Commentary on Harmony of the Law Volume 2 Complete John Calvin
JOHN CALVIN
"He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord." (Proverbs 17:15.)
Let us also learn that nothing is less consistent than to punish heavily the crimes whereby mortals are injured, whilst we connive at the impious errors or sacrilegious 351 modes of worship whereby the majesty of God is violated.
30. And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said Inasmuch as this judgment of God was terrible, lest the Israelites should altogether fall into despair, Moses addresses a consolation to them to calm their sorrow, promising that he will make entreaty to God in their behalf. Meanwhile, in order that they might betake themselves as humble suppliants to God's mercy, he reminds them of the enormity of their sin. The Hebrew words literally mean, 352 ye have sinned a great sin; there is, however, no ambiguity in the sense; for he would humble them by setting the greatness of their crime before them, in order that they may earnestly give themselves to repentance. To the same effect is 353 the particle,אוליauli, which is often used to express uncertainty, but here, as in many other places, only denotes difficulty; lest, as is frequently the case, they should think of asking pardon unconcernedly and carelessly, and not with anxious earnestness. Thus, when Peter addresses Simon Magus, he bids him pray, "if perhaps" his iniquity may be forgiven him, (Acts 8:22;) not that he should vacillate or waver in his mind like those who are in suspense or doubt, but that terrified by the fear of God's wrath, he should anxiously seek after the remedy.
31. And Moses returned unto the Lord This relation does not stand in its proper place, since, as we have already said, Moses does not exactly preserve the order of time. For we shall see in the next chapter that God refuses with respect to His angel what he here accords; since it is
354 a mere quibble to say that a mere ordinary angel is here promised, in whom God will not so manifest His presence as He has done before.
"Superstitions." — Fr.
So A.V. It will be seen that C. renders the nouns in the ablative case, Ye have sinued by a great sin.
See C. on Amos 5:15. — Minor Prophets, Cal. Soc. edit., vol. 2 p. 277.
"R. Menacheus on this place saith, "This angel is not the Angel of the Covenant, of whom He spake in the time of favorable acceptance, My presence shall go; for now the holy blessed God had taken away His divine presence from amongst them, and would have led them by the hand of another angel. And Moses' speech in Exodus 33:12, seemeth to imply so much." — Ainsworth in loco.
HARMONY OF THE LAW · VOLUME 2
Therefore now Moses briefly records what he will afterwards more fully set forth, i.e., how God was appeased and received the people back into favor, which was not the case until he was commanded to hew out or polish the new tables. And we know that it was a figure of speech in common use with the Hebrews to touch upon the chief points of a matter, and then to fill up, in the progress of the history, what had been omitted.
His prayer commences with confession; for in such a case of wicked ingratitude nothing remained but freely to acknowledge their guilt, so as to look nowhere else for safety in their state of ruin and despair but to the mercy of God; for hypocrites only inflame His wrath the more by extenuating their offenses. The particleאנא, ana, which we have followed others in translating "I beseech," (obsecro,) is sometimes expressive of exhortation, and used like Agedum, (come on;) here it only signifies what the Latins express by amabo 355 After having anticipated God's judgment by the confession of their guilt, he nevertheless implores for pardon; and this with extreme earnestness, which is the reason why his address is suddenly broken off, for the sentence is imperfect, as is often the case in pathetic appeals, "if thou wilt forgive their sin." I have no objection to make if any should construe the particle 356
אם, im, "I would," (utinam,) still in the vehemence of his feelings he seems to burst forth into an exclamation, "Oh, if thou wilt forgive;" though it may be but a modest petition, "Wilt thou forgive?" for, though the prayers of the saints flow from their confidence, still they have to struggle with doubts and questionings within themselves, whether God is willing to listen to them. Hence it arises that their prayers begin hesitatingly, until faith prevails.
What follows may in many respects appear to be absurd; for Moses both imperiously lays down the law to God, and in his eager impetuosity seeks to overthrow, as far as he can, His eternal counsel, and inconsiderately robs him of His justice. Surely all must condemn the pride of this address, Unless thou sparest the offenders, count me not as one of thy servants; nor can there seem to be less of folly in his attempt to bring to nought God's eternal predestination. Besides, when he desires that he himself should be
"Formula (says Facciolati) obsecrantis, vel obtestantis: di grazia, deh, per cortesia." Elsewhere, it would appear, our translators have always renderedאנא, "I pray thee; or I, or we, beseech thee," except at Psalm 116:16, where it is translated as here, "oh." — Taylor's Concordance. "The Scriptures deal but sparingly in such interjectional phrases as the present, and, wherever they occur, they indicate the most profound emotion in the speaker." — Prof. Bush.
A. V., "If." Noldius, obsecro; equivalent to the rendering towards which C. inclines. — W. "Vray est que le sens est tel, O que tu leur pardonnes: mais cependant il ne parle qu'a demie bouche, comme un homme angoisse, et s'escrie que si Dieu leur pardonne, il a tout gagne;" it is true that this is the sense, O that thou wouldest pardon them! but still he speaks but half his meaning, like a man in anguish, and cries out, that if God would pardon them, he has gained all he wants. — Fr.
JOHN CALVIN
involved in the same punishment, what is this but to destroy all distinction, that God should rashly condemn the innocent with the transgressors? Nor would I indeed deny that Moses was carried away by such vehemence, that he speaks like one possessed. Still it must be observed, that when believers unburden their cares into God's bosom, they do not always deal discreetly, nor with well-ordered language, but sometimes stammer, sometimes pour forth "groans which cannot be uttered," sometimes pass by everything else, and lay hold of and press some particular petition. Assuredly there was nothing less present to the mind of Moses than to dictate to God; nor, if he had been asked, would he have said that what God had decreed respecting His elect before the creation of the world could be overthrown. Again, he knew that nothing was more foreign to the Judge of all the world than to destroy the innocent together with the reprobate. But since his care for the people, whose welfare he knew to be consigned to him by God, had absorbed, as it were, all his senses, nothing else occupies his mind but that they may be saved, whilst he does not entertain a single thought which interferes with this his great solicitude. Hence it is, that arrogating far too much to himself, he throws himself forward as the people's surety, and forgets that he is predestined to salvation by God's immutable counsel; and, finally, does not sufficiently consider what would be becoming in God. Nor is Moses the only one who has been thus carried away; but Paul has gone even further, expressing himself thus in writing after full premeditation, "I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren." (Romans 9:3.) The fact is, that intent on the welfare of the elect people, they neither of them examine critically into particulars, and therefore devote themselves in behalf of the whole Church; inasmuch as this general principle was deeply rooted in their minds, that if the welfare of the whole body were secured, it would be well with the individual members. Hence 357 the question arises whether it is a pious feeling to prefer the salvation of others to our own? Some being afraid lest the example of Moses and Paul should be prejudicial, have said that they were only influenced by their zeal for God's glory, when they devoted themselves to eternal destruction; and that they did not prefer the people's salvation to their own. Even, however, though this should be accepted, still their words would have been hyperbolical; for, although God's glory may well be preferred to a hundred worlds, yet He so far accommodates
See this difficult subject somewhat more fully discussed by C. himself on Romans 9:3, (Calvin Soc. edit., pp. 335-337,) together with Mr. Owen's note. If, however, the opinion of many, as stated by Prof. Bush, as to this passage be adopted, and it surely has much show of reason, it is far more easily comprehended than the expression of St. Paul: "There is no intimation in these words of any secret book of the Divine decrees, or of anything involving the question of Moses' final salvation or perdition. He simply expressed the wish rather to die than to witness the destruction of his people. The phraseology is in allusion, probably, to the custom of having the names of a community enrolled in a register, and, whenever one died, of erasing his name from the number."