Commentary on the Holy Bible

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?.

/ 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 exceedingly 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. ',

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.

4 '"' riiaraoh's chariots and his host, hath lie cast into the sea: " his chosen captains also, are 1 drowned in the Red sea.

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. |

Isai. xliii. 1-3. And the Jews appear to have well understood

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' observations 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, undevj 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.

leyh makedash — " And I will build him a sanctuary," which! not one of the other versions, the Persian cxceptei), acknowled;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 children by adoption tiiroui^h <>race, can call him their FA-riiEH. This is a privilea;o which God has given to none but his children.— 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 7. In the greutne-'is of thine ercelleno/] To this wonderful 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.".../

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.

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 uncommon. 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

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 habitation.

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-

hammer or mallet, by which the enemies of God had been beaten, pounded, and broken to pieces. Judas, the hammer of

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 approached 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 presence of his Maker!

Doing wonders?] Every part of the \i ork of God is wonderful— not only miracles, which imply an inversion or.suspension 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 concei\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 regenerated, 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 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 purchased.

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

■what God uould do for this people, which he had so miraculously 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 desiirt, 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 Canaan, after tlieir urisettled wandering life in the wilderness.

In the mountain] Meaninu; Canaan, which was a very inotinttiinous 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 translated for ever and onivard; or, by our very expressive compound 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. Kennicott'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 preservation 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

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

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 enlightens 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

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 wilderness, and found no water.

23 ^ And when they came to 'Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for

with i they "arre bitter: therefore the name of it vv'as called ' Marah. people

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 depentlance 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

i 25 And he '" cried unto the Lord Lord shewed him a ' tree

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

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 follo\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 prevails in the surrounding soil. Thus we may infer, that the natural 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 changed 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, remaining 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 contained 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 [ 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:

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 implied 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 acknowledging the maxims, or adopting the customs, of the neighbouring 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 ordinances 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.

Dr. Sha^^■ found nine of the tweh'e. wells, the other three having been choked up with sand; and the.-eveiity palmtrees 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.«:

" 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 prcvailetl, 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 reason why the same has been done by others, probably is — thc3?i thought, that the particle '3./or, which begins verse 19, necessarily 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 shall now give wh.it appears, to mc to be an exact translation of this whole song.,

1. I will sing to Jr.iio\ AH, for he hath triumphed gl<5rithe 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..

4. Pharaoh's chariots and his host, hath he cast into the tea* anel his chosci) captains are drowned in the Red sea.

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 gathe 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.

" 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.

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:

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 period 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 redeemed 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.

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 Israelites gather each «« omer, 17, 18- They are directed to leave none of it till the next day, 1^. which some neglecting, 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.

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

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?

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,jment, 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 fircumstance 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 companies, 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 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 suppose, 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.

9 And Moses spake luito Aaron,

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 Israel, that they looked toward the Avilderness, snd, behold, the glory of the Lord " appeai-ed in the cloud.

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 supposed tn refer to some pai'ticular place, where the Lord manift.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 ivithmit the camp, afar off from the cump, and called it the Taherttacle of' the Congregation; and it came to pass thai evcri/ one that sought the Lord, xi^ent out unto the Tabernacle of the Congregation 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 commanded 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 tabernacle 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 comprehended 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

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

camp to meet luith God. And in this instance, there might have been a similar, though less awful manifestation uf the divine presence.

Verse 10. As Aaron spake] So he nnw became the spokesman 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.

\ 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 travels, 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. Perhaps they have not. Let me then translate a pa»sa;.;e of Maillet, 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 annually aliyht, which come hillier for refu;;c in autunni, in ordt-r to avoid the severity of ttie cold of our winters in Europe. 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 Alexandria, have no other meat allowed them." Amoncf other refuireej 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 dressuig, tlity will eat raw. This is what St. Jerom may be suppo^^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 bej 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 almost 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 consequence 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, waatheir being brought with a wind. A hot southerly wind, it is su])posed, brings the locusts; antl why quails might not bebrought by the mstrumeiitahty of a like wind, or what difBeulty 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'

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

15 And when the children of Israel saw it.

Jrsl sent to the Israelites another, '' It

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 ^■'•" "' ^'fhath 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 miraculousness 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 animals, 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.

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 Israel, 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 contained 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.

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 gathered, 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 gatlici'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.

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'cspcctive 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. ' ' '.','

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 remaincth 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

mifijlit be gathered, before the lieat of the day, not being sufficient 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 covetousness 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 unprofitable, 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 sabbath, 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 supernatural 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.

none. 28 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long " refiisc ye to keep my commandments 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

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 observed. 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 themselves on the sabbath morning, when they awake, they continue 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:

The Clu-istians finding him thus disposed, determined he stioiild honour their sabbath in the same place, and actually of it to be kept tor yoiu" generations; ' that they may see the bread wliere- 1 with I liave fed }'0u in the wilderness, ■'"

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 inhabited; 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.

kept the poor man in the slough all Sunday, giving their reasoris in nearly the same way:

Tliis might have served to convince him of his folly; but, certainly, was not tiie likeliest way to convert him to Christianity.

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 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 itself: thus the tabernacle, the manna, the tables of stone, ^\aron's rod, &c. all bore referenci and testimony to that spiritual 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, 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 precediiiil note.—. Tlie sacred historian has tfiveii us the most circumstantial proofs, that it was a Mipeniatural and mir.ieulous supply; 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

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.

petition, Give vs to-day, mir daily bread. It is worlhy of remark, l.st. that what was Ictl over-nio 111, contrary to the command 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 property— 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! Property 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?

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'.

AN D * all the congregation of the children of Israel joiir- 1. _ neyed fiom the wilderness of Sin, ■•'"'' "' ~'-^' after their journeys, according to

NOTES ON CHAP XVII. Verse I. Pitched in Rephidim] In Numb, xxxiii. 12—14. ills said, that when the Israelites came from Sin, they eucauiptd 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 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-

us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children

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

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 directed 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, however, 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 human contrivance, but a measure concerted by God himself.

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

And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of

7 And he called the name of the place " Massah, ' 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.;

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 Meribah ] 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.

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.

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 government. 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 understand this transaction in any literal way; for the lil'iing up or i kiting down the hands of Moses, could not, humanly speak- <

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

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 lifted 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 intended. 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 jirevailed." 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 corruption, 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 victory over Sin and Satan.

Verse 13. Joshua discomfited j-lmalek and his people] Amalek might have been the name of the ruler of this people, continued 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

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: