Verse 3. In the tenth day of this 7nonth] In after times they began their preparation on the thirteenth day or day before the passover, which was not celebrated till tlic fourteenth day, see ver. G: but on the present occasion, as this was their first passover, they probably required more time to get ready in; as a state of very great confusion must have prevailed at this time. Mr. Ainsworth remarks that on tliis day the Israelites did afterwards go through Jordan into the land of Canaan; Josh. iv. 19. And Christ, our Paschal Lamb, on this day entered Jerusalem, riding on an ass; the people bearing palm branches, and crying, Hosanna, John xii. 1, 12, 13, &c.: and in him this type was truly fulfilled.
A lamb] The original word TWO seh signifies the young of sheep and of goats, and may be indiflferently translated either lamb or kid. See ver. 5.
A lamb for a house] The whole host of Israel was divided into twelve tribes, these tribes into families, the families into houses, and the houses into particular persons; Num. i.. Josh. vii. 14. — Ainsworth.
Verse 4. If the household be too little] That is. If there be not persons enough in one family to eat a whole lamb, then two families must join together. The souls; every man, according to a. m. 2513. his eating, shall make your count An. Exid. isr'. 1. for the lamb. Abib or Nisan.
5 Your lamb shall be ■= without blemish, a male ^ of the first year: ye shall lake it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
6 And ye shall keep it up until the ' fomteenth day of the same month: and the whole
rabbins allow that there should be at least ten persons to one paschal lamb, and not more than twenty.
Take it, according to the number of the souls] The persons who were to eat of it were to be first ascertained, and then the lamb was to be slain and dressed for that number.
Verse 5. Without blemish] Having no natural imperfection, no disease, no deficiency or redundancy of parts. On this point the rabbins have trifled most egregiously, reckoning fifty blemishes that render a lamb or a kid, or any animal, improper to be sacrificed: five in the ear, three in the eyelid, eight in the eye, three in the nose, six in the mouth, &c., &c.
A male of the first year] That is, any age in the first year between eight days and twelve months.
From the sheep, or from the goats] The r\\a seh means either; and either was equally proper if without blemish. The Hebrews however in general preferred the lamb to the kid.
Verse 6. Ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day] The lamb or kid was to be taken from the flock on the tenth day, and kept up and fed by itself till the fourteenth day, when it was to be sacrificed. This was never commanded nor practised afterwards. The rabbins mark four things that were required in the first passover that were never required afterwards: 1. The eating of the lamb in their houses dispersed through Goshen. 2. The taking the lamb on the tenth day. 3. The striking of its blood on the door posts and lintels of their houses. And, 4. Their eating it in haste. These things were not required of the succeeding generations.
The whole assembly — shall kill it] Any person might kill it, the sacrificial act in this case not being confined to the priests.
In the evening.] D'Oli'n V"l beyn haarbayim, "between the two evenings." The Jews divided the day into morning and evening: till the sun passed the meridian all was morning or forenoon; after that, all was afternoon or evening. Their first evening began just after twelve o'clock, and continued till sunset; theil second evening began at sunset and continued till night, i. e., during the whole time o( twilight; between twelve o'clock, therefore, and the termination of twilight, the passover was to be ofTcred.
" The day among the Jews had twelve hours, John xi. 9. Their first hour was about six o'clock in the morning with us. Their sixth hour was our noon. Their ninth hour answered to our three o'clock in the afternoon. By this we may understand that the tima
assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it ^in the evening.
7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts, and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night,
in which Christ was crucified began at the third hour, that is, at nine o'clock in the morning, the ordinary time for the daily 7noming sacrifice, and ended at the ninlk hour, that is, three o'clock in the afternoon, the time of the evening sacrifice, Mark.xv. 25, 33, 34, 37. Wherefore their ninth hour was their hour of prayer, when they used to go into the temple at the daily evening sacrifice. Acts iii. 1; and this was the ordinary time for the passover. It is worthy of remark that God sets no particular hour for the killing of the passover: any time between the two evenings, i. e., between twelve o'clock in the day and the termination of twilight, was lawful. The daily sacrifice (see Exod. xxix. 38, 39) was killed at half past the eighth hour, that is, half an hour before three in the afternoon; and it was offered up at half past the ninth hour, that is, half an hour after three. In the evening of the passover it was killed at half past the seventh hour, and offered at half past the eighth, that is, half an hour BEFORE three: and if the evening of the passover fell on the evening of the Sabbath, it was killed at half past the SIXTH hour, and offered at half past the SEVENTH, that is, half an hour before two in the afternoon. The reason of this was, they were first obliged to kill the daily sacrifice, and then to kill and roast the paschal lamb, and also to rest the evening before the passover. Agreeably to this Maimonides says ' the killing of the passover is after mid-day, and if they kill it before it is not lawful; and they, do not kill it till after the daily evening sacrifice, and burning of incense: and after they have trimmed the lamps they begin to kill the paschal lambs until the end of the day.' By this time of the day God foreshowed the sufferings of Christ in the evening of times or in the last days, Heb. i. 2; 1 Pet. i. 19, 20: and about the same time of the day, when the paschal lamb ordinarily died. He died also, viz., at the ninth hour; Matt. xxvii. 46-50." See Ainsioorth.
Verse 7. Take of the blood, and strike it on the lioo side posts] Tills was to be done by dipping a bunch of hyssop into the blood, and thus sprinkling it upon the posts, &c.; see ver. 22. That this sprinkling of the blood of the paschal lamb was an emblem of the sacrifice and atonement made by the death of Jesus Christ, is most clearly intimated in the sacred writings, • Pet. i. 2; Heb. ix. 13, 14; viii. 10. It is remarkable that no blood was to be sprinkled on the threshold, to teach, as Mr. Ainsworth properly observes, a reverent regard for the blood of Christ, that men should not tread under foot the Son of GOD, nor count the
9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but '' roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
10 ' And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth
blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified 071 unholy thing; Heb. x. 29.
Verse 8. They shall eat the flesh — roast with fire] As it was the ordinary custom of the Jews to boil their flesh, some think that the command given here was in opposition to the custom of the Egyptians, who ate raw flesh in honour of Osiris. The ^Ethiopians are to this day remarkable for eating raw flesh, as is the case with most savage nations.
Utileavened bread] T^'\)iDmatslsoth,{iomr{'!SDmatsah, to squeeze or compress, because the bread prepai-ed without leaven or yeast was generally compressed, sad or heavy, as we teim it. The word here properly signifies unleavened cakes; the word for leaven in Hebrew is you chamets, which simply signifies to ferment. It is supposed that leaven was forbidden on this and other occasions, that the bread being less agreeable to the taste, it might be emblematical of their bondage and bitter servitude, as this seems to have been one design of the bitter herbs which were commanded to be used on this occasion, but this certainly was not the sole design of the prohibition: leaven itself is a species of corruption, being produced by fermentation, which in such cases tends to putrefaction. In this very light St. Paul considers the subject in this place; hence, alluding to the passover as a type of Christ, he says: Purge out therefore the old leaven — for Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not loith old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the wilcavenedhie^A of sincerity and truth; 1 Cor. v. 6-8.
Bitter herbs] What kind of herbs or salad is intended by the word D'"n3 merorim, which literally signifies bitters, is not well known. The Jews think cichory, wild lettuce, horehound, and the like are intended. Whatever may be implied under the term, whether bitter herbs or bitter ingredients in general, it was designed to put them in mind of their bitter and severe bondage in the land of Egypt, from which God was now about to deliver them.
Verse 9. With the purtenance thereof.] All the intestines, for these were abused by the heathens to purposes of divination; and when roasted in the manner here directed they could not be thus used. The command also implies that the lamb was to be roasted whole; neither the head or legs were to be separated, nor the intestines removed. I suppose that these last simply included the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, &c., and not the intestinal canal.
burn with fire. 1 1 Aiid thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: '' it is the Lord's passover.
1 2 For I ' will pass through
morning] Merely to prevent putrefaction; for it was not meet that a thing offered to God should be subjected to corruption, which in such hot countries it must speedily undergo. Thus the body of our blessed Lord sate no corruption. Psalm xvi. 10; Acts ii. 27, because, like the paschal lamb, it was a sacrifice offered to God.
It appears that from the Jewish passover the heathens borrowed their sacrifice termed propter viam. It was their custom previously to their undertaking a journey, to offer a sacrifice to their gods, and to eat the whole if possible, but if any part was left they burned it with fire; and this was called propter viam, because it was made to procure a prosperous journey. It was in reference to this that Cato is said to have rallied a person called Q. Albiditts, who, having eaten up all his goods, set fire to his house, his only remaining property. " He has offered his sacrifice propter viam,''' says Cato, " because he has burned what he could not eat." This account is given by Macrobius, Saturn., lib. ii., 2, edit. Bipont., vol. i., p. 333; and is a remarkable instance how closely some of the religious observances of the people of God have been copied by the heathen nations.
Verse 1 1. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded] As in the eastern countries tiiey wear long loose garments, whenever they travel they tuck up the fore parts of their garments in the girdle which they wear round their loins.
Your shoes on your feet] This seems particularly mentioned because not customary. " The easterns throw off their shoes when they eat, because it would be troublesome," says Sir J. Chardin, " to keep their shoes upon their feet, they sitting cross-legged on the floor, and having no hinder quarters to their shoes, which are made like slippers; and as they do not use tables and chairs as we do in Europe, but have their floors covered with carpets, they throw off their shoes when they enter their apartments, lest they should soil those beautiful pieces of furniture." On the contrary the Israelites were to have their shoes on, because now about to commence their journey. It was customary among the Romans to lay aside their shoes when they went to a banquet. The servants took them off thorn when they entered the house, and returned them when they departed to their own habitations.
Your staff in your hand] The same writer observes that the eastern people universally make use of a staff when they travel on foot.
Ye shall eat it in haste] Because they were suddenly to take their departure: the destroying angel was at hand, their enemies were coming against them, and they had not a moment to lose.
the land of Egypt this night, and An. JExod.isr.l will smite all the first-born in the ^^""'^^'"'"- land of Eg)'pt, both man and beast; and "' against all the " gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: ° I am the Lord.
It is the Lord's passover.] That is, Jehovah is now about to pass over the land, and the houses only where the blood is sprinkled shall be safe from the stroke of death. The Hebrew word riDS pesach, which we very properly translate passoveb, and which should always be pronounced as two words, has its name from the angel of God passing by or over the houses of the Israelites, on the posts and lintels of which the blood of the lamb was sprinkled, while he slopped at the houses of the Egyptians to slay their first-born.
Verse 12. Against all the gods of Egypt, dj-c] As different animals were sacred among the Egyptians, the slaying of the first-born of all the beasts might be called executing judgment upon the gods of Egypt. As this however does not aj>pear very clear and satisfactory, some have imagined that the word TlSx elohey should be translated princes, which is the rendering in our margin; for as these princes, who were rulers of the kingdom under Pharaoh, were equally hostile to the Hebrews with Pharaoh himself, therefore these judgments fell equally heavy on them also. But we may ask, Did not these judgments fall equally on all the families of Egypt, though multitudes of them had no particular part either in the evil counsel against the Israelites or in their oppression 1 Why then distinguish those in calamities in which all equally shared \ None of these interpretations therefore appear satisfactory. Houbigant, by a very simple and natural emendation, has, he thinks, restored the whole passage to sense and reason. He supposes that TIv.^ elohey, GODS, is a mistake for 'Vnx ahlcy, tents or habitations, the n he and the 7 lamed being merely interchanged. This certainly gives a very consistent sense, and points out the universality of the desolation to which the whole context continually refers. He therefore contends that the text should be read thus: And on all the tents (or habitations) of Egypt I will evecute judgment; by which words the Lord signified that not one dwelling in the whole land of Egypt should be exempted from the judgment here threatened. It is but justice to say that however probable this criticism may appear, it is not supported by any of the ancient versions, nor by any of the MSS. collated by Kennicolt and De Rossi. The parallel place also Num. xxxiii. 4, is rather against Houbigant"s interpretation: For the Egyptians buried all their fit stborn, which the Lord had smitten among them: upon their gods also [DriTlbNil ubeloheyhcm] the Lord executed judgments. But Houbigant amends the word in this place in the same way as he does that in Exodus. There aj)pears also to be an allusion to this former judgment in Isa. xix. 1: Behold, the Lord — shall come into Egypt, and the idols \^S'h* eltley] of
A. M. 2513. 1 3 And the blood shall be to An. Exod. isr. 1. you for a tokeii upon tlie houses Abib or Nisan. ^^lere ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you p to destroy i/ou, when I smite the land of Egypt.
14 And this day shall be unto you i for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a ' feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast ' by an ordinance for ever.
15 ' Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away
Egypt shall lie moved at his presence. And in Jer. xliii. 13: The houses of the gods [TiSn T\2 bottey elohey] of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire. The rabbins say that " when Israel came out of Egypt, the holy blessed God threw down all the images of their abominations, and they were broken to pieces." When a nation was conquered, it was always supposed that their gods had either abandoned them or were overcome. Thus Egypt was ruined, and their gods confounded and destroyed by Jehovah. See the note on chap. xi. 7.
Verse 13. The blood shall be to you for a toicn] It shall be the sign to the destroying angel, that the house on which he sees this blood sprinkled is under the protection of God, and that no person in it is to be injured. See on ver. 11.
Verse 14. A memorial] To keep up a remembrance of the severity and goodness, or justice and mercy, of God. Ye shall keep it a feast — it shall be annually observed, and shall be celebrated with solemn religious joy, throughout your generations — as long as ye continue to be a distinct people; an ordinance — a Divine appointment, an institution of God himself, neither to be altered nor set aside by any human authority.
For ever ] d'71>' Hpn chukkath olam, an everlasting or endless statute, because representative of the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world; whose mediation, in consequence of his sacrifice, shall endure while lime itself lasts; and to whose merits and efficacy the salvation of the soul shall be ascribable throughout eternity. This, therefore, is a statute and ordinance that can have no end, either in this world or in the world to come. It is remarkable that though the Jews have ceased from the whole of their sacrificial system, so that sacrifices are no longer offered by them in any part of the world, yet they all, in all their generations and in all countries, keep up the remembrance of the passover, and observe the feast of unleavened bread. But no Iamb is sacrificed. Their sacrifices have all totally ceased, ever since the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. Even the flesh that is used on this occasion is partly roasted and partly boiled, that it may not even resemble the primitive sacrifice; for they deem it unlawful to sacrifice out of leaven out of your houses: for A. M. 2513. whosoever eateth leavened bread An. Exod. isr. 1. from the first day until the seventh Abib or Niaan. day, " tliat soul shall be cut off from Israel
1 6 And in the first day there shall 6e ' a holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation to you; no man ner of work shall be done in them, save that which every ■" man must eat, that only may be done of you.
1 7 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for •' in this self-same day have
Jerusalem. The truth is, the true Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world has been offered, and they have no power to restore the ancient type. See
Verse 1 5. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread] This has been considered as a distinct ordinance, and not essentially connected with the passover. The passover was to be observed on the fourteenth day of the first month; the feast of unleavened bread began on the fifteenth and lasted seven days, the first and last of which were holy convocations.
That soul shall be cut off] There are thirty-six places in which this excision or cutting off is threatened against the Jews for neglect of some particular duty; and what is implied in the thing itself is not well known. Some think it means a violent death, some a premature death, and some an eternal death. It is very likely that it means no more than a separation from the rights and privileges of an Israelite; so that after this excision the person was considered as a mere stranger, who had neither lot nor part in Israel, nor any right to the blessings of the covenant. This is probably what St. Paul means, Rom. ix. 3. But we naturally suppose this punishment was not inflicted but on those who had showed a marked and obstinate contempt for the Divine authority. This punishment appears to have been nearly the same with excommunication among the Christians; and from this general notion of the cutting off, the Christian excommunication seems to have been borrowed.
Verse 16. Iti the first day — and in the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation] This is the first place where we meet with the account of an assembly collected for the mere purpose of religious worship. Such assemblies are called holy convocations, which is a very appropriate appellation for a religious assembly; they were called together by the express command of God, and were to be employed in a work of holiness. Nlprj mikra, convocation, is a word of similar import with the Greek cKKTirinia, which we commonly translate Church, and which properly signifies an assembly convened by public call.
Averse 17. Self-same day] DV;'3 bectsem, in the body of this day, or in the strength of this day; probably they began their march about day-break, called here
I brought your armies out of llic land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.
18 y In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the monlh at even.
19 ' Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever cateth that which is leavened, " even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.
20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.
2 1 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, "' Draw out and take you a ■= lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.
22 <* And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop.
and dip it in the blood that is in A. M. 2513. ihc basin, and 'strike the lintel An.Excid.isr.'i. and the two side posts with the ^^'^ "' '*'»»°- the body or strength of the day, and in Deut. xvi. 1, Jy night — some time before the sun rose.
Verse 19. No leaven found in your houses] To meet the letter of this precept in the fullest manner possible, the Jews, on the eve of this festival, institute the most rigorous search through every part of their houses, not only removing all leavened bread, but sweeping every part clean, that no crumb of bread shall be left that had any leaven in it. And so strict were they in the observance of the letter of this law, that if even a mouse was seen to run across the floor with a crumb of bread in its mouth, they considered the whole house as polluted, and began their purification afresh. We have already seen that leaven was an emblem of sin, because it proceeded from corruption; and the putting away of this implied the turning j to God with simplicity and uprightness of heart. See on ver. 8, and the note on ver. 2".
Verse 21. Kill the passover.] Tliat is, the lamb, which was called the paschal or passover lamb. The animal that was to be sacrificed on this occasion got [ the name of the institution itself: thus the word cove- \ nant is often put for the sacrifice offered in making the covenant; so the roe/i was Christ, 1 Cor. x. 4; bread, and uiine the body and blood of Christ, Mark xiv. 22, 24. St. Paul copies the expression, 1 Cor. v. 7: Christ our passover (that is, our paschal lamb) is sacrificed for us.
Verse 22. A bunch of hyssop] The original word 31IX ezob has been variously translated musk, rosemary, polypody of the wall, mint, origanum, marjoram, and HYSSOP: the latter seems to be the most proper. Parkhurst says it is namc^ from its detersive and cleansing
blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning..
23 Tor the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he sceth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and s will not suffer '^ the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ' ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you, ' according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
26 ^ And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
qualities, whence it was used in sprinkling the blaod of the paschal lamb, in cleansing the leprosy. Lev. xiv 4, 6, 51, 52; in composing the water of purification, Num. xix. 6, and sprinkling it, ver. 18. It was a type of the purifying virtue of the bitter sulTurings of Christ. And it is plain, from Psa. li. 7, that the psalmist understood its meaning. Among botanists hyssop is described as " a genus of the gymnospermia (naked-seeded) order, belonging to the didynamia class of plants. It has under-shrubby, low, bushy stalks, growing a foot and a half high, small, spear-shaped, close-sitting, opposite leaves, with several smaller ones rising from the same joint; and all the stalks and branches terminated by erect wliorled spikes of flowers of different colours, in the varieties of the plant. The leaves have an aromatic smell, and a warm pungent taste. The leaves of this plant are particularly recommended in humoral asthmas, and other disorders of the breast and lungs, and greatly promote expectoration." Its medicinal qualities were probably the reason why this plant was so particularly recommended in the Scriptures.
Verse 26. What mean ye by this service?] The establishment of this service annually was a very wise provision to keep up in remembrance this wonderful deliverance. From the remotest antiquity the institution of feasts, games, &c., has been used to keep up the memory of past grand events. Hence God instituted the Sabbath, to keep up the remembrance of the creation; and the passover, to keep up the remembrance of the deliverance from Egypt. All the other feasts were instituted on similar reasons. The Jews never took their sons to the tabernacle or temple till they
of tlie children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses.
were iivehe years of age, nor.suffered them to eat of the flesh of any victim till thej' had themselves offered a sacrifice at the temple, which they were not permitted to do before the twelfth year of their age. It was at this age that Joseph and Mary took our blessed Lord to the temple, probably for the first time, to offer his sacrifice. See Calmet.
Verse 27. It is the sacrifice of the Lnrd^s passover] We have already intimated that the paschal lamb was an illustrious type of Christ; and we shall find that every thing in this account is typical or representative. The bondage and affliction of the people of Israel may be considered as emblems of the hard slavery and wretchedness consequent on a state of sinfulness. Satan reigns over both body and soul, bringing the whole into subjection to the law of sin and death; while various evil tempers, passions, lusts, and irregular appetites, act as subordinate tormentors, making the lives of the vassals of sin bitter, because of the rigour by which they are obliged to serve. Reader, is this thy case? The mercy of God projects the redemption of man from this cruel bondage and oppression; and a sacrifice is appointed for the occasion by God himself, to be offered with particular and significant rites and ceremonies, all of which represent the passion and death oi oax blessed Lord, and the great end for which he became a sacrifice, viz., the redemption of a lost world from the power, the guilt, and the pollution of sin, &c. And it is worthy of remark, 1. That the anniversary or annual commemoration of the passover was strictly and religiously kept by the Jews on the day, and hour of the day, on which the original transaction took place, throughout all their succeeding generations. 2. That on one of these anniversaries, and, as many suppose, on the very day and hour on which the paschal lamb was originally offered, our blessed Lord e.vpired on the cross for the salvation of the world. 3. That after the destruction of Jerusalem the paschal lamb ceased to be offered by the Jews throughout the world, though they continue to hold the anniversary of the passover, but without any sacrifice, notwithstanding their deep-rooted, inveterate antipathy against the author and grace of the Gospel. 4. That the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was instituted to keep this true paschal sacrifice in commemoration, and that this has been religiously observed by the whole Christian world (one very small class of Christians excepted) from the foundation of Christianity to the present day! 5. That the Jews were commanded to eat the paschal Iamb; and our Lord, commemorating the passover, commanded his disciples, saying. Take, eat, THIS is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembra7we of ME. In the communion service of the Church of England, the spirit and design both of the type and antitype are most expressly con- VoL. J ( 24 ^
28 And the children of Israel ^bib or Nisa...
went away, and " did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
densed into one point of view, in the address to the communicant: " Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee; and feed upon him, in thy heart, by faith with thanksgiving." Thus God continues the memorial of that grand transaction which he has said should be an ordinance for ever; evidently meaning therebv, that the paschal lamb should be the significator till the passion and death of Christ; and that afterwards bread and tcine taken sacramentally, in commemoration of his crucifixion, should be the continual representatives of that sacrifice till the end of the world. Thus the passover in itself, and in its reference, is an ordinance for ever; and thus the words of the Lord are liter.ally fidfilled. Reader, learn from this, I. That if thou art not rescued from the thraldom of sin, thou must perish for ever. 2. That nothing less than the power and mercy of God can set thee free. 3. That God will save thee in no other way than by bringing thee out of thy sinful state, and from thy wicked practices and companions. 4. That in order to thy redemption it was absolutely necessai7 that the Son of CJod should take thy nature upon him, and die in thy stead. 5. That unless the blood of this sacrifice be sprinkled, in its atoning efficacy and merits, on thy heart and conscience, the guilt and power of thy sin cannot be taken away. 6. That as the blood of the paschal lamb must be sprinkled on every house, in order to the preservation of its inhabitants, so there must be a personal application of the blood of the cross to thy conscience, to take away thy sins. 7. As it was not enough that the passover was instituted, but the blood must be sprinkled on the lintels and door posts of every house to make the rite effectual to the salvation of each individual, so it is not enough that Christ should have taken human nature upon him, and died for the sin of the world; for no man who has the opportunity of hearing the Gospel is saved by that death, who does not, by faith, get a personal application of it to his own heart. 8. That those who wish for an application of the atoning blood, must receive this spiritual passover v/ith a perfect readiness to depart from the land of their captivity, and travel to the rest that remains for the people of God; it being impossible, not only to a gross sinner, continuing such, to be finally saved, (however he may presume upon the mercy of God,) but also to a worldly-minded man, to get to the kingdom of God; for Christ died to save us from the present evil ivorld, according to the wUl of God. 9. That in order to commemorate aright, in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, the great atonement made for the sin of the world, all leaven of malice, bitterness, and insincerity, must be put away; as God will have no man to partake of this mystery who does not fully enter into its spirit and meaning. See 1 Cot V. 7, 8.
^''"'"^'^""- the first-born in the land of Egypt, 1 from the first-born of Pharaoh tiiat sat on his throne, unto the first-bom of tlie captive that
Verse 29. Smote all the first-born] If we take the xevm Jirst-liorn in its literal sense onli/,\ve shall he led to conclude that in a vast number of the houses of the Egyptians there could have been no death, as it is not at all likely that every first-born child of every Egyptian family was still alive, and that all the first-born of their cattle still remained. And yet it is said, ver. 30, that there was i>ot a house where there was not one dead. The word therefore must not be taken in its literal sense only. From its use in a great variety of places in the Scriptures it is evident that it means the chief, most eiccllent, best beloved, most distinguished, &c. In this sense our blcs.sed Lord is called the firstborn of every creature. Col. i. 15, and the first-born among many brethren, Rom. viii. 29: that is, he is more excellent than all creatures, and greater than all the children of men. In the same sense.we may understand Hev. i. 5, where Christ is called the fikst- HEGOTTE.N frotn the dead, i. e., the chief of all that have ever visited the empire of death, and on whom death has had any power; and the only one who by his own might quickened himself. In the same sense wisdom is represented as being brought forth before all the creatures, and being possessed by the Lord in the beginning of his ways, Prov. viii. 22-30; that is, the wisdom of God is peculiarly conspicuous in tlie production, arrangement, and government of every part of the creation. So Ephraini is called the Lord's first- BOR.N, Jcr. xxxi. 9. And the people of Israel are often called by the same name, see Exod. iv. 22: Israel is my son, my first-born; that is, the people in whom I particularly delight, and whom I will especially support and defend. And because the first-born are in general peculiarly dear to their parents, and because among the Jews they had especial and peculiar privileges, whatever was most dear, most valuable, and most prized, was thus denominated. So Micah vi. 7: Shall [give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the.iin of my soul? Shall I give up the most beloved child I have, he that is most dear and most ncces.^ary to me, in order to make an atonement for my sins! In like manner the Prophet Zechariah, speaking of the conversion of the Jews to the Gospel of Clirist, represents them as looking on him ivhom they have pierced, and being as one that is in bitterness for hu first ""nv ■ that is, they.shall feel distress and anguish as those wiv. had lost their most beloved c\\i\A. So the Church triumphant in the kingdom of God are called, Heh. xii. 23, the general assembly and Church of the FIRST-BORN, i. e., the most noble and excellent of all human if not created beings. So Homer, H. iv., ver. 102: Apvuv irpuroyovuv pe^civ K/.cirriv fna- ToftpTiv " A hecatomb of lambs all firstlings of the flock." That is, the most excellent of their kind. In a contrary sense, when the word first-born is a 354
30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a ' great cry
joined to another that signifies any kin<l of misery or disgrace, it then signifies the depth of misery, the utynost disgrace. So the first-born of the poor, Isa..xiv. 30, signifies the most abject, destitute, and impoverished. The FiRST-BORS of death. Job. xviii. 13, means the most horrible kind of death. So in the threatening against Pharaoh, chap. xi. 5, where he informs him that he will slay all the first-born, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sitleth upon the throne, to the first-born of the maidservant that is behind the mill, he takes in the very highest and lowest conditions of life. As there was no state in Egypt superior to the throne, so there was none inferior to that of the female slave that ground at the mill. The Prophet Habakkuk seems to fix this as the sense in which the word is used here; for speaking of the plagues of Egypt in general, and the salvation which God afforded his people, he says, chap. iii. 13: Thou u-cntest forth for the salvation of thy people — thou woundedst the he.\d (tyXT rosh, the chief, the most excellent) of the house of the wicked — of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. And the author of the hook of Wisdom understood it in the same way: The master and the servant were punished after one manner; and like as the king, so suffered the common people — for in one moment the noblest offspring of them teas destroyed; chap, xviii. 11, 12. And in no other sense can we understand the word in Psa. Ixxxix. 27, where, among the promises of God to David, we find the following: Also I will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth; in which passage the latter clause explains the former; David, as king, should be the i FIRST-BORN of God, i. e., he should be higher than the\ kings of the earth — the most eminent potentate in the j universe. In this sense, therefore, we should under- | stand the passage in question; the most eminent person in every family in Egypt, as well as those who were literally ihe first-born, being slain in this plague. Calmet and some other critics particularly contend for this sense.
Verse 30. There teas a great cry] No i)eople in the universe were more remarkalde for their mournings than the Egyptians, especially in m;itters of religion; they whipped, beat, tore themselves, and howled in all the excess of grief. When a relative died, the people left the house, ran into the streets, and howled in the most lamentable and fr.intic manner. See Diod. Sicul., lib. i., and Herod., lib. ii., c. 85, 86. And this latter author happening to be in Egypt on one of their solemnities, saw myriads of people whipping and beating themselves in this manner, lib. ii., c. 60; and see Mr. Bryant on the Plagues of Egypt, where many examples are given, p. 162, &c. How dreadful then must the scene of horror and distress appear, when there was not one house or family in Egypt ( 24')
3 1 And * he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, " both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said.
32 ' Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and " bless me also.
33 "^ And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, ^ We he all dead men.
where there was not one dead; and according to their custom, all the family running out into the streets bewailing this calamity!
Verse 31. Called for Moses and Aaron] That is, he sent the message here mentioned to them; for it does not appear that he had any farther interview with Moses and Aaron, after what is mentioned chap. x. 28, 29, and xi. 8. See the notes there.
Verse 33. The Egyptians were urgent upon the ■people] They felt much, they feared more; and therefore wished to get immediately rid of a people on whose account they found they were smitten with so many and such dreadful plagues.
Verse 34. The people took their dough before it was leavened, cj-c] There was no time now to make any regular preparation for their departure, such was the universal hurry and confusion. The Israelites could carry but little of their household utensils with tliem; but some, such as they kneaded their bread and kept their meal in, they were obliged to carry with them. The kneading troughs of the Arabs are comparatively small wooden bowls, which, after kneading their bread in, serve them as dishes out of which they eat their victuals. And as to these being bound up in their clothes, no more may be intended than their wrapping them up in their long, loose garments, or in what is stdl used among the Arabs, and called hykes, which is a long kind of blanket, something resembling a highland plaid, in which they often carry their provision, wrap themselves by day, and sleep at night. Dr. Shaw has been particular in his description of this almost entire wardrobe of an Arab. He says they are of different sizes and of different qualities, but generally about si.x yards in length, and five or six feet broad. He supposes that what we call Ruth's veil, Ruth lii. 15, was a hyke, and that the same is to be understood of the clothes of the Israelites mentioned in this verse. See his Travels, p. 221, 4to edition.
Verse 35. They borrowed of the Egyptians] See the note on chap. iii. 22, where the very exceptionable term borrow is largely explained,.a
34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their ^ kneading-troughs being bound up in their clothes shoulders.
35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses: and they borrowed of the Egyptians =" jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:
36 '' And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And ■• they spoiled the Egyptians.
37 And ■' the children of Israel journeyed from " Rameses to Succoth, about ^ six hun-
Averse 37. From Rameses to Succoth] Rameses appears to have been another name for Goshen, though it is probable that there might have been a chief city or village in that land, where the children of Israel rendezvoused previously to their departure, called Rameses. As the term Succoth signifies booths or tents, it is probable that this place was so named from its being the place of the first encampment of the Israelites.
Six hundred thousand] That is. There was this number of effective men, twenty years old and upwards, who were able to go out to war. But this was not the whole number, and therefore the sacred writer says they were about 600,000; for when the numbers were taken about thirteen months after this they were found to be six hundred and three thousand Jive hundred and fifty, without reckoning those under twenty years of age, or any of the tribe of Levi; see Num. i. 45, 46. But besides those on foot, or footmen, there were no doubt many old and comparatively infirm persons, who rode on camels, horses, or asses, besides the immense number of women and children, which must have been at least three to one of the others; and the mixed multitude, ver. 38, probably of refugees in Egypt, who came to sojourn there, because of the dearth wliich had obliged them to emigrate from their own countries; and who now, seeing that the hand of Jehovah was against the Egyptians and toith the Israelites, availed themselves of the general consternation, and took their leave of Egypt, choosing Israel's God for their portion, and his people for their companions..Such a company moving at once, and emigrating from their own country, the world never before nor since witnessed; no doubt upwards of two millions of souls, besides their flocks and herds, even very much cattle; and what but the mere providence of God could suppc rt such a multitude, ana in the wilderness, too, where to this day the necessaries of life are not to be found!
Suppose we take them at a rough calculation thas, two millions will be found too small a number.
went up also with ihenfi; and flocks, and icrds, even -cry much cattle. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of ihc dough which they brought forth out of Eg\'pt, for it was not leavened; because '' they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarr}', neither had they pre- A. M. 2513. pared for themselves any victual, ad. E»od. iw! i, 40 Now the sojourning of the AbiborNi«n.'
Two-thirds of whom we may suppose were married, in which case their wives would amount to
These, on an average, might have 5 children under 20 years of age, an estimate which falls considerably short of the number of children each family must have averaged in order to produce from 75 persons, in A. M. 2298, upwards of 600,000 effective men in A. M. 2494, a period of only 196 years....
Total.. 3,263,000 Besides a multitude of old and infirm persons who would be obliged to ride on camels and a,sses, &c., and who must, from the proportion that such bear to the young and healthy, amount to many thousands more! Exclude even the Levites and their families, and upwards of three millions will be left.
"In Num. iii. 39 the male Levites, aged one month and upwards, are reckoned 22,000, perhaps the females did not much exceed this number, say 23,000, and 500 children, under one month, will make 45,500." — Anon.
Had not Moses the fullest proof of his Divine mission, he never could have put himself at the head of such an immense concourse of people, who, without the most especial and effective providence, mnst all have perished for lack of food. This single circumstance, unconnected with all others, is an ample demonstration of the Divine mission of Moses, and of the authenticity and Divine inspiration of the Pentateuch. To suppose that an impostor, or one pretending only to a Divine call, could have ventured to place himself at the head of such an immense body of people, to lead them through a trackless wilderness, utterly unprovided for such a journey, to a land as yet in the possession of several powerful nations whom they must expel before they could possess the country, would have implied such an extreme of madness and folly as has never been wilncs* d in an individual, and such a b'.ind credulity in the multitude as is unparalleled in the annals of mankind! The succeeding stupendous events proved that Moses had the authoritv of God to do what he did; and the people had at least
children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was ' four hundred and thirty years.
4 1 And it came to pass at the end of the foxu: hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all '' the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.
such a general conviction that he had this authority, that they implicitly followed his directions, and received their law from his mouth.
Verse 40. Nnio the sojourning of the children of Israel, c^c] The statement in this verse is allowed on all hands to be extremely difficult, and therefore the passage stands in especial need of illustration. " That the descendants of Israel did not dwell 430 years in Egypt," says Dr. Kennicott, "may be easily proved, and has often been demonstrated. Some therefore imagine that by Egypt here both it and Canaan are to be understood. But this greater latitude of place will not solve the difficulty, since the Israelites, including Israel their father, did not sojourn 430 years in both countries previous to their departure from Egypt. Others, sensible of the still remaining deficiency, would not only have Egypt in the text to signify it and Canaan, but by a figure more compre hensive would have the children of Israel to mean Israel's children, and Israel their father, and Isaac the father of Israel, and part of the life of Abraham, the father of Isaac.
"Thus indeed," says Dr. Kennicott, "we arrive at the exact sum, and by this method of reckoning we might arrive at any thing but truth, which we may presume was never thus conveyed by an inspired writer." But can the difficulty be removed without having re course to such absurd shifts? Certainly it can. The Samaritan Pentateuch, in all its manuscripts and printed copies, reads the place thus: —
Umoshab heney Yishrael veabotham asher yashebu baarels Cenaan, ubaarels mitsraim sheloshim shanah vearba meoth shanah.
" Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, and of their fathers, ichich they sojourned in the land of Canaan and in the land of Egypt, teas 430 years." This same sum is given by St. Paul, Gal. iii. 17, who reckons from the promise made to Abraham, when God commanded him to go to Canaan, to the giving of the law, which soon followed the departure from Egypt; and this chronology of the apostle is concordant with the Samaritan Pentateuch, which, by preserving the two p,ass;iges, thri/ and their fathers, and in the land of Canaan, which are lost out of the present copies of the Hebrew text, has rescued this passage from all obscuritv and contradiction. It may be
A. M. 2513. 42 It w ' a night "^ to be much Au. Exod isr. 1. observed unto the Lord for Abib or Nisan. bringing them out from tlie land of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord to 6e observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.
43 And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is " the ordinance of the pass-
necessary to observe that the Alexandrian copy of the Septuagint has the same reading as that in the Samaritan. The Samaritan Pentateuch is allowed by many learned men to exhibit the most correct copy of the five books of Moses; and the Alexandrian copy of the Septuagint must also be allowed to be one of the •nost authentic as well as most ancient copies of this version which we possess. As to St. Paul, no man will dispute the authenticity of his statement; and thus in the mouth of these three most respectable witnesses the whole account is indubitably established. That these three witnesses have the truth, the chronology itself proves: for from Abraham's entry into Canaan to the birth of Isaac was 25 years. Gen. xii. 4, xvii. 1-21; Isaac was 60 years old at the birth of Jacob, Gen. XXV. 26; and Jacob was 130 at his going down into Egypt, Gen. xlvii. 9; which three sums make 215 years. And then Jacob and his children having continued in Egypt 215 years more, the whole sum of 430 years is regularly completed. See KennicoWs Dissertation on the Hebrew Text.
Verse 42. A night to be much ohseroed\ A night 10 be held in everlasting remembrance, because of the peculiar display of the power and goodness of God, the observance of which annually was to be considered a religious precept while the Jevv'ish nation should continue.
Verse 43. This is the ordinance of the passover\ From the last verse of this chapter it appears pretty evident that this, to the 50th verse inclusive, constituted a part of the directions given to Moses relative to the proper observance of the first passover, and should be read conjointly with the preceding account beginning at verse 21. It may be supposed that these latter parts contain such particular directions as God gave to Moses after he had given those general ones mentioned in the preceding verses, but they seem all to belong to this first passover.
There shall no stranger eat thereof^ 13J p ben nechar, the son of a stranger or foreigner, i. e., one who was not of the genuine Hebrew stock, or one who had not received circumcision; for any circumcised person might eat the passover, as the total exclusion extends only to the uncircumcised, see ver. 48. As there are two sorts of strangers mentioned in the sacred writings; one who was admitted to all the Jewish ordinances, and another who, though he dwelt among the Jews, was not permitted to eat the passover or partake of any of their solemn feasts; it may be necessary to show what was the essential point of distinction through which the one was admitted and the •ther excluded.
over: there shall no stranger A. M. 2513.
44 But every man's servant AbiborNisan.
that is bought for money, when thou hast ° circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
45 P A foreigner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof.
46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou
In treatises on the religious customs of the Jews we frequently meet with the term proseli/tc, from the Greek TrpoaipMroQ, a stranger or forcigtier; one who is come from his own people and country to sojourn with another. All who were not descendants of some one of the twelve sons of Jacob, or of Ephraira and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph, were reputed strangers or proselytes among the Jews. But of those strangers or proselytes there were two kinds, called among them proselytes of the gate, and proselytes of justice or of the covenant. The former were such as wished to dwell among the Jews, but would not submit to be circumcised; they, however, acknowledged the true God, avoided all idolatry, and observed the seven precepts of Noah, but were not obliged to observe any of the Mosaic institutions. The latter submitted to be circumcised, obliged themselves to observe all the rites and ceremonies of the law, and were in nothing different from the Jews but merely in their having once been heathens. The former, or proselytes of the gate, might not eat the passover or partake of any of the sacred festivals; but the latter, the proselytes of the covenant, had the same rights, spiritual and secular, as the Jews themselves. See ver. 43.
Verse 45. A foreigner] Diyin toshab, from 2W yashab, to sit down or dwell; one who is a mere sojourner, for the purpose of traffic, merchandise, &c., but who is neither a proselyte of the gate nor of the covenant.
And a hired servant] Who, though he be bought with money, or has indented himself for a certain term to serve a Jew, yet has not become either a proselyte of the gate or of the covenant. None of these shall eat of it, because not circumcised — not brouglit under the bond of the covenant; and not being under obligation to observe the Mosaic law, had no right to its privileges and blessings. Even under the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, he is the author of eternal salvation only to them who obey him, Heb. v. 9; and those who become Christians are chosen to salvation through SANCTiFicATioN of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, 2 Thess. ii. 13; for the grace of God, that bringeth salvation to all men, hath appeared, teaching us that, DENVING UNGODLINESS and WORLDLV LUSTS,
7ve should live soberly, kigiiteouslv, and godly, in this present world; Tit.ii. 11,12. Such persons only walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called.
Verse 46. In one house shall it be eaten] In one family, if that be large enough; if not, a neighbouring family might be invited, ver. 4.
Thou Shalt not carry forth aught of the flesh] Every family must abide within doors because of the destroy-
A. M. 2513. shall not carry forth aught of the
An. Exod. isr. 1. ilcsli abroad out of the house;
47 'All the congregation of Israel shall 'keep it.
48 And * when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to tiie Lord,
ing angel, none being permitted to go out of his house till the next day, ver. -22.
Neither shall ye break a bone thereof. '\ As it was to be eaten in haste, (ver. 1 1,) there was no time either to separate the bones, or to break them in order to extract the marrow; and lest they should be tempted to consume time in this way, therefore this ordinance was given. It is very likely that, when the whole lamb was brought to table, they cut off the flesh without even separating any of the large joints, leaving the skeleton, with whatever flesh they could not eat, to be consumed with fire, ver. 10. This precept was also given to piiint out a most remarkable circumstance which 1500 years after was to take place in the crucifixion of the Saviour of mankind, who was the true Paschal Lamb, that Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world; who, though he was crucified as a common malefactor, and it was a universal custom to break the legs of such on the cross, yet so did the providence of God order it that a bone of him was not broken. See the fulfilment of this wondrously expressive type, John xix. 33, 36.
Verse 48. And when a stranger — will keep the passover, 4'f.] Let all who sojourn among you, and who desire to partake of this sacred ordinance, not only be circumcised themselves, but all the males of their families likewise, that they may all have an equal right to the blessings of the covenant.
Verse -19. One law shall he to him that is home-bom, djfc] As this is the first jil.ice that the term mi,1 torah or LAW occurs, a term of the greatest importance in Divine revchition, and on the proper understanding of which much depends, I judge it best to give its genuine explanation once for all.
The word nilil torah comes from the root ni' yarah, whicli signifies to aim at, teach, point out, direct, lead, guide, make straight, or even; and from those significations of the word (and in all these senses it is used in the Bible) we may see at once the nature, properties, and design of the law of God. It is a system of INSTRUCTION in righteousness; it teaches the difference between moral good and evil; ascertains what is right and ft to be done, and what should be left undone, because improper to be performed. It continually aims at the glory of God, and the happiness of his creatures; tearhes the true knowledge of the true God, and the destructive nature of sin; points out the absolute necessity of an atonement as the only means by which God can be reconciled lo transgressors; and in its very significant rites and ceremonies points out the Son of God, till he should come to put let all his males be circumcised, a. m. 2513 and then let him come near and An. Exod. isr. 1. keep it; and he shall be as one Ab.borNi.»n. that is bom in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
49 " One law shall be to him that is homebom, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among ypu.
away iniquity by the sacrifice of himself. It is a revelation of God's wisdom and goodness, wonderfully well calculated to direct the hearts of men into the truth, to guide their feet into the path of life, and to make straight, even, and plain that way which leads to God, and in which the soul must walk in order to arrive at eternal life. It is the fountain whence every correct notion relative to God — his perfections, providence, grace, justice, holiness, omniscience, and omnipotence, has been derived. And it has been the origin whence all the true principles of law and justice have been deduced. The pious study of it was the grand means of producing the greatest kings, the most enlightened statesmen, the most accomplished poets, and the most holy and useful men, that ever adorned the world. It is exceeded only by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is at once the accomplishment of its rites and predictions, and the fulfilment of its grand plan and outline. As a system of teaching or instruction, it is the most sovereign and most effectual; as by it is the knowledge of sin, and it alone is the schoolmaster, Tai- Sayuyoc, that leads men to Christ, that they may be justified through faith. Gal. iii. 24. Who can absolutely ascertain the exact quantum of obliquity in a crooked line, without the application of a straight one 1 And could sin, in all its twislings, windings, and varied involutions, have ever been truly ascertained, had not J God given to man this perfect rule to judge byl The | nations who acknowledge this revelation of God have, as far as they attained to its dictates, the wisest, purest, most equal, and most beneficial laws. The nations i that do not receive it have laws at once extravagantly j severe and extravagantly indulgent. The proper distinctions between moral good and evil, in such states, • are not known: hence the penal sanctions are not founded on the principles of justice, weighing the exact proportion of mora! turpitude; but on the most arbitrary caprices, which in many cases show the utmost indulgence to first-rate crimes, while they punish minor offences with rigour and cruelty. What is the consequence 1 Just wh.at might be reasonably expected: the will and caprice of a man being put in the place of the wisdom of God, the government is oppressive, and the people, frequently goaded to distraction, rise up in a mass and overturn it; so that the monarch, however powerful for a time, seldom lives out half his ilays. This was the case in Greece, in Rome, in the major part of the Asiatic governments, and is the casn in all nations of the world to the present day, where the governor is despotic, and the laws not formed ac. cording to the revelation of God.
A.M. 2513. 50 Thus did all the children
Abib or Nisan. u^^nded Moses and Aaron, so
The word lex, tmc, among the Romans, has been derived from lego, I read; because when a law or statute was made, it was hung up in the most public places, that it might be seen, read, and known by all men, that those who were to obey the laws mirrht not break them through ignorance, and thus incur the penalty. This was called promidgatio legis, q. prnvulgatio, the promulgation of the law, i. e., the laying it before the common people. Or from Ugo, I hind, because the law binds men to the strict observance of its precepts. The Greeks call a law ko/ioj nomas, from ve//(j, to divide, distribute, minister to, or serve, because the law divides to all tlieir just rights, appoints or distributes to each his proper duty, and thus serves or ministers to the welfare of the individual and the support of society. Hence where there are either no laws, or unequal and unjust ones, all is distraction, violence, rapine, oppression, anarchy, and ruin.
Verse 5 1. By their armies.] DnNZJi' tsibotham, from X3i tsaba, to assemble, meet together, in an orderly or regulated manner, and hence to war, to act together as troops in battle; whence niNDi" tsehaoth, troops, armies, hosts. It is from this that the Divine Being calls himself niN3S niiT Yehovah tsebaoth, the Lord of HOSTS or armies, because the Israelites were brought cut of Egypt under his direction, marshalled and ordered by himself, guided by his wisdom, supported by his providence, and protected by his might. This is the true and simple reason why God is so frequently styled in Scripture the Lord of hosts; for the Lord did, bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
On this chapter the notes have been so full and so e.\p!icit, that little can be added to set the subject before the reader in a clearer light. On the ordinance of the PASSOVER, the reader is requested to consult the notes on verses 7, 14, and 27. For the display of God's power and providence in supporting so great a multitude where, humanly speaking, there was no provision, and tlie proof that the e.todus of the Israelites gives of the truth of the Mosaic history, he is referred to ver. 37. And for the meaning of the term law, to ver. 49.
On the ten plagues it may be but just necessary, after what has been said in the notes, to make a few general reflections. When the nature of the Egyptian idolatry is considered, and the plagues which were sent upon them, we may see at once the peculiarity. f{ the judgment, and the great propriety of its being inflicted in the way related by Moses. The plagues were either inflicted on the objects of their idolatry, or iy their means.
1. That the river Nile was an object of their worship, and one of their greatest gods, we have already seen. As the first plague, its wafers were therefore tamed into blood; and the fish, many of which were
51 ''And it came to pass the
self-same day, that the Lord did An.Exod. isr. i. bvins the children of Israel out Abib or Nisan.
objects also of their adoration, died. Blood was particularly offensive to them, and the touch of any dead animal rendered them unclean. When then their great god, the river, was turned into blood, and its waters became putrid, so that all the fish, minor objects of their devotion, died, we see a judgment at once calculated to punish, correct, and reform them. Could they ever more trust in gods who could neither save themselves nor their deluded worshippers?
2. Mr. Bryant has endeavoured to prove \\ai frogs, the SECOND plague, were sacred ani:nals in Egypt, and were dedicated to Osiris; they certainly appear on many ancient Egyptian monuments, and in such circumstances and connections as to show that they were held in religious veneration. These therefore became an awful scourge; first, by their numbers, and their intrusion into every place; and, secondly, by their death, and the infection of the atmosphere which took place in consequence.
3. We have seen also that the Egyptians, especially the priests, affected great cleanliness, and would not wear woollen garments lest any kind of vermin should harbour about them. The third plague, by means of lice or such like vermin, was wisely calculated both to humble and confound them. In this tr.ey immediately saw a power superior to any that coulil be exerted by their gods or their magicians; and the latter were obliged to confess. This is the finger of God!
I. That flics were held sacred among the Egyptians and among various other nations, admits of the strongest proof. It is very probable that Baal-zebub himself was worshipped under the form of a fly or great cantharid. These, therefore, or some kind of winged noxious insects, became the prime agents in the Foi;RTH/)/an-»«; and if the cynomyia or dog-fly be intended, we have already seen in the notes with what propriety and effect this judgment was inflicted.
5. The inurrain or mortality among the cattle was the FIFTH plague, and the mo.st decisive mark of the power and indignation of Jehovah. That dogs, cats, monkeys, rams, heifers, and bulls, were all objects of their most religious veneration, all the world knows. These were smitten in a most singular manner by the hand of God; and the Egyptians saw themselves deprived at once of all their imaginary helpers. Even Apis, their ox-god, in whom they particularly trusted, now suffers, groans, and dies under the hand of Jehovah. Thus does he execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. See ver. 12.
6. The SIXTH plague, viz., of boils and blains, was as appropriate as any of the preceding; and the sprinkling of the ashes, the means by which it was produced, peculiarly significant. Pharmacy, Mr. Bryant has observed, was in high repute among the Egyptians; and Isis, their most celebrated goddess, was considered as the preventer or healer of all diseases. " For this goddess," says Diodorus, Hist., lib. i., "used to reveal nerself to people in their sleep when they laboured under any disorder, and afford them relief. Many who placed their confidence in her influence ffofmdofuf iyiaucaOai., were miraculously restored. Many likewise who had been despaired of and given over by the physicians on account of the obstinacy of the distemper, were saved by this goddess. Numbers who had been deprived of their eyes, and of other parts of their bodies, were all restored on their application to Isis." By this disorder, therefore, which no application to their gods could cure, and which was upon the magicians also, who were supposed to possess most power and influence, God confounded their pride, showed the folly of their worship, and the vanity of their depend encc. The means by which these boils and blains were inflicted, viz., the spnniltng nf ashes from the furnace, was peculiarly appropriate. Plutarch assures us, De Iside et Osiride, that in several cities of Egypt they were accustomed to sacrifice human beings to Typhon, which ihey burned alive upon a high altar; and at the close of the sacrifice the priests gathered the ashes of these victims, and scattered them in the air: " I presume," says Mr. Bryant, " with this view, that where an atom of their dust was wafted, a blessing might be entailed. The like was done by Moses with the ashes of the furnace, that wherever any, the smallest portion, alighted, it might prove a plague and a curse to this cruel, ungrateful, and infatuated people. Thus there was a designed contrast in these workings of Providence, an apparent opposition to the superstition of the times."
7. The grievous hail, the seventh plague, attended with rain, thunder, and lightning, in a country where these scarcely ever occur, and according to an express prediction of Moses, must in the most signal manner point out the power and justice of God. Fire and water were some of the principal objects of Egyptian idolatry; and fire, as Porphyry says, they considered /leyav ewai 6eoii, to he a great god. To find, therefore, that these very elements, the objects of their adoration, were, at the command of a servant of Jehovah, brought as a curse and scourge on the whole land, and upon men also and cattle, must have shaken their belief in these imaginary deities, while it proved to the Israelites that there was none like the God of Jeshurun.
8. In the EinnTH plague we see by what insignificant creatures God can bring about a general destruction. A caterpillar is beyond all animals the most contemptible, and, taken singly, the least to be dreaded in the whole empire of nature; but in the hand of Divine justice it becomes one of the most formidable foes of the human race. From the examples in the notes we see how Utile human power, industry, or art, can avail against this most awful scourge. Not even the most contemptible anim.al should be considered with disrespect, as in the hand of God it may become the most terrible instrument for the punishment of a criminal individual or a guilty land.
9. The Ni.NTU plague, the total and horrible darkness that lasted for three days, afforded both Israelites and Egyptians the most illustrious proof of the power and universal dominion of God; and was particularly to the latter a most awful yet instructive lesson against a species of idolatry which had been long prevalent in that and other countries, viz., the worship of the celestial luminaries. The sun and moon were both adored as supreme deities, as the sole dispensers of light and life; and the sun was invoked as the g^ver of immortality and eternal blessedness. Porphyry, De Abstin., 1. 4, preserves the very form used by the Egyptian priests in addressing the sun on behalf of a deceased person, that he might be admitted into the society of the gods: 2 ieanora 'HTue, xac 0roi nai'Tec, oi ttiv ^uyv Toig avdpuKoi^ dovrcf, TrpotrSe^aade fis, koi napa- SoTc TOif oj(5ioif 0eo(f owoikov. " O sovereign lord the sun, and all ye other deities who bestow life on mankind! receive me, and grant that I may be admitted as a companion with the immortal gods I" These objects of their superstitious worship Jehovah showed by this plague to be his creatures, dispensing or withholding their light merely at his will and pleasure; and that the people might be convinced that all this came by his appointment alone, he predicted this awful darkness; and that their astronomers might have the fullest proof that this was no natural occurrence, and could not be the effect of any kind of eclipse, which even when total could endare ov\y shoni four minutes, (and this case could happen only once in a thousand years,) he caused this palpable darkness to continue for three days!
10. The TENTH and last plague, the slaying of the first-born or chief person in each family, may be considered in the light of a Divine retribution: for after that their nation had been preserved by one of the Israelitish family, " they had," says Mr. Bryant, " contrary to all right, and in defiance of original stipulation, enslaved the people to whom they had been so much indebted; and not contented with this, they had proceeded to murder their offspring, and to render the people's bondage intolerable by a wanton e.xertion of power. It had been told them that the family of the Israelites were esteemed as God's first-born, chap. iv. 2i2; therefore God said: Let my son go, that he may serve me; and if thou refuse — behold, I will slay thy son, even thy first-born, ver. 23. But they heeded not this admonition, and hence those judgments came upon them that terminated in the death of the eldest in each family; a just retaliation for their disobedience and cruelty." See several curious and important remarks on this subject in a work entitled. Observations upon the Plagues inflicted on the Egyptians, by Jacob Bryant, 8vo., 1810.
On the whole we may say. Behold the goodness and severity of God! Severity mixed with goodness even to the same people. He punished and corrected them at the same time; for there was not one of these judgments that had not, from its peculiar nature and circumstances, some cmendatory influence. Nor could a more effectual mode be adopted to demonstrate to that people the absurdity of their idolatrj', and the incdicacy of their dependence, than that made use of on this occasion by the wise, just, and merciful God. At the same time the Israelites themselves must have received a lesson of the most impressive instruction on the vanity and wickedness of idolatry, to which they were at all times most deplorably prone, and of which they would no doubt have given many more examples.
had they not had the Egyptian plagues continually before their eyes. It was probably these signal displays of God's power and justice, and these alone, that induced them to leave Egypt at his command by Moses and Aaron; otherwise, with the dreadful wilderness before them, totally unprovided for such a journey, in which humanly speaking it was impossible for them and their households to subsist, they would have rather preferred the ills they then suiTered, than have run the risk of greater by an attempt to escape from their pre. sent bondage. This is proved by their murmurings, chap, xvi., from which it is evident that they preferred Egypt with all its curses to their situation in the wilderness, and never could have been induced to leave it had they not had the fullest evidence that it was the will of God; which will they were obliged, on pain of utter destruction, to obey.
God establishes the law concerning the first-born, and commands that all such, loth of man and least, should he sanctified unto him, 1, 2. Orders them to remember the day in which they were brought out of Egypt, when they should be brought to the land of Canaan; and to Iceep this service in the month Abib, 3-5. Repeats the command concerning the leavened bread, 6, 7, and orders them to teach their children the cause of it, 8, and to keep strictly in remembrance that it was by the might of God alone they had been delivered from Egypt, 9. Shows that the consecration of the first-born, both of man and beast, should take place when they should be settled in Canaan, 10—12. The first-born of man and beast to be redeemed, 13. The reason of this also to be shown to their children, 14, 15. Frontlets or phylacteries for the hands and forehead commanded, 16. And the people are not led directly to the promised land, but about through the wilderness; and the reason assigned, 17, 18. Moses takes the bones of Joseph with him, 19. They journey from Succoth and come to Etham, 20. And the Lord goes before them by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire, 21, which miracle is regularly continued both by day and night, 23.
^^'^ "' '^'^'^°- 2 ''Sanctify unto me all the €rst-born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
3 And Moses said unto the people, '' Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of " bondage; for "^ by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: ' there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
Verse 1. The Lord spake unto Moses] The commands in this chapter appear to have been given at Succoth, on the same day in which they left Egypt.
Verse 2. Sanctify unto me all the first-born] To sanctify, w\T) kadash, signifies to consecrate, separate, and set apart a thing or person from all secular purposes to some religious use; and exactly answers to the import of the Greek dymfu, from a, privative, and 77, the earth, because every thing offered or consecrated to God was separated from all earthly uses. Hence a holy person or saint is termed ay(Of, i. e., a person separated from the earth; one who lives a holy life, entirely devoted to the service of God. Thus the persons and animals sanctified to God were employed in the service of the tabernacle and temple; and the animals, such as were proper, were ofiered in sacrifice.
The Hindoos frequenly make a vow, and devote to an idol the first-born of a goat and of a man. The goat
4 ^This day came ye out, in
5 And it shall be, when the Ab.borNisan.
Lord shall s bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he •^ sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, ' that thou shall keep this service in this month.
6 '' Seven days thou shall eat unlea\'ened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord.
is permitted to run wild, as a consecrated animal. A child thus devoted has a lock of hair separated, which at the time appointed is cut off and placed near the idol. Hindoo women sometimes pray to Gunga (the Ganges) for children, and promise to devote the firstborn to her. Children thus devoted are cast into the Ganges, but are generally saved by the friendly hand of some stranger. — Ward's Customs.
Whatsoever openeth the womb] That is, the firstborn, if a male; for females were not oflfered, nor the first male, if a female had been born previously. Again, if a man had several wives, the first-born of each, if a male, was to be offered to God. And all this was done to commemorate the preservation of the first-born of the Israelites, when those of the Egyptians were destroyed.
Verse 5. When the Lord shall bring thee into the land] Hence it is pretty evident that the Israelites were not obliged to celebrate the passover, or keep
An. ExikI. isr. I. calcn scvcn days; and there '^'"^'"^'''""- shall ' no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.
8 And thou shall "' show thy son in that day, saying. This is done, because of that which the Lord did unto me, when I came forth out
9 And it shall be for " a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine
Verse 9. And it shall befnra sign — upon thine hand] This direction, repeated and enlarged ver. 16, gave rise to phylacteries or tephillin, and this is one of the passages which the Jews write upon them to the present day. The manner in which the Jews understood and kept these commands may appear in their practice. They wrote the following four portions of the law upon slips of parchment or vellum: Sanctify unto me the first-born, Exod. xiii., from verse 2 to 10 inclusive. And it shall he, when the Lord shall bring thee into the land, Exod. xiii., from verse 1 1 to 16 inclusive. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, Deut. vi., from verse 4 to 9 inclusive. And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently, Deut. xi., from verse 13 to 21 inclusive. These four portions, making in all 30 verses, written as mentioned above, and covered with leather, they tied to the forehead and to the hand or arm.
Those which were for the he.4D (the frontlets) they wrote on four slips of parchment, and rolled up each by itself, and placed them in four compartments, joined together in one piece of skin or leather. Tho.se which were designed for the hand were formed of one piece of parchment, the four portions being written upon it in four columns, and rolled up from one end to the other. These were all correct transcripts from the Mosaic text, without one redundant or deficient letter, otherwise they were not lawful to be worn. Those for the head were lied on so as to rest on the forehead. Those for the hand or arm were usually tied on the left arm, a little above the elbow, on the inside, that they might be near the heart, according to the command, Deut. vi. 6; And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart. These phylacteries formed no inconsiderable part of a Jew's religion; they wore them as a sign of their obligation to God, and as representing some future blessedness, llence they did not wear them on feast days nor on the Sabbath, because these things were in themselves sign.^; but they wore them always when they read the law, or when they prayed, and hence they called them rSa,"* tephillin, prayer, ornaments, oratories, or incitements to prayer. In process of time the spirit of this law was lost in tlie letter, and when the word was not in their mouth, nor the law in their heart, they had their phy- ill thy mouth: for with a strong An. Exod. Ur. L hand hath the Loud brouo-ht thee ^'"'' °^ ^''"'-
] 0 ° Tiioii shall therefore keep this ordinance in his season, from year to year.
1 1 And it shall be, when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanitcs, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee,
lacteries on their heads and on their hands. And the Pharisees, who in our Lord's time affected extraordinary piety, made their phylacteries very broad, that they might have many sentences «T:itten upon them, or the ordinary portions in very large and observable letters.
1. As signs or remembrancers. This was the original design, as the institution itself sufficiently proves.
2. To procure reverence and respect in the sight of the heathen. This reason is given in the Gemara, Berachoth, chap. i.: " Whence is it proved that the phylacteries or tephillin are the strength of Israel? Ans. From what is written, Deut. xxviii. 10: All the people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord (niTT Yehovah) and they shall be afraid of thee."
3. They used them as amulets or charms, to drive away evil spirits. This appears from the Targum on Canticles viii. 3: His left hand is under my head, iS^c. " The congregation of Israel hath said, I am elect above all people, because I bind my phylacteries on my left hand and on my head, and the scroll is fixed to the right side of my gate, the third part of which looks to my bed-chamber, that demons may not be permitted to injure me."
One of the original phylacteries or V12T\ tephillin now lies before me; it is a piece of fine vellum, about eighteen inches long, and an inch and yi/ar/cr broad. It is divided into four unequal compartments; the letters are very well formed, but wTitten with many apices, after the manner of the German Jews. In the first compartment is written the portion taken from Exod. xiii. 2-10; in the second, Exod. xiii. 1 1-lfi; in the third, Deut. vi. 4-9; in the fourth, Deut. si. 13-21, as before related. This had originaUy served for the hand or arm.
These passages seem to be chosen in vindication of the use of the phylacterj- itself, as the reader may see on consulting them at large. Bind them for a sigh upon thy hand; and for frontlets between thy eves; write them upon the posts of thy house and upon thy OATES; all which commands the Jews take in the most literal sense. To acquire the reputation of extraordinary sanctitv they wore the fringes of their garments of an uncommon length. Moses had com-
A. M. 2513. all that openeth the matrix, and An.Exod. Isr. 1. every firstling that coineth of a Abib or Nisan. j^^^^j which thou hast; the males shall he the Lord's.
1 3 And ■■ every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a ^ lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the first-born of man among thy children * shalt thou redeem.
14 "And it shall be when thy son asketh thee ' in time to come, saying, What is this? tliat tliou shalt say unto him, "^ By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that "^ the Lord slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the
first-born of man, and the first- A. M. 2513. born of beasts: therefore I sacri- An. Exod. Isr. U fice to the Lord all that openeth Abib or Nisan, the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.
1 6 And it shall be for y a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt.
1 7 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said. Lest peradventure the people '' repent when they see war, and " they return to Egypt:
18 But God ^ led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea:
manded them. Num. xv. 38, 39, to put fringes to the borders of their garments, that when they looked upon even these distinct threads they might remember, not only the law in general but also the very minutiae or smaller parts of all the precepts, rites, and ceremonies belonging to it. As those hypocrites (for such our Lord proves theip to be) were destitute of all the life and power of religion within, they endeavoured to supply its place with phylacteries and fringes without. The same principles distinguish hypocrites every where, and multitudes of them may be found among those termed Christians as well as among the Jews. It is probably to this institution relative to the phylactery th<it the words, Rev. xiv. 1, allude: And I looked, and, lo, a hundred and forty-four thousand having his Father's name written on their foreheads. " That is," says Mr. Ainsworth, " as a sign of the profession of God's law; for that which in the Gfospel is called his NAME, (Matt. xii. 21,) in the prophets is called his LAW, (Isa. xlii, 4)." So again antichrist exacts the obedience to his precepts by a mark on men's right hands or on their foreheads, Rev. xiii. 16.
Verse 13. Every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb] Or a lad, as in the margin. In Num. xviii. 15, it is said: " The first-born of man shalt thou purely redeem; and the firstling of an unclean beast shalt thou redeem." Hence we may infer that ass is put here for any unclean beast, or for unclean beasts in general. The lamb was to be given to the Lord, that is, to his priest, Num. xviii. 8, 15. And then the owner of the ass might use it for his own service, which without this redemption he could not do; see Deut. XV. 19.
The first -bom of man — shall thouredeem.] This was done by giving to the priests five standard she/eels, or shekels of the sanctuary, every shekel weighing twenty gerahs. What the gerah was, see on Gen. xx. 16. And for the shekel, see Gen. xxiii. 15.
brew doctors teach, that if a father had neglected or refused thus to redeem his first-born, the son himself was obliged to do it when he came of age. As this redeeming of the first-born was instituted in consequence of sparing the first-born of the Israelites, when the first-born both of man and beast among the Egyptians was destroyed, on this gi-ound all the first-born were the Lord's, and should have been employed in his service; but he permitted the first-born of a useful unclean animal to be redeemed by a clean animal of much less value. And he chose the tribe of Levi in place of all the first-born of the tribes in general; and the five shekels were ordered to be paid in lieu of such first-born sons as were liable to serve in the sanctuary, and the money was applied to the support of the priests and Levites. See this subject at large in Num. iii. 12, 13, 41, 43, 45, 47-51.
Verse 17. God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, cjc] Had the Israelites been obliged to commence their journey to the promised land by a military campaign, there is little room to doubt that they would have been discouraged, have rebelled again,st Moses and Aaron, and have returned back to Egypt. Their long slavery had so degraded their minds that they were incapable of any great or noble exertions; and it is only on the ground of this mental degradation, the infallible consequence of slavery, that we can account for their many dastardly acts, murmurings, and repinings after their escape from Egypt. The reader is requested to bear this in mind, as it will serve to elucidate several circumstances in the ensumg history. Besides, the Israelites were in.all probability unarmed, and totally unequipped for battle, encumbered with their flocks, and certain culinary utensils, which they were obliged to carry with them in the wilderness to provide them with bread, &c.
1 9 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had slraitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, '' God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.
has shown that there were two roads from Egypt to Canaan, one through the valleys of Jendilly, Rumeleah, and Baidcah, bounded on each side by the mountains of the lower Thebais; the other lies higher, having the northern range of the mountains of Mocatee running parallel with it on the right hand, and the desert of the Egyptian Arabia, which lies all the way open to the land of the Pliilistines, to the left. See his account of these encampments at the end of Exodus.
Went tip harnessed] D'KTDn chamushim. It is truly astonishing what a great variety of opinions are entertained relative to the meaning of this word. After having maturely considered all that I have met with on the subject, I think it probable that the word refers simply to that orderly or icell arranged manner in which the Israelites commenced their journey from Egypt. For to arrange, array, or set in order, seems to be the ideal meaning of the word tyon chamash. As it was natural to expect that in such circumstances there must have been much hurry and confusion, the inspired writer particularly marks the contrary, to show that God had so disposed matters that the utmost regularity and order prevailed; and had it been otherwise, thousands of men, women, and children must have been trodden to death. Our margin has it by five in a rank) but had they marched only five abreast, supposing only one yard for each rank to move in, it would have required not less than sixty-eight miles for even the 600,000 to proceed on regularly in this way; for 600,000 divided hy five gives 120,000 ranks of five each; and there being only 1760 yards in a mile, the dividing 120,000 by 1760 will give the number of miles such a column of people would take up, which by such an operation will be found to be something more than sixty-eight miles. But this the circumstances of the history will by no means admit. — Harmer. The simple meaning therefore appears to be that given above; and if the note on the concluding verse of the preceding chapter be considered, it may serve to place this explanation in a still clearer point of view.
Verse 19. Moses took the bones of Joseph] See the note on Gen. 1. 25. It is supposed that the Israelites carried with them the bones or remains of all the twelve sons of Jacob, each tribe taking care of the bones of its own patriarch, while Moses took care of the bones of Joseph. St. Stephen expressly says, Acts vii. 15, 16, that not only Jacob, but the fathers were carried from Egypt into Sychem; and this, as Calmet remarks, was the only opportunity that seems to have presented itself for doing this; and certainly the reason that rendered it proper to remove the bones of Joseph to the promised land, had equal weight in 3«4
20 And " they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.
21 And ' the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give
reference to those of the other patriarchs. See the notes on Gen. xlix. 29.
Verse 20. Encamped in Etham] As for the reasons assigned on ver. 17, God would not lead the Israelites by the way of the Philistines' country, he directed them towards the wilderness of Shur, chap. XV. 22, upon the edge or extremity of which, next to Egypt, at the bottom of the Arabian Gulf, lay Etham, which is the second place of encampment mentioned. See the extracts from Dr. Shaw at the end of Exodus.
Verse 31. The Lord went before them] That by the Lord here is meant the Lord Jesus, we have the authority of St. Paul to believe, 1 Cor. x. 9; it was he whose Spirit they tempted in the wilderness, for it was he who led them through the desert to the promised rest.
Pillar of a cloxid] This pillar or column, which appeared as a cloud by day, and a fire by night, wae the symbol of the Divine presence. This was the Shechinah or Divine dwelling place, and was the continual proof of the presence and protection of GOD. It was necessary that they should have a guide to direct them through the wilderness, even had they taken the most direct road; and how much more so when they took a circuitous route not usually travelled, and of which they knew nothing but just as the luminous pillar pointed out the way! Besides, it is very likely that even Moses himself did not know the route which God had determined on, nor the places of encampment, till the pillar that went before them became stationarv, and thus pointed out, not only the road, but the different places of rest. Whether there was more than one pillar is not clearly determined by the text. If there was but one it certainly assumed three different appearances, for the performance of three very important offices. 1. In the day-time, for the purpose o{ pointing out the way, a column or pillar of a cloud was all that wa.s requisite. 2. At night, to prevent that confusion which must otherwise have taken place, the pillar of cloud became a pillar of fire, not to direct their journeyings, for they seldom travelled by night, but to give light to every part of the Israelitish camp. 3. In such a scorching, barren, thirsty desert, something farther was necessary than a light and a guide. Women, children, and comparatively infirm persons, exposed to the rays of such a burning sun, must have been destroyed if without a covering; hence we find that a cloud overshadowed them: and from what St. Paul observes, 1 Cor. x. 1,2, we are led to conclude that this covering cloud was composed of aqueous particles for the cooling of the atmosphere and refreshment of themselves and their cattle; for he represents
They are led by the CHAP. XIII.
ihem light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar the whole camp as being sprinkled or immersed in the humidity of its vapours, and expressly calls it a being under the cloud and being baptized in the cloud. To the circumstance of the cloud covering them, there are several references in Scripture. Thus: He spread a CLOUD for their covering; Psa. cv. 39. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, A cloud and smoke by DAY, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory shall be a defence, (or covering,) Isa. iv. 5; which words contain the most manifest allusion to the threefold office of the cloud in the wilderness. See Num. ix. 16, 17, 18, &c.