Verse 18. But God led the people about] Dr,
Verse 22. He took not away the pillar of the cloudy Neither Jews nor Gentiles are agi'eed how long the cloud continued with the Israelites. It is very probable that it first visited them at Succoth, if it did not accompany them from Rameses; and that it continued with them till they came to the river Jordan, to pass over opposite to Jericho, for after that it appears that the ark alone was their guide, as it always marched at their head. See Josh. iii. 10, &o. But others think that it went no farther with them than Mount Hor, and never appeared after the death of Aaron. We may safely assert that while it was indispensably necessary it continued with them, when it was not so it was removed. But it is worthy of remark that the ark of the covenant became its substitute. While a miracle was necessary, a miracle was granted; when that was no longer necessary, then the testimony of the Lord deposited in the ark was deemed sufficient by Him who cannot err. So, under the Gospel dispensation, miracles were necessary at its first promulgation; but after that the canon of Scrijfture was completed, the new covenant having been made, ratified by the blood of the Lamb, and published by the Holy Spirit, then God withdrew generally those outward signs, leaving his tvord for a continual testimony, and sealing it on the souls of believers by the Spirit of truth.
It is also worthy of remark that the ancient heathen writers represent their gods, in their pretended manifestations to men, as always encompassed luith a cloud; Homer and Virgil abound with examples of this kind: and is it not very probable that they borrowed this, as they did many other things in their mythologic theology, from the tradition of Jehovah guiding his people through the desert by means of the cloud, in and by which he repeatedly manifested himself?
1. Extraordinary manifestations and interpositions of providence and grace should be held in continual remembrance. We are liable to forget the hole of the pit whence we were digged, and the rock whence we were hewn. Prudence and piety will institute their anniocrsarics, that the merciful dealings of the Lord may never be forgotten. The passover and the feast of unleavened bread, by an annual commemoration, became standing proofs to the children of Israel of the Divine origin of their religion; and are supporting pil- of the cloud by day, nor the A. M. 2513. pillar of fire by night, from before An. Exod, isr. 1 lars of it to the present day. For when a fact is reported to have taken place, and certain rites or ceremonies have been instituted in order to commemorate it, which rites or ceremonies continue to be observed through succeeding ages, then the fact itself, no matter how remote the period of its occurrence may have been, has the utmost proofs of authenticity that it is possible for any fact to have; and such as every person pretending to reason and judgment is obliged to receive. On this ground the Mosaic religion, and the facts recorded in it, are indubitably proved; and the Christian religion and its facts, being commemorated in the same way, particularly by baptism and the Lord's Supper, stand on such a foundation of moral certainty as no other records in the universe can possibly boast. Reader, praise God for his ordinances; they are not only means of grace to thy soul, but standing irrefragable proofs of the truth of that religion which thou hast received as from HIM.
2. A serious public profession of the religion of Christ has in all ages of the Church been considered not only highly becoming, but indispensably necessary to salvation. He who consistently confesses Christ before men shall be confessed by him before God and his angels. A Jew wore his phylacteries on hisforehead, on his hands, and round his garments, that he might have reverence in the sight of the heathen; he gloried in his law, and he exulted that Abraham was his father. Christian! with a zeal not less becoming, and more consistently supported, let the words of thy mouth, the acts of thy hands, and all thy goings, show that thou belongest unto God; that thou hast taken his Spirit for the guide of thy heart, his word for the rule of thy life, his peopje for thy companions, his heaven for thy inheritance, and himself for the portion of thy soul. And see that thou hold fast the truth, and that thou hold it in righteousness.
3. How merciful is God in the dispensations of his providence! He permits none to be tried above what he is able to bear, and he proportions the burden to the back that is to bear it. He led not the Israelites by the way of the Philistines, lest, seeing war, they should repent and be discouraged. Young converts are generally saved from severe spiritual conflicts and heavy temptations till they have acquired a habit of believing, are disciplined in the school of Christ, and instructed in the nature of the path in which they go, and the difficulties they may expect to find in it. They are informed that such things may take place, they are thus armed for the battle, and when trials do come they are not taken by surprise. God, the most merciful and kind God, " tempers even the blast to the shorn lamb." Trust in him therefore with all thy heart, and never lean to thy own understanding.
4. The providence and goodness of God are equally observable in the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire The former was the proof of his providential kindness by day; the latter, by night. Thus he adjusts the assistances of his grace and Spirit to the exigencies of his creatures, giving at some times, when peculiar iiials require it, more particular manifestations of his mercy and goodness; but at all times, sucli evidences of his approbation as are sufficient to satisfy a pious faithful heart. It is true the pillar of fire was more observable in the nighl, because of the general darkness, than the pillar of cloud was by dai/; yet the latter was as convincing and as evident a proof of his presence, approbation, and protection;is the former. It is the duty and interest of every sound believer in Christ to have the witness of God's Spirit in his soul at all times, that his spirit and ways please his Maker; but in seasons of peculiar difficulty he may expect the more sensible manifestations of God's goodness. A good man is a temple of the Holy Spirit; but he who has an unlioly heart, and who lives an unrighteous life, though he may have an orthodox creed, is a hold of unclean spirits, and an abomination in the sight of the Lord. Reader, let not these observations be fruitless to thee. God gives thee his word and his Spirit, obey this word that thou grieve not this Spirit. The following figurative saying of a Jewish rabbin is worthy of regard: "God addresses Israel and says. My son, I give thee my lamp, give me thy lamp. If thou keep my lamp, I will keep ihy lamp; but if thou quench my lamp, I will extinguish ihy lamp:" i. e., I give thee my' word and Spirit, give me thy heart and soul. If thou carefully attend lo my word, and grieve not my Spirit, I will preserve thy soul alive; but if thou rebel against my word, and quench my Spirit, then thy light shall be put out, and thy soul's blessedness extinguished in everlasting darkness.
The Israelites encamp
The Israelites are commanded to encamp before Pi-hahiroth, 1,2. God predicts the pursuit of Pharaoh, 3,4. Pharaoh is informed that the Israelites are fled, and regrets that he suffered them tn depart, 5. He musters his troops and pursues them, G-8. Overtakes them in their encampment by the Red Sea, 9. The Israelites are terrified at his approach, 10. They murmur against Moses for leading them out, 11, 12. Moses encourages them, and assures them of deliverance, 13, 14. God cominands the Israelites to advance, and Moses to stretch out his rod over the sea that it might be divided, 15, IG; and promises utterly to discomfit the Egyptians, 17, 18. The angel of God places himself between the Israelites and the Egyptians, 1 9. The pillar of the cloud becomes darkness to the Egyptians, while it gives light to the Israelites, 20. Moses stretches out his rod, and a strong east wind blows, and the waters are divided, 2 1. The Israelites enter and walk on dry ground, 22, The Egyptians enter also in pursuit of the Israelites, 23. The Lord looks out of the pillar of cloud on the Egyptians, terrifies them, and disjoints their chariots, 24, 25. Moses is commanded to stretch forth his rod over the waters, that they may return to their former bed, 26. He does so, and the whole Egyptian army is overwhelmed, 27, 28, while every Israelite escapes, 29. Being thus saved from the hand of their adversaries, they acknowledge the power of God, and credit the mission of Moses, 30, 31.
Israel, '^ that they turn and encamp before '' Pi-iiahiroth, between "^ Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon; before it shall ye encamp by the sea.
Verse 2. Encamp before Pi-hahiroth] m'nn 'S pi hachiroth, the mouth, strait, or bay of Chiroth. Between Migdol, 7TJ3 migdol, the tower, probably a fortress that served to defend the bay. Over against Baal-zephon, ]3i' Si' 3 baal tsephon, the lord or master of the leatch, probably an idol temple, where a continual guard, watch, or light w.is kept up for the defence of one part of the haven, or as a guide to ships. Dr. Shaw thinks that chiroth may denote the valley which extended itself from the wilderness of Etham to ihj Red Sea, and that the part in which the Israelites encamped was called Pi-hachiroth, i. c, the mouth or bay of Chiroth. See his Travels, p. 310, and his account at the end of Exodus.
3 For Pharaoh will say of the A. M. 2513. children of Isra^cl, ''They are An. E.iod. isr! i, entangled in the land, the wilder- AbiborN.san. ness hath shut them in.
4 And " I will harden Pharaoh's heart, thatj he shall follow after them; and I '' w ill be I honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all liis host;]
himself brought them into straits from which no human I power or art could extricate them. Consider their i situation when once brought out of the open country, where alone they had room either to fight or fly. Now they had the Red.Sea before them, Pharaoh and his | host behind them, and on their right and left hand/«rtresscs of the Egyptians to prevent their escape; nor had they one boat or transport j)repared for their passage! If they be now saved, the arm of the I/ord must be seen, and the vanity and nullity of the Egyptian idols be demonstrated. By bringing them into such a situation he took from them all hope of human help, and gave their adversaries every advantage against them, so that they themselves said. They are entangled m the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
5 And it was told the kmg of Egypt that the people fled: and '' the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?
6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:
7 And he took ' six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.
8 And the Lord ^ hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and ^ the children of Israel went out with a high hand.
9 But the ™ Egyptians pursued after them, (all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army,) and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.
lenting and giving them permission to depart, he now changes his mind and determines to prevent them; and without any farther restraining grace, God permits him to rush on to his final ruin, for the cup of his iniquity was now full.
Verse 5. And it was told the king — that the people fled] Of their departure he could not be ignorant, because himself had given them liberty to depart: but the word_^e(/ here may be understood as implying that they had utterly left Egypt without any intention to return, which is probably what he did not expect, for he had only given them jiermission to go three days' journey into the wilderness, in order to sacrifice to Jehovah; but from the circumstances of their departure, and the property they had got from the Egyptians, it was taken for granted that they had no design to return; and this was in all likelihood the consideration that weighed most with this avaricious king, and determined him to pursue, and either recover the spoil or bring them back, or both. Thus the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we let Israel go from serving us? Here was the grand incentive to pursuit; their service was profitable to the state, and they were determined not to give it up.
Verse 7 Six hundred chosen chariots, cj-c] According to the most authentic accoimts we have of war-chariots, they were frequently drawn by two or by four horses, and carried three persons: one was charioteer, whose business it was to guide the horses
Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel " cried out unto the Lord.
11° And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
12 ^ Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
13 And Moses said unto the people, '^ Fear ye not, stand slill, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you to-day: ■■ for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14 '^ The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall ' hold your peace.
but he seldom fought; the second chiefly defended the charioteer; and the third alone was properly the combatant. It appears that in this case Pharaoh had collected all the cavalry of Egypt; (see ver. 17;) and though these might not have been very numerous, yet, humanly speaking, they might easily overcome the unarmed and encumbered Israelites, who could not be supposed to be able to make any resistance against cavalry and war-chariots.
Averse 10. The children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.] Had their prayer been accompanied with faith we should not have found them in the next verses murmuring against Moses, or rather against the Lord, through whose goodness they were now brought from under that bondage from which they had often cried for deliverance. Calraet thinks that the most pious and judicious cried unto God, while the unthinking and irreligious murmured against Moses.
Verse 13. Moses said — Fear ye not] This exhortation was not given to excite them to resist, for of that there was no hope; they were unarmed, they bad no courage, and their minds were deplorably degraded.
Stand stiW] Ye shall not be even workers together with God; only be quiet, and do not render yourselves wretched by your fears and your confusion.
See the salvation of the Lord] Behold the deliverance which God will work, independently of all human help and means.
Ye shall sec them again no more] Here was strong faith, but this was accompanied by the spirit of pro
1 6 But " hft thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the ciiildren of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the.sea.
17 And I, behold, I will " harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will "' get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
18 And the Egyptians " shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour
phecy. God showed Moses what he would do, he beheved, and therefore he spoke in the encouraging manner related above.
Verse 14. The Loi-d shall fight for you] Ye shall have no part in the honour of the day; God alone shall bring you off, and defeat your foes.
Ye shall huld your peace.] Your unbelieving fears and clamours shall be confounded, and ye shall see that by might none shall be able to prevail against the Lord, and that the feeblest shall take the prey when the power of Jehovah is exerted.
Verse 15. Wherefore criest thou unto me?] We hear not one word of Moses' praying, and yet here the Lord asks him why he cries unto him? From which we may learn that the heart of Moses was deeply engaged with God, 'bough it is probable he did not articulate one word; but the language of sighs, tears, and desires is equally intelligible to God with that of words. This consideration should be a strong encouragement to every feeble, discouraged mind; Thou canst not pray, but tliou canst weep; if even tears are denied thee, (for there may be deep and genuine repentance, where the distress is so great as to stop up those channels of relief,) then thou canst sigh; and God, whose Spirit has thus convinced thee of sin, righteousness, and judgment, knows thy unutterable groanings, and reads tlie inexpressible wish of thy burdened soul, a wish of which himself is the author, and which he has breathed into thy heart with the purpose to satisfy it.
Verse 16. Lift thou up thy rod] Neither Moses nor his rod could be any effective instrument in a work which could be accomplished only by the omnipotence of God; but it was necessary that he should appear 'n it, in order that he might have credit in tlie sight jf the Israelites, and that they might see that God had chosen him to be the in.strumcnl of their deliverance.
Verso 18. Shall Itnow that /am the Lord] Pharaoh had just recovered from the consternation and confusion with which the late plagues had overwhelmed liim, and now he is emboldened to pursue after Israel; and God is determined to make his overthrow so signal by such an exertion of omnipotence, that he shall
19 And the angel of God, Abib.rNi..n. y which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians, and the camp of Israel; and ^ it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
2 1 And Moses "■ stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and
get himself honour by this miraculous act, and that the Egyptians shall know, i. e., acknoivledge, that he is Jehovah, the omnipotent, self-existing, eternal God.
Verse 19. The angel of God] It has been thought by some that the angel, i. e., messenger, of the Lord, and the pillar of cloud, mean here the same thing. An angel might assume the appearance of a cloud; and even a material cloud thus particularly appointed might be called an angel or messenger of the Lord, for such is the literal import of the word "^xbo malach, an angel. It is however most probable that the Angel of the covenant, the Lord Jesus, appeared on this occasion in behalf of the people; for as this deliverance was to be an illustrious type of the deliverance of man from the power and guilt of sin by his incarnation and death, it might have been deemed necessary, in the judgment of Divine wisdom, that he should appear chief agent in this most important and momentous crisis. On the word angel, and Angel of the covenant, see the notes on Gen. xvi. 7; xviii. 1 3; and Exod. iii. 2.
Verse 20. // was a cloud and darhncss to them, cj-c] That the Israelites might not be dismayed at the appearance of their enemies, and that these might not be able to discern the object of Ihoir pursuit, the pillar of cloud moved from the front to the rear of the Israelitish camp, so as perfectly to separate between them and the Egyptians. It appears also that this cloud had two sides, one dark and the other luminous: the luminous side gave light to the whole camp of Israel during the night of passage; and the dark side, turned towards the pursuing Egyptians, prevented them from receiving any benefit from that light. How easily can God make the same thing an instrument of destruction or salvation, as seems best to his godly wisdom! He alone can work by all agents, and produce any kind of effect even by the same instrument; for all things serve the purposes of his will.
A'crse 2 1. The Lord caused the sea to go back] That part of the sea over which the Israelites passed was, according to Mr. Bruce and other travellers, about /our leagues across, and therefore might easily be crossed in one night. In the dividing of the sea Imo agents
went into the midst of the sea, upon the dry ground: and the waters were ® a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left.
23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all
appear to be employed, though the effect produced can be attributed to neither. By stretching out the rod the waters were divided; by tlie blowing of the vehement, ardent, east wind, the bed of the sea was dried. It has been observed, that in the place where the Israelites are supposed to have passed, the water is about fowrteen fathoms or twenty-eight yards deep: had the wind mentioned here been strong enough, naturally speaking, to have divided the waters, it must have blown in one narrow track, and continued blowing in the direction in which the Israelites passed; and a wind sufficient to have raised a mass of water twenty-eight yards deep and twelve miles in length, out of its bed, would necessarily have blown the whole six hundred thousand men away, and utterly destroyed them and their cattle. I therefore conclude that the east wind, which was ever remarked as a parching, burning vi'ind, was used after the division of the waters, merely to dry the bottom, and render it passable. For an account c)f the hot drying winds in the east, see the note on Gen. viii. 1. God ever puts the highest honour on his instrument, Nature; and where it can act, he ever employs it. No natural agent could divide these waters, and cause them to stand as a wall upon the right hand and upon the left; therefore God did it by his own sovereign power. When the waters were thus divided, there was no need of a miracle to dry the bed of the sea and make it passable; therefore the strong desiccating east wind was brought, which soon accomplished this object. In this light I suppose the te.xt should be understood.
Verse 22. And the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left.] This verse demonstrates that the passage was miraculous..Some have supposed that the Israelites had passed through, favoured by an extraordinary ebb, which happened at that time to be produced by a strong wind, which happened just then to blow! Had this been the case, there could not have been waters standing on the right hand and on the left; much less coul3 those waters, contrary to every law of fluids, have stood as a wall on either.side while the Israelites passed through, and then happen to become obedient to the laws of gravitation when the Egyptians entered in! An infidel may deny the revelation in toto, and from such we expect nothing better: but to hear those who profess to believe this to be a Divine revelation endeavouring to prove that the passage of the Red Sea had nothing miraculous in it, is really intolerable. Such a mode of interpretation requires a miracle to make itself credible. Poor
the morning watch ^ the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians, through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, 25 And took off their chariot wheels, s that
'See Psalm Ixxvii. 17, &c. ^Or, and made them to ga infidelity! how miserable and despicable are thy shifts!
Verse 24. The morning watch] A j«a/c7j was the fourth part of the time from sun-setting to sun-rising; so called from soldiers keeping guard by night, who being changed four times during the night, the periods came to be called watches. — Dodd.
As here and in 1 Sam. xi. 11 is mentioned the morning watch; so in Lam. ii. 19, the beginning of the watches; and in Judg. vii. 19, the middle watch is spoken of; in Luke xii. 38, the second and third watch; and in Matt, xiv 25, the fourth watch of the night; which in Mark xiii. 35 are named evening, midnight, cock-crowing, and day-dawning. — Ainsworth.
As the Israelites went out of Egypt at the vernal equinox, the morning watch, or, according to the Hebrew, 1p3n iTTDiVN^ beashmoreth habboher, the watch of day-breah, would answer to our four o'clock in the morning. — Calmet.
The Lord looked unto] This probably means that the cloud suddenly assumed a fiery appearance where it had been dark before; or they were appalled by violent thunders and lightning, which we are assured by the psalmi-st did actually take place, together with great inundations of rain, &c.: The clouds poured out water; the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad. The voice of thy thunder tims in the heaven; Me lightnings lightened the world; the earth TREiMBLED and SHOOK. Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great loaters. Thou leddest thy people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron; Psa. Ixxvii. 17—30. Such tempests as these would necessarily terrify the Egyptian horses, and produce general confusion. By their dashing hither and thither the wheels must be destroyed, and the chariots broken; and foot and horse must be mingled together in one universal ruin; see ver. 25. During the time that this state of horror and confusion was at its summit tlie Israelites had safely passed over; and then Moses, at the command of God, (ver. 26,) having stretched out his rod over the waters, the sea returned to its strength; (ver. 27;) i. e., the waters by their natural gravity resumed their level, and the whole Egyptian host were completely overwhelmed, ver. 28. But as to the Israelites, the waters had been a wall unto tliem on the right hand and on the left, ver. 29. This the waters could not have been, unless they had been supernaturally supported; as their own gravity would necessarily have occasioned them to have kept their level, or, if raised beyond it, to have regained it if left to their natural overwhelm the Egt/pitansi
A.M. 2513. thevdravc them heavily: so thai
An. Exod. isr. 1. tlic iiigvptians saiQ, Let us nee
Loud "^ fightelli for them against the Egyptians.
26 And the Lord said unto Moses, ' Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Eg)'plians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over ihe sea, and tlie sea '' returned to his strength when tlie morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lokd ' overthrew " the Egyptians in tlic midst of tlie sea.
28 And " the waters returned, and ° covered the chariots, and tlie horsemen, and all the
law, to which they are ever subject, unless in cases of miraculous interference. Thus the enemies of the Lord perished; ami that people who decreed that the male children of the Hebrews should be drowned, were themselves destroyed in the pit which they had destined for others. God's ways are all equal; and he renders to every man according to his works.
Verse 28. There remained not so much as one of them.'\ Josephus says that the army of Pharaoh consisted of fifly thousand horse, and two hundred thousand foot, of whom not one remained to carry tidings of this most extraordinary catastrophe.
A'erse 30. Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore.] By the extraordinary agitation of the waters, no doubt multitudes of the dead Eg\'ptians were cast on the shore, and by their spoils the Israelites were probably furnished with considerable riches, and especially clothing and arms; which latter were essentially necessary to them in their wars with the Arnalekites, Basanites, and Amorites, &c., on their way to the promised land. If they did not get their arms in this way, we know not how they got them, as there is not the slightest reason to believe that they brought any with them out of Egypt.
Verse 31. The people feared the Lord] They were convinced by the interference of Jehovah that his power was unlimited, and that he could do whatsoever he pleased, both in the way of judgment and in the way of mercy.
And believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.] They now clearly discerned that God had fulfilled all his promises; and that not one thing had failed of;dl the good which he had spoken concerning Israel. And they believed his servant Mo.^es — they had now the fullest proof that he was Divinely appointed to work all these miracles, and to bring them out of Egypt into the promised land.
Thus God got himself honour upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and credit in the sight of Israel. After this overthrow of their king and his host, the Egyptians interrupted them no more in their journevings, convinced « 370
host of Pharaoh, that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of
29 But f the children of Israel walked apon dry land, in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them, on their right hand, and on their left.
30 Thus the Lord i saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel ■■ saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore.
3 1 And Israel saw that great ' work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and ' believed the Lord, and his sen'ant Moses.
of the omnipotence of their Protector: and how strange, that after such displays of the justice and mercy of Jehovah, the Israelites should ever haTe been deficient in faith, or have given place to murmuring!
1. The events recorded in this chapter are truly astonishing; and they strongly mark what God can do, and what he will do, both against his enemies and in behalf of his followers. In vain are all the forces of Egj'pt united to destroy the Israelites: at the breath of God's mouth they perish; and his feeble, discouraged, unarmed followers take the prey! With such a histor)' before their eyes, is it not strange that sinners should run on frowardly in the path of transgression; and that those who are redeemed from the world, should ever doubt of the all-sufficiency and goodness of their God! Had we not already known the sequel of the Israelitish history, we should have i been led to conclude that this people would have gone j on their way rejoicing, trusting in God with their whole heart, and never leaning to their own understanding; but alas! we find that as soon as any new difficulty occurred, they murmured against God and their leaders, despised the pleasant land, and gave ne credence to his word.
2. Their case is not a solitary one: most of those | who are called Christians are not more remarkable for faith and patience. Even,- reverse will necessarily pain and discompose the people who are seeking theii portion in this life..Vnd it is a sure mark of a worldly mind, when we trust the God of Providence and grace no farther than wc see the operations of his hand in our immediate supply; and murmur and repine when the hand of his bounty seems closed, and the influences of his Spirit restrained, though our unthankful and unholy carriage has been the cause of this change. Those alone who humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, shall be lifted up in due season. Reader, thou canst never be deceived in trusting thy all, the concerns of thy body and soul, to Him wKo divided the sea, saved the Hebrews, and destroyed the Egyptians.
Moses and the Israelites sing a song of praise to God for their late deliverance, in which they celebrate the power of God-, glorioushj manifested in the destruction of Pharaoh and his host, 1; express their confidence in him as their strength and protector, 2, 3; detail the chief circumstances in the overthrow of the Egyptians, 4—8; and relate the purposes they had formed for the destruction of God's people, 9, and how he destroyed them in the imaginations of their hearts, 10. Jehovah is celebrated for the perfections of his nature and his wondrous works, 11—13. A prediction of the effect which the account of the destruction of the Egyptians should have on the Edomites, Moabites, and Canaanites, 14-16. A prediction of the establishment of Israel in the promised land, 17. The full chorus of praise, 18. Rccapitidation of the destruction of the Egyptians, and the deliverance of Israel, 19. Miriam and the women join in and prolong the chorus, 20, 21. The people travel three days in the wilderness of Shur, and find no water, 22. Coming to Marali, and finding bitter waters, they murmur against Moses, 23, 24. In ansiver to the prayer of Moses, God shows him a tree by tvhich the loaters are sweetened, 25. God gives them statutes and gracious promises, 26. They come to Elim, where they find twelve wells of water and seventy palm treeSj and there they encamp, 27.
A. M. 2513. 'pHEN sang ^ Moses and the All. Exod. isr. 1. children of Israel this song
. NOTES ON CHAP. XV. Verse 1. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song'\ Poetry has been cultivated in all ages and among all people, from the most refined to the most barbarous; and to it principally, under the kind providence of God, we are indebted for most of the original accounts we have of the ancient nations of the universe. Equally measured lines, with a harmonious collocation of expressive, sonorous, and sometimes highly metaphorical terms, the alternate lines either answering to each other in sense, or ending with similar sounds, were easily committed to memory, and easily retained. As these were often accompanied with a pleasing air or tune, the subject being a concatenation of striking and interesting events, histories formed thus became the amusement of youth, the softeners of the tedium of labour, and even the solace of age. In such a way the histories of most nations have been preserved. The interesting events celebrated, the rhythm or metre, and the accompanying tune or recitativo air, rendered them easily transmissible to posterity; and by means of tradition they passed safely from father to son through the times of comparative darkness, till they arrived at those ages in which the pe7i and the press have given them a sort of deathless duration and permanent stability, by multiplying the copies. Many of the ancient historic and heroic British tales are continued by tradition among the aboriginal inhabitants of Ireland to the present day; and the repetition of them constitutes the chief amusement of the winter evenings. Even the prose histories, which were written on the ground of the poetic, copied closely their exemplars, and the historians themselves were obliged to study all the beauties and ornaments of style, that their works might become popular; and to this circumstance we owe not a small measure of what is termed refinement of language. How observable is this in the history of Herodotus, who appears to have closely copied the ancient poetic records in his inimitable and harmonious prose; and, that his books might bear as near a resemblance as possible to the ancient and popular originals, he divided them into nine, and dedicated each to one of the muses! His work therefore seems to occupy the same place between the ancient poetic coynpositions and mere prosaic histories, as the polype does between plants and animals. Much even of our sacred records is written in poetry, which God has thus consecrated to be the faithful transmitter of remote and important events; and of this the song before the reader is a proof in point. Though this is not the first specimen of poetry we have met with in the Pentateucli, (see Lamech's speech to his wives. Gen. iv. 23, 24; Noah's prophecy concerning his sons, chap. ix. 25-27; and Jacob's blessing to the twelve patriarchs, chap, xli.x. 2—27, and the notes there,) yet it is the first regular ode of any considerable length,. having but one subject; and it is all written in hemistichs, or half lines, the usual form in Hebrew poetry; and though this form frequently occurs, it is not attended to in our common printed Hebrew Bibles, except in this and three other places, (Dent, xxxii., Judg. v., and 2 Sam. xxii.,) all of which shall be noticed as they occur. But in Dr. Kennicott's edition of the Hebrew Bible, all the poetry, wheresoever it occurs, is printed in its own hemistich form.
After what has been said it is perhaps scarcely necessary to observe, that as such ancient poetic histories commemorated great and extraordinary displays o( providence, courage, strength, fidelity, heroism, and piety; hence the origin of epic poems, of which the song in this chapter is the earliest specimen..-\nd on the principle of preserving the memory of sucli events, most nations have had their epic poets, who have generally taken for their subject the most splendid or most remote events of their country's history, which either referred to the formation or extension of their empire, the exploits of their ancestors, or the establishment of their religion. Hence the ancient Hebrews had their Shir Mosheh,the piece in question; the Greeks, their rider halh he the sea. 2 The Lord is my strengtli and he is become my salvation:
Bias; the Hindoos, their Mahabarat; the Romans, their JRneis; the Norwegians, their Kdda; the Irish and Scotch, their Fingal and Chrnnolngical ■poems; the Welsh, their Taliessitiand liis Triads; the Arabs, their Nchiun-Ncimcli (exploits of Mohammed) and Hamleh Hccdry, (c.xploit.s of A!y;) the Persians, their Shah Sameh, (hook of kings;) the Italians, their Gentsalemme Lthcrata; the Portuguese, their Lusiad; the English, their Paradise Lost; and, in humlile imitation of all the rest, {etsi non passibus aijtiis,) the French, their Henriade.
The song of M(}sps has been in the highest repute in the Church of God from the beginning; the author of the Book of Wisdom attributes it in a particular manner to the wisdom of God, and sa5's that on this occasion God opened the mouth of the dumb, and made the tongues of infants eloquent; chap. X. 2 1. As if he had s:.;d, Every person felt an interest in the great evcnt.=i which had taken place, and all laboured to give Jehovah that praise which was due to his name. " With this song of victory over Pharaoh," says Mr. Ainsworth, " the Holy Ghost compares the song of those who have gotten the victory over the spiritual Pharaoh, the beast. (Antichrist,) when they stand by the sea of glass mingled leith fire, (as Israel stood here by the Red Sea,) having the harps of God, (as the women here had timbrels, vrr. 20,) and they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, the Son of God;" Rev. xv. 2-4.
I will sing unto the Lord] Moses begins the song, and in the two first hemistichs states the subject of it; and these two first lines became the grand chorus of the piece, as we may learn from ver. 21. See Ur. Kennicott's arrangement and translation of this piece at the end of this chapter.
Triumphed gloriously'] nXJ DNJ O hi gaoh gaah, he is exceedingly exalted, rendered by the Septuagint, Eiv'ofor yap ikih^aaTai, He is gloi-iously glorified; and surely this was one of the most signal displays of the glorious majesty of God ever exhibited since the creation of the world. And when it is considered that the whole of this transaction shadowed out the redemption nf the human race from the thraldom and power of sin and iniquity by the Lord Jesus, and the final triumph of the Church of God over.all its enemies, we may also join in the song, and celebrate Him who has triumphed so gloriously, having conquered death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Verse 2. The Lord is my strength and song] How judiciously are the members of this sentence arranged! He who has God for his st7-rngth, will have him for his.501^; and he to whom Jehovah is become salvation, will exalt his name. I^liserably and untunably, in the eats of God, does that man sing praises, who is not saved by the grace of Christ, nor strengthened by the power of his might.
It is worthy of observation that the word which we translate Lord here, is not niH' Jehovah in the original, but n' Jah; " as if by abbreviation," says Mr. Parkhurst, "for T\T\' yeheieh or TT yehi. It signifies-J the Essence 'O ilN, He who IS, simply, absolutely,] and independently. The relation between H" Jah and the verb rrn, to.nthsist, exist, be, is intimated to us the first time H' Jah is used in Scripture, (Exod. xv. 2:) ' My strength and my song j> rT" Jah, and he is become (TI'I vajehi) to me salvation.' " See Psa. Ixviii. 5; Ixxxix. 6; xeiv. 7; cxv. 17, 18; cxviii. 17.
Jah TV is several times joined with the name Jehovah niri', so that we may he sure that it is not, as some have supposed, a mere ahhreviation of that word. See Isa. xii. 2; xxvi. 4. Our blessed Lord solemnly claims to himself what is intended in this Divine name n' Jah, John viii. 58: "Before Abraham was, {ytvea- 6ai, Idas born,) eyu eiju, I AM," not I was, but / am, plainly intimating his Divine eternal existence. Compare Isa. xliii. 13. And the Jews appear to have well understood him, for then tools they vp stones to cast at him as a blasphemer. Compare Col. i. 16, 17, where the Apostle Paul, after asserting tliat all things that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, were created, eKTiarai, by and for Christ, adds. And HE IS {avro^ can, not t/v, teas) before all things, and by him all things aweoTTiKe, have subsisted, and still subsist. See Parkhurst.
From this Divine name H" Jah the ancient Greeks had their I??, I'/, in their invocations of the gods, particularly of Apollo (the nncompounded one) the light, and hence ei, written after the oriental manner from right to left, afterwards lE, was inscribed over the great door of the temple at Delphi! See the note on chap. iii. 14, and the concluding observations there.
I will prepare him a habitation] ITtlJNI veanvehu. It has been supposed that Moses, by this expression, intended the building of the tabernacle; but it seems to come in very strangely in this place. Most of the ancient versions understood the original in a very different sense. The Vulgate has et glorificabo evm; the Septuagint to^aaa avrov, I will glorifv him; with which the Syriac, Coptic, the Targum of Jonathan, and the Jerusalem Targum, agree. From the Targum of Onkclos the present translation seems to hare been originally derived; he has translated the place npO nS 'J::N1 veclmei leh makda.^h, " And I will build him a sanctuary," which not one of the other versions, the Persian excepted, acknowledges. Our own old translations are generally different from the present: Coverdale, " This my God, I will magnify him;" Matthew's, Cranmer's, and the Bishops'" Bible, render it glorify, and the sense of the place seems to require it. Calmet, Ilonbigant, Kcnnicott, and other critics, contend for this translation.
in. E.\od. Isr. 1. the LoRD IS his "name. ^""^ "' ^'''^°- 4 ' Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: '' his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 ' The depths have covered them: " they sank into the bottom as a stone.
6 " Thy right hand, 0 Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, 0 Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
7 And in the greatness of thine " excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which ^ consumed them 1 as stubble.
who translates the original, '3N Tlbs Elohey ahi, Deus meus, pater mens est, "My God is my Father." Every man may call the Divine Being kis God; but only those who are his children by adoption through grace can call him their Father. This is a privilege which God has given to none but his children. See Gal. iv. (i.
Verse 3. The Lord is a man of tvar] Perhaps it would be better to translate the words, Jehovah is the man or hero of the battle. As we scarcely ever apply the term to any thing but first-rate armed vessels, the ohange of the translation seems indispensable, though the common rendering is literal enough. Besides, the object of Moses was to show that mail had no part in this victory, but that the whole was wrought by the miraculous power of God, and that therefore he alone should have all the glory.
The Lord is his name.] That is, Jehovah. He has now, as the name implies, given complete existence to all his promises. See the notes on Gen. ii. 4, and Exod. vi. 3.
Verse 4. Pharaoh's chariots — his host — his chosen captains'] On such an expedition it is likely that the principal Egyptian nobility accompanied their king, and that the overthrow they met with here had reduced Egypt to the lowest extremity. Had the Israelites been intent on plunder, or had Moses been influenced by a spirit of ambition, how easily might both have gratified themselves, as, had they returned, they might have soon overrun and subjugated the whole land.
Verse 7. In the greatness of thine excellency] To this wonderful deliverance the Prophet Isaiah refers, chap. Ixiii. 11-14: "Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying. Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he that put his Holy.Spirit within him? That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name? That led them through the deep, as a horse in the wilderness, that
8 And ■■ with the blast of thy A. M. 2513. nostrils the waters were gathered An. Exod. isr! 1. together, nhe floods stood up- Abib or Nisan. right as a heap, and the depths were congealea in the heart of the sea.
9 ' The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will " divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall ' destroy them.
10 Thou didst "" blow with thy wind, "^ the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
11^ Who is like unto thee, 0 Lord, among the ^ gods? who is like thee, " glorious in
they should not stumble 1 As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest; so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name."
Verse 8. The depths were congealed] The strong east wind (chap. xiv. 21) employed to dry the bottom of the sea, is here represented as the blast of God's nostrils that had congealed or frozen the waters, so that they stood in heaps like a wall on the right hand and on the left.
Verse 9. The enemy said] As this song was composed by Divine inspiration, we may rest assured that these words were spoken by Pharaoh and his captains, and the passions they describe felt, in their utmost sway, in their hearts; but how soon was their boasting confounded? " Thou didst blow with thy wind, and the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters!"
Verse 11. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods.'] We have already seen that all the Egyptian gods, or the objects of the Egyptians' idolatry, were confounded, and rendered completely despicable, by the ten plagues, which appear to have been directed principally against them. Here the people of God exult over them afresh: Who among these gods is like unto Thee? They can neither save nor destroy; Thou dost both in the most signal manner.
As the original words niD" aV.S3 nODD '0 mi chamochah baelim Ychovah are supposed to have constituted the motto on the ensign of the Asmoneans, and to have furnished the name of Maccabeus to Judas, their grand captain, from whom they were afterwards called Maccabeans, it may be necessary to say a few words on this subject. It is possible that Judas Maccabeus might have had this motto on his ensign, or at least the itiitial letters of it, for such a practice was not uncommon. For instance, on the Roman standard the letters S. P. Q. R. stood for Senatus Populus Que Romanus, i. e. the Senate and Roman People; and ' 3:: a M. C. B. I. might have stood for Mi Chamochah Baelim Jehovah, " Who among the gods (or strong
13 Thou in thy mercy hast •' led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto " thy holy habitation.
14 'The people shall hear, and be afraid: s sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
15 ''Then * the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; '' the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; ' all tlie inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
ones) is like unto thee, 0 Jehovah!" But it appears from the Greek tilaxicalSaioi, and also the Syriac t trir\Sf% makahi, that the name was written originally with p hoph, not 0 caph. It is most likely, as Michaelis has observed, that the name must have been derived from 3p"3 makkab, 3, hammer or mallet; hence Judas, because of his bravery and success, might have been denominated the hammer or mallet by which the enemies of God had been beaten, pounded, and broken to pieces. Judas, the hammer of the Lord.
Glorious in holiness] Infinitely resplendent in this attribute, essential to the perfection of the Divine nature.
Fearful in praises] Such glorious holiness cannot be approached without the deepest reverence and fear, even by angels, who veil their faces before the majesty of God. How then should man, who is only sin and dust, approach the presence of his Maker!
Doing wonders?] Every part of the work of God is wonderful; not only miracles, which imply an inversion or suspension of the laws of nature, but every part of nature itself Who can conceive how a single blade of grass is formed; or how earth, air, and water become consolidated in the body of the oak 1 And who can comprehend how the different tribes of plants and animals are preserved, in all the distinctive characteristics of their respective natures 1 And who can conceive how the human being is formed, nourished, and its different ])arts developed! \Vliat is the true cause of the circulation of the blood 1 or, how different aliments produce the solids and lluids of the animal machine 1 What is life, sleep, death? And how an impure and unholy soul is regenerated, purified, refined, and made like unto its great Creator? These are wonders which God alone works, and to himself only are they fully known.
16 "Fear and dread shall fall a.m. 2513. upon them; by the greatness of An.Exod.lsr. 1. tiiine arm, they shall be as still -^''"'"^""'- " as a stone; till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, ° which thou hast purchased.
17 Thou shall bring them in; and ''plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the 1 sanctuary, 0 Lord, which thy hands have established.
1 8 ' The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.
1 9 For the ' horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the
multitudes were overwhelmed by the waters, whose dead bodies were afterward thrown ashore. The psalmist strongly intimates that there was an earthquake on this occasion: The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven; the lightnings lightened the world; the EARTH TREMBLED and SHOOK; Psa. Ixxvii. 18.
A'^erse 13. Thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.] As this ode was dictated by the Spirit of God, it is most natural to understand this and the following verses, to the end of the 18th, as containing a prediction of what God would do for this people which he had so miraculously redeemed. On this mode of interpretation it would be better to read several of the verbs in the future tense.
Verse 15. The dukes of Edom] Idumea was governed at this time by those called D'3'7N' alluphjm, ^ heads, chiefs, or captains. See the note on Gen.
Averse 16. Till thy people pass over] Not over the! Red Sea, for that event had been already celebrated; I but over the desert and Jordan, in order to be brought] into the promised land.
Verse 17. Thou shall bring them fn] By thy strength and mercy alone shall they get the promisedl inheritance.
And plant them] Give them ^ fixed habitation inj Canaan, after their unsettled wandering life in the j wilderness.
In the mountain] Meaning Canaan, which was a^ very mountainous country, Deut. xi. 11; or probably Mount Zion, on which the temple was built. Where the pure worship of God was established, there the people might expect both rest and safety. Wherever the purity of religion is established and preserved, and the high and the low endeavour to regulate their lives according to its precepts, the government of that country is likely to be permanent.
Verse 18. The Lord shall reign for ever ond ever.] This is properly the grand chorus io which all the people joined. The words arc expressive of God%
An. Kxod. isr. 1. the watcrs 01 tlie sea upon them; AbiborNisan. {^^j jj^^ children of Israel went
20 And Miriam " the prophetess, " the sister of Aaron, ^ took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her ' with timbrels and with dances.
everlasting dominion, not only in the world, but in the Church; not only under the law, but also under the Gospel; not only in time, but through eternity. The original n>n dSj'^ leolam vaed may be translated, for ever and onward; or, by our very expressive compound term, for evermore, i. e. for ever and more — not only through time, but also through all duration. His dominion shall be ever the same, active and infinitely extending. With this verse the song seems to end, as with it the hemistichs or poetic lines terminate. The 20th and beginning of the 21st are in plain prose, but the latter part of the 21st is in hemistichs, as it contains the response made by Miriam and the Israelitish women at different intervals during the song. See Dr. Kennicott's arrangement of the parts at the end of this chapter.
Verse 20. And Miriam the prophetess'] We have already seen that Miriam was older than either Moses or Aaron: for when Moses was exposed on the Nile, she was a young girl capable of managing the stratagem used for the preservation of his life; and then Aaron was only three years and three months old, for he was fourscore and three years old when Moses was but fourscore, (see chap. vii. 7;) so that Aaron was older than Moses, and Miriam considerably older than either, not less probably than nine or ten years of age. See on chap. ii. 2.
There is great diversity of opinion on the origin of the name of Miriam, which is the same with the Greek Mapia;/, the Latin Maria, and the English Mary. Some suppose it to be compounded of ^o mar, a drop, (Isa. xl. 15,) and D' yam, the sea, and that from this etymology the heathens formed their Veuus, whom they feign to have sprung from the sea. St. Jerome gives several etymologies for the name, which at once show how difficult it is to ascertain it: she who enlightens me, or she ivho enlightens them, or the star of the sea. Others, the lady of the sea, the bitterness of the sea, (Sj-c. It is probable that the first or the lafit is the true one, but it is a matter of little importance, as we have not the circumstance marked, as in the case of Moses and many others, that gave rise to the name.
The prophetess] ns'3:n hannebiah. For the meaning of the word prophet, N'33 nabi, see the note on Gen. KX. 7. It is very likely that Miriam was inspired l)y the Spirit of God to instruct the Hebrew women, as Moses and Aaron were to instruct the men; and when she and her brother Aaron sought to share in the government of the people with Moses, we find ber laying claim to the prophetic influence. Num. xii. 2:
2 1 And Miriam ^ answered A. M. 2513. them, ^ Sing ye to the Lord, for he An. Exod. isr.' 1 hath triumphed gloriously: the Abib or Nisan. horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
22 So Moses brouglit Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of ^ Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
Halh the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not SPOKEN.\Lso by us \ And that she was constituted joint leader of the people with her two brothers, we have the express word of God by the Prophet Micah, chap. vi. 4: For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt — and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Hence it is very likely that she was the instructress of the women, and regulated the times, places, &c., of their devotional acts; for it appears that from the beginning to the present day the Jewish women all worshipped apart.
A timbrel] ^n toph, the same word which is translated tabret. Gen. xxxi. 27, on which the reader is desired to consult the note.
And with dances.] phr\i2 mecholoth. Many learned men suppose that this word means some instruments of wind music, because the word comes from the root SSn chalal, the ideal meaning of which is to perforate, penetrate, pierce, stab, and hence to wound. Pipes or hollow tubes, such a.s flutes, hautboys, and the like, may be intended. Both the Arabic and Persian understand it as meaning instruments of music of the pipe, drum, or sistrum kind; and this seems to comport better with the scope and design of the place than the term dances. It must however be allowed that religious dances have been in use from the remotest times; and yet in most of the places where the term occurs in our translation, an instrument of?nusic bids as fair to be its meaning as a dance of any kind. Miriam is the first prophetess on record, and by this we find that God not only poured out his Spirit upon men, but upon women also; and we learn also that Miriam was not only a prophetess, but a poetess also, and must have had considerable skill in music to have been able to conduct her part of these solemnities. It may appear strange that during so long an oppression in Egypt, the Israelites were able to cultivate the fine arts; but that they did so there is the utmost evidence from the Pentateuch. Not only architecture, weaving, and such necessary arts, were well known among thera, but also the arts that are called ornamental, such as those of the goldsmith, lapidary, embroiderer, furrier, &c., of which we have ample proof in the construction of the tabernacle and its utensils. However ungrateful, rebellious, &c., the Jews may have been, the praise of industry and economy can never be denied them. In former ages, and in all places even of their dispersions, they appear to have been frugal and industrious, and capable of great proficiency in the most elegant and curious arts; but they are now greatly degenerated.
A. M. C!5i3. 23 And when they came to An. Exo<l. Isr.i. ''Marah, they could not drink ^'"'^"^'^'■°- of the waters of Marah, for they luere bitter: therefore the name of it was called ' Marah.
24 And the people '' murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
25 And he ° cried unto llic Lord; and the Lord showed him a ^tree, ^ which when he
Verse 23. Marah] So called from the W(«t jca/cr* found there. Dr. Shaw conjectures that this place is the same as that now called Corondcl, where there is still a small rill which, if not diluted with dews or rain, continues brackish. See his account at the end of Exodus.
Verse 24. The people murmured] They were in a state of great mental degradation, owing to their long and oppressive vassalage, and had no firmness of character. See the note on chap. xiii. 17.
Verse 25. He cried unto the Lord] Moses was not only their leader, but also their mediator. Of prayer and dependence on the Almight)', the great mass of the Israelites appear to have had little knowledge at this time. Moses, therefore, had much to bear from their weakness, and the merciful Lord was long-suffering.
The Lord showed him a tree] ^Vhat this tree was we know not: some think that the tree was extremely bitter itself, such as the quassia; and that God acted in this as he generally does, correcting contraries by contraries, which, among the ancient physicians, was a favourite maxim, Clams clavo eipellitur. The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem say that, when Moses prayed, " the word of the Lord showed him the tree ■J3T1X ardiphncy, on which he wrote the great and precious name of (Jehovah,) and then threw it into the waters, and the waters thereby became sweet." But what the tree ardiphney was we are not informed.
Many suppose that this tree which healed the bitter waters was symbolical of the cross of our blessed Redeemer, that has been the means of healing infected nature, and through the virtue of which the evils and bitters of life.ire sweetened, and rendered subservient to the best interests of God's follower.?. Whatever may be in the metaphor, this is true in fact; and hence the greatest of apostles gloried in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world was crucified to him and he unto the world.
It appears that those waters were svreetened only for that occasion, as Dr. Shaw reports them to be still brackish, which appears to be occasioned hy the abundance of natron which prevails in the surrounding soil. Thus we may infer that the natural cause of their bitterness or brackishness was permitted to resume its operations, when the occasion that rendered the change necessary had ceased to exist. Thus Christ simply had cast into the waters, the A. M. zjii waters were made sweet. 1 here An. Eiod. i«r. l he ••made for them a statute ^''"' "' ^""»°- and an ordinance, and there ' he proTed them
26 And said, '' If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all
changed that water into wine which was to be drawn out to be carried to the master of the feast; the rest of the water in the pots remaining as before. As the water of the Nile was so peculiarly excellent, to which they had been long accustomed, they could not easily put up with what was indifferent. See the note on chap. vii. 18.
There he made for therri] Though it is probable that the Israelites are here intended, yet the word 1*7 lo should not be translated for them, but to him, for these statutes were given to Moses that he might deliver them to the people.
There he proved them.] yT\Oi nissahu, he proved HIM. By this murmuring of the people he proved Moses, to see, speaking after the manner of men, whether he would be faithful, and, in the midst of the trials to which he was likely to be exposed, whether he would continue to trust in the Lord, and seek all his help from him.
Verse 26. If thou wilt diligently hearken] What is contained in this verse appears to be what is intended by the statute and ordinance mentioned in the preceding: If thou wilt diligently hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, J^c. This statute and ordinance implied the three following particulars: 1. That they should acknowledge Jehovah for their God, and thus avoid all idolatry. 2. That they should receive his word and testimony as a Divine revelation, binding on their hearts and lives, and thus be saved from profligacy of every kind, and from acknowledging the maxims or adopting the customs of the neighbouring nations. 3. That they should continue to do so, and adorn their profession with a holy life. These things being attended to, then the promise of God was, that they should have none of the diseases of the Egyptians put on them; that they should be kept in a state of health of body and peace of mind; and if at any time they should be afflicted, on application to God the evil should bo removed, because he was their healer or physician — / am the Lord that healeth thee. That the Israelites had in general a veri- good state of health, their history warrants us to believe; and when they were afflicted, as in the case of the fiery serpents, on application to God they were all healed. The Targum of Jonathan ben I'z/.iel stales that the statutes which Moses received at this time were commandments coa-
*7^e Israelites encamp by the his statutes, I will put none of
An. Exod. isr. 1. these ' diseases upon thee, which AbiborNisan. j j^^^^ brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord " that healeth thee.
27 ° And they came to Elim, A. M. 2513. where were twelve wells of water, An^E«d. uii 1. and threescore and ten palm trees: ^bib or Niaan. and they encamped there by the waters.
ceming the observance of the Sabbath, duty to parents, the ordinances concerning wounds and bruises, and the penalties which sinners should incur by transgressing them. But it appears that the general ordinances already mentioned are those which are intended here, and this seems to be proved beyond dispute by Jer. vii. 22, 23: " For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offerings or sacrifices: but this thing commanded I them, saying. Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."
Verse 27. The>/ came to Elim] This was in the desert of Sin, and, according to Dr. Shaw, about two leagues from Tor, and thirty from Marah or Corondel.
Twelve wells of water] One for each of the tribes of Israel, say the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem.
Dr. Shaw found nine of the twelve wells, the other three having been choked up with sand; and the seventy palm trees multiplied into more than 2000, the dates of which bring a considerable revenue to the Greek monks at Tor. See his account at the end of this book, and see also the map. Thus sufficient evidence of the authenticity of this part of the sacred history remains, after the lapse of more than 3000 years.
In the preceding notes the reader has been referred to Dr. Kennicott's translation and arrangement of the song of Moses. To this translation he prefixes the following observations: —
" This triumphant ode was sung by Moses and the sons of Israel: and the women, headed by Miriam, answered the men by repeating the two first lines of the song, altering only the first word, which two lines were probably sung more than once as a chorus.
" The conclusion of this ode seems very manifest; and yet, though the ancient Jews had sense enough to write this song differently from prose; and though their authority has prevailed even to this day in this and three other poems in the Old Testament, (Deut. xxii.; Judg. V.; and 2 Sam. xxii.,) still expressed by them as poetry; yet have these critics carried their ideas of the song here to the end of verse 19. The reason Vvhy the same has been done by others probably is, they thought that the particle O/or, which begins verse 19, necessarily connected it with the preceding poetry. But this difficulty is removed by translating O when, especially if we take verses 19-21 as being a. prose explanation of the manner in which this song of triumph was performed. For these three verses say that the men singers were answered in the chorus by Miriam and the women, accompanying their words with musical instruments. ' When the horse of Pharaoh had gone into the sea, and the Lord had brought the sea
upon them; and Israel had passed, on dry land, in the midst of the sea; then Miriam took a timbrel, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dances; and Miriam (with the women) answered them (□n'? lahem, the men, by way of chorus) in the words, O sinir ye, &c.' That this chorus was sung more than once is thus stated by Bishop Lowth: Maria, cum mulieribus, virorum choro identidem siiccinebat. — Pra3lect. 19.
" I shall now give what appears to me to be an exact translaton of this whole song: —
I wiU sing to Jehovah, for he hath triumphed
gloriously; The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
2. My strength and my song is Jehov.\h; And he is become to me for salvation: This is my God, and I wiU celebrate him; The God of ray father, and I will exalt him.
3. Jehovah is mighty in 'i „,,
Jehovah is his name! J '
Chorus, by Miriam and the loomen.
Perhaps sung first in this place.
O sing ye to Jehovah, for he hath triumphed gloriously!
The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea
4. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into
the sea; And his chosen captains are drowned in the Red Sea.
5. The depths have covered them, they went down; (They sank) to the bottom as a stone.
6. Thy right hand, Jehovah, is become glorious in
power; Thy right hand, Jehovah, dasheth in pieces the enemy.
7. And in the greatness of thine excellence thou
overthrowest them that rise against thee. Thou sendest forth thy wrath, which consumeth them as stubble.
8. Even at the blast of thy displeasure the waters
are gathered together; The floods stand upright as a heap, Congealed are the depths in the very heart of the sea. O sing ye to Jehovah, &c. Chorus by the women.
9. The enemy said: ' I will pursue, I shall overtake i I shall divide the spoil, my soul shall be satiated
with them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them^
10. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea coveie4
them; They sank as lead m the mighty waters.
11. Who is like thee among the gods, O Jehovah? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness!
come to the wilderness of Sinj,
12. Fearful in praises; performing wonders! Thou strelchcst out thy right hand, the eartli swal-
13. Thou in tliy mercy leadest the people whom thou
hast redeemed; Thou in thy strength guidest to the habitation of thy holiness! O sing ye to Jehovah, &c. Chorus by the women.
14. The nations have heard, and are afraid; Sorrow hath seized the inhabitants of Palestine.
15. Already are the dukes of Edom in consternation, And the mighty men of Moab, trembling hath
seized them; All the inhabitants of Canaan do faint.
16. Fear and dread shall fall upon them; Through the greatness of thine arm they shall be
still as a stone:
17. Till thy people, Jehovah, pass over [Jordan;] Till the people pass over whom thou hast redeemed.
16. Thou shall bring them and plant them in the mount
of thine inheritance: The place for thy rest which thou, Jehovah, hast
made; The sanctuary, Jehovah, which thy hands have
Grand chorus by all. Jeiiotah for ever and ever shall reion."
1. When poetry is consecrated to the service of God, anil employed as above to commemorate his marvellous acts, it then becomes a very useful karidinaid to piety, and God is honoured by his gifts. God inspire<l the song of Moses, and perhaps from this verj circumstance it has passed for current among the most polished of the heathen nations, that a poet is a person Divinely inspired; and hence the epithet of npo^-rri^, prophet, and votes, of the same import, was given them among the Greeks and Romans.
2. The song of Moses is a proof of the miraculous passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea. There has been no period since the Hebrew nation left Egypt in which this song was not found among them, as composed on that occasion, and to comntemorate that event. It may be therefore considered as completely authentic as any living witness could be who had himself passed through the Red Sea, and whose life had been protracted through all the intervening ages to the present day
3. We have already seen that it is a song of triumph for the deliverance of the people of God, and that it was intended to point out the final salvation and triumph of the whole Church of Christ; so that in the heaven of heavens the redeemed of the Lord, both among the Jews and the Gentiles, shall unite together to sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. See Rev. XV. 2—4. Reader, implore the mercy of God to enable thee to make thy calling and election sure, that thou mayest bear thy part in this glorious and eternal triumph.
The Israelites journey from Elim, and come to the wilderness o/Sin, 1. They murmur for lack oj bread, 2, 3. God promises to rain bread from heaven for them, 4, of luhich they ivere to collect a double portion on the sixth day, 5. A miraculous supply of flesh in the evening and bread in the morning, promised, 6—9. The glory of the Lord appears in the cloud, 10. Flesh and bread promised as a proof of God's care over them, 11, 12. Quails come and cover the whole camp, 13. And a dew fell which left a small round substance on the ground, which Moses tells them tuas the b-ead which God had.sent, 14, 15. Directions for gathering it, 16. The Israelites gather each an omer, 17, 18. They are directed to leave none of it till the next day, 19; luhich some neglecting, it became putrid, 20. They gather it every 7noming, because it melted when the sun waxed hot, 21. Each person gathers two omers on the sixth day, 22. Moses commands them to keep the seventh as a Sabbath to the Lord, 23. What was laid up for the Sabbath did not putrefy, 24. Nothing of it fell on that day, hence the strict observance of the Sabbath ivas enjoined, 25-30. The Israelites name the substance that fell with the dew manna; its appearance and taste described, 3 1. An omer of the manna is commanded to be laid up for a memorial of Jehovah's kindness, 32-34. The manna now sent continued daily for the space of foTty years, 35. How much an omer contained, 36.
A ND they " took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of '■ Sin, which