It is alM worthy of remark, that the ancient heathen writcr^represent their gods, in ihsir pretendwl manifestations to men, as always entxmpaeeed wiA a dated. Homer and Virgil abound wiOi examples of diis khid| and is it not very probable, that they borrowed tbist as they did many olhw things m dieir inylhologio dieology, from ths tradition of Jehovah guiding his people ihrourfi the desert, by means of the cloud, in, and by which, ae repeafeiilv manifested himself!
1. ExTiiAORDt?iABV manifestatitms, and interposttioas of Pt-ovidcnce and grace, shoohl be held in continual remomlimncc. We are llsble to forget the hole of the pit whence we were di;rged, and the rock whence we were hewn. Prudence and jntty will institute their annivtraaries, that the merciful dealings of th« Lord, may never be forgotten. The paatover, and the feoH qf unUavened bretu^ tpy an annual commemoniion, became staodioff proofs, to the children of Israel, of the divine osigin tn their religion: and are stipporting pitlars of it to the vn^ sent day. For, when a act is reported to have taken place, and certain rites or oeremonirs have been instilBtad in order to commemorate it, which riics or tcremonies continue to be observed through succeeding ages, then the fact itself, no matter how remote the ponod of its occurrence may have been, has the utmost prmft of oatbeotict^ that it is possible for any fiurt to have \ and such as ewjy person, pretending to reason and judgment, is ebli^ to receive. On diis ground, die Mosaic religitm, and the 233 ^ f
2 Speak unto the chfldroi of lerael, ^ that.they turn and encamp before i PMiahiroth, between k Mi«lol and the sea, over against Baalzephon; before it shall ye encamp vy the
&ota Koordad in it, an indsbitBbly prorad; and the Chrutiui religion, and its boti^ beiw commeaiorated io the nme vw, partieularly far baptum aod die Lord* «9p8p, itana on auoh a fbunauion trf' moral cartun^, ae no other reoorda bi tba untverae can poaaibly boaat. Reader, pmiaa God for his erdinmuM: my are not only meana of grace to ihy aouL but aiandiiw irrefragable proo& «f <£e tnilh of that raligton, whidi thou haat nocm ved M from HIM.
2. A anrioiUjiit&Neprtfeaaiim of dte religion Chriat L in all agea of the flfaarefa, been eonaidered not only;hlT becotmng, but induqienB^ly neoeaaary to aelTation. I who eonaiatenUr conftiaea Chmt before men, ihall be oonfMaed by him bMore God and his tmsela. A Jea vera Ub phylaeteriea on hia fortiuad, on biaJuauU^ and round hia gnnnmlM, that he mixht have reverence in the nftat of ma heathen — he glomof in hia Ikw, and bo exulted that Abraham waa hia father. ChrMian, with a «al not laaa beeonung', and more conaiatectly mpported, let the worda of thy mouifa, the aota of thy nanda, and all thy goinga, •how duu thou belonseat unto God; that thou haat taken hia Spirit for the guide of thy heart, hia word for the rule of thy life, hia pro^ for thy compcmioiiB, hia heaven for thy ittberitanGe, and himaeli for the poruon of thy «>ul. And aoe that thou hold faat the truth, and that thou hold it in rigfateouaneaa.
3. How merciful is God io the diapenaationa of hia pro- ▼idenee. He permita none to be tried above what he is able to bear, and he proportions the burden to the bacjc that ia to bear it. He led not the Israelites by the way the Philistines, lest, aaein^ iw, they shouM repent and be disooaiaged. Young converts ue generally saved from Mvere qnTitoal omflieta and heavy teuptaUoQa, till they have aemiired a habit of beUeving, are disciplined in the wtiiXKA of Christ, and inatnicted in the nature of the pai^ in whii^ thOT go^ and the difficoltiea they nuty expect to find in it. Iney are informed that such things may take place, they are thusanued for the battle, and when trials do oome, they are not taken by surprise; God, the moat mereiful ud kind Ood, " tempera even the blaat to the limn luait." Trust in him, tnerefiire, with all thy heart, ud never lean to thy own underatanding.
4. ^a propwienea and goodneM iq Ood are eouolly obaervabte in the pillar <h eloud, and the pillar of fire. TTie former waa the proof of hia providential kindness \ry day, the latter by n^gAi. Thus be adjuata die aasiatance of Ua grace wad Spirit, to the exigenciea of hia creatures; giving at aotae limea mun paooliar trials require it, more partmlar maniftiatatifWH of hia nwniy and goodneaa, but at aU tinw^ auidi aviduieea of bii approCalion aa are aaffieieat to aatiafy a pious faithfiil heart. It ia true, the pjfiar qfjbn, was more obaervable in the night, beouise of the general darkneaa, than the jnliar qf cUnia was day; ^ the buier waa as convtodogi and aa evident a proof of hia preaODoe, ^iprofaation, awTprotection, as die Ybrmar. It n the dn^ and interest of every sound believer in Ohriat, to have the witneaa of Ood'a Si^tinhia «od1 at all tirae% diat hia and waja please hia SUer t but in aaaaoni of peouliar difficulty, he may azpect iha moraaaoaible manifeatatiooa of Cbd'a goodneas. A good man ia a temple of the Holy Spirit; but he who haa aa ui^y heart, and who lives an unrighteous life, thoagh he mi^ have an orlhodoz creed, is a hold of aaeuiaii apirita, and an ahominarina in the sight of die E4iid. Baader, let not Iheae obaarvatioiu be finitleas to dwa. Goil sivea tfaee hia void and hia Smrit i obey this w«4 dM thou pieve not tail SpiriL Tho following
8 For Pharaoh wUl say of the chddrra of Israel, i They cert entangled Inihs liand, thtf wilderneBs hath shut them in.
4 And " I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I ■ will be honoured upon I^raoh, and tqwn aH his host; * that the Egrptians may know that I am the LoHD, And they did so.
5 *rr And it was uAA the Idnr of Egypt that the peoi^e fled: and p the heart S[ Pharaoh, and of his serrautajwae turned against the peopk, and they said, Why have we done thi, that we have let IsraeLgo from serving as 7
6 And he made ready his chariot, and took hia people with him:
7 And he Xodk < six hnndred chosen duvioti^
figurative easing of a Jewiah rabbin ia worthy of v^aid. ' "God addreaaea Israel, and says, Uy aon, I eive thee on lamp, give me thy lamp. If tbou ke^ lamp, I win ke^ tny lamp; mit if thou quench my lamp, I will axtiniiuiBh thy lamp;" i. e. I give thee my word and SpMi, give methyAeai^ and aoui; if thou carefiilly attend to ntt word, and grieve not my Spirit, I will preserve thy soot alive; hit if tbou rebel agamat ny wonL and qoeaat Spirit, then diy lig^ diaUbe put on^ and diywul'a faiaaa* eoneaa eztiiwinidied in averhttiiig darVoesfc
Terse 3. Bneaimp'hxfort PirhiJiirti^ Ttvm'^Mfi-h^ - Airotkt the mouih, smif^ or hay qf Cnindi. Bt^DtoL MigdU 'rvo migaei, the tower, probably a fmtreaa that aervied to defend the bay. Over agtuntt Baat-zephnt, \n Vjr3 haal taqihon, tne lord or master of the watd^ probob^ an idol temple, where a oimtinaal guard, walcb, or light, was kept w fnr the deleaee of one part of dn haven, or aa a guide to ahipa. Dr. Shaw thinks dm (hintn may d^te the valley which extended itaetf frnft the wildemeaa of Ethun to the Red sea; and d»t die part in which the Israelites encamped was caUed Pi ha-danA, i. e. the mouih or bay of ChiToOi. See hia levels, p. 310, and his account at the end of Exodua.
Verae 3. T%«y are enton^tef tn the landX God himself brought them into stnita, from which no hmaaa power or art eouM extricate them. Conaider their ain^ tion when once brought out of the opta ooantr^ wfam alone they bad room either to fight or ily. Now tbey bad die Red aea before them, Phareoh and hie boat bduat them, and on their right and left hajMl, Jbrtrtnta of the Egyptians to prevent their eacape: nor had they one boat or transport Spared for their paaage I If they be now aaved, the arm of the Lord must be seen, and the vanitf and nullinr of the Egyptian idols be demonatrued. ^ bringiiv them into Bucn a aituatioiL he took from dwm an hope of human help, and gave their adveraariea even advantage against tnem, so that thef themaclvea laia: Ihejf are entangled in the land, the imldemen hatk tkiU them in.
Verae 4. IwiU harden PhartuAU heart] Afhr relenting and giving them permission to depart, at now diangaa hia miodand delanninea toprevent them, and without any farther restraining grace, God permita him to rudi on ta hia final ruin; for the ct^ of hia ini(]uity was now JitlL
Teree 5. And it wat tmd the kin^ — that the people JUH Of their departure he could not be ignorant, becwiae oimaelf had given them liberty to depart; but the word Jlid here, may be understood as implyii^, that they had utterly left Egypt without any intention to return, which is pr6bably what he did not expect; for he had only given them permission to ko three days' journey into the wilderoea^ in order to sacriSce to Jehovah; but mim the cireumataoBea of their departure, and the property they had got froin Aa Egyptiana, it was taken for granted, tut tfan had no da> aign to return j and dua waa in all likelihood, the tcaaid-.eration that wei^ted moat with diiaasaHcfoMafciB^anl determined him to pursue, and either reeovw the spoil, ar bring them back, orboth. Thm the htart^ PAoroAoisd hie eerpanlt va» turjied againet the people, and tkey ssA^ Why have ve let brad go from serving na 7 Ehre tfaa the grand incentive to pursuit; dieir «ervtc« was pnAaUa to the atate^ and they were determined not to give it op.
Verae 7. Six hundred tkeun AaHtttt, «&] A0oat4> ing to the most BQdHDtie BMonnta vahm of war cliari~^ they were Grequenlly diawn by two, or byy^ boraea^ i
8 And the Lord ' hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued lafter the children of Israel: and ■ the children of Israel ynot out with a high hand.
9 But the * Egyptians pursned after them, (aB the horses ami chariots of Pharaoh, and his EtorBemen, and his army^) and overtook them «ncaapme by Uie sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before ^uol-zepbon.
ID IT And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Bgyptiahs marched after them; and they vere sore afraid: and the children of Israel ■ cried ont uoto the Lord.
11 * And they said unto Moses. Because there were no graves in Esvpt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wild^ness? wherefore hast tbou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of
19 * /« not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, sayii^. Let us alone, that we may verve toe Egrptians? For it had been better for OS to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness 1
13 If And Moses said unto the peofHe, Fear re not, stand still, and see the salvBtion of the IjObd. which he will show to jrau to^y: ' for die EgyptiaiiB whom ye have seen to-day, ye ■ball see them again no more for ever.
14 ■ The Lord shall fight for yon, and ye shall
enried thm penoni, one wu dwuiower, whose tNuioeM it vw to cuide the horaea, but he Beldotn fou^t; the second <3iieny defended the diarioteer, Bnd the third alone waa properly the comhatant. It appnira that in thia case Plwnoli haid collected all the cavalry of Egypt, see ver. 17. and thmi^ theae might not have been very numeroua, yet fauBuoJv ipeakii^^ ihey night eaaily ovocome die onamedBiM encumbered lamelitM, who could not be aupposed to be nUe to make any reaialanoe a^^nst eapaby and war dtarieia.
Terae 10. TTu AUdren of brad erUd out UTito the IjOT\i\ Had their prayer been accompanied with faith, «e wRdd not have round them in the next verssa murmuriag againirt Moaea, or rather ogainat the Lord, through inioaB gvodoew they were mv brou^t from under thk boftdag^ frmn wbieh they had often cried fbr delivemnce. Oihntf ifainka that the moat pioua and judicioue cried unto Oni, while the unthinking and irreligious murmured againit Hoaea.
Verae 13. Mo*t* nid — F%ar ye iud\ Hua exhortation was not given to excite them to resiaL tar of that there waa DO hope: dtey were unarmed, thev had no courage, and their minds were deplorably degraaed.
Stajid ttiU] Yeanall notbeeveDworkerstogetherwith Ood; only be quiet, and do not render yourselves wretched by your ficara and yvui confusion.
Su the 9atpation qf the Lord] Behold the deliverance whidi Qod will work, indepeodently of all human help and means.
Ye ehatt see Aem agatti no mora] Hare was strong faith, bat thia waa accompanied by the apirit of prophecy; Ood ibowed Hoaea what bo would do, he believed, and. therefore he apoke in the eneouraging nuumer related above.
Verse 14. T^eXjmtAtUlJgktforjtm] "Teahallhsve no part in the honour of die day— Clod akme iball bring you oC and defeat your foea.
Ye matt hM your peace] Yoar unbelieving hm and ^amours diall be confounded; and ye ahall aee, that by ■might none aholl be able to prevail against the Lord; and diat the Ceebleat ahall take the prey vhta the power of Jdmrii ia exerted.
Yene U. Wher^re eritel Oum unto nu7] We hear not one word of Moses'a praying \ and jret here, die Lord asks him why he erisa unto himY Prom whioi we may ham, that the AeaW of Hosea waa deeply engaged with Ood, though k ia probable he did not orttcuUUe one word; but the Ungua^ of WWu, teare, And detiret, ia squally btelUfUs to God, widi that of vorde. Ihiaootirideration AubM be a strong eneoongunent to every baUis oiseoaiMMl miad— eanat not tmw-^t Ihoa canst ifiomi ifeveo tearw are denied the& for there maybe deep ■oagaoBlne repentance, where the distress is so great a> to •lop up ibos* wumels a relief then dura canst sfgA: and
,.And the Lord said tinto Moses, wherefbre criest thou unto me? speak unto the chit dren of Israel, that they go forward:
16 But ** lifl thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on Axy ground through the midst of the sea.
17 And I, b^old. I will * harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will '■get me honotir upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, and upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
18 And the Egyptians ■ shall know that I am the Loan, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon bis horsemen.
19 TT And the ange! of God, ' which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them j and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
20 And it came between the camp of the Egvptians, and the camp of Israel; ana « it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to theae: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
21 If And Moses^ stretched out his hand over the aea; and the Lord caused the sea to go bat^ by a strong east wind all that night, and
God, whose Spirit has thus convinced thee ot sin, ri^ts: ouaneaa, and jodgment, knowa div tmutterable groanmfp^ and reada the uMXpressible wish cu thy burthened soul i a wiab. of which himself is the Author, and which he has breathed widi the purpose to aaUsfy iL
Verae 16. thou up tl^ racQ Neither Hoses not his rod could be any e^ouve instruments in awoil^ whieh eotdd be neeom^ined atly die omnipotenea of God| but it waa neooasary that iha aboald ^>pear in iL in tadw that he might have credit in the s^t of die utnelitesi and duu thef might see that God had chosen him to be dta instrument of their deliverance.
Verse 18. TTiey ehall laiow that I aa the ImkA iPbaraoh had juat recovered from the conatemation and eonftisim with whidi the hue plagnea had overwhelmed him t and now he is emioliianea topoiaue after lanel, and God is determined to make his ovwthrow ao atnial by such an exertion of omnipotence, that he ahall get nimsuf honour by tbismiraculouaact; and that the Egyptians ahalt know^ i. e. aeknoietedge, that be is Jehovah, the omnipotent, selfexisting, eternal Ood.
Verae 19. TTm ongel <7od] It has been thought by aome that the ongA^ x. e. meetengtr, of die Lord, and the pillar of cloud, mean here the aame thing. An angel might aasurae the appearance of a cloud i and even a matarial cloud thus pamcularly appointed, mi^t be called an angel or menenger of the Lord; f«M- such is the literal import of the word TK^D malte, an angel. It is however most probable, dtat the Angel of the Covenant, ihe Lord Jesus, appeared OB this oocasioa, in behalf of the p«o|rie i for, as this deliveranee was to be an illustrious type <rf the deliverance of man trvm tlie power and guilt of si^ by his inearmtion and dead), it might have Men deemed necessary, in die judgment of divine wisdom, that he ihoold af^MSX cMf/* agent in thia most important and momantoua eriats: On the word angel, and Angel of the Covenant, see on Gen. xvL 7. xviif. 13^ sad Bxod. iii. t yene2(k B vaa a doud and darhuaa to Ama, &o.} Thai the laraeHteo might not be dtama^ed at the omaaronca of their enemiea, and that these might not be able to discern the <A»ject of their pursuit, the pillar of cloud moved trmn the front to the rear of die laraeiitiah camp, so as perfectly to separate between them and the Egyptians. It appear! alao, that this cloud had two etdee, one jilark and the other Jumtnowa.- the lulninoua side gave light to dw whole oamp of Israel, dHrimr die night of passage t sad the dark atoe turned toward the pursuing Egyptians prevented them from reeeiving any baoeSt from that ll^L How eaailv can Ood make die aoma thing an instnmuBl of destruetion or aalvation, as seems best to his godly wi»> domi He alone esB work by all agents, and i»odue« W7 kind of effect, even br the same instnimenti for all things serve the purposes of his will.
'22 And k the children of Israel went into the midBt 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 Egj^ptians pursued, and went in after ttiem to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
SI And it came to pass, that in the morning watch, * the Lord looked unto the host of the Egjrptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
25 And took off their chariot wheels, "that titer drave them heavily: bo that the Elgyjptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LcfRD ■■ fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
36 1[ And the Lord said unto Moses, p Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters
psrt of the sea over which the laraelitea pasaed, was, according to Mr. Bruce and other travellera, atiout Jimr Uagua acrosa, and therefore might easily be crossed in.(Moe night. In the dividing of the sea, two agents t^}pear tote employed, though the effect produced can be attritxtted to neither. By stretchins out the rwi, the waters were divided » by the blowing of the vehement, ardent east wtod, the bed of^the aea wasdried. Ithas been obKi-ved, that in die place where the Israelites ore supposed to have pused, (he water is about Jburtem fathoma, or ttetnlytigiit yarda deep: had the wind mentioned here been ■trong enotish, luuurally speaking, to have divided the waters, it must nave blown in one narrow track, and continued blowing in the direction in which the laraelitea passed; and a wind sufficient to have raised a mass of water itMnfy-«igU yards deep, and twelve miles in length, out (rf iu bad, would neoeaarily have blown die whole aix Jmndrti Stmuand men away, and utterly destroyed them Hkd dteir cattle. I therefore conclude tbtt the east wind, wfaiA wu ever remarked as a pardwng, burning wind, was used afier the division of the waters, merely to dry Vie bottom, and render it passable. For an account of the hot drying winds in the east, see the note on Oen. viii. 1. Ckid ever puts the hi^eat honour on his instrument, Natur«, and where it can act, he ever employs iL No namnl agent could divide these waters and cause them to stood waiMi/upon the right hand and upon the left; therefore God did it oy his own soverei^ power. When the waters wvre thus divided, there was no need of a miracle to dry dts bed of the sea, and make it passable; therefore the strong desiceating east wind was brought, which soon acoom^islMd this object. In this light I suppose the text ■hotHd be understood.
Verse 22. AndHuwalawenawaUmtoihem,ontkeir fi^U hand and on. &air ^ft] This versa demonstrates that lh« passage was miracuJoui. Some have supposed that the Israelites had passed through, favoured by an extraordinary e66, which hammed at that time to be produced by a strong wind, whicn /taMMn^c^ just then toblowl Had this been the case, there coiua not have been wuera tUmding m Ma right hand ami on the l^- much less eould those waters, contrarv to every law d fluids, have ■toodMRwall on either side whUa.lhe IstmI^ passed through; and then happen to become obedient to the laws of gravitation, when the Egyptians mtared in I An infi- M may d«iy the revelation in toto, and from such we expect nothing better; but to hear those who profesa to beliam tlu» to be a divine revelation, endeavouring to prove diot the passage of the Red sea had nothinf^ miraatiow in is really intoler^e. Such a mode of ititerpretation ntpiires a miracle to m^e itself credUile. Poor infidelity 1 how miserable and despicable are thv shifts.
Vers* 21. TTio morning waidt] A imUc&wbs dwfonrtlt MK of 1^ time &ora sun-seuing to suo-riaing; ao colled from the soldien keflmog guanl by night, who^ beii^ ehangad four tinee donag the nigfat, the periods came to be fliSel iBOiefeM. DoddT^
As hare, and in Sam. xi. 11. is mentioned the momCng itatth f so in Lam. ii. 19. the beginning qf the wateJiea t and in Jtidg. vii. 19. the middle leateh is spoken of: in luoke xii. 39. the meond and third mtdi; and in Matt. mvr. 25. ttao fourth viat<A,qf the nigU: which in Matt, xiii. 36. are i^funed sveninr, ^rtidn^gW, cock-crowing, and dayuawming. Aituworth.
27 And Moaes stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea i f eturned to his streD^th, when the morning appeared; and the EgyptuuM fled ag;ainBt it; and the Lord 'overthrew *the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
28 And 'the waters returned and "covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh, that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
29 But ' the children of Israel, walked upon 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 tiie Lord * saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel ■ saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore.
31 And Israel saw that great 'work which the LoHD did upon the Egyptians: and the peo-
As the Israelites went out of Egypt at the vernal equinox, the morning watch, or accoroing to the Helnew, ->p3n niQVKa be-a*hemroih ha-boker, the veUeh <^ daybreak, would answer to otir four o'dock in tbti monih^
TVie Lord looked out] Thia probohly means, that the cloud suddenly aaeutned a fiery appearance where it had been dark before; or they were ^palled Inr violent Hbaidere and lightning, which we are osaured oy the Pslamist did actually takeplace; together with great intmdatiotu qf rout, vo. The doude pouoed out watbk, the tkiea tent out a sound, thine arbows also venS abroad. The VOICE o/ thy THONDED wos in the heavens, the liqjitnihos
TViy way u in the sea, and fhy path in the great waUn. lyiou leddesi thy people like afodc, by the hand ^Moses and Aaron. Psal. Ixxvii. 14 — 20. Such tempests as these would necessarily teiri^ the Egyptian htu-ses, and produce general confuaion. By their dashing hither and thither, the wheels must be destroyed, and the chariot* broken; uid foot and horse must be mingled together In one univertnl ruin: sec ver. 26. During the time that this state of horror and confusion was at its summit, the 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. dte waters by tlieir nahmtl gravis resumed their level, an] die whole Egyptian host were completely overwhelmed, ver. 28. But OS to the Israelites, the waters had been a wiJl unto them on the right hand and on the left, ver. 29. Thi% the waters could not htive been, unless they had beeo aupematurally supported, aa their own gravity would neee^ saril^ hare occasioned them to liave kept their level; or, if nused beyond it, to have regdned it, if left to ihdr oor turol law, to which th^ are ever atdijwc^ unless in cues of miraculous interference. TTius, the enemiei of ibe Lord perished; and that people who decreed that die male children of the Hebrews should be drowned, were themselves deatroved in the pit which they had dcathied for others. God s ways are all equal; iukI he rendsrs to crory man aaording to kis works.
Verse28. There remained so mwJiM one tfffum\ JosephuB says, that the army of Pharaoh eonsiBted of My thoaeand horse, and two hundred thousand foot, of whom not oike remained to cany tidings of this meet extroordinary catastrophe.
Verse 30- Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seo' sAore.] the extmordinory agitation of the waters, no doubt multitudes of the dead Egyptians were caat on the ahore, and by their spoils, the Israelites were protnbly furnished with connderable ridies, and especially ehUhing and arms; which latter were essentially necessary to them in their wars with the AmalekUes, Baeanites, and Atneritea, &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 dightest reason to beUeva that they broiight any with tliem out of Egypt.
Verse 31. The people feared the Lordt TTiey www convinced by the interference of Jehovah, that his power was unlimited; and that he could do whatsoever be pleased, both in the way o{ judgment and in the way of mercy.
And believed the Lord, and his servant JU&ses] Tbey now clearly discerned that God hod fulfilled all nil pro- pie feared the Lord, and ■bdieved the Lord, ■odjus aervant Moaes.
liU dellnniie*, la Md In Ik dMninion or thric MintUi ud pto- MwUwwr af tin flopiiium.
T^HEN sang ■ Moses and the chil- X dren of Iwael, this song unto the misea; sad that not one thin^ had failed of all the oood which he had ipolcen concerning Israel. And tluy btlieetd hi* •emni Awac*. Th^ had now the ftilleat proof that he was divinely appointed to work all theae miraclea, and to twing them out of Esypt the promised land.
Thua God got hiniMlf honour upon Pbarsiidi and the EgypCiana, and credit in the ■isht of larael. After thta overthrow of thtir king and his hott, the Egyptians interrapled them oo mora m their joumeyings, convinced of the omnipeteace of their Protector: and how strange, ttut ■Her such displays of the justice and mercy of jwovah, the Iar«e1itea should ever nave been deficient in bith, or have given place to murmuriiu; I
1. Tm evenu recorded in mia chapter are truly astoniahingt ud they strongly, mark what God can do, and what De will do, both against his enemies, and in behalf of bis followers. In vain are oil the forces of E^pt united to destroy the Israelites; at the breath of Gtti's mouth they periid): and his fecUe, discouraged, unarmed foltow- •rs lake the prey! With such a history before their eyes, is it not strange that tinners should run on frowordly in the psih of tmugresaion; and that ^ose who ore redeemed from the world, should ever doubt of (he all-sufficiency and goodness of their God I Had we not already known the aequel of the laraelittsh history, we should have been led to conclude, that this peonle would have gone on their way rejoicing, trusting in Goa with their whole heart, and never leaning to their own uitderstanding: but alas 1 we find ttiat as soon as sny new difficulty occurred, they murmured m^BMi Ood and iheir leaders, despised the ptewluU lon^ and «m no credence lo hu word.
2l Their ease is not a solitary one: most of those who are called Ckrutiatu, are not more remarkable for faith and patienecL Every reverse will necessarily pain and discompoaa the people who are seeking their portion in this life. And it IB a sure mark of a worldly mind, when we trust the God of providence and grace no farther than we see the operotions of his hand in our immediate supply; and murmur and repine when the hand of his bounty seems elosed, and the infuiencea of his Spirit restrained; (hough our unthankful and unholy carriage has been tlie couss of this change. Those alone who humble themsdva under the mighty band of God shall be lifted up in due season. Reader, thou canst never be deceived in tnistiiw tby all, the concerns of thy body and soul, to Bim who divided the sea, saved the Hebrews, and destroyed dte Egyptians.
Terse 1. Then tang Moscm and Ou thUdrtn fff I»- ratl thl* aong\ Pobtby has been cultiyoted in all ages, and among all people, from the most reflool to the most bariwrous I and to it principally, under the kind provi' denes of God, we are tnddmd tor mosttrftbe oHginal aetetait we hsve of the ancient nations tX the universe. Bfualty measured lin^ with a harmonious collocation St expressive, sonorous, and sometimes highly metaphoriesl terms, the alternate lines either answering to each fHher in Mtue, or ending with similar $ouruU, were easily cwwnittwi to Humery, and easily refafned. As these wan ofien accompanied with a pleasing air or tune, the atfljeet being a concatenation of striking and interesting •voMs, bistoriee formed thus, became the amusement of rood), the softeners of the tedium of labour, and even the eolaea of age. In each a way the histories of most natMUMt have nesn preserved. The inieresthig event* celel*»tsd, the rythvi or nutrt, ood the accompanying bent
Loso; and spEike, saying, I will ^ sine unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider, hath he thrown into the seiu
S The Lord i> my strength and ■= song, and he ia become my saivatloD: he is my Gwi, and I will prepare him <' a habitation; my * father's God, eind 1 ' will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a man of ( war: the Lord t» his name.
d I Pharaoh's chariots and his host, hath he cast into the sea: ^ his chosen captains also, are drowned in the Red sea.
5 I The depths have covered them: "they sank into the bottom, as a etone.
6 " Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, nath dashed in pieces the enemy.
or rKUativo air, rendered ihem easily transmissible lo posterity; and by means of tradilion, they passed safely from &ther to son, thnugh the times of comparative darknett, till they arrived at those ages in whidi the pen and the preu have given them a sort of deathless duration and permanent stabiliQr, try multiplving the copies. Many of the ancient historic UM heroic Briiwh tales, are cmdnued 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 vroee histories, which were written on Uie ground of the poetic, copied closely their exemplara; and the historians themselves were obliged to study all the bcmitieB and omamento oT ^le, that their works mt^t become popular; and to uiis circumstance we owe not a small measure of what is termed refinemeTU of language. How observable is this in the history of Uerodotue, vmo appears to have closely copied the ancient poetic reeorde, in his inimitable ana harmonious prose; and that his books might bear as near a resemblance as possible, to the ancient and popular originals, he divided them into ntit^ and dedicated each to one of the fliuwt. His work therefore seems to occupy the same place between the ancient poetic comvoaitione and mere prosaic hitloriee, ■ 08 the polype does between plants and animals. Much even of our sacred records, is written in poetry, which Ood has thus eonsecrated to be the faithful transmitter of remote and important events: and of this, the song before the reader is a proof in point. Thouph this is not the first specimen of poetry we have met with in the Pentoteud^ see Lomech's speech to his wives, Gen. iv. 23, 24 Noah's prophecy concerning his sons, chap. ix. 26—27. and Jacob s blessing to the twelve patriarchs, chap. xlix. 2 — 27. and the notes there; yet it is the first regular ode of on? considerable length, having but one subject: and it is all written in hemietitAe, or half lines, the usual form in Hebrew poetry; and though this form tre^ntly occurs, it is not attended to In our common printed Hebrew Bibles; except in Iftia and three other places; Dent xxxii. Ju^. V. and 2 Sam. xxii. all of wliicli shall be noticed as th^ occur. But in Dr. Eennicott's edition of the Hebrew Bible, all the poetry, wheresoever it cKxurs, is printed in its own hemistich form.
After what has been said, it is perhaps scarcely neeesaary to observe, that as such ancient poetic histories comniemorated great and extraordinary displays of providence, courage, etrength, fidelity, heroism, and fiety t hence the origin of epic pocme, of whi(^ the song m this chapter is the earliast specimen..4nd on the principle of preser\-ing ihe memory of such events, most nations luve had their epic potts, whn have generally taken for their subject the most splendid or most remote events of their country's history, which plther referred to the firmation or extension of their empire, ilie exploits of uieir ancestors, or the eslablishmeni of their religion. Hence the ancient Hbbbcwb had their Shir ha Mosheh, the
Siece in question; the Qrxeks tlieir IHas: the Hixtwos leir Mahabarat: the Rohaks tlieir ^Enrit: the Nok- WBotAKB their Edda: the IstSH owl Scotch iheir F^n-
Jral and Chronological Poems: Ihe Welsh ihcir 7\iiesatn and his Triads: the Asabs their Ncbiun-Namek (exploiu of Mohammed) and Hamleh Ueedry (exploiu of Aly:) the Pebsiaks their Shab Namek (book of kings:) ihelTALiAira their Qerusalemme laherata: the PoRTtTGUEBE theiT Loitiod: the Ekoush their Parodist Loati and, in humble imitation of all the rest, (etei non pantiuM m^io,) ths Fbswcr their ^nrtade.
7 And in the grcatneM of tlAn *axw&ea^, tiiou hast overthrown them l^t roae up asainst thee: thou aentest forth thy wrath, wAicA ' conmmed them 'as itubble.
8 And • with the blast of thy noatrils, the waters were gathered together, <the floods stood upright as a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
Hm song ni HoM hftc been in the hiehe«t repute in die fJiureh or Ood from the heriniung; uie author of the Book Wisdom atthbutea it in a, particular manner to the wisdom of Ood; and nyi that on thia oecasioo, Chd vptned tiu mmik of the dutnb, and made tKt Umgtiea qf iitfanU tlaqumt: clu^. z. 21, Ai if be had aaid^ Every person felt an iotercat in die great events whtdi hod taken place, and all laboured to eive Jehovah that praise vhich was due to his name. "With this song of victory over nwraoh," says Mr. ALiuworth, " the ijoly Ghost compares the song of those who have aoVxa the victoiy over the spiritual Pharaoh, the beaat (Antiohriat) when they stand By the «ea o/*^Za« mingltd wUAjEre (as Israel stood here by the Bed sea) having tlu harpt of Ood (as the women here bad timbrils, ver. 20,) and Ouy ting the mmg ^Moata, the sertanl ijf Ood, and tht ttmg vf Qi6 ItamS, the Son of Go4" Rev. jy. 2—1.
IwiUnng unto the £<oreC] Moses begins the song, and in die two first hemistichs stales the aubjtct of it; and ibeie two first lines became the grand ehonu of the irisce^ as we may learn from ver. 21. See Dr. Kenni«>tt's arraafement and translation of this piece at die end of dUa chapter.
THumpked glorxouMlyl pbo nxi '3 if gach gaah, Ae it exceedingly txalled; rendered by the Septuaginu i.ftE*;
IilegM-rai, ha is glorimuly glorified. And surely this was one of the most si^al displays of the glorious majes^ of Ood, ever exhibited since the ertatim of the world. And when it is considered, that die whole of this braniaedoD shadowed out the redemption <^ the human
Sroea from the thraldom and potocr of tin and iniquUy, me Loao Jssva, and the^not triumph of the Aurch Ood over all its erumiat, we may also join in the song, and eelebrate him who has triumphed so gloriously, having conquered death, and opened the kingdom of heavm to all believers.
Verse 2. T%e Lord is my ttrmgtk and my tong] How iudieiously are the members of this sentence arnngedl He who has Ood for his ttrmgtk, will have him for his oong i and he to whom Jehovah is become •alvation, will exali hit name. Miserably, and untuna- Uy io die ears of Ood, does that man sing praises, who is Dotsaserf by the graos of C^irist, dot ttraiMuud by the pnMrotiam might.
Jab n« is several times joined with the name Jehovah mm BO that we may be sure that it is not, as some have supposed, a mere oUireviation of that word. See Isai. xiL 2. xzvi. 4. Our blessed Lord strfemnly claims to himself what is intended in diis divine name tt> Jah, John viii. B8. Before Abraham was {y,„ri»i, waa born) tym ti/ii, I AM, not / viw, but / aTn, plainly intimating bi» divine, eUmal oxittence: eompore Isai. zliii. l£ And the Jews tq>pear to have well understood him: for then took they up ttonet to eatt at Aim, as a Uaq^mer; compare Coloss. i. 16, 17. where die a^wade ^ud, after asserting that all things that are in heaven, and that are in aartlkjriaible wul invisiUe, were created, Mar,rr„., by and for Christ, adds, Anrf HE IS, ■vTi( iCTi, not «r, wot, b^ore ttU thingt, and by him aU Aingt nnvTvu, have mibaiated, and ttiU tubtttt. See ParfAurtt
From mis divine name, Jah, the ancient Greeks had thnc u, U, in dieir invocations of the gocl% pardcularly of ApMo (the uneompounded ohb) the light; and hence written after the oriental manaer from ri^t to le^ amrward «, was inscribed over the groat door of ^ttm- S38
satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, b» hand shall ■ destroy them.
10 Thou didst ' blow with tl^ wind. ' the sea covered them: they rank as leu in me n^Atr waters.
pie at Delphi I — See the note on chap. iii. vkt. 14. anl the coocluding observations ther&
I iciU prapart him a habitation} ^num vs anewftm It has been suimoasd that Moaes, by this expreaaicm, intended the building <if tha tabernaeU t bqt it seems to come in very strangely in this plaoe. Moat of the anciut versions unacrstood the original in a very different ssnse. The Vulgate has et glor0ieabo aim; the fSepAuigiMt ri£ir» Hurof, IvsUl OLOHirv htm, wiih which the Syriac, Ct^ie, the Targum of Jbnonait, and the Jenuaiem Targum agree. From the T^r^um of On&elot the present translation seems to have bMn originally derived; he has translated the plaoe, anpo tt^ ^am re ebnei leyk maktdaAr-" And I will build him a aanctuary," -miaA not one of the other vertdensi the Peroian excepted acknowledges. Our own old translations are generally difierent fnwi die present; Mat&eM^, Cranmn't, and tht BiAoj^t Biblt, mnier it glorify, and the sense of die place seems to require it. Cwmet, Houhigant, ^mnicoi^ and other critic^ contend for this translation.
JIftr /other's Ood) I believe Houbintnt to be rigHwIio translates the orifnnal ^aH v(jh Elohey obi, Dmo wtems, pater meut eri— ^My Ood is my Father." Every mn may call the Divine Being hit God; but only dioae who are his cAtUren fay adoption throu^ grace, can call ium their Pathsb. Tfiis is a privilege which God has girca to none but his diOdren. See Qalat. iv. 6.
Verse 3. T%eIjordit amanofmir] Periums it woidif be better to translate the words, Jdunah it the moit, or Aero of the battle. As we scarcely ever ^>ply the term (o any thing but first-rate armed vessels, the cnange of tbs translation seems indispensable, though the common rendering is literal enough. Besides, the object of Moaes was to show, that man mA no part in this victory, but thai d« whole was wrought by the miraculous power of Ood, and that therefore As alooe ^ould have all the glory.
The Loan (i. e. Jehovah) is hit Tiame.] Ha has new, as the name implies, given complete exialenee to all Mi promises. — See the notes on Gen. ii. 4. and Exod. vi. 3.
Verse 4. Pharaoh' t chariott — kit hoot — Aw cAoseH esptaint] On such an expedition, it is likelv thatthe prine^ Egypitiao nobili^ accompanied their nng, and that as overthrow they met with here^ had reduced Egypt to ibe lowest extremity. Had the Israelites been intent on ploRder, or had Moses been influenced with a spirit of ambition, how easily might both tutva gratified tlwm selves, s% had they returned, they might have aooD omrnn and sobjugated the whole huid.
Vene6. Thy right hand\ lliy omnipotence, manBfcsted in a most extraordinary way.
Verse 7. M grtatnett Ihy srceUeiuy] To dkia wonderfiil deliverance the prophet miah refers, dmf. Iziii. 11— 14.— "Hien he remembered the days of old.HMe* and his people, taying. Where Is he that brought them up out of the seawidi the shepherd of his flockl where ia he that put his Holy Spirit within him 7 "niat led Asss bjr the right band ot Hoses with his glorious snn, dividing the water before them, to make -himself an everlasting nomet Hiat led them through the ileep. as a bone in tbs wildeniess,lAa(theyshou1dnotstumble7 Aiobeastso^ dosm into the valley, the Spirit of the Loao caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name."
Verse 8. The d^Oha were eongtaled] Tht stroi^ east wind, diap. xiv. 21. employed to diy the bottom of die sea. is here represented as me blast of God's nostril^ that had congMM or /rozeti the waters, so that they stood ia hnps like a wall, on the rij^ hand and on the left.
verse 9. TV enemy saw] As this song was eompoeed by divine inspiralicm, we may rest assured, that these wonis were spoken by Pharaoh and his captains; and the passiona they describe, felt in their utmost sway in their hearts: Imt how soon was their boasting confounded 1 Thou didirt blow with thy wind, and the sea covered them — they sank as lead in the ui^^ waters! verse 11. Who ia ttk* unto thte^ O Lord, among ete wAuA thou bast redeemed: thou haat ed them at thy atrei^EUi, unto 'thy hcdy tation.
14 ■Thepeople8hallhear,andbealraid:^8or- ' row Bball taWboldoD the inhabitants of Palestma,
15 1 Then * the dukes of Edom shall be amaeed } 1 the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; "all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
16 *Fear and dread shall fall npon them; by the greatness of thine arm, they shall be cu stili ' as a stone; till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people passover, PwAtCA thou hast purchased.
gcdi 7] yfe have already aeeti tbat all the E^iypdan god^ or the objecu of the Egyptians' Idolatry, were confounded, nd nodeied CQmj>teielv deipioable the tm plaguu; «U(b appear to unre been directed principally against Ami. Here the people of God exull over them afreeh — YTh* amoof Am gvd» is like unto Thu7 Tluj/ can neither mm dot aalrojf Taov dost both in the most signal tnooiier.
Am the original vorda mm TOfjia rao3 ra mi eamocdh. tatUm Tehavahj are supposed to hare conitituted tfae vuMo, on the ensign of the AMmoiuan* i tCoA to baVe ftirniahed the name m Maceabau to Judaa, their grand tain, froaa whom they were afterward called MamAtant; it may be neccMary to say a &v words on this subject It is passible ^at Judas Huocabeus migiit have had this motto OD his ensign, or at least the tnitiai letters of it, for such a practic« was not uncommon. For instanceu on the Roman standaid the letters S. P. ^ R. stood for S«uUiu fop^UM Que Romanm: i. e. the Senate and Rcsnan Pe^f and <3aBH.<XB.I. might have stood for JIfi CsHmmA Jlseffm JEftOMA^Who, among the gods^ or ttratig cnua, is like onto thee, t) Jehotah I But it appears from the Greek MunaCai*;, utd also the Syriao ^QJiX> HuJtabi, that the name was originally written with p koj^ not s eapk; it is most likely, as Hiohaelis has observed, thai the name must have been derived ftom 3pD makkah, a Aasinur, or moOef; benoe Judas, beeauae of his biavery knd moceas, mMu have been denominaisd die Admmsr or maBA by whvm the enaaues of God had been beaten, poa*id<d^ and broken to ptecu. Jodas^ the hammer of the
GtoHaiu in hotintui] Ii^ttely resplendent in this attribute, essential to the perfection of the divine nature. Pearfid in pratutij Such glorious hohness caimot te
Doing wtuten 7] Every part of the work of God is wooderial — not only mtroe/e*, which imply an inversion or suspension of the laws of nature, but every part of nature iuelt Who can conceive how a single bltule of grass im fenned, or how earth, air, and water become consolidated in the body of the oak? And who can comprehend bow the different tribes of plants and animals are preservad, fat all the distinctive cbaracceristiea of their respective natures 1 And who can conceive how the human beiiu^ is fformed, oouririied, and its diSerent parts developed 1 What is the true cause of the circulation of the Mood 1 or how diflermt alinunotsproduce die solids and fluids of the animal maehinel Wnat is life, sleep, dealhl And how an Impure and unholy soul is reraurittedjvuryudf r^bud, and made like unto its great Creator 1 Trieae are wonders which God alone wotks, and to Himself only are they faJW known.
rent 12. The mtA twittowed M«m] It is very likely Aare was also an aBrthqoaks on dtis occasion, uid tbat cbsama were made in the bottom of the sea, Wwhidtmany «f dtsm were swallowed up, though moltituaes were overwhelmed by the watery wnoae dnd bodies were afterward iferown ashore. The Psalmiat strongly intimates, that Aere was an earA^nako on diia oecasioD — Tfu vmee Ajf Omadtr teaa in. fte Acaven, Hu lighininga Ughtttud A« furkL the kabtu Tomunt and shook, PmI. ixzviL
TtcseU. THouhaatBMUd^MminAytrtnrthunto 1^\AfhaMtaHot£\ As this odevasdictatBd by £e Spirit orao&itiamoit URttml to midnntsiid ifcussddwfbl
17 "nun rtnd^ b^iK tinea in; and ■ plant fhem in the mocmtam of thine mheritance, in the place, O Lord, wAt'c* thon haat nude for Aee to dweU in, in. the ■ swetuary, O Loan, «AtcA thy hands have established.
18 * The LoKD shsdl re%n for ever and
19 Fw the ' horse of Pharatdi went m with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sesr and * the Loan brought aeaiu Uie waters of the sea upon them; but the children <^ Isnwt went on dry land, in the midst of the sea.
30 If And Miriam *the nroidiBtess, * the lasbtsr of Aaron, f took a timbrel in her hand} and 9& the women went out after her ' with tiiebr«lv and with dances*
lowing veraes to the end of the 18th, as containing a^radiction of what God would do for uiis people, wtuch he had so miraculously redeoned. On this mode of interpretation, it would be better to read several of the verba in lbs
Varse 16. T^ ihif ptopU pott over] Not over the Red sea,'for that event had Men already celebrated; but over the deseiL and Joidan, in order to be brought into the jtmBiasd MOd.
Terse 17. Thou Aait Mng Aem in] By thy strength and mercy alone shall ihsy get the promised inheritance.
T%ou ihali plant {hem\ Uive them a fixed habitation in Canaan, after dieir unsettled wandering life in the wilderness.
hi Ou mounftun] Mecning Canaaa, which was a very mouiUoinous country, DeuL xL 11. or n-obably Mount Zion, oa -vdiieh the temple was builL Where the para worMiip of God was t^ablUlud, dien the people might expect both reat aiWl m^ftty. Wherever the puri^ of reli-
E'on is established and preserved, and the nigh and the w endeavour to regulate their lives accordii^ to its pra> cepts, the govemmeot of fbat oountry is like^ to be pta^- manenU
Verse 18. TKe Lord $haU reign for ever and ever} ThM is properly the grand chorus, in which all the people joined. The words are expressive of God's averMsting dominioi^ ikot only in the world, but in the dturek; not only under the law, but also under the Ooapel; not only in time, but (hrougih eternity. The original -rp o^pS lediaiH vadd, may be translated yormr and oRtrard; Or, \xf our very ezpreasive compound term, for svxmiob^ i. e. far er«r, and more — not only dmnigh Hvu, but also through all duration. His dotninion shall be ever the same, active and infinitely extending. Widi diia verse the song seems to end, as with it the semistidis or poetio lines terminate^ The 20th, and beginning of the 2lBt, ore in plain prose; bat the latter part of the 21it is in hemistidis, as it contains the response made by Miriam and the Israelitish women, at different intervals during the aon^ See Dr. Cennicotrs Arrangement of die Parts, at the end of this chuiter. _
Terse 20. And Miriam tkt propheteaa} We hava already seen, tbat Miriam was older than either Moses or Aaron; for when Hoaea was exposed on the Nile, she was a young girl, citable of managing the stratagem nsed for the preservation of his life; and then Aaron was only ihreo years and three months olc^ for he -was/ourscore and three yean old when Moaes was butj^rseore, see ch. vii. 7. so that Aaron was older than Moses, and Miriam considerably older than either, not less, probably, than nin< or ten yean of age. — See on chap. ii. 2.
There is great diversity of opinion on die origin of tbs namaof ARriajn, which is the same with die Greek u>((i>^, the Latin Maria, and the English JMtry. Some suppose it to be compounded of mar, a drop, (Isai. xl. 15.) and yam, the aea; and that from this ethology, the heathens formed their Venus, whom diey feign to nave sprung from die sea. St Jerom gives several etymologies for the name, whidb at once show how difficult it is to ascertain it — sh« uAo enlighiena me — or sAe tc'ro enUghUna M«m, or alar ofihe tea. — Others, Ae ladyqf the aea, the biilomeae qf ike tea, Ac It is probable that the fint or the last is the tma one I but it is a matter of little importance, as we have not the ohvamstanee marked, as in (he case of XosB^ and many others that j^n rise to dw name.
SI And Miriam ' answered them, * Sme ye to the Los», for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and hija rider hath he thrown ioto the sea.
S3 1f So Mosea brought Israel from the Red eea, and they went out into the wilderness of
* Shur: and they went Uiree days in the wilderness, and found no water.
23 IT And when they came to ^ Marah, they Gould not drink ofthe waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called
The prophetesa] rtmn ha neftiak. For the meonine of the wora prophet, trai Nabi, see the note on Qen. xx; T, It is wy likely that Hiriiun mm msptrcd by the Spirit of God, to initcuct the Hebrew women, as Moses and Aaron were to instPict the men; and when she and her brother Aaron sought to share in the ^vemment of the people with Moses, we find her laying claim to the prophetic iimuence, Numb. xii. 2. Hath me hard indeed spoken only by Motet 7 Hath Ke not spoken also by ua 1 And that she was constituted joint leader of the praple with her two brotbers, we have the express word ot God by the prophet Hieah, ch. vi. 4. FW lorm/dUthteupout qfthelando^ EgyfA—and I ami before thee Mosea, Aaron, and Mtriavt. Hence it is reiy likely, that she was the instructress of die women, and regulated the times, places, &x. of their devotiohai acts; for it appears itmi from the tw»pinniiig to the present day, the Jewidi women all worahippea opart.
A ttmbral] qn tonft, the same word ^ich is tnuuWed tabreit Gen. xxxL 27. cm irtuch the leadsr is denred to ecnsuU the note.
And with daneesj nVna ntetAoZoA. Many learned men suppose, that this word means some instruments of wind musib because the word comes from the root Vjn ehalal, the ideal meaning of which isL toperforate, penetrate, pUre*, slab, and hence to ivound. Pipes, or hotUno tuhee, such KBjlulea, or /lauiboya, and the like, may be intended. Both the Arabic and Persian understand it aa meaning instruments of music of the pipe, drum, or sistnim kint^ and this seems to comport better with the scope and design of the place, than the term daneea. It must however oe 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 instruTnent of mxuie, bids aa &ir to be its meaning, as a dance of any kind. Miriam is the first pr<^eiest on record: and by this we find that Ood not only POUred out his Spirit upon men, but upon wmen also; ana we learn also that Miriam was not only a prophttta; but a poeleea also, and must have had considerable skill in mwic, to have been able to conduct her part of these solemnities. It may appear a^nge, that during so long on oppression in Egypt, the Israelites were able to cultivate the fine arts; but that they did bo, thei-c is the utmost evidence from the Pentateuch. Not only architecture, weaving, and such necessary arts, were well known among them, but also the arts that are called ornamental, such as those of the goldsmith, lapidair, embroiderer, furrier, Ac. of which we have ample proof in the construction of uw tabenULole and its utensils. However ungrateful, rebellioufl, Ac Oie 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 greai proficiency in the most elegant and curious arts; but they are now grealJiy degeaeratM.
VereeZZ. Th^ wUdenuat iif Skur\ This was on the coast of the Red aes, on their road to Mount SinsL-^ee the mop.
Verse 23. Marah] So called &om the bitter mitere found there. Dr. Shaw conjectiu-es, that this place is the some as that now called Corondel, where thm is still a small rill, which, if not dihited with dews or rain, cotUinues brackidi. — See his account at the end of Exodus.
Verse 24. 7^ people murmured] The]^ were in a state of "great mental degradation, owing to their long and oppressive vassalage, and liad no firmness of chamci£r.— See the note on chap. xiii. 17.
Verse 2S. He cried unto the Lord] Hoses was not only their leitder, but also their mediator. Of prayer and dependence on the jUmigbtr, the great mass of the Israelites uipear to have had little knowledge at this timo. Moae^ therefore, had much to bear from their weakness i and the merciful Lord was long-suiT^iiK.
The Lord Aowed htm. a tree] What this tree wa% we know not: some think that the tree was exiremelvlHttw ilsell such OS the guamiat and that God acted in this as. 940
24 And the peotde ' murmared againat Moaes,
25 And he f cried unto the Lord; and the Lord showed him a ^ tree, ■ tphich when he bad east into the waters the waters were made eweet. There he * made for them a statute and an ordiskance, and there i he proved them,
2Q And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy Giod, and wilt do that which ie ri|cht in his eieht, and wilt ^ve ear to his comnian(Snents, and Iceep all his statutes.
he generally does, correcting contraries by contraries, which, among the ancient pnyaiciaas, was a Eavoimte maxim— Ciq9u davo expellitur. The Tsrgiuna o[ Jonaithon and Jerusalem say, that when Hoses prayed, " Ae WOBo of the Lord showed him the tre^ >)er\H ord^jfttugL on which be wrote the great and precious name (jbbovab) and then threw it into the waters, and the waten, iherdiy became sweet." But vrtiat the tree ardipkney was, we are not informed.
Many suppose diat this tree, which healed the bitter waters^ was sy&j»lical itf the cross of our blessed Redeem* er, that has been dw means of healing infected nature, and through the virtue of which, the eeila and bitters of life ate sweetened, and rendered subservient to the best interests of God's followers. Whatever may be in tlie metaidtw, this is true in fiaet; and hence the greatest of ^toetles glo* ried in the croti of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whidx the world Wos cnicified to him, and he unto the world.
It appears Ihftt these waters were sweetened only lOr that occasion, as Dr. Shaw reports Uiem to be still braekuA, which appears to be occasioned by the abundance of natron, which prevails in the surroundrng soil. Urns wa may infer, that the natural cause of their bitterness, or brockishness, was permitted to resume its operations, when die occasion^ that rendered the change necessary, had ceased to exist. Thus Christ simply cfumged 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 ihc note on chap. vii. ver. 18.
TViere he made for (Acml Though it is probable that tlie Israelites ore here intended, yet the word ^ lo^ diould not be translated IA«m, but ^oAtm; for these statutes were given to Moses, that he might deliver them to the people.
There he proved them] int» niasaJiu, he proved him. By this murmuring of tlie people, he proved Moses, to see, speaking after the manner of men, whether he would be faithful, and in (he midst of the trials to which he ma likely to be exposed, whether be would continue to trust in tlic Lord, and seek all his help from him.
Verse 26. If thou wiU diligently hearken'\ What is contained in this verse, appears to be what is intended bf the statute and ordinance mentioned in the preceding jr thou loili diligenily hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, and teiU do that which ia right in hia tight, and wtll give ear to his commandmentt, and keep whit ttatutea, I ipiU put none <f these diaeaaea upon tAee, Sm. Tliis statute and ordinance implied the three lollowingparticulars; 1. That they should acknowledge Jehovah &r their God, and thus avoid all idolatry. 2. liiat they should receive his word and testimony as a divine rereb^ tion, binding on their hearts and lives, and thus be sand from profligof^ of every kind, and from acknowledging ihe 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. Hieee things beiw attended to, then the proinise of God was, that they shouU have none of the diseases of the Egyptians put on them: that th&f should be kept in a stale of health of body and peace of mind; and i( at any time, they should be afflicted, on application to God^ the evil should be-removed, because he was their healer or physician — / am the Ziord Aat healeth Ihee. That the Isi-aeliies hod in general a very 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 di^ were oU healed. Thi Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel states, that the statutes whioi Moses received at this time were commandments concerning the observation of the sabbath, duty to parentis the ordinances concerning wounds and bniises, and tha penalties which sinners diould incur by tran^ressiog
Owm. Rit it appears, diat the ganeraf ordinances alMSdr mentioned, are those which are intended here i and das
I wiU pat none of these " djaeasei ti|>aa thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptiaaui tot I am the Lord * that healeth thm.
27 T[ ' And they came to Elkn, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm tree*: and they enci^mped thei>e, by the waters.
A.. Eni i» L A ND they " took their journey from ^""^ I\. Elim, aod all the conereeatioa
■eemi to be prov«d beyaad dispute, by Jerem. vU. 22, 23.— /V / jpdifce mrf uttio ymr fathers, nor commanded Ihm* in the day Otat I brought them out ^ the land of 'E^jpi, exm^mins bumi-off'erings or taerificea. Bui Uiia thing tmnmaniiud I Oi^m, Maving, Obey my toice, and Ivilt m ipur Gtd,tuutytAaUbcmjfpiipUi eautwatksftinaU SU iMy» that I MM conoMuubd you, Aat it may be wM «nio you.
Verae 27. They came to Elim] This wBs io the desert H Sift, ftnd, BCGordim: to Dr. Shaw, about two leagues from TW, and thirty from Mdrah, or CorondcL
Twelve imU» of wUer] One for each of the tribes of Israel, any the Targuins of Jonathan aJod Jentealem.
Ana thneeeort and tea pattn irte$\ One for each of th« seventy elders. — Rid.
Dr. Shaw (bund nine of the twelve wells, the other Aree baring beea choked up with sand i and liie seventy palm tr«es multiplied into more than 2000, the dates of which bnog a considerable revenue to the Greek monks M Tor.— See his account at the end of this book, and see tiao the nap. Thus, sufficient evideiiee of die auUientieity of this part of the Mcnd history renwiu after the buse of ntore than 3000 years.
Ix the |H«c«ding luttes, the reader has been referred to Dr. Kenraeott's translation and arringement of the song of Hoaes. To this translation he prefixes the following obaervations:
"This trhimpbant ode was sung by Hoaes and the sons of Israel; and the women, headed by AtihBBi. answered die men, by repeating the two first lines of the song, altering only the iinl word; whi'dii two lines were probably sung, more than once, as a cAortu.
" The condtuion of this ode seems very manifest; and ye^ though the ancient Jews had sense enough to write Ibii song diffisrently from proae; and though tneir audiori^ has prevailed, even to this day, in Ihia and three other
rcms in the Oid Tealament, (Deut. zxxii. Judg. v. and Sam. xxtL) still expressed them as poetry: yet have these crides carried cbeir ideas of the song here, to the end of Torae 19. He reason why the same has been done by (Kbers, probably is— they thought, that the particle "^/or, which D^ins verse 19, necescarily connected it with the preoediog poetry. But this difficulty is removed, by trsnswiBg >3 H&en, especially if we take verses 19, a), 21. as ba^tg a prose explanation of the manner in which this •ong of triumph was performed. For these three verses Mr, that the mm-tingere were answered in chorus by ]UM-iam and the women, accompanying their words with lausical instruments. ' JVhen the horse of Phanoh had man* into the ise*, and the Lord had brought the sea upon mem: and Israel had pasted, on dry land, in the midst flf the sea: then Miriam took a timbrel, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dances; and Miriam (with the women) anetpered them (on^ lahem, the men, by way of chorus) io the word% O eing ye,' " dke. That this cltorus was sung mors Ouin once, is thus staled by Bishop Lowth:
tmmnwiUa.iironmtkQroiiaaMtmnnimnltMl Pwl-W. g.
I shall DOW give what appears to me to be aa exact m— hirtoo of this whole
of the children of Israel came unto the wildernesa of ' Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month, after their departing out of the land of E^ypt.
2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel, ■ murmured against Mosea, and Aaron, in the wilderneae:
3 And the children of Israel said unto them, ' Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord, in the land of Egypt, "when we eat by the fleeh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full 1 for ye have brought ua forth into this wiU dernees, to kill this whole asBembty with hunger.
4 If Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain ' bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out, and gather * a certain rate every day, that I may » prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixthday, they shall prepare that which they brinff in; and ' it shall be tvnce as much as they gather daily.
Bud be m hacDiat la ma lor laJnlloii: Itaia la mj Ood. and I will talMnia hun: iim<M tt mj bUNT, and I will unit ton.
4. FblTaaM<&BlBtindhlikM^bMblttMlMoS«■StSiidkb AaHSMrulia an droanad ta iSi Bad aH. a Thaiiip«iilMH»uiiW»aa—.SMTi—tas—l
lihar iank) la tfae Iwminn M ft HMift
a •njiiyiiiiii 1. ritiiiiii.TiiiiiiMniiiiteMfcniimr.injil|lii>ii< 'JirinH. iliilii 111 a I ptMat tiM — Bw. 1. Add iu Uh fnataM of lUw audiMM titca r»J»BW |tM Ual ika
tha HniKla Und uprlihi, ai a btfy i
CBDCaalad an Iha elcpiha LQihi lanr hcan of Iha aM.
12. Pfuful In praiaa t ptrfbrmini wandai I ilm lUMebat oui ihjr ililit baud, iT* Mb anDsMh itaB
15. Almdr an ihe diiVia of RJcanln euniuTnaikn;
ul tbt iiii|A<r uf Ideob. inmMliw bub KiMl ibanj wMfta lohaUuMiaf Canaan iki IkinL
Ih* plaee fer ihf ran. sUcbihuu. ■/■AuruA, hu inalei tba aaaouwri ■AAsvoA, vUah Utjr ba" flnablidMd.
OroJtdChofuwi bf oiL Jdiosak /or rttr and Rw ajuiil rdfii.
1. When poetry is consecrated to the sn^ice of God, and employed as almvc, to commemorate his marvejloua acta, it tnen becomes a very useful handmaid to pielyi and God is honoured by his gifts. God inspired (he song of Moses, and perhaps from this veiy circumstance, it naa passe'I for current among the most polished of the heathen nations, that o poet is a person divinely inspired i and hence the epithet of ^(i^nmi, prophet and rates of the ■ame import, was ^ven them among the Greeks and Romans.
2. The soiie of Moses is a proof of the miraculous passage of the Ismelites ihrouKii the Red sea. Tbere haa been no period since the Hebrew nation left Egypt, in which this song was not found among tliem, as composed on Oiat oecanon, and le commemorate Viat etcnt. It may be iherefore considered as completely aiiilientic, aa any living witness could be, who had himself passed through the Red sea, and whose Ufe had been proiracnd thromrh all the intervening a^es, to the present day.
3. We have already seen that it is a song of triumph for the deli^-cTanco of the people of God; and that it waa intended to point out the final salvation and triumfM) of the whole church of Christ; so that in the heaven « heavens die redeemed of the Lord, both amow the Jewa and the Gentiles, shall opite together to sing the smg ^ Moses, and the img of Ae Lamb. See Rav. xr. «-4.
6 And Mosei and Aarea Mid uato all the cMUren of iBroel, * At even, tineia ye shall know that the Lobd hafh brou^t you oat from the land of Egypt:
7 And in the morning, then ve Miall see * the glory of the Lord; for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: and ^ what are we, that ye murmur a«ginst w l
the Lord heareth your murmuringB which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your ftiurmurings are not againftt ub, but * against
fi And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregatuin of the children oC Israel,
10 And it cEune to pass, ai Aarm i^iake onta the whole congregation or the diildren of Israel, that ther loowd towud Uw wademeas, andf behold, the glory of the Lou * appeared in Uia cloud.
12 ■ I have heard the nmnDorings of th« children of Israel: epeak unto them, saying, ' At even, ye shall eat flesh, and ^ in Uie morning, ye shall be filled with bread; and ye iIutD knoff that I am the Lord your God.
13 7 And it came to pass, that at eren, ' the quails came iq>, and Mnrered the eem»: and in the mcwoing, > tiw dew lay round abont ib» host.
Header, implore tha mer^ of God to enabla thM to make ^7 calliiip and elecdoo aur^ that thoa maysst bssr thy put in dus glorious sod Memsl trimph.
NOTES ON CKAPTra XVL Teraa 1. The wUdemeu of Sin] This desert lies between Elim and Sinai, and aom Enm, Dr. Shaw nyi, Mount Sinai can be eeen dietinotly. Hr. Aingworth supposM, that this wildemen bad uw name from « atrong dty of Egypti c^t«d Sin, near wbidi it lay. See Esek. zzx. 15, Id. Befora ihey came to the wilderneaa of Sin, they had a previous encampment, by tbs Red *<a, after they left Eliin, of which Uoaea makes distinct mention, Niunb. xzxiti. 10^ 11.
Tlu AfUenih day ^ A* tteond mmVii "niiswasaftvwaia called Sar, and ihw bad nvw left Egypt «n< AonA, doriw vnich, it is probable they lived on tne proyMoBB Ibey brought with tnesi from Rameses, dwnu^ it ia possible, ttuy ntigbt haTs had a stqnfy innn the seacoait. Cmeernlng mount Sinu, see the note on ehap. xiz. I.
Verse 2. The ^ehole eongrwatttm — nurmured] Th'a n an additional proof of t&a degraded state of the minda at this people; see the note on ebw. ziii> 17. And diis my eireamstanes affords a oooTtncuff si^unwot, that a veople so Btupidly carnal, could not have been induced to leave E^pt, nad thtv not been persuaded so to do by tha most evident and ■trilcing miracles. Human nature can neTer be reduced l« a more abject itate in this world, then that in which the body ia enthralled by poUiieal abtvety, and die soul debeaed by the inftuenoe tn •in. These poor Hebrews were both tUuet and Hwun, sad w«rs therefore capable of the meanest and most diuneefiil acts.
Tens 3. The JUA poU] Am the HMnewa were ia a atate of slavery in Egypt, they were doubtleaa fed in variobs companies, by their taak-maaten, in particular places, where laree pota or hoiUrt were ftzed fiar the purpose tx ootAIng their victuals. To these, there may be a reference in this place, and the ^ole apeecb only goea to prove, that Otef wttemA tfteir bondaee in Egypt, to their present stale in the wildemesa; for tbey couio not have Men in a stale of etsoluls woTtf, as they had brought an abundance of flocks and herds with them out of Egpt.
Terse 4. / wilt rtUn bread] Ibenfore this aubaiaoce was not a production of the desert; nor waa the dew that was the instrument of producing it, common there, elae tbey muit have bad this oread for a month before.
Verae6. Ye lAaU know that tha Lord ka&brou^ym out] After all the miracles they had seen, they appear still ' tesi^>pos& that their being In^ug^t out of Egypt, waa the work of Hoaea and Aaron: for though the miracles they had already aeen were convincing for the time, jret as aoon as dtey had paaaed br, they rel^sed into their former infldeliiy. Ood therefore aaw it neceanry to give them a daOy miracle, in the foil of the manna, that diey mii^t have the proof of hia divine interposition conaUuitly before their syea. Thm they knew that Jdu/vah had brought Aem out; and that it was not the act of Uoses and AsroiL
Verse 7. Ye thail »u the gtory qf the ZtOrd] Doea it not appear that the glorv qf the Lord ia here spoken of aa sonetbing diitinct oom the Lord t tar it is said hb, viz. the t^aey, heartA your mumuiHnn againtt tht Lord: tftot^b; Lord, may be ben PUt for himee^i the asiUtodaU instead of the relative, 'Riis passage may receive suae li^t from Heh. i. 3. Who bring Oiebrxf^iiaeee ^ Mgfon^onrftiUttsiinssfinan^MBiMrson, Ac. And as Sl Paul'a words kre spc&en of the Lord Jeaua, is it not likely, that thS words of Hoses refer to Aim alao T No man bath seen God at any tisie; henoe we may inW that Chriat was the vuihtt agent, in all ibe eztraordinaiy and miraculous interferences, whidi took place both in die patriarchal times, and under the)9«r.
TMTse 8..M fAs eeening, JMi to tat] Viz. the fuotbr and in the monting, Irnaa to die fUl, viz. the manna.
Yotir numnwln j-* are w)t agatiut ua] For we hato not brou^t you op lh>n Egypt — bvi agattut 0u Lord^ who, by bii own nuiaculoua power and goodnesi^ has iHOugfat yon out of your slavery.
Verae 9. Com* near before Ae Lord] Hia has been supposed to refbr (o s«ne particular f>Iae& where die Lord naoifesied his presMwe. Ite gleet taommcle was not yet built t but diere appears to hivs been a amall laftsmoeU, or tent, called tm Tobentade qf Vie amgregtMon. which, after the ain of the golden call was always placca without the camp; see chap, xxxiii. 7. And Inoeee took lhetabematle,and piUh*dUwiAaHt the camp, afar ^ from &e camp, and coiled U Ae T^ibemacU ^ ms Gmgrtge^otit ami it earns fopos* Choi every one Mo/ MicgM AsXord^ teanit ouf imto tfu faftenwsfa tf As eonmwslioAwMA VMS wiOsut As corns, niis couM net be IMC portable temple which is descnbed chap, xzvi., &«. sad which waa not set up. till the first dt^ of the first mondl of the second year, after their departure from Egypt, diap. zl. whidi was upwards of ten months tJter the time teen* tioned in this chapter; aod notwidistanding dki^ d>* leraelilee an commanded, verse 34. to lay up an onur of the manna 6«/brs tht Ce«ffm«ny. which certainly refers Bo an ark, tabernacle, or some sow portable dirina, already in eziatance. If tha great tabernacle be intended, tbie whole account of l^mg up the manna, must be introduced here by anficipnion, Moaes finishing the accoont of whax was afterward done, because the sommencememt of those oireumstaneet which comprehended the reasons of the fikct itself, took pteee now. See the note on ver. M.
^ from the rcasoaiius fat dw preceding verses, it pears, that mudi infidelity still reigned in the hearts of the people; and in order to convince them that it was Opd, and not Hoaea, that bad brought them out of Egn>t* he (Hoaea) desired them to oome nsor, or pay panknlar attention to some eztiaordinary manifles^tion M the Lord. And we an told in the tmm verse, that aa Aaron mka unto them, Qu/g looked toward the wildemtee, and MsW
Ae glory <tf me Lord appeared, and the Lord spake Moses,!!bc Xa not this passain explained by cha^. zLl 9. " Apd the Lord said unto Moaea, lo, I come onto tbes in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I apeak with thee, and believe thee for ever. Hay we not coochid^ that Hoses invited them to come near b(/bne Ae Lord, and so witness bis flory, that they might be eonvioced it waa Ood, and not him the*, led diem oat of Egypt, and that they ought to aubmit to himj and eaass fi*om dieir murmurinn. It is said, chap zu. 17. that Hoses brought forth the people out of the camp to moot wiA God. And in this instance, there mi^t have been a similar, though leas awful manifestation of dM diviaa presence.
U And iriwa 4^ daw tint lar warffoae 19, behold, ovon ttie faee of the wildmwM wrw lajf
«UaJk, U) be quiet, imty, or Mcsre; aiul hence the quail Crom their remarkably nring at *ace and jilentti among tbo conu " An anuuiiig number of these biroi," aaye Hnirljii", Travel*, ^ 209. ** come to Bgypt at itiia time, (March) (or m dii* nOBth the wheal ripens, "niey «(MMl ibemwlvea among the com, but the Egyptian! kMw thai th07 are thievea, and wh«t they imagine the field u be fall of diem, they ^read a net arer the com, •Ml make a noiae, by wbieh the birda being fiightenedi, and endeaTOMrioff t« riae, are cau^t is the set in great whwi, aad make a moat delkaie and wreeable TbajUM PbtAc taUa na in hta.£R*totr< ou CifZ, that the vgaiSL «w aimmg the ancient Egyptian^ the embkmof «a^<^ and Mcaruw.
8cTeral learoea men, partiouiarfy famotu LitJa^, Biifaop ]*atridcy and iScaetuAzer, uto cuppoaed tbiu the enn^ Mlovim cJien the Inaelitea \rere locuata. Ekit aet (• iaaiat od other argumentog«;a)nat thia iatarpretntioni dwy an Cqtreaalv called -mm their, JtA, Piel. Ixxviii. sr. wkiek CQMly laeuata are not: and uie Hcbnw vord ii eooatantly tf dared by the SepMagiot •ti^^rrta. a iargt kbtd gmail, and by the Vulnte £9turniee*, quaiit. CoBBoare WimL xvl 2. xix. 1^ Mumb. xL 31, 32. Paal. «T. m. and oa Numb. n. obaerva, that B^niwo i»atnathofim, afaould be rendered not tm tubiU Mgk, but as Kr. Bm» tranalaiea it, " tiiw euMte dtston^ L e. one from ibedHhar; far mutiU 4o not aeule like the loewU one upon BBodier, bat at small diataoces." " And hod the ^■Mila lain far m d^a joomey round the camp, to the jwathaightof fioocKfrtf^ upwards of three {ml the people «onM aot have been employed two days and a night in gMfcwing ibara. Ttt a|w«ading then round die oamp, was in ocder to diy dum in the burning saada (ot use, which is sitll pnetued in Egypt." See ParJAitnt, tub voce Jtrm taiafu difficultiea which encumber the text, supposing these to be guti/t, led Bishop Patriae lo imagine them to be/eeuato. The difficulties are f&r<<!; " 1. Their oomii^ by • wind. 2. Tlieir immens* quautitioa, oovoring a circle •f diir^ or iony miles, two cubiu thick. 3. Their being ■plead m Ike nm far diyi(«, wfab^ would have been prepoateroda, had ttiey been guaiU, for it would have made Aem corrupt the sooner; mit this is die principal way- of preparing loeiutM, to keep for a month or more, when they are boiled, or otherwise dressed." Tbis difficulty he thinks tBt«preters pam over, who sappose quaiU to be intended in the text. Ur. Barmer lakes up the sutgect, removes dm faudM»p^s diffieultios, and viudioatea the com- Eaon vemon.
" Tliesa diSeulties eppear pressing t At least the two laM: nevertheless I have met with several passages in laooks of travels, which I shall here give an account ot, ahat may soften dtem; pe(fai4w my readers may think Aer do more.
No iaterpreiars, the bishop complains, supposing they were mails, account for the qmading utem out m the' sun. Perhaps ihey have sot Let me than translate a pasMge of Haillet, which relates to a little tshmd iriiich covers one of the porta of Alexandria. ' It is on this tsland, which Use Ihrther into the sea than the main land of Egjm, that the birds annoaUy alight, which come hither uc refiige in autumn, in order to avoid the severity of the cold of our wintsrs in Europe, lltere is so large u ^aami^ of all sorts takan there, that after these litUe him have baea stripped ef their feathers, and buried in tfw kvuiag sua far about half a quarter of an hour, they av« worth but two sols the pountt The crews of those veasals, which in that season be in die harbour of Alexandlria, ham no other meat allowed them.' Among other reAigees of that time, MaiUet elsewhere exjtfessly menliotia quails, which arc^ thsrclbre, I suppose, treated sAer ihui maimer, "nua passage then, does what, according to dk* bishop, no eosunentator baa dme t it explains the de- ■iipa of qireading these ereature^ supposing diey were qnaihi^ round abmit the eamp t it was to dry them in the fiorahig sands in order to presnve them for use. So MaiUet lells us of then' drying fiib in the sun of ^ypt, M vsllaaef their pfeservuw othere by means of pudtle. Odier anihora f^enk of dtejuahs drying canwrs 0eah in <b» sun aad wmd, wia^ diough it be not at all salted, WW, if kept dry, remain good a long while, and which «MtiaM% to am Ihesuilvaa dw noutale of dressing, A^villMt lenr. This ai idwt Sk Jaron DMnbestuH pmt » wakt H vbia 1« -e^ tht bad of the Arafae
1 e Haall rotiqd thine, «• uoall «f the hoar fmt on the gToxma.
eama umieruSa. niis drying dien of flesh tn die son, is not so preposterous as the biriiop imagined. On the ■ other hui^ none of die authors that speak of dieir m9f of preserving locusts in the east, so &r as I at present collect, 'give any account ot drying them is the sun. They are, acctwding to Pellow, first purged with watu and salt, boiled in new pickle, and then laid up in dry salL So Dr. RuBsel wys, die Arabs eat these msecta when fresh, and salt them un as a delicacy. Their immense ciuamUies also forbid me bishop's believing tluv wen qoaila. Aad in truth, he rcpreeenu this difiioil^ m all iti mm, peihaps too forcibly. A circle of for^ mile* in diameter, all covered widi quails, to the depth of more than forty-three inchei^ without doubf, is a startling representation of this matter | and I would beg leave to add, that tba like quantity of locusu ^ould have been very extroordinary. But dien thia is not die representatHm of Scripture. It doee not even agree with it: for such a quantity o£ either quailf or locusu would have made the clearing places for invading them out, and the passing of Isnta up and down in the nei^bourhood of the eamp very littiguing, which is not supposed.
"Josephua supposed they were quails^ whi^ he says are in greater numbers thereabouu than any other kim of birdiL and that having croesed the sea lo die camp of Israel, toey, who in common fly nearer the ground than most other birds, flew so low through the fatigue of their passage, as to be within reach of the Israelites. This explains what he diought was meant by the (tw aibita J^-om, lAe Tocee^ Ac cortft— their flying within three or four fee( of the ground.
"And when I read Dr. Shaw's account of the way in which the Ainabs firequestly catch biids that they have tired, that is, by running in upon them,,and knocking them down widi their Ztneatiyy or bludeeons as ve ^ould call them} I think I almost see die Isreelitea befixvo^t pursuing tne poor, fatwued, and longutd quails.
"This is indeed a labonous method of catching 'diese birds, and not diat wtiich is now used in Egypt: for Egmont and Heynum tell ul that in a walk oa the diore « ECTpt, they saw a sandy plun several leagues in extent, and covered with reeds without die least verdure.; between which reeds, they saw many nets laid for eatdiing quails, which come over in large flights from Europe during the month of September. If the ancient E^ypiia^u made use of the same method of catdling quails, mat they now praotiso on diose shores, yet Israel in the wilderness, without these Gonvenieneeo, must of course make uae of that mora inortifidal and lafacHrious way of eatching them. The Anba of Barfaoiv, who have not inany conveniences, do the wmf. thing still.
"Bishop Patrick supposes a day's jonmey to be rixteea or twenty mile^ and tlience draws his circle widi a radiua of diat lengdi; but Dr. Shaw, on another occasion, makes a day's journey but ten miles, which would make a circle but of twenty miles diameter 1 and as the text evident^ designs to express it very indeterminately, at it wens • dava jottrnty, it might be mudi less.
" But it does not appear to me at all neeeasaiy, to sup* pose die text intended their covering a eircnlar or near^a circular spot of ground, but only that these creatures appeared on bodi ^des of die camp of Israel, about a day** ieumey. TTie same word is tuwd Exod. vii. 24. whet* round obou^oen mean only on each side of die Nile. And soitinaybealittleilhutntedbywhatDr. Shawtaueuih of the tbee fli^its of stoika which he anr when at anehor under the mount Carmd, some of which were mora scattered, others more compact aixl cloee; ««ch of which took up more thuvAree hours in passing, and extended itself jatxe than half a mile in breadth. Had thia fli^ of quails been no greater than these, it might have been dtought like them, to have been aeeidentali but BO unumnl a flock as to extend fifteen or twenty miles ia breadth, and to be two days and one night in passing, and this m conseouepoe of the deobiuiion of Hoees, plamly delsrmined that die finger of Ood was there.
"Adiird diingwhicb waaadiffiealty widi the budiOb was their being brought with a wind. A hot saatberlr vrind, it is supposed, brings the loeuslii and winr quaili mi^' notbehrougfathy the instnonentali^ofalinvia^ or what difficulty diere is in that smpoeilion, I eaimat imafine. As soon as dM ooM is tttln Buropt^lhUkl t«Qa OS, tnrtlee, guails, and oUier Wids, come to Egypt in ^Mtttmteei bothaOhNnad diat dwir ninbm ««•
15 And when the clifldren of Israel saw it, they said one to another, " It is maftna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, " This is the bread which the Loao hath given you to eat.
16 11 Thia is the ihli^ which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man aceordins to his eating, " an omer ■> for every man, accord
not ao ]ai^ in tliose yem in which the winters were ta.- vouraUe in Europe; from whence he conjectured, that it ia rather necessity than habit which cause* them to change their climate: if ao, it appean that it is the increasing heat that caiues their return, and consequently that the hot sultry winds from the south must have a great effect upon Ibem, to direct their flij^ht northwards.
"It ia certain, that it is about the time that the south wuid begina to blow in Egypt, which ia in April, that manv of these migraiorr birds return. Haillet, who joins quails and ttirUca toseUier, and at^s that they appear in Egypt when the cola be^na to be felt in Europe, does not inoeed (ell us when they return; but llievenot niay be ■aid to do it: fipr afler he had told his readers dial they catch anipes in Egypt from January to March, he adda, that in May ihey catch turtlea; and thM the turtlea return again in September; now aa they go togedher aouthward in September, we may belifeve ih^ return again northward much about the same time. Agroe^ly to which, Runel telle us, that quails appear in uundanee about Aleppo in ■IMing and autumn.
"If natural history were more perfect, wo might speak to this point with great distinctness t at present, however, it is so far from bemg an objection to their being quails, that their coming was caused by a wind, that nothing is more natural. 'Hie same wind, would, in course, occasion ■iekness >Dd mortality among the Israelites, at least it does so in Egypt. ITie rairaculousnesa then in this atory, does not lie in their dying, but the prophet's fbretelling with exaetneu the coming of that wind; and in the prodigiotu DumberB of the quails duit came with together with the un usualness of the place, perhaps where they Alwhted.
*^Nothing more remaini to be considered, bat the gathning fo large a quantity as ten omers by those that gzuhered fewest. But tin that quanrity is more precisely ascertained, it is sufficient to remark, that thia ia only ftflirmed of those expert sportanien among the people, who pursued the i[ame (wo whole days and a whole night, without intermission; and of thera, and of them only, I presume it ia to be understood, tlmt he that gathered feweat, gathered ten omera. Hasselouist, who frequently expresses himself in the most dumous manner in relation to these animals, at odier times is very positive, that if they were birds at all, they were a species of the quail ditferent from oura, which he describes as very much reeemblins; llie 'red i»rtridge, but aa not being larger than the turtle- dove.' To this he adds, that the Arabians carry thousands of them to Jerusalem about Whitsuntide, to sell there, p. 442. In another place lie tells us, it is found in Judea as well as in Aralna PetraCL and that he foand it between Jordan and Jwieho, p. 263. One would imagine that Hasselquist means the Kota, which ia described dv Dr. Ruasel, vol. ii. p, 194. and which he representa as Drought to market at Aisppo in great numl>er3 in May and June, though they are to be met with in all seaaons.
"A whole asa-Ioad of them, he informs us, has often been taken at once abutting a cloaping net, in the abovemeoiioQed montha; they are in Bueh plen^." Barmer, toI. iv. p. 367.
Verve 14. BAold, on tht face qf the wildemeu there lay a mall round ii-ing] It appears that this small round thing fell with the dew; or rather the dew fell first, and this substance fell on it. Hie dew might have been intended to cool the ground, that the manna, on its fell, mif^t not be dissolveoT; for we find from ver. 21. that the heat of the sun melted it. "Hie groun*! therefore, being niffidently cooled by the dew, iIk manna lay immelted long enough for tlie Israelites to collect a sumcient quanti^fiw- their daily use.
Verse 15. TKn nid me to another, B is manna; for Sujf wM noJ WMf it was] Thia is a most unfortunate tnnalation, because it not only gives no sense, but it con- Indicts itself. The Hebrew Nin to man Au, literally signifies, What <s thia9 for, aaya the text, Ikeif vnst not lekat ii (MM I and therefore they could not give it a name. Mosea immadialehr answers the questioOi and mn, TUm bffuirtadiiltienthtljordhaihgivtnyoutomi. Prom
ing' to the iiunber of your ^perions; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
17 And the children of Israel djd lo. and gsr thered, some more, acme lees.
18 And when they did mete it with an omer, ' he that gathered much, had nothing over, and he that gathered little, had no lack; they gathered every man according to hii eatmg..
ver. 31. we learn that this substance was aherward called)s man, probably in commemoration of the question they had asked on its first appearance. AlmoM ^1 our own ancient versions translate the words, WIvU is lAu?
What this substance was, we know not. It was nothing ^atwas common lo the wilderness. It iaevident tfaa Israelitea never saw it befiore; for Moses says, DeuL viiL 3, 16. he fed thee with manna which thou ttuwedtt not, nexther did thyfathera knows and it ia very likely, that nothing of the kind had ever been aeen before; and by a pot of It being laid up in the ark. It is as likely, that so* thing of the kind ever appeared more, after the mirMukua supply in the wlldemesa had ceaaed. It seems to hove been ortated for the present occasion; and like him, whom it typified, to have beOn the only thing qf tht kiiul, the only bread from heaven, which God ever gave to preserve the life of man; aaCliriatiadie true bread that came down from heaven, and was given for the Ii& of (he world. See John vL 31—58.
Verae 16. An omer for awry man] I ahaJ) here once for all give a short account of the meaaurea of ee^fuity among the Hebrews.
Omxb, "wp from the root Samar,. to jn-e»g, tgtuazi, eollaet and bind together: hence a maif qf com, a multiti^ of stalks preosed together. It is supposed that the oma; which contained about three tpiart* English, bod its Dane from diia drctmistance; that it was the most eontrneted, or the omalUat measure of things dry, known to the ancMnt Hebrews; for the 3p kab, viuat was less^ wu not Imown till the reign of Jefamun, king of Israel, 3 Kings vi. 26. ParJAurmt.
The BPHAR, nut or no^M avhah, from ncH atihah, to bake, becauae this was probc^ly the quantity which was baked at one time. According to Bishop Cumberland, the epkah contained feoen gatlont, tvM guartt, and about half a pint win^ measure; and aa the onur was the lenA part tf the ephah, ver. 31. it must have contained about rispinls English.
iTie KAB 3p ia said to have contained about ihe oisth port of a aeah, or three pinte and one third English.
The HOiKEa, ton chomer, mentioned Lev. ivii. 16. was quite a different measure from that above, and ia a difierent word in the Hebrew. The cAomsr was the largtH »easive of capacity among the Hebrews, being equal (o ten batht or ejAaha, amounting to about atnenty-fxe gallons, three pinte, English. See Ezek. xlv. 1), 13, 14. Goodwin supposes that this measure derived its name from chamor, an aaa, being the ordinary load of that animal.
The BATH n3 was the largest measure of capacity next to the homer, of which it was the tenth part. It was the same as the ephah, and consequently contained about seven mllons, two quarts, and half a pint, and is always used in Scripture aa a measure of liquids.
The RiK, pn according to Bishop Cumberland, was the one-sixth ptirt of an epAoA, and contained a little mora than one gallon and two pinto. SeeExod.'xxix.40.
The LOO, was the smalleat measure of capacity foe luptida among the Hebrews, it contained atxiut tftfw quartert (f a pint. Set Levit. xiv. 10, 12.
TViJts ye— for them which are in hia tenia.] Some might have been eonfaied m their tents through sickness or infirmity, and charity required, that those who were in health should gather a portion for them. For though the Psalmist Bays, Psal. cv. 37. TTure waa not one feeble person amon^ their tribea, thia must refer principally to their healthy state vriien brought out of Egypt i for it appean that there were many infirm among them when attaefccil by the Amalekitcs. See the note on chop. xvii. &
Verse 17. Some more, oonu less.] According to their respective fiunilies, an omer {ot a man j and according to the number of infirm persons, whose wonts dtey undertook to supply.
Terse 18. JETs that gathered mtuA had nathittg avtrj Because hii gadiering waa in ftopanioa to the nmaliv of whom be had to ^orida. And mbw tmniBg.
19 And MoecB Baid, Let no man leave of it tai the morninff..,,,
20 Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto Moses; but Bome or them left of it until the morning, and it bred wormB, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and wlien the sun waxed hot, it melted.
22 11" And it ciime to pass, that on the sixth day tney gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Mobcs.
23 And he paid unto them. This is that which the Lord hath said, To-morrow is ■ the rest of the holy saUiath unto the Lord: bake that which ye wiir bake to-day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over, lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not < stink, neither was tiiere any worm therein.
25 And Mosea said, Eat that to-day; for today ia a B^)bath unto the Loan: to-day ye shall not find it in the field.
26 ■< Six days ye riiall gather it; but on the seventh day, whidi ia tbe sabbath, in it there flhalf be none.
fewer, otbera more hi hmilr, and the gathering being in proportion to the persons wne were to eat of it therefore, ne that gathered much, had nodiing over, and he that gatheied little, bad no tack. Probably every man gathered as much aa he could; and then, when brou^t home, and nMaaured by an omer, if be had a rnuplua, it went to mipply tbe wanu of some other fiimily, that had not been able to collect a iufficie»7', tbe femur being large, and tbe time in which the manna might w gatherea, before the 'hatl of the day, not being Eumcieni to collect enough for -•o numerous a household: Bevernl of whom might oe ao confined, ox not to be able lo collect for themselves- Thus there vaa on tmaiUy; and in this light, the words of St. Paul, 2 Oor. vui. 16. lead us to view the passage. Here the xiih verse should come in, Now an omer is the tenth part o/" an ephah.
Verse 19. Ijtt no man leave ofUtUllhe morning] For ■God would have them to take no thought for the morrow j and constantly to depend on him for their daily bread. And is not that petition in our Lord's prayer, founded on this very drcunuiance, Oire us, day hy day, our daily tread!
Verse 20. II bred worme] Thar ainfiil eurioeity and ■covetounKss led them to make the trial; and they had a mass of the most loathsome putrefaction for their pains. How gracious is God! He is continually rendering disobedience and sin irksome to the transgressor; thai, findin^ his evil ways to be uniHvfitable, he may return to his ■akar, and trust in Ood alone.
Terse 22. On the sixth day they gathered twice as mueh] This they did, that they might Inve a provision for the sabbath, for on that day no mamia fell, ver. 26, 27. What a coBvineins miracle wVis this t Ko manna fell on the sahbath. Had it been a natural production, it would have fallen on the sabbath, as at other times; and had there not been a supernatural influence to keep it sweet aadme^ it waukt have been corrupted on tlw aabbatlL as wan on other days. By this series of miiacles, Ood dioired his own power, presence, and goodness, IsL In eeoding tbe manna on each of the six days; 2d. In aendiog none on the seventh, or sabbath; 3d. in preserving it from patnbetiop, when laid up fin tbe use of titat day, dtoagn it in£kUiUy cornqnad, if kcpc over n^t on any Mberdsy.
Verse 23. Vo-morrtyv is the rest ef the holy tabbaih] titm is nothing either in the text or context, that seems to intimate that the sabbath was now Jtrat given to tbe Israelites, as some have supposed; on the contrary, it is here spoken of as being perfectly well known, from its liaving bean generally observed, lite oommaodment, it is true, nay be considered as being now renewedt because ftey m^t have suppMed, that m their unsettled state in the wilderness, theymight have been exmpted from the BhiHif—LL of it. Thus we find, 1st. Thsx when Ood fio- UMlMacnUioiLheiDftaatadUwnbbathi ad.Wbeahe tamghlthspMipls out «i Egypt, be insiitfld on the strict
27 II And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people, on the seventh day, for to gather, and they found none.
28 And the Lord eaid unto Moses, How long * refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
29 See, fer that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, tJierefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place; let no man go out of his ]4ace on the seventh day.
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and * it too* like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers moife with honey.
32 T And Moses said, This ia the thing which ' the Lord commandetbj Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the b>ead wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
33 And Moses said unto Aaron, ' Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it ap before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.
34 As the Lord commanded Moses, bo Aaron laid it up ' before the Testimony, to be kept.
it a tenth part of the whole; such iinpOTtance has this institution in the eyes of the Supreme Being!
Verse 29. Abide ye every man in hie place^ Neither go out to seek manna, nor ror any other purpose: rest at home, and devote your time to religious exercises. Several of the Jews understood byjdace in the text, the camp, and have generally supposed, uiat no man should go out of the place, i. e. tbe city, town, or village, in which he resides, any fiuiher than 1000 cubits, about an English mile, whicn also is called a sabbath daj/» journey. Acts i 12. and so many cubits, they consider the space round the city, that constitutes its nbitrb», which they draw from Niuntt. XXXV. 3, 4. Some of the Jews have carried the rigorous observance of the letter of this lav to such a length, that in whatever posture they find themselves on the sabbath mcnning, when they awake, they continue in the same during the day; or, should they be up, and happen to fall, they refiise even to rise till the sabbath be ended! — Mr. Stapleton tells a story of Mie Rabbi Solomon, who fell into a dough on the Jewish sabbath, Saturday, and refused to be pulled out, giving his reason in the firflowii^ Leonine couplet:
The Christians finding htm thus disposed, determined he should honour their sabbath in the same place, and actually kept the poor man in die slough all Sundatf, gir* ing theu" reasons in nearly the same way:
SaUnlliA noMn ^Mtm, SoUimon etItbmUt <W—, " In Uk HUH •Imcti, ihou Huttioni Jnr, OoiakLtKib^lij uwu tbMll q^ccd Ub."
This might have served to convince him of bis folly [ but, certainly, was not the likeliest way to convert him to Christiaai^.
Fabtak, in his ChronUUs, tells the following story of a case of tfaia kind, "la this yere also (1289) feU that happe of the lewe of Tewkjrsbury, which fell into a gonge upon the Satyrdoy, and wolde not, for reverence of his sabot-daye, be pluckyd out; whereof heryng the Erie of Oloucetyr, that the lewe dyd so great reverence to hia sabot'day, thought he wolde doo aa moch unto hia holy daye, which was Sondayt and so kepte hym there tyU Monday, at whiche season he was foundyn dede."
Terse 31. Called the name thereqf manna] See note on verse 16.
Verse 34. Lay it up before the Tealimony] The nnp eduth, or teetimony, belonged properly (o the tabemaclet but that was not yet built. — Some are of opinion, that the labentacle, built under the direction of Moses, was only a renewal of one that bad existed in thepalriarchal times. See the note on ver. 9. The word signifies r^srenee to som^ thing bwond Ussl/t thus the tabonable, the maona, tbe tsUes of itope, Airon'i rod, &c. all bore lefiBrenes and 246 I
35 And the diildraa of Itirael did eat manna * forty vears, ■ uoUl they came to a load inhabited; tney did eat manna^ untQ they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
36 Now aaomeruthe tenth part of an eidiah.
Tkt ImHw yoratr fran tht wa.Vmin Sbi la tlirUMm,\, vfaa* ttUr nr- Mr Ibt lack of nwr. 'J,3. M«n bhIu ooqiwt of (iod,!, wbe ctKnaBmk kin IB imkt Ut nd ArU wmiit ihe rocli, utd promiw Ihat wticT iboqU Proenl from il lor lhiM^uilriirii,a. ThtplUEliciilslll^aJlanilMcrihU.r The JmnUiMriduek Inel in RcpAidim, & ^naAtia li cXHnminkJ la fl(hl wllh Ukid, 9. M)W,.i4A»n, uJ Micr. B lo lb* MP oT ■ hill, %nd vWh Mow boldi op hk hai^lat 111* EvMtnaa imvaii, wfaoi b* kii ibciD dno- Anulek pnTHiU^ Umm bdoiweu;, aiuilcHrB, ul Auvu unl Hui bcAil ip bia hunU. 1*Z Tbc AnWhm uv wiiltr routed, 13, ud tba trot onmmonleJ Lo be Jvcordad, 14- MMboiLkaaaJuui uidabaii.'«Aina«-Mui, IS. Analek li ilnauiHd wlib oomtoml »ui,U- the wiUernees of Sin, aller their iourneyB, according to the commandment of the Loan, |HtchedinRe[rfudira: and lAere wo* no water for the people to drink.
tMtiroODy to that Bplritual good which wsi yet to corns, vix. iuvf Christ and ku talvaHan.
Terse 35. Hie children iff larad did eat manna forty SWrw] Prom this verse it has been supposed that the hook of Exodus was not written till q/I«r the miracle of the manna had ceased. But these words might lisve been addM by Ezra, who, under the direction of the Divine Spirit, collected and digested the different inspired books, acMnng sueh mpplsnMn/sry, ex^naiory, and eomueting MDtewea, as were dsoned profwr to oomideie and arrange ttie whole of tba aaerad canon. For |)revioUBly to hta time, according to the universal tastimooy of the Jews, all -fbe books of the Old TesUuMot wen fmind in na tineonneeted and dispersed state.
- Verse 36. Sim mt omar is As tentk part an tpkah.l About »ix j^ntt, English. See the note on ver. 16. The true place of this verae seems lo be immediately after Terse IB) tar Kere it has no onmezioD.