer
" without the know- !
. that all the
congregation sliall offer one young
bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet sa-
vour unto the Lokd, " with his meat offer-
ing, and his drink offering, according to the
manner, and
one kid of the
offering.
25 'And
goats
for a sin
the priest shall make an atonement
for all the congregation of the children of Is-
rael, and it shall be forgiven them ; for it is ig-
norance : and they shall bring their offering,
a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord, and
their sin offeiing before the Lord, for their ig-
norance :
2G And it shall be forgiven all the congrega-
tion of the children of Israel, and the stranger
tliat sojourneth among them ; seeing all the
people "H'cre in ignorance.
27 IT And 'if any soul sin through ignorance,
then he shall bring a she goat of the fii'st year
for a sin offering.
28 ^ And the priest shall make an atonement
for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he
sinneth by ignorance before the Lord, to make
an atonement for him ; and it shall be forgiven
him.
29 " Ye shall have one law for him that ' sin-
neth through ignorance, both Jbr him that is
born among the children of Israel, and for the
stranger that sojourneth among them.
• Heb. from the eyes. ""ver. 8, 9, 10. = Or. ordinance. ""Sec Lev.
4.23. cli.a8.15. Ezras. 17. & 8. 35. 'Lev. 4. '20. f Lev. 1. 27, 28.
K Lev. 4. 35. '■ ver. IS. ' Heb. dotk. ► Deut. 17. 12. I's. 19. 13.
H.br. 10. 26. iPet 2. 10.
Verse 24. If ought be committed hy ignorance] .See the
notes on Levit. chap. iv. 2. and chap. v. 21. the case here pro-
bably refers to the whole congregation : the cases above, to
the sin of an individual.
Verse 2,5. The priest shall make an atonanent] E\en sins
committed through ignorance, required an atonement : and
God, in liis mercy, has provided one for tiiem.
Verse 30. But the soul that doclh aught presmiiptuoiisly]
Bold daring acts of transgression against the fullest evidence,
and in despite of the Divine authority, admitted of no atone-
ment— the person was to be cut ofl", to be excluded from
God's people, and from all their privileges and blessings.
Probably the presumption mentioned here, implied an utter
contempt of the word and authority of God, s|)ringin'T from
an idolatrous or atheistical mind. In such a case, all repent-
ance was precluded, because of the denial of the Mord and
being of God. It is probably a case similar to that, men-
30 IF "But the soul that doeth ought '^^^f^-
' presumptuously, "a^hether he be born ah. Exod.ur.
in the land, or a stranger, the same ':
reproachetli tiie Lord ; and that soul shall be
cut off' from among his people.
31 Because he hatii "despised the word of the
Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that
soul shall utterly be cut off; "his iniquity s/iall
be upon liini.
32 ^ And while the children of Israel were
in the wilderness, ° they found a man that ga-
thered sticks upon the sabbath day.
33 And they that found him gathering sticks
brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and imto
all the congregation.
34 And tliey put him '' in ward, because it
was not declared what should be done to him.
35 And the Loud said unto Moses, "^ The
man shall be surely put to death : all the con-
gregation .shall ' stone him with stones without
the camp.
36 And all the congregation brought him
without the camp, and stoned him with stones,
and he died ; as the Lord commanded Moses.
37 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid
'' them that they make them fringes in the
borders of their garments tlu-oughout their ge-
nerations, and that they put upon the fringe of
the borders a ribbon of blue :
'Heb. with a high hanil. "288™. 12. 9. Prov. 13. l.S. "Lev. ,5. 1.
Ezck. 18. -20. °Exod. 31. 14, 15. & 35. 2, 3. ""Lev. 24. 1'2. 1 Exod.
31.14,15. 'Lev. 24. 14. 1 Kings 21. 13. Acts 7. 58. 'Deut. 2'2. 12.
Malt. 2a. 5.
tioned Ilcb. vi. 4 — 8. x. 26 — 31. on which passages see the
notes.
Verse 32. They found a man gathering sticks on the sab-
bath] This was in all likelihood, a case, of that kind supposed
above— the man despised the word of the Lord, and there-
tore broke his commandment ; sec ver. 31. On this ground^
he was punished with the utmost rigou." of the law.
Verse 36. Stoned him] See the note on Levit. xxiv. 23.
Verse 38. Bid them make them fritiges] We learn fromi
ver. 39. that these fringes were emblematical of the various
commands of God. That there was any analogy bet^veen a
fringe and a precept, it would be bold to assert : but when a
thing is appointed to represent another, no matter how differ-
ent, that first object becomes the regular representative or sign
of the other. There is no analogy between the term bread,
and the farinaceous nutritive substance thereby signified ; but
because tiiis term is used to express and represent that tiling,
4 N
The rehellion of Korah NUMBERS. and his compRnions.
39 And it shall be unto you for a
A.M. 2314.
U. C. 1490.
An.E.'cud.hr. fringe, that ye may look upon it,
. ^" and remember all the connnand- '
ments of the Lord, and do them ; and that j
ye * seek not after your own heart and your
own eyes, after which ye use '' to go a whoring :
•See Ueut. 29. 19. Job 31. 7. Jcr. 9. 11. £zek. 6. 9.-
106. 39. James 4. 4.
-I- Ps, 73. 27. &
every person thus understands it ; and when the word bread
is seen or heard, a perfect knowledge, not of the letters
which conipose that word, but of the thing signified by it, is
conveyed to the mind. So, the fringes, being appointed by
Gi'd to represent and bring- to mind, the cotmnandmeitts ol:'' oi' liis garir.ent.
40 That ye may remember, and a.m.^su.
do all my commandments, and be An.Exod.\"'r.
' holy unto yoiu- God. ^- '
41 I am tlie Lord your God, which brought
you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God ;
I am the Lord your God.
'Lev. 11. 41, 45. Rom. 12. 1. Col. 1. 22. 1 Pet. 1. 15, 16,
God, ver. 39. tiie mention or sight of them conveyed the in-
telligence intended. All the Jews wore tlie.'ie, and so pro-
bably did our Lord, see Malt. ix. 20. where the word Kuar-
TTti^ov is rather to be understood of the fringe, than of the hem-
CHAPTER XVI.
The rcheUion of Korah and his company/ against Moses, 1 — ;). lie directs them Aorc to try, in the course of the
next duij, zvhom God had called to the priesthood, 4 — 11. Dathan and Abiram use the most seditious speeches,
12 — 14. Moses is taroth, 15, and orders Korah and his compani/ to he ready on the morroze rcith their censers
and incense, 16 — IS. Korah gathers his company together, 19. The glory of the Lord appears, and he threatens
to consume them, 20,21. Moses and Aaron intercede for them, 22. The people arc commanded to leave the
tents of the rebels, 23 — 26. They obeij, and Korah and his company come out and stand before the door of their
tents, 27- Moses in a solemn address puts the contention to issue, 28 — 30. yls soon as he had done speakincr,
the earth clave and swallowed them, and all that appertained to them, 31 — 34. And the 250 men zcho offered in~
cense, are consumed hi/ fire, 35. The Lord commands Eleazar to preserve the censers, because theij zcere hal-
lozced, 36 — 38. Eleazar makes of them a covering for the altar, 39,40. The next day, the people murmur
anezi), the glory of the Lord appears, and Moses and Aaron go to the tabernacle, 41 — 43. They are commanded
to separate themselves from the congregation, 44, 45. Moses perceiving that God had sent a plague among theni^
directs Aaron to hasten and make an atonement, 40. Aaron does so, and the plague is stayed, 47 , 48. The
number of those zvho died by the plague 14,700 men, 49, 50.
2 And they rose up before Moses,
with certain of the children of Israel,
two hundred and fifty princes of the
assembly, '' famous in the congregation, men
of renown :
NOW " Korah, the son of Izhar,
the son of Kohath, the son of
Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the
sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons
of Reuben, took men :
A.M.cir.2,T,')3.
B.C. dr. 1471.
An. Kxud.lsr.
t ir. 20.
•Exod. 6. 21. ch. 26. 9. Sc 57. 3. Ecdus. 45. 18. Jude 11.
NOTES ON CHAP: XVI.
Verse 1 . Notu Korali, &c. took men] Had not these been
the nicst brutish of men, could they have possibly so soon
forgotten the signal displeasure of God, manilissted against
them 80 b.tcly, for their rebellion. The word men is not in
the orif;ii)sl, and the verb Mpil la-yikkaclt, and lie took, is not
in the jjlural, but the singular; hence cannot be applied to
the .ict of all th: se chiefs. In every part of the Scripture
where this rtbt 1 1 ion is referred to, it is attributed to Korah,
tec chap. xxvi. 3. and Jude ver. 1 1. therel'ore the verb here
A.M.cir.2533.
B.C. cir.J471.
An.Exod.Isr.
cir. -.'O.
»■ Gen. 6. 4. di. 26. 9.
iirlongs to him ; and the whole verse should be trarwlated-
thus : Now Korah, son of Yitsar, son of Kohath, son of Levi,
HE TOOK, even Dathan and Abiram, tlie sons of Eliab, and Oni
son of Peleth, SON OF ReUBRN, and they rose vp, &C. This-
makes a very regular antl consistent sense, and spares all thC'
learned labour of Father Houbigant, who translates m' yik-
kach, by rebellionem feceriini, they rebelled ; which scarcely
any rule of criticism can ever justify. Instead of piNl 'Jl-
hene!/ Reuben, SONS of ReuJ/cn, some MSS. have p licn, SON,
la liie singular; this reading, supported by the Septuagint'
2
A.M cir.aM;.
K.C. oil-. 1 171.
An.Kxod. Isr.
cir. 'M.
Korah a7id his associates prepare CHAP,
3 And 'they gathered themselves'
together against Moses and against
Aaron, and said unto them, " Ye
lake too much upon you, seeing " all the con-
gregation are holy, every one of them, "and
tlie Lord is among them : wherefore then lift
ye up yourselves above the congregation of
the Lord ?
4 ^ And when Moses heard it, ' he fell upon
his lace :
5 And he spake unto Korah and unto all his
company, saying. Even to morrow the Lord
will shew who arc his, and a;7/o is ' holy ; and
will cause him to come near unto him : even
hi7n whom he hath ° chosen, will he cause to
•" come near unto him.
6 This do ; Take you censers, Korah, and all
his company ;
7 And put iire therein, and put incense in
them before the Lord to morrow : and it shall
be that the man whom the Lord doth choose,
he shall be holy : 7/e tale too much upon you,
ye sons of Levi.
8 And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray
vou, ye sons of Levi :
i) Seemeth it but ' a small thing unto you, that
the God of Israel hath "^ separated you from the
congregation of Israel, to bring you near to
himself, to do the service of tlie tabernacle of
the Lord, and to stand before the congregation
to minister unto tliem ?
10 And he hath brought thee near to him, and
» Ps. 106. 16. "^ Hcb. It is mxich fir you. ' Exod. 19. 6. '' Exod.
29. 45. cli. 14. li. & 35. 34. 'cli. 14. 5. & 20. 6 f ver. .3. J^v. 21.
6, 7, 8, 12, l.S. 8 Exod. ea. 1. ch. 17. 5. lSam.2. 28. P.9. 105. 26.
» ch. 3. 10. Lev. 10. 3. & 21. 17, IS. Kzck. 40. 46. & 4-1. 15, IC. ' 1 Sain.
and the Samarilan text, I have followed in the above trans-
lation. But as Eliab and PeletJi were both Raibeniles, the
common reatling, SONS, may be safely followed.
Vcr.^o 3. Ye lake too much upon ymi] The original is sim-
T>!\- CZ37 31 yuh htcaii, too much for you. The spirit of this
• in<j appears to me to be the following: "Holy offices
■ •■ not equally distributed : you arrogate to yourselves the
most important ones, as if your superior holiness entitled }'oii
alone to them ; whereas all the congregation are Ao(y, and
have an equal rijrlit with you to be employed in the most
holy services." Moses r( torts this sayin;j, ver. 1. Ye late too
much upmi you, DsS 31 rab laccw ; Ye have too much al-
ready, ye sons of Levi ; i. e. by your present spirit and dis-
position, you prove yourselves to be wholly unworthy of any
■; ; ritual employment.
Verse 5. The Lord ivill shew uho are hii\ It is supposed
XVI. incense to cffi-r to the Lord.
all thy brethren the sons of Levi iVacir.v^.*
with thee: and seek ye the priest- Aii.ux..i.isr.
I ir. -.t).'
hood also ?
1 1 For which cause both thou and all thy com-
pany are gatliercd together against the Lord :
' aiul what is Aaron, that ye murmur against
him r
12 %, And Moses sent to call Dathan and
Abiram, the sons of Eliab : which said, Wc
will not come up :
13 '^ Is it a small thing that thou hast brought
us up out of a land that floweth with milk and
honey, to kill us in tiie wilderness, except thou
" make thyself altogether a prince over us ?
14 Moreover thou hast not brouglit us into *a
land that floweth with milk and honey, or given
us inheritance of fields and vineyards : wilt,
thou " put out the eyes of these men ? we will
not come up.
15 And jNIoses was very wroth, and said unto
the Lord, "^ Respect not thou their ofiering : ' I
liave not taken one ass from tliem, neither have
I hurt one of them.
16 ^ And Moses said unto Korah, ' Be thou
and all thy company ' before the Lord, thou,
and they, and Aaron, to morrow :
17 Ami take every man his censer, and put
incense in them, and bring ye before the Lord
every man his censer, two hundred and fifty
censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his
censer.
1 8 And they took every man his censer, and
18. 2.5. Isai. 7. 13. " cli. 3. 41, 45. & 8. 14. Dcut. 10. 8. ' Exod. 16.
8. iCor. 3. 5. ""ver. 9. "Exod. 2.14. Acts 7. 27, 35. "Exod.
8. 8. Lev. 20. 24. '' llcb. hore auU 1 Gen. 4. 4, 5. ' 1 S.iiii. 12. 3.
Ads 20. 33. 2 Cor. 7. 2. ' ver. 6, 7. ' 1 Sam. 12. 3, 7.
that St. Paul refirs (o this place, 2 Tim, ii, ! 9. Tlte founda-
tion of God, the whole sacrificial system, referring to Cliri.st
Jesus, the foundation of the salvation of men : standeih sure
— notwithstanding the rebellions, intrusion.*, and false doc-
trines of men. Hazing this sea! — this stamp of its divine
amhf nticity. The Lord hiouicth them that are his, syvji Ku-
fioi Tcui ovTjt; auTO'j, a literal translation of "b "^B'.** ilN nifl' PTI
ve ynda Yehovah ct asher lo. And both signifying, The
Lord approveth of his own — or, will own that which is of
his own appointment. And let erery one that nameih the name
of Christ depart from iniquity — alluding fo the e.vhortation of
JNIoses, ver. 2C. Depart, I pray you, from the toils of these
wicked men.
Verse 1.5. Jiespect vot thou their offerirtgl There was no
danger of this — they wished to set up a priesthood and a sa-
criftcial system of lUeir own. And God never has blessed,
4 K 2
A.M.cir.2533.
B.C. cir.Wri.
An. Exod. Isr.
cir. SO.
Tlie earth opens and sivallotDs
put fire in them, and laid incense
thereon, and stood in the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation with
Moses and Aaron.
19 And Korah gathered all the congregation
against them unto the door of the tabernacle of
the congregation : and ^ the glory of the Lord
appeared unto all the congregation.
20 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto
Aaron, saying,
21 "^ Separate yourselves from among this con-
gregation, that I may " consume them in a mo-
ment.
22 And they " fell upon their faces, and said,
O God, ' the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall
one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all
the congregation ?
23 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
24 Speak unto the congregation, saying. Get
you up from about the tabernacle of Korah,
Dathan, and Abiram.
25 And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan
and Abiram ; and the elders of Israel followed
him.
26 And he spake unto the congregation, say-
ing, ^ Depart, I pray you, from the tents of
these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs,
lest ye be consumed in aU their sins.
27 So they gat up from the tabernacle of Ko-
» Ver. 42. Eiod. 16. 7, 10. Lev. 9. 6, 23. ch. 1-i. 10. " vcr. 45. See
Geii. 19. 17, 22. Jer. .51. 6. Acts 2. 40. Rev. IR. 4. ' ver. 45. Exod.
32. 10. & 33. 5. "ver. 45. cli. 14. .5. "^ch. 27. 16. Job 12. 10. Eccles.
12. 7. Isai. 67. 16. Zed). 12. 1. Hebr. 12. 9. f Gen. 19. 12, 14. Isai.
52. 11. 2 Cor. 6. 17. Rev. 18. 4.
and never can bless, any scheme of salvation which is not of
his own appointment. Man is ever supposing tliat lie can
mend his Maker's work; or that lie can make one of his
own, that will do in its place.
Verse 22. 0 God, the God of the spirits of all flesh]
: -\'if2 SaV nnnn 'nVx Sx El Eloliey ha-ruchoth leccl basar.
This address suiTiciently proves, that these holy men believed
that man is a being compounded of flesh and spirit; and
that these principles are perfectly distinct. Either the mate-
riaiity of the human soul is a human fable, or, if it be a true
doctrine, these men did not pray under the influence of the
Divine Spirit. In chap, xxvii. 16. there is a similar form of
expression, Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all Jlesh.
And in Job xii. 10. In whose hand is the soul (U'SJ nephesti)
of all living : and the spirit (Hi") ruach) of all Jlesh of man.
Are not these decisive proofs tiiat the Old Testament teaches
that there is an immortal spirit in man ? But does not Hn
A.M.rir.2.533.
B.C. cir.1171.
An.Exnd.Ur.
cir. 2().
NUMBERS. tJiem and their households,
rah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every
side : and Dathan and Abiram came
out, and stood in the door of their _
tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their
little children.
28 And Moses said, ^ Hereby ye shall know
that the Lord hath sent me to do all these
works ; for / have not done them " of mine own
mind.
29 If these men die ' the common death of
all men, or if they be ''visited after the visit-
ation of all men; then the Lord hath not sent
me,
SO But if the Lord ' make ^ a new thing,
and tlie earth open her mouth, and swallow
them up, with all that appertain unto them^
and they " go down quick into the pit ; then
ye shall understand that these men have prot
voked the Lord.
31 ^ " And it came to pass, as he had made
an end of speaking all these words, that the
ground clave asunder that was under them :
32 And the earth opened her mouth, and
swallowed them up, and their houses, and ^ all
the men that appertained unto Korali, and all
their goods.
33 They, and all that appertained to them,
went down alive into the pit, and the earth
closed upon them : and they perished from
among the congregation.
EExod. 3. 12. Deut. 18. 22. Zech. 2. ?, 10.& 4. 9. John a. 36. " ch. 24. 13.
Jer. 23. 16. Ilzek. 13. 17. John 5. 30. & 6. 38. ' Hel). us every man ditth.
'•Exod. 'JO. 5. & 32. 34. Job 35. 15. Isai. 10. 3. Jer. 5. 9. Hiib. create a crea-
ture.Uai.i^.7. ^^JobSl.S. Isai. 28. 21.— — "ver. 33. l's.»5. 15. °cli.26.
10. & £7.3. Ueiit, 11.6. Ps. 106. 17. PSee ver.l7. & ch. 26. 11. iChron. 6. 22,37.
ruach signify ivivd or breath ? Sometimes it does, but cer-
tainly not here ; for how absurd would it be lo say, O God,
the God of the breaths of all flesh.
Verse 30. If the Lord make a new thin::;] niH' X"13' nSs'na ONI
Veit/i beriah yibra Yehovah. And if Jehovah should create a
creation, i. e. do such a thing as was never done before.
/hid they £;o deivn quick into the pit] nVxtt' shcolah, a proof
among many others, that VnU' shcol signifies a chasm, or pit
of the eartli, and not the place called hell: for it would be
absurd to suppoise that their houses had gone to hell ; and it
would be wicked to imagine that their little innocent children
had gone thither ; though God was pleased to destroy their
lives with those of their iniquitous fathers.
Verse 33. They, and all that appertained to them] Korah,
Dathan, and Abiram, and all that appertained to tlieir respec-
tive families, went down into the pit caused by tins super-
natural earthquake ; while the fire from the Lord consumciJ
A.M.cir.253j.
B.C.cii-.lin.
An. Exod. Isr.
cir. 20.
Their censers are made plates for the CHAP.
34 And all Israel that ttwe round !]
about them fled at the cry of them :
for they said, Lest the earth SAvallow
us up also.
35 And there * came out a fire from tiie Loud,
and consumed '' the two hundred and fifty men
tliat offered incense.
36 ^ And the Lqrd spake unto Moses, saying,
37 Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the
priest, that he take up the censers out of the
burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder : for
'they arc hallowed.
38 The censers of these ''sinners against their
own souls, let them make them broad platesyor
a covering of the altar : for they offered them
before the Loud, therefore they are hallowed :
' and they shall be a sign unto the children of
Israel.
39 And Eleazar the priest took the brazen
censers, wherewith they that were burnt had
offered ; and they were made broad plates Jbr a
covering of the altar :
40 To he a memorial unto the children of Israel,
^ that no stranger, which is not of the seed of
Aaron, come near to offer incense before the
Lord ; that he be not as Korah, and as his
company : as the Lord said to him by the hand
of Moses.
41 ^ But on the morrow ^ all the congrega-
tion of the children of Israel murmured auainst
Moses and against Aaron,
killed the people of the Lord.
saying,
Ye have
= Lev. 10. 2. ch. 11. 1.
<> Ptov. 20. 2. Hab. 2. 10.-
10. 2 Chron. 26. 18.
I's. 106. 18 •■ ver. 17. "^ See Lev. 27. 28.
— ' ch. 17.10. li 26. 10. Ezek.l4. 8. ^fcli.a
the 250 men that bare censers. Thus there were two distinct
punishments, the pii and_the/rf, for the nvo divisions of these
rebels.
Verse 37. The censers— are halloiLcd.] lU-'lp kadesht, are
consecrated, i. e. to the service of God, though, in this instance,
improperly employed.
~ Verse 41 . On the morrow all the congregation murmured] It
is very likely that the people persuaded themselves that
Moses and Aaron had used some cunning in this business ;
and^that the earthquake and ftre were artificial ; else, had they
discerned the hand of God in tl.is punishment, could thi:y have
dared the anycr of the Lord in the very face of justice }
Verse 46. The plague is begun.] God now punished them
by a secret blast, so as to ])ut the matter beyond all dispute —
his hand, and his alone was seen not only in the plague, but
in the manner in which the morlalily was arrefled. It was
necessary that this should be done in this way, that the whole
XM. altar. A plague among the people.
42 And it came to pass, when the b "c'i^iiTi'
congregation was gathered against An.Exod.isr.
Moses and against Aaron, that they '""' ^"'
looked toward the tabernacle of the congrega-
tion : and, behold, '' the cloud covered it, and
' the glory of the Lord appeared.
43 And Moses and Aaron came before the
tabernacle of the congregation.
44 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
ing,
45 "Get you up from among this congregation,
that I may consume them as in a moment. And
' they fell upon their faces.
46 % And Moses said unto Aaron, take a cen-
ser, and put fire therein from off the altar, and
put on incense, and go quickly unto the con-
gregation, and make an atonement for them :
'" for there is wrath gone out from the Lord j
the plague is begun.
47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded,
and ran into the midst of the congregation j
and, behold, the plague was begun among the
people : and he put on incense, and made an
atonement for the people.
48 And he stood between the dead and the
hving ; and the plague was stayed.
49 Now they that died in the plague were
fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside
them that died about the matter of Korah.
50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the
door of the tabernacle of the congregation : and
the plague was stayed.
eCli. 14. 2. Ps. 106. 2.5. " Exod. 40. 34. ■ ver. 19. ch. 20. 6.
^ Ter. 21, 24. ' ver. 22. ch. 20. 6. "^ Lev. 10. 6. ch.l. 53. & 8. 19. &
11. 33. & 18. 5. 1 Chron. 27. 24. Ps. 106. 29.
congregation might see that those men who had perished,
were not the people of the Lord ; and that GOD, not Biases
and Aaron, had destroyed them.
Verse 48. He stood betiveen the living and the dead, and the
plague, &c.] What the plague was we know not — but it seems
to have begun at one part of the camp, and to have proceeded
regularly onward ; and Aaron went to the quarter where it
was then prevailing, and stood with his atonement, where it
was now making its ravages; and the plague tous stayed; but
not before 14,700 had fallen victims to it, ver. 49.
If Aaron the high-priest, with his censer and incense, could
disarm the wrath of an insulted angry Deity, so that a guilty
people who deserved nothing but destruction should be spar-
ed ; how much more effectual may we expect the great atone-
ment to be, which was made by the Lord Jesus Christ, of
whom Aaron was only the ti/pe ? The sacrifices of living ani-
7
The p-inces of the people lay up their NUMBERS.
twelve rods before the testlmov^.
iTials pointed out the death of Christ on t!ie cro?s ; the incense
his intercession. Tiiroiigh his death, salvation is purchased
for the world ; by his inteicessioii the olli^nding children of
men are spared. Hence St. Paul, Rom. v. 10. says, //'
uhUe zi'e were enemies, ive Kcre reconciled to God hy the death
of his Son, much mors being reconciled, we shall be saved
'i UKOLGH HIS l.II-E ; i. e. by the prevalence of his continual
intercession, 2 Cor. v. IS, 19. " And all things ere of God,,
who h.ath reconciled us to himself liy Jesus Christ, and halh
given to us the rniiiistiy of reroncdiation ; to wit, that God
was in Christ, rjL'Ccnciling the world unto himself, not im-
puting their trespasses unto fhem; and hath coaimitted unto
i]3 ihe word of reconciliation."
By the a-.vful transactions recorded in this chapter, we may
see how jealous God is of the sole right of appointing the zuay
and means of salvation. Had any priesthood, and any kind
oT service, no matter how solemn and sincere, been equally
available in the sight of divine justice and mercy ; God would
not have resented, in so awful a manner, the attempts of
Korah and his company in their nesv service. The way of
God's own appoinlment, the agony and death of Christ, is
the Only way in which souls can be saved. His is the priest-
hood, and his is the only available sacrifice. All other modes
and schemes of salvation are the inventions of men or devils,
and will in the end prove ruinous to all those who trust ia
them. Reader, forget not the Lord who bought thee !
CHAPTER XVII.
T/ie kick'e chiefs cfihe tribes tire commanded to take their rods, and to u-rite the name of each tribe upon the rod
thathefongedto its representative ; but the name o/"^laron is to be tcrittcn on the rod of the tribe of Levi, 1 — 3. The
rods are to be laid up before the Lord, who promises, that the man's rod zdiom he shall choose for priest, shall
blossom, 4,3. The rods are produced, and laid up before the tabernacle, 6,7. Aaron s rod alone buds, blossoms,
and bears fruit, 8, Q. It is laid up before -the tMimoni/, as a token of the manner in zchich God had disposed of
ihe priesthood , 10, 11. The people are greatly terrified, and are apprehensive of being destroi/ed, 12, 13.
ND the EoRD spake unto Moses, ' I will make
.4.^^cir253•■
BC.cir.1171
An. V.\oA. Isr
cir. 20.
A
2 Speak unto the children of Israel,
and take of every one of them a rod accord- 1
ing to the house of theh fathers, of all their i
princes according to the house of their fa-
thers twelve rods : write thou every man's name I
upon his rod. I
3 And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the '
rod of Levi : for one rod shall be for the head of,
the house of their fathers.
4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle !
of the congregation before the testimony, 'where \
I will meet with you. i
5 And it shall come to pass, that the man's j
rotl, '' whom I shall choose, shall blossom : and
» E-lod. Un. 22. & S9. 42. 43. & .10. 56 ^ ch. 16. .5 ' ch. 16.
' Heb. o rudfnr one prince, a rod for one prince.
KOTI-3 ON CHAP. XVII.
Verse 2. And take every one of them a rod'\ T\1S0 jnaileh,
tlie siiiJT or sceptre, which the prince or cA/t/of eai-h tribe bore,
and which was the sijrn of nj/ice or royalty among almost all
the people of the earth.
Verse 6. The man's rod nhom I shall choose shall llossotn]
It was necessary that something further should be done to
<;uicrt the minds of the people, and for ever to settle the dis-
to cease from me the
the children of Is-
A.M.cir.^.^.SS.
B.C. cir. 1.171.
An. Exoti. Isr.
cir. WO.
murmurings of
rael, " whereby they murmur against
you.
6 % And Moses spake unto the cliildren of
Israel, and ev^ery one of their princes gave him
" a rod apiece, for each prince one, acconhng
to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods : and
the rod of Aaron xcas among their rods.
7 And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord
in ^ the tabernacle of witness.
8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow
Moses went into the tabernacle of witness ;
and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of
Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and
bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
= Exod. 38. 21. Numb. 18, 2. Acts 7. 44.
pute, in what tribe the priesthood should be fixed. God there-
fore took the method described in the text, and it had the de-
sired effect : the Aaronical priesthood was never after disputed.
Verse 8. The rod of Aaron- — ivus budded, &.C.] That is, on
the same rod or stafi" were found buds, blossoms, and ripe
fruit. This fact was so unquestionably miraculous, as to decide
■the business for ever; and probably this was intended to shevi',
that in the priesthood, represented by that of Aaron, the beginning,
Aaron^s rod having buddedy ^c.
Kc'ci'/"i47i' ^ •''^"'^ Moses brought out all the
Ail. Exud. Isr.
cir. s!0.
CHAP. XVII. is laid up before the tesiimovy,
1 1 And Moses did so : as the Lord
rods from before the Lord unto all
the children of Israel : and they look-
ed, and took every man his rod.
10 % And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring
* Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be
kept '' for a token against the " rebels ; '' and
thou shalt quite take away their murmurings !
from me, that they die not.
» Hebr. 9. 4.—" cli. 16. 38 « Heb. childien nfrebcUioti.
middle, and end of every good work must be found. The
bulls of good desires, the blossoms of holy resolution and pro-
jnising professions, and the ripe fruit of faith, !o\e, and obe-
dience, all spring from the priesthood of the Lord Jesus. It
lias been tboiipht by .some that Aaron's staff, and peiiiaps
the staves of all the tribes, were made out of the eti>ii/s;dulus
comjuunis, or common almond tree. In a fa\ourable soil and
clJmate it grows to twenty feet in height, is one of tlie most
noble flourishing trees in nature; its flowers are of a delicate
rod, and it puts them forth early in March, having begun to
bud in January. It has its name IpU? slieUd fiom shakad,
to aiualce, because it buds and flowers sooner, than most other
trees. And it is very likeiy that the staves of oflice, borne by
the chiefs of all the tribes, were made of this liee. merely to
iify, that loatchfulness and assiduous care, which the chiefs
.-u,.ald take of the persons committed, in the course of the
divine providence, to their keeping.
Kvery thing in this miracle is so far beyond the power of
nature, that no doubt could remain on the minds of the peo-
)ilc, or the envious chiefs, of die divine appointment of Aaron,
and of the especial interference of God in this case. To see a
piece of wood, long cut o/ffrom the parent stock, without bark
? :• 'i:oisture remaining, laid up in a dry place, for a single night,
\ oilters in the same circumstances, to see such a piece of
Wood resume and evince the perfection of vegetative life,
budding, blossoming, and bringing forth ripe fruit, at llie same
time, must be suoh a demonstration of the peculiar inter-
ference of God, as to silence every doubt, and satisfy every
scruple. It is worthy of remark, that a iceptre, or staff of
office, resuming its vegetative life, was considered an absolute
impossibility among the ancients ; and as they were accus-
tomed to SKCar by their sceptres, this circumstance was added
to establish and confirm the oath. A remarkable instance of
this .we have in HOMKR, Ilias. i. 1.233, &c. where Achil-
les, in his rage against Agamemnon, thus speaks :.
AXK £« TOl Ef £1), Kai CTTl fXlytXV O^KCV 0/XO'JUSlt,
Nai /tea toJe irKYiTn^ov, to ,a£v outtoti (fnjr^jt km ci'ovf.
^ua-£i, CTTEt^n TT^ara TOfj.w ev opEcrcri MTiOiTnv,
OuV avaS>iX»5-£r wsfi yag p« e xi*>^% eXevJ/e
'^■j'Kka, T£ «ai ^xo<i3V ........
0 Je toi /«yaj Ktmrat ofxc;.
But hearken : I sball swear a solemn oith :
By this same sceptre which shall neter bud,
Nor boughs bring forth, as once; which having left
.A.M.cir.'.';VS.S.
l;.C.cir.I471.
commanded him, so did he. An.Kxod.Ur.
12 And the children of Israel spake __1L';'.":
unto Moses, saying, Behold we die, we perish,
we ail perish.
13 'Whosoever cometh any thing near unto
the tabernacle of the Lord shall die : shaU we
be consumed with dyinj
" \cr. 5. ' ch. 1. .51, 53. & 18. 4, 7.
Its parent on the mountain top, what time
The woodman's ax lopp'd off its foliage green.
And stripp'd its bark, shall Tiever groiv again.
COWPF.tt.
Virgil represents king Latinus swearing in the same way»,
to confirm bis covenant with JEneas.
Ut ScF.PTRUM hoc (dextra sceptrum nam forte gerebat):
Nuniquain//0«rfe levi fundet virgulta neque umbras.
Cum semel in silvis imo de stirpe recisum
Matre caret, posuitque comas If brachia ferro ;
Olim arbos, nunc arlificis manus are decoro
Inclusit, patribu.*que dcdit geslare Lalinis.
Talibus inter se firmabant fcedera diet is.
E.'A. lib. xii. V. 206— I-2i.
Even as this royal SCEPTRE (for he bore
A sceptre in his hand) shall never more
Shoot out in branches, or renew the birth ;
An orphan now, cut from the mother earth
By tiie keen axe, dishonour'd of its hair.
And cas'd in bra-s*, for Latian kings to bear.
And ihui^ in pubHc view the peace was ly'd
With solemn vows, and sworn on either side,
DRYDEX.
When the circumstance of the rod or sceptre being used
anciently in this way, and the absolute impossibility of il^
revivescenee so strongly appealed to, arc considered, it appears
to have been a very proper instrument for the present oc-
casion ; for the change that pa.ssed on it, must be acknowledgLd'
as an immediate and incontestible miracle.
Verse 12. Behold we die, we perish, we all perish !] 1S,'l^-
gavuenu, signifies not so murh, to die simply, as to feel an
extreme difficulty of breathing, which jjroducing suffocation.
ends at last in death. See the folly and extravagance of this,
sinful people. At first, every person might come near to G.hI,
for all, they thought, were .suiTicienlly holy, and every vyay
qualified to minister in holy things.
Now, no one, in their apprehension, can come near to the
tabernacle, without being consumed, vtr. 13. In both cases
they were wrong : some there were who might approach—
others tliere were who might not : — God had put the dillVr-
ence. Mis decision should have been final with the"' ^'■
sinners are ever running into exlremca.
The office, charge, and emoluments
NUMBERS.
of the priests and Levites.
CHAPTER XVIII.
The priests are to bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, 1 . The Levites to minister to tlie priests, and have charge
of the tabernacle, Q — 4. The priests alone to have charge of the sanctuary, Sic. no stranger to come nigh on pain
oj death, 5 — 7- Theportion allowed for their maintenance, 8. Tlicy shall have every meat offering ; and they
shall eat them in the holy place, 9, 10. The zvave offerings, 11. Thefrst-fruits of the oil, wine and wheat, and
ts.'hatever is first ripe, and every de-Mted thing, 12—14.,- also, all the first-born of men and beasts, 15 — 18.,- and
heave offerings, 19. The priests shall have no inheritance, 20. The Levites shall have no inheritance, but shall
have the tenth of the produce in Israel, 21 — 24. of which they are to give a tenth to the priests, taken from the best
parts, 25—30.
A.M.cir.253".
B.C. cir. 1471.
An. Exod. Isr.
cir. 20.
AN D the Lord said unto Aaron,
" Tliou and thy sons and thy
father's house with thee shall ''bear
the iniquity of the sanctuary : and thou and thy
sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your
priesthood.
2 And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi,
the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee,
that they may be "joined unto thee, and
" minister unto thee : but " thou and tliy sons
with thee shall mimster before the tabernacle of
witness.
3 And they shall keep thy charge, and ^ the
charge of all the tabernacle : ^ only they shall j
not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary
and the altar, " that neither they, nor ye also,
die.
4 And they shall be joined unto thee, and
keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congre-
gation, for all the service of the tabernacle :
' and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
5 And ye shall keep " the charge of the
sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: 'that
there be no wrath any more upon the children
of Israel.
6 And I, behold, I have "taken your brethren
the Levites from among the children of Israel :
A.M.cir.aSSS.
B.C. cir. 1471.
All. Exod. lir.
cii-. a).
"to you they are given as a gift for
the Lord, to do the service of the
tabernacle of the congregation.
7 Therefore °thou and thy sons with thee
shall keep your priest's office for every thing
' of the altar, and ''within the vail ; and ye shaU
serve : I have given your priest's office unto
'' you as a service of gift : and the stranger that
Cometh nigh shall be put to death.
8 ^ And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold,
! ** I also have given thee the charge of mine
; heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the
children of Israel ; unto thee have I given them
'by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by
an ordinance for ever.
9 This shall be thine of the most holy things,
reserved fi-om the fire : every oblation of their's,
every ^ meat offering of their's, and every ' sin
offering of their's, and every "trespass offering
of their's, which they shall render unto me,
shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.
10 "In the most holy place shalt thou eat it;
every male shall eat it : it shall be holy unto
thee.
1 1 And this is thine ; '' the heave offering of
their gift, with all the wave offerings of the
children of Israel: I have given them unto
■ Ch. 17. 13. ^ Exoa. 28. 38. ' See Gen. 29. M. " cli. 3. 6, 7.
• cli. 3. 1(1. fch. 3. 25, 31. 36. c ch. 16. 40. " ch. 4. 15. ' ch. 3.
10. K I'^iud. 27. 21. & .lO. 7. Lev. 24. 3. ch. 8. 2. 'cli. 16. 46.
>" ch. 3. 12, 45. " ch. 3. 9. & 8. 1<I. " ver. 5. cli. 3. 10. -■' Hebr. 9. 3, 6.
NOTES ON CHAP. XVIII.
Verse 1. Thou and ihy sons shall hear the iniqnily of the
sanciuaiy, &c.] That i.s tliey must be answerable for its legal
pollutions, and must make the neccsary atonements and expia-
tions. By this they must feel, that lliough they had got a high
and important office confirmed to them, by a miraculous intcr-
lerencc, yet it was a place of tlie higliest responsibitiij/; and
that they must not be highminded, but fear.
Verse 2. Thy Lrcihrm of the tribe of Levi — may be Joined
1 Lev. 6. 16, 18
, 26. & 7
.6,
.•>2.
ch
5.9
r
Exod. 29. 29. & 40. 13, IS.
' Lev.
Q O
3. & 10.
2,
1.3.-
t
Lev.
4.
22
27
& 6. 25, 26."
^"Lev.
5. 1.&7.7
. & 10.
12. & 14.
13.
"Le
V. 6.
1(3,
18
26.
29. i: 7. 6.—
—1 Exod.
29. 27, 2».
Lev.
7. 30, 34.
unto thee] Tliere is a fine paranomasia or play upon words
in the original. Levi »iV, coines from the root ni7 larah, to
join to, couple, associate : hence, IMoses says, the Ltvites, IP'
yillavu, shall be joined or associated with the priests; they
shall conjointly pf rform the whole of the sacred office, but
the priests shall be principal, the Levites only their associates
or assistants. For an explanation of many parts of this chap-
ter, see the notes on several of the passages referred to in the
margin.
The portion granted to
AM.cir.j,v». »tliee, and to tliv sons and to thy!|
M.C.cir.l471. ' • 1 1 I
Aii.Exod.hr. daughters witli thee, by a statute |
__!!'':''*: for ever : ^ every one that is clean in
thy house sluill cat of it.
12 'All the "best of the oil, and all the best
of the wine, and of the wheat, "the firstfniit.s of
them which they shall olfer unto the Louu,
them have I given thee.
13 And whatsoever is first ripe in the land,
' which they shall bring unto the Loku, shall
be thine ; * every one that is clean in thine
house shall cat o/ it.
14 "Every thing devoted in Israel sliall be
thine.
l.T Every thing that openeth 'the matrix in
all flesh, which they bring unto the Lord,
: //ether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine:
nevertheless "the firstborn of man shalt thou
surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean
beasts shalt thou redeem.
16 And those that are to be redeemed from a
month old shalt thou redeem, ' according to
CHAP. XVJII.
the priests and Levitcs.
• Lev. 10. 14. Dcut. 18. 3. 'Lev. 92. 2, 3. 11, 12, 13. <= Exod. 23.
• I Oeut. 18 4. Neh. 10. 3.5, 3fi. ■■ Hcb, fut. ver. 29. 'Exod. 22.
fKxod. 22. 29. & 23. 19. & 34. 2(i. Lev. 2. M. cli. 15. 19. Dt-iit.
. 2. ever. 11. h Lev. 27. Si8. ' Kxod. 13. 2. & 22. 29. Lev. 27.
'.b. ch. 3. 13. " E.vod. 13. 13. & 34. 20. ' Lev. 27. 2, 6. cli. 3. 47.
Verse 15. The firsthorn of ui/iii — and the firstUvg of unclean
ira.?/*] Thus vain man is ranked with the beasts that perish j and
with tlietvwwi kinds of thein too, those deemed unclean. '
Ver.se 16. Thou shalt redeem — for the moneii of five shekels]
Redemption of the firstborn is one of tlie rites which is slill
))ractised among; the Jens. According to I.eo of .Modciia,
it is performed in the following manner ; A\"hen the child is
thirty dajs old, the father sends lor one of the descendants of
Aaron ; several persons bein(j assembled on the occasion, the
father brin<js a cup containing several pieces of oold and
silver coin. The priest then takes the child into his arms,
'■■ and addressing him.self to the modicr, says — Prif.ST. Is this
thy son? — ]\IOTriFR. Yes. — PitlKST. Hast thou nercr had
another child, male or female, a niiscarriut^e or nniimely birth ?
— Mother. No. — Priest. This being the case, this child, as
firstborn, belongs to me. Then turning to the father be says :
— Prif.ST. Jf it be thy desire to hate this child, thou tniisC
redeem it. — F.vrHEl!. 1 present thee with tiiis gold and silver
for this purpose. — PRn-:ST. Thou dost ivish, therefore, tn redeem
the child ? — FATHER. I do wish so to do. The priest then,
turning himself to the assembly, says: — PUTEST. Very ivell ;
this child, a» frstbom, is mine, as it is ivritten in Bemidbur,
(Num. xviii. 16.) Thou shalt redeem the firstborn of a month
old. for five shekels, but I shall content myself leith this in
ezeha?ige. He then takes two gold crowns, or thereabouts,
and returns the child to his parents.
Verse 19. It is a covenant of salt] i, e. an incorruptible
thine estimation, fur the money of ^•?,^"'-"^-
J, 111 /• 1 1 1 1 ,.'^ 1 r.C.cir. 1171.
live sneliels, alter the shekel or the An.ExuH.isr
sanctuary, "which is twenty gerahs. ""'' '■^'''
n "But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling
of a sheep, or the firstling of, a goat, thou shalt
not redeem ; thoy are holy : " tliou shalt sprinkle
their blood upon the altar, and shait burn their
fatjur an offering made by fire, for a sweet
savour unto the Lord.
18 And the flesh of them .shall be thine, a.s the
"wave breast, and as the right shoulder are thine.
19 '' All the heave offerings of the holy things,
which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord,
have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daugh-
ters with thee, by a statute for ever : ' it is a
covenant of salt tor ever before the Lord, unto
thee and to thy seed witli thee.
20 And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou
shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither
shalt tliou have any part among them : ' I am
thy part and thine inheritance, among the chil-
dren of Israel.
'"Exod. 30. l.S. Lev. 27. 2.5. cli. 3. 47. Ezek. 45. IS "Deut 15. 19.
"Lev. 3. 2,5. PExod. 29. 2ti, 28. Lev. 7. 31, 32.31. ■) ver. 11.
'Lev. 2. i:>. 2 t'liron. 13. .5. 'Deut. 10. 9. & 12. 12. ..\ 11. 27, 29. &
18.1,2. Josh. 13. 11, 33. Jell. ,S. SclU. 7. I's. IG. 5. Eztk. 'W. iU
everlasting covenant. As salt was added to different kinds <:4"
viands, not only to give them a relish, but to presene them
from putrefaction and decay, it became the emblem of incor-
ruptibiliti/ and permam-nce. Hence, a covenant o? salt signified
an everlasliHg covenant. We have already seen that, among
the Asiatics, eating together was deemed a bond of perpetual
friendship; and as salt was a common article in all their
repasts, it may be in reference to this circumstance, that a
perpetual covenant is termed a covenant of salt ; because the
parties ate together of the sacrifice oflered on the occasion,
and the whole transaction was considered as a leafrue of
endless friendship. — See the note on Lev. ii. 13.
• Verso 20. / am thy part and thine inheritance'] The principal
part of what was olTored to God, was the portion of the
priests; therefore they had no inheritance of land in Israel;
indcpendantiy of that, they had a very ample provision for
their support. The Rabbins say, ta-enty-four gifts were given
to the priests ; and they are all expressed in tlie law. Eight
of those gifts the priests ate no where but in the sanctuary :
these eight arc the following;
1. The tlcsh of the SIN-OFFERING whether of beast or
fowls, Lcvit. vi. 25, 26.
2. The tlesh of the TRESPASS-OFFERING, Lev. vii. 1, 6.
3. The PEACE-OFFEHINGS of the congregation, Lev. xxiii.
19, 20.
4. The remainder of the OMEU or SHEAF, Levit. xxiii.
10, &c.
4 O
TJie portion granted to
21 ^ And, behold
NUMBERS.
A-M.tir.SnSS.
B.C.cii. W?!.
An. Kxod. Isr.
fir. liO.
' 1 have given
the children of Levi all the tenth in
Israel for an inheritance, for their
service which they serve, even "the service of
the tabernacle of the congregation.
22 "Neither must the children of Israel hence-
forth come nigh the tabernacle of the congrega-
tion, '' lest they bear sin, " and die.
23 ^ But the Levltes shall do the service of
the tabernacle of the congregation, and they
shall bear their iniquity : it shall he a statute
for ever throughout your generations, that
among the children of Israel, tliey have no iur
heritance.
24 ^ But the tithes of tlie children of Israel,
which they offer as a heave offering unto the
A.M.cir.2533,
}3.C.iir.l47J.
An.Exoil. Im,
cir. 20.
• Ver. 24 CC. J.ev. 27. 30, 32. Neb. 30. 37. & 12. 4-1. Hebr. 7. 5, 8, 9.
•■ch. 3. 7, 8.- -^ch. 1. 51. " Lev. 22. V.-: 'Heb. lu die.
5. The remnants of the MEAT-OFPERINGS of the Israelites,
Lev. vi. !6.
6. The two LOAVES, I,ev. xxjii. 17.
1. The SIIEW-BREAD, l.evit. xxiv. 9.
8. The LOG of OIL offered by the leper, Levit. xiv.
10, &c.
fire of those gifts they ate only in Jerusalem.
1. The breast and shoulder of the PEACE-OEFERINGS,
Lev. vii. 31, 34.
2. The HEAVE-OFFERING of t!ie sacrifice of confession,
Lev. vii. 12 — 14.
3. The HE.'VVE-OFFERING of the Nazarite's rum, Lev.
vi. n— 20-.
4. The FIRSTLING of the clean beast, Num. xviii. 15.
Deut. XV. 1 9, 20.
5. The FIRST-FRUITS, Num. xviii. 13.
FiVt gifts were not due unto tlietn hy the Law, but in the
land of Israel only, viz.
1. The /ieaz'e-o/?').™? or FIRST-FRUITS, Num. xviii. 12.
2. The heave-qfcriiig of the TITHE, Num. xviii. 23.
3. The CAKK, Num. xv. 20. Tliese three were holi/.
4. The /r.«-//»i(,v of the FLEECE, Deut. xviii. 4.
5. Tbe FIELD of POSSESSION, Num. xxxv. These two
were cwnmon.
Five gifts were due unto them both ivithin and without the
land, viz.
1. The g.^ifs of the BEASTS SLAIN, Deut. xviii. 3.
2. The redemption of the FIRSTBORN SON, Num. xviii.
15.
3. The LAMB for the firstling of an ass, Exod. iv. 20.
Num. xviii.
4. The re.stilution of that taken by violence fiom a stranger,
Niun. v. 8.
5. All DEVOTED things, Num. xviii. 1 4.
One gift was due unto them from the sanctuary, viz.
the pf tests and Le'vifes,
Lord, I have given to the Levites
to inherit : therefore I have said unto
them, "Among the children of Israel
they shall have no inheritance.
25 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
ing.
26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto
them, When ye take of the children of Israel
the tithes, which I have given you from them for
your inheritance, then ye shall offer up a heave
offering of it for the Lord, even ' a tenth ^;ar^
of the tithe.
27 "And this your heave-offering shall be
reckoned unto you, as though it xcere the corn
of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the
winepress.
fCh. 3.7. ever. 21. "vev. 20. Deut. 10. 9. & 14. 27, 29. & 18. li
' Neh. 10. 38. ■■'' ver. 30.
1. The skins of the lurnt-offering, and all the skins of the
other most holy tilings. Lev. vii. 8. In all 24. — See Ainswortk,
The gifts which the fenjales of the priests' families had a
part in, were these :
1. Ths heave-offering, or first-fruits. 2. The heave-offer-
ing of the tithe. 3. The cake. 4. Tiie gifts of the beast,
Deut. xviii. 3. 5. The first of the fleece. — See Mishna,
Tract. Bicurim, and Ainsworth on the Pentateuch.
Besides all this, the priests had the tribute- money, men-
tioned Num. xxxi. 28, 29.
Verse 2 1 . Behold I have ^iven the Levites all the tentlt] 1 . Tlie
Levites liad the tenth of all the productions of the land.
2. They had forty-eight cities, each forming a square of
4,000 cubits.
3. They had 2,000 cubits of ground round each city.
Total of tlie land they possessed, 53,000 acres.
4. They had the first-fruits and certain parts of all
the animals killed in the land.
Canaan contained about 11,264,000 acres; therefore the
portion possessed by the Levites was rather less than as one
to two hundred and tivelve; for 1 1,264,000, divided by 53,000,
quotes only 21'2-^;^. — See Lowman, Dodd, &.c. But though
this was a very small proportion lor a u-liole tribe that had con-
sented to annihilate its political existence, that it might wait
upon the service of God, and labour for the people's souls;
yet, let it be considered, that what they possessed was the
best of the land: and while it was a slender remuneration for
their services, yet their portion was such as rendered them
independant, and kept them comlbrtable; so that they could
wait on the Lord's work without distraction. This is a propel-
pattern for the maintenance of the ministers of God : let
them liave a sujicicnci/ for themselves and families, that there
may be no distracting cares: and let them not be encumbered
with riches or worldly possessions, that they may not be pre-
vented from taking care ofsoids.
The portion granted to CHAP.
28 Thus vo also shall oftbr a heave-
A.'^^.cir.^;.v>J.
H.C.cir. I'ln. „ . " ,1 T /■ n
All. Kxod. isr, oiTenng unto tlie Loud ot all your
"'■ -"- tithes, which ye receive of the chil-
dren of Israel ; and ye shall give thereof the
Lord's heave-otferiiig to Aaron the priest.
'29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every
heavc-otiering of the Lord, of all the * best
thereof, even tlic hallowed part thereof out of
it.
30 Tlierefore thou shalt say unto them. When
ye have hea\eil the best thereof Ironi it, '' then
• Hob. fat. vcr. 12. '' vcr. '.7. = JMatt. 10. 10. l.uke 10. 7. 1 Cor. 9. 13.
Verse 28. Thus ye also shall offer a heave-offering] As
tlic Levites bad the tiihe of tbe wliole land, rliey themselves
wore oblii;ed to give the tithe of thi.« tithe to the prie.«ls, so
that this considerably lessened their revenue. And this
XIX. tl'C priests and Levites.
it shall be counted unto the Levites ^i^'^'i^-fty^;
as the increase of the threshingfloor, An.Exod.ur.
and as the increase of the uinepress. — ll'lU —
31 And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and
your households : for it is "your reward for
your service in the tabernacle of the congre-
gation.
32 And ye shall "bear no sin by reason of it,
when ye have heaved froai it the best of it :
neither shall ye ' pollute the holy things of the
children of Israel, lest ye die.
1 Tim. 5. 18. " Lev. 19. 8. & 22. 16. 'Lev. a2. 2, 15.
tithe or tenth, they were obliged to select from the best part
of the substance they had received, ver. 29, &c. A portion
of all must be given to God, as an evidence of his goodness,
and their dependance ou him. — :5et the end of chap. xx.
CHAPTER XIX.
T/ic ordinance of tlic red tuifer, 1 , 2. She s/icdl be slain by Eleazar zdthout (fie camp, and her blood sprinkled
he fore the tabernacle, 3, 4. Her uhole body and appurtenance ikall be reduced to ashes, and ziltile burning^
cedar zcood, scarlet ami hj/ssop, shall be ihrotcn into thejire, 5, 6. The priest, and he that burns her, to bathe
themselves and be reputed unclean till the evening, 7,8. Her cnhes to be laid up for a tcater of purification, 9.
How, and in what cases it is to be applied, 10 — \3. The law concerning him ziho dies in a tent, or zcho is killed
in the open field, 14 — lO. How the persons, tent, and vessels are to be purified bi/ the application of these ashes,
1" — 19. The unclean person uho does not apply them, to be cut off from the congregation, '20. This is to be a
perpetual statute, '21, 22.
A.M.cir.'>5.n.
IVCcii-.l-lil.
All. Kxdd.Ibr.
cir. -A).
AN D the Loud spake unto Moses | bring thee a red heifer without spot,
and unto Aaron, saying, 1 wherein is no blemish, ''and upon
2 This is the ordinance of the law ,, which never came yoke:
Lord hath commanded, saying, !| 3 And ye shall give her
priest, that he may
A.!\r.cir.?;5.'^3.
H.C.cir. M71.
Aii.E.tod.Isr.
cir. 'JO.
which the
Speak imto the children of Israel, that they
unto Eleazar the
» Dtut. 21. 3. 1 Sam. 6. 7.
bring her ''forth without
NOTES ON CH.\r. XlX. I
Verse 2. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring !
thee, &c.] The ordinance of the red heifer, v/as a sacrifice >
of general applictilion. All the people were to have an '
interest in it, and tlierefore the people at large are to provide i
the sacrilicc. This Jewish rite certainly had a reference to i
♦iiings done under the gospel, as the author of the Epistle ;
to the Hebrews has remaiked : " For,- if," says he, " the
blood of bulls and of goats" alluding, probably, to the sin-
offerings and the scape goal, " and the ashes of a heifer
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifving of the
iit£h; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who,
i' Lev. 4. 12, 21. Si 16. 27. Hebr. 13. 11.
through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to
God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the
living God." Heb. ix. 13, 14. As the principal stress of the
allusion here, is to the ordinance of the red heifer, we maj
certainly conclude that it was designed to typify the sacrifice
of our blessed Lord.
\V'e may remark several curious particulars in this ordU
nance.
1. A heifer was appointed for a sacrifice, probably, in
opposition to the I^gyptian superstition which held these
sacred; and actually worshipped their great goddess Lis,
under this form ; and this appears the atore likelv, because
402
The ordinance of
NUMBERS.
the red heifer.
Bc'd^ij?!' ^^^ camp, and one sliall slay her before
An.Exorl.Isr. his faCC I
_*^'"LJ 4 And Eleazar the priest shall take
of her blood with his finger, and * sprinkle of her
blood directly before the tabernacle of the con-
gregation seven times :
5 And one shall burn the heifer in his sight ;
"her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, \vith
her dung, shall he burn ;
6 And the priest shall take '' cedar wood, and
hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst
of the burning of the heifer.
7 "Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and
he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward
he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall
be unclean until the even.
8 And he that burneth her shall wash his
clothes in Avater, and bathe his flesh in
"iev. 4. 6. &I6. 14, 19. Hebr. 9. 13. " Exod. 29. 14. Lev. 4. 11, 12.
'Lev. 14. 4, 6, 49. "iLev. 11. 25. & 15. 5. ^= Hebr. 9. 13.
inales in general were preferred for sacrifice; yet here the
female is chosen.
2. It was to be a red heifer, because red hulls were sacrificed
to appease the evil daemon, Typhon, worshipped among the
Egyptians.- — See Spencer.
3. The heifer was to be iviihotct spot, havinaj no mixture of
any other colour. Plutarcli remarks, De hide ^ de Osiride,
that if there was a single hair in the animal, either white or
black, it marred the sacrifice. — See Calmet, and see the note
on chap viii. 7.
4. IVithout blemish — Having no kind of imperfection in
her body, the other, probably, ap[)lying to the hair or
colour.
5. On which neier came yoke — Because anj' animal which
had been used for any conmion purpose, was deemed im-
proper to be offered in sacrifice to God. Tlie heathens, who
appear to have borrowed much fi-om the Hebrews, were very
scrupulous in this particular. Neither the Greeks nor
llomans, nor indeed ihc Egyptians, would offer an animal
in sacrifice that had been employed for agricultural purposes.
Of this we have the most positive evidences from Homer,
Porpkyit/, Virgil, and Macrobius.
Just such a sacrifice as that prescribed here, does Diomede
vow to ofier to Pallas. — Iliad x. ver. 291.
fl{ vu'j //.oi tSefiOuja Tra^irajo, icai nt fu'hci7iTi'
"Lot d'au EVa ffia Qou\i wiv tv^njji.t'ui'lrov,
AS'/XYtTW, w ouna utto ivyov nyayiv avrtf
So now be present, O celestial maid ;
Ko still continue to the race thine aid ;
A yeiirU/n^ heifer falls beneath ihe stroke
Untamed, uncorMioui <f the galling yoke.
water, and shall be unclean until the ^•^^■"'"■'f'^e!'
' B.C. cir. l')71.
even. An.Exod.lsr.
9 And a man that is clean shall ■""'• '"•
gather up Hhe ashes of the heifer, and lay them
up without the camp in a clean place, and it
shall be kept for the congregation of the chil-
dren of Israel ' for a water of separation : it is
a purification for sin.
10 And he that gathereth the ashes of the
heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean
until the even : audit shall be unto the children
of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth
among them, for a statute for ever.
11 ^ ^ He that toucheth the dead body of any
" man shall be unclean seven days.
12 'He sliall purify himself with it on the
third day, and on the seventh day he shall be
clean : but if he purify not himself the third day,
f Vcr. 13, SO, 91. ch. 31. 23. e ver. 16. Lev. 21. 1. di. 5. 2. & 9. 6, 10.
& 31. 19. Lam. 4. 14. Hag. 2. 13. " Heb. soiU of man. 'cb. 31. 19.
With ample forehead and with spreading horns,
^\ hose tapering tops refulgent gold adorns.
Altered from Popfi.
In the very same words Nestor, Odyss. iii. ver. 382,
promises a similar sacrifice to Pallas.
The Romans had the same religion with the Greeks, and
consequently the same kind of sacrifices ; so Virgil Georg.
iv. ver. 550.
Suntuor criniios prcestanti corporc tauros,
Ducit, et intacta totidem cervice juvencas.
-From his herd he culls
For slaughter, four the fairest of his bulls ;
Four heifers from his female stock he took,
AW fair, and a\\ unknoivi/ig of the yoke. Dryden.
It is very likely that the Gentiles learnt their first sacrificial'
rites from the Patriarchs: and on this account we need not
wonder to find so many coincidences in the sacrificial system
of the Patriarchs and Je«s, and all the neighbouring nations.
Verse 9. For a water of separation'] i. e. The ashes were
to be kept, in order to be mixed with water, ver. 17. and
sprinkled on those who had contracted any legal defilement.
Verse II. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall he
unclean seven days.] How low does this lay man! he who
touched a dead beast was only unclean for one day, Levit. xi. 24,
27, 39. but he who touches a dead man is unclean for jewjj days.
This was certainly designed to mark the peculiar impurity of
man, and to shew his sinfulness — seven times worse than the
vilest animal ! O thou son of the morning, how art thuu
fallen !
Verse 12. He shall purify himself with it] 13 NtaMn»
yilhchiita ho, literally, he shall sin himself with it. This
In 'what li'ays defilement
CHAP. XIX.
marj he contraci^d^
A.M.cir.'jriXI.
it.C.cir. tin.
A». Exod.Isr.
cir. I'O.
tlien the seventh day he shall not be 11 and upon all tlie vessels, and upon
clean.
13 Whosoever toucheth the dead
body of any man that is dead, and puriiieth not
liimself, 'defilcth tlie tabernacle of the Lord;
and that soul shall be cut oft' from Israel:
because " the water of separation v/as not
sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean ; "his
uncleanness is yet upon him.
14 This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent:
all that come into the tent, and all that is in the
tent, shall be unclean seven days.
15 And every "open vessel, which hath no
covering boiuid upon it, is unclean.
16 And "whosoever toucheth one that is slain
with a sword in the open Helds, or a dead body,
or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean
seven days.
17 And for an unclean ^ersow they shall take
of the 'ashes'^ of the burnt heifer of purifica-
tion for sin, and " running water shall be put
thereto in a vessel :
18 And a clean person shall take 'hyssop, and
dip it in the water, and sprinkle ?7upon the tent.
" Lev. 15. 31. '' ver. 9. ch. 8. 7. = Lev. 7. 20. & 22. 3. 1 Lev. 11. 32.
ch. 31. 20. "'vcr. 11. fHeb. duit. Ever. 9.
Hebrew form of speech is common enough among' us in other
matters. Thus to ficece, and to skin, do not signify to add
a fieece or a ddn, but to take one away. Therefoie, to sin
himself, in the Hebrew idiom, is not to add sin, but to take
it away — to ■purify. The verb NtaH i-hata signifies to miss the
mark, — to sin, — to purify from sin — and to make a sin-ojf'ering.
— See the note on Gen. xiii. 13.
The Hebrews generally sacrificed males, no matter of
what colour: but here a heifer, and a heifer of a red co-
lour, is ordered. The reason of these circumbfancts is not
very well known.
" The Rabi)ins, with all their boldness," says Calmet,
" who stick at nothing when it is necessary to explain what
they do not understand, declare, that the cause of this law is
entirely unknown ; and that Solomon, with all his wisdom,
could not t"nd it out."
Several /a/AfM, as well modern as ancient, profess to under-
stand the whole clearly. " 1. The red heifer, %vith them,
signifies the fesk of our Lord, formed out of an earthly
substance — 2. being without spot, &c. the infinite holiness of
Christ. 3. The xxoi the animal, the w/rwi'/y of our flesh
A.Ar.cir.V.Vll.
li.C.cir.1171.
All. Kxod. hr.
cir. aO.
the persons that were there, and upon
him that touched a bone, or one slain,
or one dead, or a grave :
19 And the clean person shall sprinkle upon
the imclean on the third day, and on the
seventh day : " and on the seventh day he
shall purify himself and wash his clothes, and
bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at
even.
20 But the man that shall be unclean, and
.shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut
off from among the congregation, because he
hath ' defiled the sanctuary of the Lord : the
water of separation hath not been sprinkled
u])on him; he w unclean.
21 And it shall be a perpetual statute unto
tlicm, that he that sprinkleth the water of sepa-
ration .shall wash his clothes ; and he that touch-
eth the \vater of separation shall be unclean
until even.
22 And "whatsoever the unclean ^;«-5on touch-
eth shall be unclean ; and " the soul that touch-
eth it shall be unclean until even.
•^ Ueb. lii'ing loaters shall he gitcn. Gen. 2fi. 19.-
' ver. 13. "' Hag. 2. 13
— iPs..';i.7.
' Lev. 15. 5.
' Lev. 11. 9.
with which he clothed himself. 4. The red colour hi*
passion — 5. being unyoked — his being rigiiteous in all his
conduct; and never under the yoke of sin. 6. ^/cniar sacri-
ficing the heifer instead of Aaron, ver. 3. signifies the change
of the priesthood, from the family of Aaron, in order that a
new and more perfect priesthood might take place. 1. The
red heifer being taken uithout the camp, ver. 3. to be slain,
points out the criicijixion of our Lord without the city. S.
The complete consuming of the luifcr by fire — tlie complete
op'ering of she \vhole body and soul of Christ as a sacrifice to
God for the sin of mun ; for as the heifer was v.-iihout blemish,
ihe whole miglit be otlered to God ; and as Christ was !>n-
macidate, his whole body and soul was made a sacrifice for
sin. 9. As the fire of this sacrifice ascended up to God;
so it points out the resurrection and ascension of our blessed
Lord. 10. And as the ashes of this victim communicated a
legal purity to those who were defiled ; so true repentance
signified by llio.«e ashes is necessary for the expiation of the
offences committtd after baptism." A great part of this ii
true in iistlf — but how little evidence is there that all these
things were intended in th(; ordinance of the red heifer' — See
on chap. viii. 7,
The IsraeVifcs come to Zin.
KUMBEIIS.
They imirmurfor xcanl afna/er.
CHAPTER XX.
2'he Israeli I cs come to Zin, atid ^liriam dies, 1. They murmur for rcaiit of rcci'ter, 2 — 5. ]\[oses and Aaron
make siipplicalion at the tabernacle, and the glorif of the Lord appears, 6. lie commands Moses to take his rod,
gather the congregation together, and biing ziater out of the rock, 7, 8. Closes takes the rod, gathers the Israel-
ites together, chides zcnth them, and smites the rock trcice, and the zcaters flow out plenteously, 9, 11. The Lord
is offended- tcith Moses and Aaron because they did not sanctify him in the sight of the children of Israel, 12.
The place is called Meribah, 13. Moses sends a friendli/ message to the king of Edojn, begging liberty to pass
through his territories, 14 — 17. The Edomites refuse, 18. The Israelites expostulate, \Q. The Edomites still
refuse, and prepare to attack them, GO, 21. The Israelites go to mount Ilor, 22. Aaron is commanded to
prepare for his death, 2J, 24. Aaron is stripped on mount Hor, and his vestments put on Eleazer his son^
Aaron dies, 25 — 23. The people mourn for him thirty days, 29.
A. M. 'j.^;!.
B.C. 1*51.
Aii.Esod. Isr.
40.
1^ H E N ^ came tlie cliiklreii of
Israel, eveti the whole congrega-
tion, into the desart of Zin, in the
first month : and the people abode in Kadesh ;
and ^ Miriam died there, and was buried there.
2 ^ " And there was no water for the congre-
gation : "^ and they gathered themselves together
against JNIoses and against Aaron.
•% IT 1
ti And the people "" chode with Moses, and
spake, saying, Woidd God that we had died
^ Avhen our brethren died before the Lokd !
4 And ^ why have ye brought up the congre-
gation of the Lord into this wilderness, that
we and our cattle should die there ?
3 And wherefore have ye made us to come
up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil
place ? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of
a
Ch
3.1.
.Sfi.-
» F-xod.
15.
20.
ch.
26.
.W.
-' Esod.
17. 1.—
—' ch.
k;.
lii
4'>
-'Ex4>d. 17.
o
cli
14.
o _
1
ch.
11. 1, 33. & 14.
57. &
le.
SQ,
35,
49.
NOTES ON CIIAP. XX.
Verse 1. Ttien came the citildven of Israel, &c.] This was
tlie first month of the fortieth year after their departure from
Egypt. See chap, xxxiii. 158. compared with ver. 28. of
this chapter, and Deut. i. 3. The ti'an.sactions of thirty-
seven years Moses passes by, because lie wriles not as a his-
torian, but as a legislator; and gives us particularly an ac-
count of the laws, ordinances, and other occurrences of the
first and last years of their peregrinatioas. The year now
spoken of was the last of their journeyings ; for from the
going out of the spies, chap. xiii. unto this time, was about
tlurty-ciglil years, Ueut. i. 22, 23. u. 14.
Desart of Ziri] Calmet contends, tliat this is not the
same desart mentioned Kxod. xvi. 1. where Israel had their
eighth encampment. That in Kxodus, being called in the
original J'D »"', ihi.s, here |'X<szn; but this is no positive
proof, as letters of the same organ, are frequently interchanged
in all languages, and particularly in Hebrew.
And Miriam died tliere^ Miriam was ccrt;iirily older than
!Moscs, W'lien he was an infant, e.xpoacd on the river Nile,
A.M.2,«3.
B. C. 1451.
Aii.Exod. Isr.
40.
vines, or of pomegranates ; neither
!S there any water to drink.
6 And Moses and Aaron went from
the presence of the assembly unto the door of
the tabernacle of the congregation, antl "they
fell upon their faces : and ' the glory of the Lord
appeared unto them.
7 IF And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
8 ^ Take the rod, and gather thou tlie as-
senibly "togetlier, thou, and Aaron thy brother,
and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes ;
and it shall give forth his water, and ' thou
shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock :
so thou shalt give the congregation and their
beasts drink.
9 And Moses took the rod ° from before the
Lord, as he commanded him.
e Exod. 17. 3. > ch. 14. .5. & 16 4, iiC. 45. ■ cli. 14. 10. 1" Exotl.
17. 5. ' ^eli. 9. 15. Ps. 78. 15, 16. & 105. 41. & 114. 8. Isai. l.i. 20.
&4S. 21. ^"ch. 17.10.
she was entrusted by her parents to watch the conduct of
Pharaoh's daugiitcr, and to manage a most delicate bu...iness,
that required much address and prudence. See I'.xod. ii. It
is supposed, that she was at the time of her death, one liun-
dred and thirty years of age, having been at least ten years
old at her bnitlier's birth. The Catholic writers represent
her as a type of the Virgin Mary, as having preserved a per-
petual virginity, as being legislatri.x over the Israel itish wo-
men, as Mo.?es was over the men ; and as having a large
portion of the spirit of prophecy. Euscbius says, that litr
tomb was to be seen at Kudeth, near the city Petra, in his
time. She appears to have died about four months before
her brother Aaron, chap, xxxiii. 38. and eleven before her
brother Moses ; so that these three, the most eminent of hu-
man beings, died in the space of one year!
Ycr^e 2. And there was no ivatcrfor the con<;re^ation'} The
same occurrence took place to the children of Israel at Ka-
desh, as did formerly to their t'alhers at Rephidim, .see Exnd.
xvii. 1. and as the 'uthcrs nuirnuired, so also did the chil-'
dren .'
Moses draws iiat^;rfrom the rod: CHAP. XX. The Edomites oppe^se the Israelites,
10 And Moses and Aaron gather- |j 17 ""Let us pass, I pray thee, through i$ci4M'
cd the congregation together before thy country: \vc will not pass through An.Kxod.isr.
A. y\. 2.i:o.
)t. C. 1 l.'>l.
An Y,\n<\ l-r
•1 '.
the rock, and he said unto them, | the fields, or through the vineyards.
•10.
' Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water 1} neither will we drink of the water of the wells :
out of this rock ? !| we will go by the king's hi<iJi way, we will not
1 1 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with !| turn to the right hand nor to the hit, until we
his rod he smote the rock twice : .uid " the w^-i- | have passed thy borders.
ter came out abundantly, and the congregation | 18 And Edoni said unto him. Thou shalt not
drank, and their beasts also. I pass by me, lest I come out against thee with
12 ^[ And the Loud spake unto Moses and the sword.
Aaron, Because "ye believed me not, to " sane- 1 19 And the children of Israel said unto him,
tify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, v We will go by the high way : and if I and my
therefore ye shall not bring this congregation cattle drink of thy water, '' then I will pay for
into the land which 1 have given them
1 :J ' This is the water of ' Meribah ; because
tlie children of Israel strove with the Lokd,
and he was sanctified in them.
14 ^ ^ And Moses sent messengers from Ka-
desh unto the king of Edom, " Thus saith thy
brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travel that
hath ' befallen us :
15 "How our fathers went down into Egypt,
'and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; "and
the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers :
16 And "when we cried unto the Lord, he
heard our voice, and "sent an angel, and hath
brought us forth out of Egj-pt: and, behold,
we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of
thy border
•Ps. 106.33. '■Exod. 17. 6. Dcut. 8. 15. 1 Cor. 10. 4. =cli. 27.
14. Deul. 1. 37. ic 3. 'J6. & 32. 51. "Lev. 10. 3. Ezck. 20. 41. &
j<i. ai. & 38. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 1.5. ' Ueut. .33. R. Fs. 95. 8. & 106. 3'?, &c.
''Tliat i.«, sirifi:. See ICxml. 17. 7. k Judges 11. 16, 17. ^ Ucut.
2. -1, &c. & 23. 7. Obad. 10. 12. ' Hcb. found lis. lixud. 18. 8.
»Gcii. 46. 0. Acts?. 15.
it : I will only, without doing any thing else,
go through on my feet.
20 And he said, 'Thou .shalt net go through.
And Edom came out against him with much
people, and with a strong hand.
21 Thus Edom 'refused to give Israel pas.sage
through his border : wherefore Israel ' turned
away from him.
22 ^ And the children of Israel, even the
whole congregation, journeyed fiom " Kadesh,
^ and came unto mount Hor.
23 And the Lord spake unto Moses and
Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land
of Edom, saying,
24 Aaron shall be ^ gathered unto his people :
for he shall not enter into the land which I
Verse 12. Because ye beUeved me not] What was the of-
fence for which Moses was cxcluikd from the promised land.^
It appears to have consisted in some or all of the Ibllowing
particulars: 1. God had cummauJcd liim ver. 8. to take
the rod ill his hand, and go and SPIC.AK TO THE ROCK, and it
shoidd givi; forth xoater. It seems Moses did not think spcak-
ing would be sunicient, tliercfore he smote the rock, without
any command so to do. 2. Me did this tii:ice, which, cer-
tainly in this case, indicated a great perturbation of spirit, and
want of aLtcntion to the presence of God. 3. lie permitted
his spirit to be carried away by a sense of the people's diso-
bedience, and thus bfing proxoked, he was led to speak uiiad-
lisedli/ uith Un lips, Psal. cvi. ii. Hear noiv, ye ItKBELS, ver.
10. 4. He did not acknowledge GOD in the miracle wliich
was about to be wrought, but look the honour to himself and
Aaron. Must WE ittch YOU water out of this ROCK .?
Tims it plainly appears, that they did not properly believe in
Godj and diil not honour him in the sight of the peo^ile ; for
' Enod. 12. 40. ■» Exod. 1. 11, &c. Dcut. 26. 6. Acts 7. 19.
" Exod. 2. 23. & 3. 7. " Kxod. 3. 2. & 14. 19. k 23. 20. & 33. 2.
P See ch. 21. 22. Dent. 2. 2?. 1 Deut. 2 6, 20. '.Iiidfjes H. 17.
'See Oeut. 2. 27, 29. ' Dtut. 2. 4, 5, 8. .ludges 11. 18.
" ch. 33. 37. « ch. 21. 4. ' Gen. 25. U. ch. 27. 13. JSc 31. 2. Deut.
32. 50.
in their presence, they seem to express a doubt, whether the
thing could be possibly done. As Aaron a|)pcars to have
been consenting in the above particulars, therelbre he is also
excluded from the promised land.
Verse 1 4. Sent messengers — to the king of Edoni] Arch-
bishop Usher supposes that the king now reigning in Edoai,
was Iludur, mentioned Gen. xxxvi. ."59.
Thus saith thy brother Israel] The Edomites were the de-
scendants of Edoni or Esau, the brother of Jacob or Israel,
from whom the Israelites were descended.
Verse 17. We ii:ill go by the king's htgU ii-ay] This is the first
time this phrase occurs; it appears to have been a jiublic road
made by the king's auihorily, at the expense of the .State.
\''crse 2 I . Thus Edom refused to giic Israel passage through
his border] Though every king has a right to refu.oe passage
through liis territories to any strangers ; yet in a case like
this, and in a /j'wic also, in which t',')ii;,'rrtfion4 were frequent,
and universally allowed, it was both cruelty and oppressioii.
Moses, Aaron and Eleazar go to mount NUMBERS.
A.M. 'r>53.
B.C. 1151.
An.K,\od. Ur.
4<).
25
have given unto the children of Is-
rael, because * ye rebelled against
, my "word at the water of Meribah.
Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and
bring them up unto mount Hor :
26 And strip Aaron of his garments, and
put fhem upon Eleazar his son : and Aaron
shall be gathered tmio his people., and shall die
there.
27 And Moses did as the Lord commanded :
'Ver. It'. .'Heb. niourt. =ch. S3. 38. Deut. 32. 50. "i Exod. 29.
in Eflom lo refuse a passage to a comparatively unarmed, and
jnoftensive multitude ; who were all, their own near kinsmen.
It appears however, that it was only ilie Edoinites of Kadesh,
that were thus unfriendly and cruel ; for, from Deut. ii. 29.
we learn, that the Edomites who dwelt in mount Sciv, treated
them in a hospitable manner. This cruelty in the [Cdomitcs
of Kadesh is strongly reprehendeil, and threatened by the
prophet Obadiah, ver. lu, &c.
\ erse 26. Strip Aaron of his gannents] This was, in
effect, depriving him of his oflice : and putting- the clothes
on his son Eleazar, implied a transfer of that office to him.
A transfer of office, from this circumstance of pulling the
clothes of the late possessor on the person intended to suc-
ceed him, was called investing, or investment, (clothing) ; as
removing a per.son from an oilice was termed, divesting, or
unclothing. Among the Catholics, and in the Churcli of
England, this same method is used in degrading ecclesiastics.
Hence, such a degradation is termed by the common people,
stripping a man of his gown.
Verse 28. And Aaron died there"] Hence, as Dr. Light-
foot has justly observed, we have ah. " indisputable proof
that the earthly Canaan was not the utmost felicity at which
Ciod's promises to the Israelites amitd j since the best men
among them, were excluded from it."
The remark of some of the Fathers here, is wortl)y of at-
tention. " Neither Moses the representative of the Law, nor
Miriam the representative of the prophets, nor Aaron the
representative of the priesthood and its sacrificial rites could
bring the Israelites into the possession of the promised land.
This was reserved for Jahna, who was in name and conduct
the lively type of our L.ord and .Saviour .Jesus Christ." He
alone can bring those who believe in his name, into that rest
■\vhich remains for the people of God.
There are some observations made by Dr. Lightfoof, on
this, and some of the preceding chapters, which should be
more generally known.
A
M.
2553.
i)
C.
1451.
An. F.x
>d. Isr.
40.
Ho7\ Aaron is stripped, and dies.
and they went up into mount Hor,
in the sight of all the congregation.
28 " And Moses stripped Aaron of
his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his
son ; and ' Aaron died there in the top of the
mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from
the mount.
29 And when all the congregation saw that
Aaron Mas dead, they mourned for Aaron
^ thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
SO.'an. 'cli. 33. 3B. Deul. 10. 6. & 32. 50. f So Deut. 31. 8.
" The place where the people murmured upon the return
of the spies was Kadesh Baniea, Num. xiii. 26. xxxii. 8.
Dtiit. i. 1 9. This place was called Riihainah before j Num.
xxxlii. 18. compared with Num. xii. 16. and xiii. 26. and was
so called, probably from the Juniper trees that grew there; but
now named Kadesh, because the Lord was there sanctified
upon the people, as chap. xx. 1 .3. and Barnea, or the luan-
deri):g son, because here w-as the decree made of their long
ivandering in the wilderness. They continued a good space
at Kadesh before they removed ; for so said Moses, Ye abode
in Kadesh many days; or as the Hebrew, According to the
days that ye had made abode, namely at Sinai, ver. 6. And
so they spent one whole year there, for so they had done at
Srnai. vVnd whereas God commands them, at their murmur-
ing, to turn back to the Red .sea, Deut. i. 40. his meaning
was, that at their next march, whensoever it was, they should
not go forward unto Canaan, but back again towards the
Red sea, whence they came, (but see on Deut. i. L) And they
did so, for they wandered by many stations and marches from
Kadesh Barnea, till they came to Kadesh Barnea again, .leven
or eight and thirty j'ears after they had first left it. These
inarches, mentioned in Num. xxxiii. were these. From Kadesh,
or Rithni.ah, to Rimmon I'arcz, to Lilmah, to Rissah, to Kelalliuk,
to mount Shapher, to Ilaradah, to Makhelotli, to Tahuth, to Ta-
rah, to Miciiah, to Ilashmonah, to Maseroth, to Horhagidgad,
to Jctbathah, to Ebronah, to Ezion Gaber, to Kadesh again,
in the fortieth year. And though it was only eleven days'
journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir, to Kadesh,
Barnea, Deut. i. 2. they made it above thrice eleven years'
journey I" Had they trusted in God, and obeyed him, their
enemies long ere this would have been discomfited, and
themselves quietly established in possession of the promi.sed
inheritance. But they grieved the spirit of God and did
not believe his promise; and it would have been incon-
sistent with the whole oeconomy of grace, to have introduced
unbelievers into that rest which was a type of the kingdom
of God.
CHAPTER XXI.
Arad, a king of the. Cunaanites, attacks Israel, and makes some prisofiers, 1. T/tei/ devote him and his people to
destruction, 2. which thcj/ aj'temaids aaomjilished, 3, T/uy journey from lloi, and are greallij discouraged, Ai,
Aradjiglifs against Israel. CHAP. XXI. T//cj/ loathe the manna.
They murmur against God and Moses, and loathe the. ninnna, 5. The Lord sends fieri/ sei-penti among them, 6.
They repent, ami leg Moses to intercede for tlicm, 7- The Lord directs him to make a brazen serpent, and sd it
on a pole, that the people might took on it and be healed, 8. Moses does so, and the people icho beheld the
brazen serpent lived, [). Tficif journei/ to Oboth, Ijc-abaiim, Zared, and Anion, 10 — l.J. j4 quotation
from the book of the wars of tlie Lord, 14, 15. From Avnon tfiey come to Beer, 16. Their song of tri-
umph, 17 — -0. Moses sends messengers to the yl mo rites Jo r permission to pass through their land, 21, Q'2. Sihon
their king nfuses, attacks Israel, is defeated, and all his cities destroyed, 23 — Qd. 'Tlie puttie proverbs made
on the occasion, 27 — 30. Israel possesses the land of the Jmorites, 31, 32. They are attacked by Og king of
Baslian, 33. They difeat him, destroy his troops and family, and possess his laud, 34, 35.
A.M. !;s5.J
B. C. U.M.
*. ii.Exixl. Isr.
40.
A=
ND xchen "king Arad the Ca-
naanitc, which dwelt in the
south, heard tell that Israel came
•* by the way of the spies; tlieii he fought against
Israel, and took soyne of them prisoners.
2 ' And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord,
and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people
into my hand, then '^ I will utterly destroy their
cities.
3 And the Lono hearkened to the voice of
Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites : and
they utterly destroyed them and their cities :
and he called the name of the place ^ liormah.
■ Ch. 33. 40. Sep Judges 1. 16. '' ch. l.T SI. ' Oen. 2fi. 20. Judges
11. .30. «Lcv. 27. 'Jb. =Tbat is, iillcr destrurlion. 'ch. 20. '2ii.
& 33. 4L
NOTES ON CH.iP. .XXI.
Verse 1. The ivuy of the spies'] D'inN utharim. Some
lliink thai this sifjnifies the way that the spies took, when
they went to search the land. But this is impossible, as Dr.
Kennicolt justly remarks, because Israel had now marched
from Mcribak-Kadcsh to mount llor, beyond Etion-Oclter ;
and were turning round Edom to the south-east; and tlierc-
fore the word is to be understood here, as the name of a place.
Verse 3. The Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel] Tlie
whole of thi» verse appears to me to liave been added after
the days of Joshui. U is certain the Canaanites were not
■ utterly destroyed at the lime here spoken of, for this did not
take place till after the death of Moses. If instead of ut-
terly destroyed lliciii, CHiTI laiyacharcm, wc translate tliey de-
voted them to utter destruction, it will make a good sense, and
not repuijnant to the Hebrew; though some think it more
probable that the verse was added alierwards by Joshua or
J'.zra, in testimony of the fulfihnent of God's promise ; for
Arad, who is mentioned a- bi-mg; destroyed here, is men-
tioned among those destroyed by Josliua long ailer ; sec .losh.
xii. 14 but this is quite consistent with their being devoted
to destruction, as this might be fulfilled any lime after. See
the note Lev. xxvii.
Verse 5. This tisr/tt bread] SpSpn hd-kallcul, a word of ex-
cessive scorn ; as if they had said, 'I'his innutritive, unsubstau-
aial, cheat-stomach stuff.
Vci'se C. Fiery serpents] C£Ti'n S'ttTUH ha-itccJmshim
A-M.?.!.!"?.
B.C. ll.it.
All. l:diud. Ur.
40.
4 ^ And ' they journeyed from
mount Hor by the way of the Ketl
sea, to ^ compass the land of Edom :
and the soul of the people was much " discou-
raged ' because of the way.
5 And the people ''.spake against God, and
against Moses, ' Wherefore have ye brought us
up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness ? for
there is no bread, neither is there any water, and
■"our soul loatheth this light bread.
G And "the Lord sent "fiery serpents among
the people, and they bit the people j and much
people of Israel died.
c Judges 11. 18. "i Or, grind. 'Heb. shnrtenai. Exod. 6.9.
i< Ps. 78. 19. 'Exod. l(i. .1. & 17. 3 "> ch. 11. 6. ° Wisd. 16. 1, *.
1 Cor. 10, 9. " Deut. 8. 1 j.
ha-seraphim. I have observed before on Gen. iii. that it is
diflicult to assign a name to the creature termed in Hebrew
nachash ; it has different significations ; but its meaning here,
and in Gen. iii. is most ditficult to be ascertained. Seriipkim
is one of the orders of angelic beings, Isai. vi. 2, 6. but a«
it comes from the root t<^^ sarnph, which signifies to burn,
it has been translated fiery in the Text. It is likely, that St.
Paul alludes to the Seraphim, Heb. i. 7. fVlto maketh his an-
gels spirits; and his ministers a FLAME o/" FIRE. The ani-
mals mentioned here by .Moses, may have been called fieiy
because of ilie heat, violcnl inflammation, and thirst occa-
sioned by their bite; and consequently, if serpents, they were
of the pricster or dipsas specie.s, whose bite, especially that
of the former, occasioned a violent inflammation through the
whole body, and a fiery appearance of the countenance.
The poet Lucan has well expressed this ten-ible effect of tlie
bite of the pra^ster, and also of the dipsas, in the ninth book
of his Pharsalia, which, for the sake of those who may not
have the work at hand, I .shall here insert.
Of the mortal tflects of the bite of the dipsas in the dt-
sarts of Lybia, he gives the following description.
Signifcrtimjuvenem Tyrrheni sanguinis Aulum
Torta caput retro dipsas calcata momordit.
Vix dolor, aut sensus dentisfuit : ipsaque lati
Frons caret iniidia : nee (pddquam plaga minatur'
Eece iubit virus taciturn, carpitque medullas
•i P
Fiery serpents bite the people.
7 IF 'Therefore
A.M. 2m3.
B. C. llol.
An.Exod. Isr,
4a
the people came
to Moses, and said, We have sinned,
for " we have spoken against the
Lord, and against thee : " pray unto the Lord,
tliat he take away the serpents fi-om us. And
Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee
a fiery sei-pent, and set it upon a pole : and it
shall come to pass, tliat every one that is bitten,
when he looketh upon it, shall Hve.
NUMBERS. A brazen serpent Is set upon a pole.
9 And ''Moses made a serpent of
• Ps. 78. 34. *> vcr. 5.-
-' Exod. R. 8, 28.
Acts a. '.'1.
1 Sara. 12. 19. 1 Itings 13. 6.
Ignis edax, calidaqvie incendit viscera tali,
EbiWt luunorein circum vilaliafusum
Pestis, ct in sicco linguam tovrere palato
Ca'pit: (lefessos iret qui sudor in arlus
Nonfuit, atque oculos lacrimarum vena refugii,
Auki.s, a noble youth of Tyrrhene blood,
Who bore the standard, on a dipsas trode ;
Backward the wratlitul serpent bent her head.
And fell with rage, the unheeded wrong repaid.
Scarce did some little mark of hurt remain.
And scarce he found some little sense of pain.
Nor coul<! he yet the danger doubt, nor fear
Tliat death with all its ten-ors threatened there.
When lo! unseen, the secret venom spreads.
And every nobler part at once hivades ;
Sivife jlamcs consume the mnrroiv and the brain.
And the scorched entrails rage with burning puiii;
Upon liis heart the thirsty poisons prey
And drain the sacred juice of life away.
No kindly floods of moisture bathe his tongue,
I3ut cleaving to the parched roof it hung;
No trickling drops distil, no dewy sweat.
To ease his weary limbs, and cool the raging heat.
ROWE.
The effects of the bite of the prccsier are not less terrible.
l^'asidiuni. Marsi cultorem torridus agri
Fercusiit proDster : itti rubor igneus ora
Succendit, tonditque culem, pereunte figura,
Miscens cuncta tumor totojam corpore major:
Humanumque egressa modum super omnia viembra
Efflatur sanies, lute tollente veneno.
A fate of different kind Nasldius found,
A burning praster gave the deadly wound :
And straight, a sudden fame began to spread.
And paint his visage vvilh a. gloicing red.
Wiith swift expansion, swells the bloated skin, "^
Nought but an undistinguished ma.'s is .seen ; >■
While the fair human form lies lost within. }
The puffy poison sprcuds, and heaves around.
Till all tiie mttn is in the monster drown'd.
K0W£.
A..Ar.2.5.'5,5.
B. C. 1461.
An.Exotl.lsr.
40.
brass, and put it upon a pole, and
it came to pass, that if a serpent had
bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of
brass, he lived.
10 ^ And the children of Israel set forward,
and ^ pitched in Oboth.
11 And they journeyed from Oboth, and
•^ pitched at ^ Ije-abarim, in the wilderness which
is before Moab, toward the sunrising.
•> 2 Kings 18. 4. John 3. 14, 15. <= ch. 33. 43.-
heaps of Abnrim.
-f cli. S3. 44. e Or.
Bochart supposes that the hydrus or chersydrus is meant ;
a serpent that lives in marshy places, the bite of which pr»»
duces the most terrible innaramations, burning heat, fetid
vomitings, and a putrid solution of the whole bod)-. See his
works, vol. iii. col. 421. It is more likely to have been a
serpent of the prxster or dipsas kind ; as the wilderntse
through which the Israelites passed, did neither afford rivers
nor marshes, though Bochart endeavours to prove that there
minht have been marshes in that part; but his arguments have
very little weight. Nor is there need of a water serpent as
long as the praster and dipsas which abound in the desarts of
Lybia, might have abounded in the desarts of Arabia also.
But ver}' probably the serpents themselves were immediately
sent by God, for the chastisement of this rebellious people.
The cure was certainly preternatural ; this no person doubts;
and why might not the agent be so, that inflicted the
disease .?
Verse 8. Bfake thcc a fiery serpent'\ Literally, make thee
a seraph.
And set it upon a pok"] D3 Vj? Al nes, upon a standard, or
ensign.
Verse 9. And Moses made a serpent of brass] IWfM BfTli'
nechash nechoshet. Hence we find that the word brass or
copper comes from the same root with nachash, which here
signifies a serpent, probably on account of the colour, as
most serpents, especially those of the bright spotted kind
have a very glistening appearance, and those who have brown
j or yellow spots, appear something like burnished brass; but
the true meaning of the root cannot be easily ascertained.
On the subject of the cure of the serpent-bitten Israelites,
by looking at the brazen serpent, there is a good comment
in the book of Wisdom, chap. xvi. ver. 4 — 12. in which are
these remarkable words : — " They were admonished, having
a sign of salvation, (i. c. the brazen serpent) to put them in
remembrance of the commandments of thy law. For he
that turned himself towards it, was not saved by the THING
that he saw, but by TUl.Z, that arl the saviour of all," ver.
6, 7. To the circumstance of looking at the brazen serpent
in order to be healed, our Lord refers, .John iii. 14, 15. As
Moses lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so
tnust the Son of man be lifted up, that ivhosoever believeth in^
him, should not perish, but have eternal life. 'I'he brazen
serpent \vas certainly no type of Jesus Cjirist— but from o\ir
1
2''he booh ofilie tears of the Lo^'d.
CHAP. XXI.
Israel's triumphant song.
A.M.?w:;. 12 'From thence they removed, antV! /5 the well, wliereof the Lokd spake a.m. C5.w.
pitched in the valley of Zared. ,! unto Mo.ses, Gather the people to-
13 From thence they removed, andjjgether, and I wdl give them water.
D. C. liS\.
An. Kxod.lsr.
40.
])itched on the other side of Aruon, which is in [i 17 ^ Then Israel sang this song, "Spring up,
the wilderness that cometli out of the coasts of { O well ; 'sing ye unto it.
the Amorites : for '' Arnon is the border of Moab, j 18 The princes digged the well, the nobles ef
between' Moab and the Amorites. 'the people digged it, by the direction of "the
14 Wherelbre it is said in the book of the j lawgiver, with their staves. And from tlie
upon
Avars of the Loud, "^ What he did in the Red
sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,
15 And at the stream of the brooks that goeth
down to the dweUing of Ar, " and ' Hcth
the border of JNloab.
16 And from thence they xvent '^tp Beer: that
•Dent. g. 1.". 1> cli. «?. 36. Xiid^es 11. 13. ' Or, Talub in Suphali.
■lUcut. 2. lU, 29. «Heb. leaiielli. f Judgt-s 9. 21. s£xod, 15. I.
wilderness they xceiit to Mattanah :
19 And from IMattanah to Nahaliel: and from
Nahaliel to Bamotli :
20 And from Bamoth in the valley, th.at is in
the ' country of Moab, to the top of "* Pisgah,
Avliich looketh "toward "Jeshimon.
I's. Kfi. 2. & 106. 12. ^"Ileb. Ascend. 'Or, answer. ^Isai. 33. 2S.
nivb.Jicld. '"Or, the hill. "cli. 2J. 28. 'Or, the wiUierneis.
I.ord'.s word*, we may leam, 1. That tis the serpent was direcled the setting up of (irc/iciy, .see 2 Sam. i. 1 3. and
lilted up oil the pole or nisitrii; so Jcstii Cliri>t was lifted up || warrants Joshua to command the sun, and expect its obedi
on the croi^. 2. Tint as the Israelites were to look at tlie
brazen serpent ; so sinners must look to Christ for salvation. |
iJ. That as G«d provided no other remedy than this looki'ig, j
fur the wounded I.'jraelites, so he has provided no other way
of salvation than/u///i in the blood of his son. 4. That as
■ ■ who looked at ihe brazen serpent, was cured and did live; |
' hf tiiat believcth on the Lord Jesus Christ .shall not perish, i
but have cterruil life. 5. That as neither the serpent, nor i
looking at it, but the invisible power of God healed the I
people ; so neither the cross of Christ, nor his merely being j
crucified, but ihe pardon he has bought by his blood, com- I
munieated by tlie povjerful energy of his Spirit, savi.s the souls '.
ef men. M:jy not all these tilings be plainly seen in the
circKmstances of this transaetion, without making the serpent a
type of Jesus Christ, (the most exceptionable that could
possibly be chosen) and runninj^- the parallel, as .some have
done, through ten or a dozen of |)articuiars ?
Verse 12. They — pitched in the valley qfZared.] Tdbm nachel
red. This should be tran.«lated ihe brook Zared, as it is
ence." — Josh. xiii. 10,
What he did in the Red Sea, and in the brooks of Arnnn\
This clause is impenetrably obscure. All tiic version.s, all
(he Iran.slators, and all the commentators have been puzzled
with it. Scarcely any two af^ree. The original is am njt
nS1D3 rt vaheb besuphuh, which our translators render, xuhat
he did in the Red Sea, (iillowintj here the Chaldee Targumj
but not satisfied with this version, they have put the most
difficidt words in English letters, \n the niarg-m, rakeb in
suphah. Calmet'a conjecture here is ingenious, and is adopted
I by Houbigant : instead ol"3r:i vaheh, he reads mi zared. Now
a I znin may be easily mistaken for a 1 van, and vice versa,
and a n he ibr a 1 re.^h if the left limb happened to be a
little obliterated, which frequently occurs not only in M.SS.
I but m printed hooV.i' \ the 3 bcth also might be mistaken for
I a 1 ilakth, if the ruled line, on which it stood, happened in
I that j)lace to be a little thicker or blacker than usual. Thus
j then Dm vaheb, might be easily formed out of mi zared,
mentioned ver. 12. the whole might then be read. They
' >oul. ii. 1:5, 14. This stream has its origin in the mountains li encamped at the brook Zared, and they caine to Suphah, and
■ .istward of Moab, and runs from Ka.st to AVcst, and dis- ji thence ^o^/icfcroo/t ^nio«. Take the passage as we may, it is
tharges itself into the Dead Sta. I evidently defeclire. As I judge the whole clause to have been
Verse 13. Arnonl Another river which takes its t\sg 'm^\& common proverb in those days, and Vaheb to be a proper
the mountains of Moab ; and after having separated the j name, I therefore propose the following translation, which 1
ancient territories of the Moabites and Annnonites, it falls
into the Dead Sea, near tlie mouth of Jordan.
Vcriie 14. The book of the tears ef ihe Lord] There are
.iidle.';s conjectures about this book, both among ancients and
moderns. Dr. I.iglitfoot's opinion is the most simple, and to
me bears the greatest appearance of being the true one.
" This book seems to have been some book of remembrances
and directions, written by Moses for Joshua's private instruc-
tion for the managemeut of the wars after him. — See Exod.
xvii. 14 — 16. It may be that this was the same book which
is called the book of Jasher, i. e. the hook of the upright, or
believe to be tlie best : I'rom I'aheb unto Suph, and unto the
streams of Anion. If we allow it to have been a proverbial
expression, used to point out extensive distance, then it was
similar to that well known phrase. From Dan even unto Bcersheba.
Verse n. Spring up, 0 luell, &c.] This is one of the most
ancient war song-s in the world — but is not easily understood,
which is commonly the case with all very ancient composi-
tions, especially \.ht poetic. — See the Remarks K.xod. xv. 1, &:c. •
Verse 18. The princes digqed the well — ;i;(//i their staves,']
This is not easily understood. Who can suppose that the
princes dug this well with their staves f and is there any other
a directory for Joshua from Moses, what to do and what to i| idea conveyed by our transUiion ? The word nan chapharu,
expect in his wars: and in this bo.. k it seems as if Mcsts ij which is translated, they digt^ed, sbould be rendereil, /%
4 P 2
Sihon refuses them a passage. NUMBERS.
21 % And * Israel sent messengers
unto Sihou king of the Amorites,
77iei/ defeat him.
A. M. i."^^).
b. C. HAl
An.Exijfl. lb
40.
saying.
22 '' Let me pass through thy hmd : T\-e will not
turn into the fields, or into the vinevards : we
mon : for the border of the children
A. M. sssa.
B.C. 1451.
Ail. E.iod. Isr.
4(1.
of Ammon ivas strong.
25 And Israel took all these cities :
and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites,
in Heshbon, and in all the ' villages thereof,
will not drink o/" the waters of the well : te^wejj 26 For Heshbon xcas the city of Si h on the
will go along by the king's high way, luitil we king of the Amorites, who liad fought against
be pa^jt thy borders. j; the ibrnier king of f*loab, and taken uU his land
23 " And Sihon w^ould not suffer Israel to pass out of his hand, even unto Arnon.
through his border: but Silion gathered all liis 27 WJicrefore they that speak in proverbs say,
people together, and went out against Israel Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be
into the wilderness: ''and he came to Jahaz, i binlt and prepared :
and fouicht against Israel. H 28 For there is ^ a fire gone out of Heshbon,
24 And "^ Israel smote him with the edge of a flame Horn the city of Siiion : it hath con-
the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon ] sumed '' Ar of Moab, a7Jc?tlie lords of the higk.
unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Am-
"Ueut. 2. i:6, i'T. .Tudges 11. 19. '■ch. 20. 17.
*Deul. 2. 32, Judircs II. 20. =Deut. 2. 123. & 29. 7.
= l)eBt. i9. 7.
Josli. 12. 1, 2. &
searched out, which is a frequent meaning of the root : and
CrOy'iyca ii? miiltanotam, which we rentier iMith their staves,
siiould be translated, on their borders or confines, from the root
ns ihain, to lie along. Witli these corrections the whole
eong may be read thus :
" Spring up, O well! Answer ye to it
places of Arnon.
21. 3. Neh. 9. 22. P.s. 13.5. 10. 11. .<t 136. 19. Amos 2. 9.-
teis. s Jer. J8. 4.i, 46. '' Deut. 2. 9, IS. Is;.i. 1 j. 1.
''Heb.rfiiwgS-
-< fithc
t sang
'Jhib
( Tills IV
1 rus.
Rppe.it tlie
r ])art of tlie
J hiiis the answer,
as the cho-
The well, the princes searched it out.
The nobles of the -people have digged it
By a decree, upon their own borders."
I^his is the whole of the quotation from what is called the
■book of the wars of the Lord. — Bi\t see Dr. Kennicott's
rcmirLs at the end of the chapter.
Verse 26. For He.shhnn was tf!c cilii of Sihon, &c ] It
appears, therefore, that tlic territory now taken from Sdion
by the Israelites, was taken from a former king- of Moab ;
in cotnmenioration of which an epicedioa or war song was
made, several verses of which, in their ancient poetic form,
ire here quoted by Moses.
Verse 2T. Thcij that speak in proverbs] ^■h'Z"Cr\ ha-meshe-
Um, from SlTO mashal, to rule, to exercise authoriii/ ; hence,
a weitijdy provcilial sai/ing, because admitted as an axiom, for
t')c government of life. Tlie mcshelhn of the ancient Asiatics
w\ie tlic same, in all probability, as the Poetic among the
Greeks and Latins ; the |j*« shaara among the. Arabs, \iho
vcre estccine.il as divine persons, and who had their name
from yfji shaara, he hu:^v, Kiiderstood, whose poems cele-
brated pa^t transactions, and especially those which concerned
Ihe militaiy htstoty of their nation. "^I'hese poets vrere also
lermed {J^:^ ky«i.i*? sahebi dccivan, companions or lords
{^f the council of state, because their weighty sayings and uni-
versal Imoivtedge were held in the highest repute. .Similar to
these- vftre the bards among the ancient Druids, auJ. the
Sennachies among the ancient Celtic inhabitants of the.'-c
i nations.
I Tile ode fiom the 27 to the 30 verse is composed of three
parts. The ftV.'./ takes in verses 27 ;.:vd 28. The second
ver.>e 29. and the third ver. 30.
The first records with bitter irony the late insults of Sihon
and his subjects over the conquered I^Ioabitcs.
The second expresses the compassion of the Israelites over
the desolations of Moab, with a bitter sarcasm against their
god Chemosh, who had abandoned his votaries in tlieir distress,
or was not able to rescue them oiU of the hands of their
enetnies-
The third sets forth the revenge taken hy Israel upen the
whole country of Sihon, from Heshbon to Dtbon, atid from
Nophah even to Medehuh. — See Isai. x-v. J, 2.
Tlie whole poem divided into its prop/er hemistichs as it
stands in Kennicott's Hebrew Bible, is as Ibllows ;
Verse 27. I. Part. Come ye to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt :
The city of -Sihon, let it be established.
Verse 28„ For from Hesiibon ibc fire went out.
And a flame from the city of Sihon :
It hath consumed the city of Moab,
With the lords of the heights of Arncn.
Verse 29. II. Part. Alas for Ihee O Moab !
Thou hast perished, O people of Chemosh .'
He hath given up his fugitive sons
And his daugliters into captivity.
To the king of the Amorites, Sihon.
Verse 30. III. Part But on them have WE lifted destruction,
Frciii Hesiibon even to Dibon :
We have de stioyed even to Nuphab,
The lire d;d reach to Medebah.
Sc€ Kennicott's Remarks. ■
Theyfght 'with and dtfeat CHAP,
29 Woe to thee, IVIoab ! tlioii art i
XXI.
Og, Icing ofBashan.
33 if 'And they turned and went jj ^* 'j'j^'"
up by tlie way ofBashan: and Og ai,.i:xo<i.Ut.
the king of Bashan went out against **'
them, lie, and all his people, to the battle ' at
Edrei.
34 And the Lord said unto Moses, ^ Fear
even " unto Dil)on, and we have laid them I him not: for I have delivered him into thy
waste even unto Nophah, which rcachetli untoi h.and, and all his people, and his land; and
"Medcba. j '' thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto
AM. 2^53.
A.K lixod. hr. undone, O people of ' Cliemosh : he
*'• hatii given his sons that escaped,
and his daugliters, into captivity unto Sihon
king of the Amorites.
SO We have shot at them ; Heshbon is perished
31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amo-
rites.
32 And Moses sent to spy out ^ Jaazcr, and
Sihon, king of tlie Amorites, which dwelt at
Heshbon.
i:i5 'So they smote him, and his sons, and
they took the villages thereof, and drove out l| all his people, until there was none left him
tlie Amorites that i^cre there.
• Judces 11. 24 1 Kir.ts II. 7, as. 2 Kings 23. 13. Jer. 43. 7, ]:"..-
■' Jer.-ia. 18, 'i-'..^— ' l«ai. 15. 2. ■■ ch. ii. 1. Jer. 4B.aa.
: alive: and they possessed his laud.
'Deat.3.1. & 29. 7. f .losh. 13. 12. tDcut..S.8. "ver.'rf. Ts.l^.
10, 11. & 136. 20. ' Dcut. 3 3, 4, &c.
Verse 33. So th<y smote him COg) and all his sons] There
is a curious note of Dr. Lifrlitf'oot here, of whicli I siiould
ihiiik ilwnm^ to deprive the reader
" Sihon and Og- conquered, A M. 2553. Of the life of
Moses, I'JO, fiom the Exodus 40. It is now six and twenty
generations from tlie creation; or from Adam to Moses; and
accordingly doth Psalm cxxxvi. rehearse the durableness of
God's mercy six and tu-aiij/ times ovtr, beginning- the story
with the creation ; and ending it in the conquest of Siiion and
O^. The numerals of the name nTH' Jehovah, amount to the
sum of six and liveulj/."
On some difficulties in this chapter, Dr. Kennicott makes
the following observations:
" This one chapter has several very con.siderable diffi-
( ulties ; and some verses, as now fran.slatcd, are remarkably
unintelligible. A true state of this chapter is not, however,
to be despaired of; and it has in it some cuxumstaiices which
merit more than common attention. It cont.iins the history
of the last part of the travels of the I.sraeliies in their way to
the promised land: beginning with them at mount IJcr, the
thirty-fourth encampment, and concluding with them, as in
their forty-second and last eiicampnieiit, near Jordan, in tlie Ij detail in chap, xxxiii. has occasioned great perplexity, as ta
But this being impossible, because Israel had now marched
from JIcrihuh-Ktidoh to mounl Hot; hey onA Ezion-geber, and
were turning round Edom, to the !?iouth-east ; it is happy
that the word rendered s]>ics, in our version, is in the Greek
a proper name, {Alharim) which removes that dillieulty.
And the other ditiiculty (verses '1, 3.) is removed by the
Greek version likewise : according to which, the vow made, .
with the fact subsequent, does not signify destroyin<r the
Canaanite cities, but devoting them to dcsCrucfion at sonir
liiture time. — See H'lill'i Cnl. Notes.
" It proceeds with saying — that after defeating the Ca-
n.ianites at mounl Hor, tliey journeyed from mo::nt llor, by -
the ■^i:ay qf the Red Sea, (in the road ironi Ammon, Jlidian,
&c. to the Eastern gulph of the lied Sea) io compass the land
of Edom — that, on their murmuring for uant both of bread and
of water, they were punished by fiery serpents — after which;
they marched to Oboih, and thence to Ije-abarim, in the
ivitdiTiicss, east of Moab. The cncampmeij(-i of the I.sraelites
ainountmg to forijj-txxo, are recorded all logxther, in histori-
cal succession, in chap, xx.xiii. where J/^-iiu,.iim is the 38th —
Dibongud, 39 — Almon-Dihlalhaim, 40 — ntotinta-ins qf Abtiyittt, ^
41 — anil the plaitis of Moab, by Jordan, "iv. This rte;ular
country which they had acquired by conquest over Sihon, king
of the Amorites.
" It begins with saying — that king Arad, the Cumianite,
liho d-^ijlt in the South, (in the land of Canaan, Num. x.xxiii.
40.) attacked Israel, and was defeated, and that Israel de-
siroj^ed their cities; and that, after destroying these Canaanite
cities, and consequently after being in a part of Canaan, a
part of the very country they were going to, on the ll'cst of
the Dead Sea, they returned towards the Red Sea, and near
the Eastern tongue or gulph of the Red Sea, on the South
of Edom, marelied round Edom to the East of the Dead Sea,
111 order to enter Canaan from the EltLst side of Jordan !
" This surprising represtiitation of so vast and dangerous
a march, quite unnecessarily performed, is owing lo two
circumstances. The first i.s, (xxi. 1.) the Canaanites heard
that Israel was coming by the iiaj/ of the spies — meaning.
chap. xxi. where, after the stations at Oboti, and Ije-ahurim,
in ver-es 10 and 1 1, we have, in \orse l;> and 20, the words
Matlanah, Aahaltel, and Bamoth ; which are usually con-
sidered as the proper names of three pl.ices, but widely
jliflerent from the three proper names alter JJe-abarim, in the
catalogue at chap, xxxiii.
" But there i.s, in reality, no inconsistence here. In the
plain and historical catalogue, (chap, xxxiii.) the words are
strictly tite proper names of the three pieces: but htre the
words Miitanah, Nahalicl, and Bnmoih, follow some lines of
poetry, and stem lo form a continuation of the song. 'I hey
evidently express figurative and poetical ideas. The verbis
journeyed from, and pitched 2n,.are not found here, tboujli
necessary to prose narration : see verses 10 and II here, and
chap, xxxiii Lastly, verse the 2Uth, (in this 2 1st chapter)
usually supposed lo express the last encampment, docs not.
by the way the spies went from Kitdah-Barncu into Canaan." Fisgali signifies a hilt; and the Israelites could not encamp
Critical icmarks on several
NUMBERS.
difficulties in this chapter.
on the top of awy single hiU, such as this is describeJ.
Balak took Balaam to the top of Pcor, which lookelh toward
Jeshimm, (xxiii. 28.) which Peor undoubtedly was in I\Ioah.
He took him to another hill in Moah ; when he took him
(xxiii. 14.) to the top of Pz.sii-H/;, in the field of Zopliim. And
if the Pisgali, or hill, in xxi. 20. was in tlie counti-y oi Balak,
it could not point out the last encampment, which was not in
Balak's country, but no)-th of Arnon.
" The word Matianah probably alludes to a place distin-
guished by some gift or blessing from God. Fagius says —
Novien loci, ab ezenlu aquarum quas Dominvs ibi dedit, sic
appellati ; rOPlC nam signijicat domim — ' The name of tlie place
was so called, from the circumstance of the waters which the
Lord gave there; for Mattanah h\gn\fies a. gift.' hn'hi^i Naludiel,
is torrentes Dei ; i. e. great streams, particularly sea-onable or
salutary. And ni03 Bumuth, (ver. 28.) may point out any high
places, of signal benefit, in the country of Moah ; or it may
answer to the last station but one, which was the mountains of Aba-
rim. If, therefore, these words were meant to express poetically
some eminent blessing, what blessing was so likely to be then
celebrated as copious streams of water ? And, after they had
•wandered near /br/y years tlirough many a barren desart, and
after (compare Dmt. viii. 15.) having passed through that
great and terrible %i'ilderness, wherein were feiy serpents and
droiii^ht, where there was no luaier : it is no wonder tliey
should shout for joy at finding water in plenty ; and finding it
almost on the banks of Arnon, the last river they were to
pas.s, in the way to their last station, east of Jordan. No
Monder they should sing, in poetic rapture — that after the
uilderncss was {Mattanah) the GIFT of GOD ; meaning the
great well in Moab, dug by public authority — and no wonder,
that, after such a gift, there were {Nahaliel) blessed streams,
by wliicli they passed, till they came to [Bamoth) the high
places, from xvhich, perhaps, these streams descended. And
the thanksgiving ends where the blessing was no longer
wanted, on their coming down into the -•alley, along the
hanks of Arnon, which was tlien the North boundary of
]«.;ab.
" The Israelites had spent no less than thirty-eight years
m ct>ming from Kadesh- Barma to their encampment nortli i
of ZareJ.. Here, at this fortieth station, they were com- i
nianded to pass throui;h Woab, by 1J? Ar, the chief city ; |i
but were not to sto)) till they came to the valley on the South il
^)f Arnon. At this last station but one, they probably con- j
tinued no longer than was nece.-sary for sending }nrssengers to j
Sihon, king of the Ainorites, at Heshbon, and receiving his j
answer. They lljen crossed tiie Arnon; and having van- '
<tiiished Sihon and Og, took possession of the forty-second and
last encampment.
" This one chapter ha« three pieces of poetrj', either frag- !
Rients or cemplete : and poetry, seldom found in an histori- !
ral narrative, may l)c here accounted for — from the exube- |
runce of joy which must have affected these wearied tra-
vellers, wlien arriving thus happily near their journey's end.
What occurs first, is inverse 14; and lias oiten been called
ike fragment of an old .imorite song. Rut il may have been
Amorilc or Moabite, or cither or neither, for the sulyect matter
of it, as ft is generally understood, if indeed it can be said to be
understood at all. The words |U1N C3'"?n:r, nsi TWCa ini nx,
usually supposed to contain this iiagment, do not signify, as
in our English version — What he did in the Red Sea, and in
the brooks of Arnon. Without enumerating the many inter-
pretations given by others, I shall offer a new one, which
seems to make good sense, and a sense very pertinent.
" Observe frrst, that there must have been a place called
Suph, near the conflux of the Anion and Jordan ; because
Moses, whilst in that last station, begins Deuteronomy with
saying — he was on this side {i. e. east) of Jordan, over
against &iph. By this word is not here meant the Red Sea ;
partly, because that has every where else the word for sea
before it, and partly, because of the great distance of the
Red Sea now from Moses. The single word, therefore,
signifies here some place, in itself obscure, because no where
mentioned but in these two passages. And yet we cannot
wonder, that Moses should mention it twice, as the word
Supit, introduced in speaking of the two last encampments,
recalled to iliind the Sea of Suph, so glorious to Israel, near
the beginning of their march towards Canaan.
" Moses had now led Israel from the Red Sea to the river
Arnon, through many dreadful dangers, partly from hostde
nations, partly from themselves; such dangers, as no other
people ever experienced, and such as no people could have
surmounted, withaut the signal favour of the Almighty. And
here, just before the battles with Sihon and Og, lie reminds
them of Pharaoh, &c. and he asserts, that in the history
of the wars it shall be recorded, that JehOVAII, who had
triumphantly brought Israel through the sea of Suph, near
I'.gypt, at first, had now conducted him to Suph, near Arnoo ;
that
Jehovah went rvith him to Suph,
And he came to the streams af Arnon,
" This version removes the difficulties, urged by Hobbe*,
page 266, fol. 1750; by Spinoza, page lOS, 4to. 1670;
and retailed in a deistical pamphlet, called The Doubts of the
Infidel.':, page 4, Svo. 1781.
" The general meaning of the next piece of poetry seems
to be this : that at some distance from the city of Ar, by
which the Israelites were to pass, {Deut. ii. 18.) they came
to A WELL, of uncommon size and magnificence, which seems
to have been sought out, built up, and adorned, for the public,
by the ride7-s of Moab. And it is no wonder, that on their
ari-ival at such a well, they should look upon it as a blessing
frvm Heaven, and speak of it as a new miracle in their
favour.
i 7. Then Israel sang this song.
Spring up, O well! Sing ye thereto!
18. The well! princes searched it out;
The nobles of the people have digged it:
By their decree, by their act of government.
So, after the wilderness, was 3Iaitanah !
19. And after Jlattanah were Nahal/cl !
And after Nalialiel \vore Bamoth I
20. And after Bamoth was the valley;
Where, in the country of Moab,
Appearelh the top of Pisgah,
^^ hich is over asrainst Jeshimon."
li
See Dr. KK^■^'ICOTT's Remarks upon Select Passages in the
Old Tcstuinent,
'J'hcJf come to Moab.
•HAP. XXIf. Balak, the king, kndsfor Balaam.
CHAPTER XXII.
I'he Tsraelites pilch in the plains of Moab, 1 . Balak, king of Moah, is greaihf terrijied, 2 — 4. And sends to
Balaam, a diviner, to come and curse litem, 5, 6. The elders of Moab take a reward and earn/ it to Balaam,
7. He enquires of the Lord, and is positiveli/ ordered not to go with them, 8 — VI. ■ He co/nmifmicates this to the
elders of Moab, 13. T/ie^ return to Balak zcith this information, 14. He sends some of his princes to Balaam
Ziith promises of great honour, lo — 17- He conaulls God, and is permitted to go on certain conditions, 18 — CO.
Balaam sets off- — is opposed hi/ an angel of the Lord, and the Lord miraculously opens the mouth of his ass to
reprove him, 1\ — 30. Balaam sees the angel, and is reproved by him, 31 — 33. He humbles liimsclf, and offers
to 0-0 back, 34, hut is ordered lo proceed on the same conditions as before, 35. The king of Moab goes out to
meet him, 36. His address to him, 37. Balaam's firm ansuer, 38. Balak sacrijices, and takes Balaam to the
high-places of Baal, that he may see the zchole of the Israelitish camp, Sg — 41.
A.M. 2 '.53.
U. C. 14.it.
An.Kxod.Ur.
^0.
A ND ' the cliildren of Israel set
j^ \_ forward, and pitched in the
plains of Moab, on this side Jordan,
bj/ Jericho.
2 % And ^ Balak, the son of Zippor, saw all
that Israel had done to the Anierites.
3 And ' Moab was ^ore afraid of the people,
because they were many : and Moab was dis-
tressed because of the cliildren of Israel.
4 And Moab said unto "* the elders of Midian,
Now shall this company lick up all that are
round about us, as the ox licketh up tlie grass
» Ch. 33. 4a. >> Judges 11. SS. ' F.xod. 15. W. " cli. 31. 8. Josli.
13. 5il. 'Deiit. t'3. 4. Josh. 13. 22. & 2-i. 9. Nfli. 13. f, 2. Mich. 6. .5.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXII.
Verse 1. They pitched in the plains of il/owi] Tliey had
taken no part of the country that at present appertained lo
tlie Moabitts — they had taken only that part which hail for-
merly belonged to this people, but had been taken from
tkcm by .Sihon, kint; of the Amorites.
On this siitc Jordaii] On the east side. By Jericho — That
is, over against it.
Verse 5. To Pcthnr, vihkh is hy the riz-er of the land of the
children of his people\ Dr. Kennicott justly I'emark.s that "the
description now given of Balaam's residence, instead of being
particular, agrees with any place, in any country, where there
is a river — for he lived by Pethur, v:lnch is by the river of the
land of the ciiildren of his people. But was Pethor then, near
the Jsile in Esvpt .' Or in Canaan, near Jordan ? Or in Me-
aopotr.mia, near the Euphrates, and belonging to the Ammon-
ites f This last was in fact the case : and therefore it is well
that twelve Hebrew MISS, (with two of De Rossi's) confirm
the Stiniarita7i text here, in reading instead of li^ dmo, his
people, ]'ICV Anunon, with the Syriac and Vulgate versions."
J'loubigant properly contends for this reading; and necessity
urges the propriety of adopting it. It should tiiercfore stand
thus ; by the river of the land of the children of Amnion ; and
thus it agrees with Dent, xxiii. 4.
Verse 6. Come vow therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people]
Balaam, once a prophet of the true God, appears to have been
of the field. And Balak, the son f^/^f^
of Zippor, tvas king of the Moabites An. Exod.ur,
at that time. ^.^^
5 " He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam,
the son of Beor, to ' Pethor, which is by the
river of the land of the cliildren of his people,
'. to call him, saying. Behold, there is a peo])le
come out from Egypt : behold, they cover the
^face of the earth, and they abide over against
me :
6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, " curse
me this people j for they are too mighty for
2 Pet. 2. 15. Juder 11. Hev
eye. " ch. 23. 7.
2. 14. f See ch. 23. 7. Deut. 2:f. 4.-
SHcb^
one of tlie Mcshclim, see chap. xxL 27. who had added to
his poetic gift, that of sorcery or divination. It was sup-
posed tiiat prophets and sorcerers had a power to curse per-
sons and places, so as to confound all their desit^ns, fntstrate
their counsels, enervate their strength, and fill them with fear,
terror, and dismay. See Gen. ix. 25. Psal. cix. 6, 20. Josh,
vi. 26. .Icr. xvii. 5, 6.
Macrobius has a whole chapter, De carmine, quo evocari
solebant dii tutelarcs, el attt urbai, ant excrcitus devovcri. "Of
tlie incantations which were used to induce the tutelary gods
to forsake the cities, &c. over which they presided, and to de-
vote cities and whole armies to destruction." See Saturnal.
lib. iii. cap. ix. He gives us tv.-o of the ancient forms, used
in reference to the destruction of C(irtiia:^e, the first, to call
over tlie protecting deities, was pronounced by tlie dictator
or general, and none other, when they began the siege. It.
is as follows, literatim & punctatim .•
Si. Dens. si. Dea. est. cui. popolus. civilas. que. Carthagini-
ensis. est. in. tiUela. te. que. rnaxime. Hie. qui. urbis. hiijiis. popo-
li. que. tulelam. reoepisti. precoi: ver.eror. que. tvniam. que. a.
vobis. peto. ut. vos. popolitm. civitalcm. que. Carthaginieni^e-m.
fleseratis. loca. templa. sacra, urbcm. que. eorum. relinquaiis.
Absque, his. ubeatis. ei, que. popolo. civiiati. que. metum. foi'
midinem. oblivionan. iyiciatis. proditi. que. Romam. ad. me.
meos. que. venialis. nostra, que. vobis. loca. templa. sacra, urbs.
accepiior. prob'atior. que, sit, mihi, que, popolo, que, Romano.
Balak desires Jam to
NUMBERS.
eurse the Israelites*,
A. M.iyy?..
b.C. 14.TI.
An. Exod. Ur.
4(1.
me: peradventure I shall prevail, tliat
we may smite them, and that 1 may
drive them out of the land : for I Avot
that he whom tliou blessest is blessed, and he
V horn thou cursest is cursed.
7 And the elders of Moab and the elders
of Midian departed with Hhe rewards of di-
» 1 Sam. 9. 7,8.
miliiibus. que. tneis. prapositi. sitis. ut. sciamus. intelligamus,
que. Si. ita.feceriiis. voveo. vpbis. taiipla. liiilvs. que. faclurum.
" \\'hctlier it be god or gudrless, under whose prstection
the people and city of Carthage are placed : and thee, espe-
cially, who hast undertaken to defend this city and people,
I pray, beseech, and earnestly entreat that you would forsake
the people and city of Carthage, and leave their places, tem-
ples, sacred things, and city, and depart from them; and that
you would inspire this people and city with fear, terror, and
iorgetfulness : and that coming out from them, you would
pass over to Rome, to me, and to mine ; and that our places,
temples, sacred things, and city, may be more agreeable and
more acceptable to you : and that you would preside over me,
the Roman people, and my soldiers ; that we may know and
perceive it. If ye will do this, I promise to consecrate to
your honour, both temples and games."
The second, to devote the city to destruction, which it was
supposed the tutelary gods had abandoned, is the following.
Dis. Paler. I'ejovis. Manes, sive. vos. quo. alio, nomine, fas
est. nominare. tit. omnes. iiiam. urbem. Cartliaginem. exercitum.
que. quern, ego. me. sentio. dicere. fvga. formidine. tarore. que.
conipleaiis, qui. que. adversum. legioncs. exercitum. que. nostrum,
tinna. tela. que. fcrent. Uti. vos. cum. exercitum. eos. hostes. eos.
que. homines, urbes. agros. que. eorum. et. qui. in. his. locis. re-
gionibiis. que. agris. urbibus. te. habitant, abducatis. hanine. su-
pero. privetis. exercitum. que. hostkan. urbes. agros. que. eorum.
quos. me. sentio. dicere. uti. vos. eas. urbes. agros. que. capita.
(Ctales. que. eorum. deiotas. consecrutas. que. hubeatis. illis. legi-
bus. quibus. quando. que. sunt, maxime. hostes. devoti. eos. que.
ego. vicarios. pro. me. fide, tniigistrutu. que. meo. pro. popolo.
Romano, exercilibui. Icgionibus. que. nostris. do. devoveo. ut. me.
meum. que. fidem. imperium. que. legiones. exercitum. que. nos-
trum, qui. in. his. rebus, gerundis. sunt. bene, sakos. siritis. es.K.
Si. Itxc. ita. faxilis. ut. ego. sciam. sentiam. intclligmn. que. tunc,
quis. quis. hoc. volum. faxit. uhi. ubi. faxit. recti, factum, eslo.
oribu.':. utris. tribus. Tellus. mater, te. que. Juppiter. obtcstnr.
" Vis, Paler, Vejoris, Manes, or by whatsoever name you
wish to be invoked, I pray you to fill this city of Carthage
with fear and terror, and to put that army to Hight which I
.mention, and which bears arms or daits against OUR legions
and armies. And that j'e may lake a«.iy this army, tho.^e enc-
uiies, those men, their cities, and iheir country, and all who
dwell in those places regions, countries, or cities, and deprive
them of the light above. And let all their armies, cities.
Country, chiefs, and people, be held by you consecrated
and devoted, according to those laws by which, and at wh&t time,
.enemies can -he n)o.^i eflectually devoted. I also give, and devote
them as vicarious sacrifices for myself and my magistracy; for
tJ»c Roman people, anil for all our i*rniics and Icgians ; and for
A. 1\I. 2.5.«.
B.C. 1451.
An.Exod !.«•.
41).
vination in their hand ; and they
came unto Balaam, and spake unto
liim the words of Balak.
8 And he said unto them, ^ Lodge here this.
night, and I will bring you word again, as the
LoKD shall speak unto me : and the princes of
Moab abode with Balaam.
" Ver. 19.
the whole empire, and that all the armies and legions flhicli
are employed in these countries, may be preserved in safety.
If therefore ye will do these things, as I know, conceive, and
intend, then he who makes this vow, wheresoever and when-
soever he shall make it, I engage shall sacrifice three black
sheep to thee, O mother Earth, and to thee, O Jupiter." —
" When the execrator mentions the earth, he stoops down,-
and places both his hands on it : and when he names Jupiter,
he lifts up both his hands to heaven : and when he mentions
his vow, he places his hands upon his bjea.st." Among the
ancient records, Macrobius says, he found many cities and
people devoted in this way. The Romans held, that no city
could be taken till its tutelary god had forsaken it, or if it
could be taken, it would be unlawful, as it would be sacri-
legious to have the gods in captivity. They therefore en-
deavoured to persuade the gods of their enemies to couie over
to their party. Virgil intimates, that Troy was destroyed,
■only because the tutelary gods had forsaken it,
Excesscre omnes Adyti.i, arisque reliclis
Dii, quibus imperium hue steterat. — 2£,n. 1. ii. v. 351.
" All the gods, by whose assistance the empire had hitherto
been preserved, forsook their altars and their temples." And
it was on this account that the Greeks employed all their ar-
tifice to steal away the Patludiion, on which they believed
the safely of Troy depended.
Tacitus observes, that when Suelojiius Paulimis had pre-
pared his army to cross over into Monu, (Anglesea) where
the Britons and Druids made their last stand : the priestesses
with dishevelled hair, white vestments, and torches in their
hand.s, ran about like furies, devoting their enemies to destruc-
tion ; and he farther adds, that the siglit, the attitude, and
horrible imprecaiions of these priestesses, had such elleclon the
Roman soldiers, that for a while they stood still, and suffered
themselves to be pierced with the darts of the Britons, without
making any resistance. Tacit. Ann. 1. ,\iv. c. 29.
The Jews al-o had a most horrible form of execration, as
may be seen in lluxtorf's 1 alnuidical Lexicon, under the word
nD"in. These observations and authorities, drawn out in so
much detail, arc necessary to ra-^t light on the strange and
curious history related in this and the two following chapters.
Verse 7. The reivards of divination.] M'hoever went to
consult a prophet, took with him a present — as it was on such
gratuitous oderings the prophets lived — but here, more than
a mere present is intended ; perhaps every thing necessary to
provide materials for the incantation. The drugs, &c. used
on such occasions, were oflen very expensive. It appeai-s that
IJalaam v\as very covetou.i, and that he loved this wages of un^
righlcousiiessj and probably lived by it; see 2 Pet. ii. 15.
6
A. M. e>,>J.
B.C. 14M.
Au.Exiid. lit.
40.
God commands Balaam not to go.
9 ' And God came unto Balaam, and ,
said, "What men are these willi thee?!
10 And Balaam said unto God, Ba-;
lak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hatli sent i
unto me, saying,
1 1 Behold, there is a people come out of Eg}'pt, '
which coverelli the flvcc of the earth : come now, J
curse me them ; peradventure " I shall be able
to overcome them, and drive them out. j
12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shaltj
not go with them ; thou shalt not curse the peo-
ple : for "^tliey are blessed.
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and
said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into
your land : tor the Lord refuseth to give me
leave to go with you.
14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and tliey
went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to
come with us.
15 ^ And Balak sent yet again princes, more,
and more honourable than they.
16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him,
Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, " Let nothing,
I pray thee, hinder thee fi'om coming unto me :
17 For I will promote thee unto very great
honour, and I will do whatsoever thou .sayest
unto me : " come therefore, I pray thee, curse
me this people.
CHAP. XXII. He goes, aiid is opposed by an angeU
« Gen. 20. .^. ver. 20. 1" Ht'b. I shall prevail in fishtin^ against him.
"^ cli. 23. W. Rom. 11. 29. >■ Heb. Be nut thou Itiled from, 4c. =ver.6.
fch.H.i3. 6 1 Kings 22. M. SiClirou. 18. 13.
Verse 8. I villi brins; you word again as the Lord shall speak^
So it appears, lie knew the true God, and had been in the habit
of consulting' liini, and receiving orades from his month.
Verse 1 2. Thou shalt not go iiith them ; thou .".halt not curse
the people^ i. e. Thou shalt not go uitli them to curse the
people — With them he might go, as we find he afterwards
did, by God's own command ; bnt not to curse the people ;
this was wholly forbidden. Probably the command, Thou
shalt not go, refers here to that tivie, viz. the first invita-
tion ; and in this sen.se, it was most punctually obeyed by
Balaam ; see ver. 1 3.
Verse 1 4. Bidaum refuseth to come with us.'] " Observe, says
Mr. Ainsworth, Satan's practice against God's word, .seek-
ing to lessen the same, and that from h'tnd to hand, till he
bring it to nought. Balaam told the princes less than God
told him, and they relate to Balak less than lialaam told
thrm ; ."io that when the answer came to the kmjj of Moab,
it was n(.t the word of God, but the word of man ; it was
simply. Balaam refuseth to come, without ever intimating that
God had forb'.dden him." But in this Balaam is not to blame, I
he told the messengers in the most positive manner, Jehovah
refuseth to give me leave to go "Mth you, ver. 1 3. and more ex-
j)Ucit he could not be.
18 And Balaam answered and said i^c- usi.'
unto the servants of Balak, ' If Ba- .-vu.Kvod.isr.
lak woidd give me his house tidl of _■*"'
silver and gold, ^ I cannot go beyond the word
of the Lord my God, to do less or more.
19 Now therefore, I pray you, " tarry ye also
here this night, that I may know what the
LoKD will say unto me more.
20 ' And God came unto Balaam at night,
and said unto him. If the men come to call thee,
rise up, and go with them ; but " yet the word
which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
2 1 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and sad-
dled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 % And God's anger was kindled because
he went : ' and the angel of the Lord stood in
the way for an adversary against him. Now he
was riding upon his ass, and his two serv^ants
•were with him.
23 And ' the ass saw the angel of the Lord
standing in the way, and his sword drawn in
his hand : and the ass turned aside out of the
way, and went into the field : and Balaam smote
the ass, to turn her into the way.
24 But the angel of the Lord stood in a path
of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and
a Avail on that side.
25 And when the ass saw the angel of the
" Ver. (!.-
" Exod. 1. U.-
Judc 11.
' ver. 9. * ver. SH. cli. 23. 12, So. k 24. 13.
-*See 2 Kinj-s 6. 17. Dan. 10. 7. Acts 22. 9. 2 Pet. 2. 16.
Verse 18. / cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God]
Balaam knew God too well, to suppose he could reverse any
of his purposes; and he respected him too much, to attempt to
do any thing without his permission. Though he was covetous,
yet he dared not, even when strongly tempted both by riches
and honours, to go contrary to the command of his God.
Many make all the professions of Balaam, without justifying
them by their conduct. " They pretend," says one, " they
I would nut do any thing against the word of God for a house
\ full of pold, and yet will do it for a handful ! !"
Verse \9. Uliat the Lord will .say unto me more.] He did not
know but Go<t might make a further discovery of his will to him,
I and tlierefore he might very innocently seek thrther information.
Verse 20. If the men come — go with them] This is a confir-
mation of what was observed on the twelfth verse. Though
we find his going was marked with the divine displeasure,
because he wished, for the sake of the honours and rei^mrds,
to fulfill, as far as possible, the w ill of the king of Moab.
How many are restrained from sinning, merely through
the fear of God ! — they would gladly do the evil — but it is
forbidden, on awful penalties, — they wish the thing were not
prohibited, for they have a strong desire to do it.
Verse 'J3. And the ass saw the angel] When God granted
4 Q
A..M. vS53.
B. C. 1451.
An.Exod.Isr.
40.
Balaam is reproved hy Jus ass, NUMBERS.
Lord, she tlirust herself unto the wall,
and crushed Balaam's toot against the
•wall : and he smote her again.
26 And the angel of the Lord went further,
and stood in a narrow place, where -aas no
way to turn either to the right hand or to the
left.
27 And when the ass saw the angel of the
Lord, she fell down under Balaam : and Ba-
laam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass
with a staff.
28 And the Lord ' opened the mouth of the
ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I
done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these
three times ?
29 And Balaam said unto the ass. Because
He proceeds, and Balah meets him,
three times? behold, I went out ' to bch^'"
'withstand thee, because thy way is Ap.Eind.isr.
I '' perverse before me : •^°-
I S^ And the ass saw me, and turned from me
\ these three times : unless she had turned from
me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved
her alive.
34 And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord,
' I have sinned ; for I knew not that thou stoodest
in the way against me : now therefore, if it "^dis-
please thee, I will get me back again.
35 And the angel of the Lord said unto Ba-
laam, Go with the men : " but only the word
that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak.
j So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36 % And when Balak heard that Balaam was
thou hast mocked me : I would there were a j: come, "he went out to meet him unto a city of
sword in mine hand, "' for now would I kill thee
SO " And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I
thine ass, '' upon which thou hast ridden ' ever
since / xvas thine unto this day ? was I ever
wont to do so unto thee ? And he said. Nay.
31 Then the Lord '^ opened the eyes of Ba-
laam, and he saw the angel of the Lord stand-
ing in the way, and his sword drawn in his
hand : and he ^ bowed down his head, and " fell
flat on his face.
32 And the angel of the Lord said unto him,
Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these
»ePct. 2. 16. ""l^rov. 12. 10. "2 Pet. 2. 16. '' Hoh. who hast
riddtn uiwn me. = Or, tvcr Mice ihou wait, &c. f Sec Gen. '21. 19.
2 icings 6. 17. Luke 21. 16, 31. s Exod. 3i. 8. !> Or, ImucJ himsttt^.
■ ' Heb. to be an adversary unto thee. '' 2 1'et. 2. 14, 15. ' 1 Sam. 15.
viiions, those alone, who were particularly interestedj saw
tliem; while others in the same conipany, saw nothing-, Dan.
i: 7. Acts ix. 7.
Verse 26. And the angel — stood in a narrow place] In this
rarridge of the angel, says IMr. Ainsworth, the Lord shews
us the proceedings of his judgments against sinners: First, lie
r.iildly shakes his rod at them, but lets them go untouched.
Secondli/, He conies nearer, and touches them with an easy
correction, as it were wringing their foot against the wall.
Thirdly, When all this is ineflectual, lie brings them into
such straits that they can neither turn to the right hand nor to
the left, but must fall before his judgments, if they do not
fully turn to him.
Verse 28. The I^rd opened the mouth of the ass] And
^^•here is the wonder of all this.' If the ass had opened her
ctan mouth, and reproved the rash j)rophet, we might well
iic astoiiijhffl ! but, ^vhen God opens the mouth, an ass can
t^peak as well as a man. It is worthy of remark here, that
Balaam testifies no surprise at this miracle, because he saw
it was the Lord's doings. Of animate and inanimate things
receiving for a short time, the gift of speech, the heathen my-
Moab, ^ which is in the border of Arnon, which
is in the inmost coast.
37 And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not
earnestly send unto thee to call thee ? wheretbre
earnest thou not unto me ? am I not able indeed
" to promote thee to honour ?
38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am
come unto thee : have I now any power at all to
j say any thing ? "■ the word that God putteth in
my mouth, that shall I speak.
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they
came unto ' Kiijath-huzoth.
24, 30. & 26. 21. 2 Sam. 12. 13. Jnb 34. 31, 32 "> Heb. be evil in
thmc ei/ts. ° ver. LO. °Ueii.l4. 17. !" ch. 21 13. " ver. 17. cli.
21.11. ■■ ch. 23. 26. & 24. 13. 1 Kings 22. M. 2 Chroii. 10. 13. 'Or, a
oity of streets.
thology furnishes many fictitious examples, with which I do
not deem it proper to occupy the Reader's time.
Verse 33. Sure/y now also I had slain thee] How often are
the meanest animals, and the most trivial occurrences, instru-
ments of the yireservation of our lives, and of the salvation of
our souls ! The messenger of justice would have killed Ba-
laam, had not the mercy of God prevented the ass from
proceeding.
^'^ei'se 34. If it displease thee, I ttvV/ get me buck attain.]
Here is a proof", that though he loved the wages of unrighteous-
ness, yet he still feared God ; and he is now willing to drop
the enterprize, if God be displeased with his proceeding.
The piety of many called Christians, does not extend thus
far — they see that the thing displeases God, and ytt they
proceed. — Reader, is this thy case .?
Verse 38. The ivortl that God putteth in mi) mouth, that shall
I speak.] Here was a noble re.«oliition — and he was certainly
faithful to it : though he wished to please the king, and get
wealth and honour, yet he woulil not displease God to realize
even these bright prospects. Many who slander this poor
semi-antinomian prophet, have \iot half his piety.
Jialaam and Balalt
CHAP. XXIII. oJJ'cr sacrifices imto the Lord,
40 And Balak offered oxen and li Balak took Balaam, and brought him
sheep, and sent to Balaam, and toll up into the 'high places of Baal, that
the princes that xccre with him. jj thence he might see the utmost part
H And it came to pass on the morrow, that i of the people.
A.M.'iiJa.
U.C. ll.M.
All. f'ly'l- tsr
40.
U.C. 1131.
An.Kxod.ls.'.
W.
' Oil. 23. 2,X4, 30.
Verse 40. And Bahik offered oren, &c.] This was to gain the
favour of his god.s and perhaps to pro|jiliaie Jehovah, liiatlbc
«rrnl for which he had sent for Baluaiu might be accomplished.
Vtrse41. That he mi^ht see the utmost part q/' the people.]
Deut. 13. 2.
As he thouglit Balaam must have them all in his eye, when
he ])ronounced his ciTse, lest it vni^ht not extend to lho«e who
were not in sight On this account, he took him up into the
high places of Baal. See on chap, xxiii. 41.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Being arrived at the high places of Baal, (cli. xxii. 41.) Balaam orders Balak to build seven altars, and prcpar,
oxen and rams for sacrifice, \, 1. Balaam enquires of the Lord, receives an ansKcr, nith which he retufiis to
Balak, 3 — 10. Balak fnding that this teas a prediction of the prosperity of the Israelites, is great li/ troubled,
11. Balaam excuses himself, 12. He brings him to another place, ic here he might sec onhf a part of Israel,
and repeats his sacrifices, 13, 14. Balaam again consults the Lord, lo — 17. Returns zcith his ansicer, and
again predicts the glory of Israel, 18 — 24. Balak is angry, 25, and Balaam again excuses himself. Balak'
proposes another trial, takes him to another place, and repeals the same saerifccs, 'IG — 30.
N D Balaam said vmto Balak,
Build me here seven altars.
A. M. 25.i:i. A
V,. c. ii.li. /\
An. £xud. Lr. /~\
1^ and prepare me here seven oxen and
seven rams.
'2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken ; and
Balak and Balaam ^ ofl'ered on even/ altar a bul-
lock and a ram.
3 And Balaam said unto Balak, ' Stand by thy
])tirnt offering, and I will go : peradvcntiire the
I.oiiD will come '' to meet me : and whatsoever
he shcweth me I will tell thee. And ° he went
lo a high place.
4 TAnd God met Balaam : and he said un-
•Vcr. 2i>. 'ver. 14, SO. 'ver. 15. "'cli. 21. 1. 'Or, he went
eolitary. '\et.l6. tver. 16. cli. 22. 35. Deut. lU. IB. Jer. 1. 9.
NOTKS ON CHAP. XXIII.
Verse I. Build 7ne here seven altars. &c.] The oren and
tlic rams were such as the Mosaic law had ordered to be of-
ftred to God in sacrifice — the building of seven altars was
not commanded. Some tliink tliat tiit>e seven altars were
built to the seven planets — this is most gratuitously said — of it
there is no proof whatever — it is mere trifling, even with con-
jecture. As seven was a number of perfection, Balaam chose
it on this occasion, btcause he intended to oflcr a grand sacri-
fice, and to offer a bullock, and a ram, upon (ach of the
altars : tiie whole to be made a burnt oflering at the same
time. And as he intended to oiler seven bullocks and seven
rams at the same time, it could npt be conveniently done on
to him, I have prepared seven al- iVc iTm'
tars, and I have offered upon everj/ An' Kx..d i=r.
altar a bullock and a ram. '°'
.5 And the Lokd ^ put a word in Bahiam's
mouth, and said. Return unto Balak, and thus
thou shalt .speak.
G And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood
by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of
Moab.
7 IF And he " took up his parable, and said,
Balak, the king of ]\Ioab, halh brought me from
Aram, out of the mountains of the east, mijing,
'Come, curse me Jacob, and come, "defy Israel.
"Ver. 18. cli. 21. 3, !.■>, 23. Job 27. 1. ie 29. 1. Ps. 78. 2. Ezck. 17. 2.
Mic. 2. 4. Hab. 2. 0. • cli. 22. 6, 11, 17. ^ 1 Sam. 17. 10.
one altar, therefore he ordered seven to be built ; and «e need
go no farther to find out his reason.^.
Verse :}. Stand hy thy burnt offerini^] We have already
seen that blessing and cursing in this way were considered as
religious rites, and therefore must be always preceded by sa-
crifice. See this exeinjilified in the case of Isaac, before he
blessed Jacob and Esau, Gen. xxvii. and the notes there.
The venison that was brought to Isaac, of which he did eat,
was properly the preparatory sacrifice.
'\'^crse 1. And he took up his parable] iVtJ'O Meshalo, see
on chap. xxi. '11. All these oracular speeches of Balaam
are in hemistich metre, in the original. They are highly di'^-
iiiCed, and inuy be considered as immediate poetic pro-
4 Q 2
A.I\I. 255.3.
B.C. 1451
An.Exod.Isr.
40.
jBalaam refuses to curse Israel:
8 ^ How shall I curse, whom God
hath not cursed? or how shall I defy,
ivho^n the Lord hath not defied ?
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him,
and from the hills I behold him : lo, " the people
shall dwell alone, and ' shaU not be reckoned
among the nations.
10 '' "Wlio can count the dust of Jacob, and
the number of the fourth part of Israel ? Let
' me die ' the death of the righteous, and let my
last end be hke his !
11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast
thou done unto me ? ^ I took thee to curse mine
enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them al-
together.
12 And he answered and said, "Must I not
take heed to speak that which the Lord hath
put in my mouth ?
13 And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray
thee, with me unto another place, from whence
thou mayest see them : thou shalt see but the
utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all :
and curse me them from thence.
14 ^ And he brought him into the field of
" Isai. 4,7. n, 13. '' Dcut. 33. 28. ' Exod. oi. 16. Ezra 9. 2. Eph.
2. 14. "i(jen. 13. 16. & 22. 17. = Hcb. kii/ ioul, or, my life. fPs.
116. 15. Ech. 22. U, 17. & 24. 10. »ch. £2. 38.
NUMBERS.
Zophim
ductions of the Spirit of God ; for it is expressly said, ver. 5.
that God put the word in Balaam's mouth, and that the Spirit
of God came upon him, xxiv. 2.
Verse S. How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed?]
It was granted on all hands, that no incanlaiions, nor
imprecations could avail, unless God concurred and
ratified tliem. From God's communication to Balaam, he
saw, that God was determined to bless and defend Is-
rael ; and therefore all endeavours to injure them must be
in vain.
Verse 9. From the top of the rocks I see himi Tliat is, from
the high places of Baal where he went, chap. sxii. 41. that
he might the more advantageously see the whole camp of
Israel.
The people shall dwell alone"] They shall ever be pre-
served as a distinct nation. This prophecy has been lite-
rally fulfilled, through a period of 3300 years, to the pre-
sent day ! Tills is truly astonishing !
Verse 10. Let me die the death of the righteous] Probably
Balaam had some presentiment that he should be taken off
by a premature death ; and therefore he lodges this petition
against it. The death of the righteous in those times, im-
plied being gathered to one's fathers in, a good old age —
having seen his children and children's children : and to
this, probably, the latter part of this petition applies. And
let jny last end tie like his, ino3 'HTIN 'nni Mehi uchuriti cemo-
hu, And let mi/ POSTliRlTY be tike his. It has been generally
Old predicts their prosperity.
to the top of ' Pisgah, " and
A.M. 2553.
built seven altars," and offel-ed a bul- a^'. E^id ji.
lock and a ram on evety altar. ^-
15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by
thy burnt offering, while I meet Ike LORD
yonder.
16 And the Lord met Balaam, and 'put a
word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto
Balak, and say thus.
17 And when he came to him, behold, he
stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of
INIoab with him. And Balak said unto him.
What hath the Lord spoken ?
18 ^ And he took up his parable, and said,
" Rise up, Balak, and hear ; hearken unto me,
thou son of Zippor :
19 "God is not a man, that he should lie;
neither the son of man, that he should repent :
hath he said, and shall he not do itF or hath he
spoken, and shall he not make it good .■"
20 Behold, I have received commandment to
bless : and " he hath blessed ; and I cannot re-
verse it.
21 *" He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither
'Or,
the hill
ii
ver.
1,2.-
— 'ver
5.
eh
22
35.
"■.Judges
3. 20.-
■
ISam
15. 29.
Mai.
'i.6.
Rom.
11. 29.
.Tame.
1.
17.
lit
1. 2.
-"(JUI
12.
o
&e2
. 17. Numb
2S.
12.—
— PRom
.4
7,
8.
supposed, that Balaam is here praying for a happy death,
such as true Christians die, who die in the Lord ; and in
this way his words are generally applied : but I am satisfied
this is not their meaning. The prayer, however, understood
in the common way, is a good one, and may be offered ta
God profitably. A righteous man, is one who is saved from-
his sins — who is justified and sanctified through the blood of
the covenant ; and who lives, not only an innocent, but alsa
a holy and usiful life. He who would die well, should live-
well : for a bad death, must be the issue of a bad life.
Verse 13. Thou shall see but the utmost part of them'].
Balak thought that the sight of such an immense camp, had
intimidated Balaam ; and this he might gather from what he.
said in the lOlh verse. Who can cozint the dust of Jacob, &c.
he thought therefore that he might get Balaam to curse thein.
in detached parties ; till the whole camp should be devoted to
destruction, by successive execrations.
Verse \1. What hath the Lord spoken?] Balak himself
now under»lood, that Balaam wa.s wholly under the influence
of Jehovah ; and would say nothing bul what God coiniuand-
ed him ; but not knowing Jehovah as Balaam did, he hoped
that he might be induced to change his mind, and curse a
p«ople whom he had hitherto determined to bless.
Verse 1 9. God is not a man,' that he should lie] This seems to
be spoken to correct the foregoing supposition of Balak, that
God could change his mind.
Verse 21. Jk hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hatk ■
Balalc is angry lilth Balaa7n,
CHAP. XXIII.
B c 145?" '*'^*''^ '"^ ^^^" perversencss in Israel:
An.Exi.d. hr. * tlic LoRD liis Goil IS witli hiiii, "^ aiitl
''"• the sliout of a king is among them.
22 "God brought them out ol' Egypt ; he hath
as it were ** the stiength of an unicorn.
23 Surely there is no enchantment ' against
Jacob, neither /*' t/iere any divination against
Israel : according to this time it shall be said of
Jacob and of Israel, ^ What hath God wrought !
24 Behold, the people shall rise up ^ as a great
lion, and lilt up himself as a young lion : " he
shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and
diink the blood of the slain.
25 ^ And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither
curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
•Exod. 13. 21 & '29. 45, 46 k S>. 14 — r-'> Ps. 89. 15. =cli. 24. 8.-
* Ueut 33. 17. Job 39. HI, H. ' Or, in. • Ps. 31. 19. & U. 1.-
he seen pox-crseness in Israel] This is a diiTieult passage ; for if
we take the words as spoken of tlie people I,*rael, as their initjuiiy
and their perversenest were ahnost unparalleled ; such words
cannot be spoken of tliem, with strict truth. If we consider
them as spoken of the patriarch Jacob and Israel, or of Jacob
after he became Israel, they are most strictly true, as, after thai
time, a more unblemished and noble character, Abraham except-
ed, is not to be found in the paje of history, whether sacred or
profane; and for his sake, and for the sake oi his father Isaac,
and his grandfather Abraham, God is ever represented as fa-
vouring, blessing, and sparing a rebellious and undeserving
people; seethe concluding note. Gen. xlix. In this way, 1
think, this difiicult text may be safely understood.
Tiiere is another way in which the words may be interpreted,
which wilt give a good sense. JIN Aven, not only signifies in-
iquity, but most frequently trouble, labour, distress, and afflic-
tion, and these indeed, arc its it/tja/ meanings — and iniquity is
only an accommodated or metaphorical one, because of the
pain, distress, SiC. produced by sin.
7D1? dinal, translated here perversencss, occurs often in the
Scripture; but is never translated perversencss except in this
place. It signifies simply labour, especially that which is
of an afflictive or oppressive kind. The words, therefore, may
be considered as implying, that God will not suffer the people
either to be exterminated by the sword, or to be brought
under the yoke of slaveiy. Either of these methods of in-
terpn talion gives a good sense ; but our common version
gives none. Dr. Kcnnicott contends for the reading of the
Samaritan : instead of D'3n nS lo hibbit, he hath not seen ;
the Samaritan has U'D.s- ih lo ahit, I do not see — I do not
discover any thing among them on which I could ground my
curse. But the sense above given is to be preferred.
Verse 22. The strength of a unicorn] :dki retm and C^»^^'^
ram. It is generally allowed, that tlieie is no such bea>t in
nature as the unicorn; i. e. a creature of the horse kmd, with
one long rich curled horn in the forehead. The creature,
painted from fancy, is represented as one of the supporters
of the royal arms of Great Britain. It is difficult to say
what kind of beast is intended by the original word. The
A.M.255S.
B. C. 1451.
All. E.xcd.Isr.
40.
and proposes another trial.
26 But Balaam answered and said
! unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying,
' All that the Lord speaketh, that I
must do ?
27 And Balak said unto Balaam, " Come, I
pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place;
peradventure it will please God that thou niayest
curse me them from thence.
28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of
Peor, that looketh ' toward Jeshimon.
29 And Balaam said unto Balak, ° Build me
here seven altars, and prepare me here seven
i bullocks and seven rams.
30 And Balak did as Balaam liad said, and of-
fered a bidlock and a ram on everi/ altar.
« Ucn. 49. 9. " Ucn. 49. 27. ' ver. 12. ch. 24. 38. 1 Kings 22. 14.—
' ver. IS. ' ch. 21. 20. " ver. 1.
Septuagint translate the word /iOvoKt^og, the unicorn, or one-
horned animid ; the Vulgate, sometimes, unicornus ; and in
the text rhinocerotis, by which the rhinoceros, a creature
wliith has its name from the horn on its nose, is supposed to
be meant. That no single-horned animal can be intended by the
recni of Moses, is sutTiciently evident from this, that Moses,
speaking of Joseph, says, " he has the ilORKS of A unicorn,"
or reem; where the horns are spoken of in the plural, the
animal in the singular. The creature referred to is either the
rliinoceros, some varieties of which have tu;o horns on the nose,
or the wild bull, tints, or htffulo : though some think the beast
intended is a species of ^'0«/ ; but the rhinoceros seems the most
likely.
Ver.seSS. There is no enchantment, &c.] Because God has
determined to save them, therefore no enchantment can pre-
vail against them.
According to this time, &c.] I think this clause should be
read thus : " As at this time, it shall be told to Jacob and to
Israel, what God worketh ;" i. e. this people shall always
have prophetic iiformation of what God is about to work.
And, indeed, they are the only people under heaven, who
ever had this privilege. When God himself designed to
punish them because of their sins, he always /ort>:i'ar.>ifrf them
by the prophets ; and also took care to apprize them of all
the plots of their enemies against them.
Verse 24. Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion]
N'37 labia, the great, mighty, or old lion, the king of the
forest, who is feared and respected by all the other beasts of
the field. Ho shall Israel be the subduer and possessor of the
whole land of Canaan : and as a young lion, '1^f ari, from
ni}* aruh, to tear off, the predatoiy lion, or the lion in the
act of seizing and tearing his prey. The nations against
whom the Israelites are now going, shall be no more able to
defend themselves against their attacks, than the feeblest
beasts of the forest are, against the attacks of the strong lion.
Verse 28. Unto the top of Peor] Probably the place where
the famous Baal-peor had his cliiet temple. He appears to
have been the Priapus of the Moabites, and to have been
worshipped with the same obscene and abominable rites.
Salaam* s prophetic parable relative
NUMBEKS.
to th great prosperilij of Israel
CHArTER XXIV.
Balaam, fin<li)ig that God nas determined to h/ess Israel, seeks no longer for enchantments, 1. The Spirit of God
rowing upon him, he delivers a most important prophetic parable, 2 — 9. Bulak'% anger is kindled against him,
and he commands him to depart to his on'n eountrr/, 10, 1 1. Balaam, vindicales his conduct, IQ, 13. and delivers
a propheci/ relative to the future destruction of Moah hy the Israelites, 14 — 17. al;o of FAlom, 18, I9. of the
Amalekiies, 20. and of the Kenites, Gl, 22. Predicts also the destruction of J shier and Tiber, by the naval
pozacr of Chittim, tchich should afieniards he itself destroyed, 23, 24. Balaam and Balak separate, 13.
A. M. 2553.
15. C. 1«1.
An. Exod. 1st.
•10.
A
ND wlien Balaam saw that it
pleased the Lord to bless Israel,
he went not, as at ^ other times, ^ to
seek for enchantments, but he set his face to-
ward the wilderness.
2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw-
Israel " abiding in his tenis according to their
tiibes ; and " the spirit of God came upon him.
3 ° And he took up his parable, and said, Ba-
laam the son of Beor hath said, and the man
^ whose eyes are open hath said :
• Ch. 23. 3, 15. '' Heb. !r) Ihe mtelhi^ of enchantments. "^ cU. 2. 2,
ic. •" ch. 11. 25. 1 Sara. 10. 10. & 19. 20,2.'S. 2 Chron. 15. 1. = cli. 2i.
7, 18. f Heb. who had his eyes shut, but now opened.
NOTES ON CH.iP. XXIV.
Verse I. He ivent not, as at other times, to seek for enchant-
ments] We have already liad occasion to ob5cr\'e, thai the proper
meaning of the word Z'TM nuchush, is not easily ascertained ;
see chap. x.\i. 9. and see on Gen. iii. I. Here the plural
□"liTU nechashim, is rendered enchantnienls ; but it probably
aneans no more than the kMwledge of future events. 'W'-hen
Balaam saw that it pleased God to bless Israel, he therefore
thou^it it unnecessary to apply for any farther prophetic de-
clarations of God's will, as he had done before; for he could
safely infer every good to this people, from the evident dis-
position of God tiiwards them.
Verse 2. The Spirit of Cod came upon him.} This divine
afflatus he ha<J not expected on the present occasion ; but God
had not yet declared the whole of his will.
Verse 3. Jle took tip his parable] His prophetic declara-
iion couched in highly poetic terms, and in regular metre, as
the preceding were.
The man ivr.ose eyes are open] I believe the original TDTW
shetum, should be translated ■'ihut, not open ; for in the next
verse, where the opening of his eyes is mentioned, a widely
difl'erent word is used, nVj ,salah, which signifies to open, or
reveal. At first, the eyes of Balaam were shut, and so closely
too, that he could not see the angel who withstood him, till
God opened his eyes; nor could he see the gracious intentions
of Gcd towards Israel, till the eyes of his tinderstrinding xiere
opened by the power of the Divine Spirit. This, therefore,
he mentions, we may suppose, with humility and gratitude;
and to the credit of the prophecy which he is now about to
deliver, that the Moabnes may receive it as the luord of Cod,
A.M. rr'
B.C.Uhl.
An. K.tnd.IsT.
*».
4 He hath said, which heard the
words of God, which saw the vision
of tlie Almighty, ^falling into a trance,
but ha\ing his eyes open :
5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, owe? thy
tabernacles, O Israel !
6 As the \'alleys are they spread forth, as gar-
dens by the river's side, " as the trees of lign
aloes ' which the Lord hath planted, and as
cedar trees beside the waters.
7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets.
s Sec 1 Sam. 19. 24. Ezck. 1. 28. Dan. 8. 18. & 10. 15, 16. S Cor. 12.
2, 3, 4. Rev. 1. 10, 17. " Ps. 1. 3. Jer. IT. 8. ■' I's. 101. 16.
which must be fulfilled in due season. His words, in their
meaning, are siradar to those of the blind man in the Gospel —
" Once 1 was blind, but now 1 see."
Verse 4. hailing into a trance] Tiiere is no indication in
the Hebrew, that he fell into a trance : these words are added
by our translator.^; but they are not in the original, btii
noppel, is the only word used, and simply signifies fulling,
or fulling doivn, perhaps, in this instance, by way of religious
prostration.
Verse 6. Lign aloes, tvhich the lord hath plumed] Or, as
the tents whicli the Lord hath pitched: for it is the same
word, CD'SiN ahalim, which is used in the 5th verse. But
from other parts of Scripture, we find that tlie word also
Mgnifies a species of ;;fi", tailed by some the sandal tree, and
by others the lignum, or wood aloes. This tree is described
as being eight or ten feet high, with very large leaves growing
at the top ; and it is supposed, tliat a forest of those, at some
di.stance, must bear some resemblance to a numerous encamp-
ment. As the word comes from the root Snx ahul, which
signifies to spread or branch out, and therefore is applied lo
ttnts, because oi their being extended or spread out on the
ground; so, when it is applied to trees, it must necessarily
mean such as were remarkable for their widely-extended
branches : but what the (jaiticular species is, cannot be sa-
tisfactorily ascertained. By the Lord's planting, is probably
meant, such trees as grow iudependautly of the cidtiiation of
man, — ^idlis kominum cogcntibus ; or, as fV;-^i7 expresses it,
i^ponte sua qua: se tollunt in luminis oris.
V\H(J. Geor. ii. 47.
" Such as sprung up spontumously into the regions of light."
AM
•:jj3.
B.C.
J4.'-)l.
Xn.Ex
ij hr.
40.
Bafc^' iS enraged,
and his seed ,*/;«/? be * in many wa-
ters, and his king shall be hitrher
than '' Agag, and his "^ kingdom shall
be exalted.
8 '^ God brought him forth out of Eg>'])t ; he
hath as it were the strength of an unicorn : he
shall "^ eat up the nations his enemies, and shall
'ireak their bones, and ^pierce them through
with his arrows.
9 '' He couched, he lay down as a lion, and
as a great Hon : who shall stir him up ? ' Blessed
CHAP. XXIV.
'er. 31. 13. Kev. 17. 1, l."). ^ 1 Sam. l.i. 9.
-' 2 Sam. .S. 12.
■ iron. 14. «. ' c!i.
i-^ui. j8. 13. .Icr. 50. 17.-
-« cli. 14. 9. & 23. 21.-
-c Ps. 45. 5. Jer. 50. 9.-
-f P^. a. 9.
-'' Gen. 49. 9.-
.'/s cedar-trees] Gabriel Sionila, a very learned Syrian
Maronite, who assi.'-teil in cflitiiig the Paris Polyj^lott, a man
■Worthy of all credit, thus describes the cedars of mount
Lebanon, which he had examined on the spot :
" The cedar grows on the most elevated part of the moun-
tain, is taller than the pine, and so thick, that five men to-
gether Could scarcely fathom one. It shoots out its branches
at ten or twelve feet from the ground ; they are large, and
distant frum each other; and are perpetually green. The
cedar distils a kind of gum, (o wliieli ditllrent elTects are
attributed. The wood of it is of a brown colour, very solid,
and incorruptible if preserved from lucl. It bears a small
apple, like to that of t\ie pine."
De la Rcque relates some curious particulars concerning
this tree, which he learned from the Maronites of .Mount
Libanus. " The branches grow in parallel rows round the
tree, but lcs,scn gradually from tht bottom to the top, shooting
out parallel to the horizon, so that the tree is, in appeaiance,
s-imilar to a cone. As the snowi:, which fall in va»t quantities
on this mountain, must necessarily, by their weight on such a
vast surface, break down these branches, nature, or rather
the God of nature, has so ordered it, that at the af>proach
fji winter, and during the snowy soasoti, the branches erect
themselves, and cling clo.se to the body of the tree, and thus
prevent any quantity of sntiw from lodging on them."
!\Ir. Maundrel, who visited INIount Libanus in 1697, gives
t!>e following description of the cedars still growing there:
" These noble trees grow among the snow, near the highest
part of Lebanon, and are remarkable, as well for their own
(i^e and largeness, as for those frequent allusions to them in
the word of God. 8ome of them are very old, and of a
prodigious bulk; others yomigcr, and of a smaller size. Of
the former, I could reckon only sixteen; but the latier are
very numerous. I measured one of the largest, and found
it tu:elre yards and tix inches in girl, and yet sound ; and
ihirfy-seven yards in the spread of its branches. At about
five or six yard.s from the ground, it was divided into five
limbs, each of which was e(|nal to a great tree." — Journey
from Aleppo 10 Jerusalem, p. 1 42.
Verse 7. IJe siuill pour the water out of Iiis buckets, &e.]
Here is a very plain allusion to their method of raising water
in difVer'.nt parts of the East. By the ucll, a tall pole is
3
A. M. KSVI.
II. C. 14.M.
Aii.E-vod.hr.
40.
smote his hands toge-
Md orders Balaam to depart,
is he that blesseth thee, and cursed
is he that ciuseth thee.
10 % And Balak's anger was kindled
against Balaam, and he "
ther : and Balak said unto Balaam, ' I called
thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou
hast alt<)octher blessed them these three times.
1 1 Therefore now iiee thou to thy place : "" I
thougiit to promote thee unto great honour ;
l)ut, lo, the Loud hath kept thee back from
honour.
' Gen. 12. 3. k '27. S9. ^ Kzck. ?1. H. 17. & ?2. 13. ' ch. iS. 11:
Dcut. 23. 4, 5. Josli. 24. 9, 10. Ncli. IS. i'. ••• cli. 2.'. 17, S7.
erected, .which serves as a fulcrum to a very long lever, to the
smaller end of which a bucket is appended. On the op-
posite end, which is much larger, are many knolches cut in
ihe wood, which ser\e as steps for a man, whose business it
is to climb up to the fulcrum, in order lo loner the bucket
into the well, which, when filled, he raises by walking back
on the o])po5ite arm, till his weight brings the bucket above
tlie well's mouth : a person st<inding by the well, empties
the bucket into a trench, which communicates with the ground
intended to be watered.
J lis seed shall be in mttny Katcrs'] Another simple allusioa
to the sowing of rice. The ground must not only be kcII
watered, hui flooded, in order to serve for the proper growth
of this grain. The rice tlKit was sown in mmi/ waters, must
be the most fruitful. By an elegant and chaste metaphor, all
this is applied to the jurocreaao/i of a numerous postcriij/.
His A'/«n- shall be higher than .^'Igag^ 7 his name is sup-
posed to have been as common to all the Amalekitish kings,
as rharuoh was to tho.se of Egypt. But several critics, with
the Septuagint, suppose that a small change has taken place
here in the original word; and that instead of JJXO mc ugug,
than .,'tgag, we should read ;u^ ^J'g"g, than Gog. As Gvg,
in scripture, ."Jeems to mean the enemies of God's people,
then the promise here may imply, that the true worshippers
of the Most High, shall ultimately have dominion over all theu'
enemies.
Verse 8. God brought kirn out of Egj/pt] They were
neither expelled thence ; nor came loluntarily away. God
alone, with a high hand and uplifted arm brought them
forth. Concerning the unicorn, sec on chap, xxiii. 22.
Vcr?e 9. He couched, he lay doivn as a lion, Jkc] See the
original terms explained chap, xxiii. 24.
These oracles delivered by Balaam, are evident prophecies
of the victories which the Israelites should gain over their
enemies, and of their firm po.ssession of the Promised Land.
They may also refer to the great victories to be obtained by
the Lord Jesus Christ, that Lion of the tribe of Judah, over
Sin, De.ithand Satan, the grand enemies of the human race:
and to that most numerous posterity of spiritual children,
which should be begotten by the preaching of the Gospel.
Verse 11, Lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honour."} '.
.\ bitter and hnpious sarcasm. " Hadst thou cursed this'
A.M. 2553.
B.C. 1451.
An.Exod. Isr.
40.
Balaam excuses hbnself, and delivers
12 And Balaam said
Spake 1 not also to thy messengers
which thou sentest unto me, saying,
13 * If Balak would give me his house full of
silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the com-
mandment of the Lord, to do either good or
bad, of mine own mind ; hut what the Lord
saith, that will I speak ?
14 And now, behold, I go unto my people :
come therefore, and " I will advertise thee what
this people shall do to thy people " in the latter
days.
15 % ^ And he took up his parable, and said,
Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man
t\hose eyes are open hath said :
16 He hath said, which heard the words of
NUMBERS. another remarkable p'ophetic parable.
unto Balak, \ God, and knew tlie knowledge of the
» Ch. 21. 18.-
& 10. 14.-
-•> Mic. 6. 5. Rev
-"i vcr. S, 1.-
14.-
-' Gen. 49. 1 . Dan. 2. 28.
-« Rev. 1. 7. f Matt. 2. 2. Rev. i;','. 16.-
people, I would have promoted thee to great honour : but
thou hast chosen ralher to follow the directions of Jehovah,
than mine, and what will l/c do for thee ?"
Verse 15. The man vhose eyes are opeiil See on ver. 3. It
seems strange that our version should have fallen into such
a mistake as to render OnU' shetum, open, which it does not
signify, when the very sound of the word expresses the sense.
The Vulgate has very properly preserved the true meaning by
rendering the clause, cujus ohiiiratus est ocultis; he whose eyes
are shut. The Targum first paraphrased the passage /a/se/y;
and most of the versions followed it.
Ver,se 17. / shall see him, but not now ;] or, / shall see him,
but he is not now : I shall behold him, but not nii^h : I shall liare
a full view of him, hut the tiine is yet distant. That is, the
person of whom I am now prophesying-, does not at present
exist among these Israelites, nor shall he appear in this
generation. There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a
Sceptre shall arise out of Israel — a person eminent for wisdom,
and formidable for strength and power, shall arise as king
among this people — he shall smite the corners of Moab ; -he
shall bring the Moabites perfectly under subjection, see 2 Sam.
viii. 2. and destroy all the children of Sheth. The original
word ■^p'^p harkar, from mp karah, to meet, associate, join,
blend, and the like, is variously translated, vastabit, he shall
tvasle, Vui.fi.ATE. — tt^ovo/jKuo-ci, shall prey on, SePT. — KlSu"
yishlot, shall rule over, Targum. — Shall shake, AkaBIC. —
JsJLijj barbcnd, shall put a yoke on, Pi:us. — Shall miuctll,
AiNSWORTII, &C. &c.
The Targum of Onkelos, translates the whole passage thus :
" I shall see hm, but not now : I shall behold him, l)iit he
is not near. When a king shall arise from the house ot
Jacob, and the Messiah be anointed from the house of Israel ;
he shall slay the princes of Moab, and rule o\er all the chil-
dren of men."
The Jerusalem Targum is a little diflVrcnt : " A king shall
arise from the house of Jacob, a rcdrtmer and governor from
A.M. 2558.
);.C. 145J.
An.Kxcd.lsr.
40.
most high, which saw the vision of
the Almighty, falling into a trance,
but having his eyes open :
17 ' I shall see him, but not now: I shall be-
hold him, but not nigh : there shall come ^ a
Star out of Jacob, and ^a Scepter shall rise out
of Israel, and shall " smite the corners of Moab,
and destroy all the children of Sheth.
1 8 And ' Edom shall be a possession, Seir also
shall be a possession for his enemies j and Israel
shall do valiantly.
19 "Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have
dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth
of the city.
20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took
E Gen. 49. 10. Ps. 110. 2, '' Or, smilt through the princes of Monh. 2 Sam.
8. 2. Jer. 48. 45. ' 2 Sam. 8, 14. Ps. 60. ii, 9. 12 " Gen. 19 10.
the house of Israel, who shall slay the chiefs of the Meabites,
and empty out and destroy all the children of the East."
Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, has, in my opinion, perfectly
hit the meaning of the prophecy in the follouing paraplirase
of the text : I shall see him, hut nomow : This is David. /
shall behold him, but not nigh. This is the king MESSIAH.
A Star shall come out of Jacob. This is DaVID. And a Sceptre
shall rise out of Israel. This is the king Me.ssIAH. And shall
smite the corners of Moab. This is David, as it is written
(2 Sam. viii. 2.) And he smote Moab — casting them down to the
ground : And shall destroy all the children of Sheth. This is the
king Messiah, of whom it is written, Psal. Ixxii. 8. lie shall
have dojninion from sea to sea.
Verse 18. And Edom. shall be a possessioyi] i. e. To DaVII),
as it is said, and all they of lulom became David's servants,
(2 Sam. viii. 14.)
And Scir shall be a pnssessionl That is unto the king
Messiah as it is said : " And saviours shall come up on
Mount Zion to judge the mount of Ksau, and the kingdom
shall be the Lord's." Obad. ver. 21. — See Ainsworth.
Verse 19. Out of Jacob shall come, &c.] 1 his is supposed
to refer to Christ, because of what is said. Gen. xlix. 10.
It is exceedingly difficult to fix the true sense of this pro-
phecy in all its particulars. Probably the Star, vcu IT. is
only an emblem of kingly power. Among the Egyptians a
star is said to have been the symbol of the Divine Being.
The sceptre refers to the kingly power in exercise. The
corners, or out-.skirts, may mean the petty Moabitish govern-
ments, as the Chaldte has understood the ti rm. If karkar,
which wc translate, utterly destroy, be not tlie name of a place
here, (which is not very likely) as it is in Judges viii. 10. it may
be taken in one of those senses assigned to it, (.<ee on ver. 17.)
and signify the blending together; the children of Sheth, that
is, all the inhabitants of the earth, for so the children of Seth
must necessarily be uiulerstood, unless we consider it here as
meaning some king of the i)Ioabi!es, according to Grotius,
The pvophttlc parable against
CHAP. XXIV.
Amalek and the Kenites.
bc'hm "P '''^ parable, and Said, Ainalck [[place, and thou putlest thy nest in a iH'j'f*
An.KK.'d.Ur. ivas ^thc fii'st of thc natioHS ; but his h rock. An.Eiod. i»r.
_ ■"•: latter end "^//of// 6e that he perish for'! 22 Nevertheless Hhe Kenites shall .._i^:
ever. ' be wasted '' until As>.hur shall carry thee away
21 And he looked on the Kenites, and took
up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling
•Or, the first of the nations that warred o^fiiTul Israel. Exod. 17. 8.-
siiall be even to deslruciio
> deslmciion. Kxud. 17. 14. 1 Sam. 15. 3, 8.
-'Or,
or a cily on the borders of Moab, according- to Rnbbi Na/Iian.
As neiiher Israel nor the Messiali ever destroyed all the
chiklrrn of men, we must (in order to leave the children of
Sheth nhat they are pjeneraliy understood to be, afl the in-
hubilunts qf the viorld,) understand the wiiole as a prophecy
of the final universal sway of the sceptre of Christ, when the
middle wall of partition shall be broken down, and the Jcins j
Olid Gentiles become one united, blended fold, under one |
shepherd and bishop of their souls.
I cannot think tliat the meteoric star, which guided the wise ',
men of the East to Hethlehem, can be intended here : nor do
I think that Peter refers to this prophecy when he calls Christ i
the dau Star, 2 Epist. i. 19. nor that in Rev. ii. 28. where j
he IS called the tNorniia star, nor that in Rev. xxii. 16. where '
Christ is called the bright and morning star, refer at all to i
this propht cy of Balaam. Nor do I think that the false i
Chriit who rose in the time of Adrian, and who called liirnself i
Barcocab, which literally signifies the son of a star, did refer I
to this prophecy. Had he, he must have defeated his own
intention, because the SoN of the star, is not THE STAR that
should arise, but at the utmost a descendant ; and then to
vindicate his right to the Jewish throne, he must shew that i
the person vvho was called tlie Star, and of whom he pretended |
to be the son or descendant, had actually reigned before liim. I
As the sun, . moon, stars, planets, tight, splendor, effulgence,
day, &c. were always considered among the Asiatics as
emblems of royally, government, &c. therefore manj', both men
and women, had these names given to them as titles, surnames, }
&c. So the queen ot Alexander the Great, called Roxana
by the Greeks, was a Persian princess ; and in her native
tongue her name was (j^jj Roushen, splendor. Hadassah,
who became queen to Ahasuents, in place of the repudiated
I'ashti, and is called Esther, by Europeans in general, was
called in the language of Persia SjlXm Sitareh ; from whence
by corruption came both Est/:cr, liie Persian queen, and our
word star. And, to wave all farther examjjles, a Mohamme-
dan prince at fust named Eesouf or Joseph, was called
j^^' i^f^j Rouxlien Akhlcr, when he ^^•as raised to Ihe
throne, which signifies a splendid or hnnimnis star. This
prince, by a joyful reverse of fortmie, was brought from a |
gloomy prison, and exalted to Ihe throne of Hindoostan:
on which account the following couplet was made, in which
there i< a paranomasia, or play on the name Roushen Akhier ;
and the last line alludes to the history of the Patriarch .Joseph,
who was brought out of prison and exalted to the highest
honours in I'-gy| t.
JVW sIm .\,«I VJ /.,llXJ', -,l (.^M^J
captive.
23 And he took up his parable, and said, Alas,
' Hcb. Kain. Gen. 15. 19. '' Or, hoto tnn* shall it be ere Asshur carry
thee away captive f
■^^^ ^. u''^J j'
I.^M.^J
Hoiislien Akhter bond, ahionn mah shud:
Yoitstfaz Zendan ber dtnd shah shud.
He was a bright slur, but is now become a moon.
Joseph is brought out of/>r/.TO«, and is become a glorious kin''.
Verse 20. Amalek was the first of the nations^ The most anciait
and most powerful of all the nations or states then within the
view of Balaam ; but his latter end shall be that he perish
for ever, or his posterity, innHN, uchariio shall be destroyed,
or shall utterly fail. This oracle began to be fulfilled by Saul,
1 Sam. XV. 7, 8. who overthrew the Aniakkites, and look
their king Agag prisoner. vMterwards, they were nearly
"destroyed by David, 1 8a:n. xxvii. 8. and they were finally
cxterunnated by the sons of Simeon in the daj-s of //<f£e/.wA,
1 Chron. iv. 41 — 43.; since that time, they have ceased to
exist as a people, and now no vestige of them remains on
the face of the earth ; so completely is their posterity cut oflf-
according to tills prophecy. The marginal reading, docs not
appear to give the proper sense.
Verse 2 1. He looked on the Kenites] Conmientatcrs are
not well agreed who the Kenites were. Dr. Dodd's opinion
is, I think, nearest to the truth. Jcthro, the father-in-law of
Moses, is called a priest or prince of Midian, Exod. iii, 1.
and in Judges i. 16. lie is called a Kcnitc ; we may infer,
therefore, says he, that the Kenites and the Midianites w ere
the same; or at least that the Kenites and the IMidianites
were confederate tribes. Some of these, we learn fioni .Tudues i.
followed the Israelites, others abode still among ihe Mi-
dianites and Amalekites. When Saul destroyed the latter,
we find he had no commission against the Kenites, 1 Sam.
XV. 6. but it appears that ihey were then a .small and incon-
siderable people : they had doubtless been icastcd, as the text
says, though by what mean.s does not appear from history.
On the other hand, it may bo observed, that the Midianitt"s,
mentioned here, lived rV'se to the Dead .Sea, at a great dis-
tance from the Madian, where Jethro lived, which was near)
Horeb. Perhaps they were a colony or tribe that had mi-jra-
led from the vicinity of mount Sinai. It seems that at this
lime, the A'e«eVei occupied a very strong position; strontf is
thy duelling place, and thou pattest thy nest in a rock : wliere ■
there is a play on the original word J>p kin, which signifies
both a Kcnitc and a nest. High rocks in these countries were
generally used as their strong places.
Verse 22. Until Asshur shall carry thee away cnpiire.] The
As-syrians and Babylonians who carried captive the fen tribes,
2 Kings xvii. 6. and the Jews into Babylon, 2 Kings xxv.
probably carried away ihe Kenites also. Indeed this seems
pretty evident, as we find .some Kenites mentioned among
the Jews after their return from the Babylonish captivity,
1 Chron. ii. 55.
4r
The prophetic parable
sliall live
NUMBERS.
against Asshur a?id Eher.
when God doeth
!B.C. 14ol. .
An.Ejocl.Ijr. thiS !
•*"• 24 And sliips 5/;«// come from the
coast of * Chittiai, and shall afflict Asshur, and
• Gen. 10. 4. Dan. 11. 30. » Gen. 10. 21, 25.
Verse 23. Who skull live idim God doeth this .?] There are
two senses in which these words may be taken; 1. That the
event is so distant, tliat none then ahve could possibly live to
see it. 2. That the times would be so distressing and deso-
lating, that scarcely awy should be able to escape. The
words are very similar to those of our Lord, and probably
are to be taken in the same sense : " Woe to them that are
with child, and to them that give suck in those days."
Verse 24. Ships shall come//'o»t the coast of Chiltim] Some
think by Chitlim the Romans, others the Macedonians, under
Alexander the Great, are meant. It is certain that the Ro-
mans did conquer the Assyrians, including all the people ol'
Syria, Mesopotamia, &.C. but Calmet .strongly contends that
by Chittim, Macedonia is meant; and tliat ihe proi)liecy
refers to the conquests of Alexander. Chittim was one of the
sons of Javan, the son of Japhet, the son of Noah, Gen. x. 4.
and his posterity, according to Josephus, Antiq. 1. iii. c. 22.
settled in Cilicia, Macedonia, Cyprus, and Italy also; and
therefore, says Mr. Ainsworth, the prophecy may imply both
the troubles that befel the Asisyrians and Jews by the Greeks
and SeleucidoB, in the troublous days of Antiochus.
^nd shall afflict Eber] Probably not the Hebrews, as
some think, but the people on the other side the Euphrates,
from lay, dbar, Co pass oier, go beyond — all which people
were discomfited, and their empire destroyed by Alexander
the Great,
Verse 25. And Balaam — returned to his placel Intended to
liave gone to Mesopotamia, his native country ; see Deut. xxiii.
4. but seems to have settled among the Midianites, where lie
was slain by the Israelites, see chap. xxxi. 8.
Though the notes in the preceding chapters have been ex-
tended to a considerable length, yet a few additional remarks
mav be necessary : the Reader's attention is earnestly re-
quested to the following propositions.
1. It appears sufficiently evident from the preceding ac-
count, that Balaam knew and \\ orshipped the true God.
2. That he had been a true prophet, and appears to have
been in the habit of receiving oracles from God.
3. Tliat he practised some illicit branches of knowledge,
or was reputed by the Moabites as a sorcerer — probably because
of the high reputation he had for wisdom — and we know that
even in our own country, in the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries, persons who excelled their contemporaries in wis-
dom, were reputed as magicians.
4. That though he was a believer in the true God, yet
he was covetous — he loved the xuages of unrighteousness.
5. 1 hat it dofK not appear that in the case betbre us, he
wished to curse Israel, when lie found they v\ere the servants
vf the true God.
€. Tliut it is possible he did not know this at first — Balak
shall afflict " Eber, and he also shall
perish for ever.
25 And Balaam rose up,and\venL and
" returned tohisplace : and Balak also wenthis way.
A.M.S.KS.
B.C. 14,il.
An.Kxiid.Isr.
40.
« See ch. .-1. 8.
told him that there was a numerous people come out of Egypt;
and as marauders, wandering hordes, freebooters, &c. were
frequent in those days, he might take them at first for such
spoilers ; and the more readily go at Balak's request, to con-
sult God concerning them.
7. That so conscientiously did he act in the whole business,
that as soon as he found it displeased God, he cheerfully of-
fered to return ; and did not advance, till he had not only the
permission, but the authority of God to proceed.
8. That when he came in view of the Israelitish camp, he
did not attempt to make use of any means of sorcery, evoca-
tion of spirits, necromantic spells, &.c. to accomplish the wish
of Balak.
9. That he did seek to find out the will of the true God,
by using those ?neans which God himself had prescribed, viz.
supplication and prayer, and the sacrifice of clean beasts.
10. That though he knew it would greatly displease Ba-
lak, yet he most faithfully and firmly told him all that God
said on every occasion.
11. That notwithstanding his allowed covetous disposi-
tion, yet he refused all promised honours, and proffered re-
wards, even of the most extensive kind, to induce him to act
in any respect contrary to the declared will of God.
12. That God on this occasion, communicated to him
some of the most extraordinary prophetic influences ever
conferred on man.
13. That his prophecies are, upon the whole, clear and
pointed, and have been fulfilled in the most remarkable man-
ner ; and furnish a very strong argument in proof of Divine
revelation.
14. That notwithstanding the wicked counsel given to the
Midianites, the effects of which are mentioned in the fol-
lowing chapter, on which account he probably lost his life,
chap. xxxi. 8. the badness of this man's character has been
very far overrated ; and that it does not appear that he was
either a hvpocrile, false p7-ophet, or a sorcerer, in the common
acceptation of the term, and that he risked even life itself in
following and fulfilling the will of the Lord !
15. That though it is expressly asserted, thap. xxxi, 16.
and Rev. ii. 14. that Israel's committing whoredwn with the
daughters of Moab, was brought about by the evil counsel
given by Balaam to cast this stumbling block in their way;
yet it does not appear from the text, that he had those most
criminal intentions which are generally attributed to him :
for as we have already seen so much good in this man's cha-
racter, and that this, and his love of money, (and wlio thinks
this a sin .f) are almost the only blots in it ; it must certainly
be consistent with candour and charity, to su.ggest a method
of removing at least some part of this blame.
IC. I Would therefore simply say, that the counsel given
by Balaatn to Balalt: might have been, " to form alUuncei
The TsraelUexjoin in
CHAP. XXV.
vifVi this people, Especially tViroiigti tlie mediuni of in<itn'mo- j
ntftl covnec'.ioiis ; and sft-ins; tliey could not romjucr them, to
erid<"avoiir to make lliciu tiicir friends." Now, though this
nisijht not be de>ie[ned by Balaam to bring tlieni mto a snare;
yet It was a bad doctrine, as it led to tlie corruption of the holy
seed, Mnd to an unequal yoking with unbelievers; which, tliougli
even in a matrimonial way, is as contrary to sound policy, as to
the word of God. — See the notes on chap. xxv. Z. and u.
the vtvrshfp of BaaJ-pebr.
n. That it was tli<* Morihid'.h wnnien, not Balaam, that
called llic people to ilic sacrilice.*; of their gods : and if ar-
gued great d«-gencracy and inic|uily in the hearts of the
people, on .«o slight an invitation, to jiin so 'suddenly ia
so impure a worship, and so speedily to cast off the whole
form of godliness, with every portion of the fear of the Al-
mighty : thtrclbre the high blame rests ultimately with tbem-
seWes.
CHAPTER XXV.
W7///f Israel abode in SJtitli/ii. the people cornriiit ithoredom t.iVA the daughters tif Moab, 1. They become idolaters,
.1. T/ie anger of tlte Lord is kindled against them, and he commands the iii.igledder?' to be hanged, 3, 4. Moses
rouacs the juilges to slaf the franagressors, 5. Zimri, one of the Israclitiih p/iitces of the tribe uf hjiiueon, briiigi
a MiJianitish princess, named Cozbi, into his tent, rchite the people are deploring their iniquitj/ before the taber-
7>aclc, '). Pkinchas, the son of Eleazar, incensed by this insult to the Inzis and zvorship of God, luns after them
and pierces tficm both zcith a javelin, 7, 8. Ttcenti/four thonsntid die of the pli'gue, sent as a pnnisltnwnt for
their iniquitj/, 9. The Lord giants to Fhinehas a covenant of peace and an everlasting priesthood, 10 — l.'J.
The name and qmiliti) of the Israelitish ynan and Midianiti^h rcoman, 14, l,";. God commands the Israelites
til ve.r and smile the Midianiles, icho hud seduced (hem to the zcorship of Baal-peor, 16 — 18.
the Lord asainst tl\e
N D Israel abode in " '•■
Aii.Krod.hr. ^\ and th
.___^1 niit wlioredom with the duugliteis ofi
Moab.
2 And " they called the people unto " the sa- j
crifices of their gods : and the people did eat, I
and ' bowed down to their gods. j
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor:!
and ' the anger ol the Lord was kindled against \
Israel. |
4 And the Lord said unto Moses, ^ Take all
the heads of the people, and hang them up be- \
• Cli. .*!.S. -O. Josh. C 1 Hfic. 6. 5. 'fli. 31. 16. iCor. 10. 8.
« Jo^l!. Kt 17. P^. lOi;. -M. Hen. 9. 1(1. ■■ Exod. .v*. l.>, 16. l<'oi-. 10. SW.
. ' Kxid. iti. 3. ' Vn. 106. •-•'.>. <■ Ueut. 4. J. .Tusli. s;2. 17.
NOTES ON CH.4P; ^XV.
X''pr.=e 3. Tsrael joined liiinsclf unto Bual-pcor] Tile same as
the Priapu.^ of the Uonians, and woisluppcd With the same
'<(bscene rites, as we have frcquenUy had occasion to remark.
The ^'o/niVfi,' to Baat-peor, mentioned here, was probably what
5*1. Paul had in view, when he .said, 2 Cor vi. 14. Be ye ntitim-
((pidili/ yoked lo^elher iiith iinhftin^Ts. And this joining, though
done ovtn in a nuilriiiiomal way, was nevertheless /'ir;»c(i</(/H,
see Rev. ii. 14. as no marriage between an Israelite aiul a
Midianitc could be legitimate, accirding to the law of God.
•See the propositions at the close of llie preceding chapter.
Verse 4. Take all the heads of Llic people, &c.] Meaning the
chiefs of t!io>e who had transgressed : as if he had said, " As-
femhle the chiefs and judges, institute an enqinry concerning
the tran.^gre.ssors, and hang them who shall be found guilty
shittiiYi, Ij fore the Lord against th.e sun, ii[^;",l^[
e people began to com- ji " tliat the fierce anger of the Lord An. Exod.isr.
may be turned away from Israel.
40.
5 And Moses said unto ' the judges of Israel,
" Slay ye every one his men that were joined
unto Baal-peor.
6 ^ And, behold, one of the cluldren of Is-
rael came and brouglit unto his brethren a Mi-
diauitish woman in the .sight of Moses, and ia
the sight of all the congregation of the children
of Israel, ' who -cere weeping be/ore the door
of the tabernacle of the congregation.
- ""ViT. II. Diiiit i;;. ir.
13. 6, 9, 13, 15. ' Joel :.
-'Exod. 18. *l.2.S.-
-" Esud. 3J. 27. Ueut.
before the Lord, as a matter required by his justice." j/igainst
the .5»/i — ill the most |)iiblie iiuiniier, and in <iay-liglit.
Dr. KeniiK-ctt iins remarked, that the Samaritan and He-
brew te.Kts must be both taken togetli;T, to make the sense
here complete. And the Lord said uiilo Moses, .Spk.\k un-
to all the heads of the people; AM^ LKT THKM SLAY THI-:
MEN IHAT WKKK JOIN I'D TO liAAI.-PtOlt ; and httng tliCltl
Up before the Lord, ui;ai)i.it the sun, &c.
W-r^e 5. Slai/ ye every one his Twc.-/] In the different de-
partments where you preside over thousands, hundreds, ffties,
and tens, slay all the culprits that shall be found.
\etsv 6. One of the children of Israel] Ziniri, the son of
Sulu, a priiifce of u chief I'amily in the tribe of Simeon, ver.
14. brought a Midiunilish vjoman — C'tzbi, daughter of Zur,
head 0M:'r a people of one of the chief fa:iiilics in Midian,
4 R '^
A.?.t. 2«.i.
B.C. 115).
An.Exod Isr.
•10.
Zimri and Cozbi slain hi/ Phinehas.
7 And ' when Phinehas, '' the son '
of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the
priest, saw if, he rose up from among
the congregation, and took a javelin in his
liand ;
8 And he went after the man of Israel into
the tent, and thrust botli of them through, the
man of Israel, and the woman through her
belly. So " the plague was stayed from the
children of Israel.
9 And ^ those that died in the plague were
twenty and four thousand.
10 % And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
11 ^Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of
Aaron the priest, hath turned .my wrath away
A.M. 2ja3.
B.C.I 15 J.
An. Exod. [sr.
40.
NUMBER.S. 24,000 die of the plague.
from the children of Israel, while he
was zealous * for my sake among
them, that I consumed not the child-
ren of Israel in ^ my jealousy.
1 2 Wherefore say, '' Behold, I give unto him
my covenant of peace :
13 And he shall have it, and 'his seed after
him, eveti the covenant of '' an everlasting priest-
hood ; because he was ' zealous for his God, and
■" made an atonement for the children of Israel.
14 Now the name of the Israelite that
»Ps 106. so. Erilus. 45. 23. 1 Mac. S. H •■ Ex.id. 6. t'5 ' Ps.
10c. .SO.. ' Deut. 4. 3. 1 Cor. Id. 8. = Ps. 1(.'6. oO. Ecclus. 45- 2,i.
fllcl). uilh mv •.eat: Si'c 'J Cor. II. 2. e Exnd. «(> Ft. Utut. 3?.
16, 21. 1 King* 14. i2. Ps. 78. 58. Eaek. 16. 58. Zcpli. 1. 18. 6c.3. 8.
ver. 15. Tlie coJit/jVion of these two person?, plainly proves
it to have been a matrimonial alliance — the one was a prince,
the other a j>}incess — -therefore I must conclude, that fornica-
tion or whoredom, in the connnon sense of the word, was
not practised on this occasion. The matter was bad enough,
as the marriage was in flat opposition to the law of God ;
and we need not make it worse by representing the woman
as a common prostitute, as the Vulgate and several others have
done. In such a ease, this is absolutely inadmissible. Jo-
sephus positivelj' says, that Ziniri had married Cozbi, Antiq.
1. iv. rhap. 6. and if he had not said so, still the tlung is
nearly self-evident. — See the conclusion of chap. xxiv.
Tiie children of Israel were weeping'] This aggravated the
crime, because the people were then in a state of great hu-
miliation, because of the late impure and illeg.il transactions.
Verse 8. Tlirusl both of tlicm througli] Inspired, undoubt-
edly, by the spirit of the God of justice, to do this act,
vhich can never be a precedent in any common occasion.
An act .something similar occurs in our own history. In
l.'SSl, in the minority of Richard II. a most formidable in-
surrection took place in Kent and Essex: about 100,000
men, chiefly under the direction of JVat Tyler, seized on Lon-
don, massacred multitudes of innocent people, and were pro-
ceeding to the greatest enormities; when the king requiring
a conference in Smithfield with the rebel leader. Sir WiUium
Wahcorth, then mayor of London, provoked at the insolence
with which Tyler behaved to his sovereign, knocked him
ofl" his horse with his mace, after which he was instantly dis-
pitched. While his partizans were bending their bows to
revenge the death of their leader, Richard, then only sixteen
years of age, rode up to them, and with great courage and
presence of mind thus addressed them, " What, my people,
will you kill your king ! be not concerned for the death of
your leader, follow me, and 1 will be your general." — They
were suddenly appeased, and the rebellion terminated. The
action of Sir William Walworth was that of a aealot, of es-
sential benefiC at the time ; and justified only by the pressing
exigencies of the case.
name or tne Israelite tliat was
slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish
woman, teas Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of
a ■" chief house among the Simeonites.
15 And the name of the Midianitish woman
* Mai. S. 4, 5 & 3. 1. Eecliis. 45. 24. 1 Mac. ?. 5t. ' Sec 1 Cliron. -
6. 4, iic. 1= E.\od. 40. 15. Eccliis. 45. M. 'Acts 2S:. 3. Koni. 10. SL.
"■ Hebr. 2. 17. • Heb. house of n father.
Verse 9. Those that died — icere iweniy four thousand.] St.
Paul, 1 Cor. X. 8. reckons only txveniy-tliree thousand ; though
some MS.S. and Versions, particularly the latter Syriac, and
the Armenian, have fj:eniy-four thou.sand, with .the Hebrew
Text. Allowing the 24,000 to be the genuine reading, and
none of the Hebrew MSS. exhibit any various reading here,
the two places may be reconciled thus: 1000 men were slain
in consequence of the examination instituted ver. 4. and
23,000 in consequence of tlie orders given ver. 5. making
24,000 in the whole. St. Paul probably refers only lo the
latter number.
Verses 12, 13. My covenant of peace — of an everlast-
ing priesthood] As the word peace implied all kinds of
blessings both spiritual and temporal ; it may mean no more
here than the promise of Gorl, to grant him and his family
tlie titmost prosperity in reference lo both worlds. The er^r-
tasling priesthood, refers properly to the priesthood of Christ,
which was shadowed out by the priesthood under the law ;
no matter in what family it was continued. Therefore tl)€
dh^V A2ro cehiinnath 61am, or eternal priesthood, does not merely
refer to any sacerdotal ministrations which should be continued
in the family of Phinehas, during the Mosaic dispensation ; but
to that priesthood of Christ, typified by that of Aaron and
his successors. The priesthood alone is everlasting; and a
covenant or grant of thai, was made to Phinehas and his de-
scendants. The Jews reckon 12 high-priests of the race of
Phinehas, from this time to the days of Solomon — 9 more
from that time to the captivity, see 1 Chron. vi. 4, 15. and
15 from their return, to the time o? Antiochus Eupator, the
last of whom was Oiiias, slain by Lysias. Ezra, the great
priest and scribe, was of this line; Ezra vii. 1, 5. The fa-
mily of Ithaniar, uncle of Phinehas, had the priesthood for
about 150 years; but it was restored to the family of Phine-
has in the person of Ztidok the priest, 1 Chron. vi. 50. in
which it continued, in the whole about 950 years. Probably
the Maccabees were of the same family; but though this is
not certain, there is no evidence against it. See Culmct.
God therefore sufficiently fulfilled his promise; he gave t<v
The Midianltes are
CHAP. XXVI.
B r im' ' *^^* ^^^^ ^'Ain ncas Cozbi, the daugh-
Aii.Exod.hr. terof'Zur; he wff.v head over a peo-
^- pie, and of a chief house in Mi(Uan.
16 T And the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying,
17 •* Vex the Mitlianites, and smite thcnj :
• Cli. 31. 8. Josh. 13. 51. * ch. 31. 2.
him and his descendants, ahnost the utmost temporal length
thiit could be given of that prifstliood, %vhicli is, in its own
n.iture, eternal. Here then, tlie word CD^V oiain means, not
a liuntfd time, but what is eternal in its duration. See the
note on Gen. xxi. 33.
18 For they vex you with
to he desttvt/ed.
their
Alvr.i'Sir
u. c. ii;.i.
.^n.Exciil.lsr.
4(1.
" wiles, wlierewith they have beguiled
you in the matter of Pcor, and in the
matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of
Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day
of the plague for Peor's sake.
« Cli. 31. 16. Rev. 2. 14.
Verse 17. Ves the Midianites, &c.] See this order ful-
fdled, cha)). x.xxi. I — 20. 12,000 Israelites attacked the
Midianites, destroyed all their cities, slew their five kinjjs,
every male, and every grown up woman, and took all their
spoils.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Moses and Eleazar are commanded to take the sum of the Israelites, in the plains of Moab, I — 4. Fieuben ti7id
his jwslerify 43,730, 5 — 1 1 . Simeon and his posteriti/ 92,e00, 12 — 14. Gad ajul his postcriti/ 4O,.500, 15— 1 8.
Judah and his posteriti/ 76',.iOO, IQ — 'iC. Issachar and his posteriti/ 64,300, 23 — 25. Zcbuliiii and his pos-
terity f.iO,500, 26, 27. Manasseh and his posteriti/ 52J00, 28—34. Epliraim and his posteriti/ 32,5(X), 35 — 37.
'Bt:Ti]aimm and his posterity A5,Q0O, 3S — 41. Daa and his posteriti/ 64,400, 42,43. Asher and hi^ posteriti/
53,400, 44 — 47. '!^ay>htii\i and his posterity 45,400, 48 — 50. Total amount of the twelve tribes 601,730, 51.
27ie land is to be divided by lot, and how, 52 — 56. 'The heyites and their families, 57, 58. 2'hcir genealogy,
59 — 6l. Their number 23,000, 62. In this census or enumeration, not one man zvas found, save Joshua and
Caleb, of all who had been reckoned 38 years before, the rest having died in the zcilderness, 63 — 65.
BCidsf A ^^^ ^^ ^''^'"^ *° P^^^ ^^^^ the 1; manded Moses and the children of ^ J? fiM "
An.Exod.iJr. _l\_ phguc, tluit the LoKD spakc I Israel, which went forth out of the An. K,xod.ist
■ ■ '*"• unto Moses, and unto Eleazar, the
son of Aaron the priest, saying,
2 *Take the sum of all the congregation of
the children of Israel, '' from twenty years old
and upward, throughout their fathers' house,
all that are able to go to war in Israel.
3 And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake
with them "^ in the plains of Moab by Jordan
7iear Jericho, saying,
4 Take the sum of the people, from twenty
years old and upward ; as the Lord " com-
hu
40.
' E.TOd. M. 12. & 58. 25, 26. cli. 1. ?. *■ <li. 1. 3,-
&S1. 12. & 33. 4S..&3a. 1.
-' vcr. 63. ch. 22. 1.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXVt.
Verse 2. Ttike the sum of nil the congregation] After 38
years, God commands a second census of the Israelites to be
made, to preserve the distinction in families, and to regulate
the tribes, previously to their entry into the promised land ;
land of Egy-jit
5 ^ " ileiiben, the eldest son of Israel : the
children of Reuben ; Hanoch, o/rc7/.)??? conicth
the family of the Hanochites : of Pallu, the
family of the Palluites :
6 Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites :
of Carmi, the fiimily of the Carmites.
7 These are the families of the Reubenites :
and they that wore numbered of them were
fbrtv and three thousand and seven hundred
and thirty.
' Ch. 1. 1.-
-t Gen. 16. 8. Excd. C. 14. 1 Chron. 5. 1.
and to ascertain the proportion of land which should be al-
lowed to each tribe. For thoiigii the whole was divided by
lot, yet the portions were so disposed, that a numerous tribe
did not draw, where the lots assigned small inlieriiunces. See
verses 53, 54, 55, 56. and ako the note on chap. i. 1.
A.M.'iijiJ.
B.C. 14.il.
An. Kxdd. Isr.
40
The different famtlics of
8 And tlie sons of Pallu ; Eliab. I
'J And the sons of Eliab ; Nemuel, '
and Dathan, and Abiram. This /.<;
that Dathan and Abiram, xnhich tvcre ' famous '
in tlie congregation, who strove against Moses
and against Aaron in the company of Korah,
wlien they strove against the Lord :
10 '' And the earth opened her mouth, and
swallowed tlvem up together with Korah, when
that company died, wliat time the tire devoured
two hundred and fifty men : "and they became
A.M. 0.5.S3.
B. C. I'i.il.
Aii.Exod. kr.
40.
a sign.
1 1 Notwithstanding "^ the children of Korah
died not.
J2 ^ The sons of Simeon after their famiHes:
of "^ Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites : of
Jamin, the tiunily of the Jaminites : of "^Jachin,
the tiimily of the Jachinites:
13 Of ° Zerah, the family of the Zarhites: ofjj
NUMBERS. the twelve tribes are numbered,
the family of the Hezronites : of Ha-
niul, tire family of the Hamulites.
i 22 These are the families of Judah
according to those that were numbered of them,
threescore and sixteen thousand and five hun-
dred.
I 23 ^ " Of the sons of Issachar after their fa-
milies : of Tola, the family of the Tolaites : yf
° Pua, the family of the Puuites :
! 24 Of P Jashub, the family of the Jashubites ;
of Shimron, the familv of the Shimronites.
j 25 These are the families of Issachar according
to those that were numbered of them, three-
' score and fbm' thousand and three hundred.
{ 26 % " Of the sons of Zebulun after their fi-
milies : of Sered, the family of the Sardites : of
i Elon, the family of the Elonites : of Jahleel,
I the family of the Jahleelites.
27 These are the fitmilies of the Zebulunites
Sliuul, the family of the vShaulites.
14 These are the families of the Simeonites.
twenty and two thousand and two hundred.
15 % Tlie children of Oad after their fa.
milies: of "^ Zcphoii, the family of the Zephon- j
ites ; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites : of;
Shuni, the family of the Shunites : |
16 Of 'Ozni, "the flunily of the Oznites : ofj
Eri, the family of the Eritcs : j
17 Of "Arod, the family of the Arodites : ofj
Areli, the family of the Arelites. I
18 These are the families of the children of
Gad according to those that were numbered of
them, forty thousand and five hundred.
19 if ' The sons of Jutkh nvre Er and Onan :
and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
20 And '"the sons of Judah after their fa-
milies were ; of Shelah, the family of the Shela-
nites : of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites :
of Zerali, the fiimily of the Zarhites.
21 And the sons of Pharez were; of Hezron,
according to those that were numbered of them»
threescore thousand and five hundred.
i 28 ^ ' The sons of Joseph after tlreir families
xcere Manasseh and Ephraim.
29 Of the sons of Manasseh : of ' Machir,
the family of the Machirites : and Macliir be-
gat Gilead ; of Gilead co7ne the family of the
Gileadites.
.'30 These are the sons of Gilead : of ' Jeezer,
the family of the Jeezerites ; of Helek, the fa-
mily of the Helekites :
31 And o/' Asriel, the family of the Asriel-
ites : and o/' Shechera,, the family of the She-
chemites :
32 And of Shemida, the family of the She-
midaites : and of' Hepher, the family of the
Hcpherites.
33 And " Zelophehad the son of Hepher had
no sons, but daughters : and the names of the
daughters of Zelojjhehad ti-cre Mahlah, and No-
ah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
'Til. 16. t, • I'lh. k;. ,-;2, .'W. 'ch. 16. SR. See 1 Cor. 10. 6.
1' \'el. 2 (1. " Fx(.d. <;. '24. 1 Chrnn. 6. t'i. " t.oii. 46. 1(1. E.xotl. 6.
1.7. Jviniid. ' I Cliron. •1. 24, Jinib s Utn. ^6. 10, Znhur. " Uen.
•ki. 16, Ziphion, ' Oi,>£zli<in, Gen. '16. 16. '' Gen. 46. 16, Aradi.
\'li?c 10. To'^ether ii-it/i Korah] Tlie Samaritan Text
does not intimate that Koiah was sivultm^ed up, hut that
he ua.s burnt, as a|)[)oars in fact, to iiave been the ca.^e
And the earth su;ulloiied llarn up, Xihat time that company
died ; and the fire dnound Korah luilh the 250 ?nm, who bc-
capie a sign.
Verse 11. The children of Korah died not] It is difficult
to reconcile this place with chap. xvi. 27, 31 — 33. where
'G
en.
33
'.', .'vc
/< Mi
12.
-•" 1 Chion.
*»
.S.
,
Gen
46
1.3.
ICI
nm.
7. 1.
-°Ur, Plimih.-
— p < ;r
.Inb.- —
_^
G
?li.
^6.
14 —
Cirn.
4(i
£<>.
s
.lush.
17;- 1.
ICI
ion. 7
14, Ij
__c
c
tiled
.Uk
:er,
Jubh
i;
.IlKlg
6.
11.
'Ji, 34.
U
cli. 27.
1. <V 36.
U
,
it seems tn he intimaterl, that not only the men, but the ivizes
ami ihc .^o;/.s■, and the little ones of Korah, Dathan and Ahiraiu,
vcie i\iallo\ved up l)y the earthquake: see especially ver. 2",
collated with ver. o'i. of chap. xvi. Kut tlie text here ex-
pressly says, The children of Korah died not ;■ — and on a close
inspection of ver. 27. of the above mentioned chapter, wC
shall find, that the sons and the tittle ones of Dathan and
Abiram alone are mentioned. So they gat up from the tuber-
4
The different families of
CHAP. XXVI.
the tivehc tribes are numbered.
A-M.v-^^. 34 Ihese are tne famibcs of Ma- 1|
B.C. Mil. 1 xT. i.1 X I
An.Ex.id.isr. nasscli, and those that were niim- |
*^- bered of them, fifty and two thousand '
and seven hundred.
35 ^ These are the sons of Ephraim afler
their famihes: of Shuthelah, the fiunily of the
Shuthalhites: of "^ Beclier, the family of the
Bachrites : of Tahan, the family of the Tahan-
ites.
36 And these arc the sons of Shuthelah : of
Eran, the tiunily of the Eranites.
37 These are the families of the sons of Eph-
raim according to those that were numbered
of them, thirty and two thousand and five hun-
dred. These are the sons of Joseph afler their
tamilics,
38 % " The sons of Benjamin after their fa-
milies : of Bela, the family of the Belaites : of
Ashbcl, the family of the Ashbelitcs : of " Ahi-
ram, the family of the Ahiramites :
39 Of *■ Shupham, the fiimily of the Shupham-
ites: of Hupham, the family of the Hupham-
ites.
40 And the sons of Bela were 'Ard and Naa-
man : of Ard, the family of the Ardites :
ii>id of Naaman, the family oi' the jVaamites.
41 These a7'e the sons of Benjamin after
their families : and they that were numbered of
them «we forty and five thousand and six hun-
dred.
42 ^ '' Tlaese are the sons of Dan after their
» 1 Chron. 7. yo, Bered. ''Geii. 46. '-'1. 1 Chroii. 7. 6. 'Gen. 46.
SI, K'li. 1 Cliron. 8. 1, Ahurult.——'*(jen-i6.21, Mujipim and Hujipiin.
' 1 Chron. 8. 3, Addar.
families: of ^ Shuham, the family of y^'fis'"
the Shuhamites, These arc the fa- An.E.od.isr.
milies of Dan after their families. !!1:
naok of Korah, Dathan and /ibiram on every side : and Dathun
and Ahirum came out — and iheir wives, and their sons, and
their little ones. Here is no mention of the children of Korah,
they therefore escaped, while, it appears, those of Dathan
and Abiram perished with their fatliers. — See the note on
chap. xvi. 30.
Verse 51. Tliese were the numbered of the children of Israel,
COl.TSO.] The following comparative statement will shew
how much some of the triljes had increaaed, and others had
diminished, since the enumeration in chap. 1.
Now Before
43 All the families of the Shuhamites, accord-
ing to those that wcie ntunbered of them, "were
threescore and four tliousand and four hundred.
44 ^ " Oj' the children of A.shi-r after their
families : of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites;
of Jesui, the tiimily of the Jesuites : of Beriah,
the fiimily of the Beriites.
45 Of the sons of Beriali : of Heber, the fa.
mily of the Heberites : of Malchiel, the fiimily
of the MalchieHtos.
46 And the name of the daughter of Asher
teas Sarah.
47 These are the families of the sons of Asher
according to those that were numbered of them j
•who "jcere fifty aind three thousand and four hun-
dred.
48 % ' Of the sons of Naphtali after their fa-
mihes : of Jahzcel, the fiimily of the Jahzeel-
ites : of Guni, the family of the Gunites :
49 Of Jezer, the fiimiiy of the Jezerites : oi*
•^ Shillem, the fiimily of tlie Shillemites.
50 These arc the fiimilics of Naphtali accord-
ing to their families : and they that were num-
bered of them Tvere forty and five thousand and
four hundred.
5 1 ' These xcere the numbered of the children
of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand
seven hundred and thirty.
Reuben
43,730
46,500
2,710
decrease
Simeoa
22,200
59,300
37,100
decrease
Gad
40,500
45,650
5,150
decrease
Judali
16,500
74,600
i,yoo
increase
liisachar
04,300
54,400
y,900
mcrease
Zehulon
60,500
51,400
3,100
increase
ftlunasi^ek
52,700
32,200
20,500
increase
F.phraiiu
32,500
40,50U
&.tiM
dtereate
f Cien. 46. 'Jo. ^ Or, flushim.-
' (jeu. -)<). 'Ji. 1 Chron. 7. Ij.-
cli. 1. 40.
-" Gen. 46. 17. 1 Chroii. 7. 30.
-K 1 ChroiL 7. 13, i/iu/lum. ' See
Benjamin 45,600 35,400
Dan 64,400 62,700
Asher 53,400 41,500
Naphtali 45,400 53,400
Tatal 601,730 603,550
10,200 increase
1,700 increase
1 1,900 increase
8,000 decrease
1,820 rf«Td«.v on the
whole, in 3S years.
Dfcrtaif in all 61,0^10. Increase in all 59,200.
Let it be observed, 1. Tiiat among these there was not a
man of tlie former cen.«us, save Josliiia and Caleb, see ver.
1)4, ^5. 2. That thoui;h there was an increase in seven tribes of
not less than 74,800 men, yet so great was the decrease in the
otiier five tribes, that the balance asjainst tlie present ceiisut,
is 1,820, as appears above : thus we find, that tliere was aii
mcrease of 601,728 from 603,550 in tlie space of 38 years.
Notwitfistandmg the amazing increase in some, and de-
crease in ottier tribes ; the same sort of proportion is preserved
ill the east, iiest, nortjt and south divisions, as before; so as
to keep Ihe Uiv^est vf JuJUih, which was always in the /ront,
A.M.2=>53.
a. c. 14A1.
All. Kxod. I»r.
-W.
NUMBERS.
spake unto
Hoxi) the land is to be ■
52 ^ And the Lord
Moses, saying,
53 " Unto these the land shall be
divided for an inheritance according to the
number of names.
54 " To many thou shalt " give the more in-
heritance, and to few thou shalt '' give the less
inheritance : to every one shall his inheritance
be given according to those that were numbered
of him. . . . ■
55 Notwithstanding the land shall be ' divided
by lot : according to tlie names of the tribes of
their fathers they shall inherit.
56 According to the lot shall the possession
thereof be divided between many and few.
57 ^ ^ And these are they that were numbered!
of the Levites after their families : of Gershon, [
the family of the Gershonitcs : of Kohath, the
family of the Kohathites :' of Merari, the family
of the Merarites.
58 These ai'e the families of the Levites : the
family of the Libnites, the family of the . He-
A. W. «353.
B.C. Itol.
An.Exod.lsr,
40.
divided among the tribes.
bronites, the family of tire Mahlites,
the family of the Mushites, the fa-
mily of the Korathites. And Kohath
begat Amram.
59 And the name of Amram's wife loas ^ Jo-
chebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother
bare to Levi in Egypt : and she bare unto Am-
ram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
60 "And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and
Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
61 And 'Nadab and Abihu died, when they
offered strange tire before the Lord.
62 " And those that were numbered of them
were twenty and three thousand, all males from
a month old and upward : ' for they were not
numbered among the cliildren of Israel, be-
cause there was "no inheritance given them
among the children of Israel.
j 63 ^ These are they that were numbered by
I Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered
the children of Israel " in the plains of Moab,
j by Jordan near Jericho.
^ Josh. 11. 23. & 14. 1. '' rli. o3. 54. :>: Heb. micltipli/ his inheritance.
■ " Heb. dimhiish Itis iirherilimce. = cb. .".S. Hi. & .34. 13. Josb. 1 1. 23.
& 14. ii. '■ (jeu. 40. 11. Exod. 6. 16, 17, 18, 19. iChron. 6. t, 16.
or van, the largest; and the division of Dan, which was
alA<ays in the rear, the next in number. But it is worthy of
rcinaik, that as the)' are now, properly speaking, to com-
mence their grand military operations, so their front, or ad-
vanced dicision, is increased from 18(J..400, to 201,300. j
And their m;r, from 1 57,COO, to 163,200. The /m divi- j
sion is strengthened 14,900 men, and the lust division 5,600 ■
men. The reasons for this are .sufficiently obvious. |
.Mr. Ainsxuortii has a curious remark on the number of fa- |
miiies in the 12 tribe?. " Here are families,
1. Of Reuben 4
8. Of Issachar 4
9. Of Kphraim 4
10. Of Naphtali 4
11. Of Zabulon 3
12. Of Dan 1
K Exod. f . 1, S. & 6. 20. " cb. 3. 2. ' Lev. 10. 1, 2. cli. 3. i.
IChron. 21. 2. >= See ch. 3. 33. ' ch. 1.49. ^c\\. 18. 20, 23, 24.
Deut. 10. 9. Josh. 13. 14, 33. & 14. 3. ■ ver. 3.
1. Of Manasseh 8
2. Of lien*ainin 7
.3. Of Gad 7
4. Of .'^imeon 5
5. Of Judah 5
6. Of Ashcr 5
111 all 57; to wlKJm., if we add the 12 patriarchs, and
Jacob their father, the whole luunbcr is 70 : the exact num-
ber of tlie souls in .Jacob's liou.se, that went down to Egypt,
ijtn. xlvi. 27." In a variety of tilings in this ancient oeeo-
noniy, there is a most surprising proportion kept up, which
never could have been a fortuitous eflect of general causes.
But proportion, harinorty, and order, distinguish all the works
of Go<l, both in the natural and vwrnl world.
Verse 55. Tlie land t/iull be diiided by lot\ The word
^13 ^-ora/, , tiinslated lot, is supposed by some to signify tlie
stone or pebble formerly used for the purpose of what we term
casting lots. The word Jjlor Idot, is Anglo-.Saxon, from
)oleotan, to divide, or portion out, i. e. fortuitously : it ai «
swers to the Greek xXufoj, which, some think, comes f oin
*Xaa to break ; because the lot being a sort of appeal to God;
(" The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof
is of the Lord,'' Prov. xvi. 33.) broke off all contentions and
litigation.s relative to the matter ia dispute. From this ori-
ginal division of the promised land by lot, to the children
of Israel, all portions, appointments, offices, shares, or divi-i
sions in spiritual and ecclesiastical matter.^ were termed lots.
So in the New Testament, the word u'Kri^oi lot, is used to
signifya portion of spiritual blessedness, and KX>)fovo/<ia a di-
vision by lot, an inheritance ; and xXijf oi, the lotted or appoint-
ed persons to diftl;rent works, sliares, &c. hence our word
clergy, xXufCi, persons appointed by lot, to a lot, portion, or
inheritance; see the ca.se of Mattalhias, Act's i. 26. Per-
sons thus ajipointed were by accommodation termed inheritors,
becaus'e originally, when there could be no claims of exclu-
sive right, all lands, where a wandering tribe those to take
up its residence, were divided by lot, as the promised land in
the case before t.s. So Judah says to Simeon his brother,
Judg. i. 3. " Come up with me into my lot." And as God
was ever supposed to be the whole disposer in such matters,
whatever fell out in the course of Clod's providence, was called
a lot. " This is the lot of them that rob us." Isai. xvii. 14.
" Thou hast neither lot nor part in this matter." Acts viii- 21.
The case of the CHAP.
64 * But among these there was not \
a man of them whom JNIoses and j
Aaron the priest numbered, when
they numbered the children of Israel in the wil-
derness of Sinai.
A.M.?.i33.
B.C. 1-131.
All. Exc'd.hr
40.
• Ch. 1. Dcut. 2. 14, 15.
A lot in the promued land, was evidently typical of a place in
eternal c;lori/. " That tliey may receive f'orifivenLSs of sins,
and an inheritance (H>.ri(ov, a lot) among them that are sanc-
tified." Acts xxvi. 18. "Who hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheriiance («^t,'59i/ of tlie lot) of the saints
in liRlit." " Which is tlie earnest of our inheritance, («Xt)-
foio/iiaf of our allotttd porliun.)" Kph. i. 14. "What is
the riches of llic glory of his inliiTitunce," {x?i»fovo/ji.ia( al-
lotted poition.) Kph. i. IS. As therefore the promised land
was divided by lot to the believing Israelites, (Jod dtlcr-
A.M. ?55S.
1!. C. 1451.
An Enid. Ur.
40.
XXVII. daughters ofZt^lophcJiau.
65 For the Loro had said of them,
They '' shall surely die in the wilder-
ness. And there was not left a man
of them, "^ save Caleb the son of Jephunneli,
and Joshua the son of Nun.
•• Ch. 1 fc 88, «. 1 Cor. tO. .% 6 ' ch. 14. .SO.
mining the lot as he saw good, none of tl>e people having
ar.y cluim on, or right (o it ; .-o the kini;dom of heaven is a
lot given by the mere goodwill of God to them that believe
and obey him: for as unbelief and disobedience threw
600,000 people out of the inheritance of the promised land ;
so none who disbelieve God's word, and rebel against his
authority, shall ever envtr into the kingdom of Heaven.
See Ain.<worili. These things iiappened unto them for ex-
ample.-— sec then, Reader, thai thou fall not alter the same
e.vaniple of unbelief.
CHAPTER XXVH.
TTie dimghUrs of Zelophehad claim their inheritance, 1 — 4. Moses brings their ca^e before the Lord, 5. HeaUou:s
their claim, (i, 7- ond a faze is made to regulate the inheritance of daughters, 8 — 11. Moses is commanded to
go up to mount Ah-diiin, and view the prornised land, 12. is apprised of his di^ilh, 13. and because he did not
sanctify God at the ualers of INIcribah, ha shall not enter into it, 14. Moses requests the Lord to appoint a
person to supply his place as leader of the Israelites, 15 — 1". God appoints Joshua, commands Moses to lau
his handi upon him, to set him before Eleazar the priest, and giv-e him a charge in the sight of the people, 18 — CO.
Eleazar shall ask counsel for him bi/ Uriin, and at his command shall the Israelites go out and come in, 21.
Moses docs as the Lord commanded him, and consecrates Joshua, 22, 23.
A.M. l'.55:l.
H. C. 1151.
An
llind.lbr.
THEN came the daughters of
' Zelophehad, the son of He-
phcr, the son of Gilead, the son of
Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the iamilies
of Manasseh, the son of Joseph : and these are
the names of his daughters; INfahlah, Noah,
and Hoglali, and Milcali, and Tirzah
A.M. r\S3.
ac.i !.<;].
All. Ks'id. tif
he was not in the company of them
that gathered themselves togetlier
against the Lord ''in the company
of Korah ; but died in his own sin, and had
no sons.
4 Why should the name of our father he
" done away from among his jamily, because he
2 And they stood before Moses, and before j hath no son ? ' Give unto us therefore a posses-
Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and | sion among the brethren of our fatiier,
all the congregation, by the door of the taber- i 5 And Moses ^ brought their cause. before the
riacle of the congregation, saying
3 Our ikther " died in the wilderness, and
»Ch. 26. 33. & 36. 1, 11. Josh. 17. a »cIk 14. 33. & 26. 6J, 65.
NOTES ON Cn.\P. XXVII.
Verse 1. The daughters of Zflopliehad] The singular case
of these women, caused an additional la»v to be made to the
civil Code of Israel, which s;ilisfactorily ascertained, and
amply secured the right of succession in cases of inheritance.
Lord.
6 % And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
' Cli. 16. 1. 8. " Heb. diminished. «.losh. 17. 4. f Excd. Ifc. 15, 39.
The law, which is as reasonable as it is just, stands thus.
1. On the demise of the fnther, the estate goes to the sons.
2. If there be no son, the daughters succeed. 3. If (here be
no daughter, the brothers of the deceased inherit. 4. If there
be no krethicn or paternal iinclff, the estate goei to the bro-
4S
A. U. 1555.
B. C. 1431.
All. E.ti)d. Isr.
•10.
The law of inheritances
7 The daughters of Zelophehad
speak right : * thou shall surely give
them a possession of an inheritance
among their fathers' brethren ; and thou shalt
cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto
them.
8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of
Israel, saying. If a man die, and have no son,
then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto
liis daughter.
9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall
give his inheritance unto his brethren.
NUMBERS. through Jive degrees of succession,
10 And if he have no brethren,
" Ch. 36, 2. Jer. 49. 11. Gal. 3. SO.
then of liis father. 5. If there be no grand wicles, or bro-
thers of the father of the deceased, then the nearest a kin
succeeds to the inheritance. Beyond this fifth degree, the
law does not proceed, because, as tlie famihe.s of the Israelites
were kept distinct in their respective tribes, there must al-
ways be some who could be called kinsmen, and were really i
such, liaving descended without interruption from the patri- 1
arch of the tribe. '
Verse 1. Thou shalt gize them — an inheritance among their
fathers' brethren"] There is a curious anomaly here in the '
Hebrew text, which cannot be seen in our translation. In |
Hebrew, they, them, and their, yon, ye, and your, are both ■
of the masculine and feminine genders, according as the ',
nouns are, to which they are atiixed ; but these words are of i
no gender in English. In this verse, speaking of the brethren '
of the fatlier of those women, the masculine termination on
hem, THEIR, is used instead of the /e7H2K/«e, jn Aen, governed
by nU3 benoth, daughters. So onV Ichem, to THE.M, and
Dn»3N abihem, THEIR fathers, masculine, are found in the pre-
sent text, instead of \rb lahen and jn»3!< abihen, feminine, j
Interpreters have sought for a hidden meaning here, and they
have found several, whether hidden here or not. One says, '
" the mascitline gender is used, because these daughters are
treated as if they were heirs male." Another, " that it is be- !
cause of their faith, and conscientious regard to the ancient j
customs, and to keep the memory of their father in being,
which might well befit men." Another, " that it signifies the |
free gift of God in Christ, where there is neither mule nor
female, bond or free ; for all are one in Christ." And so on ;
for where there is no rule, there is no end to conjecture.
Now the plain truth i.s, that the masculine is, in the present
printed text, a mistake for the feminine. The Samaritan,
which tnany think by far the most authentic copy of the
Pentateuch, has the feminine gender in both places : so also
have upwards o{ fourscore of the MSS. collated by Kennicott
and De Rossi, Therefore all the curious reasons for this
anomaly offered by interpreters!, are only serious trifling on
the blunder of some heedless copyists.
While on the subject of mysterious reasons and meanings,
some might think it unpardonable, if I passed by the mystery
«flhe/c(//, recovery, and full salvation o{ man, signified, as some
will have it, by the names of Zelophehad and his daughters.
A. .M.C553.
B. t;. lial.
An.Exod. Ur.
■iO.
then ye shall give his inheritance un-
to his father's brethren. _
1 1 And if his father have no brethren, then
ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman
that is next to him of his family, and he shall
possess it : and it shall be unto the cliildren of
Israel " a statute of judgment, as the Lord com-
manded Moses.
12 ^ And the Lord said unto Mose?, 'Get
thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land
which I have given unto the children of Israel.
■> Ch. 35. 29. ' ch. 33. 47. Deut. 3. 27. & S'2. 49. & 34. 1.
" 1. Zelophehad's daughters claiming a portion in the pro-
mised land, may represent believers in Christ, claiming an in-
heritance among the saints in light. 2. These five virgins may
be considered as Ihe five 'wise virgins, Matt. xxv. 1 — 10. who
took oil in their vessels with their lauip*; and consequently are
types of those who make a wise provision for their eternal states.
3. They are examples of encouragement to weak and destitute
believers, who, though they are orphansin this world, shall not
be deprived of their heavenly inlieritmce. 4. Their names
are mysterious ; for Zelophehad, nnsSx FSELOPHECH.^D, sig-
nifies the shadow of fear or dread. His first daughter, nSlTO
IVLiCHLAH, infirmity; the second, ITfJ No.iH, naiidering ;
the third, nSjH CliOGLAH, turning about, or dancing for joy;
the fourth, nsVo .MlLCAIl, a queen; the fifth, njnn TlRTSAIf,
well-pleasing or acceptable. By these names we maj' observe
our reviving by grace in Christ : for we are all born of the
shadow of fear, (Zelophehad) being brought (iarth in sin, and
through fear of death, being all our life-t.me subject to bond-
age, Heb. ii. 15. This begets (^Machhili) infirmity, or sick-
ness, grief of heart for our estafe?. After which, {Nouh) wan-
dering about for help, and comfort, we find it in Christ, by
whom our sorrow is turned into joy, [Choglah). He com-
municates of his royal'y {Milcuh) to us, making us kings and
priests unto God and his Father, Rev. i. 6. So we shall at
last be presented unto him, glorious and without blemish,
being (Tirisah) well-pleasing and acceptable in bis sight."
This is a specimen of pious 1NGI;nuiTV, which has been
endeavouring to do the work of an EVANGELIST in the
Church of God, from the time of Origen to the present
day.
Verse 12. Gel thee up into this mount Abarim] The moun-
tain which Moses was commanded to ascend was certainly
mount Nebo, see Deut. xxxii. 4!), &c. which was the same as
Pisgah, see Deut. xxxiv. 1. The mountains ot Ahuiini, ac-
cording to Dr. Shaw, are a long ridge of frightful, rocky,
precipitous hills, which are continued all along the eastern
coast of the Dead Sea, as far as the eye can reach. As in
Hebrew, 'Oy abar, signifies to p«Morcr, .^idriwi here, prob-
ably signifies passiges ; and the ridge in this place had its
name, m all likelihood, from the pufsage of the Israelites, as
it was opposite to these, that they passed the Jordan into the
promised land.
A.M. 25:'3.
B. C. l-t.'>l.
An. E.xud. Isr.
40.
Joshua is appointed to he
13 And when thou hast seen it,
thou also " slialt be gathered unto
thy people, as Aaron thy brother was
gathered.
14 For ye " rebelled against my commandment
in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congre-
gation, to sanctity me at the water before their
eyes : that is the " water of Meribah in Kadesh
in the wilderness of Zin.
15 ^ And Moses spake unto the Lokd, saying,
16 Let the Lord, '' the God of the spirits of
all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
17 ' Which may go out before them, and which
may go in before them, and which may lead
them out, and which may bring them in ; that
the congregation of the Lord be not ' as sheep
which have no shepherd.
18 ^ And the Lord .said unto Mcses, Take
thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man * in whom
is the spirit, and " lay thine hand upon him ;
CHAP. XXVIIL
the successor of Moses.
' Ch. 20. 94, 20. & .SI. ?. Deut. 10. 6. !> cli. iO. 12, 24. Dcul. 1. 57.
& .sy ol. Ps. l(i(). 3V. = E.\od. 17. 7. " cli. 16. 22. Htbr. 1-i. 9.
' Dcut. ;;i. 2. 1 S.11I1. 8. iO. & 1R. 1.!. SCIiion. 1. 10. • 1 Kiii^baB. 17.
Zecli. 10. 2. M^.tt. 9. 36. ftlark 6. 34. s Gen. 41. 38. Judg. 3. 10. &
11. 29. iSaiii. 16. 13, 1!!. ■> Dcut. 34. 9.
I Verse 1 4. Ye rebelled against mj commandment^ See the
notes on chap. xx. 8.
Verse 16. Jehovah, the God of the spirits of all Jlesh'] See
the notes on cha|). xvi. 22.
Verse 17. That the congregation of the Lord he not as
sheep which have no shepherd.} This is a beaulif'ul expression,
and shews us in what light Mo^es viewed himself among- ihis
people. He was their shepherd — he sought no higher place :
htfeJ and guided the {lock of (jod under the direction of the
Divine Spirit ; and wa.s faithful in all his Master's house. To
this saying of Moses our Lord allnde-s Matt. ix. 36.
Verse 18. Li whom is the Spirit] This must ccrtaiidy
mean the Spirit of God ; and because he was endued with
this Spirit, therefore he was capable of leading the people.
How miseraljly qualitied is that man for tiie work of God,
who is not guided and influenced by the Holy Ghost. God
never chuses a man to acconipli.sh his designs, but that one
vhi.mhe himself has qualified for llie work.
Verse 20. And thou shall put, Ike] y^VVZ mihodca, of thine
honour or authority/ upon him. Thou shall shew to the whole
! 19 And set him before Eleazar j^c'l^fi:
I the priest, and before all the con- An.Exod.isr.
greg-ation, and ' give him a charge *^'
in their sight.
20 And " thou sluilt put some of tliine honour
upon him, that all the congregation of the cliii-
dren ol Israel ' may be obechent.
21 ™ And he shall stand before Eleazar the
priest, who shall ask cowisel for him " after the
judgment of Urim before the Lord: "at his
word shall they go out, and at his word they
shall come in, both he, and all the children of Is-
rael with him, even all the congregation.
22 And Moses did as the Lord commanded
him : and he took Joshua, and set him before
Eleazar the priest, and before all the congre^
gation :
23 And he laid his hands upon him, '' and
gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by
the hand of Moses.
' Deul. SI. 7. " Seech. 11 17, 28. 1 Sara. 10. 6, 9. 2 Kings 2- 1.1
' Jush. 1. 16, 17. ■" Sec .losli. 9. 14. Judg. 1.1. U. 20. 18, 23. 26.
1 Sam. 23. 9. & 30. 7. ° Exod. 98. 30 " Josli. 9. 14. 1 Sniu. ;2. tO.
13, 15. P Deut. 3. 28. & 31. 7.
congregation, that thou hast associated him with thyself in tlie
government of the people.
Verse 21. Eleazar the priest — shall ask counsel /or liini]
Here was a remarkable chfTerence between him and Moses.
God talked with Moses face to face; but to Joshua, only
through the medium of the high priest.
Verse 23. He laid his hands upon him] As a proof of his
being appointed to, and qualified for, the work. So, at the
word of Joshua, they were to go out; and at his word, to
come in, ver. 21. And thus he was a type of our blessed
Lord, as to his meritorial ofl'ice and divine appointment as man,
to llie work of our salvation ; and to tljis circumstance of the
appointment of Joshua to this work, and his receiving of Moses'
honour and glor}', St. Peter seems to refer in these words,
2(1 Epist. i. 16, n. " We were ej-e-witnesses of his majesty;
for he received from God the Father honour and glory, when
there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory :
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ; HEAR
fUM." — See Matt. xvii. 5. But one infinitely greater than
either Moses or Joshua, is here.
CHAPTER XXVIIL
All the offerings of God lo Ije (>Ucred in their due season, 1,2. The continual burnt-offering for the morning, 3 — G.
and its driul:-o[l'ering, 7. The continual tjurnt-offcring for the evening, 8. The offerings for the sabbath, 9, 10.
The offerings for the beginning of each month, 11 — 15. Repetition of the ordinances concerning the passover,
IG — 25. Ordinances xoncerniiig the daij of Jirst-fniits, or Pentecost, '26 — 31.
4 S 2
Latis relative to the dailj/, ticcJd^, NUMBERS.
\ND the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying,
2 Command tlie children of Israel,
A.M.cir.2553.
B.C. cir.l4.'>l.
All. Ex-^d. Isr.
fir. 40. ,
and say unto them, My offering, and ^ my bread
for my sacrifices made by tire, Jbr- " a sweet sa-
vour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me
in their due season.
3 % And thou shalt say unto them, " This is
the offering made by fire which ye shall offer
unto the Lord ; two lambs of the first year with-
out spot ^ day by day, Jbr a continual burnt
offering.
4 The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morn-
ing, and the other lamb shalt thou offer "at
even ;
5 And ^ a tenth part of an epliah of flour for a
' meat offering, mingled with the fourth part of
a '' hin of beaten oil.
6 It is ' a continual burnt offering, which was
ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a
sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.
7 And the drink offering thereof shall be the
fourth part of a hin for the one lamb : " in the
holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be
poured unto the Lord for a drink offering.
3 And tlie other lamb shalt thou offer at even :
as the meat offering of the morning, and as the
drink offering thereof, thou shalt offer it, a sa-
crifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the
Lord.
9 ^ And on the sabbath day two lambs of the
first year without spot, and two tenth deals of
A.M.cir.2S53.
li.C. cir. 1451.
An. Exod. Isr.
cir. 40.
montlilj/, and ayinual sacrifices,
flour _/or a meat offering, mingled
with oil, and the drink offering
thereof:
10 This is ' the burnt offering of every sab-
bath, beside the continual burnt offering, and
his drink offering.
11^ And " in the beginnings of your months
ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord ; two
young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of
the first year without spot ;
12 And " three tenth deals of flour ^/or a meat
offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock ; and
two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering,
mingled with oil, for one ram •,
13 And a several tenth deal of flour mingled
with oil for a meat offering unto one lamb ; for
a burnt offering of a sweet savour, a sacrifice
made by fire unto the Lord.
14 And their drink offerings shall be half a
hin of wine unto a bullock, and the third jpart
of a hin unto a ram, and a fourth part of a
hin unto a lamb : this is the burnt offering of
every month throughout the months of the
year.
15 And " one kid of the goats for a sin offering
unto the Lord, shall be offered, beside the con-
tinual burnt offering, and his drink offering.
\G % '^ And in the fourteenth day of the first
month is the pass-over of the Lord.
1 7 "And in the fifteenth day of this month is
the feast : seven days shall unleavened bread be
eaten.
' Lev. 3. It. & §1. 6, 8. Mai. 1. 7, 12. 1" Ileb. a savour of my rest.
' Exod. 29. 38. '' Hel). via day. ' llcb. helmcen the two eveiihii^s.
Kiud. 1-.'. 6. f Kxcd. tri. 36. cli.' 1.5. 4. e Lev. L'. 1. " Exod. i'i'. 40.
' t.'iod. 29. 42. See Amus 5. 2.^. " Exod. 29. 42.
NOTES ON CH.\P. XXVni.
Verse 2. Command the children of Israel, &c.] It is not easy
to account for the reason of the introduction of these precepts
here, which hatl been so circiiin.'.tantially ilelivered before in dil-
ferent parts of tlie books of Kxodus and Leviticus. It is pos-
sible that the daitt/, iv.ekly, monlhiy, aw\ yearly services, had been
consideralily interrupted for several years, owing to the unsettled
slate of the people in the wilderness ; and that it was neces-
sary to repeat these laws for two reasons : 1. Because they
were now about to enter into the promised land, where these
services must be established and constant: And 2. Because
the former generation beinp^ all dead, nuiltitudes of the pre-
sent micfhi be ignorant of those ordinances.
In their due season.] Moses divides these ofVermgs into
1. Daily. The monmg and eiening sacrifices j a lamb
each time, ver. 3, 4.
' Ezek. 4«. 4. •" ili. 10. 10. 1 Sam. 20. 5. 1 Chron. 23. 31. 2 Chron. 2.
4. Ezras. 5. Neh. 10.33. tsai. 1. 13, 14. Ezeli.45 17. & 4C. 6. Hos. 2. 11.
Col. 2. 16. " ch. 1.5. ■),— 12. " ver. 22. cli. 1,5. 24. PExod. 12. 6,18,.
Lev. Zi. 5. ch. y. 3. Deut. 16. 1. Ezek. 4;>. 21. ^« Lev. 23. 6.
2. Weekly. The sabbath cfferings, tivo lambs of a year
old, ver. 9, &c.
3. Monthly. At the beginning of each month, iiuoj/owng
bulloc/cs, one rum, a.nd seveyi lambs of a year old; and a kid for.
a sin olfonnc;, ver. 11, &c.
4. Annual, l. The Passover to last seven days: the
ofierings, two young bullocks, one ram, sei-en la?nbs of a year
old, and a /je-^'o,'i;, for a sin-oflcring, ver. 16, &c. 2. The
day of FlRST-riiorrs. The sacrifices, the same as on the
beginning of the month, ver. 26, &c. With these sacrifices
were oflered libation", or drink-offerings of strong ivinc, ver. 7
and 1 4. and minchaks, or meat-offerings, composed o\' fine Jlour,
mingled vvitli oil, ver. 8, 12, &c. For an ample account of
all these oflerings, see the notes on I.evit. vii. and F.xod. xii.
Verse 7. Strong luinc] Sikera ; see the note on chap. x. 9,
where this is largely explained.
Hoii) the different offerings CHAP.
18 In the ' first day shall be an holy
A.M.cir.2,W3.
B.C.or.ltol.
Au. ExoH. hr.
cir. 4<).
convocation ;
ner ol' servile work therein
sliall do no nian-
19 But ye shall ofter a sacrifice made by fire
for a burnt ofrering unto the Loud ; two young
bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of die
first year : " they sliall be unto you without
blemish :
20 And their meat offering shall he of flour
mingled with oil : three teutli deals shall ye
offer tor a bullock, and two tenth deals lor a
ram;
21 A several tenth deal shalt thou ofter foi'
every lamb, throughout the seven lambs :
22 And ' one goat Jbr a sin offering, to make
an atonement for you.
23 Ye shall offer these beside the burnt oft'or-
ing in the morning, wliich is ibr a continual
bui"nt oft'ering.
24 After this manner ye shall offer daily,
throughout the seven days, the meat of the sa-
crifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the
Lord : it shall be offered beside the continual
» Exod. \% 16. Lev. ?3. 7.-
-» vcr. 31. Lev. as. 20. cIj. 29. 8. Deut. 15. 21.
' ver. 15i
Verse 26. Day of the JirslfriiUs] Called also the feast of
weeks, and the feast of Pentecost; see it explained E.xod.
xxiii. 14. and Lev. xxiii. 15.
are to he made.
and his drink offer
A.M.c'iT ioXi.
B.C cir. 1431.
An. V;<o'l. hr.
cir. .10.
sliall do
XX LX.
burnt offering,
ing.
25 And " on the seventh day ye
shall have a holy convocation ; yc
no servile work.
2G *I[ Also 'in the day of the firstfruits, when
ye bring a new meat oftlring unto the Lord,
afler your weeks he out, ye shall have a holy
convocation ; ye shall do no servile work :
27 But ye shall offer the burnt offering for a
sweet savour unto the Lord ; ' two young bul-
locks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year;
28 And their meat offering of flour mingled
mth oil, three tenth deals unto one bullock,
two tenth deals unto one ram,
29 A several tenth deal unto one lamb, through-
out the seven lambs ;
30 And one kid of the goats, to make an
atonement for you.
[ 31 Ye shall ofter them beside the continual
burnt oftering, and his meat offering, ('they
.shall be unto you without blemish) and their
drink offerings.
' E.\od. 12. IC. & 1.3. 6. Lev. 23. 8. ' E.\od. 23. 16. & 34. 22. Lev. 23
10, 1.5. Ueut. 16. 10. Acts 2. 1 f See Lev. S3. 18, J9. «vcr. ly. .
Verse 31. Without hkinisli] This is to be understood as
applying not only to the animals but also to (hejlour, wine,
and oil : every tiling must be peifcct in its kind.
CHAPTER XXIX..
TAe feast of trumpets OM the first dai/ of the seventh month, and its sacrijiccs, 1 — 6. The feast of expiation, or
annual atonement, on the tenth dcij/ of the same month, nilh its sacrifices, 7 — il- The feast of tabernacl«js.
held on the fifteenth dai/ of the same month, Zi'ith its eight dai/s" offerings, 12. The offerings of the first day
thirteen huWocks, tn'o rams, fourteen lambs, and oieU'id, !3 — -16. The off erint^s of the second day, /?(c/i.e bul-
locks, tzco riims, fourteen \amhs, and one kid, 17 — 19. The offerings of the third d.ny, e/tri'« bullocks, the
rest as before, 10 — 2'2. 2'he offerings of the fomlh day, ^e« bullocks, the rest as he/ore, '23 — 25. The offerings
of the iii'lh (lay, wi/ie bullocks, Sfc. 26 — 28. The offerings of the sixth day, eight bullocks, S)C. 29 — 31. I'/ic
offerings of the seventh day, seven bullocks, Sfc. 32 — 34. The offerings vf tlie eighth day, one bullock, one
ram, seven lambs, and one goat, 35 — 38. These sacrifices to he offered, and feasts to he kept, besides vows,
freewill-offerings, Sj-c. S)C. 39- Moses announces all these things to the people, 40.
A.M.cir.2.1.').".
B.C. cir. 1.151.
Au. Exod. hr.
cir. '10.
\NDin the sc\'enth month, on the
first f/flT/ of the month, ye sliall
have a holy convocation ; ye shall do
» Lev. 23. 24, 25. Ezra 3. 6.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXIX.
Verse 1. And in the sereiiilt month, &c.] This was the be-
no servile work : " it is a day of -i^]^;^ll-^fy
blowing the trumpets unto you. A.i.Exod.isr!
2 And ye shall ofter a burnt offer- '"- •"''
cb. 10. 1—10. iChron. 15. 28. ^s. 81. 3. k 89. 15.-
ginning of their civil year, and was a time of great festivity,
and wiu ushered in by the blowing of trumpets. It ans.vtrs to
The ojfevings for the tenth andjlfleenth
for a sweet savour unto
NUMBERS
the
A.M.,-ii-.2553. ing lor a sweet saviour
B.C.cir.lbl. -. ^ 1 11 1
An.Exod.isr. LoRD ; oncyoung DullocK, oiie raiTi,
'^""•'*"' and seven lambs of the first year
without blemish :
3 And their meat oftering shall he of flour
mingled with oil, three tenth deals tor a bul-
lock, and two tenth deals for a ram,
4 And one tenth deal for one Iamb, through-
out the seven lambs :
.5 And one kid of the goats for a sin oftering,
to make an atonement for you :
6 Beside *-the burnt oftering of the month,
and his meat oftering, and " the daily burnt
oftering, and his meat offering, and their drink
oft'erings, " according unto their manner, for a
sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the
Lord.
7 % And " ye shall have on the tenth day of
tliis seventh month a holy convocation ; and
ye shall "afilict your souls: ye shall not do any
work therein :
8 But ye shall ofter a burnt oftering luito the
Lord for a sweet savour ; one young bullock,
one ram, and seven lambs of the first year;
' they shall be unto you without blemish :
9 And their meat oftering shall he of flour
mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a bullock,
and two tenth deals to one ram,
10 A several tenth deal lor one lamb through-
out the seven lambs :
1 1 One kid of the goats for a sin oftering ;
beside '=' the sin oftering of atonement, and the
continual burnt offering, and the meat offering
of it, and their\lrink offerings.
" Ch. 28. 11. "ch. 23. 3. >= cli. 1.5. 11, l^.-
' I's. 35. ICi. Isai. 53. 5. f ch. 48. 19.-
-<> Lev. 16. a9 & 23. 27.
-E Uv. 16. 3, 5.
a part of our September. In imitation of the Jevv.s, difFerent
nations began their new year with saciifices and festivity.
The ancient F.gyptians did so : anil the Persians still ce!e-
br.te liicir ., »J naxu i rooz, ov nau year s day, which tlioy
ho'd on the vernal c(|uinox. Tiie firt day of the year is ;re-
iieially a time ot fe-tivity in all civilized naiioiis.
On this day the Israelites oftercd one ynung bul/ock, one ram,
seven Inmhs, and a kid, for a sin-ollcriiiij, besides minchahs, or
mcat-f>fferi:'gs.
Verse T. On the tenth day.'\ Si.e ihe notes on Levit. xvi. 29.
xxiii. 2I-.
Verse 12. On the fifteenth day 'i^ the seventh ?noiilh] On this
day there was to be a solemn ass lubly ; und for aeven days,
sacrifices were to be oflsTcd; on the ^tirstd^y, thirteen young
bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lamiji. On each suL^ced-
7
daj/s of the seventh month.
12 f And " on the fifteenth day of A.M.dr.sMn.
tiie seventh month ye shall have a .An.Exod.isr.
holy convocation ; ye shall do no ser- ^":^__
vile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the
I Lord seven days,
I 13 And ' 3'e shall oflPer a burnt offering, a sacri-
! fice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the
I Lord ; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and
\ fourteen lambs of the first year ; they shall be
i w'ithout blemish :
14 And their meat offering shall be of flour
mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto every
\ bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth deals
to each ram of the two rams,
15 And a several tenth deal to each lamb of'
the fourteen lambs :
16 And one kid of the goats for a sin ofter-
ing ; " beside the continual burnt oftering, his
meat offering, and his drink oftering.
17 ^1 And on the second day ye shall oj§ir ■
twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen
lambs of the first year without spot :
18 And their meat oftering and their drink
offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for
the lambs, shall be according to their number,
*" after the manner :
19 And one kid of the goats Jor a sin offering;
beside the continual burnt offering ; and the
meat oftering thereof, and their drink oft'erings.
20 ^ And on the third day, eleven bullocks,
two rams, fourteen lambs of the first vear with-
out blemish ;
21 And their meat oftering and their itrink
offerings for their bullocks, for the rams, and
" Lev. 23. 33. Deut. 16. 13. Ezck. 4.>. 2.7. '' Ezra 3. 4.-
4, 9. 10. cb. 15. 12. h 2a. 7, 14.
ins day one bullock less, till on the seventh day there were
only se-cen, making in all seventy. What an expensive ser-
vice ! How should we magnify God for being dolivcretl from
it! At the public charge, there were annually oflcred to God,
iiulependantly of trespass- offerings and voluntary \ows, lifteen
goat.>i, twenty-one kids, sevcnt\-two rams, 132 bullocks, and
1 101 lambs! But how little is all this, when compared with
the lambs slain every year at i\ie pussorer, which amounted
in one year to the immense number of 255,600 slain at the
temple itself, which was the answer that Cestius, the Human
general, received, when he a.'fked the priests lioiv tnttny yer.ivns
bad come to Jerusalem at ihcir annual feslivals; the priests
numbering th«? people by the lumhs that had been slain, said,
'■ twenty- five myriud.s 5000, and 600." — tor an account of
the feast of tabernacles, see in Ltvit. xxiii. 34.
CHAP. XXX. of the feast of tabernacles.
for the lambs, shall he according to 'j continual burnt offering, bis meat of-
The offerings for the eight days
A.Ar.cir.5.i5S
.> ^v.l I- tiieir number, after the manner :
22 And one goat for a sin offer
ing; beside the continual burnt offering, and his
meat offering, and his drink offering.
23 ^ And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two
rams and iburteeu lambs of the first year with-
out blemish :
24 Their meat offering and their drink offer
ings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the
lambs, shall he according to their number, after
the manner : j
25 And one kid of the goats /or a sin offering;
beside the continual burnt offering, his meat of-
fering, and his drink offering.
26 *[[ And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two
rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year with- •
out spot :
27 And their meat offering and their drink
offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for
the Iambs, shall be according to their number,
after the manner :
28 And one goat for a sin offering : beside
the continual burnt offering, and his meat offer-
ing, and his drink offering.
29 % And on the sixth day eight bullocks,
two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year
without blemish :
30 And their meat offering and their drink
offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for
the lambs, shall he according to their number,
after the manner :
3 1 And one go<\i for a sin offering : beside the
A.M.cir.'.>333.
B.C. fir. 1151.
An. Exod.Isr.
fir. JO.
» Vcr. 18. *■ Lev. v;3 36. ' Or, offer. " Lev. '23. ?. iCIiion. 23. 31.
'J Cliroii. 31. 3. Kzra. 3. ."i. Neit. 10. 33. Is»i. 1. 14.
Verse 35. On the eighth duy yc shdtl have a solemn assenibli/]
This among the Jews was cstctmed tlie chief or lii^^li day of
the feast, though fewer sacrifices were olifered on it than on
the others : the people seem to have finished the solemnity
with a greater measure of spiritual devotion — and it was on
fering, and his drink offering.
32 ^ And on the seventh day seven
bullocks, two rams, uml fourteen lambs of the
first ycjir without blemish :
33 And their meat oftering and their drink
offerings for the bullocks,- for the rams, and
for the lambs, shall he according to their num-
ber, after the manner :
34 And one goat,/o/' a sin offering ; beside the
continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and
his drink ottering.
35 ^ On the eighth day ye shall have a
'' solemn assembly : ye shall do no servile work
therein .-
3Q But ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacri-
fice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the
Lord : one bullock, one ram, seven lambs of
the first year, without blemish :
37 Their meat offering and their diink offer-
ings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the
lambs, shall he according to their number, after
the manner :
38 And one goat^or a sin offering ; beside the
continual bintit offering, and his meat offering,
and his drink offering.
S9 These things ye shall " do unto the Lord in
your '' set feasts, beside your ' vows, and your
freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings; and
for your meat offerings, and for your drink offer-
ings, and for your peace offerings.
40 And Moses told the children of Israel ac-
cordins; to all that the Lord commanded Moses.
'Lev. 7. 11,16. &2y. 21,23.
this day of the fea.<t, that our ble.sse<l Lord railed the Jews
from \.\\e letter io \\\c apirit o^ \ht law; proposinu' himself as
the sole fountain whence they could derive the streams of sal-
vation, John vii. 37. On the subject of this chapter see the
notes on Levit. xii. xvi. and xxiii.
CHAPTER XXX.
'The laze concerning vows of men, 1,2. 0/ women under age, and in tehat cases the father may annul them, 3 — 5.
'^'Iic voKH of a ufe, and in nhat cases the hushund may annul them, 6 — 3. The vous of a widow, or divorced
.ioman, in zvhat cases thei/ mat) be comidered either as conjirmed or annulled, 9^ 15. liecapilitlalion of these ordi-
nances, 16.
Ofvo'ws, and in 'what cases
NUMBERS.
A.M.cir.2A.53.
B.C. cir. 1451.
An. Kxod.lsr.
cir. 40.
ND Closes spake unto ' the heads
J^\_ of the tribes concerning the chil-
dren of Israel, saying. This w the thing
which the Lord hath commanded.
2 '' If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or
" swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond ; he
shall not " break his word, he shall " do accord-
ing to all that proceedeth out of his nioutli.
3 % If a woman also vov/ a vow unto the
Ix)RD, and bind herseffhy a bond, bewg in her
father's house in her youth ;
4 And her lather hear her vow, and her bond
wherewith .she liath bound her soul, and her fa-
ther shall hold his peace at her : then all her
vows sliall stand, and every bond wherewith she
liatli bound her .soul shall stand.
5 But if her father disallow her in the day that
lie heareth ; not any of her vows, or of her
bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall
stand : and the Lord shall forgive her, because
her father di.sallowed her.
6 ^ And if she had at all a husband, when
^ she \'owed, or uttered ought out of her lips,
wherewith she bound her soul ;
7 And her husband heard it, and held his
peace at her in the day that he heard it : then
her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith
she bound her soul shall stand.
8 But if her husband ^ disallowed her on the
day that he heard it ; then he shall make her
vow which she vowed, and that which she ut-
tered with her lips, wherewith she bound her
^Ch.l.'l, 16. & 7.2. —
Eccles. 5. 4. ' Lev. 5.
-"■Lev. 27. 2
4. Miitt. 14. 9.
Dcut. 2:>. 21.
Acti'2J. 14.-
JiKlp. 11. 30, 3.5.
— ** Heb. praf'anf.
NOTF.S ON CH.\P. XXX.
Verse 2. If a man row a voiS] A vow i.s a religiou.s pro-
tni-se made to God. Vows were of several kinds : 1. Of
abslincnce or humi/idlion ; .soever. 1."}. 2. 0( the Niizarite ;
*<e chap. vi. 3. Of c,'r.(ri^ certain t/iinf^n, or sacnficcs, to the
Lord, Lev. vii. 16. 4. O ( alms gwen to the poor ; see Dent,
xxiii. 21. The law in this chapter must have been very u.^efiil,
as it bolli prc-jcnlcdand tinnuHal ra:h vous, and provided a pro-
per .sanction for llie support r.ml performance of those tliat
•were rationally and piously made. Besidc,«, thi.'i law nnist
have acted as a great preventative of /j/im^ and /;j/;)oc;i^y. If a
vow uas properly made, a man or woman was bound under
penalty of the di.spkasure of God, to fulfill it.
Verse 3. In lier youth'] That is, say the Rabbins, under
tv>ehc years of a^e. And under thirteen, in case of a yowii^
mtin. Yoinio- persons of this age were considered to be undei
the authoii'y of iheir parcuts, and had consequently no power
thei/ might be annulled,
and the Lord
soul, of none effect
shall forgive her.
9 ^ But every vow of a widow, and
of her that is divorced, wheremth they
A.M.cir.25SS.
B.C.cir.l451.
Aii.Eiod.Isr,
cir. 40.
have
bound their souls, shall stand against her.
10 And if she vowed in her husband's house,
or bound her soul by a bond with an oath ;
11 And her husband heard it, and held his
peace at her, and disallowed her not : then all
her vows shall stand, and eve:y bond wherewith
she bound her soul shall stand.
12 But if her husband hath utterly made them
void on the day he heard them ; then whatsoever
proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows,
or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not
stand : her husband hath made them void ; and
the Lord shall forgive her.
13 Every vow, and every binding oath to af-
flict the soul, her husband may e.stablish it, or
her husband may make it void.
14 But if her husband altogether hold his peace
at her from day to day ; then he establishetli all
her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her:
he confirmeth them, because he held his peace
at her, in the day that he heard them.
1.5 But if he shall any ways make them void
after that he hath heard them ; then he shall
bear her iniquity.
16 These are the statutes, which the Lord
commanded jMoses, between a man and his wife,
between the father and his daughter, being yet
in her youth in her father's house.
Ps. 55. 2(1.-
Nali. 1.15.-
-■^ .loll 22. 27. Ps. 22. 2.5. & .50. 14. & 66. 13, 14. & 116. 14, 18,
— ' Ileb. lur tnits inert upon her. Fs. 36. 12. s Gen. 3. 16,
to vow away the property of another. A married woman was
ill the same circumstances, because she was under the autliO'
ri/j/ other husband. If, however, the parents or the husband
heard of the vow, and objected to it in the same day in whidk
they heard of it, ver. 5. then the vow was annulled — or, if
havinsj heard of it, they held their peace, this was considered
a ratification of the vow.
A rush voxv was never to be kept — " For," says Philo,
and common sen^e and justice say the same, " he who com-
mits an unjust action, because of his vow, adds one srime to
another: 1. By making an unlawful vuxv. 2. By doing aa
unlawful action."
Verse 12. Cuncernin^ the bond ofhersoull Her life is at stake,
if she fulfil not the oblisation under which she has laid herself.
Ver. 16. These nre the statutes} It is very probable that
this law, like that concerning tlie succession of daughters,
chap, xxvii. ro.se from the exigency of some particular case
that had just then occurred.
General ohscrvalton
CHAP. XXX I.
on making votvSi
Making vows, in almost any case, is a dangerous business ;
they seldom do any good, and often much evil. He who does
not feel liiniself bound to do what \sfit, right, and just, from
llie standing testimony of God's word, is not hkely to do it from j
any ohli^ation he may lay upon his own conscience. It (Jud's I
uord lack weight with him, his oxin will prove lighter than j
vanity. Every man who professes the Christian religion, is ;
under the most solemn ohHgation to devote body, soul, and
spirit to God, not only to the utmost extent of his powers ;
but also as long as he exists. Ijeing hapthed, and rcreiving'
the sacrament of the Lord's supper, are additional ratifications
of the great, general, Christian vow : but every true fol-
lower of Christ shuuld always renicujber, and frequently re-
new, his covenant with God.
CHAPTER XXXI.
T/ie commatul of the Lord to mahe rear on the MiiUaiiites, 1, 'J. One thousand men are cha^cn out of each of the
iicclve tribes, and sent nith Phlnehas against the Midianites, 3 — fj. Thei/ slay all the males, 7. ; their five kings,
and Balaam, 8. Thei/ lahr all the zcomeu captives, rtith the fnchs and goods, 9.,- ham their cities, and bring
axai/ the spoil, 10, II. 'J'hei/ Ining the captives, &;c. to Muses, zcho is tvroth zcith the officers for sparing the
vonien, uho had formerh/ been the cause of their transgression and punishment, IC — 16. He commands all the
male children, and all the groz^n up females, to be slain, 17, 18. Ilozc the soldien zcerc to purify themselves, 19,
CO.,- and the different articles taken in the zcur, CI — C4. 'I'hcy are commanded to take the sum of the prey, to
divide it into tiiojmrts ; one for the l'2,000 zc^arriors, and the uthcr for the rest of the congregation, C5 — 27. One
of 500, both of persons and cattle, of the share of the zatrriors, to be given to the Lord, 28, 29.; and one part,
of fifty, of the people's share, to be given to the Levites, SO. The smn of the prey remaining after the above divifV^m ;
sheep, ()7J,000, beeves, 7C,000, asses, ni,()00, young zvomen, 32,000, ver. 31 — 35. IIozv the soldiers' part Zi'as
divided, 36 — 40. IIozc the part belonging to the congregation zcas divided, 41 — 47. The offtcers report, that
thei/ had not lost a man in this zcar, 48, 49- They bring a voluutarxj oblation to God, of gold and ornaments, 50,
51. The amount of uhich zvas 1G,7jO shekels, 5t, 53. Muses and Eleazar bring the gold into the tabernaclej'or
a memorial, 54.
A.M. SS-U
11. C. l!5i.
Ail r.xod. Isr,
40.
A'
ND the Lord .';pake unto Mo-
ses, saying,
2 'Avenge the chihh'cn of Israel of
the Midianites: afterward shalt t|iou "be gather-
ed unto tliy people.
') And Moses spake unto tlic people, saying,
Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let
them go against the Midianites, and avenge the
Louu of Midian,
»Cli. 25. 17. "cli. Sr. 13.
1 4 'Of every tribe a thousand, ^ ?.';>"•
tiirougliont all the tribes or Israel, An.txrd.hr.
shall ye semi to the war. "'"'
5 iio there wuie delivered out of the thousands
of Israel, a thousand oi'cveri^ tribe, twelve thou-
sand armed for war.
G And Moses sent them to tlie war, a thou-
sand of everj/ tribe, them and Phinehas the
son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the
'Hcb. A thaumnd of a tribe, a thousand of a tribe.
NOTES O.N CIUP. XXXI.
Vers* 2. Gathered unto t/iy people] When ? Not in the ^
grave surely. — ]\Iose> was gathered with none of iliem ; his I
burial place no man ever knew — " Ikit being githered ui:to ,
one's ptoiilt means dyiii'^." It does imply dying, but it does
not nican this only. The truth is, God con^idcrs all those
who are dead to men, in a state of conscious existence in
another world. Therefore he calls himself the God of Abra-
ham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob ; novj God is not the God of tlic
dead, but of the living; because all LIVE TO HIM, whether
dead to men or not Moses, therefore, was to be gathered co ,
his people, to enter into tiiat republic of Jsriul, which having
di«l ill the faith, fear and love of God, were now living in a .
state of conscious blessedness, beyond the confines »f the
grave. — See the note on Gen. xxv. 8. and on xlix. 33.
Verse 3. /IttH^'e the Lord of Midian] It v\as Gwl'e
quarrel, not their vvm, that they were now lo take up. These
people were id<jlaters ; idolatry is an oflc-noc against GODj
IhecitiV power has no authority to meddle with uhat belongs
lo Him, without especial directions, certified in the most
unequivocal way. Pjivate revenge, extension of territory,
Uive of plunder, were lo have no place in this business; tlie
Lord is to be avenged; and through Him, the children of
Israel, ver. :2. because their .5ok/s, as well as tlieir ii^i/jVs, had
birii veil nigh ruined, by their idolatry.
Verse 6. A thousand of every tribe] Twelve lliousand uk«
4 X
The Israelites war against the
KC. U'j\.
Aii.F.xnd. Isr.
40.
NUMBERS
tlie trumpets
holy instruments, and
to blow in his hand.
7 And they warred against th^'
Midianites, as the Lord commanded i\Ioses ;
and " they slew all .the " males.
8 And they slew the kings of Midian, beside
the rest of them that were slain ; namelr/^ ''Evi,
and llekem, and Zur, and Hur, and lleba, five
kings of Midian : ' Balaam also the son of Beor
they slew with the sword.
9 And the children of Israel took «//the women
of JMidian captives, and their little ones, and
took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their
flocks, and all tlieir goods.
10 And they burnt all their cities wherein
they dwelt, and all tiieir goodly castles, with
fire.
1 1 And ' they took all the spoil, and all the
prey, both of men and of beasts.
12 And they bi'oiight the captives, and the
prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar
the priest, and unto the congregation of the
children of Israel, unto the camp at the
jjlains of Moab, which are by Jordan near
Jericho.
13 ^ And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and
all the princes of the congregation, went forth
to meet them, without the camp.
14 And Moses was wroth with the officers
of the host, tdth the captains over thousands.
•Cli. 10. 9. ""Deut. '20. 13: Judg. 81. 11. 1 Sam. 27. 9. 1 Kings 11.
15. 16. 'See Judges 6. 1, % 33. <" Josh. 13. 21. = Josh. 13 -.'2.
^IJeut. 20. 14.
in the whole — and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar; some think he
was made general in this txpedition, but this is not likely.
The ark and its contents must proceed to this battle, because
the battle was the Lord's, and he dwelt between the cherubim
over the ark; and Phinehas, who had before got a grant in the
eternal priesthood, was chosen to accompany the ark in place
of his father Eleazar, who was, probably, now too far ad-
vanced ill years to undergo the fatigue. \\'\\o then was
general.' Joi/i!<«, without doubt, though not here mentioned;
T)ecause the battle being the Lord's, he alone is to have the
supreme direction, and all the glory. Besides, it was an
extraordinary war, and not conducted on the common
principle, for we do not find that peace was ofTered to the
Midianites, and that they refused it; see Deut. xx.' 10, &c.
In such a case only, hostilities could lawfully commence ; but
they were sinners against GOD; the cup of their iniquity
was full; and God thought proper to destroy them. Thougli
a leader there certainly was, and Joshua was probably that
leader, yet, because God, for the above reason, was considered
congrega-
Midianites, and destroy them.
and captains over hundreds, which am.2.5='3.
came rrom the ^battle. An.E.xod.isr.
1 5 And Moses said unto them, Have ''"•
ye saved " all the women ahve ?
16 Behold, 'these caused the children of Israel,
through the " counsel of Balaam, to commit
trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor,
and ' there was a plague among the
tion of the Lord.
17 Now therelbre "kill every male among the
little ones, and kill every woman that hath
known inan by lying with " him.
18 But all the women children, that have
not known a man by lying with him, keep alive
for yourselves.
19 And ° do ye abitle without the camp seven
days: whosoever hath killed any person, and
'' whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both
yourselves and your captives on the third day,
and on the seventh day.
20 And purify dll your raiment, and all ''that
is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair,
and all tilings made of wood.
21 ^ And Eleazar the priest said unto the
men of war, which went to the battle. This is
the ordinance of the law which the Lord com-
manded Moses ;
22 Only the gold, and the silver, the brass,
the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23 Every thing that may abide the fire, ye
E Heb. host of war. " See Deut. 20. 13. 1 Sam. 15. 3. "' ch. 25, 2.
i<ch. ■J4. 14. 2 Pet. 2. 1.5. Kev. 2. 14. ' cli. 25. ;>. " Judg. 21. 11.
" HeLi. rt male. °cli. 5. 2. ^ ch. 19. 11, &c. 1 Heb. histmmmt,
or vessels of skins.
as commander-in-chief, therefore no one else is mentioned :
I'ur it is evident that the sole business of Phinehas was to take
care of the holy instruments, and to hloxu with the trwnpel.
Ver.se 8. Balaam — thei/ slexo with the sword.} This man
had, probably, committed what St. John calls the sin unto
death ; a sin vVhich God punishes with temporal death, while
at the same time he extends mercy to the soul. — See the
remarks at the end of chap. xxiv.
Verse 17. Kill every male among the little ones'] For this
action I account, simply on the principle that God, who is the
author and supporter of life, has a right to dispose of it when
and hmu he thinks proper ; and the Judge of all the earth can
do nothina: hut what is ri!;ht. Of the women killed on this
occasion, it may be safety said, their lives were forfeited by
their /)f)-so7m/ transgressions; and yet even in this case, there
can he little doubt, that God shewed mercy to their souls.
The little ones were safely lodged — they were taken to heaven
and saved from the evil to come.
Verse 23. The xvater of separation] The water in which
An accoufit of the spoils
b r'lisi' ^'^^^' make it go tlirough the fire, and
An. Ejod isr. it sliuU be cloaTi : nevertheless it shall
""'• be purified * with the water of sepa-
ration: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall
make go through the water.
24- ''And ye shall wash your clothes on the
seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and after-
ward ye shall come into the camp.
25 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
ing,
26 Take the sum of the prey 'that was taken,
but/t of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the
priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:
27 And " divide the prey into two parts ;
between them that took the war upon them,
wlio went out to battle, and between all the
congregation :
28 And levy a tribute nnto the Lord of the
men of war which went out to battle: 'one
soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and
of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the
sheep :
29 Take it of their half, and give it unto
Eleazar the priest, Jbr a heave-oftering of the
Lord.
30 And of the children of Israel's half, thou
shalt take ' one portion of fifty, of the persons,
of the beeves, of the asses, and of the ^ flocks,
of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the
Levites, " which keep the charge of the taber-
nacle of the Loud.
:n And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as
the Lord commanded Moses.
32 And the booty, bei/ig the rest of the prey
which the men of war had caught, was six
hundred tliousand and seventy thousand and
five thousand sheep.
33 And threescore and twelve thousand beeves.
34 Axu\ threescore and one thousand asses.
CHAP. XXXL
takt'>i in this tear.
W 3.5 And thirty and two tliousand uc'i-jm
persons in all, of women that had not An.Exod.iir.
known man by lying witli him. '^ ._.
3G And the half, xchicli xcas the portion of
them that wetit out to war, was in niunber
three hundred thousand and seven and thirty
thousand and five Inuidred sheep :
37 And the Lord's tribute of the sheep was
six hundred and threescore and fifteen.
38 And the beeves were thirty and six thou-
sand : of which the Lord's tribute was three-
score and twelve.
39 And the asses tcei-e thirty tliousand and
five hundred ; of which the Lord's tribute was
threescore and one,
40 And the persons were sixteen thousand:
of which the Lord's tribute icas thirty and two
persons.
41 And IMoses gave the tribute, which was
the Lord's heave-offering unto Eleazar the
priest, ' as the Lord commanded Moses.
42 And of the children of Israel's half, which
Moses divided liom the men that warred,
43 (Now the half that pertained vnto the con-
gregation was three htuidrcd thousand and thirty
thousand and seven thousand and five hundred
sheep,
44 And thirty and six thousand beeves,
45 And thirty thousand asses and five huil-
\\ drcd,
ll 46 And sixteen thousand persons;)
47 Even " of the children of Israel's half,
Moses took one portion of fifty, loth of man
and of beast, and gave them inito the Levites,
which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the
Loud ; as the Lord conunanded j\Ioses.
48 ^ And the oflicers which were over thou-
sands of the host, the captains of thousands, and
captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:
■ t ll. 10. 9, 17. '' T,cv. 11. ?5.-
-' Hcb. nf the captiviOi.-
■a - 1 Saiu. 3i). 4..: ^Scc ver. 30, 47. & ch. 10. 2(5. 'See vcr. i'i—A7.
-''.Tosh.ge.
the ashes of lite red heifer wrre mirifjlcd, ."see on cliap. viii. 7.
XIX. 2, &c. Garments wliether of cloth or skins, were to be
■masked. Gold, silver, brass, iron, tin and kud to pass
"through the fire, probably to be melted down.
Verse 28. And lety a trihuCe unto the Lord — one soul of fit-e
hundred, &c.] The persons to be ciriployed in the Lord's
• service, \indcr the Levites — the cuttle either for sacrifice, or
tor the use of the I.evites, ver. ?>0. iSorae monsters hayc
■ supposed that one, out of every fue hundred of the captives,
-8 Or, gnnts. ""ch. 3.
-kvcr. 30.
, 8, ',5, 31, 3j. & la. 3, 4. ' Sec ch. 18. 8, 19.
was offered in sacrifice to the Lord ! but this is abominable.—
When God chose to liavf the life of a man, he took it iu the
\\ay D? justice, as in the case of the Midianites above; but
ne\er in tlie vay of sacrijicc.
Verse 32. The booty] It appears from the enumeration
here, that the Israelites, in this war a^jainst the Midianite.s,
took 32,000 Itmale prisonci-s, 61.000 asses, 72,000 beeves,
675,000 sheep, and small cattle ; besides the iinniense
J niunber of rnules who fell in battle, and the Momtn and chit-
4X2
The offerings made on I of the NUMBERS.
49 And they said unto Moses, Thy
servants have taken the sum of the
men of war which are under our
and there lacketh not one man of
spoils to God and the priests.
A.M. M.^.'S.
H. C. 11,11.
An.Exod.Isr.
*).
* charge,
us>
50 We have therefore brouglit an oblation for
the Loud, what every man hath ''gotten, of jew-
els of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, ear-
rings, and tablets, ' to make an atonement for
our souls before the Lord.
51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the
gold of them, €ve7i all wrought jewels.
«Heb. hand. ^Heb. found. '^Exod. 30. 12, 16.
oiew who were slain by the divine command, ver. 17. And
it does not appear, that in lliis expedition, a single man of
I.-irael fell ! Tlii.s was natiir illy to be expected, because the
battle was the Lord',«, ver. 49.
As the booty was divided info two eqnal parts, ver. 22.
one tor the soldiers employed in the e.xpedition, and the other
for those who, being equally willing to be employed, were
ordered to stay in the camp : so each of the parties in this
And all the gold of the " offer-
A.M. 0.5,5:1.
ing that they offered up to the Lord, An. ^.^ori. isr.
of tlie captains of thousands,* and of '^"'
; the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand
seven hundred and fifty shekels.
53 CFor 'the men of war had taken spoil,
every man for himself.)
54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest, took
the gold of the captains of thousands and of
hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of
the congregation, [/or a memorial for the child-
ren of Israel before the Lord.
<■ Ilcb. hcavi offering «Deut. 5(0. 14. fEx(jd. 30. 1(3.
booty, was to give a certain proportion to the Lord. The
soldiers to gire to the Lord, one out of every Jive hundred
persons, br-etes, (isses and sheep, ver. 28. The pc.ple, wlio
by staying at home, risked nothing, and had no fatigue, were
to give one out of /|/7y of the above, ver. 30. The booty its
division among the soldiers and people — the proportion given
by each to the Lord, and to the Levites, will be seen in one
view by the following table, which I copy from Houbigant,
Total of sheep | To the soldiers
675,000. ) To the people
(^ To the soldiers
j To the people
) To tlie soldiers
) To the people
}To the soldiers
To the people
of beeves
72,000.
of asses
e 1,000.
of persons
32,000.
337,500
To the Lord from the soldiers
677
337,500
To the Levites from the people
6,770
36,000
To the Lord from the soldiers
72
36,000
To the Levitts from the people
720
30,500
To the Lord from the soldiers
61
30,500
To the Levites from the people
610
1 6,000
To the Lord from the soldiers
33
16,000
To the Levites from the people
320
In which table the booty is equally divided between the
people and the snU'iers: a five hundredth part being given to
the Lord; and a fiftieth part to the Levites.
Verse 50. We have — brought an oblation for the Lord] So it
appears there was a great deal of booty taken, winch did not
some into the general account : and of thi.s, tiie soldiers, of
their own will, made a very extensive oftering to God, be-
cause he had preserved them from fulling in battle. That
not one man .should have been slain, is a most extraordinary
circumstance, and powerfully marks the peculiar superintend-
ance of God's especial providence. The Midianites must
certainly have made some resistance, but that was ineffectual ;
because it was against the Lord. When any nation under-
takes a crusade against those whom they are pleased te call
the Lord's enemies, let them bring from the contest this proof
of their Divine mission, viz. that not one man of them is
either lost or missing ; and then, and not till then^ shall we
believe that God hath sent them.
To make an atonement for our souls'] That is, to make an
acknowledgment to God for the preservation of their lives.
The gold offered on this occasion, amounted to 16,750 shekels,
equal to =£'37,869 16i5iiof our money. See the note on
Exod. XXV. 39. where the true value of the shekel is given,
and a rule laid d«wn to reduce it to English money.
CHAPTER XXXn.
The Rettlenites and Gadites request Moses to give them their inheritance on this aide of Jordan, 1 — 5. Moses c.r-
postiilatcs with, and reproves them, G — 15. Thei/ explain themselves, and propose conditions, zcith which Moses is
mtisfied — they are to build cities for their anves and children, and folds for their cattle, and go over Jordan
armed J:cith the other tribes, and fight against their enemies till the land is subdued ; after uhich they are to
return, 16—27. Moses proposes the business to Eleazar, Joshua, and the elders, 28 — JO. The Gadites ntid
Mevbenitcs promise a faithful observance of the conditions, 31,32. Onxehich, Moses assigns to thtm and the
Jteiihen and Gad request to
CHAP. XXXII.
settle on the east side of Jordan.
half tribt of ILnuissdi, the hins^doia of Sihoit, l;itig of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bushan,
3;3. The cities built by the Cadites, 34—36. The cities built by tlie Reube/iiles, 37, 38. The children of
Mfichir, the son of Manasseh, erpel tlic Amorites from Gilead, 39, k'A/cA Moses grants to them, 40. Jair, the
son of Manasseh, takes the small towns of Gilead, 41. And Nobuh talus Kenalli and its ■villages, 42.
A.M.25SS.
li. C. 1151.
Ad.Kx'kI- Isr.
40.
NOW the children of Reuben
and the children of Gad had a
very great multitude of cattle : and
vhcn they saw the land of ' Jazcr, and the land
of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place
for cattle ;
2 The children of Gad and the children of
Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to
Eleazar tlie jjriest, and unto the princes of the
congregation, saying,
3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and " Nim-
rah, and Heshbon, and Elealeli, and ' Shebam,
and Nebo, and " Beon,
4 Eve» the country ' which the Lonn smote
before the consiresatton of Israel, is a land lor
cattle, and thy servants have cattle :
5 Wherefore, said they, if we have found
grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto
thy servants for a possession, and bring us not
over Jordan.
G *A And iNIoses said vmto the children of Gad
and to the children of Reuben, Shall your
brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
7 And wherefore ' discomage ye the heart of
the children of Israel, from going over into the
land which the Loud hath given them ?
8 Thus did yoiu- fathers, ^ when I sent them
from Kadesh-barnea " to see the land.
9 For ' when they went up unto the valley of
Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the
»Ch. 21.3?. Josli. ti. S5. eSani. 'i4. 5. •'ver. .To. litth-nimrah.
•■ vor. Stt. Shihmah. "^ vcn. 311, Uml-tnrim.—' ch. SI W, '.'•■i. ' IMi.
trc^k. 1 oil. 13. 3, i'6. " Deut. 1. H'l. ' rli. 13. 2-1, 31. Dent. 1. i4,
2&. "cli. 14. 11, ^1. Dent. 1. 34. ' cli. 14. 26, 2'.i. Ueul. 1. 35.
NOTES ON CHAT. XX.X1I.
Ver.'^e 3. Aiatoth ami Dtbon, &(..] Tlic places mentioned
htrc, belonged to iSihon, kin;; of the Amonles, and Og,
king of Raslian; which btin^^ conqucrtd by the Israelites,
con.<tiiutcd ever after a part of ihtir uriitories; ver. 3'S.
Verse 5. Lcl litis land be given iiiitu iliy sinums] Because
it was good for pas'ttin;^c, and tl>ey had niaiiv ficicks, ver. 1.
Verse 12. Caleb, llic son nf Ji[./iu>ineh lU- Kciii.zitt:] It was
.Jephunnch, that was the Kenezite, and not Cakb. Kenaz
was prui'ably the father of Jephunneh.
Verse 1 Ci. fVe ti):/l build — alies for our little ons\ It was
impossible for thi^, nunaerous as they might be, to build
A. ^r. ?s5i
H. f. 1 151.
All. Eiknd. iit.
40.
heart of the children of Israel, that
they should not go into the land which
the Loud had given thein.
10 ''And the Loiiu's anger was kindled the
same time, and he sware, .saying,
1 1 Surely none of the men that came up out
of Eg}^)t, ' from twenty years old and upward,
shail see the land which I sware unto Abraham,
unto Isaac, and unto Jacob ; because " they
have not " v.-hol!y ibllowed me :
12 Save Caleb, l!ie son of Jephunnch the Ke-
nezite, and Joshua the son of Nun : "for they
have wholly followed the Loud.
1 3 And the Lord's anger was kindled against
Israel, and he made them " wander in the wil-
derness forty years, until "all the generation,
that had done evil in the sight of the Lokd,
was consumed.
14 And, behold, ye arc risen up in your fa-
thers' stead, an increase of sinftd men, to aug-
ment yet the ' fierce anger of the Lord toward
Israel.
l,*; For if ye 'turn away from after him, he
will yet again leave them in the wilderness ; and
ye siiall destroy all this people.
16 % And they came near unto him, and said,
We will build s-heeplblds here for our cattle, and
cities for our little ones :
17 But 'we ourselves will go ready armed be-
fore the children of Israel, until we have brought
"cli. 14. 21, X). " Hell, fuimied after mfk "ch. 1-t. 24
Josh. 14. 8, 9. ^ch. 14. "33, 34, .W. 1 ih. 26. 64, 65.
— ^'Diut. 30. 1?. Josh. 'J2. 16, la.
4. 12, 13.
Deut l.3fi.
;,'Clirim. 7. 1'.'. it l.";. 2. "Joih.
I Cities and fortify thrm for the defence of their fiinilics in
their absence. Calm- 1 supposes they meant no more than
reptiiiing the cities of the Amorites which they had lately
taken,; which work mig;hl have been very easily accomplished
m the time which they spent on this side ot Jordan, before
they \'.ent over with their brethren, to put them in possession
of the land.
Ver~« n. Because of the inhiibittnts of tlie land.] Thes«
were the Ainuionitts, Moabites, idumcans, and the rcmaiiii
of the Midianites and Ainorite.^. But could the women and
chiidrtn even keep the dttenccd cities, when placed m them?
This, certainly cannot be supposed pt/ssible. Many of the
A. 51. 2553.
13, C. 1451.
Ail. Exod. Isr.
40.
The conditions on 'which NUMBERS.
them unto their place : and our Httle
ones shall dwell in the fenced cities
becau.se of the inhabitants of the
land.
18 * We will not return unto our houses, until
rhe cliildren of Israel have inherited every man
his inheritance.
19 For we will not inherit with them on yon-
der side Jordan, or forward ; "" because our in-
heritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan east-
ward.
20 ^ And ' Moses said unto them, If ye wiU
do this thing, if ye will go armed before the
Lord to war,
21 And will go all of vou armed over Jordan
bcibre the Lord, until he hath driven out his
enemies from before him,
22 And " the land be subdued before the
Lord : then afterward ' ye shall return, and be
guiltless before the Lord, and before Israel ;
and ^ this land shall be your possession before
tlie Loud.
23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have
A.M. a553.
B. C. 1451.
An. Exod. Isr.
40.
and be sure ^your
their petitions are gt^anfed.
28 So ' concerning them, Moses
commanded Eleazar the priest, and
Joshua, the son of Nun, and the
chief lathers of the tribes of the children of
Israel :
29 And Mosco said unto them. If the children
of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass
with you over Jordan, every man armed to
battle, before the Lord, and the land shall be
subdued before you ; then ye sliall give them
the land of Gilead for a possession :
30 But if they will not pass over with you
armed, they shall have possessions among you
in the land of Canaan.
31 And the children of Gad and the children
of Reuben answered
said unto thy servants, so will we do
32 We will pass over armed before the Lord
into the land of Canaan, that the possession
of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be
, saying. As the Lord hath
sinned against the Lord
sin will iiud you out.
24 " Build you cities for your little ones, and
folds for your sheep ; and do that which hath
proceeded out of your mouth.
25 And the children of Gad and the children
of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying. Thy ser-
vants will do as my lord commandeth.
26 ' Our little ones, our wives, our flocks,
and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of i
Gilead :
27 " But thy servants will pass over, every man
armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my
lord saith.
■ .Tosh. 22. 4. — -I" ver. 33. .Tosh. 12. 1. & 13. R. ' Dent. 3. If!. Josh.
1. 14. 5v 4.12,13. "Dcut. 3.20. Josh. 11. 23. & 18. 1. =Josh. 2','
4. -...-...-....-.. .-
«Gen.
1. 5v 4.12,13. "Dcut. 3.20. Josh. 11. 23. & 18. J. Mosh. 2'.'.
— fDcut 3. 12,15, 111, 18. Josh. 1. 15. & 13. 8,32. & 22. 4,9.
n. 4. 7. & 44. 16. ^ai. 59. 12. i>ver. 16,34, &c. 'Josh. 1. 11.
33 And " Moses gave unto them, even to the
children of Gad, and to the children of Reu-
ben, and imto half the tribe of Manasseh, the
son of Joseph, " the kingdom of Sihon, king of
the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king
of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in
the coasts, even the cities of the country round
about.
34 ^ And the children of Gad built " Dibon,
and Ataroth, and "^ Aroer,
S5 And Atroth, Shophan, and "^ Jaazer, and
Jogbehah,
36 And ''Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, 'fenced
cities : and folds for sheep.
37 And the children of Reuben * built Hesh-
bon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
men of war mu.st of course stay behind. In the last cen.siis,
chap. xyvi. the tribe of Reuben consisted of 43,730 men :
tlie tribe of Gad, 40,500 : the tribe of Manasseh, 52,700 ;
the lialf of whidi i.^ 26,350. Add thi.s to the sum of the
other two fril>es, and the amount is 110,580. Now, from
Joshua iv. 13. we learn, that of the tribes of Reuben and Gad,
and the half of the tribe of Manasscii, only 40,000 annod
men pa-ised ovfr Jordan to assist their brethren in tl)e reduc-
tion of the land : consequently the number of 70,580 men
were left behind for the defence of the women, the children.
kjosli. 4. 12. 1 Josli. 1. 13. "Dout. 3. 12—17. & 29. 8. Josh.
12. <i. & 13. U. & 22. 4.- — -"ch. 21. 24, 33, 3.5. »ch. 33. 45, 4tj.
P Jleut. 2. 36. iver. 1, % Jastr. 'vvv. 3. Nimiiih. ' v«i-. ;;4.
" ch. 21. 'HT.
and the flocks. This was more than sufficient to defend
them against a people already panic struck by their late dis-
comfitures and reverses.
Verse 34. The children of Gad built — Amer] This was si-
tuated on the river Arnon, Dcut. ii. 36. 2 Kings x. 33. It
was formerly inhabited by the Emim, a warlike and perhaps
gijjanlic people. Tiiey were expelled by the Moabiles; the
Muabites by the Amorites; and the Amorites by the I>racl-
ites. The Gaditcs then posses.^ed it till the captivity pf their
tribe, with that pf Reuben and the half ef the tribe of Manasseh,
A.M. 25.3!.
B. C. W5l.
An. Kxud. Isr
40.
Account of the journeyings
38 And * Nebo, and " Baal-mcon,
C their names being clianged,) and
Shibniah : and " gave other names
unto the cities wliich they builded.
39 And the children of ' Machir, the son of
Manasseh, went to Gilead, and took it, and dis-
possessed the Amorite which u-as in it.
40 And Moses ' gave Gilead unto Machir, the
• Isai. 46. 1. ^ cli. 23. 41. ' See ver. 3. Exnd. '.'3. 13 .TosI). 5-3. 7.-
"i Ileb. they called lnj numcs the names, oj the citUs. 'Gen. 51'. 'iS.
CHAP, xxxiir
by the Assyrians, 2 Kings xv. 29. after which, the Jloabiics
appear to have repossessed it, as they seem to have occupied
it in the days of Jeremiah, chap, xlviii. 15 — 20.
Verse 38^ And Nebo — their ttames beini^ changed] That is,
those who conquered the cities, called them after their own
name.';. Thus the city Kemith, being conquered by Nobah,
was called after his name, ver. 42.
Verse 41. Huvothjair] That is, the villw^cs or hahiialions
of Jair. And thus they should have been translated. As i
A.M. f?.?.!'-.
An. Kxod.I.-r.
.10.
of the Israelites
J son of Manasseh ; and he dwelt
therein.
41 And ^Jair, the son of Manasseh,
went and took the small towns thereof, and
called them " Havoth-jair.
42 And Nobah went and took Kenath, and
the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after
his own name.
fDcut. 3 1'.', 13, 1.5. Joili. 13. 31. & 17. I. sDeut. 3. 14. .Tosh. 13. 33.
1 Chron. 2. 21, i»2, '.'3. ■' Jadg. 10. 4. 1 Kings 4. 13.
these two tribes and a half were the first, says .'\insworth,
who had their inheritance a.ssijjned to them in tlie promi.<ed
land ; so they were the first of all Israel, that were carried
captive out of their own land, because of their sins. " For
they transn;ressed against the God of their fathers, and went
a whorinc; after other gods. And God delivered them into
the liands of Pul and Tiiiliith Pilnescr, kings of Assyria, and
they brought tUeni to Ualttli, Hahor, Hara, and Gozan, unto
this day." See 1 Chron. v. 25. 26.
CHAPTER XXXHL
The joitrneipngii of the Israelitei tmtlen out hi/ Moses, according to the commandment of the Lord, 1,2. Thei/
depart from Rnmeses on the Jifleeitth day of the Jirst month, on the day after the pass-over, the first-born ol^'
the Egyptians having been slain, 3, 4. Their forty-two stations enumerated, 5 — 49. They are authorized t»
expel all the former inhabitants, and destroy all remnants of idolatry, 50 — 53. The land is to be divided htj
lot, 54. Should they not drive out the former inhabitants, they shall be to them as pricks in their eyes and
thorns in their sides, 55. And if not obedient, God tvill deal zvith them as he has purposed to do with the
Canaanites, ofi.
A.M.'/s.w.
B. C. 14.'.1.
An. F.xod.lsr.
40.
THESE are the 'journeys of the
children of Israel, which went
forth out of the land of Egypt with
» Exod. 12. 38, 51. & 13. 18. "Josh. 24. 5.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXIII.
Verse 2. ytnd Moses wrote their guim^s out according to
their journcT/s] We may consider the wliolc book of Numbers
as a diary, and indeed the f:r»t book of travels ever published.
Dr. Sliavv, Dr. Pocock, and several others, have endeavoured
to mark out the route of the Israelites through this great,
dreaiy, and trackless dcsart ; and have ascertained many of
the stages here described. Indeed there are suifuient evi-
dences of this important journey still remaining; for tlie de-
scriptions of many are so particular, that the places are readily
ascertained by them ; but this is not the case with all. Israel
was the church of God in the wilderness, and its unsettled,
wandering stale under Moses, may point out the unsettled
ttate of religion under the law. Their being brought, after
their armies, under the '' hand of
Moses and Aaron.
2 And Moses wrote their "goings out
A. M. t'il^.
B.
C. 1451.
An
Kxod.lsr.
4'>.
' Ch. 9. 17—23. & 10. 6, 13. Deut. 1. 2, 10, 11.
the death of Moses, into the promised rest by Joshua, niny
point out the establishment, fixedness, and certainty of that
salvation provided by Jesus Christ, of whom Joshua, in tmme
and conduct, was a remarkable type. Mr. Ainsworlh im-
agines that the forty-two stations, here enumerated, tiirouijh
which the Israelites were brought to the verge of the promised
land, and aderwards taken over Jordan into the rest which
God had promised ; point out the furty-tiuo generations from
Abraham unto Christ, through whom the Saviour of the
world came ; by whose blood we have an entrance into the
Holiest, and enjoy the inheritance among the saints in light.
And Mr. Bromley, in Ins Way to the Sabbath of rest, con-
siders each name and place, as descriptive of the spiritual state,
through which a soul pusses in its way tc the kmgdom' of God.
A.^f•2■"'5'.
B.C. 1451.
An. Exod. Isr.
40.
An account of the forty-two
according to their journeys, by the
commandment of the Lord : and
these are their journeys according to
their goings out.
3 And they * departed from Ram-
eses in
teenth
NUMBERS.
8 And tliev
A.M. -iiVX
B. C. 1191.
An.Kxod. Is;
B. C. 1491.
Aii.E.xoiMsr,
1.
AhiharKhan,
Abib or Nisan.
^ the first month, on the fif-
day of the first montli ; on
the morrow after the pass-over, the
children of Israel went out ^with a high hand, {
in the sight of all the Egyptians.
4 For the Eg^^itians buried all t/ieir first-born,
" which the Lord had smitten among them :
* upon their gods also the Lord executed judg-
ments.
5 ^ And the children of Israel removed from
Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.
6 And they departed from ^ Succoth, and
pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the
wilderness.
7 And " they removed from Etham, and turn-
ed again unto Pi-hahiroth, which is before Baal-
zephon : and they pitched before Migdol.
' Kxod. 12. Sr. ^ Exod. 12. 2. & 13. 4. ' Exod. 14. 0. " Exod. 12.
29. ' Exod. 12. 12. & 18. 11. Isai. 19. 1. Rev. 12. 8. fExod. 12. 37.
But in cases of this kind, fancy has much more to do than
juilgmcnt.
Verse 3. From Rumeses] This appears to hwe been the
inetropalis of the land of Goslien, and the place of rendez-
vou>:, whence the whole Lraelitish nation set out on their
journey to the promised land. .See the notes on Exod. xii. 37.
HERE FOLLOW THE FORTY-TWO ST.\T10NS.
Station i. Verse 5. And pitched in SuccOTH.] This
name signifies booths or tents, and probahly refers Uf no toii:n
or I'illau^c, but simply designates the place where they pitched
their tents for the first time, after their departure from Ra-
mescs.
Stat. ii. Verse 6. Eth.\M, ivhicli is in the ed'^c of the ivil-
tJerncss.l This place is not well known; Dr. Shaw supposes
it to have been one mile from Caitrj. Cahnet thinks it is the
city of Buthuvi, mentioned by Hcrodotas, wliich he places
m Arabia, on the frontiers of K^ypt.
ST.vr. iii. Verse "i. Pl-HAIIlUOlll] See on Exod. xiv. 1.
Jiaal-zephon, Cahnet sivpposes to be the Cti/sma of the Greeks,
and the Kolzum of the Arabians.
Sta']'. iV. Verse 8. And iieint three days' jounirr/ in the wilder-
ness of Elluim] Called the wilderness of Slwr, Exod. xv. 22.
And pitched in Marah.] Dr. Shaw supposes this place to
be at Sadur, x)vcr against the vaUey of liaide/ih, on the oppo-
site side of the Red sea.
StaT. v. Verse 9. And came unto EilM] A place on the
skirts of the desarls ol' .SV/(, two leaj^ues from Tor, and near
thirty from Curondel, a large bay on the east side of the lied
and
en-
stations of tJie Isracliles,
departed from before ■*'^^- ^^is.
Pi-hahirotii, and ' passed through the
midst of the sea into the wilderness,
and went three days' journey in the .
wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah,
9 And they removed from Marah, and " came
unto Elim : and in Elim were twelve fountains
of v^ater, and threescore and ten palm trees ;
and they pitched there.
10 And they removed from Elim,
camped by the Red sea.
1 1 And they removed from the Red
sea, and encamped in the 'wilderness
of Sin.
12 And they took their journey
out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in
Doplikah.
13 And they departed from Dephkah, and en-
camped in Alush.
14 And they removed from Alush, and en-
cani])ed at ™ Rephidim, where was no water for
the people to drink.
A. .M .2513.
B. C. lii'i.
An Exi>d. Isr.
1.
Jjar or Zif,
6 Exod. 1.1.20, ^V.xoA. 14. 2,9. iExod. 14. 22. & 15. 22, 23.
^Exod. 15. 27. 'Exod. 16. 1. ""Exod. 17. 1. 6c 19. 2.
sea. Dr. Shaw, when he virited this place, found but nine
of the twelve wells mentioned in the text, and instead of 70
palm-trees, he found ujiwards of 2000. See on Exod. xv.
27. and the map in Exodus.
St.VT. vi. Verse 10. Encamped hy ihc Red SEA.] It is diffi-
cult to assign the place of this encainpinent ; as the Israelites
were now on their way to mount Sinai, which lay consider-
ably to the cast of Elim, and con.sequenlly farther from the
sea than the Ibrmer station. It might be called by the Red
sea, as the Israelites had it, as the principal object, still in
view. This station however is mentioned no where else.
By the Red sea, we are not to understand a sea, the waters
of which are ird, or the sand red ; or any thing else about
i or in it red : for nothing of this kind appears. It is called
in Hebrew r-pD CD' yavi nuph, which signifies the weedy sea.
The Scjuuagint rendered tlie original by SaAa<rcci i^u^pa, and
the I'ul'j^ule after it, bj' 7n(ire rubriim, and the European ver-
sions followed these ; and in opposition to etymology and rea-
son, translated it The Red sea. See the note on Exod. x. 1 9.
Stat. vii. Verse II. The wilderness of iyim.] This l^es be-
tween Elim and mount Sinai. Dr. Shaw and his companioni
traversed these plains in nine hours.
SlVf. viii. Verse 12. DOPIIKAH.] This place is not men-
tioned in E.xodus, and its situation is not known.
Stat. ix. Verse 13, Ai.USH.] Neither is this mentioned
in Exodus, and its situation is equally unknown.
,Sta r. X. Verse 14. RF.PiilDi.M] Remarkable for the re-
bellion of the Israshted against Moses, because of ihe nant
of water, Eiod, xvii.
A.M. 'J.SIS.
li.C 1191.
All. Exod. Isr.
I. — Silan.
riiroiioliipy
ryuiic<'itain
i .n'cKibrOth-
iialtiiavah, till
(hey C'inio lo
fl.e (lesariuf
Zin.
Stations of the children CHAP.
15 And they departed from Rcphi-
dim, and pitched in the " wilderness
of Sinai.
16 And they removed from the dc-
sart of Sinai, and pitched ^ at ' Ki-
brotli-liattaavah.
17 And they departed from Ki-
broth-hattaavah, and '' encamped at
Hazeroth.
18 And they departed from Ilazc-
rotll, and pitched in ° Rithmali.
. 19 And they departed from Rithmah, and
pitched at lvimmon-j)arez.
20 And they departed from Rimmon-parez,
and pitclied in Libnah.
21 And they removed from Libnali, and
pitched . at Rissah.
'22 And they journeyed from Rissali, and
pitched in Kchelathah.
23 And they went from Kehelathah, and
l)itched in mount Shapher.
24 And they removed from mount Shapher,
and encamped in Haradah.
XXXIII. of Israel contiinied.
II 25 And thev removed from Ha-
^hxiii. 10. 1. & 19. 1,2.-
"^ch. 11. jj.-
— ""ch. 11. 34. 'Tliat is, Oies:rnvcs of lust.-
-■^cli. IC'. 16". iMac. 5. y. Daihcma.
, St.\T. xi. Verse 1 5. The WILOERNESS of SiNAI.] Some-
wlicre northward of mount Sinai, on tlie straighi road to tbe
prwTiised land, to which they now direcied tlicir course.
St.\t. xii. Verse IG. KinnOTii-iiATTAAVAii.] \o city,
village, &e. but a place in the open desart, which had its
name from the plague that fell upon the Israelites, tiirough
their murmuring again^ God^ and their inordinate desire of
flesh. Sec on chap. xi. But it appears that the Israelites
liad travelled three days' journey in order to reach this place,
chap. X. 33. and commentators suppose there must have been
other stations, which are not laid down here ; probably be-
cause the places were not remarkable.
Stat. xiii. Verse 17. IIazekotm.] Thispl.ice Dr. Shaw
computes to have been about thirty miles distant from mount
Sinai.
Stat. xiv. Verse 18. Kitiimah.] Tliis place lay some-
where in the wilderness of Varun, through which the Israel-
ites were now passing. Sec chap. xiii. I. The name sig-
nifies the juniper tree ; and the place probably had its name
from the great number of those trees growing in that district.
STAT. XV. Verse 19. RlMMON-PAIlEZ.] Unknown.
Stat. xvi. Verse 20. LiBNAH.] The situation of this place
Ls uncertain. A city of this name is mentioned, Josh. x. 29.
as situated between Ka'desli-barnea and Gaza.
Stat. xvii. Verse 21. Ui.ssaH.] A place mentioned no
where else in the Sacred Writings. Its situation utterly
uncertain.
Stat. xviii. Verse 22. Kf:iiel.\THAH.] Utterly unknown :
and pitched in Makhe-
Cliroiio!i)py
vfrvinu'crluiii
;irtii ihey
Ie.nvi.'Kihn;lli-
liaitdavali, t;!l
lh*?y conieto
tlic de*art of
Zm.
radah
lolh.
26 And tlicy removed from Mak
heloth, and encamped at Tahath.
27 And \\\cy departed from Tahath, and pitch-
ed at Tarah.
28 And they removed from Tarah, and pitch-
ed in Mithcah.
29 And they went from Mithcah, and pitched
in H:i.shinonali.
.00 And they departed from Hashmonah, and
^ encamped at Mo.serotli.
31 And they departed from Moseroth, and
pitched in Uone-jaakan.
,02 And tiicy remo\eil from ^ Bene-^i.nknrii,
and " encamped at Hor-hagidgad.
.33 And they went fi-om Hor-hagidgad, and
pitched in Jotbatliah.
34 And they removed from Jotbatliah, and
encamped at Ebronah.
35 And they departed from Ebronah, ' and
encamped at Ezion-gaber.
f Deut. 10. 6. 6 I Mac. 5. 4. Ikon .- See Gen. 36. 37. Deut. 111. 6. 1 Chron.
1. 4^. " Deut. 10. 7. ' Deut. 2. 8. 1 Kings 9. 2(j. & 2'J. *t.
though some conjecture, that it might liave l>een the plaae
called Keilah, 1 Sam. xxiii. 1, &c. liut this is* unlikely.
St.VF. xix. Ver.se 23. Shapher.] Where this mountain
lay, cannot be determined.
Stat. xx. Verse 24. Haradah.] Unknown. Calmet sup-
poses that it may be the place called Bard, Gen. xvi. 14.
which was in the vicinity of Kadali.
ST.iT. sxi. Verse 25. Makhei.OTH.] A name found no
where else in Scripture.
St.vt. xxii. Verse 26. Tahath.] Unknown.
Stat, xxiii. Verse 27. Tau.\H.] Also unknown.
Stat. xxiv. Verse 23. Mithcah.] Calmet conjeclurei that
this may be Mocha, a city in Arabia Pctnca.
Stat. xxv. Verse 29. Hashmg.nah.] Supposed by some
to be the same as Azmon, chap, xxxiv. 4.
Stat. xxvi. Verse f)0. MOSEKOTII.] Situation unknown.
In Deut. X. 6. it is said, thai the Israelites took their journcv
from Becroth, the wells of the children of Juukan, to AIosc ra,
and there Aaron died. If so, Mosera, Moseroth, and Hor,
must be different names of the same place. Or Moseroth,
or Mosera, must have been some town or village near mount
Hor ; for there Aaron died. See vcr. 3S.
ST.A.T. xxvii. Verse .31. Bene-jaakan.] Unknown. The
sons of Jaakan. — See the preceding ver.se.
Stat, x-vviii. Ver,se 32. HOK-HACiDG.iD.] The hole, or pit,
qf Gidgdd. Unknown. It was a place perhaps remarkable
for some vast pit or cavern, from which it took its name.
Stat. xxix. Verse 33. Jotb.^thaij.] Situation unknown,
4 V
A.M. 2.W3.
B. C. 1451.
All. Exiid. Isr,
40.
The stations of the children NUMBERS.
36 And they removed from Ezion-
gaber, and pitched in the ^ wilder-
ness of Zin, which is Kadesh.
37 And tliey removed from '' Kadesh, and
pitched in mount Hor, in the edge of the land
of Edom.
38 And " Aaron, the priest, went up into
mount Hor at the commandment of the Lord,
and died there, in the fortieth year after the
children of Israel were come out of the land of
Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month.
39 And Aaron xvas a hundred and twenty and
three years old when he died in mount Hor.
40 And ■* king Arad, the Canaanite, which
dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan, heard
of the coming of the children of Israel.
41 And they departed from mount ^ Hor, and
pitched in Zalmonah.
42 And they departed from Zalmonah, and
pitched in Punon.
43 And they departed from Punon, and "^pitch-
ed in Oboth.
A.M.iSSS.
B.C. 1451.
Aii.Exod. Isr.
40.
of Israel continued,
44 And ^ they departed from Oboth,
and pitched in " Ije-abarim', in the
border of Moab.
45 And they departed from lim, and pitched
'^ in Dibon-gad.
46 And they removed from Dibon-gad, and
encamped in Almon'-diblathaim.
j 47 And they removed from Almon-diblathaim,
j " and pitched in the mountains of Abarim, be-
fore Nebo.
48 And they departed from the mountains of
Abarim, and " pitched in the plains of Moab by
Jordan 7iear Jericho.
49 And they pitched by Jordan, from Beth-
I jesimoth even unto ° Abel-shittim "^ in the plains
of Moab.
50 ^ And the Lord spake unto Moses in
the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho,
saying,
51 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say
unto them, '' When ye are passed over Jordan
into the land of Canaan ;
' Ch. 20. 1. & 27. 14. " cli. 20. 22, 23. & 21. 4. ■= ch. 20. 25, 28.
Deut. 10.6. & 32. 50. "icli. 21. 1, &c. 'ch. 21. 4. fell. 21. 10.
s ch. 21. 11. K Or, heajis of Ahurim. ' ch. 21. 11.
It is said in Deut. x. 7. to be a Innd of rivers of
waters.
Stat. XXX. Verse 3 4. EbrONAH.] No where else mentioned.
Stat. xxxi. Verse 35. EziON-G.iBER.] Dr. SIkiw places
this port on the western coast of the Elanitic gulph of the
Red sea. It is now called Meenah el Dsahab, or the golden
port, by the Arabs ; because it was from this place that So-
lomon sent his ships for gold to Ophir, 1 Kings ix. 26. He
supposes it to be about CO miles distant from mount Sinai.
Travels, p. 322. 4lo. edition.
Stat, xxxii. Verse 3G. ZiN, ivldch is Kadesh.] A place
Tcmarliable for the deatli of Miriam, the prophetess; and
brmging water out of the rock. As this place was on the
borders of Edojit, the Israelites being denied permission to
pass through their lanrl, which lay on the direct road to the
promised land, they were obliged to turn to the right to
mount Hor. now called Accaba by die Arabs.
Stat, xxxiii. Verse 37. llOR] Famous for the death of
-Aaron. See on chap. xx. Perhaps Moseroth or Mosera, ver.
30. was a village near this mountain. See the note on ver. 30.
Stat, xxxiv. Verse 41. Zalmonah.] Probably in the
neighbourhood of the land of Edom. As aVs tsclem signi-
fies an image, this place probably had its name from the
brazen serjiciit set up by Moses. See chap. xxi. 5, &c. From
the same root, the word tckim, corruptly called talitman,
whi.ch signifies a consecrated image, is derived.
Stat. xxxv. Verse 42. PuNOi^.] A place in Jdumca. No
where else mentioned.
" Ch. 32. 34. ' Jer. 48. 22. Ezek. 6. 14.-
"ch. 22.1. -"Or, the plains of Shittim-
1 Deut. 7. 1, 2. & 9. 1. Josh. 3. 17.
-"■eh. 21. 20. Deut. 32. 49.
-Pch. 25. 1. Josh. 2. 1.
Stat, xxxvi. Verse 43. ObOTH.] Mentioned before, chap,
xxi. 10.
Stat, xxxvii. Verse 44. IjE-ABARIM] The lu-aps of Aba-
rim. See chap. xxi. 1 1. Situation uncertain. It is called
Ii7n in the following ver^e. As the word signifies- heaps or
protuberances, it probably means tumuli or small hills near
some of the fords of Jordan.
Stat, xxxviii. Verse 45. DIBON-G.A.D.} Snppo.*ed to be
the same as Diboti, chap, xxxii. 34. and to be situated on
the brook Arnon.
Stat, xxxix. Verse 46. Almon-DIBLVFIIAIM.] Situation
not known. It belonged to the Moabites in the time of the
prophet Jeremiah. Jer. xlviii. 22.
Stat. xl. Verse 47. Mountahis of AbaRIM, before NebO.}
The mountain on which Moses died. They came to this
place after the overthrow of the Ainoritcs. See chap. xxi.
Stat. xli. Verse 48. The PLAINS of MOAB.] This was the
scene of the transactions between BaUuini and Balak, see
chapters xxiii. xxiv. xxv.
Stat. xlii. Verse 49. From Beth-JESIMOTH even unto
Abel-SHITTIM.] The former of these places fell to the Reu-
bcnitcs. Josh. xiii. 15 — 20. The Israelites were now come
to the edge of Jordan, over against Jericho, where tiiey after-
wards passed.
For fartiier information on the subject of these differ-
ent encampmenls, the reader is reque>ted to refer to tlie
map, and to the extract from Dr. Shaw, at the end of
Exodus.
Directions rehilive to their
CHAP. XXXIII.
A.M. ■:•.«. 52 » Then ye shall drive out all the
An. K^od. isr. inluibitaiits of the land from beibre
^ you, and destroy all their i)ictures,
and destroy all their molten images, and quite
pluck down all their high places :
5.J And ye shall dispossess tlic inhabitants of
the land, and dwell therein : lor I have given
you the land to possess it.
" 54 And " ye shall divide the land by lot for an
inheritance among your families : and to the
more ye shall "give the more inheritance, and
I to the fewer ye shall ^ give the less inheritance :
=■ Exod. 23. 21, S3. & 34. 13. Deut. 7. 2, 5. & 12. 3. Josh. 11. 12.
Judg. a. 2. ''cli. i!6. 53, 54, .75. ' Heb. mtUtiply his inhcrUanct.
Verse 52. Ye shall — destroj/ all their pictures] DtVStm, niasi-
dyolam, from rOU' sacah, to be like, or resemble, citlier pic-
tiars, caivcd work, O)' embroidery, as far as these things were
employed lo exhibit the abominations of idolatry. — Molten
images, Dn3D0 'oVx tsalcmcy massecotam, metallic talisiiui-
vical figures, made imder certain conslellalions, and supposed,
in consequence, to be possessed of some extraordinary influ-
ences and virtues.
Verse 55. Shall be pricks in your eyes'] Under these meta-
phors, the continual mischief that should be dune to them, both
in soul and body, l)y these idolaters, is set forthin a very expres-
sive manntr. What can be more vexatious llian a continual
goadin<^ of each side, so that the attempt to avoid the one, tiirows
the body more forcibly on the other. And « hat can be more dis-
tressing than a continual prickins; in the eye, haras.-ing the mind,
tormenting the body, and extinguishing the sight.
1 . It has been usual among pious men, to consider these Ca-
rKianites jw.'iazn/w^- in the land, as emblems of iti-dxvelling sin:
and it must be granted, that what those remaining C'anaanites
were to the people of Israel, who were disobedient to God, such
is inrdu'elling sin to all those who will not have the blood of the
Covenant to cleanse them from all unrighteousness. For a
time, while conscience is tender, such persons fi;el themselves
straitened in all their goings, hindered in all their religious ser-
vices, and distressed beyond measure because of the Laiv, the
authority ?indpouerofsin, which they find warring in their mem-
bers : by and bye the tye of their mind becomes obscured by the
constant piercings of sin, till at last, fatally persuaded thats/M
must dwell in thou us lorn; as they lite, they accommodate their
minds to their situation, their consciences cease to be tender, and
they content themselves with expecting redemption where and
when it has never been promised, viz. beyond the grave ! On the
subjectof the journeyingsof the Israelites, the Ibllowingob.serva-
tions from old Mr. .4insv.orth cannot fad to interest tlie Reader.
2. " 'I'lie TRAVELS of Israel through that great and terrible
uildemess, nherein were fiery scr]}ents, and scorpions, and
drought, ii-here there uas no water, Deut. viii. 15. which was
a land of desarts, and of pits, a land of drought, and of the
shadow of death, a land that no man passed through, and where
no man dwelt, Jer. ii. 6. signified the many troubles and
settlement in the promised land.
every man's inheritance shall be in bch^'
the place where his lot tlilleth ; ac- An. Kxod.isr.
cording to the tribes of your iiithers ye ^"
.shall inherit.
55 But if you will not drive out the inhabitants
of the land Irom before you; then it shall come
to pass, that those which ye let remain of them
shall be ' pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your
sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye
dwell.
56 Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall
do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.
« Heb,
diminish his inheritance.
34, 36. See Exod.
= Josh. 23. 13. Judg. 2. 3. Ps. 100".
22. 33. Ezck. 28. 24.
afflictions through which we must enter into the kingdom of
God, Acts xiv. 22. The helps, comforts, and deliverances
j which God gave unto his people in their distresses, are ex-
I amplcs of his love and mercy towards his followers ; for he
comlbrts them in all their tribulation, tliat as the sufferings of
Christ abound in them, so their con.solation also abounds in
Christ, 2 Cor. i. 4.'>. The punishments which God inflicted
upon the disobedient, who perished in the wilderness for their
sins, happened unto them for ensamples, and they are written
for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come,
I Cor. X. 1,11. Heb. iii. 17, 18, 19. and iv. 1, 2. By the
7iamcs of their encamping places, and histories adjoined, it
a])pcars how Israel came sometimes into straits and trouble-
some ways, as at Fi-hahiroth, Exod. xiv. 2, 3, 10. &;c. and at
Zalmonah, Numb. ii. 1, 4. &c. sometimes into large and
ample roo?», as at the plains of Moab : sometimes to places
of hunger and thirst, as at Rephidim and Kadesh, Exod. xvi.
and xvii. Numbers xx. sometimes to places of refreshing, as
at Elim and Beer, Exod. xv. 27. Num. 21. 16. sometimes
where they had wars, as at Rephidim, Kadesh, Edrei, E.\od.
xvii. 8. Num. xxi. 1, 33. sometimes where they had ;«/, as
at Mount Sinai: sometimes they went right forward, as
from Sinui to Kudesh-Bamea: sometimes they turned back-
ward, as from Kadesh-Barnea to the Red Sea : sometimes
they came to mountains, as Sinai, Shapher, Hor-Gidgad :
sometimes to vallics, as Tuhath, &c. : sometimes to places of
bitterness, as Tlinrn/i : sometimes of i-av<;He5s, as 3[ithkah. ■
3. " The SINS which they committed in the wilderness were
many and great; as open Idolatry by the calf, at Horeb,
Exod. xxxii. and with Baalpeor, Num. xxv. Unbelief at
Kadesh, Num. xiv. and afterwards PRESUMPTUOUS BOLD-
NESS in the same place; MUJlMUltlNG against God sundry
times, with tempting of Christ (as the apostle speaks, 1 Cor.
X.) Contention and rebellion against their governors
oflen: lust itig for JleJi to fill their appetite, and loathing
manna, the heavenly food : WIIOREHOM with the daughters
of Moab ; and many other provocations that this complaint
is after made of them, bow oft did they provoke him in
the wilderness, and grieve him in the desart ! Psalm Ixxviii.
40. All sorts of persons sinned against God ; the multitude
of people very often; the mixed multitude of strangers among
4 U 2
Yke botmdaries of
NUMBERS.
iJie promised land.
ttum. Num. xi. The princes, as the ten spies, Datham,
ALirum, &c. The Ltvites, as Korah and his company ;
Miriam the propheless, Num. xii. Aaron tiie priest with her,
besides his sin at Hortb, Exod. x.x.\ii. and at the water of
Merihah, Num. xx. Mo.SES .ilso himself, at the same place,
for which he was excluded fiom the land of Canaan.
4. The PUNISHMENTS laid on them by the Lord for their
disobedience were many. They died by the sword of the
enemy, as of the Amakkites, Exod. xvii. and of the Canaanites,
Num. xiv. 45. and some by the sword of their hrethren,
E.xod. xxxii. Some were burned with fire. Num. xi. and xvi.
some died with surfeit. Num. xi. some were swallowed up
xiUve in the earth. Num. xvi. some were killed wilit serpents,
Nimi. .\xi. many died of the pestilence. Num. xvi. 46. and
chap. V. 25. and generally all that generation which were
first mustered, after their coming out of Egypt, perished,
Nmn. xxvi. 64, 65. God consumed their days in vanitj',
and their years in terror, Psal. Ixxviii. 33. nevertheless,
for his name's sake, he magnified his mercies unto them and
their posterity.
5. " He had divided the sea, and led them through on dry
land, drowning their enemies, Exod. xiv. He led them with
a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night, JnentinuaWy. He
gave them manna from heaven daily. He clave the rocks, anS
gave them water for their thirst. He fed ttiem with quails,
when they longed for flesh. He sweetened the bii/er w.ilers.
He saved them from the sword of their enemies. He de-
livered them from the fiery serpents and scorpions. Their
raiment waxed not old upon them, neither did their foot
swell for forty years, Deut. vili. 4. He delivered them from
the intended curse of Balaau), and turned it into a blessing,
because he loved them. Num. xxii. Deut. xxiii. 5. He
came down from Mount Sinai, and spake with thtm from
heaven, and gave them right judgments and true laws, ^O'sd
statutes and commandments, and gave ai^o his good spirit to
mstruct them, Nehem. ix. 13,20. In the times of ' his
wrath he remembered merry ; his eye spared them from de-
stroying them, neither did he make an end of them in the
wilderness, Ezek. xx. 17, 22. He gave them kingdoms and
nations, and they possessed the lands of their er,eiiiie>; and
he multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and brought
them into the land promised unto tiieir forefathers, Nehem.
ix. 22, 23. Now whatsoever things were written afore-
times, were written for our learning, that we, through
patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope,
Kom. XV. 4." Lei him that readeth understand !
CHAPTER XXXIV.
A he land of Canaan is described, 1,2. The south tjuarter, 3 — .5. The western border, 6. The north border,
7 — 9. Tke ea^ern border, 10 — 12. This land to be divided bi/ lot among the nine tribes and half, 13. Two
tribes and half , Reuben and Gad, and the half of Manasseh, hating already got their inheritance on the east side
of Jordan, 14, 15. Eleaznr the priest, and Joshua, to assist in dividing the land, IG, 17. and U'ith them a chief
out of every tribe, 18. The names of the twelve chiefs, I9 — 29.
AND the Lord spake unto Mo- | " to the ascent of Akrabbim, and
-A.M.- 2553.
B.C. 1461.
An. Exod.lsr.
40.
ses, saying,
2 Command the children of Israel,
and say unto them, When ye come into * the
land of Canaan ; (this is the land that shall fall
tmto you for an inheritance, even the land of
Canaan with the coasts thereof:)
- pass on to Zin
and the going forth
A.M. 2553.
B. C. 145t.
An.Exud.l3r.
thereof shall be from the south 'to
Kadesh-barnea, and shall go on to Mlazar-addar,
and pass on to Azmon:
5 And the border .shall fetch a compass from
Azmon ^ unto the river of Egypt, and tlie
3 Then '' your south quarter shall be from the i goings out of it shall be at the sea
wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, jj 6 And as for the western border, ye shall even
and your south border shall be the outmost ; have the great sea for a border : this shall be
toast of 'the salt sea eastward :
4 And yoiu' border shall tuin from the south
* Gen. 17. 8. Deut. 1. 7. P3. 78. 55. & 105. II. Ezi-lf. 47. 14.-
It. 1. See Ezek. 47. 13, &c. 'Gcu. 14. 3. Josh. 15. 5.'.
-"Josh.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXIV.
Verse 2. Tht land of Canaan with the coasts thereof:] All
■-description here is useless. The situation and boundaries
of the land can only be known by actual survey or a good
'inr.p. As my readers cannot conveniently visit the country,
f refer to the map, which shall accompany the following
your west border.
7 And this shall be your north border : from
" Josh. 15. 3. ' cli. 13. 26. & 32. 8. ' See Josh. 15. 3, 4. e (Sen. 15.
18. Josh. 15. 4—47. 1 KiHgs 8. 65. Isai. 5:7. 12.
Ver.'^e 3. The Salt Seii] The Dead Sea or lake Asphaltitis;
see the note on Gen. xix. 25.
Verse 5. The river of E^sypt] The eastern branch of the river
Nile ; or, according to oihers, a river which is south of the land
of the , "hili'-tines; and falls into the gulph or bay near Culieh.
See the ?nap in P'.xodus.
Verse 6. Ye skull aen have the great aea./or a border} Tbc
'Tlie»ames of the princes 'who
the great sea ye shall point out for
you " mount Hor:
8 From mount Hor ye shall jjoint
out 1/oi/r border " unto the entrance ol' Haniath ;
and the goina[s forth of the border !?hall be to
' Zedad :
9 And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and
the goings out of it shall be at " Hazar-enan :
this shall be your north border.
10 And ye shall point out your east border
from Hazar-enan to Shepham :
1 1 And the coast shall go down from She])ham
' to Riblah, on the east side of Ain ; and the
border shall descend, and shall reach unto the
^side of the sea ^ of Chinnereth eastward:
12 And the border shall go down to Jordan,
and the "•oin'jfs out of it shall be at ^ the salt sea:
this sliall be your land with the coasts thereof
round about.
13 And Moses commanded the chikb-en of
CHAP. XXXIV.
xcere to assist in dividius the land.
»Ch.33.37. "ch.ia. Sil. SKings 14. 25, 'E2ek.47. 15. " Ezck.
AT. 17. <='^ Kings 'JS. 3;>. Jer. 39. .5, 6. fUeli. shoulder. EDeut. 3.
17. Josh. 11. 2. & 19. 35. JUalt. 14. *1. Luke 5. 1. " ver. 3.
Mediterranean Sea; calletl here the Great Sea, to distinguish
ii from the Dead Sea, tlie Sea of Tiberias, '&c. which were
only a .<ort of Itikes. In Hthrew tlierc is properly but one
term, □» yam, which is apphed to all colkction.i of water,
apparently stagnant; and which is generally translated ico.
The Greek of the New TestaiT:ent follows the Hebrew,
and ein))loys, in gjeneral, the word fiaXatrs-a SEA, whetlier it
sjicak of ilie Mfditerrunean, or of the sea or lake of Galilee.
V<rse 11. Theses, of Ctiinneretli] The same as the sea of
Galilee, sea of Tiheri.is, and sea of Gennesareih.
Verse 12. The border shall iio doien to Jordaii] This river
is famous both in the Old and New Testaments. It takes its
rise at the foot of mount Libanus, passes through the sea of
"Cinnerelh or Tiberias, and empties itself in the lake Asphaltitis
or Dead Sea, from which it ha.> no outlet. In and by it God
wrouijht many miracles. Gk)d cut od' tiie waters of this river
as he did those of the Red Sea, so that they stood on a heap
on each side, and the people passed over on ilry gnjund.
Both Elijah pnd Elishah separated its waters in a miraculous
way, 2 Kings ii. 8 — 1 4. Naamnn, the I^yrian general, by wash-
iniiin it, at the command of the prophet, was miraculously cured
of his leprosj', 2 Kings V. 10 — 14. lu this river JoAn baptized
great multitudes of Jews: and in it was CllUIST himself bap-
tized, and the Spirit of God descended upun him, and the voice
from heaven proclaimed him the preat uud on'y teacher and.Sa-
riourofuun. Matt ni. 16. \1 Mark i.. 5 — II.
Verse 1 .3. This is t/ie land which ye shall inherit by lot"]
Much of what is said concerning this land is peculiarly
emphaiic. It was a land that contained a maltitude of
advantages in its climate, its soil, situation, &c. It .was
.'i>ounded on the south by a ridge of mountains, ■which separate
Israel, saying, ' This is the land which ucf^]'
ye shall inherit by lot, whioli the Lokd .\n. i^od.isr.
commanded to give unto the nine *""
tribes, and to the half tribe:
14 "For the tribe of the children of Reuben
according to the house of their fathers, and the
tribe of the children of Gad according to the
house of their fathers, have received their inhe-
ritance ; and half the tribe of Manasseh have re-
ceived their inheritance :
15 The two tribes and the half tribe have re-
ceived their inlieritance on this side Jordan near
Jericho eastward, toward the siunising.
16 ^ And the Lord spake luito Moses, saying,
17 These are the names of the men which
shall divide the land unto you : ' Eleazar the
priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.
18 And ye shall take one "prince of every
tribe, to divide the land by inheritance.
19 And the names of the men are these : of the
'Ver. 1. Josli. 14. 1. 2. "d,, a. S3. Josh. 14 2, 3. 'Josh. 14. 1.
& ly, 6t. '"eh. 1. 1, Iti.
it from Arabia, and skreen it from the burning and often
pestiferous winds which blow over tlie desarts from that
i]uarter. On the west it is bounded by the Hkditerruncan
Sea, on the north by mo,:nt Libanus, which defended it
from the cold northern blasts; and on the east, by the river
Jordan, and its fertile well watered plains. It is described by
God himself as " a good land, a land of brooks of water, of
fountains, and depths that spring out of yallies and hills; a
land of wheat, and bai'ley, and vines, and figtrees, and pome-
granates; a land of olive oil and honey ; a land wherein there
was no scarcity of bread — and where both iron and copper
mines abounded. " — Dent. viii. 1 — 9. A land finely diversi-
fied with hills and vallie.s and well watered by the ram of
heaven, m this respect widely different from ll'gypt. A Kind
which God cared for, on which his eyes were continually
placed from the beginning to the end of the year ; watched
over liy a most merciful providence; a land, which, in a word,
flowed with milk and honey, and was the most pleas.mt of
all lands. — Deut. xi. II, 12. Ezck. xx. 6. Such was the land,
and such were the advantages that this most favoured people
were called to possess — 'they were called to possess it by ■ tot
that each might be satisfied with his possession, as considering
it to be appointed to him by the special providence of God—
and its boundaries were ascertained on Divine authority, to
prevent all covetousness after the territories of others.
Verse 1 9, &c. And the names of the men are these'\ It is
worthy of remark that Moses dues not follow any order
hitherto used, of pl.icing the tribes, neither that in Num. i.
nor that in chap. vii. nor that in chap. xxvi. nor any other;
but places them here exactly in ihat order in winch they
possessed the land, 1. Judatj. 2, tiimeon. 3. Uenjauuiu.
A.M. 2553.
B.C 1451.
An. Exod.Isr
40.
son
of
The names of the princes "ivho
tribe of Judah, * Caleb the
Jephunneh.
20 And of the tribe of the children
of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.
21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidadthe son of
Chislon.
22 And the prince of the tribe of the children
of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli.
23 The prince of the children of Joseph, for
the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel
the son of Ephod.
24 And the prince of the tribe of the children
of Ephraim, Kerauel the son of Shiphtan.
» Ch. 13. 30. & 14. 6, 24, 30, 38. & 26. 65.
4; Dan. 5. Manasseh. 6. Ephraim. 7. Zebulon. 8. Issachar.
9. Asher. 10. Napthah. Judah is firsf, having the first lot ;
and he dwelt in the South part of the land. — Josh. xv. 1, &c,
and next to him Simeon, because his inheritance was uithin
the inheritance of the children of Judah, Josh. xix. i. Benjamin
was third, he had his inheritance by Judah, betiveeii the chil-
dren of Judah and the children of Joseph, Josh, xviii. II.
Dun was ihe fourth; his lot fell westward of thai of Benjamin,
in the country of the Philistines, as may be seen in Josh, xix
40, 41, &c. Fifthly, Manasseh, and sixthly by him. h.s
brother Ephraim, whose inheritances were behind that oi
Benjamin, Josh. xvi. 17. Next these dwelt, seventhly, Za-
hulon; and eighthly, Issachar, concerning whose lots see Josh
xix. 10 — n. Ninthly, Asher, and tcnthly, Nupthali. — See
Josh. xix. 24. ;j2, &c. And as in encamping about the
A. M.2.'>53.
B. c. u;n.
All. Exod. Isr,
40.
NUMBERS. li^ere to assist hi dividing the land.
25 And the prince of the tribe of
the children of Zebulun, Elizaphau
the son of Parnach.
20 And tlie prince of the tribe of the children
of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan.
27 And the prince of the tribe of the children
of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.
28 And the prince of the tribe of the children
of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.
29 These are they whom the Lord commanded
to ''divide the inheritance unto the children of
Israel in the land of Canaan.
!> Josh. 13. 32. & 14. 1. & 19. 51.
tabernacle, they were arranged according to their fraternal
relationship, see chap. ii. so they were in the division, and
inheriting of the promised land. Judah and Sijiieon, both
sons of Leah, dwelt abreast of each other. Benjamin, son of
Rachel, and Dan, son of Rachel's maid, dwelt next abreast.
Manasseh and Ephraim, both sons of Joseph by his mother
Rachel, had the next place abreast. Zabulon and Issachar,
who dwelt next together, were both sons of Leah : and the last
pair were Asher, of Leah's maid, and N'aphtali of Rachel's
maid. Tiius God, in nominating the princes that .should
divide the land, signified beforehand the manner of their
possession, and that they should be so situated, as to dwell
together as brethren in unity, for the mutual help and comfort
o!' each otiier. — .See Ainsiuorth In this arrangement there is
much skill, judgment, and kindness every where di.splayed.
CHAPTEPv XXXV.
The Israelites are commanded to give the Levites, out oj their inheritances, cities and their suburbs for themselves
and for their cattle, goods, <S)T. 1 — 3. The suburbs to be 3,000 cubits round about from the zeal/ of ihc cih/, 4, 5.
The cities to beforti/-two, to which six cities of refuge shall be added, in all forty-eight cities, 6, 7- Each tribe
shall give of these cities in proportion to its iMssessions, 8. These cities to be appointed for the person zcho might
slay his neighbour unazmres, 10 — 12. Of these xix cities there shall be three on each side Jordan, 13,14. The
cities to be places of refuge for all zcho kill a person unawares, zchelher they be Israelites, strangers or sojourners,
15. Cases of murder to zvhich the benrft of the cities of refuge shall not extend, l6 — 21. Cases of manslaughter
to zchich the benefts of the cities of refuge shall extend, 22, 23. IIozo the congregation shall act between the man-
slayer and the avenger of blood, 24, 25. The tnanslayer shall abide in the city of refuge to the death of the high-
priest, for if he come without the border of the city of his refuge, the avenger of blood, ifhefind him, may put him
to death, 26, 27. Jfter the death of the high priest, he shall reliirn to the land of his possession, 28. Tzco
witnesses must attest a murder, before the murderer can be put to death, 29, 30. Every murderer to be put to
death, 31. The manslayer is not to be permitted to come to the laud of his inheritance till the death of the high
priest, 32. Tiie land must not. be. polluted with blood, j'or the Lord dwells in it, 33, 34.
A. 1M.'J.V.3.
13. C. Mil.
All. Kiod. Isr.
40.
Fortij-dghl cities tiith their CHAP.
AN D the Lord spake unto Mo-
ses in the plains of Moab by
Jordan near Joriclio, saying,
2 * Command tlie children oi' Israel, that they
give unlo the Levites of the inheritance of their
possession, cities to dwell in ; and ye shall give
also inito the Levites suburbs, for tlie cities
round about them.
3 And the cities shall they have to dwell
in ; and the suburbs of them shall be for their
cattle, and for their goods, and for all tlieir
beasts.
4 And the suburbs of the cities, wliich ye shall
give unto tlip T^evit»^'^, sJiall reach fiuin the wall
of the city and outward a thousand cubits round
about.
5 And ye shall measure from without the city
on the east side two thousand cubits, and on
the south side two thousand cubits, and on
the west side two thousand cubits, and on the
north side two thousand cubits ; and the city
sliall he in the midst : this shall be to them the
suburbs of the cities.
6 And among the cities which ye
XXXV.
suburbs to be "-iven to the Levites.
A. M. 2\53.
B.C. 1451.
An. i;.\od. Isr
40.
shall give
unto the Levites there shall be ^ six
cities for refuge, which ye shall ap-
point for the manslayer, that he
may flee thither : and " to them ye shall add
forty and two cities.
7 So all the cities which ye shall give to the
Levites shall be '' forty and eight cities : them
shall ye give with their suburbs.
8 And the cities which ye shall give shall be
" of the possession of the children of Israel :
j '^ irom thon that have niany, ye shall give many ;
I but from them that have lew, ye shall give few :
} every one shall give of hir? cities untu the Le-
vites, according to his inheritance which * he
inheriteth.
9 ^[ And the Lord spake unto Moses, say-
ing,
10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say
unto them, " When ye be come over Jordan
into the land of Canaan ;
1 1 Then ' ye shall appoint you cities to be
cities of refuge for you •, that the slayer may
flee thither, which killeth any person " at una-
wares.
• Josti. Ll. 3, -1. & 21. 2. Sec Ezek. 45. 1, tec. & 48. 8, Uc. ""vcr. 13.
Deut. 4. 41. Josh. 20. 2, 7, B. k 21. 3, 13, 21, 27, 32, 36, 38. = Ileb. abave
thein ye shaU gioc. •
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXV.
Verse 4. And the stiburbs of the cities — shall reach /row the
wait of the city outivard, a thousand cubits round about.
Verse 5. And ye shall measure from without the city two
thousand cubits, &c.] ComiiRnlalors liave been much puzzltd
with liie accounts .n these two vcrse.=. In ver. 4. the measure is
said to be 1,000 cubits from the wall : in ver. 5. the measure
i.s said to be 2,000 from without the city. It is likely these two
measures mean the same thing; at least so it was understood
by the Septuagint and Coptic, who have Jitrp^jiXicy; -ry^x^'i,
2,000 cubits, in the fourth, as well as in the Jifch verse; but
this reading of the Septuagint and Coptic is not acknowledged
by any other of the ancient Versi(>nf, nor by any of llie MSS.
collated by Kcnnicott and De Rossi. We must seek th.erefore
for some other method of reconciling this apparcntlj' contra-
dictory account. Sundry modes have been proposed by
comnicntators, which appear to me, in general, to require full
as much explanation as tlie text it«eli'. Maimonides is the
only one intelligible on the subject. " The suburbs," says
he, " of the cities are expressed in the Law to be S.OOO cubits
on every side from the wall of t!ie city and outwards. The
first thousand cubits are the suburbs; and the 2,000, which
they measured without the suburbs, were for fields and vine-
yards." The whole llierefore, r>f tlie city, suburbs, fields,
and vineyards may be represented by the following diagram.
"Josli. £1. 41.—
K Deut. 19. 2.
— ' Josli. 21. 3.-
Jusli. 20. 2.
— ^ch. 26.
• Exod. 21.
51.-
13.-
-s Heb. they inherit,
-'' Jleb. by error.
CA
.a
3
Fields and vineyards. U
o
o
2000 Cubits.
(M
C -
Suburbs, o-^
„
a
1000
-o
El
Cubits
c
C/i
o
r-
^
3
c
^
^
CITY.
c
<
ti.
2
1000
U
Uh
C3 -sq-inqng
?'
2.3
2000 Cubit*.
ai
x>
3
O -spjtiXaiiiA puB spisi J
o
o
o
<N
Verse 1 1 . Ye shall appoint — cities of refuge] The cities
of refuge among the Israelites were widely diderent from the
The six cities of refuge,
12 'And they
NUMBERS.
atul the laws concernim thein^
A. Jl. S553.
15. C. 1«1.
Ail. JUod. Isr
40.
shall be unto you
cities for retbge from the avenger ;
that the manslayer die not, until he
stand before the congregation in judgment.
13 And of these cities which ye shall give,
^ six cities shall ye have for refuge.
14 " Ye shall give three cities on this side Jor-
dan, and three cities shall ye give in the land
of Canaan, •i.i'hich shall be cities of reflige.
15 These six cities shall be a refuge, both for
,the children of Israel, and " for the stranger,
and for the sojourner among them : that every
one that killeth any person una wM res, may flee
thither.
16 " And if he smite him with an instrument
of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer : the
murderer shall surely be put to death.
17 And if he smite him Svith throwing a
stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is
a murderer : the murderer shall surely be put
to death.
18 Or if he smite him with a hand weapon
of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die,
he is a murderer : the murderer shall surely be
put to death.
19 ^The revenger of blood himself shall slay
the murderer : when he meeteth him, he shall
slay him.
20 But '' if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl
at him ' by laying of wait, that he die ;
21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand,
that he die : he that smote him shall surely be
» Dcut. 19. 6. Jo.sh. 20. 3, R, 6. '' ver. 6. = Deut. 4. 41. Josh.
20. B. 1 cli. J5. 16. =Kxod. i.'l.l2. 14. Lev. 24. 17. Df-ui. 19. 11,
12. f Hcb. u-Uk a Hone of the hiiiul. i ver. 21, 24, 27. Ueut. 19. 0, 12.
Josh. 20. 3, 5.
A. M. 2.5=..'J.
B. C. M51.
.An.Exod. Isr.
40.
put to death ; fo7' he is a murder-
er : the revenger of blood shall slay
the murderer, when he meeteth him.
22 But if he thrust him suddenly ''without
enmity, or have cast upon him- any thiug with-
out laying of wait.
! 23 Or with any stone, wherewith a man may
die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that
he die, and "was not liis enejny, neither sought
; his harm :
I 24 Then ' the congregation shall judge be-
tween the slayer and the revengei" of blood ac-
cording to these judgments :
I 25 And ihc congregation, ^liall deliver the
•slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood;
and the congregation sliall restore him to the
I city of his refuge, Vv'hither he was fifed : and
"he shall abide in it unto the death of the high
priest, "which was anointed with the holy oil.
26 But if the slayer shall at any time come
without the border of the city of his
; whither he was fled ;
i 27 And the revenger of blood find him witli-
out the borders of the city of his refuge, and
\ the revenger of blood kill the slayer ; ° he shall
' not be guilty of blood :
i 28 Because he should have remained in the
, city of his refuge until the death of the high
priest : but after the death of the high priest
the slayer shall return into the land of his pos-
, session.
I 29 So these things shall be for '' a statute of
refuge.
1
a.5y/rt among tlie Greeks and Romans ; as also from the pri-
vileged aluirs, among the Roman Cathohcs. Tliose among
the Hebrew.^ were for the protection of such only, as liad
slain a person invohintarily. The temples and allars among
the latter, often served for i\vi protection of the most profli-
gate cliaracters. Cities of refuge among the Hebrews were
necessary, because the old piitriarchal law still remained in
force : liz. that tiie nearest akin had a right lo avenge the
death of his relation, by slaying the murderer; for the original
law enacted, that ivfiosocier shed incni's blood, bj/ inanshaU Ids
blood be sited. Gen. \x. 6. and none was judijed so proper to
execute this law, as the man who was nearest akin to the
deceased. As many rash executions of this law might take
place, from the verv nature of the thing, it was deemed ne-
cessary to qualify its claims, and prevent injustice; and the
cities of refuge were judged projier for this purpose, fvor
"Cn'ii. 4. 8. 2 Sam. 3.27. & 20. 10. I Kings 2. .31, 32. ' Kxod. 21.
14. Deut. 19. 11 '^K-\o<l. 21. 13 'vot. 12. [osh. 20. a "Josli.
20. G. "Exod. 29. T. Lev. 4, 3, .^ 21. 10. " Heb. no blood sliall be
10 him. Exod. 22. 2. ' ch. 27. 1 1.
do we ever read that they were ever ,ound inefficient ; or, that
they were ever abused.
Verse 1'2. Until he stand before (lie congregation in jude-
vieni.'] So, one of these cities was not a perpetual asylum ;
it was only a pro tempore refuse, till the case could be fairlv
examined by the magistrates in the presence of the |)eo]ile,
or the elders their repre.*entiitivts : and this was done in the.
city or place where he had done the murder, .losli. xx. 4, 6.
If he was found worthy of death, they delivered him to the
avenger, that he might he slain ; if imt, th.ey sent him back
to the city of refuge, wlK're he remained till the death oC the.
high-priest, Deut xix. 1:2. ]k' fore the cities of refuge were-
appointed, tlie altar appears to have been a sanctuary tor.
ttiftse who had killed a person unwittingly; see the notes on '
Kxod. XX i. 13, 14.
\'crse U'. The revenger of blood] i~i']r\ huS' gool liaddum.
The laxi) aminst murder.
CHAP. XXXA'I,
Blood dtjiks the land.
A.M.5g,vi. juclgnicnt unto you throughout your
B.C. 1161. ^ ^ . . . -.
Aii.Exorf.isr. generations ni all your dwellmgs
^ 30 Whoso killcth any person, tiie
nnirderer shall be put to deatli by tlic ''mouth
ol" witnesses: but one witness shall not testily
against any person to cause him to die.
'o\ % Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction
for the lile of a nnu'derer, which is ^ guilty of
death : but he shall be surely put to death.
32 And ye shall take no satisiiiction ior him
that is fled to the city of his refuge, that
'Dcut. 17. fi. & 19. 1.5. Matt. 18. 16. 2Cor. l3. 1. Jlcbr. 10. 28.-
" Hcb. jauUij to die. « Vs. 106. 38. Mic. 4. 11 .
tlie redeemer of blood, the next in blood to liiiii ivlio was
slain. See on tlie i)i-ecetlinn; verse.
\'er5e .30. But one xiilness s/iall not testifl/ against any]
Tliis was a y\>t and necessary provijijon. One man may be
jiiistaken, or so violently prejudiced, as to imiiosc even on his
own judgment ; or so uiclced, as to endeavour liu'ougli malice
to compass the life of his neighbour : but it is not likely that
fjjo or more should be of this kind : and even were they,
their separate examination would lead to a discovery of the
truth, and to their conviction.
Verse 31. Ye sltull take no satisfaction for tlie life of a inur-
dcrerl No atonement could be made lor liim, nor any c<>»i-
mutation .so as to save him from death. All the laus of the
civilized world have either adjudged the nuudcrer to death, or
to a puni-shmcnt equivalent to it ; such as perpetual iniprison-
ment— in a dungeon — under ground — on a stone floor — with-
out light, and to be fed on a small portion of bread and
water. In such circun:stances, a man could live but a short
time : atid though it is not called the punishment of death,
yet from its inevitable consequences, il only diitercd from it,
by being a little longer respite than was usual, where the
punishment of death was awarded. See the note on Gen. ix. 6.
Verse 32. Until the death of the priest.] Probably intend-
ed to typif}', that no sinner can be delivered from his banish-
ment from God, or recover his forfeited inheritance, till Jesus
Christ, the great High- priest, had died for his offences, and
risen again for his justification.
Verse 33. For blood it defdeth the land] The very land
was considered as guilty, till the blood of the murderer was
^lled in it. No wonder God is so parlicvilarly strict in his
laws against murderers. 1, Because lie is the author of life.
A.M. -j.sS!
U.C JJ51.
Am 1 'v..M;r
lie should oome again to dwell in
the land, until the death of the
priest.
33 So ye shall not pollute tlie hiiid wiicrein
ye are: lor blood "it defilcth the kind: and
'' the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that
is shed therein, but 'by tlie blood of him that
shed it.
34 ' Defile not therefore the land whicli yo
' shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for ^I the Louu
dwell unioug the childi-eu of Israel.
>■ Ilcb. there can ic no crpuilum for the limH.—
1'3. Dcut. '.it. ?.V sKvnd.
-' Gen. P. 6.-
). 4.1 -W: ■
' Lev. 18.
and none has any right to dispose of it but himself. 2. Be-
cause life is the time to prepare for the eternal world, and on
it the .salvation of the .«out, accordingly depend.? ; ihereforr
it is of infinite consequence to the man, that his life be Icngt!)-
cncjl out to the utmost limits assigned by the divine Provi-
dence. He who take^ a man's life away before his time,
may be the murderer of his soul as well as of his body. There-
fore the severest laws should be enacted against this, both to
punish and prevent the crime.
The IVIosaic cities of nfu:;e, have in general, been con.,
sidered not merely as civil institutions; but as types or reprc«
sentations of infinitely belter things : and in this light St,
Paul seems to have considered ihein and the «/.'«r of God,
which was a place of general nfuge, as it is pretty e\idenl
that he had them in view when writing the following words:
" Ciod, willing more abundantly to shew unto the lieirs of
promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by ai)
oath; that by two immutable things (his oath and promise)
in which it was impo.-siblc for God to lie, we might have a
>trong consolation « ho have FLKO for UEFUGr. to lay HOI.n
upon the HOPE .set before us." Jleb. vi. 17, 18. Independ-
antly of this, it was a very wise political institute; and while
the patriarchal law on this point, continued in force, this law
had a direct tendency to cool anil moderate the spirit of »<;-
vcnge, to secure the proper^ accomi>li»hment of the ends of
justice, and to make ^^ay for every tiaiin of rnercy and cquiit/.
Rut this is not peculiar to the ordinance of the cities of re-
fuge, every institution of God is distinguished in the same
way ; Inning his own glory, in the present and eternal wel-
fare of man immediately in view.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
The inconveniences Kliich might he prodiicetl tji/ daughlcrs, in/terilrixes, marnjing out of their oKn tribe, remedied,
on the reconuneridation nf certain chiifs of the tribe <f Joseph, ulio stated the ctise of the daughters of Zelophc-
had, 1 — 4. The daughters of . Zelophehiid are conimnnded to ninrrij in their oun tribe, 5, 6. zchich is lobe an
ordinance in all similar circumstances, 7 — 9. The daughters of Zelophehail many their father's brothers' 4ons,
and thus ihcir inheritance is preserved in their oun tribe, 10 — VI. The conclusion of (he commandmcnls givmi
lij the Lord to the hraelites in the plains of Moab, 1 J. -
4 X
B. C. Mat.
An. Kxocl.Isr.
40.
Laxvs cMicerning heiresses.
AND the chief fatlier,^ of the fa-
J^\_ miHes of the * children of Gi-
lead, the son of Machii', the son of
Manassehj of the tamihes of the sons of Joseph,
came near, and spake before Moses, and before
the princes, the chief fathers of the children of
Israel :
2 And they said, ^ The Lord commanded
my lord to give the land ibr an inheritance by
lot to the children of Israel : and ' my lord
Avas commanded by the Loud to give the in-
heritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his
daughters.
3 And if they be married to any of the sons
of the other tribes of the children of Israel,
then .shall their inheritance be taken from the
inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to
the inheritance of the tribe " whereunto they
are received ; so shall it be taken from the lot
of our inlieritance.
4 And -when ' the jubilee of the children of
Israel shall be, then shall their inheritance be
put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto
they are received: so shall their inheritance be
taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of
our lathers.
5 ^ And Moses commanded the children of
Israel a;ccording to the word of the Lord,
saying. The tribe of the sons of Joseph ' hath
said well.
A.M.?6.U
V.C. M&I,
An. Kxciii Ur.
^^UMBEIIS. Of the tUmghters of ZehpheJtad.
6 This is the thing which the Lord
doth command concerning the dau"h-
ters of Zelophehad, saying. Let them .
^ marry to whom they think best ; " only to the
family of the tribe of their fathers shall they
marry.
7 So shall not the inheritance of the children
of Israel remove from tribe to tribe : for eveiy
one of the children of Israel shall 'keep'' him-
self to the inheritance of the tribe of his fa-
thers.
8 And ' every daughter, that possesseth an
inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel,
shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe
of her lather, that the children of Israel may en-
joy every man, the inheritance of his fathers.
9 Neither shall the inheritance remove from
o)ie tribe to another tribe; but every one of the
tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself
to his own inheritance.
10 % Even as the Lord commanded Moses,
so did the daughters of Zelophehad :
11 "'For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and
Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophe-
had, were married unto their fiither's brothers'
sons :
12 And they were married " into the families
of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and
their inheritance remained in the tribe of the
iiimily of their father.
•Ch. 26. 29.-
J»5h. 17. 3, 4.—
27,7.
— ""ch. 26. 55. & 33. 54. Josh.
-^ licb. -tinto whom they shall be-
17. ."i.— <
— 'Lev. '.';
cli. 27.
10.
1, 7.
-fcb.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXVI.
Verse 2. To gire the inheritance of Zelophehad — tinto
ids daughters."] See this ca»e fpoken of at large on chap,
xxvii.
Either the first eleven verses of chap, xxvii. should come
in before this chapter; or tltis chapter should come in imme-
diately after those eleven verses; lliey certainly both make
parts of the same subject.
Here Moses determines that heiresses should many in their
own tribe, that no part of the ancient inheritance might be
alienated from the original family.
Verse 6. Let them marry to whom they think best'] Here was
latitude sufficient, and yet a salutary and reasonable restraint;
which prevented a vexations mixture of property and pos-
ftession.
Verse 8. Every daiichter that possesseth an inheritance]
This law aifected none but heiresses ; all others were at liberty
to marry into any of the other tribes. The priests and Le-
vites, who could have no inheritance, were exempt from the
3
* Hcb. be wives. ■> ver. 12. Tob. 1. 9. ' Heb. cleave to the, ^r.
It 1 Kiii^s L'i. J. 1 1 Cbron. 23. 22. " cli. S!?. 1. » Heb. to some tliat
were oj the families.
operation of this law. Jehoiada had the king of Judah's
daughter to wife, 2 Chron. xxii. 11. And another priest
had for wife one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite,
Ezra ii. 61. " By reason of such marriages," says Mr.
Ainsworth, " there might be kindred between Elisabeth, the
mother of John the Bapti.-;t, who was of tlie daughters of
Aaron, and Mary the Virgin, the mother of our Lord, who
was of the lineage of David, and tribe of Juciah," Luke i.
5, 3G. iii. 23— a 1.
Verse 1 1 . Mahlah, Tirzah, &.C.] For a curious account of
these names, see the notes on chap, xxvii. 7.
Verse 12. And their inheritance remained in — the family]
By this example, and the law of inheritances in the Holy
Land, the people of God, says Ainsworth, are taught to
hold fast their inheritance in his promises, and their right in
Christ, which they hold by faith ; that as the Father hath
made tium meet to be partakers of the inheritance among tlie
saints in light. Col. i. 12. so they may keep the faith and
grace which they have received, to the end.
Cijndusion of the hoolc.
1 3 These
ments and
B. C. IJ.Ti.
Aii.Kx.i.l. Ui
•10.
CHAP. XXXVI. Masoretk mfes.
are the ' command- JI of Mo^es unto the cliilcTrcn of
the judgments, -svhicli }■ Israel ^ in tlie plains of I\Ioab, by
the LoivD commundetl by the hand Jordan, near Jericho.
A. 1M.V.S5!.
J!. C 1 151.
Aii.Kx"d.Isr.
40.
» Cli. 3d. 29.
Verse 13. These are the commandments, &c.] See these
difl'ert:it terms analysed and e.\pluined, Levit. xxv. 5.
Thus ends the book of Xuinbers, containinj;^ a series of
astonl>l)iiicj providences and events. Scarcely any piece of
history in the Sacred Writings, is better calculati d to impress
the mind of a serious reader with a sense of the goodness and
severity of God. In every transaction, his holiness and
justice appear, in closest union with his benevolence and
mercy. From such a Being, what have the wicked not to
fear! — from such a Father and Friend, what have the upright
not to hope! His ;H5<y(.r requires hiin to punish iniquity;
but his 7neny inclines him to pardon all wlio truly repent,
and believe in the Son of his love.
'Jhe journeyings of this people, from the time they lell
Eg^ypt, exhibit a series of providential wonders. Every where,
and in every circumstance, God appears : ami yet there is no
circumstance or occasion, that d jes not justify those signal
displays of liis GRACE ami his JU.-;tice. The genuine his-
tory of God's providence must be S'jught for in thi> book
alone : and as every occurrence happened as an example ; we
have authority to conclude, that in every case, where his own
glory and tjje salvation of man are interested, he will inter-
fere and give the fullest proofs that he is the same to day, that
lie v^s yesterday ; and will continue unchangeable, for et-cr and
«■<■)•. Reader, are these matters en.<amples lo ihfc? Art thou,
like the Israelites, come into the plains ol' Moab, on the very
verge of the promised land ? Jordan alone separates thee
from the promised inheritance. O watch and pray, that
thou come not short of the glory of God. The last er>emy
that shall be destroyed is Death — see, then, that the sting
of death, which is sin, be extracted from thy soul, that, be-
ing justified by hs blood, thou luayest be made an heir ac-
cordint^ to tlie hope of an eternal life. Amen. Amen.
" 1 will bring you into the Wii.DERNFSS of the people,
and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I
pleaded with your fathers in the WU.DERNESS of the land
of Egypt. And I will cause you to pass under the rod,
and bring you into the bond of the covenant," Ezek. xx.
35—37.
" He (Chris!) is the !\T< diator of the New Testament, that
by means of death, for tiie redemption of the transgressions
that were under the first Testament, they which are called, might
receive the promise of eternal inheritance," Ileb. ix. 15.
SECTIONS of the Book of Numbers, carried on from
Leviticus, which ended with the TUiRTY-TIIIRD.
TheTHiUTY-FOfRTii, called 13T33 tf;7«V6«o bcgine chap. i.
1. and ends chap. iv. CO.
» Cli. 2(5. 3. & :». 50.
The TIIIRTY-FIFTH, called ^CJ nasa, begins chap. iv.
and ends chap. vii. 89.
n.
■,u,.^.
The THIUTV-SIXTII, called ^n':'i^13 behadlotecn, begins
chap. viii. 1. and ends chap. xii. 16.
The TillKTV-Sl-.VKNTU, called nVu? shelac, begins cbap.
xiii. 1. and ends chap. xv. -H.
The TlUllTY-ElGHTH, called mp korach, begins chap. xvi.
1. and ends chap, xviii. 32.
The THIRTY-NINTH, called npn chukkath, begins cbap.
xix. 1. and ends chap. xxii. I.
The FORTiliTH, called pSa balak, begins chap, xxii, 2.
and ends chap. xxv. 9.
The FOKTY-FIKST, called DfU'S pz'nfc/ias, begins chap, xxv,
10. and end.s chap. xxx. 1.
The FORTY-SECO.ND, called niUD mattoth, begins chap.
xxx. 2. and ends chap, xxxii. 42.
The Forty-third, called '1?do masey, begins chap, xxxiii.
1. and ends chap, xxxvi. 13.
Masoretic Notes on NUMBERS.
The number of verses in this book is 1,288, of which ^B"l^{
is the symbol : for N aleph stands for 1000, T resh for 200,
Qphe for 80, and H clutk for 8.
The middle verse is the 20th of chap. xvii. And the man's
rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom. — -(N.B. In our English
Bibles this is verse 5 of chap, xvii.)
hi pareshioth, or larger sections, are 10, expressed by the
letters ol the word 1^3 budad, alone. — The Lord .■ILONE did
lead him. Dent, xxxii. 12. — 1 daletlt stands for 4, repeated
fierc, 8, anil 3 beth for 2.
Its sedarim, or Masoretic sections, are 32, expressed by
the word 37 leb, heart, Psal. li. 12. Create in me a. clean
HEART, 0 God; in which word, 3 4«/» stands for 2, and h
tamed for 30.
Ils chapters are 36, expressed by the word iS lu, 0 .'
Deut. xxxii. 29. O that they -were wise ' in which word, S lamed
stands for 30, and 1 vau for 6'.
The number of its open sections is .92 ; its close or .':hut
sections, 66; together, 158 ; expressed in the memorial word
ip^n chelekeca, J am THY PORTION ; in which word, p kopfi
stands for 100, S lamed for 30, 3 caph for 20, and H chcth
for 8.
Though this sort of notations may appear trifling to
some ; yet to an upright Jew they were of much consequence.
The very technical words used in such cases, put hhn always
in mind of something, in which the glory ot God, and the
happiness and salvation of his own soul, were concerned. —
See the note at the en I of Genesis, and see the concluding
notes on the Book of Deuteronomy.
^
University of California
SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY
405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388
Return this material to the library
from which It was borrowed.
APR 1^199.
/^PR 14 1992
^ 1 0 200y
/
D 000
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11