Commentary on Harmony of the Law Volume 2 Complete John Calvin
HARMONY OF THE LAW · VOLUME 2 lighted, 271 so they are said to add the drunken to the thirsty who seek provocatives of their audacity, in order to sin more freely; for lust in a man is like an insatiable dropsy; and if any one indulges in such intemperance, he adds the drunken to the thirsty, i e., the madness of his own folly to unrestrained desire.רויה, ravah, however, is, in my opinion, used actively, as elsewhere. In Psalm 23:5, it is said, "My cupרויה, revayah, runneth over;" and, in like manner, in Psalm 66:12, a well-watered land 272 is expressed by the same word, because it abundantly moistens the corn and grass. It is very appropriate that the desires of the flesh, that we burn with, should be compared to thirst; and the licentious impetuosity, which carries us away without reflection, to drunkenness; because the sinner stupifies himself into forgetfulness of the distinction between good and evil. And thence Paul calls those who are plunged in brutal forgetfulness of God and themselves, ἀπηλγηκότες (past feeling.) (Ephesians 4:19.)
20. The Lord will not spare him. Moses here teaches us that the obstinacy in which the wicked are willfully hardened, shuts against them the door of hope, so that they will find that God is not to be appeased. And assuredly it is the climax of all sins that a wretched man, who is abandoned to vice, should extinguish the light of his own reason, and destroy the image of God within him, so as to degenerate into a beast: and not only so, but also that he should dethrone God, as if He were not the Judge of the world. And this is the insult which they put upon Him who abandon themselves to sin in the confident expectation of impunity. 273 Thus, by Isaiah, God swears that this was an inexpiable crime, that, when He called them to baldness and to mourning, the Israelites encouraged each other to gladness; and, whilst feasting luxuriously, said in ridicule, "Tomorrow we shall die." (Isaiah 22:12, 13.) By the word,אבה, ahab, Moses altogether shuts out the grace of God. 274 Meanwhile he contrasts God's fixed purpose, — that He will not be
"Que ceux, qui augmentent le mal, mettent l'huile en la cheminee;" that those who augment an evil put oil into the chimney. — Fr.
A.V., "a wealthy (margin, moist) place." See Cal. Soc. Comment. on Psalms, vol. 2, p. 473.
"Car ceux qui sous ombre d'eschapper son jugement s'abandonnent 'a pecher, luy font ce dishonneur de le despouiller de son empire;" for those who abandon themselves to sin under cover of escaping His judgment, do him this dishonor of despoiling him of his empire. — Fr.
"Le verbe que nous avons translate condescendre, signifie venir a gre. Ainsi Moyse exclud toutes graces de Dieu;" the verb which we have translated condescend, (the Lord will not condescend to spare him,) signifies to consent. Thus Moses shuts out all the graces of God. — Frיאבה, acquiescet. — Taylor.