Commentary on the Holy Bible

Verse 2. A rod] naa matteh a s<q^, probably bis shg>- herd'a croc^i see Levit. xzvii. 32. Aa it waa made iba inatrument of working many miracles, it was afterwaid called the rod of God: see ver. 20.

Verse 3. A eopent] Of what sort we know not, as the word vm naduuh, ia a geneial name for serpents, and also means several other tbinga, see aen.iii. 1. out itvM eitlier of a kind that be bad not seen before, ortmethatbe knewtobedangeraasi foritisaud, h«,j(ed./Vea»H^Fett. Some aup|>ose the staff was Aanged into a enmaitt, aee on chap. vii. 7,

Verse 4. Be put forth his hand and caught it} Coe- Bidering the li^t in which Hoses had vieweil this serpen^ it required considerable faith to induce him thus implidtly to obey the command of God; but be obeyed, and the noxious serpent became instantly the wfi»Miili»i« rod ia hia liood 1 Implicit faith and obedience eonqtier ail diffir cuhies t and he who believes in God, And obc^ bin ia all things, has really nothing to fear.

Verae 5. 7%a^ they may belieTe'\ Thia ia an example of what is called an imperfect or unbniahed speech; aevwal of which occur in ibe Sacred Writings. It may be thus supplied. Do Oiia b^bre them, tbat they 017 baline dial the Lord — bath i^jpeared unto tftee.

Verse 6. Hie hand waa teprome ae mov.} That isi the leprosy spread itself over ine wltole body in thin leMie scales, and from thia aftpearaaoe it baa its Greek name xivfn, from x»ri(, aeeoje. Dr. Head aays, "Ibaveseana remarkable case of this in a countryman, whoae whole body was so miserably seized with it, that his skin wo* aAiniti^as corcrsti with enow 1 and as the furfiiraoeeus acal« were daily rubbed off, the flesh appeared ouidb V raa underneath. The leprosy, at least among the Jaw^ wasamost inveterate and oontanous disorder; and deemed by them incurable. Among thenealhens, it was c«aatdered 08 inflicted by their gods, and it waa supposed that tbn alone could remove it. It ia certain tbat a similar beliat prevailed among the Israeliieat hence, when the king of Syria sent hia general, Noaman, to the king of taroel to cure him of hia leprosy, that be rent hia elodiea, sayiq& Am I God, to kiU and make ative, thai this man doth send unto me, to rtmver a man of hia leprosy? 2 Kings v. 7. Hus appeara, therefore, to be the reason why Qoi dnom this sign: as the iutaotaneaua infliction and removal ti tltia disease were demooetrations, which all would allow, ef the sovereign power oC God. We need, therefoca, seek for no other reasou for tbis mwaele i the esfs reasoa ii

9 And it thsB come to pass, IP Aey will not b«HevB also these two aiens, neither hearken nnio tfar voice, that thou shaH take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and * the water which thou takest out of the river ' i^aU become blood upon the dry land.

10 1 And Moses said onto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not ■ eloquent, neither » heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto ihy servant: but ^ I am slow of speedi, and of a slow tongue.

11 And the Loan said unto htm, " Who hath nade man's month 1 or who nakedi the dumb, or deaf, or die seeiocr, or ttae b^nit have not I tile Lord?

12 Now therefore go, and I will be ' wilb thy mon^, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

T«nee. fflheuvitt not belitn-OM voice ^^Jtnt mitnj&c.] Pnbuily intimating that BonewOQiQ be more dmleolt to be perauMed than others: some would yield ta ttie evidence of the _firat miracle; odiers would hesitate till (hey had seen the teeond; and otheni would not believe, till tbey had seen die water of (he Nile turned into blood, when poured upon the dry land; ver. 9.

Terae 10. luonot eloquent] o*vi v<m i6 lo iah debattm, t aninota man ywowb a pntphraaia, common ia ne Seriprares. SoJobxi. 2. BnnBVVMt£dL«pet(ty{m, a num n]9r rignifiei one that ia talAative. Ptai. cxl. IS. pwS VM tA laAoTi, B man tongvk^ aigniftes a prat- Oer. Bat how could it oe said that Moae« was not dogumt, when Sl Stephen 'auerta, Actis vii. 22. thai he wu mighty in vmrdt. a* well as in deeds? "niere are three ways of ■olviiur Uiia difficulty: 1. Moses might have had some BMana infinaitjr of a late standing, which, at that time, rendered it impossible for him to speak readily, and which he afterward overcame; so that though he was not then a man words, yet he might afterward have been mighty ia vnrds, as well as deeds. 2. It is possible he was BBt tntimstely acqnainled with the Hebrew toneue, so as to Speak dairly nod distinetty in it. T^e first forty yean of his life he had spent in E^ypt, chiefly at court; and diough it is very prooable there was an affinity between the two lane[ua^es, yet they certainly were not the same. "Hie last forty he had spent in Hidi&q, and K is not likely that the pore Hebrew ton^ prevuled there, tho^di it is probable that a dialect of it was there spoken. On these accounts, Motes might find it difficult to express himself widi that readiness and peronanve flow of langoage, which he might deem essentially necessary on such a momentous oceasion; as he would frequently ot obliged. to eonsuh his memoir ^proper expreastons, which would necessarily produce frequent tiesitation, and general slownem of utieranee, which he might think, would ill suit an ambaOTadorof Ood. 3. Hioo^ Hoses was slow of speech, yet when acting as the messenger of Qod, Ais wora vxu w£A voww; m at his command, the plagues osma and the plagues were stayed: thus was he mShty in ■words, as well as in d§eda: and this is probably me nwrsning of St Stephen.

By Qie expression, neither hsretqfore, nor since thou hast spoken unto ihy ssrvant, be might possibly mean, that the nauira! inaptitude to speak readily, which he had fell, he tM^Hnued to feel, even since Ood had bMtm to diseorer himself^ fiv though he had wroo^t severw mirad«a tor him, yet be'had not healed this mfinnity; see on ch«>. vi. 12.

Verse 11. Who hath madtmarC»mou0iyiu>.'\ Cannot he «1)o fonned the mouth, (he whole organs of speech, and bath given the gift of speech idso, cannot he give tnterancel Ood can take away those gifts and restore them again. Do not provoke him: he who created the eye, the ear. and the mouth, bath also made the hHnd, the deaf, and the dumb..

Verse 12. 7 viiU be wUh thy mouA.] TTie Chaldee translates, Afy WORD, vutmrL sftoU be with &y mouO. Aad Joasthsa ban Vmel parsfhrssei^ land my WCHEU) teUl^ wtA ^ speetk tf Otjf numtk. See on Cna. xv. 1. •ad Lev. xxv. 10.

Tsne 13. Send— by the hand of him whom thou wilt ssnd.1 Ifany commentators, both ancient and modem, hare OMUffht that Mosas prays here for tlie immediate misiiffn oT the Mtisiah: as if be had said, "Lord, thou iHS-parposed 10 send this glorious psrsoo at some time cr tiiee, by the band of him nthom thou ' wilt send.

14 And the an^ of the Lord was kbidled a^inst Moses, and he said, la not Aaron the Levite thy brother'? I know that he c»i speak well And also, behold, <he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he eeeth tiiee, he wM be glad in his heart.

15 And >> thou shalt tpeak tmto him, and i pat words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and ^ will teach yoo what ye ^all do.

16 And he shall be thy apokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and > thoa shah be to him instead of God.

17 And tbou shalt take > tbia rod in thine bandj wherewith thou shalt do signs.

oAer, X beseech thee send him now, for nbo eui'he moSfident to deliver and rule this people but himsetf altms.'* ■nte Hebrew rfjm\ -na hj nhw sheiaA no heyad tiMaA, literally translated i^ Send now (or 1 beseech thee) by the hand tnoa wilt sendi which Beems to intimate, Said a person more fit for dve work than I am. So the Septua- poweifut person, whom thou wHt mend. It is rig^l to find out the Messiah wherever he is mentioned m the Old Testament; but to press Scriptures into this service which have not an obvious tMidency that way, is both improper and dangerous. I am firmly of opimon, that Moses had no reference to the Messiah when he spake these words.

Verse 14. And the an^er i^f Ae Lord was kindled against Mmm] Surely this would not have been the caa^ had he only in modesty, and from a deep sense of his own unfimess, desired that the MmsiA abanld be prefamd befim him. Bnt the whole eonnexion Aovn that this interpretation is unfounded.

Is not Aaron the fjevite thy brother?] Houbigant endeavours to prove from this, that Moses, in ver. 13. did pray for the immediate mission of the Messiali, and that Qod gives him here a reason why this could not b^ because the X/«mKcal priesthood was to precede the priesthood of our Lord. Is not Aaron the Ijcvite, &c. Must not the ministry of Aaron be first established, before the other can take place 1 Why then ask for that which is contrary to die divine counsel t From the opinion of sO great a criUc as Houbigant, no man would wish to dissen^ except through necessity; however, I must say, that it does appear to me, that his view of these verses is fkncifiil, and the argumenls by which he supports it are insufficient to establish his point

/ know that he can speak lodll ion na-n -vn ■•a vijn» yadtm ki dabber yedaboer ftii, I know that in speakisu[ he will speak. That ii^ be is apl to talk, and hss a rea^ utterance.

He cometh forth to meet thee} He shall meet thee at my mouiit, (ver. 27.) shall rejoice in ihy mission, and most heartily co-operate, with thee in all things. A necessary assurance, to prevent Moses from suspecting that AoroiL who was his elder brother, should envy his superior caU and ofiUce.

Terse 16. I will be with thy mouth and with his mou&l Ye shall be both (in all things which 1 appoim you to do In this business) under the continual vuptration of lb* Host High.

Verse l6. He dtatt be thy spokesman) Literally, Be shattspeak for thee (or in thy stead) to Viepeopte.

He shall be to thee instead of a mouth] He Oball convey every message to the people- -and thou shall he to htm instead qf Gcxi— thoo shalt deliver Co him what I municate to thee.

Verse 17. Thou Aalt take this rod] Prom the stnv of Hosw* rod, the heathens have invented the fiddes of the 'Thyrsus of Bacchus, and the Caducous of Hercory. Cicero reckons five Bacdtuses, one of which, according to Orphms, was bom of the river Nile; but according to the common opinion, lie was bom on the banks of that river. Bacchus is expressly said to have been exposed an the river Nile, hence he is called Nihia, both by Diodonu and Afaerobius; and in the hymns of Oipheua he is named Myses, because he was drawn oui qf the water. He is repi«Bented by the poets as being very beautify and so iuustrUms warrior; dwy report him to have over* run all ArMa with a numsretu sfmy ivtt otfun ond DigitiiBSby VjOO*

18 T And Mo^a went and returned to ■Jethro, iuB father-iit-law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in £gypt, and see whether they be yet alive. - And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

19 And ihe Lord Baid unto Moses in Midian, Gfo, return into Egypt: for 'all the men are.dead which sought thy life.

fBomtn. He is said also to have been an emioent lavgiver, and to have written hia laws on two tablfa. He always carried in hi* hand the thyraut, a rod wreathed with ttrperUs, and by which he is reported to have wrought tnaay miraeUa. Any person acquainted with the birth and exploits of the poetic Bacchu^ will at once oeroeive them 10 be all borrowed from the life and acts of Hoses, as recorded in the Pentateuch; and it would be losing time to show the parallel, by quoting passages from the book of Exodus.

The eaducmu, or rod of Mercury, is well known in pontic fiiblea. It is another copy of the rod of Moses. He alse^ is reported to have wrought a muilitude of mtractea by thi* rod; and particularly, he is said to kiU and make aUve, to send souls to die invisible wonL and brin; tbem back from thence. Homer represents Herouiy takuig his rod to work miracles, preciKly in the same w^r as God oaamands Moses to lake his.

SOnltm BtfuaiHw cbUb] U*ih tha aBuli ■II ikamiuin: with hii fokkn nuid Of powV. Co not in talmy Mmf itMoi tfm Sa^irliM mill, and apnlkmataiB. Cm^hT.

Virgil copies Homer, but carries the parallel farther, tradition having probably furnished him with more partKulars: but in ooth we may see a disguised copy oa the Sacred History, from which indeed the Uret^ and Roman poets borrowed most of their beauties.

Twni'ltguncaplti haeaMwt Hit wttcat orco FaXUnlt*, a/iiu tuh Iritlia Ttirtani miiHi; Osffnfwwf.ii'iMij^w. Htvtniiia moruntigmat-

,;BBld.bb.i».ii«.Sa Bat flnthctruMwiUiin bii mwfHl bud Th* mart (tT •Qvmtit pon'r, Uh muiesW,' VntbUik Ik ibmn Ihe gboilj Irani bollaw fimni, Wkb iMi rfrinn U«n lAx.9lv(ia» huh; Wkkl«ili»i««i'ln«(«pilK«kerB]ii^ Aaiefm.Otaag>iclm'dindtaa,rtilorflo liflit Thnt win'd, IM god bafina hii uryTflce,

Many other resemblances between the rod of the poett, and that of Moan, the learned reader will readily recollect. These specimens may be deemed sufficient

Verse 18. Ijtt me go, I pray and return to my brdKrmI Moses having received hia coramiBsion from Ood, and directions how to execute ii, returned to his &ther-in-law, and asked permission to visit bis family and brethren in Egypt, widiout siving him any intimation of the great enana on whicb be was going.. His keeping - dib secret, has been attributed to hn Hngitlar modesty; but however true it might be, that Moses was a truly bumble and modest man, yet his prudence slone was sufficient to have induced him to observe silence on this subject; as, if once imparted to the fitmily of his CKther-io' law, the news mig^t have reached Egyvt before he could get thither ] a general alarm among the Egyptians would, in all probability, have been the conseqiieace, as Jame would not (ail to represent Moses as coming to stir up ■edition and rebellion, and the whole nation would have been armed against them. It was therefore essentially necessary that the busincaa should be kept secret.

In Ihe Septuagint and Coptic the following addition is made to this verse, Mit« ti ra; muftn tat w»m^c mmf,)T(U«Tirir i flBvii-iut Ai>-urrgw. AJuT Outt many dayg, the king ftf Egypt di^ This was probably an ancient gloss or aide note, which, in process of time, crept into the text as it appeared to throw light on the following verse.

Terse 19. In Midian] Tha was a new revelation, and i^pears to have taken place after Moses returned to his father-in-laWjprevious to his departure for Egypt.

Verse 20. HU wife and kit sons] Both Gershom and Eliezer, though the birth of the latter has not yet been mentioDed in the Hebrew text; see the note on chap. ii. 22.

Set them upon an aa»] The Septuagint read the word in the plural, twi t» uro^v^-ia, upon osna, as it certainly nooired more than one, to carry Zippcvah, Genibom, and

20 And Moses took his wife and hia sonB,^ and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the laud of Efypt: and Moses took i^the rod of God

21 If And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goeet to return into Egypt, see that thou do ail those * wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but 'I will tiarden his heart that he shall not let the people go.

jTAe rod ^ Chd] The sign of sovereign power, lif iriiich he was to perform all his miracles: onoe the badga of his sAe^Amf s ojice, and now tliat, by which ha is lo

Verse 21. But I mil harden hia hearty The case of Pharaoh has given rise to many fierce controversies, and to several straiwe and conflicung opinions. Would men but look at the whole account without the medium of their respective creeds, they would find little difficulty to a^ne* bend tfaa truth. If we take np Ihe subject in a thMWgiedl point U view, all sober Christians will allow the truth of Uiis proposition of St Augustin, when the subject in question IS a person, who has Hardened his own heart by frequently resisting die grace and Spirit of God: Non obdurat Dew impartiaiao malUictm, eed non impartiendo miaerieordiam. Epist 194. ad Stxtum. " God docs not harden men by infriaiiw malice into theth, but by not impaitinc mercy (o them." £>d this other will be as readily credilea. iVon op&ratur Deus in bomine ipeam tbtritiam cor^i, eed indurare eum dicilur ^em mollire TWfhierit, etc etiam exetecare yu«m illumtnare noluerii, et repellere eum gusm nohta^ voeare. "God docs not wont this hardness of heart in man, but be may be said to haiden him whom he refuses to soften, to blind him whom be refuses to enlighten, and to repel htm whom he refuses to call." It is but just and right that he should withhoM those graces which he had repeatedly ofiered, and which Uie sinner had despised and rejected. Thus much for the

Sneral principle. The verb ptn ehazak, which we Irona- Khardenj lilatMynsnifies to strengthen, confirm^ make bold or courageous! and is often used in the Sacred Writings to excite to duty, pereeverance, &c. and is placed by the Jews at the end of most books in the Bible, as an exhortation to the reader to take courage, and proceed with his reading, and with the o&edtence it requires. It col&titutes an essential part of the exhortation of God to Joshua, ch. i. 7. Only be Uiou eraouo, fwn rak ehazak. Ana of Jo^ua's dying exhortation to the people, chap, xxiii. 6. Be ye therefore vaar cOobaceoub, onpim ve-ehazaktem, lo keep and to do all that it written in the book qf the law. Now It would be very strange, in these places, lo translala the word harden — Only be thou Aord—Be ye therefore, very hard — and yet if we use the word hardy, it would suit the sense and context perfectly well: Only be thmt habdt — Be ye therefore very habdy. Now suppose we Hfiplv the word in this way to Pharaoh, the sense would be good, and the justice of God equally conepicuous. I will make his heart hardy, bold, dannf, presumptuous — for the same principle acting again^ God's order, is pretumptiont which, when acting according to it, is undounfed courage It is true that the verb nvp kaehak is used, chap, vit 3. which aignifiM to render sliff, tough, or stubborn, but it amounts la nearly the same meaning with the above.

All those who have read the Scriptures with care and attention, kiu>w well, dial God is frei^uently represented in them as doing what he only permtte to be done. So because a man us grieved his Spirit, and rcBisted hisgrac^ he withdraws that Spirit and grace from him, and thus be becomes bold and presiunptuous in sin. Pharaoh made his own heart stubborn af^inst God, chap. ix. 34. and God gave him up to judicial blindness, so that he rushed on atubiwmly to hia own deetruction. From the whole of Pharaoh's conduct we learn, that he was bold, haughty, and crud; and God chose to permit these dispositions to have their full sway in hie heart, without check or restraint from divine influence j the consequence was what €tod intended,he did not tmmedi'a/c/y comply with tlie reouisition to let ihe people go: and this was done, that God mi^l have the fiiller opportunity of manifesting his power oy multiplying ngns and miracles; and thus impress the brarts both of the Egyptians and Israelites, with a due seme of hts omnipotence and justice. The whole pneedure was ^uiously calculaletf to do endless good to both nations. T^e faraelitee must be satisfied that they had the true God for theirprotecior; and thus their /aim was straisthaied. ThtSgypHaiu musisee that akefrge^ eoola do nodiiiv against the Chid of ttmH, and ibnathsir

Bft Attl Ihea abalt my unto Pharaoh. Thus ■aUidieLeBA* ■braeluiny w«,tnmm]r firstbern:

23 And I say unto thee, Let m son go, that be mar serve me: and if thou refuse to let him

24 7 And k came to pass hj the way in the inn, that the Lord 'met him, and aoiurht to •k^l him.

25 Then Zipporah took 'a sharp ' stone, and out off the Ibreskin oT her son, and * cast it at his feet, and aaid, Surely a Uoody husband art thou to me.

36 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody.hialMUQd Ao*i ort, because of the circumuaion.

.dwendence on them wu neceaMrily ihakea. lliew great caw could not have been annrere^ bad PbanMh at once eoosauled to let (he people go. Tbi* consideration alooe uojmvela dte mnteiy^ and e^laina every thiitf. X^et it be flheerved, that there u nothing spoken here of the eternal atate of the ^^yptian king: Qor does any thing in tbe whole of the aubaequent account authorize ua to believe, Uhu Ood hardened hie heart againet the ii\;f xence* of hie MR grace, that be mif^t occaaion him ao to ain, dm hia justice mi^ cooaign him to bell. I^iia would Iw auch an set of flagram injiutice, as we could scarcely attrflxtte to the VOTM pf men. He who leads auothar into ao ofienc^ that be may h«ve a Surer pretence to punish him for it; or hriags him into such circumstances, that he cannot avoid committing a capital crime, and then buu^ him for it, ia surely the most execrable of mortals. What then should we iwke of the Ood of justice and mercy, should we attribute to him a decree^ to; date of which is lost in eternity, by which he has detemioed to cut off from the poseibili^ 01 aaJvatton, millions of millions of tmbora souls, and leave them under a necessity of siiuing, by actually hardsoi^ their hearts against the influences ot his own grace and Spiril, that be may, on the pretext ol ju^iee, cooaign Ibem to endlesa perditum 1 Whatever may be proleoded m behalf of aveh itnguaHfied opinions, it muat be evident U> all who are sot deeply prejudiced, diat neilbar the Ju»- Mas nor the eopereigiUy of Crod esD be "i^iO^i^ by ttunn. See lartber on cbap. iz. 16.

Yerae 22. Isrod is my son, even mn Jlret'bom] That U, the Hebrew people are unutterably dear to me.

Terse23. XfMinwMnf^ifta/Aamayfermme] Which QlM' could imH do in Ooaben, consiatently with w policy aiM religious worriiip of the Egyptiana: because the most Bserntial part of an Israelite's worship consisted in aacri- Jlee; and the animals which they oflTered to Qod were aacred among the ^yptiana. Moses gives Pharaoh thia mwoo, chap. viiL TS.

J wiU etajf (hy eon. even thy fint-born^ Which, on Fharaoh'a utter refiieal to let the people go, was accordla^ done; eee chap. xii. 29.

veree 24. By way in Vie inn} See the note on Oen. tlii. 27. The account m tfiis and the two following verses is Tory obscure. Some suppose duitthe 23d verse is not a part of the meaaage to Pharaoh, but was apokoo by die Lord to Moses; ud that the whole maybe thoa paraatmaed: **AnA Ihate taid unio thee (Hoses) eendjorlh Irftw ehalath) iny«t»i.((9er^m, by circumcising him) thai AC may serve me, (whieh he cannot do till entered into the coveiMnt by circumcision) but thou hast refused to send him forth, behold (therefore) / viU elay thy am, thyjlratbom. JmdU came to paea by the way in the inn (when he was Oft bia journey to E^pt) that JAovah met him, and MwU (threatened) to kul him (Oershom.) TTien £bpvra)t/M« a afkorp alone, and cut ateay dujbreakin ^Xer eon- and eauied it to touc/t hia feet, ^diovah's, vfao probably appeared in a bodily sbap^ the Septuagint call htm the angel qf the Lord) and ami unio him; a tpottae by blood art thou unto me. TVun he (Jehovah) aeaetdjTom him (Ghrsbom.) Then she said, A apouae bf Upod orf 'Aou onto me, because of thia ctrcomcisioo." Inat I, who am an alien, have entered as fully into ooveaaot.with thet^ by doing this act, as my son baa, on «Kom this act haa bem psr/Vrnted. ' - Tba meaning of the wbole peaaage seema to 1» ihia. nof IbMa

27 T And the Lou said to Aaroi^Oo into tba wilderness 'to meet Moses. And be went, aad met him ui >> the mount of God, and kissed bim.

29 And Moses ' told Aaron all the words ot the LoHo who had sent him, and ait the ' sifu which he had commanded him.

29 IT And Moees and Aaron * went and gathered toeetber all the elders of the children of

30 ' And Aar<»i spake aH the words which the LoBo had spoken tmto Moses, and did the aigtta in the sight of the people.

31 And the people > believed: and when they beard that the Loan had ^ visited the children of Israel, and that he i had looked i^n their aflSictioD, then ^ they bowed their heads and woreliipped.

VMT wbkh, bad aM baw cmomeiae^ t^Moghfit ileidd ■em, attOqd hsdoideied dwfadiertedd^iti burashs had neglected thi% therefcnv Jehovah waa about to luve slain the child, bcMUse iwt in covenant with him by circumctsieD; and ihna be inteaded to have punished the disobedteoee of the &ther by the natural d^uh of hia aoo. Zipporah, getting acquainted with the nature of the oaaO| and the danger to which Iter first-hom waa ezpoaed, took a aharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son. By thia act the displeasure of the Lord was nuned aside, ana Zip* porah considered herself as now allied to Ood, because of this circumcision. According to the law, Oen. xvii. 14. the undrcumeiaed thild yoaa to baeut from hia people, so that there should be no inheritance for mat branch of the family in Israel. Moaea^ therefore, for neglecting to circumcise the child, e:(posea him, to this cutting ^ and it was but barely prevented by (he prmnnt obediuice of Zip* porah. Aa etreumdeion was tbe seal of that iustificatioif t>y fidlb, lAidi cornea dvou^ Chri^ Moses, by neglecting it, gave a very bad example, and Ood waa about to pro> eeed i^inst him with that severity whidi the law required.

The aharp atone, mentioned ver. 26. waa probably a knife made otfiint, for such were anciently used, even wliere knives of inetal mid^t be had, for every kind of operation ^wut the human body, aueh aa embowelling for the purpose of embalming, cireumcinOD, Anwsnl authors are foil of pro<^ cdf Ibeae facia. See die not* oa Ch)n.l.2.

It ia probable that Zipporah being alanned by this cir* cumstance, and fearing worse eyila, took the reaolutioo to return to her lather'a bouse with her two sons; see chap.

Terse 27. The Jjord aaid to Aaron} See ver. U. By some secret but powerful movement od Aaroi^a mind, or by some voice or angelic ministry, be was now direetea to go and meet his brother Moses: and so coneet^ was As mfonnation given to both, that thsy airivad at the soais time on the sacred mountain.

VerM 30. Aaron apake all the taorda] It is likely that Aaron was better acquainted with the Helnew toogua than hia tHVttier, and on this account he became die ap^etman [ see on ver. 6>

Did the eigne] Turned die rod into a aarpent. made the hand leproue, and liumged the ■aater into olooa. Sea on ver. 8 and 9.

Verse 31. TJie people belie9td\ Vturj credited the aocount givep oftbeaivmea{4>ointmentof MoeestuadAanx^ to be Uteir deliverers out of their boitdage; the miraolis wrought on tbe occaaion confirming the lestimooy delivned by Aaron.

They booed their heada and mnkipped\ See a similar act mentioned, and in tbe same woids, Gen. xxiv. 26. "Hie bowing the head, dbc here, may probably refer to the eastern sustom of bowing the head down to tbe kneei^ then kaeelingdown aad touching tbe earth with the iai^ head, lllie waa a very painful posture, and die moat humUeinwiuditheboaycooIdpossiblybeplaoed. Tbooa who pretend to worship uod, either by prayer or ihanksgiving, and Inep theinselvea during the perfbnnance of uiose solemn acts, in a state of pmeeteaae, eidier eor^ Uealy atmndMUf, or atupid^ aitHn^, aunly cannot ban a due sense of the majes^ of Ood, and Aeir own sinftilneM and unvortbineas. Let dis/emngyof dw body pot ibo soul in remembranee of its sin a^inttGcd. LstaASfi put himself in such a pMition (imeeting for iasSBCi) as it U gtnerally acknowledged a criminal sboajd atPWM, vdun.ooaat^ to bia sovereign and >Klg% p bewsfl his fpfj.sad *"*ifii* fivgiveoeas.

AND afterward Moses and Aaron wei^ iq, and told Pharaoh, Thus salth Loab Qod of taraci. Let my people go, that they may hold * a feast unto me in the wilderness.

i And Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go 7 1 know ml dM Lord, "neither wiU Ilet Israel go.

hathntetivithue: let as go, we pray thee, tlur«e dfvys* journey into the desert, and sacrifice mlo the Lord out God: lest he fall upon os with pestilence, or with the sword.

4 And the king of Egyirt eaod onto Ihea, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let tho peapie fVom their vntknt get you imtoyout 'rardens.

5 And Pharaoh said. Behold, the peoj^ afthe land noir are s many, and ye make mem real

6 f AndPharabhewBmnndedtbeMuneAiy the 'taduaasters of the people, and their tmcera, was te bend the body, so that every joint of the buk-bMw became incurvaied, and the head was bent lowarda the kneei, so that the body reeembled a bow: and prottratien hnplied kying the body flat upon the wth, the anna and leg! exteiMM to nttermou, the mouth and forehead touching the ground. In Hatt viii. 2. the leper is md to worAip «ir Lord, >r;ir»u*ii hutb, but in Luke t. 12. he ia •aid to nave Jaiten on hit/ace, mm* iiri "nieae tvro accounts bHov, that he firet kneeled down, probably putting hi* fiuie down to hie kneea, and toudiing the earth with hn forehead; and then [tfoetrated himself hit legs tfiA arms being both extended. 9ee on (3en. xvii. 3.

Tkx backvBardntst of Uosea to receive and execute the eommisaion, to deliver the children of Israel, has something very instructive in it Be felt the importance of the ^hfti^ his own inauffideitcy, aad the awfill responsibility under whieb he should be Ittid, if ha received it. Who dun can blame him for httUaSngf If he miscarried, and hov difficult in such a case not to niiscarryl he must account to a jealous Qod, whose justice retjuired him to wmi^ every deliiwmency. What should ministers of the Oo^l feel on bucd suqecta 7 Is not their chtuve more hnportant, and more awful than that of MoksI How few QonsMer this I It is respecto&Ie, it ia bonounhU to be in the 6begel minisQy, but who is tnfficient to guide and feed (he nock of Ood 7 If throu^ the pastors wiJUneMa or neglect any soul should go astray, or perish throu^ want of proper spiritual nouririimen^ or through not getting his portion in. due MCtuon: ia whal a dreadful state is the pastor I That sonl, saya Ood, shall die in his iniquities, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hands [ Were dieae diings duly considered by those who atf oaodidaies for the Gospel ministry, who could be found to undertake iti. We iduniM then, indeed, have die ntmoat occasion to pray Ihe Lord qfthe harveet, niiaui. to th«tot otfT labmtrera into the hanesl, as no one, duly considering those things, would go. unless thurtt out w God him- •elt O ye mmisters of the sanctuary, ti«mble for yout own Bchils, and the souls of those committed to yourcairel ana go not into this work, unless Ood go with you. Without his presence, unetimi, and apprctbstioD, ye can do nothing. _

Verse 1. And t^erwardMoaea and Aaron ami] TTiis Aapier is properly a contmuation of the preceding, as the succeeding is a contiuua^on of this; and to preserve the connexion of the (acts, they should be read together.

How simph/, and yet with what mUhority, does Mos^ deliver his message to the Egyptian king! ThitM aaith JEHOTAH, God q/Tskaki^ ui my people go. It is well in this as in almost every other cas^ where nwT> JAotah. occurs, to preser\-e the original word: ouf using the word LoED, ia not auffictently expressire, aod often leaves the ■ense indistinct.

Terse 2. Who Is ihe LordT] Who is Jehotah, that I should obey his voiect What cluma has As on nu? I am nnder no ohltgittion to hivu Pharaoh spoke here under the common persuasion that every plac< and peo/>f«had o lotelary deity; and he supposed that this Jehovah might be Ihe tutelary deity <^ the israeliteb to whom he, as as Bsypttan, could be under no kind of obligation, n is not JiKuoioua to bring tfiis question as a jnciof that Fharadii WttsanodkeM.' of dila me text aflbrds no evidence.

'Verse 3, Tftree do^ _/o«r7iey] The distance from Ooshen (o Sintti; see Miap. iii. lEL Avsi taerifiee unto Ae Lor^ Oreat stress is laid on * this circumstance. God requiiw.taer^ftet: no religioui Sets which thejr performed, could be aceef^le to him withoiu this. He bad now showed them, that it wu their iadispsamMsdBiytbtMte wOrrtdplriMi sad Hm ifllMnr did not, they might expect him to send the wsffltnefc some plague or death, im>ceedi;u; unmediately from ianf self, or the stDorc^ extermination dw bands of an enemy, nte original word defter, from "qi dofton te dKw offi drotf under, &c which we translate petttunee, fnm the Latin peeHa, the plague, signifies any kind of diseaas by which an extraordinary mortality is occasioned; sjid which appears from the circumstances of die case, to coma immediately from God. The Israelites coidd not SBcri&oe in the hmd of Eeyp^ because the animals they were to offer to Ood werelield sacred by the Egyptians; and they could not omit this duty, because it was essential to religion, even before the giving of die law. TTmi we &nd, that divine justice required the life of the animal for the Kfe of the transgressor; and the people were consciob^ if this were not done, that Qod would consume them widt the pestilenee or die sword. Prom the fbundatioo sT the world, the true religion required socrf;^. B^bre, under and ajtei' the law, this was deemed essential to salvation. Under the Christian dispensation, Jesus is the Lamb Of Ood that takedi away the sin of the world; and being stiU die Lamb newly slain before die throne, no man comdti UDto the Father but by him.

" In this first application to Pharaoh, we (Aserrek" aajs Dr. Dodd, "that proper respectf\il suomisrioa^ wUt^ m due from mbjects to dwir sovereign. They repreMat U him the danger th^ should be in, disobeying uieir Qod a bat do not so much as hint at siqr puniriunent that would follow to I^iaraoh."

Verse 4. Whtrejbre do ye, JIImcs and Aarott^ Tfc hints that the Hebrews ate in a state of reroU, and dSasves Moses and Aaron as beioR ringleaders of die sediMoa. This unprincipled charge naa been, in nearly similar co^ curoHtances, cotea ntpealied since. Men who have laboured to bring the mass of die common pieople from ignonuic^ irreligion, and general profiigotr of manners, to an acquaintance with themselves ana God, and to a proper knowledge of their duty to him and to each other, hai^ been often branded as benw disaffected to the state, and u movers of sedition among the people I See on ver. 17.

Ye— let die people] \f^tt>n /apAcHu, from jrv phm^ to loMi or dUengage, «diich we translate to let, from tha Anglo-Saxon leccap, leitan, to Ainder. Te hinder tfta people from workine, Oet ye lo your burdenM. "Let religion alone, and mind rourwork." Ihe language not cqolw of trranny, but of the basest irreligkm also.

Versefi. TTus jutmle iif aeUmdvotBUt many] Tttm sanguinary olict had, no doubt, been long before repealed or mey cwild not have multiplied so neatly.

Verse 6. Th* tatkma^en qf l£e peop/*, and ihafr q^lcer<1 The taekmneters were Egyptians, (see on dbmp. i. 11.) the (fpicera were Hebrews, sec below, ver. 14. But it is probable that die taskmasters, clmp. 1 11. which an called ervo viv sorry nUsHm—pmiess As hurdtmt or laret, were diflkrest from those termed AwAatoslers ha^ as the words are different: E^vn jufgathim, signiflM exactors or opprtoaort, persons who exacted from rhi^i an unreaaonaDle proportion either of labour or money.

dSUen] enpv Aoierim, those seem W have hen an inferior sort of officer^ who attended on superior oOktrm^ or magistrates, to execute tbsh orders, llieyareaitppaaed to have.been something like oar iheriffk.

Verse T. Srav tomote brtdc] There have been many conjectures concerning the use of straw in making bri>V» 9ome suppose it was used merely for borninc them: but this is umounded. Hie eastern bricks ore ornn mad* of day and rtraw kneaded together^and then not burned^ btit thorougfat^ dried in the sun. 'Ihis is expnnly mentioned by niilo, in Ms life of Mosot irim says^ dtWtfWug dte onwBMicn sT die IsraSlilesin Bn^tW sqpa^' —

0 And th« tete of the btieka, wtaeh ik^y did make heretofore, ye shall lay tipon tfiera; ye dmO not duntniili thereof: tar they ie idle: therefbre they cry, sftyioff. L«t ua go -and saenflre to our God.

9 'Let there more work be laid upon the men, that fhey may.labeDr dmreiaj and let them not regard vaia words.

10 1 And tb« taakmutera of the people went oat, and their officers, and they spake to the peofrfe, Haying, Thne nitta Phanoht I wlU not (ire you straw.

11 Oo ye, ifet you BtraFw whore yecandndit: yet, not ouffht oi your work shall be diminished.

13 So the peopie were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt, to gather stubbie instead of straw.

13 And the taskmasters hasted tfiem, saying, Pulfil your works, your i daily tasks, as when there was straw.

14 Aiui the officers of the children of Israel, whieh Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over tbem, were bea^, and demanded, Wherefore bam ye not fulfilled your task, in roakioA brick

. bMh yesterday and to-day, as heretofore? 19 T Then the officers of the chiUreo of Imei eatto aad aricd mto-PlmraiA, snyiog, obUgod u> work ia dsy fbr the fomation of bricka, and othm to giUher ■trew for die lame parpose, baeawtitraa U &t b<md by vhidi the brick U lletd togtHur—'Kirh* ai( axvfii lir/itc. lhau OjMr. JBSdil. Mjlno. vtA. II. a. i. Aad Philo^s acoount ii eon&iMd hr the most iptelfigmt IrsrrilenL Dr. Anr nja, that uia ttnCw in (he bricks ttill preserve« hi orinoal coloar, which is a proof fbat rhe briiws were never Bttrnt. Some of then are still fo be aeen ia the csbineu of the curknu^ Prom ihii Ve Bny Me the reason of the compl&inl mftde to I^uraoh, ver. 16. the SgyviiMa reAned to give the neeeuai^ -por^ tion of stntw fur kneading the bfieka; and yet ffiey required, that the lull tale, or number of brieka, sboutd be pndueea each day, ai they did when all the necesaary ■nateriala were broiuAit to nsnd j m die pecmle were ot^- liged to 0o over all the eomfielda, ana jMOek inp (he nubUe, which tbey were obliged to aobititute for afrstr. See verae 12.

Vene 6. And tfu UOe ^ tie ftridb] Tatt aienifiei die nambgr, from the Anglo-Saxon caAlan to number, to Muni, Ac f\>r thty be idle; Oure/ore 0ity cry — Ltl u$ gv and aaa-yiee] "niua tlieir deaire to worship the tnw Ood in a proper manner, Wsa atlribiUed to iheir uawillingiMM to work; a rejection which the Egyptians (in prinotpki) of dMpreaent dajr, easton dioae, who, while they arewvent Ip Bpirit, aarvinc'the Lord, ore not slotUbl in'tvahieHS SH setow, ver. 17.

Ter. 14, And Oie tMeert — aee on ver. S.— wera beaten] Probablr fra«jtnado«a; for this is the common puniahfenent tnXeypt to the present day, fbr minor offences. Hie ■aiiner of^it ia diia: die culprit lies on hia belly, his kga b^ag turoed np behind erect, and the executioner givea him so many bfowa on the aoles of the feet with a stick. This ia a vwy severe punMiraent, the auffin-ef not being able to walk Tor many weeks after, and aome ar« lamed by it through the whole of their lives.

Terae tsT Tl^ /auH is in thine oim people] nucn chotoO, the aiM is in diy own people. 1st, Because tliey reqaire impoaatWlitiea; and 2dly, Because thty punidb us for not doing what cannot be performed.

Verse 17. Ye are iif t< — ther^ore ye any, Lai tu and do aocrMea] It ia cormndn for those who feel tmeoneerned about tfieir own aouls, to attribute the religious eameetneaa of ofliers, who fiwl the ImpoRanOB of eternal things, to idleoesa, or a disregard <k (heir aeeular eonoema. Strange that th^ cannot see diere is a medium! He who hsa commaadea them to be ^geni in buHneaa, liM alao onmmandsd them to htfarent in tpirll, eerfln); the Lord Re wVioee diHfrence in business la not connected with a Inie religious fervour of qrint, is a lover of die world; andvhaieveT,/brm he mr^ have, he has not die peMcer sf j|OdlJna«i; and dierefore ia completely out of the ttmi

16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick; and, behold, thy servants are be&ten; but tne fault iB m thine own people.

17 But he said. Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do satviSce l;o the LoBD.

18 Go therefore now, and work: for th»e shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they loere in evil cow, after h. w»9 nid, Ye shall not nunish-osgAf from your bricks Of your daflr task.

50 H And tney ntet Moses and Aartm, who stood in the way, as they came forth from PharEToh:

51 - And they said uDto them, Tlw Loud look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pbarairfi. and in the eves of hia sertants, to put a swbra in their hand to slay us.

22 If And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said. Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why t« it that thou hast sent me 7

23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he bath done evil to this peoples * neither hast thoa delivered thy people at alL

aaw that they oesld neitber eomet justice nor mereyi thai dteir delivManee WM very denbtfiil, and tlKtr case afanMC

'eraA21. ^I^u Lord hsktgimjfm, and jadge] UmAs wen haity sod tnikind axpfsaaioaa f bttt Ae aOioled amai be athnrm tb« privilege of ' oonqtlvamff— it ia all &» aohee that amii aorrow «an flAd; aaa if m aoob disticai^ words an Spoken whidi i^outd not be justified, yet the considwflte aod benevolcaK wilt hear ibeai with indulgence. Ood ia meretlU; apd lbs stroke of thk peofdi was hea'ner even (ban Aeir gmablg.

I*iti « neord in their hand\- Chveo ibem a ptetme^ which they had not befftre^ to oppseas us eves unte d«ath4 VeneZZ. And Mo»e»r«lumed vnto the Lord] TUs may imply, either that tlMra wa* a partioular puKe into which Mosea ordinarily went to commune witb JehovaK or it may moan, that land of uuuing of heart and affectfonu Sod, ^riii«b every pioos aund tsek iMelf dispdked to practise in any time or pkne. Tht eld adags wiU ap)My here~"A praying hmtwt never lacks « praying place."

Lord, vAerefarehatt lhau ao etU entreated ihiepeapU 7] It ia oeftain, that in this addreaa, Moaea mtt^greai ^uom* neaaqfepeeek. Whadter dw ofibprinc of a teaty impatieaatf and luume fiimiUari|y, tr of atrang niih, which gave bisi more than ordinary aeceaa to the throne of hia gnuiioui Soraaig»,itwo«MbedIffieiiltteiay. The latttr ^rpseis IS be the moat prebaUe, ae we do not find, from die aw ceeding chapter, that Ood waa displeased ^with hia freedtnnt we may, therefore, auppoae, lhar it'waa kept within due bounds, and (hat the.prineiplea and motives were all pure and good. Howav«r, it riksuM be noted, that Buch Areedom of speeok -with die Moet High abould never be used, but on very qiaeial oocasion^ and then oatj by hfs art rflOT-dwtary roes sea gew.

Verae 23. He haA dime e$U to AU people] Their miaery ia inaeased, inatead of being diminiabcd.

NHOxr haet tkou delivered Ihy pi»pU ai oi/.} Tha marginal reading ia boA liinal awl oerrect— Amf delivering, AkoM haet not de/i«trcd— Thou hast begun the work, by giving ua ooons^ and a eommisBiOii, but thoa hast not brou^ die people from under their bondage. Thou hat signifled thy ptBaaure relative to their deliverance, bnt ihoa hast not brsn^t tbem out of ibe bands of dielr enuniea.

1. It ia ao aart^ proof of the displeaaure of Ood, that a whole people, or an Individual, may be found in a state ^ great qrpTMshw sod distnsat war are sflhieaoe aad promritr My eertainaigna of hia approbation. Ood eeftainly loved the Ianiial*te> belter than he did llie Egyp* tions; yet the formpr were in the deepest adversity, whAo the latW w«« in th« height of proeperity.— Lulher iODcr obaarred, that if aaonlor pro^srity were to be considend aa a CTitetion ef die Divuw approbation, then Iba Grtuod 1M BN«1a lbs Hftei»tba Cnoar^tf^OtkL^^

THEN the Lord said nnto Moaes, Now shalt thoa see v^at I will do to Pharaoh: for ■ with a stroDff hand shall he let them go, and

•t that tinu A» moit j>roiperou> wrerei^ on the e&rih. An ofaMrvatien of thii kind, od a eaae so obvious, was nally wall calculatod to repress has^ eoneliuioos drawn from these ezleiruU staUs, and to laj down a oomet role <rf judgmeat for all such occasions.

2. In all our addresses to Ood, we should ever remember, that we have stnTtetl against him, and deserre nothing but punishmNit from bis hand. We riiould, therefore, bow oefbn Uu with the deepest humiliation of souL utd take that caution of the wise man — " Be not rsidi with thy nonth, and letvot thine heart be bastr to utter aiqr thing befijre God t for Qod is in heawk ana tiuu upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. *' Ecel. v. 2. There is the more need to attend to this caution, because many ^Dorant, thourii well-meaning people, use Tery improper, aot to sn indeoent fraedoma, m thai addrrases to ihe Ihnoe Of Grace. With iMh proceedings God cannot ba well pleased; and he who has not a proper imprassion of die dignity and enellanoe of the Dmne Nature, is not in such a dispOBtion as is essentiaJly necessary to tML in osder ID receive hdp from Ood. He who knows he has Bonod, and feels that he is less than tba laost of all God's meraio^ wfll pray with the deepest humility, and even iMoin before God with tramblia^. A aofsma aws of the iMvhia Mueaty is not laas raooiaita to •ueoessfiil praying^ dtan/ifAut our LoidJaBus Christ. When tMhavasu^ a commission as that of Hoaea, w« may make use of his freedom of speech; but till then, the publican's prayer will best suit the generality of tlmse woo are even mg- Btflad by the nana oi QihstiaB— Loan, ba mercj^ to ■Ik a smvBa t

▼eraa 1. With a ilrong kand\ vpin 1^ yad (Aaxaio^ die same verb which we traoslate to harden r see on chi^i. H. 21. llu itrong hand here means sovereign povm, ■oddenly and forcibly applied. Ood purposed to manifest bis aowraign power mow si^tof Pharaoh and ihaE^vptiaBBt in eonaefmaeeof whioh, Pharaoh would manifest hia power and snthorily, as sovereign of Egypt, in dismissing, and ttrusKa^ enii the people. See chap. xii. 81—33.

Terse 2. / am ^ Loan} It should be, / am Jtno* TAB, and widiout &is, the reason of what is said in the 3d verae, is not sufficiently obvious.

Terse 3. Ay the name <rf Qtd AhnloUy} Vh ElsunAT. OoaAll-mffieieat— Ood the uipaisH or poorer OM of gifts: see on Gen. zvii. 1.

Bui by my nanu Jirotah w I not known to Hum,'] This passage has been a sort of entx eriHcorum, and has been variously explained. It is certain that the name Jehovah was m use long before the days of AbrahanLsee Gen. U. 4. where the words dtiSm tkv Motak Um occur, as they do frequently afterward: and aee Gen. XV. 2. where jUraham expraasly addresses bin by the name Adoruti Jsrovar t and aee the 7th verse, where God reveals himself to Abram by this very name. And he said unto him, / am Jshovab, that brougkl Am out ^ Dr tfAt CkaideMSow dwn can it be aaid that l^his asms JmovAn, As was net hum mUo tkam? Ssvaral answers have been eiven to this question: the following are the diief. I. i!he words should be read intemgatta^lg, for the negative partiele mS ia, not, has this power often in Helmv. " I afneared unto Abrsham, Isaac, and Jacob by die nana of God Ahai^i^, and by ny name JAont, was I not also made nmro unto thamT' «

3. TliB nanM JaaoTAH was not revealed bsbn dia ttsH mauiooed here, for ihong^ h oeeors so fregnsntly in Ibeboakor Gsnesis, as that book was writtea wnrt^br te BHM hsd eosM into eoBunoo yss, M apriaeiBs) MMBM.

8 And God swke noto Moaea, and nid noto

3 And I appeared unto Abraham, onto Isaae, and uDto Jacob, hy the name vf* Ooo Almighty, but by my name *> JEHOVAH was I not known

A ' And I have also established my covennat with them, <■ to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

6 And * I have also heard the groaning; of the children of Israel, whom the Eff}i>tuuw keep in bondage } and I have remembered my coveaaoL

teriatio at God, Moees employs it in his history because of this circumstance i so that whenever it appears premau^ to this, it is by the ligure called jrroUvn* ot antieipatioD. 3. As the name Jkdovah Tnn« lignines exiottnce, it msy be understood in the text in question thus; "I wpeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and JatMb by my name God Almighty, or God AU-t^fieient, i. e. having all power to do all good ( in ihia chaiacler I made a ooveoaat with Aca^ supported great and glorious promises i but aa thosa proniaes Iwd req)eet unto their ]Ms(erliy,d>ey could not be ftilfiUed to those fathers; but now as Juovah, I am about to give exittenc* to all those promises relative to your support, deliverance frtun bondage, and jour eons&^ quent settlement in Ihe pnmused land." 4. The words may be eoodderad aa used comporaiias/y; Hou^ God did appear to those patriareha tu Jbbovab, and ihqr soknowledged him ht this aanei yetr it was nit comporativtfy jtnown unto them — they kitew nothing of the power and goodneas of God, in comparison of what the Israelites were now about to experience.

I believe the simple meaning is thi^ "ntat thou|^ ftom tha beginnii^, the name JaaovAH was known as one of tha names of the Supreme Being, yet what it really tm. pUmI they did not know. Bl-Shadaif, -iw ^ God Alh Hficimt, tbey Imew well, by the connmiai prwioim ha mode for them, and the conttaiU pnrfsefion he afforded them: but the name n«rr> Jkbovab is particularly to!« rafemd to the oeeom^iAmmt of promises steady medet tothegivincihemaAstng-. and thus faring^ tlum into scisfsRoa ^riiicb oould not have been done m uie order of his providenee sooner than here specified: this nams, therefore, in its nowr and significancy, wu not known unto A»m: nor rally known unto tlieir dtfcendanit, till the d^eranee from Egypt, and the ttUUmad in the pronused land. It is surely possible fpr a man to bear the Tiame of a certain oAce or dignity before ha fu^fU any of iu ftmctions. Aing', mayor, alderman, magistrate, eonetabU, may be borne by the several persons to whom they tegaily belong, fte/brs any of the acts peculiar to Ihoss offices are performea. The aiiro, oeknotDUdged aa such on his coronation, is kttoim to be such by nis ItgMative aeU; the avil tnagietraie, by his distributioo of justice, and issuing warrants for the apprehendiiig of culprits t and the con^abU by executing those warranta. All these were known to have iheir respective nomas, but die exereiee qf Aeirpoaere alone diowt what is implied in being king, magittrate, axxl emsfoUe, lim following is a ease in point which fell within my own knowledge.

A casenf dispute, between certain lidgious neighbcura, being heard in court before a weekl]r situng of die magiatrates, a woman, who came as an esuimcs in behalf of her bad neij^thour, finding the magistrates inclining to give judgment against her mischievous oompanio^ took ner by fr>e arm, and said, " Come aara^ I I told you you would get neither law nor justiee in this place." A magistrate, who was as mudi an honour to hts function, as ha waste human nature^ immediately said, "Here constable! talca that woman, and lodge her in IxidewelL that aba may know that there is some law and justiee in this place.** ^uw the worthy magistrate;>roredhe had the potaer implied in the name, by eaecuUng the duties of his office. And God, who woe known ae Jehovah, the Being who mnjbM and givea ^eet to protntM^ was known to lb* deacsndanta of the twelvs tnbas to be that Jbbova& br giving effect and being to the prmjsee which bo m3 fluids to their /oAsrs.

Terse 4. /Aovs ate u<a&Kah«(f myeoseaaafj I hsvo now fully purposed U give pruent aibct to all n^ widi your ather^ in behalf at tbsir po^

6 TVInrefere bar ^« ehfldren of iBrael, ' I OK the LoBD> aiid > I will bring you out from nnder the trardena of the Egypt&m, and I will rid yon outof their Ixmdage, and I will ^ redeem yoa wlUi a atret^nd oat- arm, and with great jodgmenta:

7 And I will > tftke you to me for a people, ■ikd^ I will be tojreu aOod: and re ehul know that I am the Loao your Ood, which brln|;«th you out ilromnnderthebnrdaDsoftheEgyptuuu.

6 And I will brine you in unto the land, conoernioff the which 1 did " swear " to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and ta Jacob: and 1 will fire it you for an herita^: I am the Lord.

9 And Moe^ spake so unto the children of 'Israel: "but they hearkened not uuto Moeea fer 'aagmab of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

10 If And the Lord spakennto Moses, saying,

11 Oo in, apeak onto Pharaoh long of Ek/pt, that he let the childrm of Israel go out oTms

13 And Moses spake before the Lord, sayine. Behold, the children of Israel have ^not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear Be, ' who am of uDcircniacised lips.

13 And the Lord epake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and fare them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh kiiw of Egypt, to bring the di3dren of Israel out of^ the land of Egypt-

14 IT Theae be the heads of their fathen' houses: • The sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel; Hanoch, and Palhi, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the fhmiliea of Reuben.

15 IT > And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad^ and JachiiLr and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaaoitiah woman: theaa are the families of Simeon.

16 IT And ^eae are the names of " the sonr -of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohatht and Merari: and the years ofthe Itfeof Leviwereahnndred aiod Ib&ly aad seven years.

17 * The sons of Gershm; Idbni, and Shimi, according to their families.

16 And * the sons of Kt^tli; Amrsm, and lahar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath loere a hundred thirty and three years.

19 And 'the sons of Merari: Mahali and Muslii: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.

20 And 'Amram took him Jochebed his fkther'fl sister to wife; and she bare him Aaroa and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were a htmdred and thirty and seven years.

Vena & Snr unto Aa children t^f Jtrael, / am A« Vomo, ami I mil bring ]fou out, Ac] This eonflmu the anjaaadoa given of yei. 3. which aec

TiraaT. fvUtiakeyouto irujor ajwpU, Ac] Thi« was fndtefy the covenant that he bad made with Abra^ bam t we 0ml xviL T. and the notea ibere.

And w tliaU *now Aat I am Ou Loaa (Jbhovab) Om] By (hiu fulfilUog my jwomiae^ ye ■hall ' what is imphad in my nama. See on w. 3. Bui why Aould God take such a moit ittulid, nfiraetoiy, and totally worthlen people for h» people? 1. Becanae he had promiaed lo do eo to their noble ancestors, JUirahaffl, luioc, Jacobs Joeeph, Judah, dkc men worthy of all pniiae^ beoauae, la geoenl, friende of God, devoted t6 bis willL ud 10 the good ol maakind.

2: Am Kdup Warburtoa properly obeervea, "that the egtroofdinary providence by wluGh they were protected, might become the more viaible iind illiutrioua; for had diey been endowed with the ahining qualitiea of the more poluhed mttons, the effect! of that providence might have Men Mcribed to Aeb own wiidom.''

3. Iliat God mi^t whew to alt aucoeeding generation^ diat he dcJi^tB to initruet the ignorant, help the weal^ •ad nva the loM: Ibr if be bore long with larael, ihowed dum eqieeial mercy, and gracioiuly received them whenever ibey implored hii protection, none need deapair. God noma to nave choaen the worst people in the universe, >• giva, by them, unto mankind, the highest and moat expfeeshre proob, that be wills not the death of a siuur, M rather that hs may turn from bis iniqjui^ and live.

Terse 8. TVftieh J did 9aear] -n* rat vaan luuKaH «f yadi, I have lifted up my hand. The usual mode of Buudng an appeal to Ood, snd henoe considered to be a.fifrm twcaring. It is thus that Isai, Izji. 8. is to be underwood— 77w Loni hath twom by hi* righihand, mnd bf A* arm of H» •trengOu

Tens 9. But tkey hearkentd not] Hieir bondage was become so extremely oppressive, that they had lost all hope of ever beinr retwsmed from it. After this verae the ^maritanadds, Xef ut atoju ItuUm maytenttht RgypHana; for ti it betUrfor u» to tene tkt Bgyptiaru, Asa Out w should dUintlu vMdertuta. This appears to be borrowed from chsp. xiv. 12.

Angvtah qf *piri(] up lulxtr ruadi, Jtortnen qf »p4rif ar br§aA, The words signify that their labour was •a eontinniil, and their bondage so cruel and oppressive diat they had scarcely time to breathe.

Vwae 12. DndrmmeiMd Uf} The word ViF trot, wnca wa traoalaie iiRc£n«siasaf^aeems (o signiQr ai^ tfifai «nbwaat or auperftmus: Bad not Ilesee been y ribMs far bis exedkat beaoWi I shDold have Aem^ dM passsgs mi^ be reodsted pnMersirf f but as this sense cannot be admitted, for the above reason, the word must reier to some natural impediment in his speech; and probably means a vrant of distioct ready nt' teranoe, either occasioned by seme defect in the organs of Bpeecl^ or impaired knowleoge of the Egyptian language^ oher an afaaenpe (A fort}/ ytKn. See the note on eu^ iv. 10.

Verae 14. T1u*» be As hauU\ ^snn rtuhey, die dd^^ or taptaimM. tht following genealogy was simply mtendeo to ^ow, that Moses and Aaron came in a aireet line from Abraham; and to ascertain the ti-mt of Israel's deliverance. The whole account from this ver. to ver. 36. is a sort of parenthesis, and does not belong to die uutsp tion t and what follows from ver. 28. is a recaintuhidoD what was spoken in the preceding chapters.

Verse!& The yean ^ As ^ LnS\ "Bishop Patrick ofaaerves, that Levi is thmttht to have lived tlie longest of all Jacob's sons; none of whose ages are re- G<wded in Scripture, but his and Joseph's, whom Levi survived twenttf-anen years, thou^ he was much the eMw, ln«dier. kohath, the neond sen of Levi, occordii^ le Archbishop Usher, was thirty years old when Jacob cone into Egypt } and lived there one kundrad and thru years. He attained to nearly the same age with Levi, to otie hundred and Otirty-three years: and his son Amrom, die ftither <^ Moses, lived to the same age with Levi. We may observe her<^ how the divine promise, Oen. xv. IB. (rf delivwing (he Israelites out of Egypt m die fourA genenuioa was verified: for Moses was the son oc jlmram, the eon of Kokaih, dw ton of Levi, the son of Jaeob." DoDD.

Veiae 20. BUfathtr'a sWwJ dodato. The Inie mfaning <tf this word is uncertain. Parkhurst observes^ that w dad ngnifiea an uncle in 1 Sam. x. 14. Lev. xxv. 14. and frequent^ elsewhere. It signifies also an un«f^« ton, a eoustn-german, compare Jer. xxxii. 8. vrith ver. 12^ where die Vu^ate renders vii dotUj hjptUrudiM mH, my vatemal eounn; and in Amos vu lu. for >yn dodo, dw Tugum has n^a*ip karibiah, kit near relation. So Vulgates propinmuM ejut. Am rewire, and the SepUiagtat g> iiMi*! mvrmr, thott Iff their houthotd. The best cnties suppose^ that Joehabed was the eouwR-gnwian of Amran^ and not his atmf. See dtap. ii. I.

S'nt, Syriac, and one Hebrew MS. add. And HHriam or rieter. Some of the best critics suppose these worda to have been originally in the Hebrew text.

Verse 21. Kvrah^ Though he became a rebel agamst God and Moses, see Numb. xtL I, Ac. yet Moeea, m bis great impartialiv, inseru bis same among duas of bis other prtwaniiora. Torse Zt. TzxisgHeisi

39 And Aaroa took him EUdbeba, daughter of ^ Ammintulab, Bister of NaBSBon, to wife; eoid ifae bare bhn • Nadab, aaad AUhn, Bleazar,

34 And the ^ sobs of Eorak; Acsir, Klkanah, and AbiaKvph: these ari the families of the Horbites.

25 And Eleazar, Aaron's son, took him one of the daa^ters of Palid to wife; and ■ she bare himPhinehas: these ore the heads of the fathers of the Levites accordite to their families.

36 These are that Aaron aad Mosee, ' to whom the Lord said, Bring out the children of Israel from the laiid of E^pt according to their s armies.

37 These arc tbey ^i^ch ^ spake to Pharaoh^ liiBK of Egypt, [ ttt brin^ out the children ol Israel firoBi Sfffpl: these Btre tbat Moees and Aaron.

38 f And it cmme to paas, on the day t(t&«n the Lord spake unto Moses in the land of Sgypt,

39 That the Lobd spake tmto Moses, saying, am the I.obi>: 'speak thou unto Pharaoh

30 And Mesea said bafere the Loan, Behold, "I am of DBeirctuneiBed lipa, and taow ahaU Pharaoh. haarkan unto ma?

a Tfadn ysfaglCapadkamhatlenaftHMWUhee: and Aaron thf brouier shall apeak nnlto Pharaoh, that he send the children of israel out of bn

3 And 4 1 will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my ■ signs and my wonders in the lead

4 Bat Pharaoh rirnll not hearken ante yvo, I that I may lay my band opon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the cUMrea of Israel, out of the land of Egypt, ■ by great judgments.

5 And the Egyptians ' shall know ikmt I a«i the Lord, when I * stretch forth mjae hand upon Egypt, and brine out the duldien of Israel from among them.

6 And Moses and Aaron » did as the Loite commanded them, bo did they.

7 And Mosea isos ' fourscore yeara and Aaron fourscore and three years M, whea dwf. spake unto Pharaoh.

9 WhBnPJMrfliAsb^ speak unto yavLsnyiaCf ■ Show a miracle, for you: then, thou ataii aaji wnto Aaron, ■ Take thy rod^ and east it benre Pharaf^. ontj it shall beoorae a serpent.

10 Ana Moses and Aaron went m onto Pharaoh, and they did so > as the Lobo kad eonn manded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it *became a serpent.

11 Then Pharaoh also * called the wise men EUid * the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also ' did in like manner with their enchantments.

13 For theycastidowneveiTnian his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swa}- lowed up their rods.

VerM 73. ElUktba] Hie oath of the Lord. It u the suae name as EUzabelhy so very common among Cliristiaoa. She was of the royAl tribe of Judah, and was sister to KaaahoiL one of tha arincea. See Numb. n. 3.

Eitazar\ He succeeacd to the high priesthood on the death sf hts father Aocon, Numb. zx. 26, dtc.

Verae 2B. Phindui9\ Of the celebrated act of this person, and the moat honourable sruit made to him and his posterity, see Numb, xxv, 7 — 13.

Verae 26. Atxording la their artnia] QnM» Mbotam. ibat battaluma, r*gviarty arranged troopt. AsOodhad Oiwe partiflulwly uader his care and direetion, he had die name of mas mm Ydwtah UAaoA^ Lord <f Aosft, or armies.

" "nie plain and disinterested manner," says Dr. Dodd, 'id vhiui Moses speaks here of his relations; and the bspaztiaHty wherewith he inserts in the list of them such 8S were anerward severely punished by the Lord, are otrildng prooGi of his modesty and nnccrtty. He inserts the genealogy of Reuben and Simeon, bocaase die; were of the aane mother widl Levi; and moogh he says nothing oS himself yet he relates particularly what eooeem^ Aaron, vcr. 23. wno married into an hooourablfl fiunily, tbe sister of a prince of the tribe of.Judah."

Verse 28. Ajid it eamt to paft\ Here the teventh chaptier should commence, as there is a complete ending of the tixth with ver. 27. and tlie 30th verse of this chapter is intimately connected with the first verse of die succeeding.

The principal subjects in this chapter have been so am^ considered in tbe notes, that linle of importance remains to be dons. On the nature of a covenant, (see rer. 4.] ample inforquuioD may be obtained by refttrtng to Gen. tL IB. and zv. 9—16. which placet the reader will do well to consult.

Supposing Moaes to havr^ really laboured under some defect m speech, we may consider it as wisely designed to tea sort of counterbalance to his other excellencies; nt least this is an ordinary procedure of Divine Providence; personal accomplishments are countertnlanced by mental defects, and mental imperfeetioiu often, by personal accam- (lltthinenta. 'Hitn (he head eaimot wr to the foot, I have no need ot dwe. And God does all this in great wiedop, SOB to hide pride from man, and that no flesh may glory in hit presence. To be contented with our formation, endowments, and external circumstancss, reouirea not only muA submission to the providence of God, but also mocD of the mind of Christ On the other hand, should we fbel viautf because of some personal or mental accompUshmesi, vs have only to take a view of our vhoU, to find aufllcieat cause of humiliation: and after all, the racett and geotls spirit only, is in the sight of God, of great price. • NOTES ON CHAPTER VH. Verse 1. / hate made thee a god\ At tby word evor plague shall come, and al thy command each shall bs removed. ITiua Moses must nave iqipeared as a god IS Pharaoh.

Verse 3. I will harden PharaoKt luar(\ I will permit his stubbomness and obstinacy still to remain, that l may have the greater opportunity to multiply my wonder* in the land, that the ^gypUani may know that I only am Jehovah, die self-existent God. See on cbu. iv. 21.

Verse 5. And bring out 0ie AUdrm iff jbreel] Pt»- moh's obstinacy was either caused or permitted, in meicT to the Egyptians, that lie and his nuigiciana, bein^ sufferea to oppose Kosee and Aaron to the uttermost of theu- power, the Israelites might be brought out of Elgypt in so signal a manner, in spite oi all the opposition <n the Egyptiau, their king, and their gods, that Jehovah might appear tO be All-mighty and Aa-tvfieient.

Verse 7. Mnet WufourKOre veart old] He Wasjtrfy years old u-hen he went to Miflian, and he had tarriod forty years in Hidian, aee cliap. ii. 11. and Arts tU. 30. And mnn diis verse it f^pean that Aaron wlu thrft yesn ' older ti«n Moses: and we have already seen that Uirisia their sister was older than either, chap. ii. 4.

Verse 9. SHWie a mirarle for you] nno mophe&f a miracle, signifies an effect produced in native which ■■' opposed lo lis laws, or such as its power* or* inadetiuaU to produce. As Moses and Aaron jvofessod to have a diviiM mission, and to come to Pharaoh on the most exiraordina^ occasion, making a most singular and unprercdentetFdb* mand^ it was natural to suppose, iX^hanudi sito»ld si^it

14 IF And the Loan said uato Moms, ^ Pha- Mob^ hetirt it hajdeaed, he reAieeth to Ut the

Is 0«t thee oat* Pharaoh ia the momiDg; lo, he goeth oat uoto the water; and thou ahalt •tawl hy the river's brink AffaiaBt he come; and f the rod which was tuTMd to a eerpeQt shall tlMu take in thioe band.

gin Aem ao audience, that h« wouM rv<iuire them to give him wont proof \>y an eztraordinu7 si^ that their pretanMOB lo Mcm • 4iTiiM miBnon were well founded add ieeoBMaiabla. For it afpmn to heve 4wr bam Ihs seBM of Mokiad, thot tewb* ham m, diviao mmmm to tOmt ■Ml* csmcmlteBi^ pvrpose, «tn givs e Bupematund jkvoof that be baa got dtu extraordiDary commiaaioa.

Takt thy rod] This rod. whedier a commoQ ataff, an •naiim «C oOMc, or a riMfriienl's crook, a« aovr eoB^^ Ibt the nupoae «f worxiDg miiselea t sad is iodUEMeotly called toe rod of Gtxi, iha rod of Moees, and tkerodtd A«n». OodgaveiLtMDuraeuloaipowcr,«alllosBi«Bd Afuoa used it mdiAranil;.

Yerw 10. B beeamt a acrjMnf] tannin. What. kind of a aerpeat is here introdsd ieamed men are not Sgmad. F/oaa du manew in Wkim die onKinai word ia Mad ia Pmlm IxziT. 13. Zm. zxviL 1. h. 9. Job vii. tZ •ana very larga emian, aithw amade or amphibioua, ia fpaUbly meant: aome bare thai^u dtat dw avotdiU, a wall known Bgrptian animal, ia hera intynded. In ciiBfi. iv. 3. it taaaid ami thu rod waa ehanfred into a aai-penf; butiho origiBal wofd dwie ia vutMcnoal, and karajw lasaiii, thaniaewttdwbiehwa tcaodata lehak*, Cha. i.2L

. auypoaad that aa ordinary terperU, ia what ia intended by lha wmi, bwHBSs the ase of bom might be than pretty

- aaartye^aali fautaanouraela waa wrou^t on the oeeaaioa, dm eiieamataaee ta of no weight; it waa aa eaay to Ood to ehaaga the rod wlo a ctaeodilc^ or any other cieature, aa to ehaaga it into aa odder or eaaunon anake.

Veraa 11. Pbaroakeottedttawtaamm] o«MieA«ea- «im,tbeiMQofl«amiog. £lare<rm e<BP9 •aaAapMn^ Aoaa 1^ maal hkhka dtnun probakly from tka AraMe i«9t CJUatf oad^/L iotc«m£ uRosMr, Aie. steail^ vawp*, or dwse who pretanded to pmmsI what was ia fiMorityi to diaeoMr thinga kMt, lo ^qd bidden tfoMnrai^ dke. MKfUUnt, ^oawt dharahimay, dmtflurtn of ahamia wriUag^ aee tha note on Geo. zli. 6.

ThtyU* did in Hksmantur vithtMr tnthaninuiUs] 1^ wnfd omtf lahatim, comes from an^ lahat, to friint, leatConjIn*; and probaUy ngniOea sueh ineantattona aa iSfMtiad hutnljirtt, MurOUmtftmigatimu, burning^ imimatf aromatic and od(rrt/«rou< druj^a, &c. aa the meana of emUng daparted apiriu, or aaalstant demana, t^wiMae miniatry it ia probaUe tha magiciana in mieation wrought oemaot diair deeeptivo miraelea i faraaUtatonn miawt sigoiSia yvcperiy aoowdnng irtdch eioaeda dN pewari of

• aaaue or art lo nodnea, (sea w. 9.) banoa dwn ooold be no mitaele in diia case, but thoae wroufdkt thnaifi^ tha peww of Ood, by tlM nuniairy of Iboea and ^tfoa. ^litara oaa ba no doubt that real serpenta were produced by the laagieiana. On diia anhjeet there are two opiniona: lat, "Aat the asrpeata were each aa th^, eidMr by filing or aWriitofhMid, had bnoght to dte pbkoa, aodlBdaecretad tffl m time of ezblbid^ aa oar conaaoo eoamron do in pMia kitra, dw..2dly. Ttkat the aarpeou were broo^t by ute mmiatryof a &miliar ^iril, whieh, 1^ tha niagM Bamea ■tnadyrafcrradtOitheybadevobsdkn-uiepBrpoae. Bath teaaopinMKiaadmitdieaorpentatDbaraiii;«ndno Uhtaian oi As Mght, as aoBia have auj^MSKi. _Tka Cat opto ion appears to ate insufficient to acoount to ■ft pHBDBHMi of die eaae raferrad to. If dte aiagicians mrm^lmm. Aafr rod^ md dWa kaeoate lewiMifi aftw *ir«M dwadsiiu, aa <b>arii iii|siadj a^i^ t«i U.

16 Andtiwa ihaltei^vBeolibD:, *'ThaLottD Ood of ^e Hebrewa Iwtfa seat me xmto thM> Bf^ipg, Let my people go, > that ttte^ may «em me ia the wUderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest Dot hear.

17 Thua saith the Lean, In this thoa ahalt know that I am the Loid: behold, I will siaita wi^ the rod that it in miae hattd upon ttie waters which ore in the rirer, and ■ they shall be tttraed •teUood.

Jitggting or uleiglU ^nd bad nodtieg totker to dp fai the nMineae, aa the rods were dteit ouJ eftkeir bands. It

Aaron's red aiMUatead up fft«trfwds, dteir aleig^t of haad waa no lopnger conoemed. A man by daUarity of haat^ ■ssy-sa to iaspaaa aa kis spsslatnia, aa lo opfMor tooata rod: but isr rods lyiag on the gtouad to becoaw aorpan^ and one of these to aevow all the rest, ao that h alone remained) retjuired aometfaing more than^u#g£ffig*. 'How muA more raliansl at ones IS aUow, that ums BM|rioibns had toniliarqririta, who could saaume all skapea, duagB the appeaiaaceo «f die sidijools on which they (^ontted* m_ auddsnly flonveyona thmg Bww, and eubstituta aaodiMr in its plaeal NaMre has no moo power, and. an no mA. influence, as to produce the efiects attributed here, and in the succeeding chapiers, to the Egyptian magicteu.

Verse 12. Aarotit rod twaUwed up thiir fodsl Am Egypt waa remarkably addietad to magie, sorcery, ««. ii waanacMsarydiat God should iMrmitPhuaob'swiseraaa to aat to tha uimoet of diOH- sluU, in order to imilala ihs wofk of God, that hia superiority niriit he eleady aeea. and hia powerful working inceotealaMy asoertainea: asd tfaia waa bUIy done, when Aaron's rod siaaJJaiMd tip tkmm rxjdm. We hare alraady aeail that the names of two (tf cho obief of duaa manoiana wave Jmm and Jiisikre^ sae dtap. ii. 10. and 3 Tim. iiL S. Kany ttadiUoaa and aUaa oanceminc ibasa may be aaen in the eaatem writers.

Verse 13. And Aa kardmtd PkorooA's heart] A ptm njna vai^tchaiakUb PareSk, "And dte beart of Phcraoh was hardened," dte identical words which in ver. 32. are thus translated, and which should have been renderoi ia the same war here, lost the Aardentnj-, whieh waa evi^ daotly the emot of hia own obotintle sCutting of hia a{faa against lbs initb, dwidd bo tllrihutad 10 Ck)d| aee oa ckapu vr. 21.

Vcne li PharuoK* haart is Aardsnod] -ras ed6sd^ is baeome ksavy. or stupid; he reestves no convi^ton, notwitbrtaading dte eleameas of dn light which shines upon him. We wall know the power of prejttdtoc, where pes- Bona are detarodned to think and act after a predeiemmed plan: Mgumanta, demonsttaliona,aod«vea miracles ihem* ■slvaa, are loot on then, as in the case of Pbaraoh har& end tbat of the obalinate Jews in the days of cur Lord and bis apoades.

VamaU. L»,Ktg9»A.oidmtotiuyt>ater\ ProbaUy for the puipoae of balking, or peribnniag sane religjoaa ablution. Sosne aippQaa hs went out to pay adoradon to. tfae river Nils, wbiea was aa dtneet of relineus worship aaaeg tha aaeioBt Egyptiana. For, aays Phitarefa, Do Iside, tvtt* *<n»Ttim Aiyamttt ■( " **"»■«*■ "Nodiing ia in graaMr bonour aauag die Bgy|«ian^ dian the nver NUe." SoaieofdieaDSKat Jewaaappoa«Ldta(Pbaiaoh himafclf waa a magician, and diat be walked by dM river, eariy each morning, Sat ibe purpose of preponag augkal

" \^ 17. Bthold /wtti sni/e] Hare oonncooes dwoeoount of the m piaguM, which were ioAicted oa the BgyptianB by Uoaea and Aaron, by the cocamand aad ItaN^ dte power of God. Aeeordine to Arcbbiak^ IMHTt. tbaae Isa fdNruea bxdt ^aee ia ibe oouisaof one 'mondH sad in die loBowii^ ooer.

IVjIraf, die WATSsa turned into blood, looknlaee, he suppoaes, the 19dt day of die sixdi month, ver. 20.

lliesaMnd, die plague of raooa, on die 26di day of lha atzdi aioath, diap, Tiiu 1.

18 Awl &e fidi Aat t* in the river thall die, and the rivwr diaU atiiik; and the EgyptieuB aliall p loathe to drink of the water of tne river.

19 ir Aod the Lobd epaka unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and i stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon then* pcHids, and upon all their ' pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there mar -be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, bom invowe^ Hf wood, and in vessels of stone.

30 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Loro commanded: and he 'lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the t waters ^t were in the river were turned to blood.

Th« ninA, the trick dakkmws, oa die lOtfa day of Abib (Aftril 30) DOW become the tint month of the Jewiih year, chap. x. 22. But ne the note en chap. xii. 2.

The tetUh, the sla7I!«o the nnrr-MSK, on the I6th of Abib, chap, xii. 29, Bat moat of these dues are destitute of proof.

VerMia The Egyptians Ml haOt to tbrink of the waier] The force of this expreaaion cannot be weU felt, withmit taking into constderauon the pecul iar pleeaantneee, and mat uJubrity of the watera of the Nile. " The water of S^Tpt," eaye the Ahb6 Maw;rier, "is so deUcioui, that one would not wiah the heat to be leai, or to be delirared from the Knution of thirat. The Turk* find it ao •zcfuinte, that they excite thenuelres to drink (rf it Inr SMmg talt. It is a comnv>n''eBTing among them, that if Mohunmed had drank of it, he would have beaouf^t Gh>d that he might never die, in nder to have had tfaii continual gratification. When the Egyptian! undertake the pilgrimage of Meeca, or go out oi their country on any othoseeount, die? apeak of nothing but the pleasure they shall have, at their return, in drinking of the watera of tlw Nile. There is no |p«tification to be compared to this; it surpasaes, in their esteem, that of seeing dieir relations Mid &- nilies. All those who have lasted of this water, allow that they never met with the Uke in any other placeu When a person drinks of it for the first time, he can scarcely be persnaded that it is not a water prepared br art; forithaa something in it inexpressiUy agreeable and pleasing to the tuie; aiM it idioulo have the same rank among wattn, that champaigw has among-winea. But its most valuable fuali^ is, that it is exceedingly aahitary. It never iocommodea, let it be drunk in what quantity It miqr: this ia so tnis, that it is no uncommon thiii^ to see some persons drink three Iwekets of it in a day, without the least inconvenience I When I pass such encomiums on the water of Egypt, it is rifl^ to observe, that I speak only of that of Oie IfiU, which indeed ia the only water drinkable, for their wdlitaUr ia deteatable and tmwboleaome. Fvwttoitu are eo lare, that they are a kind of prodig7 in that countiy { and as tofoiit-wabr, that ia out of the question, as ecareely aay UilM ia EgypL'*

" A person," says Mr. Harmer, " who never before heard of the deliciousnees of the Nile water, and of the large qiMntities irtiich on that aceoimt are droak of it, will, I am sure, find an energy in those words of Moses to Phaiac^ — TTu Sgyj^uHi* thaU loathe to drink of thcwaUr^ the river, wnieh be naverobservsdbeiiMV. Inn will kiathe to drink of that water which they used to preier to all the waters of the onivarse; loadie to drink of that, for which Aey had been aceuatomedlo long, and wiU rather ehoose to drink of well-water, whi<^ in thek country is detestahltV'—Obaervations, Vol. IH. p. 664.

Vem 19. That there may 6e itaod-bolh in veasels of wood and in vessels of otont] Not only the Nile itself was to be thus changed into blood in all its branches, and the canals issuing m>m it, twt all the water of lake*, pond*, and ruervoirt, was to uixleigo a similar change. And this was to extend even to the wter already brought inio their houses far ailinartf and other dometiU pvrposes. As the water of the Nile is known to be very dikk and muddy, and the Bjgrptians are oMiged lo filter it through pots of a kma of white earm, and sometimes through a paste made of almonds, Hr. Harmer supposes that the vatiU of tcoorf and atone mentkned above, may refer to the proeess of filtration, which no doubt has been practised aiBong Atam frwn lbs mnotest period. The itisanhig gtren show I Mak » be more nttniml.

Si And die &dk that wa* in gw riw died i and the river stank, and the KgyptisM "coiud not drink (rf*the water of Uie river: imd there was blood.throughout all the land «

^3 * And Uie magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantmenu: and Pharaoh's heart wu hardened, neither did he hearken onto them} * as the LoBD had said.

23 And Pharaoh turned and went - into, hfa house, 'neither did he set hia heart to this also.

24 And all the Egyptians tligged round about the river for water to drink; 'for they could not drink of the water of the river.

35 And ' seven ds^a were fulfilled, aft«rdutt the Loan had smitten the river^

Ute FiBST v^ogtM — Tbt WAnua tomedtnto iloob. - Verse HO. Au ^ wUere—wore turned to iXeotf] Net merely in aiqwarance, but in reidity; for these cbaaied waters became corrupt and insalubrious, so (hat e ven the w, that were in the river died; and the smell became tudtly o^idve, BO that the waters oould not be drtmk, ver. 21.

YamTt. Amdtkema^tiane-dld 00} Butifslldw. water in Egypt was tamed into blood by Moses, when did the magicians get the water which Iheu chtutged into blood? lUs question is answered in vw. 24. HieE^yptiana digged round about the river for water to drin^ nd it seems uiat the water obtained by this meaas vaa not bloody like that in the nver: on Hue water, therefai^ lbs magicians might operate. Again, dtough a geiteiml eom* miaaioa was j^ven to Moees, not oitlv to torn the watsn of the (river) Nile into blood, but tdso tnose oi their sueami, rivers, pond& and pools; ytt it aeema pretty elesr, from ver. aathatnedidnotpfooeeddiuafhr, atleoatinthefirat uirtsnesi fbr it ia there stated that only the watsrs of dis river were turned into blood. Afterward die plague doubtless became general. At the cMnmencemeot, thsrefon^ of this plague, the mngidans might obtain oilwr water to imitate the miracle t and it would not be dil&eult for then, hr juggling trieke, or the aeaietanee iff a famUiar e]^irit, (for we must itM abandon die possiUli^ M this use) to give it a bloody eppeanuuxk a firtiii amell, and a bad taste, Ob eidwr of dwse grounds, there is no eontndietion in A» Mosaic account, though some have bsen very studiotas ts find one.

The plague of the bloody waters may be considered as a dispUy of retributive iuatioe against the Egyptiana, for lbs murderous decne, which eniieled, that all (be male children of the IsrMliles should be drowned in thai river, dw waters of which, so neeassaiy to Ibeir stmpwt and Itt^ were now rendered nM oidy usahibriaiM^ nit docH^K bf being turned into Uood. As it ia well known d»t lbs iinis was a chief object of Egypdan idolatry, (see on ver. 15.) and that annually they sacrificed a girij or as others say, both a boy and gwrl, to this river, ingmtitude for the benefits received from (Univereat Btat. Td. I. p. 178. UL edit.) God might have deeigoed this plague as a puni^ ment for such cruelty; and the cmttempt poured thisobjea of their adoration, by tuming.ita waters into blood, and rendering them feud and oomipt, nmot have had a direct lendeiK^ to socrset their iddatroua notionsL and lead them to aoknnriedge the powsr snd audwriiy « lbs iras

Verse 25. Andttvenday iDeT»fuMlei\ So welean^ that this plague oontinued at least a lAole week.

The oontendon bMween Moses and Aaron and the magicians of Egypt, has become hmous throughout the wora. Tradition, m various countries, has preserved, not omly the • account, but also dte names of dte chief persons eoneccned in (he opposition made by the Egyptians to these messengers of uod. nwaj^ tneir names are not mentioned ia uie sacred text, yet trsditioa had jmaemd them in tbo Jeteieft reoorde, from which Sl Paul undoubtedly quotes^ 2 Tim. iii. 8. where, speaking of the enemies of the Gkw pel, he compares them to Jaimee and Jambree, uAo toiihstood ]Uo$ee. Uiat these names existed in die aoeieot Jewish records, their own writings riiow. In the TbrnA of JonadMn ben Uzziel on this place, diev an oalleo uv '

Janie and Jamirie; and in the Babylonian Talmud they are named Joanne and Mambre, and are represented as ehiefe of the scM^wers of Egypt, and as bavilg ridiculed Hoses and Aarcm for pretending lo equal Awn in maidoal arts. And Rah. TWicusV in hia Cominwmffc BaiMs^.fciM»aad.Ami*nM. UwealteWtlMf^ Digitized by VjOOy Ic

S, t. ' Tit mmgaam ImluH ihta i^^Sl

AND thA LoBD Bjialifl unto Moses. Go unto Pharaoh, and s^ unto him, Thus aaith inniof the aaoieDt editions of Pliny to be correct hs lefen, iaJBiri. Nat. 1. xxz. o. 2. to the ume permu^ the namee bring & little chftaged — Ett d aliamagia»fa^ioalU9$e tt Jamm* tt JoUgt* Jndteit pmden», Std muUit miUOma cmnonm potl Zoroa«frem. " 'ntere ii alio another Eeiction of magiciana, vbich took its origin from the Jewa, BCoeea, Januiea, uid Jot^tea, many thouaaoda of ymn after Zoroaater;" mtere he eoniounda Hoaea with the Egyptian magieiana; for the healhena having no juat notion of thepowwof God, attributed all miraclea to IM influence of magic Plmg ajao ealla the Egyptian magiciasa Jewt: bntthitw not ihe onlr miatake m hiahiatoiy; aodaahe 94Am, ttd waiitia mUUbtu aimorumpMt ZorooMtrtm, he ia Buppotd by aome to refer to the ChrUtiatia, and particularty the ^wafiaa, who wrought many miraclea, and whom be conaidera to be a magical aect derived from Mo- Ma and the Jewa; becauae th^ were Jewa by nation, and mated lloaca and the p^>|dieta, in proof of the truth of the ooetrinaa ti Chriatiamty, and of the divine miasion of CbriiL

NumttUoM, a Pythagorean philoaopher, mentioned by Eusebiui^ aamea tneae magieiana Jamnt» and Jambrea, and mentiona t)}eir of^iuon to Hoaea; and we have already aeen, that there waa a tradition among the Aaiatioa, that Pharaoh'a dau^tcr had BKoaea inatructed by the wiae men Jamu* and Jambm: aee AbuX FartM, edit Poeoc. p. 26. Here then ia a veiy remarkable net, the priocipal circumstancea of which, aod the Aisf aotora in them, have been preaerved by a aort of univwaal tradition. See JluutcorA.

When all the eircumatanoea of the preceding caae are conaidered, it aeema atrange that Qod raould enter into any eoDtaat wim audt pefWma aa the Egyptian magiciana; but « little refleetkm will abow the anoTuU neceaaity of thia. Bfr. Ptaiwuuuaar, who wrote the oeooinU ^ (he Jem, in the fiiM volume of the Pwiwraaf SalorK givea the following judioioua feuona fiv bia: — it be naked," aaya be, ** wby Qod did anffer the Egyptian magidaiu to bdrnnr power from the devil to invalidate, irpoaaible, tboae ™'f which hia aervant wrought by bis divine power; feafaMowingreaaonamaybegiven tor it; 1. It waa oecea- Mty dtat theaa nkagiciana abmild be suffered to exert the nteoM of their paver againat Hoae^ in order to clear bim fiom the imputation of magie ot wrcery; foraa the notiott of andt aa extraonlinaiy art waa very rife, not only •aong the Egyptiana, but all other nationa; if they had not entered into thia atrenuoua competition with him, and been at length overeome by him, both tbeHdmwaandthe EfTptiana wouM have been ^Ker to have attributed all hia mirafles to his skill in magie^ than to the divine power.

"Seeoadly. It waa necessary, ia order to confirm die flddi of the wnwiuR and de^iCTadinglarnelitea i by malting then aee dw dinerenee between noeea acting by the po>wer of Ood. and the aoreerera by that of Satan.

""niirdly. It waa neceaaaj^, in order to preaerve them nftorward from being aeduoea by any falae miraclea from the tme worahip of Qod."

To these a /ourA reaaon may be added: God permitted diis in mercy to the Egyptians^ that diey might see that thspxbinwhom tbey trusted, were tttlerly uwapable of •avmg them; that tbqr eould not undo or emadtnet one of the plaguea sent on them by the power of Jehovah; (he whole of their influence extending only to some auperflcial imitations of the genuine miraclea wrought by Mooea in the name of the true (Sod. By theae meana, it ia nam* ral to eooelude, that many of the Egyptiana, and perhapa ■evvtal of die ■erranta of Pharaoh, were cured of their idolatnri 'SbooA dis Ung himself hardened hia heart •niiKaweridaiieeairtiiefiGod brou^t before hia eyes. TOM Odd iaJlaMeitby Us jndgneDta: Ibr in every opefMua If ^ hMd, his darign is to eoUghlen dH minds of the LoBD, lot my people go, * that they lerre me.

2 And if thou ^refuse to let Ihem go, behold, I will amite all thy borders with ■ frogs:

3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, Tv4iich shall go up uui come into thine honee, and into * thy oedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the nouse of thy servantB, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy ■ kneadinff-trougha:

4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon tfar people, and upon all thy servants.

5 ^And toe Loan spake unto Moses, sav unto Aaron, ' Stiretch forth thine hand with tlqr rod (»Ter the streams, over the riven, and over tha

men, to bring them from falae dependanoes to truat ia himaelf alone; that being aaved from error and ain, thay may bectnne wia^ holy, luid h«i[nr. When hia jucteineala are abroad in the eartb, (he inbabitants learn nt^teousncaa.— S«e die note on ehn. iv. 21.

NOTES ONCHAPTER VIIL Hie sneoHD ytiagut — raooe.