Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Tilt rnlriarchal Blessing, GENESIS L. Mourning for Jac(A>, yet still formidable.* until Shiloli come—Sliiloh—this obscure word is variously interproled to mean " tlie sent (John 17. H), "the seed" (Xsaiali 11. 1>, the "peaceable or prosperous one" (Kijhesiaiis 2. 14)— i. e., the Messiah able that he was supernatnrall.v strfnthened for tliis last nionieiilous ol Hce of tlie palriaieli, and that when the Divine utllatus cea-sed, his e>kliausie<l powers giving way, he yielded up Ihegliosl, and was gmii Lied unto his people.
(Isaiah 11. lU; Homaiis 15. 12); and when He sliould come, "the tribe of Judah should no longer boast either an independent king or a judge of their own." L<-'alvin.J Tlie Jews have been for eighteen centuries without a ruler and without a judge since Shiloh came, and "to Him the gathering of tile people has been."
CHAPTER L.
Ver. 1-26. Mourning for Jacok. l. Joseph fell upon his father's face, &c.—On him, as the principal member of tlie family, devolved the duty of closing the eyes of his venerable parent (cf. ch. 46. 4), and imprinting the farewell kiss. Si. Joseph commanded his servants the i>hy8l» ciaus to embalm his father, &c.—In ancient Egypt the embalmers were a class by themselves. The process of embalmment consisted in Infusing a great quantity of resinous substances into the cavities of the body, after the Intestines had been removed, and then a regulated degree oi heat was applied to dry up the humours, as well as decompose the tarry materials which had been previously introduced. Thirty days were allotted for the completion of this process; forty more were spent in anointing It with spices; the body, tanned from tliis operation, being then washed, was wrapped in numerous folds of linen cloth—the joinings of which were fastened with gum, and then deposited in a wooden chest made in the form of a human figure. 3. the Egyptians mourned, &c.—It was made a period of public mourning, as on tlie death of a royal personage. Joseph spake unto tl»e house of Pharaoh, &c.—Care was taken to let it be known that the family sepulchre was provided before leaving Canaan, and that an oath bound his family to convey the remains thither. Besides, Joseph deemed it right to apply for a special leave of absence; and being unfit, as a mourner, to appear in the royal presence, he made the request through the medium of others. 7-9. Joseph went up to bury his father—a journey of 300 miles. The funeral cavalcade, composed of the nobility and military, with their equipages, would exhibit an imposing appearance. 10. tliey came to the threshing-floor of Atad, &c.—" Atad " may be taken as a common noun, signifying " the plain of the thorn bushes." It was on the border between Egypt and Canaan ; andas the last opportunity of indulging grief was always the most violent, the Egyptians made a prolonged halt at this spot, while the family of Jacob probably proceeded by themselves to the place of sepulture, 15-21. When Joseph's brethren saw tliat tltcir father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, &c.—Joseph was deeply affected by this comra'unication. He gave them the strongest assurances of his forgiveness, and thereby gave both a beautiful trait of his own pious character, as well as appeared an eminent type of the Saviour. 38, 23. Joseph dwelt in Egypt—He lived eighty years after his elevation to the chief power, witnessing a great increase In the prosperity of the kingdom, and also of his own family and kindred—the infant church of God. 21. Joseph said unto his brethren, I die—The national feelings of the Egyptians would have been opposed to his burial in Canaan ; but he gave the strongest proof of the strength of his faith and full assurance of the promises, by "the commandment concerning his bones." 26. they embalmetl him—His funeral would be conducted in the highest style of Egyjtian magnificence, and his mummied corpse carefully preserved till the Exodaa.
13. Zebulun was to have its lot on the sea coast, close to Zidon, and to engage, like that state. In maritime pursuits and commerce.
14, 15. IssACHAit.—A strong ass couching down brtween two burdens i. e., it was to be active, patient, given to agricultural labours. It was established in lower Galilee— a "good land," settling down In the midst of the Canaan-
Ites, where, for the sake of quiet, they "bowed their shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute."
ltt-18. Dan—thougli the son of a secondary wife, was to be "as one of the tribes of Israel." Dan— "a judge." a serpent, . . . an adder—A serpent, an adder. Implies subtlety and stratagem; such was pre-eminently the character of Samson the most Illustrious of its judges.
19. Gad.—This tribe should be often attacked and wasted by hostile powers on their borders (Judges 10.8; Jeremiah 49. 1). But they were generally victorious in the close of their wars.
20. AsUKR—" Blessed." Its allotment was the sea coast between Tyre and Carmel, a district fertile In the production of the finest corn and oil In all Palestine.
21. Naphtali—The best rendering we know is this, "Naphtali is a deer roaming at liberty; he shooteth forth goodly branches," or majestic antlers [Taylor's Scripture
Zlluntralioiis], and the meaning of the prophecy seems to be that the tribe of Naphtali would be located in a territory so fertile and peaceable, that, feeding on the richest pasture, he would spread out, like a deer, its branching antlers.
22-26. JoSErH.—A fmttful bough, &c.—denotes the extraordinary increase of that tribe (cf. Numbers 1. 33-35; Joshua 17. 17; Deuteronomy 33. 17). The patriarch describes him as attacked by envy, revenge, temptation, ingratitude, yet still, by the grace of God, he triumphed over all opposition, so that he became the sustainer of
Israel ; and then he proceeds to shower blessings of every kind upon the head of this favourite son. The history of the tribes of Ephralm and Manasseh, shows how fully these blessings were realized.
27-33. Bekjamin shall ravin like a wolf.—This tribe in
Its early history spent its energies In petty or inglorious warfare, and especially in the violent and unjust contest (Judges 19., 20.), in which it engaged with the other tribes, when, notwithst Anding two victories, it was almost exterminated. !48. all these are the twelve tribes of Israel or ancestors. Jacob's prophetic words obviously refer not so much to the sons as to the tribes of Israel. 29. he charged them—The charge had already been given, and solemnly undertaken (ct 47.31). But In mentioning his wishes now, and rehearsing all the circumstances connected with the purchase of Machpelah, he wished to declare, with his latest breath, before all his family, that he died in the same faith as Abraham. 33. when Jacob bad made an end of commanding hla sons—It is prob-
Increase of the Ixraeliles EXODUS I, TI. Birth and Presei-vation of Moses.
OF MOSES, CALLED DUS.
THE SECOND BOOK
EXO CHAPTEE I.
side the labourers, with their uplifted sticks in their hands. 15. the king of Egypt spake to tlie Hebrew midwives—^Two only were spoken to—either they were the heads of a large corporation [Laborde], or, by tampering with these two, the king designed to terrify the
Ver. 1-22. Increase of the Israelites. 1. Now these are the name*—(See on ch. 46. 8-26). T. chllelrcn of Israel were fmitftU—They were living in a land where, accordlug to the testimony of an ancient author, mothers produced three and four sometimes at a birth ; and a modern writer declares "the females in Egypt, as well among the human race as among animals, svirpass all others in fruitrest into secret compliance with his wishes. [Calvin.] 16. If It be a son, then ye shall kill him—Opinions are divided, however, what was the method of destruction which the king did recommend. Some think that the "stools" were low seats on which these obstetric practitioners sat by the bedside of the Hebrew women; and fulness." To this natural circumstance must be added the fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham. 8. Now there arose up a new king—About sixty years after the death of Joseph a revolution tooli place—by which the that, as they might easily discover the sex, so, whenever a boy appeared, they were to strangle it, unknown to its parents; while others are of opinion that the "stools" were stone troughs, by the river side—into which, when the Infants were washed, they were to be, as it were, accidentally dropped. 17. But the midwives feared God Their faith Inspired them with such courage as to risk their lives, by disobeying the mandate of a cruel tyrant old dynasty was overtlirown, and upper and lower Egypt were united into one kingdom. Assuming that the king formerly reigned in Thebes, it is probable that he would know nothing about the Hebrews ; and that, as foreigners and sliepherds, tlie new government would, from the first, regard them with dislike and scorn. 9. he said . . . Behold, the . . . children of Israel are more and mightbut it was blended with weakness, which made them shrink from speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 30. God dealt well with the midwives—This represents God as rewarding tliem for ier than we—They had risen to great prosperity—as during the lifetime of Joseph and his royal patron, they had, probably, enjoyed a free grant of the land. Their
Increase and prosperity were viewed with jealousy by the new government; and as Goshen lay between Egypt and Canaan, on the border of which latter country were a number of war'ike tribes, it was perfectly conformable to the suggestions of worldly policy that they should enslave and maltreat them, through appreliension of their telling a lie. This difficulty is wholly removed by a more correct translation. To make or build up a house in Hebmv idiom, means to have a numerous progeny. The passage then should be rendered thus: God protected the midwives, and the people waxed very mighty; and because the midwives feared, the Hebrews grew and prospered.
joining in any invasion by those foreign rovers. The new king, who neither knew tlie name nor cared for the services of Joseph, was either Amo.tis, or one of his immediate successors. [Osburn.] 11. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters-Having first obliged them, it
CHAPTER II.
Ver. 1-10. Birth and Preservation op Moses. 1. there went a man of the house of IjCvI, &c.—Amram was the liusband, and Jocliebetl the wife (cf. ch. 6. 2; Numbers 26. 59). Tlie marriage took place, and two children, Miriam and Aaron, were born some years before the Infantlcldal edict. 3. the woman . . . bare a son, &c.— Some extraordinary appearance of remarkable comeliness led his parents to augur his future greatness. Beauty was regarded by the ancients as a mark of tlie Divine is thought, to pay a ruinous rent, and involved them in difficulties, that new government, in pursuance of its oppressive policy, degraded them to the condition of serfs employing them exactly as the labouring people are In the present day (driven in companies or bands), in rearing the public works, with taskmasters, who anciently had sticks—now whips—to punish the indolent, or spur on the too languid. All public or j-oyal buildings, in ancient Egypt, were built by captives; and on some of them was placed au inscription that no free citizen had been engaged in this servile employment, they built for Pharaoh treasure cities—These two store places were in the land of Goshen; and being situated near a border liable to invasion, they were fortified cities (cf. 2 Chronfjivour. hid him three months—The parents were a pious couple, and the measures they took were prompted not only by parental attachment, but by a strong faith in the blessing of God prospering their endeavours to save the infant. 3. she took for him an ark of bulrushes papyrus, a thick, strong, and tough reed, slime—the mud of the Nile, which, when hardened, is very tenacious, pitch—mineral tar. Boats of this description are seen daily floating on the surface of the river, with no other caulking than Nile mud (cf. Isalab IS. 2), and they are perfectly water-tight, unless the coating is forced otr by stormy weather, flags—a general term for sea or river-weed. The chest was not, as is often represented, committed to the bosom of the water, hut laid on the bank, where It would naturally appear to have beeu drifted by the current and arrested by the reedy thicket. The spot is traditionally said to be the Isle of Hodah, near Old Cairo. 4. his sister—Miriam would probably bo a icles II. 12). Pithom (Greek Patumos), lay on the eastern Pelusiac branch of the Nile, about twelve Roman miles from Heliopolis; and Raamses, called by the LXX. Ilerobpolis, lay between the same branch of the Nile and the Bitter I,akes. These two fortified cities were situated, therefore. In the same valley; and the fortifications, which Pharaoh commanded to be built around both, had probably the same common object, of obstructing the entrance Into Egypt, which this valley furnished the enemy from Asia. [Hknostenberg.] 13, 14. The Kgyptlans . . . made their lives bitter with hard bondage. In mortnr and In brick—Ruins of great brick buildings are found In all parts of Egypt. The use of crude brUk, baked In the sun, was universal In upper and lower Egypt, both for public and private buildings; all but the temples themselves, were of crude brick. It Is worthy of remark, that more bricks bearing the nameof Tliotlimes III., who girl of ten or twelve years of age at the time. 5. the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash Iierself at the river—Th occasion is thought to have beeu a religious solemnity which the royal family opened by bathing In the sacred stream. Peculiar sacredness was attached to those portions of the Nile which flowed near the temples. The water was there fenced off as a protection from the crocodiles; and doubtless the princess had an enclosure reserved for her own use, the road to which seems to have been well known to Joeliebed. walked along—In procession or In file, she sent her maid—her
Is Rupi)f)Hcd to have been the king of Egypt at the time of the Exodus, have been discovered than of any otlier period. [Wilkinson.] Parties of these brlckmakers are seen depicted on the ancient monuments with "taskmasters "—some standing, others in a sitting posture be-
Mose iytirpalhy for iftt TTebrewa, EXODUS III. Hit Flighi 6) Midian.
In Scripture or as distressing the perpetrator with remorse, but according to existing customs among nomadla
Immediate attendant. The term Is different from that rendered " maidt ns." G-9. ivhen she liad opened It, she saw the chtld— Tl:e narrative Is picturesque. No tale of romance ever described a plot more skilfully laid, or more full of interest iu the development. The expedient tribes, he was bound to avenge the blood of a brother. The person he slew, however, being a govei-nment officer, he had rendered himself amenable to the laws of Egypt, and therefore he endeavoured to screen himself from the consequences by concealment of the corpse. 13, 1*. two men of the Hebrews strove together—His benevolent mediation in this strife—though made in the kindest and mildest manner, was resented, and the taunt of the aggressor showing that Moses' conduct on the preceding day had become generally known, he determined to conof the ark—the slime and pitcli—the choice of the time and place—the appeal to the sensibilities of the female breast—the stationing of the sister as a watch of the proceedings—her timely suggestion of a nurse—and the engagement of the motlier herself—all bespeak a more than ordinary measure of ingenuity as well as intense solicitude on the part of the parents. But' the origin of tne scheme was most probably owing to a Divine suggestion, as its sult his safety by Immediate flight (Hebrews 11. 27). These two incidents prove that neither were the Israelites yet ready to go out of Egypt, nor Moses prepared to be their success was due to an overrul ing Providence, who not only preserved the child's life, but provided for his being leader (James 1. 20). It was by the staff and not the sword ^by the meekness, and not the.wrath of Moses that God was to accomplish that great work of deliverance. Both he and the people of Israel were for forty years longer cast into the furnace of affliction, yet It was therein that He had chosen them (Isaiah 48. 10). 15. Moses tied from the face of Pharaoli—his flight took place in the second year of Thothmes I. dwelt In the land of Mldlan-situated on the eastern shore of the gulf of tlie Red Sea, and occupied by the posterity of Midian the son of Cush. The territory extended northward to the top of t!. e gulf, and westward far across the desert of Sinai. And from their position near the sea, they early combined trading with pastoral pursuits (Genesis 37.28). The head-quarters of Jethro are supposed to have been where Dahab-JIadian now stands; and from Moses coming direct to that place, he may have travelled with a caravan of merchants. But another place is fixed by tradition in AVady Shuweib, or Jethro's valley, on the east of the mountain of Moses, sat down by a well—See on Genesis 29. 3. 16-23. th« priest of Mldlan—As the officers were usually conjoined, he was the ruler also of the people called Cushites or Ethiopians, and like many other chiefs of pastoral people in that early age, he still retained the faith and wo.rslilp of the true God. seven daughters—were shepherdesses to whom Moses was favourably introduced, by an act of courtesy and courage in protecting them from the rude shepherds of some neighbouring tribe at a well. Hp afterwards formed a close and permanent alliance witli this family, by marrying one of tlie daughters, Zipporah (a trained in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Hence it is said to have been done by faith (Hebrews 11.
23), either in the general promise of deliverance, or some special revelation made to Amram and Jochebed—and in this view, the pious couple gave a beautiful example of u firm reliance on the word of God, united with an active use of the most suitable means. 10. She brought him unto Pharaoli's daughter-Thougli it must have been nearly as severe a trial for Jochebed to part with him the second time as the first, she was doubtless reconciled to it by her belief in his high destination !is the future deliverer of Israel. His age when removed to tlie palace is not stated; but he was old enough to be well instructed in the principles of the true religion; and those early impressions, deepened by the power of Divine grace, were never forgotten or effaced, he became her son—by adoption, and his high rank afforded him advantages in education, which In the providence of God were made subservient to far different purposes from what his royal patroness intended, she colled his name Moses—His parents might, as usual, at the time of his circumcision, have given him a name, which is traditionally said to have been Joacliim. But the name chosen by the princess, whethei; of Egyptian or Hebrew origin, is the only one by which he has ever been known to the church ; and
It is a permanent memorial of the painful Incidents of his birth and infancy.
11-25. His Sympathy with the Hebrews. 11. in those days, when Moses was grown—not in age and Btature only, but In power as well as in renown for accomplishments and military prowess (Acts 7. 23). There is a gap here in the sacred history which, however, is supplied by the inspired commentary of Paul, who has fully detailed the reasons as well as extent of the change that took place in his worldly condition ; and whether, as some say, his royal mother had proposed to make him co-regent and successor to the crown, or some other circumstances, led to a declaration of his mind, he determined to renounce the palace and Identify himself with the suffering people of God (Hebrews II. 21-26). The descent of some great sovereigns, like Diocletian and Charles V., from a throne Into private life, is nothing to the sacrifice which Moses made through the power of faith, he went ont nnto his brethren—to make a full and systematic inspection of their condition in the various parts of the country whre they were dispersed (Acts 7. 23), and he adopted this proceeding in pursuance of the patriotic purpose that the faith, which is of the operation of God, was even then forming in his heart, he spied an Egj-ptlan smiting an Hebrew—one of tlie taskmasters scourging a Hebrew slave without any just cause (Acts 7. 24), and in bo cruel a manner, that he seems to have died under the barbarous treatment—for the conditions of the sacred story imply such a fatal Issue. The sight was new and strange to him, and though pre-eminent for meekness (Numbers 12.3), he was flred with indignation.
little bird), called a Cushite or Ethiopian (Numbers 12.1), and whom he doubtless obtained in the manner of Jacob by service. He had by her two sons, whose names were, according to common practice, commemorative of incidents in the family history. 23. The king of Egypt ^ died : and the children of Israel sighed by reason of. the bondage—The language seems to imjly that the Israelites had experienced a partial relaxation, probalily through the Influence of Moses' royal patroness; but in the reign of her father's successor the persecution was ro-^ newed with increased severity.
CHAPTER III.
Ver. 1-22. Divine Appearance and Commissionti> Moses. 1. Now Moses Iteptthe llocli—This employment he had entered on In furtherance of his matrimonial views (see on ch. 2. 21), but it Is probable he was continuing his service now on other terms like Jacob during the latter years of his stay with Laban (Genesis 30. 28). hdod the flock to the back side of the desert—t. e., on the west of the desert [Gesenius], and assuming Jethro's li Bad quarters to have been at Dahab—the route by which Mrtse» led his flock must have been west through the wide valleycalled by the Arabs,Wady-es-Zugherah [Robinson], which conducted into the interior of the wilderness. Mountain of God—so named either according to Hebrew idiom from
he slew the Elgyptlan, and hid him In the sand This act of Moses may seem, and indeed by some has been condemned as rash and unjustiflable—in plain terms a deed of assassination. But we must not judge of his action In such a country and age by the standard of law And the notions of right which prevail in our Christian land; and. besides, not only is it not spoken of as a crime its great height, as "great mountains," .Hebrew, "mountains of God" (Psalm 36. 6); " goodly cedars," .ff'e6r««, " cedars of God " (Psalm 80, 10), or some think from Us being the old abode of " the glory ;" or finally from its being the theatre of transactions most memorable in> the history of the true religion to Horeb—rather, .Horeb-wnrd. H«>- 49
The Commission of Moees. EXODUS IV. Miraculous Change of his Boil, ete.
moved—and the happy Issue of his labours was minutely described.
rb, I. e., dry, desert, was the general name for tlie mounteinous district in which Sinai is situated, and of wliich it is a part. (See on ch. 19.) It was used to designate tlie region comprehending that immense range of loftv , deso-
CHAPTER IV.
Ver. 1-31. Miraculous Change of the Rod, &c. 1. But behold—//t'6re!y, " If," " perhaps," " they will not believe me"—What evidence can I proi Uice of my Divine mission ? Tliere was still a want of full confidence, not in the character and Divine power of his employer, but in His presence and power always accompanying him. He insinuated that his communication might be rejected and himself treated as an impostor, 'i. The Lord said, . . . What is that in thine hand 5—The question was put not to elicit iiiforiuation which God required, but to draw the particular attention of Moses. A rod— probably the shepherd's crook—among the Arabs, a long staff, with a curved head, varying from three to six feet in length. 6. P<it now thine haikd into thy bosom—the open ])art of his outer robe, worn about the girdle. 9. take of the water of the river—Nile. Those miracles, two of which were wrought then, and the third to be performed on his arrival in Goshen, were at first designed to encourage himself as satisfactory proofs of his Divine mission, and to be repeated for the special confirmation of his embassy before the Israelites. 10-13. I am not eloquent— It in supposed that Moses laboured under a natural defect of utterance, or had a difficulty in llie free and fluent expression of his ideas in the Egyptian language, which he had long disused. 'l*liis new objection was also overrultxl, but still Moses, who foresaw the manifold difficulties of the undertaking, was anxious to be ficod from the responlate, and barren hills, at the base of which, however, there are not only many patches of verdure to be seen, but almost all the valleys, or wacli/s, as they are called, show a thin coating of vegetation—which, towards the south, becomes more luxuriant. The Arab shepherds seldom take their flocks to a greater distance than one day's journey from their camp. Moses must have gone at least two days' journey, and although he seems to have been only following his pastoral course, that region, from its numerous springs in the clefts of the rocks, being the chief resort of the tribes during the summer heats, the Providence of God led him thither for an important purpose. 3, 3. tUe Angel of the Iiord appeared luito liim In a flame of Are
It is common in Scriptures to represent the elements and operations of nature, as winds, tires, earthquakes, pestilence, everything enlisted in executing the Divine will, as the "angels" or messengers of God. But in such cases God himself is con-sidered as really, though invisibly, present. Here the preternatural lire may be primarily meant by the expression "Angel of the Lord;" but it is clear that under this symbol, the Divine Being was present, whose name is given {v. 4, 6), and elsewhere called the angel of the covenant, Jehovah-Jesus, out of the midst of a bush—The wild acacia or thorn, with which that desert abounds, and which is generally dry and brittle, so much so, that at certfl.in seasons, a spark might kindle a district far and wide Into a blaze. A tire, therefore, being In the midst of such a de.sert bush was a "great sight." It sibility. 14. the anger of the Lord was k.ii»dled against Moses—The Divine Being is not subject to ebul-
1b generally supposed to have been emblematic of the Israelites' condition In Egypt—oppressed by a grinding servitude and a bloody persecution, and yet, in spite of the cruel policy that was bent on annihilating them, they continued as numerous and thriving as ever. The reason was " God was in the midst of them." The symbol may also represent the present state of the Jews, as well as of the Church generally In the world. 4. when the Lord Haw that he turned aaide to see—The manifestations which God anciently made of himself were always accompanied by clear, unmistakable signs that the communications were really from heaven. This certain evidence was given to Moses. He saw a flre, but no human agent to kindle it; he heard a voice, but no human lips from which It came ; he saw no living Being, but One was In the bush. In the heat of the flames, who knew him and addressed him by name. Who could this he but a Divine Being? 5. put oflT thy shoes—The direction was In conformity with a usage which was well known to Mosch— for the Egyptian priests observed It In their temples, and which is observed in all Eastern countries—where tlie people take oflT their shoes or sandals, as we do our hats. But the Eastern Idea is not precisely the same as the Western.
litions of passion; but his displeasure was manifested by transferring the honour of the priesthood, which would Qtherwise have been bestowed on Moses, to Aaron, who was from this time destined to be the head of the house of XevI (1 Chronicles Si. 1:1). Marvellous had been his condescension and patience In dealing with Moses; and now every remaining scruple was removed by the unexpected and welcome intelligence that his brother Aaron was to be his colleague. God knew from the beginning what Moses would do, but he reservesthis motive to the last as the strongest to rouse his languid heart, and Moses now fully and cordially complied with the call. If we are surprised at his biickwardness amidst all the signs and promises that were given him, we must admire his candour and honesty In recording it. 18. Moses . . . returned to Jethro—Being in his service, it was right to obtain his consent, but Moses evincetl piety, humility, and prudence, In not divulging the special object of his journey. 19. all the men are dead which sought thy life—The death of the Egyptian mimaroh took place in the four hundred and twenty-ninth year of the Hebrew sojourn In that land, and that event, acconling to the law of Egypt, took o(I" his proscription of Moses, if It had been publicly Issutl. 30. Moses took his wife and sons, and set them upon an aH»—Scptuagint, "asses." Those animals are not now used in the desert of Sinai, except by the Arabs for short distances. i%turne«l—en-
With us, the removal of the hat is an expression of reverence for the place we enter, or rather of Him who Is worshipped there. With them the removal of the slioes Is a confession of personal defilement, and conscious unworthlness to stand In the presence of unspotted holiness. 6-8. I am the God . . . come ilown to deliver—The reverential awe of Moses must have been relieved by the Divine Speaker (see on Matthew 22. 32), announcing himself In his covenant character, and by the welcome Intelligence communicated. Moreover, the time, as well lus all the circumstances of this miraculous appearance were •uch as to give him an Illustrious display of God's faithfulness to his promises. The period of Israel's Journey an<l affliction In Egypt ha<l been predicted (Genesis l."). 1.')), and It was during the last year of the term which had still to run that the lyord appeared Vn the burning bush. 10Come now therefore, and I -vclll send thee—(Jonnidcriug the patriotic views that had formerly animated tered on his Journey towards Egypt, he took the rod of Gofl—so called from Its being appropriated to His service, and because whatever miracles It might he employed In performing would be wrought not by Its Inherent properties, but by a Divine power following on Its use. (Of. Acts .1. 12). 3*. Inn—Hebrew, a halting-place for the night, the Lord met him, and sought to kill him— i. e., he was either overwhelmed with mental distress or overtaken by a sudden and dangerous malady. The narrative
Is obscure, but the meaning seems to bo, that, led during his Illness to a strict self-examination, he was deeply pained and grieved at the thought of having, to please hia wife, postponed or neglecte<l the circumcision of one of till' hrciust of Moses, we might have anticipated that no mission could have been more welcome to his heart than to be employed In the national emancipation of Israel. But he evinced great reluctance to It and stated a variety Of objections, all of which were successfully met and re50 his sons, probably the younger. To dishonour that slgD and seal of the covenant was criminal In any Hebrew peculiarly so In onedestlned tobeth(> loailer and deliverer of the Hebrews; and he seems to have felt his slckiioss as a merited chastisement for his sinful omlsslob. Cob-
First Interview with Pharaoh, EXODUS V, VI. Renewal of the Promiie.
them as ambitious demagogues, who were appealing to the superstitious feelings of the people, to stir up sedition, and diffuse a spirit of discontent, whicli spreading tlirough so vast a body of slaves, might endanger the peace of the country. 6. Pharaoh commanded—It was a natural consequence of the high displeasure created by this interview, that he should put additional burdens on the oppressed Israelites, taskmasters—Egyptian overseeis, appointed to exact labour of the Israelites, officers - Hebrews placed over their brethren, under the taskmasters, precisely analogous to the Arab of Hcers set over the Arab Fellahs, the poor labourers in modern Egypt. 7. ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick—The making of bricks appears to have been a government monopoly, as the ancient bricks are nearly all stamped with the name of a king, and they were formed, as they are still in. Lower Egypt, of clay mixed with chopped straw, and dried or hardened in the sun. The Israelites were employed in this drudgery; and though they still dwelt in Goshen, and held property in flocks and herds, tliey were compelled in rotation to serve in the briek-quarries, pressed in alternating groups, just as the fellaheen or peasants are marched by press-gangs in the same country still, let them go and gather straw for themselves, &c.—The enraged despot did not issue orders to do an impracticable thing. Tlie Egyptian reapers in the corn-harvest were accustomed merely to cut olF the ears and leave the stalk standing. 8. tale—an appointed number of bricks. Tlie materials of their labour were to be no longer supplied, and yet, as the same amount of produce was exacted daily. It is impossible to imagine more aggravated cruelty—a more perfect specimen of Oriental despotism. 12. So the people were scattered—It was an immense grievance to tlie labourers Individually, but there would be no hindrance from the husbandmen whose fields they entered, as almost all the lands of Egypt were in tlie possession of tlie crown (Genesis 47. 20). 13-19. taskmasters hasted tliem . . . officers . . . beaten—As the nearest fields were bared, and the people had to go farther for stubble, it was impossible for them to meet the demand by the usual tale of bricks. "The beating of the oflicers is just what niiglit have been expected from an Eastern tyrant, especially iu the valley of the Nile, as it appears from the monuments, that ancient Egypt, like modern China, was principally governed by the stick." [Taylor.] " The mode of beating was by the offender being laid flat on the ground, and generally held by the hands and feet while the chastisement was administered.'" [Wilkinson.] (Deuteronomy cerned for her husband's safety, Zipporah overcomes her maternal feelings of aversion to llie painful rite, performs herself, by means of one of the sliarp flints with which part of tlie desert abounds, an operation wliich her husband, on whom the duty devolved, was unable to do, and having brought the bloody evidence, exclaimed in the painful excitement of her feelings that from love to him Bhe had risked the life of her child. [Caivin, Bullinger, RosenMULLER.] 26. So he let him go—Moses recovered but the remembrance of tliis critical period in his life would stimulate the Hebrew legislator to enforce a faithful attention to the right of circumcision, when it was established as a Divine ordinance in Israel, and made their peculiar distinction as a people. 27. Aaron met hiin i» the monitt of God and kissed him—After a separation of forty years, their meeting would be mutually happy. Similar are tlie salutations of Arab friends when they meet In the desert still; conspicuous is tlie kiss on each side of the head. 29. Moses and Aaron went towards Egypt, Zipporah and her sons liavingbecn sent back. {Cf. ch. 18. 2). gathered . . . all the elders—Aaron was spokesman, and Moses performed the ai)pointed miracles—through which "the people," i.e., the elders, believed (1 Kings 17.24; Joshua 3. 2), and received the joyful tidings of the errand on which Moses had come with devout thanksgiving. Formerly they had slighted the message and rejected the messenger. Formerly Moses had gone in his own strength, nojv he goes leaning on God, and strong only through faith in Him who had sent Qim. Israel also hiul been tauglit a useful lesson, and It was good for both that they had been afllicted.
CHAPTER V.
Ver. 1-23. First Interview with Pharaoh. 1. Moses and Aaron went in—As representatives of the Hebrews, they were entitled to aA an audience of the king, and their thorough Egyptian training tauglit tliem how and when to seek it. and told Pharaoh—when introduced, they delivered a message in the name of tlie God of Israel. This is the first time He is mentioned by that national appellation in Scripture. It seems to liave been used by Divine direction (ch. 4. 2), and designed to put honour on the Hebrews in their depressed condition (Hebrews 11. 10). 2. Pharaoh said,Who is the Lord—rather " Jeliovah." Lord was a common name applied to objects of worship; but Jehovah was a name he had never heard of; he estimated the character and power of this God by the abject and miserable condition of the worsiiippers, and concluded tliat He held as low a rank among tlie gods as his people did in the nation. To demonstrate tlie suprcimacy of the true God over all the gods of Egypt, was the design of the plagues. I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go—As his lionoiir and interest were both involved he determined to crush tliis attempt, and in a tone of insolence, or perhaps profanity, rejected the request for the release of the Hebrew slaves. 3. The God of the Hebrews hath met with us—Instead of being provoked into reproaches or threats, they mildly assured him that it was not a proposal originating among them Belves, but a duty enjoined on them by tlieir God. Tliey Had for a long series of years been debarred from the privilege of religious worship, and as there was re!i.son to fear that a continued neglect of Divine ordinances would draw down upon them the judgment's of offended heaven,
25. 2.) A picture representing the Hebrews on a brickfield, exactly as described in this chapter, was found in an Egyptian tomV) at Thebes. 20, 21. They met Moses.
. . . The Lord look upon you, and Jnilge—Tlius the deliverer of Israel found that tliis patriotic interference did, in the first instance, only aggravate the evil he wished to remove, and that instead of receiving the gratitude, he was loaded witli the reproaches of his countrymen. But as the greatest darkness is immediately liefore the dawn, so the people of God are often plunged into the deepest affliction when on tlie eve of their deliverance, and so it was in tills ciuse.
CHAPTER VI.
Ver. 1-13. Renewal of the Promise. 1. Lord said ttnto Moses—The Lord, who is long-suffering and indulgent to the errors and infirmitiejs of his people, made allowance for the mortification of Moses as the result of this first interview, and cheered liini with the assurance of a sjjcedy and successful termination to his eniliassy.
iney begged permission to go three days' journey Into the desert—a place of seclusion—where their sacriflcial observances would neither suffer interruption nor give umbrage to the Egyptians. In saying this, they concealed their ultimate design of abandoning the kingdom, and by making this partial request at ftrsl , tliey probably wished to try the king's temper before they disclosed their intentions any farther. But they said only what God had put in their mouths (ch. 3. 12, 18), and this " legalizes the specific
3. And God spake uuto Moses— I<"or ills furtlier encouragement, there was made to him an emphatic repetition of the promise (ch. 3.20). 3. I . . . God Almighty—All enemies must fall, all difficulties must vanlsli before mf Omnipotent power, and the patriarchs had al)undarit proofs of this, but by my name, Ac—rather. Interrogatively, by my name Jeliovah was I not known to them? Am not I, the Almighty (}od who pledged my honour for the fulftlment of the covenant, also llie selfact, while It gives no sanction to tlie general liabll of disslmulat'on." (Chai-mer.s.] 4. Wherefore do ye, Moses •nd Aaron, let the people A-om their works! &c.—AV'itlilut taking any notice of what they had said, he treated