Moses is commanded to depart from the mount, and lead up the people towards the promised land, 1. An angel is promised to he their guide, 2. The land is described, and the Lord refuses to go with them, 3. The people' 7iiourn, and strip themselves of their ornaments, 4 — 6. The tabernacle or tent is pitched zvilhout the camp, 7. Moses goes to it, to consult the Lord, and the cloudy pillar descends on it, 8, 9- The people standing at their tent. doors, uitness this, 10. The L,ord speaks familiarly zcith Moses; he returns to the camp, and leaves Joshua in the tabernacle, 11. Moses pleads with God, and desires to know zchum he will send to be their guide, and to be] informed (f the zcay of the Lord, 12,13. The Lord promises that his prcsawe shall go zcith them, 14. Moses' pleads that the people may be taken under the divine-protection, 15, l6. The Lord promises to do sa, 17. Moses requests to see the divine glory, 18. And God promises to inake his goodness pass before him, and to proclaim his name, IQ. ShiMS that no man can see his glory and live, 20, hut promises to put him in a cleft of the rock, and to cover him zcith his hand zehile his glory passed by, and then to remove his hand, and let him see his back parts, •21—23.
ND the Lord said unto Moses, j^ ^ Depart, and go up hence, thou " and the people which tliou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ^ Unto thy seed will I give it:
2 ^ And I will send an angel before thee, '' and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
Verse 1. Unto tin lunil] That i-s towards it, or to the borders of it. See chap, xxxii. 34.
Verse 2. / viill send an angel] In chap, xxiii. 20. God promises to send an angel, to conduct them into the good land, in whom the name of God should be; that is, in whom God should dwell. See the note there. Here, he promises that an angel shall be their conductor; but as there is nothing particularly specified of him, it has been thought, thai
3 " Unto a land flowing Avith milk and honey: ' tor I will not go up in the midst of thee, for thou art a ^ stiff-necked people, lest " I consume thee in the wav.
4 ^ And when the people heard these evil tidings, ' they mourned: " and no man did put on him his ornaments.
5 For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, ' Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up " into the midst
an ordinary angel is intended, and not that angel of the covenant, promised before. And ihis sentiment items to be confirmed by the following verse.
Verse 3. / villi not go up in the midst of thee.] Consequenlly, the angel here promised to be their guide, was not tliat angel, in whom Jehovaii's name was: and so the people understood it, and hence the mourning, which is afterward* mentioned.
Verse 5. Now put off thy omnmenls from thee] " The Sep-
of thee in:i moment, and consmnc thee; tlicrcforc, now put off thy ornaments fi-om thee, that I may ' know what to do unto thee. 6 And the children of Israel stripped them- tuagint, in ilicir translation, suppose, tliat the chililren oi' Israel, not only l^id aside their car-rings, and such like ornaments, in a time of professed deep liuniilidtlon bdore God, but their upi^r, or more btautiful garments too. Moses says nothing of this last circumslance; but as it is a modern practice, so it appears by their version, to have been as ancient as their time, and probably took place long before that. The Septuagint gives us this as the translation of the passage: ' The people having heard this sad declaration, mourned with lamentations. And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Now, therefore, put otV your robes of glory, and your ornaments, and I wjII.shew you the things I will do unto you. And the children of Israel put oflF their ornaments and robes, by the mount, by Horeb.'
" If it had not been the custom to put off their upper garments, in times of deep mourning, in the days that the Septuagint translation was made, they would not have in.serted this circumstance, in the account Moses gives of their mourn- | ing, and concerning which he was silent. They must have lupposed loo, that this practice might be in use in those elder times.
" The Septuagint supposes, the Israelites made much the same appearance as these MohameJan pilgrims, when Israel stood in anguish of soul, at the foot of nu^unl Horeb, lliough Moses says nothing of putting off any o their v<stinent».
" Some passages of the.lewsh propl.'^U, seem to confirm the notion of their strij>ping themselves nf si'ine of iheir clothes, in times of deep humiliation, jianicularly Mirah i. 8 'I'liaefore I will wail and howl: I teiif go strijti and tuiked; / will make a wailing like the dragons, und mourning as the owls.
" Saul's stripping himself, mentioned 1 Sam. xiv. 24 is perhaps to be understood of his assuming the appearance of tliDse, that were deeply engaged in devotional exercises, into which he was unintentionally brought, by ihe prophetic Influences that came upon lilin,: ml in which he saw others engai;ed." Harmcr's Obsenat. Vol. iv. p. \12.
The ancient Jewish commentators were of opinion, that the Israelites had the name ol' Jehovah,,"nn' Inscribed on th ni In such a way, as to ensure them the divine priitectioii; and that this, liijcrlbfed probably on a plate of gold, was ci'^nsidticd tlu'ir choicest ornament; and that when lliey gave their ornaments to make the golden calf, this was given by many; in consequence of which, thcj/ were considered as miked and defenceless. All the remaining parts of their ornaments, which it is likely were all emblematical of spiritual things, God commands tliem here to lay ofl"; for they could not vm.1i propriety bear the.symbols of the divine protection, who had for-" felted that protection for their transgression.
Tliat I jniiy know v.hut to do unto thee~\ For it seems, that while they had these emblematic ornaments on ihem, they were still considered as under the divine protection. Ilicse were a shield to them, which God commands them to throw aside. Though many had parted with their choicest ornaments, yet not all, only compuratively a few, of the wives daughters and sons of 600,000 men, could have been thus stripped, to make one golden calf The major |>art still h.id these ornaments; and they are now commanded to lay them aside.
Verse 7. Moses took the tabernacle'] SnSn jIS et haohel, the TENT, not piyon TN et hamishcen, the tabernacle, the dwellingplace of Jehovah, see chap. xxxv. 11. for this was not as yet erected, but |)n)bably the tent of Moses, which w.ts before in the niid.st of the cam[), and to which, the congregation came for judgment; and where, no doubt, God frequently met with Ills servant. This is now removed to a considerable distance from the camp, two thousand cubits, according to the Talmudists, as God refuses to dwell any longer among this rebellious people. And as this was the place, to which all the people came for jusiice and judgment, hence, it was probably called the tabernacle, more propt rlv, the tent of the congregation. 3 K 2
the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which " sought the Lord, went out unto tlie tabernacle of the congregation, which "was without the camp.
8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man ^ at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
9 % And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD ' talked with Moses.
10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and "^ worshipped, every man in his tent door.
1 1 And ' the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And
he turned again into the camp: but ' his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacTe.
12 ^ And Moses said unto the Lord, See^. ^thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people:, and thou hast not let me lyiow whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, *■ I know thee by name, and tliou hast also found grace ia my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, ' if I have! found grace in thy sight, "shew me now thy^i way, that I may know thee, that I may find! grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is ' thy people. i
14 And he said, " My presence shall go "with thee, and I will give thee " I'est.
15 And he said unto him, " If thy presence go not xcith me, carry us not up hence.
16 For wherein shall it be known here that
Verse 9. The douily pillar descended] Tliis very circumstance precluded the possibility of deception. The cloud descending at these times, and at none others, was a full proof that it was miracidous, and a pledge of the divine presence. It was beyond the power of human art to counterfeit such an appearance; and let it be observed, that all the people saw this, ver. 10. How many indubital)le, and irrefragable proofs of its own authenticity and divine origin, does the Pentateuch contain!
Verse 1 1. Tlic Lord spttke unto Closes face to face] That there was no personal appearance here, we may readily conceive; and that the communications made by God to Moses, were not by visions, cxlacies, d/ramx, inward inspiralions, or the tnedia'.ion qf angels, is sufficiently evident: we may therefore consider the passage, as implying that familiarily and confidence, with which, the Divine Being treated his servant; and that he spake with him by articulate sounds, in his own language, though no shape or similitude was then to be seen. Joshua, the son of Nun, a youn^ vian] There is a difliculty here: Joshua certainly was not a young man in the literal sense of the word; " but he was called so," says Mr. Ainsworth, " in respect of his smvcc, not of his j/ra;.?; for he was now above fifty years old, as may be gathered from Josh, xxiv. '2'J. IJut because minintrj/ and service are usually by the younger sort: all scrzants are called ^o«n!f men. Gen. xiv. 24." — See al.so Gen. xx.xii. 7. and xli. 12. Perhaps the word "1P3 nanr, here translated young man, means a single person, one unmarried.
Verse 12. Moses said unto the Loi-d] We may suppose, that ai'ttr Mosci had quilted the tabernacle, he went to the camp, and gave the people some general information relative to the conversation he lately had with the Lord; after which, he returned to the tabernacle or tent, and began to plead with God, as we find in this and the following verses.
Thou hast not let me know, &c.] As God had said, be would not go up witli this people, Moses wished to know W'honi he would send with him, as he had only said, in general terms, that he would send an angel.
Verse 13. Shew me now tliy leay] Let me know the manner in wliich thou wouldat have this people led up and governed, because this nation is thy people, and should be governed and guided in thy own way.
Verse 14. My presence shall go with thee] 1D7' 'OB panai, yetecu, my faces shall go. 1 shall give thee manifestations of my grace and goodness through the whole of thy journey. I I shall vary my appearances for thee, as thy necessities shall i require.
Verse 1 5. Jf thy presence go not] CdSm ^JS J'N ns* im | ein paneyca holcim, if thy faces do not go. If we have not i manifestations of thy peculiar providence and grace, carry us not up iience. Without supernatural assistance, and a most particular providence, he knew that it would be impossible either to govern such a people, or support them in the desart; and therefore he wishes to be well assured on this head, that he may lead them up with confidence, anil be able to give them the most explicit assurances of support and protection. But by what means should these manifestations take place? This question seems to be answered by the prophet, Isai. Ixiii. 9. In alt their affliction, he was afflicted, and the Angel of his presence, VJS panuiv, of his faces, saved than. So we find, that the
I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? " is it not in that thou goest with us? so ^ sliall we be separated, I and thy people, from all tiic
people that are upon the fiice of the earth. 1 7 And the Loud said unto Moses, " I will do
hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee
goodness and mercy of God were to be manifested by the Anzel of the covenant, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah; and tiiis is tile interpretation wliich tlie Jews ttiemselves give of this place. C ail any person lead men to tlie typical Cajiaan, wiio is not liimseit' influenced and directed by the Lord? And of what use are all the means of grace, if not crowned with tUe presence and blctsiiit^ of the God of Israel.'' It is on this ground, that Jesus Christ hath said, ll'/icre two or three are ■leathered tos^ether in my name, I am in the midnt of them, Matt, xviii. 20. Without which, what would j>reachiiigs, prayers, and even SACRAMENTS, avail.?
Verse 16. So nhull we be separated] Ry havinfj thi.s divine protection, we shall be saved from idolatry, and be preserved in thy truth, and in the true worshipping of thee; and thus shall wc be separated from all the jieople that are upon the face of the earth, as all the nations of the world, the Jews only excepted, were at this time idolaters.
Verse 17. / ^iiU do this thirty also'] My presence shall go with thee, and I will keep thee separate from all the people of the earth. IJolh these promises have been remarkably fulfille<l. God continued miraculously with them, till he brouijilt tliem into the promised land; and from the ♦lay in which lie broupjht them out of Egypt, to the present day, he has kept them a distinct, unmi.ied people! Wlio can account for this on any principle but that of a continual especial iKovidencc, and a constant divine interference } The Jews have ever been a people fond of money; had they been mmgled with the people of the earth, amonf; whom they liave been scattered, their secular interests would have been greatly promoted by it; and they who have sacrificed every thing besides, to their love of money, on this point have been incorruptible! They chose, in every part of their dispersions, rather to be a poor, despised, persecuted people, and continue separate frnm all the people of the earth, than to enjoy case and affluence by becomin;jf mixed with the nations. For what great purposes must God be preserving this people! for it docs not appear that any moral principle binds them together— they seem lost to this; and yet, in opposition to their interests, for w hicli, in other respects, they would.sacrifice every thing, they are still kept distinct from all die people of the earth, and for this, an especial providence can alone account.
19 And he said, 'I wiW make all my
proclaim the name of the Loitu betbre thee, 'and will be ''gracious to whom 1 will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
'20 And he said, TIioii canst not see my face: for ' tlicre shall no man see me, and live.
see that which constitutes tlie peculiar glory or excellence of the divine nature, as it stands in reference toman. By many, this is thought lo signify his eternal mercy in sending Christ Jesus into the world. Moses perceived that what God was. now doing liad the most important and gracious designs, which at present he could not distinctly discover; therefore he desires God to shew him his glory. God graciously promises to indulge him in this re(|uest as far as possible, by proclnim- i ing his name, and making all hi^ goodness pass before him, verse 1 9. But at the same time he assures him that he could not see his face — the fulness of his perfections, and the
! grandeur of his designs — and live; as no human being could bear, in the present state, this full discovery But he adds, ihoii shall see my back parts, nplX HN et achortiy; probably meaning, that appearance uhich he should assume in after times, when it should be said, Cod is manifest in the flesh. This appearance did take place; for we find God putting him into a cleft of the rock, covering him with his hand, and jiassing by in such a way as to exhibit a human similitude. John may have had this in view when he said, The Word was madejlesli, aiid dicelt AMONG VS, full of grace and triilh, and WE BKIIEI.D HIS GLORY. What this glory was, and what was implied by this grace and truth, v^e shall see in the succeeding chapter.
Verse 19. i will make all my goodness pass before thee.] Thou shalt not have a sight o( my Justice, for thou couldst not bear the infinite splendour of my purity; but I shall shew my.self to thee as the Fountain of inexhaustible compassion — the sovereign Dispenser of iny own mercy, in my own way; being gracious to whom I will be gracious, and shewing mercy on whom 1 will shew mercy.
Verse 20. No man can see me, and lire.] The splendour would be insufferable to man: he, only, whose mortality is swallowed up of life, can see God as he is; see 1 John ill. 2. From some disiniised relation of the circumstances mentioned here, the iiible of Jupiter and Semele was formed: site is reported to have entreated Jupiter to slieit; her his glory, who was at firs: very reluctant, know iiig that it would be fatal to her; but, at last, yielding lo her importunity, he discovered his divmc majesty, and she was consumed by his presence. This story li lolil by Ovid, in his Metamorphoses, book. iii. fable iv. 5.
21 And the Lord said. Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee * in a
Verse 2 1. Behold there is a place by me'] There.seems to be a reference here, to a well known place on the mount, where God was accustomed to meet with Moses. This was a rock, and it appears there was a cleft or cave in it, in whicli Moses was to stand, while the Divine Majesty was pleased to •hew him all that human nature was capable of bearing; but this appears to have referred more to the counsels of his mercy and goodness, relative to his purpose of redeeming the human race, than to any visible appearance of the Divine Majesty itself.— See the note on ver. 1 S.
1. The conclusion of this chapter is very obscure; we can scarcely pretend to say, in any precise manner, what it means: — and it is very probable that the whole concerned Moses alone. He was in great perplexity and doubt — he was afraid that God was about to abandon this people; and he well knew that if he did so, their destruction must be the consequence. He had got general directions to decamp, and lead the people towards the jiromised land; but this was accompanied with a threat, that Jehovah would not go with them. The prospect that was before him was exceedingly gloomy and discouraging: and it was rendered the more so, because God predicted their persevering stilT-neckedness, and gave this, as one reason, why he would not go up among them, for their provocations would be so great, and so frequent, that his justice would be so provoked as to break through in a moment and consume them. Moses, well knowing that God must have some great and important designs in delivering them, and bringing them thus far, earnestly entreated him to give him some discovery of it, that his own uimd might be satisfied. God mercifully condescends to meet his wishes in such a way as, no doubt, gave him full satisfaction; but, as this referred to himself alone, the cir-
clift of the rock, and will '' cover thee; with my hand while I pass by: 23 And I will take away hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall 'not be seen
cmnstances are not related, as probably they could he of no farther use to us than the mere gratifying of a principle of curioiiiy.
2. On some occasions, to be kept in the dark, is as instructive as to be brought into the light. In many cases those words of the prophet are strictly applicable. Verily, thou art a God who HIDEST THYSELF, O God of Israel, the Saviour.' One point we see here very plainly, that while the people continued obstinate and rebellious, that presence of God, b}' which his approbation was signified, could not be manifested among them — and yet, without his presence, to guide, protect, and provide for them, they could neither go up nor be saved. This presence is promised, and on the fulfillment of the promise, the safety of Israel depended. The church of God is often now in such a stale, that the approbation of God cannot be manifested in it; and yet, if ills presence were wholly withdrawn, truth would fall in the streets, equity go backward, the church must become extinct. How have the seeds of light and life been preserved, during the long, dark and cold periods, when error was triumphant, and the pure worship of God adulterated by the impurities of idolatry, and the thick darkness of superstition? — By the presence of his endless mercy, preserving bis own trutli in circumstances, in which he could not shew his approbation. He was with the church in the wilderness, and preserved the living oracles, kept alive the heavenly seeds, and is now shewing forth the glory of those designs, which before he concealed from mankind. He cannot err, because he is infinitely wise: he can do nothing that is unkind, because he delighleth in mercy. M'^e, as yet, see only through a glass darkly: by and bye we shall see face to face. The Lord's presence is with his people: and those who trust in him have confident rest in his mercy.
Moses is commanded to hezo txvo tables similar to the first, and brhig them up to the mount, to get the covenant reneictcl, 1 — 3. lie prepares the tables, and goes up to meet the Lord, 4. The Lord descends, and proclaims his name, JEHOVAH, 5. What this name signifies, 6, 7- Moses worships and intercedes, S, 9. The Lord p7omises to renew the covenant, work miracles among the people, and drive out the Ca/iaanites, Sfc. 10, 11. No covenant to he made uilh the idolatrous nations, but their altars and images are to be dcstroi/ed, 1'2 — 15. No matrimonial alliances to be contracted tcith them, 16. TIte Israelites must have no molten gods, 17. The commandment of the feast of unleavened bread, and of the sanctijication of the frst-born renewed, 18 — 20; as also that of the sabbath, and the three great annual feasts, 2 1 — 23. The promise, that the surrounding nations shall not invade their territories, ti/iile all ilie males were at Jerusalem, celebrating the anniifil feasts, C4. Diredioiu conceriiing the pass-over, 25; gnd thejirst-frttits, 2(). Moses is commanded to urile all these zcords, as containing the covenant which God had now renewed with the Israelites, '27. Moses being forty day!^ with God, tcilhout eating or drinking, writes the Kords of the covenant; and the Lord zcrites the ten command inents upon tho tables of stone, 28. Moses descends nith the tables — his face shines, 29- Aaron and the people are afraid to approach him, because of hit glorious appearance, JO. Moses delivers io them the covenant and commandments of the Lord, and puts a vail over his face, ichile he is speaking, 3 1 — 33; but takes it off when he goes io minister before the Lord, 34, 35.
AND the Lord said unto Moses, * Hew thee two tal)les of stone like unto the first: ""and I will write upon these tables the words that were i in the first tables, which tiiou brakest.
2 And be ready in tlie morning, and come up I in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present I thyself there to me 'in the top of tlic mount. I?i And no man shall '' come up with thee, nei- ■ther let any man be seen throughout all the
Verse 1. Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first. \ In rliap..xxxii. 1(). we are told that the two first tahles ivere the work of God, and the writing was the ivriting of God — but hire Moses is commanded to provide tables of his own uorkuuuisliip; and God pronii.ses to write on them tlie words which were on tlie first. That God wrote tlic first tables himself, see proved by diflercnt passages of scrijitiire, at the end of llie xxxii. chapter. But here, in ver. '21. it seems as if Moses was commanded to vjrite these words — and in ver. 28. it is said, yind he wrote upon the tables — but in Deut..\. 1, 4. it is expressly said, that God wrote the second tables as well as \he first.
In order to reconcile tliese account.*, 1st us suppose that the ten words, or ten commandments, were written on both tables by the hand of God hini'-elf, and that what Moses wrote, ver. '27- \vas a copi/ of these, to be delivered to the people, while the tables themselves were laid up in the ark beibic the testimony, whither the people could not go to consult them; and therefore a copy was necessary for the use of the congregation; this copy being taken otlj imdtr the direction of God, was authenticated equally with the original; and the original itself was laid up as a record, to which all succeeding cojjies might be continually referred, in order to prevent corruption. This supposition removes the apparent contradiction; and thus, botli God and Moses may be said to have written the covenant and the ten commaiidinents: the former, the original; the latter, the copy. This supposition is rendered still more probable by the 27th verse itself. " And the Lord said unto Moses, JVrirc thou these words, (that i>, as I understand it, a copy of the words which God bad already written), for AFTER THE TENOR, '3 "ri? at pi, ACCOKDING TO THE MOUTH of these words, I hate made u covenant with thee, and with Israel." Here the original writing is represented, by an elegant prosopopoeia, or per-
moimt; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.
4 ^ And he hcwal two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as tiie Loitu had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
5 And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and ° proclaimed the name of the Lord.
sonification, as speaking, and giving out, from its own mouth, a copy of itself. It may be supposed that this mode of interpretation is contradicted by the 28th verse. And HE wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant: but, that tlie pronoun HE, refers to the LOKD, and not to Moses, is sufficiently proved by the parallel place, Deut. x. 1 — 4. At that time the Lord said unto me. Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first — and I wilt write on the tables, the words that were in the first tables — and I hewed two tables of stone, as at the first — And HE wrote on the tables according to the first writing. — This determines the business, and proves that God wrote the second as well as the first tables, and that tlie pronoun in the 28th verse of this chapter, refers to the LOKD, and not to Moses. By this mode of interpretation, all contradiction is removed. Houbigant inidgin&s that the difficulty may be removed by supposing, that God wrote the ten coinmandmente, and that Moses wrote the other parts of the covenant from ver. 1 I. to ver. 26. and thus it inight be said, that both God and Moses wrote on the same tables. This is not an improbable case, and is left to the reader's consideration. — Sec on ver. 27.
There still remains a controversy whether what are called the ten commandments were at all written on the first tables, those tables containing, according to some, only the terms of the covenant, without the ten words, which are supposed to be added here for the first time. " The following is a general view of this subject. In chap..\x. the ten commandments are given; and at the same time, various political and ecclesiastical statutes, which are detailed in the.Txi, xxii, and xxiii. chapters. To receive these, Moses had drawn near unto the thick darkness, where God was, chap. xx. 2 1. and having received them, he came again with them to the people, according to their request, before expressed, ver. 1 9. Speak thou tvith us — but let not the Lord speak with us, test we die, for they had been terrified by the manner in which God had
6 And the Lord passed by before bim, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord " God, merciiul and gracious, longsuffering, and abun-
iittei'ed the ten commandments, see ver. 18. After this, Mo.ses, \vith Aaron, Nadab and Abilm, and the seventy flders, went up to the mountain; and on his return, he announced all these laws unto llie people, chap; xxiv. 1, &c. and they promi.sed obedience. Still there is no word of the tables nf stone. Then he wrote all in a book, chap. xxiv. 4. which was called the book of the covenant, ver. 7. After tliis there was a second goinj;' up of Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders, chap. xxiv. 9. when that glorious discovery of God, mentioned in verses 10 and 11. of the same chapter, took place. After their coming down, Moses is ai^ain counnanded to go up: and God jiromise-. to give him tables of stone, containin^r a law and pmrpts, \er. 12. This is the first jtlace these tables of stone are mentioned; and thus it appears that the ten commundments, and several other precepts, were given to, and accepted by the people, and the covenant sacrifice oflered, chap. xxiv. 5. before the tables of stotie were either written or mentioned." It is very likely that the commaiidmcDts, laws, &.c. were first publijhed by the Lord, in the hearing of the pcojjle; repeated afterwards by Moses, and the ten ivonls or commandments, containing the sum and substance of the whole, afterwards written on the first tables of stone, to be kept for a record in the ark. 1 hese being broken, as is related, chapxxxii. 19, Moses is commanded to hew out two tables like to tlie first, and bring them up to the mountain, that God might write upon theui what he had written on the former, chap, xxxiv. 1. And, that this was accordmgly done, see the preceding |)art of this note.
Verse 6. ^Ind the Lord passed bj/, and proclaimed, Tlic Lord, &c.] It would be much better to read this verse thus: " And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehuvau" — that is, shewed Moses, fully, what was implied in this august name. Moses had requested God to shew him Jiis s;hiy, see the preceding chapter, 1 8th verse, and God promised to proclaim, or fully declare the name, JtllOVAH, Terse 19, by which proclamation or interpretation, Moses should -see how God would " be gracious to wjiom he would be gracious;" and how he would " be merciiul to those to ivhom he would shew mercy." Here therefore God fulfils that promise by proclaiming this name. It has long been a question, what is the meauijig of the word ni.T JitltOVAH, Yclioiah, Yehuc, Yelaeh, or Yeve, Jeuc, Juo, loo, Jliueh, and Jove; for it has been as variously jjronounced, as it Jias been difterently interpreted. Some have mamtained that it is utterly inexplicaljle. These of course have ottered no mode of interpretation. Others say, that it iini)lies the essence of the divine nature. Others, that it expresses the doctiine of the Trinity connected with the incarnation; the
' forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and 'that will by no means clear the guilfij; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon
letter » Yod, standing for the Father, n Iff, for the Son, audi Vau (the connecting particle) for the Holy Spirit: and the}' add, that the n he being repeated in the word, signifies the human nature united to the droine in the incarnation. These speculations are calculated to give very little satisfaction. IIow strange i,s it that none of these learned men has discovtred that God himself uiterprets this name in vcr.ses 6 and 7 of this chapter! " And the Lord passed bj/ before him, and proclaimed nin» YehovaH, the LoRD GoD, vicrciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and tnith, liecping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin, and that will bi/ no means clear the guilty." These words contain the proper interpretation of the venerable and glorious name.JEHOVAH.
Ijut it will be necessary to consider them in detail. Tlie dilRient names in this and the following verse, have been j considered as so many attributes of the Divine Nature. J Commentators divide them into eleven, thus: 1 Jpjtov.'iH niH' 2. ha n.L, llie strong or mighty God. 3. Dim Ra- CllU.M, t/ie merciful Being, who is full of tenderness and compassion. 4-. ]1jn CliANUN, ihe gracious One: //(■.whose nature is g-oorf«fss itself — the loving O'od. 5. Q'3N 11X EltF.C aPaVIM, lon'^-.iiijf'ering, the Being ulio, because of his goodness and tenderness, is not easily irritated, but suffers long, and is kind. 6. 31 Rab, the great or mighty One. 7. ion Chf.SF.D. the bountiful Being: He who is exuberant in his beneficence. 8. nox Emeth, the Truth, or true One: He alone who can neither deceive nor be deceived — who is the Fountain of truth, and from vhom all wisdom and knowledge must be derived. 9. nCH ISJ NOTiEIt CUESFD, the preserver of bountifuhiess: He whose beneficence nev( r ends, lieeping mercy for thousands of generations, — shewing com-' passion and mercy while the world endures. 10. py tiTlfl nxum J'lS'SI Nose avon vapcsha vcchulaah; He who benn axvuy iniquity and transgression and sin; properly the!{£• DEEMEl!, the Pardoner, the Forgiver, the Being whose prerogative alone, it is to forgive sin, and save the.soul. nfJ' X*? (lS) 7^70 NakeH lo yinnakeh, the righteous Judge, who distributes justice with an impartial hand; with whom no innocent person can ever be condemned. I 1. And JU' ipS I'AKED avon, &c. He who rmV.v iniquity; He who jiunislies transgressors, and f'om who.se justice, no sinner can escape. The God of retributive, and vindictive justice.
These eleven attributes, as they have been termed, are all included in the name JEHOV.AH; and are, as we have before seen, the proper interpretation of it; but the meaning of several of these words ha.s been variously understood.
Verse 7. T/uttwill by no ineuns clear the guilty.] 'i'hisla.st clause is rather difliciilt; literally translated, it sij^nifies, ia
*"■ T "' 8 If And Jloses made haste, and •^''- ' bowed his head toward the earth,
9 And he said. If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, "let my Lord, I pray thee, go' among us; for ' it is a stiffhecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for " thine inheritance.
10 ^ And he said. Behold, 'I make a covenant: before all thy people I Avilt ^ do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, iior in any nation: and all the people among which thou art, shall see the work of the Lord: for it /*• *a terrible thing that 1 will do with thee.
1 1 " Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, * I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaunite, and the Hittite,
igoest, lest it be for 'a snare in the midst of thee:
13 But ye shall "destroy their altars, break their " images, and " cut down their groves:
14 For tiiou shalt worship ""no other god: for the Lord, whose " name is Jealous, is a 'jealous God:
I clearing lie will not clear. But the Samaritan reading- 17 h, to him, instead of the negati\e xb lo, not, renders tlie clause: thus, With whom the innocent.fhall be innocent; i. e. an \ innocent or holy person shall never be treated as if he were I a transgre.s.sor, bj' this just and lioly God. The Arabic version I has it, Jle justifies and is nut justified; and the Septuagint is I nearly as our English text, xat ou xaia^m rov vjox°i> ""^ '"■ I do(h not purify the guilty. The Alexandrian copy of the i Septuagint, edited by Dr. Grabe, has icat tov bvox^jv KaSa^t<!-/xai i 01/ xaiapiii, and the guilty he will not cleanse with a purification offering. I'he C-optic is lo the same purpose. The Vulgate is f a paraphrase, nullasque apud le, per se innocens est: " and no I person is innocent by or of himiclf before thee." This gives I a sound theoiogic sense, staling a great truth. That no man i can make an atonement for his oiun sins, or purify his own heart: and, that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
"call thee, and thou "eat of his sacrifice;
16 And thou take of ''their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters 'go a whoring attcr their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gtxls.
17 '' Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
18 ^ The feast of "'unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the ""month Abib thou earnest out from Egypt.
19 "- All that opcncth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, uhetlier ox or sheep, tliat is male.
20 But "'' the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a " lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me " empty.
21. IF »° Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
22 ^ "" And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firsttruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the " year's end.
Verse 9..0 Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among ml The original is not nin« Jehovah, but 'JiN Adonai, in both these jilaces, and seems to refer particnlaily to the Angel of the Covenant, (he Messiah. — See the note on Gen. xv. 8.
Verse 1 0. / will do:nanels] This seems to refer lo m hat God did in putting them in possession of the land of Canaan, causing the walls of Jerieho to fall down — making the sitn and moon to stand still, c^c. Anil thus God made his covenant with them, binding himself to put thorn in possession of the promised land; and binding them to observe the precepts laid down in the following verses, from the i Ith to the 26th inclusive.
Verse 13. Ye shall destroy their images'] See the subject* of this and all the following verses, to the 28th, treated at large, in the notes on chap, xxiii.
Verse 21. In earing time and in hairesl thou shalt r«f.]— 3 L
23 % *Tlirice in the year sliall all your men-children appear before the LoKD God, the God of Israel.
24 For I will " cast out the nations before thee, and "enlarge thy borders: "neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God, thrice in the year.
2 J % ^ Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; ^ neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the jnorning.
26 ^ The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God. 'Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
thou ' these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
28 '' And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And ' he wrote upon the tables, the words of the covenant, the teu "commaudments.
This commatidment is worthy of especial note: many break the sabbath on the pretence of absolute necessity, because, if ill harvest time, the weather happens to be what is called bad, and the sabbath day be fair and fine, they judge it perfectly 3awful to employ that day in endeavourinnf to save the fruits of the field, and think that the £;oodness of the day, be3'ond the preceding, is an indication from Providence that it should be thus employed. But is not the command above, pointed directly against this } I have known this law often broken on this pretence, and have never been able to discover a single instance, where the personsw ho acted thu?, succeeded one whit better than their more conscientious neighbours, who availed themselves «f no^uch favourable circumstances, being determined to keep God's law, even to the prejudice of their secular interests: but no man ever yet ultimately siiilered loss by a conscientious attachment to bis duty toGod. He who is v. illing and obedient, shall eat the good of the land; and God will ever di'^tinguish those in his providence, who respect his commandments.
Verse 24. Ncilhtr shall any man desire thy lund.l ^V^hat a manifest proof was this of tlie power and particular providence of God! How easy would it have been for the surrounding nations to have taken possession of the whole Israelitish land, with all I heir defenced cities, when there were none left to protect them but \<omen and children! Was not this a standing proof of the Divine origin of their religion, and a barrier, which no deistical mind could possibly surmount.? Thrice, every.year, did God work an especial miracle for the protection of his people; controlling even the very desires of their enemies, that they might not so much as meditate evil against them. Tluy v ho have God for their protector, have a sure refuge: and how true is the proverb, The path of duty, is tlie way if safety. Wliik these people went up to Jerusalem to keep the Lord's ordinances, he kept their fami'ies in peace, and their land in safety.
\'erse 25. The blood of my sucrifice'\ That is, the Fasclial Lamb. — See on chap, xiiii. 18.
29 ^ And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the "two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that ° the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
30 And when Aaron and all tlie children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
Verse 26. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's inHk.\ See this amply considered, chap, xxiii. 1 9.
Verse 27. Write thou tliese •words'] Kilher a transcript of' the whole law now delivered, or the words included from ver. 1 1 to 26. God certainly wrote the ten words on both sets of tables. Moses either wrote a transcript of these and the accompanying precepts, for the use of the people; or he wrote the precepts themselves, in addition to tlie ten commandments, which were written by the finger of God. See on ver. 1. Allowing this mode of interpretation, the accompanying precepts were, probablj', what was written on ihc backside o( the tables, by Moses; the ten commandments, what were written on the /to«? by the finger of Jehovah: for we must pay but little attention to the supposition of the Rabbins, that the letters on each table were cut through the stone, so a» to be legible on each side. See chap, xxxii. 1 5.
Verse 29. Tlie skin of his face shone] yrri karan, was horned: having been long in familiar intercourse with his Maker, his^esA, as well as his sovl, was penetrated with the effulgence of the Divine glory; and his looks expressed the light and life which dwelt within. Probably Moses appeared now as he did, when, in our Lord's tian.sfiguration, he was.seen with Elijah on the mount. Matt. xvii. As the original word pp karan, signifies to shine out, to dart forth, as horns on the head of an animal, or rays of light reflected tiorn a polished surface, we may suppose that the heavenly glory, which filled the soul of this holy man, darted mil i'roni his face in coruscations, in that manner in which light is generally represented. The Vulgate renders the passage, ft ignorabat quod cornuta csset fades sua — " and he did not know that his face was horned;" which version, 7?iisunderstood, has induced painters in general, to represent Moses with two very large horns, one proceeding from each temple! But we might naturally ask, while they were indulging
]^. loses delivers to Aaron, the rulers, S^t. CHAP. XXXIV. 31 And Moses called unto them;
and Aaron and all liic rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and j\Ioses talked with them, afterward all tlic children of Israel and he gave them in command
mcnt, all that tlie Lord had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
S3 And //'// Moses had done speaking with them, he put " a vail on his face.
themselves in such fancies, why onlj' txeo horns? for it is very likely, that ihcre were /(!<nrf;ri/.« of these radiations, proceeding at once from the face of Moses. It was, no doubt, from this very circumstance, that almost all the nations of tlic world, who have heardof this transaction, have agreed in represenlini^ i lliose men, to whom they attributed extraordinary sanctity, and whom they supposed to have had familiar intercourse with liie Deity, with a lucid nimbus, or glory round their heads. This has prevailed both in the East and in the VV est — not only the Greek and Roman saints, or eminent persons, are thus represented, but those also among the Mohmnmedans, Hindoos and Chinese.
All. Exod.lM' EInl.
Verse 30. 'I'/iej/ were afraid to come mgli him.] A sight of his face alarmed them; their consciences were still guilty from their late transgression, and they had not yet received the atonement. The very appearance of superior sanctity often awes the guilty into res[>ect.
Verse 33. And U\\ Moses had done.tpeaking] The meaning 6f the verse appears to be this: as often as Moses spoke in public to the people, he put the vail on his face, because they could not bear to look on the brightness of his countenance; but when he entered into the tabernacle, to converse with the Lord, he removed this vail, ver. 34. St. Paul, 2 Cor. iii. 7, &c. makes a very important use of the transactions recorded in this place. He re|)resents the brightness of the face of Moses as emblematical of the glory or excellence of that dispensation; but he shews that however glorious or excellent that was, it had no glory when compared with the superior excellence of the gospel. As Moses was glorious in the eyes of the Israelites, but that glory was absorbed and lost in the splendour of God, when he entered into the tabernacle, or went to meet the Lord upon the mount, so the brightness and excellence of the Mosaic dispensation are eclipsed and absorbed in the transcendant brightness or excellence of the gospel of Christ. One was the sluulo-iH, the other is the substance. One shewed SIN in its exceeding sinfulness, together with the justirc and immaculate purity of God; but in, and of itself; made no provision for pardon or sanctificalion. '^I'he other exhibits Jesus, the Lamb of God, typified by all the sacrifices under the law, putting away sin by the sacrifice of himself; reconciling God to man, and man to God, diffusing his spirit through the souls of believers, and cleansing the very thoughts of their hearts by liis inspiration, and causing them to perfect holiness in the lt;ar of God. The one seems to shut heaven a^oiinst mankiudj because, by the law, Avas the hwvi-
34 But ° when Closes went in before the Loud to speak with him, he took the vail oft' until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel (hat which he was commanded.
3.5 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the.skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
kd<^e, not the csre of SIN; the other opens the kingdom of heaven to all believers. The former was a ministration oi' death; the latter a dispensation of life. The former ministered terror, so that even the high-priest was afraid to approach, the jieople withdrew and stood afar ofl', and even Moses, tlie mediator of it, exceedingly feared and trembled; by the latter wc have boldness to enter into the holiest through the blood of Jesus, who is the end of the law for righteousness, justification, to every one that believelh. The former gives a partial view of the divine nature; the latter shews God as he is, " Full orbed in his whole round of rays complete."
The Apostle farther considers the vail on the face of Moses, as being emblematical of the metaphorical nature of the different rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic dispensation, each covering some spiritual meaning, or a spiritual subject; and that the Jews did not lift the vaii to penetrate the spiritual sense, and did not look to the end of the commandment, whicli was to be abolished; but rested in the letter or literal meaning which conferred neither light nor life.
lie considers the vail also as being emblematical of that state of intellectual darkness into which the Jewish people, by their rejection of the gospel, were plunged, and from which they have never yet been recovered. When a Jew even at the present day, reads the law in the synagogue, he puts over his head an oblong woollen vail with four tassels at the four corners, which is called the taled or thaled: this is a very remarkable circumstance, as it appears to be an emblem of the intellectual vuil referred to by the Apostle, which is still upon their hearts when Moses is read; and which prevents thent from looking to the end of that which God designed should be abrogated, and which has been abolished by the introduction of the gospel. The vail is upon their hearts, and prevents the light of the glory of God from shining into them; but vie all, says the Apostle, speaking of believers in Christ, with open face, without any vail, beholding as in a glass the glory of God, are changed into the same image, from glory into gloiy by the spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii. 13. Reader, dost thou know this excellence of the religion of Christ? once thou wcrt dark-r ness: art thou now light in the Lord? Art thou still under the letter that killeth? Or under the spirit that givethlife? Art thou a slave to sin? Or a servant of Christ? Is the vail on thy heart.? Or hast thou found redemption in his blood the re-. mission of sins? Knowest thou not these things? Then, may God pity, enlighten, and save thee! 21, 2
Moses assembles the congregation to cMiver to them the commandments of God, 1. Dircci ions concerning the %abbnih, % 3. Freewill ofterings o/"gold, silver, brass, Sjcfor the tabernacle, 4 — 7- Of oW anrf spices, 8. (^^' precious stoneS, 9. Proper artists to be employed, \0. TAe tabernacle ««rf?V4- tent, 1 1. T/ie ark, 12. Table o/" //(£ shew-broad, 13. Candlestick, 14. Altar of incense, 15. Altar of burnt offering, 1 6. Hangings, pins, (S>c. 17, IS. Clothes of service, and holy vestments, ig. The people cheerfidltj bring their ornaments as offerings to the Lord, 20 — 22. together zcith blue, purple, scarlet, ^t. Sfc. S3, 24. Tlie women spin, and bring the jnvfhcc of their skill and indiisliy, 25, 26. The Rulers bring precious stones, &;c. 27, 28. Jll the people offer ml^ lingliy, 29. Bezaleel and Aholiab appointed to conduct and superintend all the work of the tabernacle, for zihich they are qualified by the spirit ofzcisdom, 30 — 35.
AND Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, ^ These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that //<? shoidd do them.
2 ^ '' Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to 5'Ou " a holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein sliall be put to death,
3 '' Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbatli day.
4 % And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, ' This is the thing which the Lord commanded,
5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: ' whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord; gold, and silver, and brass,
1 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood.
Verse 1. And Moses gatlicrerl] Tiie principal.subjects in this chapter have been ah'eady larieiy con>i<ltTfd in the notes on chapters xxv. xxvi. xxvii. xxviii xxix. xxx. and xxxi. and to those the reader is particularly desired to refei-, together wilh the parallel uxls in the ni iru;in.
Verse 3. Ye sludl kindle no Jire] 1 he Jews under.-tand this precept as forbirlding the kindling uf fire, only for the purpose of doint^ woric or dressing viauals; but to give ihem li^ht and /icrtf, they judgre it lawful to li^ht a fire on the Sabbaih-day; thoiiifh ilieniseives rarely kindle it: they get Clirisciansio do this work for them.
8 And oil for the light, ^ and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
9 And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
10 And '" every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the Lord hath commanded;
1 1 ' The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering,' his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars,, and his sockets;
1 2 " The ark, and the staves thereof, mth the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering;
13 The ' table, and his staves, and all his vessels,i "" and the shewbread;
14 " The candlestick also for the light, and hisfurniture, and his lamps, with the oil lor the light;
15 " And the incense altar and his staves, '' and the anointing oil, and ' the sweet incense, and the hanging tor the door at the entering in of the tabernacle;
with Iiis brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, tlie laver and his foot;
17 "The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the coiut; ' 18 The; pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords;
19 ' The cloths of service, to do service in the holy plm-e, tlie holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.
'20 % And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
21 And tliey came, every one " whose heart siirrcd lijin up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's of- I ferin^c to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and tor all his service, and for the holy garments.
2'2 And they came, both men and women, as
all jewels of gold: and every man that offered,
23 And ' every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
Verse 17. Tlie hangings of the court] Exod. xxvii.
Verse 1 9. The clothes of service] Probably aprons, toivtls. and such like, used in tlie common service, and dirtercnt tiom the vestmeiils for Aaron and his sons. See tl>tse laller described chap, xxviii. 1, &c.
Verse 21. Evert/ one lohose hetirt siirrcd him vp] Literally, tiln^c heart was lifted up, whose aOeclions were set on the., being cordially engaged in the service of God.
Verse 22 jis many as uere willing hrurtfd] For no one was forced to lend his help in this sacred work; all was a. J'ree-ivitt off rinir lo the Lord.
Tablets, tea, cumuz, a word on'y used here and in Niiuil). xxxi. 50, supposed to be di girdle io support the breasts
Verse 25, All the women liiat w^re wine hearted did q>in
land goats' hair, and red skins of ^ai'-^o'S.: rams, and badgers' skins, broiiglit
24 Evciy one that did offer an offering of silver and brass, broiigiit the Lord's offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.
25 And all the women that were ' wise hearted did spin witli their hands, and brought that which tlicy luul.spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.
26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom, spun goats' hair.
27 And ^ the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, f()r the ephod, and for the breastplate j
28 And " spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
29 The children of Israel brought a ' willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Loud had commanded to be made by the hand of Mo.ses.
30 ^ And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, '' the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
They had before learned this art, they were wise hearted, and now they practise it, and God cond.scends to require and accept their services. In buildinj^ this house of God all were ambitious to do something, by which they might testify their piety to God, and their love for his worship.
Veise 27. The rulers brought onyx.<:tones] These beiiiij persons of consequence, might benalurally expected to furni.^h the more scarce and co>lly articles. See how all join in this service! The men worked and brought offerings, the women span and brought their ornaments 'he rulers united with them and delivered up their jewels! and all the children of Israel brought a wdiinnnflering; unto the Lord, ver. 29.
Vei>e 30. The Lard hath called by name Bfzaleet] See this subject discussed at large in the note on chap. xxxi. 3.
1. FVom the nature of the ofTerinsrs made for the service of the tabernacle, we see of what sort the spoils were, which the Israelites brought out of Egypt, gold, silver, brass, blur, puiplc, fcarlct, fine linen, rnnis^ skins dyed red, what we call badger/ skins, oil, spices, incense, opyx stones, and other stones, the names of which are not here uitnlioned. They must also have
The qtiaJificathns of Bezaleel and Aholldb, EXODUS, "who were employed In huildlng iJie tabernacle, teach, both he, and * AhoHab, the son of Alaisamach, of the tribe of Dan: 35 Them hath he " filled with wis-
31 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
32 And to devise curious works, to Avork in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.
34 And he hath put in his heart that he may
brought looms, spinning iLheels, instruments for cutting preciotts stones, anvils, hummers, furnaces, melting-pots, vvitli a vast variety of tools for the different artists employed on the work of tlie tabernacle, viz. smiths, joiners, carvers, gilders, &c. &c.
2. God could have erected his tabernacle without the help or skill of man: but he condescended to employ him. As all are interested in the worship of God, so all should bear a part in it; here God employs the whole congregation; every male and female, with even their sons and their daughters, and the very ornaments of their persons, are given to raise and adorn the house of God. The women who had not ornaments, and could neither give gold nor silver, could spin goat's hair, and the Lord graciously employs them in this work, and accepts what they can give and what they can do, for they did it with a willing mind; they were wise of heart, had learned a useful business, their hearts were lifted up in the work, ver. 21, and all felt it a high privilege to be able to put only
dom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, ei'oz of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.
a nail in the holy place. By the freewill offerings of the people, the tabernacle was erected, and all tlie costly utensil* belonging to it, provided. This was the primitive mode of providing proper places for divine worship: and as it was the primitive, so it is the most rational mode. Taxes levied by law, for building or repairing churches, were not kno«n in the ancient times of religious simplicitj'. It is an honour to be permitted to do any thing for the support of public worship: and he must have a strange, unfeeling, and ungodly heart, who does not esteem it a high privilege to have a stone of his own laying or procuring in the house of God. How easily might all the buildings necessary for the purpose of public worship be raised, if the money that is spent in needless self-indulgence by ourselves, our sons, and our daughters, were devoted to this purpose! By sacrifices of this kind the house of the Lord would be soon built, and the top-stone brought on with shouting grace! grace! unto it.
THEN wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every * wise hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding, to know
"Verse 1. Then wrought, &c.] TUe first verse of this chapter
how to work all manner of work for the service of the "^ sanctuary, according to all that the Lord hath commanded.
Moses appoints Bezaleel, Aholiab and their associates to the worlc, and delivers to them the freeztill offerings of the people, 1—3. The people brins^ offerings more than are needed for the work, a)id are only restrained by the proclamation of Moses, 4—7. Thecnrtains, their loops, laches, bfc.for the tabernacle, 8 — IS. The covering for the tent, 19. The boards, 20—30. The bars, 31—34. The vail and its pillars, 35, 36. The hangings and their pillars, 37, 38.
lurought, in the future tense, instead of the past, the proper t connection will be preserved; for all grammarians know that the conjunction 1, vtiu, is often conversive; i. e. it turns the preter tense of those verbs to which it is prefixed, into the future, and the future into tlie preter: this power it evidently hai
heart stUTcd him up to come unto the work to
3 And they received of Closes all the offerino:, which the children of Israel "" had brought for the work of the service of tlie sanctuary, to make it idthal. And tliey brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.
4 if And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;
5 And they spake unto Moses, saying, " The people bring much more than enough lt)r the service of the work, which the Loud commanded to make.
6 And Moses gave commandment, and they ' caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, ' saying. Let neither man nor woman make any
more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were resti-ained from bringing.
7 For the stuff* they had was sufficient lor all the work to make it, and too much.
8 ^ '' And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle, made ten curtains o/"fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: xvith cherubims of cunning work made he them.
9 The length of one curtain
here; and joined with tlie last verse of the preceding chapter, the connection will appear tluis: chap. x.\xv. ver. 30, &c. 'I'lte Lord lialli called by name Bczaleel and /I lioliab; them hath he filled xvith ivisdoin of heart to work all manner of work, chap, xxxvi. ver. 1. And Bezakel and..J/io//a6 SHALL WORK, and every 'xise hearted man, in -j.-hum the Lord put wisdoni.
Verse 5. The people bring much more than enou<^li] Witli ■what a liheral spirit do these people brin^ their freewill oll'erings unto the Lord! Moses is obliged to make a pioclamation to prevent them from bringing any more, as there was at present more than enough! Had Moses been intent upon gain, and had he not been pdectly disinterested, he would have encouraged them to continue their contributions, as thereby he might have multiplied to himself gold, silver, and precious stones. But he was doing the Lord's work, under the inspiration of the divine spirit, and tlu-refore he sought no secular gain. Indeed tliis one circumstance is an ample proof of it. — Lvery thin^f necessary for the worship of Goil will be cheerfully provided by a people whose hearts are in that wor- «liip. Ill a state wkeie all forms of religion, and modes of
10 And he coupled the five curtains one unto
I 1 1 And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain fiom the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second. 12 'Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the ciutain which was in the coupling of the second: the
j Iti And he made fffty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so it became one tabernacle.
I for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made them.
15 The length of one curtain xcas thirty cubits, and four cubits xcas the breadth of one curtain: the eleven curtains were of one size.
16 And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.
17 And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain, in the coupling, and fitly loops made he upon the edge of tlie curtain which coupleth the second.
worship, are tolerated by the laws, it would be well to find out some less exceptionable way of providing for the national clergy than by tithes. Let them by all means have the provision allowed them by the law; but let them not be needlessly exposed to the resentment of the people, by the mode in which this provision is made, as this often alienates the aflections ot" their flocks from them, and exceedingly injures their usefulne^s.
Verse 8. Cherubim of cuniii>tir icork^ See on chap. xxvi. ver. IS. Probably the word means no more than /g-j(;« of any kind, wrought m the diaper fashion in the loom, or by the needle in embroidery, or by the chisel or gravini;-tool, in nootL, stone, or metal, see on clmp. xxv. 13. This meaning Houbigant and other excellent critics contend for. In some place.*! t!ic word seems to be restricted to express a particular figure then well known; but in many other places it seems to imply any kmd of figure commonly formed by sculpture on stone, by carving on wood, by engraving upon brass, and by weaving in the loom, &c.
19 ^ " And he made a for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a co vering of badger's skins above that.
20 •[[ " And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittim Wood, standing up.
21 The length of a board xvas ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a half
22 One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make for all the boards, of the tabernacle.
' 23 And he made boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side southward:. 24 And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
25 And for the other,side of the tabernacle, 'which is toward the north corner, he made twenty boards.
26 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
27 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward, he made six boards.
28 And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
29 And they were " coupled beneath, and coupled together at the head thereofj to one
Verse 38. The five pillars of it v;ith their hooks] Their capitals. ■ See the note on chap. xxvi. 32.
There is scarcely any thin^ particular in this chapter tliat has not been tourhcd on before; both it and the (bllowing to the end of the Book, being in general, a repetition of what we have already met in detad, in the preceding chapters from different idensils were constructed.
ring: thus he did to both of them, in both the corners.
30 And there were eight boards; and their sockets tvere sixteen sockets of silver, " under every board two sockets.
31 ^ And he made "bars of shittim wood; I five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
32 And five bars for the boards of the other side- of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward.
33 And he made the middle bar to shoot through the boards from the one end to the other.
34 And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to be places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold. '■
35 % And he made ' a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: idih chenibims made he it of cunning work.
36 And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim xvood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks 'were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
37 % And he made a ^ hanging for the taber- ' nacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined Hnen, " of needlework;
38 And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets tvere of brass. ^
ii:orktr, or, embroiderer.
the xxvth to the xxxi.*t inclusive, and to those the reader is requested to refer. God had before commanded this work to be done, and it was necessary to record the execution oj'it, to shew that all was done according to the pattern shewn to Moses: without this detailed account, we should not have known whether the work had ever been executed according to the directions given.
At the cominencement of this chapter the reader will observe that I have advanced the dates, A. M. and B. C one year, without altering the year of the Exodus, which at first view may appear an error: the reason is, that the above dates commence at Tinri, but the years of the Exodus are dated from Abib.
Bezaleel and Aholiah make the ark, 1 — 5
j[^\^ shittim wood: two cubits and i._Fr,.in a half ivas the length of it, and a ■^xoMar^ cubit and a half th'e breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:
2 And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.
3 And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be ] iet by the four cornens of it; even two rings upon the one side o'L it, and two rings upon the other side of it.
4 And he made staves <^ shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
.5 And he put the staves into the rings by the
sides of the ark, to bear the ark. 6 1[ And he made the "mercy seat o/'pure
gold: two cubits and a half xoas the length 1 thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth i thereof.
( 7 And he made two chcrubims o/'gold, beaten ■ out of one piece, made he them, on tlie two \ ends of the mercy seat.
8 One cherub " on the end, on this side, and
out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims,
on the two ends thereof. I 9 And the cherubims spread out their wings I on high, and covered with their wings over the; mercy seat, with their faces one to another; ' even to the mercy seatward, were the faces of I the cherubims.
1 10 ^ And he made 'the table of shittim; "wood: two cubits Xi'os the length thereof, and! a cubit the breadth tliereof, and a cubit and a i half the height thereof:
11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.
12 Also he made thereunto a border of a liand breadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.
13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and
put the rings upon the four corners that xcere in tl\e li)ur tcet thereof.
14 Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.
15 And he made the staves o/" shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.
16 And he made the vessels which hereupon tlie table, his ' dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers ^ to cover withal, of pure gold.
1 7 % And he made the " candlestick of pure gold: ()/' beaten work made he the candlestick; his sliatt, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:
1 8 And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:
19 Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.
20 And in the candlestick "were four bowls made hke almonds, his knops, and his flowers:
21 And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.
22 Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it leas one beaten work o/'pure gold.
23 And he made his seven lamps, and his snuflcrs, and his snuflf'dishes, of pure gold.
24 Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels tliereof.
25 % ' And lie made the incense altar (/ shittim wood: the length of it ti'as a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it 'was fomsquarc; and
NOTES ON CHAP. XXXVII. Vcr.-:e 1. And Bezakel made the ark, &(:.] For a description of the ark, sec chap..\xv. 10, &c.