Commentary on Psalms Volume 2 John Calvin (continued)
JOHN CALVIN
manna, etc 812 But to remove all ambiguity, I have thought it preferable to translate the verbs in the preterpluperfect tense, He had commanded, he had opened, he had rained, to enable my readers the better to understand that the prophet does not here simply relate this history, but recalls it to remembrance for another purpose, as a thing which happened long ago.
Psalm 78:26-31
26. He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; and by his power he raised up the south wind. 27. And he rained upon them flesh as dust, and feathered fowl 813 as the sand of the sea; 28. And he caused it to fall in the midst of his camp, 814 round about his tabernacles. 29. And they did eat and were filled, and he gave them their desire. 30. They were not estranged from their desire: the meat was still in their mouth, 31. When the wrath of God ascended against them, and slew the fat ones among them, and brought low the chosen of Israel.
26. He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens. We have here related how God granted the request of his people. This does not imply that he favourably regarded their fretful desires, but that he showed by the effect that it was in his power to do what they believed it to be impossible for him to accomplish. From this, we may perceive how injudiciously some expositors here join together the flesh and the manna. The reason why the flesh was given was altogether different from that for which the manna was The Chaldee paraphrase of the expression, the bread of the mighty, is, "the food that descends from the dwelling of angels;" so that, according to this view, it signifies no more than, "corn of heaven," by which the manna is described in the preceding verse. Dr Geddes and Williams observe, that the Hebrew word,אביריםabbirim, never signifies angels, but persons of the higher classes, the rich, the great, the noble; and that the meaning of the Psalmist is, that the Israelites found in the manna a dainty, delicate food, such as might suit the palates of the great; that it was bread fit for princes; the best, the choicest of bread. This agrees with Simonis' rendering of the phrase, "cibus nobilium, scilicet principum; hoc est, cibus exquisitus, delicatus, eximius." Such also is the view taken by Fry, Walford, and others. If by,אביריםabbirim, the mighty, angels should be understood, as it is rendered in all the ancient versions, the meaning will be substantially the same; for the manna, by an obvious poetical figure, may be called the bread of angels, to denote food of the most exquisite kind; just as Paul speaks of the tongues of angels, (1 Corinthians 13:1,) to indicate eloquence of the highest order.
"Les autres ont traduit les verbes par un temps passe, Il a commande aux nuees, Il a ouvert les portes du ciel, Il a fait pluvoir la Manne," etc. — Fr.
"Heb. 'fowl of wing;' i.e., flying fowls, in distinction from domestic poultry." — Williams.
"Heb. Of his camp; either Israel's camp or God's camp; for seeing Israel was God's people, and he dwelt among them, their camp was his camp." — Poole.