1. On die miraols of Ate manna, whidi-is the drief subject in tliis chapter, a good deal has already been said in the preceding notes. The sacred historian has given us the most circumstantial proofs, that it was a supernatural and minieulouB supply: that nothins of the kind had ever been seen before, and probably noming like it had ever afterward appeared, lliat it was -a type of our blessed Redeemer, and of the salvation wliich he has provided far man, dtere can be no doubt; for in (his way it is ^plisd by Christ himself i and from it, we may nuher this general -conclusion, that talvatUm ia the Xiortf. The Israelites must have perished in the wilderness, had not God bii them with bread fi^m heaven. And every human soul must have perished, had not Jesus Christ come down from heaven, and given himself for the life of tlie world.
2. Ood would have the Israelites continually dependent OB himself for all their supplies; but he would make them, in a certain way, workers with him. He provided the manna; ihey gathered and ate it. The first was Ood's work[ (he latter tlteir own. They could not produce the nianoa, and Ood would not gather it for them. Thus the pravidenee of God ^pean in such a way, as to secure the eo-operotion of man. 'Riourh man shouM plant and laaier, yet, it is God who givetn the increate. Etut, if man oeither plant nor water, God will give no increase. We eaanot do God's work: and be will not iLo ours. Letus, AereCore, both in things spiritaal and tempnaL beifsrfar* twetiier wilh HIM.
S. Hiis daily supply of dw HMmia, prtdiebly gave rise to that petition, CKve tw U-day our daily brtiuL It is worthy of remark, laL That what was left over nidit, contiary to the command of God, bred worms and slank; Sdly, That a doubU portion was nifaered on the day praeeding the sabbath) 3dly, Thatthis olfweoontimiedwhole- Bome on the following day | 4thly, And diat none fell on fhe s^ibaiht Hence we find dutt the sabbath was considered a divine institotiotv previously to the giving of (be Kosaielaw; and that Ood continued, to honour that day by permitting no manna to fall during its coarse. Wbaterer is earned on the sabbath, is a curse in a man's property—ttsy uho WILL b* rieh, fall into temptaiion and Me a tnar^ Ao. for, using illicjt means to aoqnire lawful things, (hey bring God's ourse upon themselv«a| and are drowned in destmetion and peiditioD-Baader, dost ibMi work on die mbbnthto inereaaa d^pnpwqr? 0eedwa S46
2 ' Wherefore the people did cbide with Mo-
ecB, and eaid. Give us water that we may drink. And MoBea eaid unto them. Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lobo?
3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people 'murmured against Moaes, and saidi Wherefore is this thai thou hast hrought us up out of K^ypt, to kill us and our children anA our cattle with thirst?
4 And Moses ' cried unto the Loan, saying, Whatshallldountothispeople? they be almost ready to ' stone me.
5 And the Lobd said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith i thou smotnt the river, take in thine hand, and go.
6 ^ Behold, I will stand before thee there, nppo the rock in Horeb: and thou ehalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it| that the people may drink. And Mosea dkl so m the sight of the elders of IsraeL
do it DOtI Prcmerty acquired in this way, viJll be a eans both to diee ana to thy poitari^.
4. To show their cnildren and children's duhkcn whit Ood bad done for dwir fathers, a pot of manna was laid op hefore the testiniooy. We should remember our providential and gracious deliweranees, in sueh a way, as togii* God the praise ^ his own grace. An tm^rof^idhsartis always associated with on unbelievijig mind, and an oaholy life. Like Imd, we sbaiUd eonaider with irtiat Wend God has fed our falhenj and aee that wa have the aaau: the same Christ, it» bread of life, the same doetrinea ibe same ordinaneea, koA the tame religious experience. Hov little an. we benefited by being I^vie»laiU», if we be oat partakers of die Protestant feith 1 And bow useless wiU even diat faith be to us, if we hold the truth in unrixhteou^ ness? Our fothera had religion enough to enable them u * bum gloriously for ihs truth of God I — Reader, hast dioa so much of the life of God in thy soul, thst thou eouldst bum to aihes at the stoke rather ihan lose it? In a ver^ couldst thou be a martyr 7 Or hast thou so little grace to lose, that thy life would be more thonaa equivalent fordiff loss) Where is the manna on which thy fathers fedl
Verse 1. Fitchtd in RephiditA^ In Numb, xxxiii. U — 14. it is said, that when the Israelites came from they egocamped in DophJcaK, and next in A/usA, after «Udi they came lo /2MAuj»ni. Here, therefore, Cwtation»w omitted; probamy because nothing of moment took^ue at either.— See toe notes on NuioL xxxiii.
VerseS. Whydtideyevithmt?} God i» your kadl^ complain to bim: Wh^^ert do j^e itmpt tiu Xtordf As he is your leader, all your murmurings against nu, he eoa-, siders as directed against himteif: why therefim de je tempt him 7 Has he not given you sumcient proo6 tisu he can destroy his enemies, and support his frieDdi? And is he not among you to do you good 7 ver. 7. Why then* fore do ye doubt his soireT and goodneu, andlboapcoTChs him to treat you as his enemiesl
Verse 3. And Oie people murm.wed\ The readv nrait not forget, what has so often been noted, relating to tin degraded state of the minds of the Israelites. A ttrooc argument, however, aiay be drawn from this in favour « their supernatural escape from ^ypt. Had it been a sdteme concerted by the heade of vaa pet^le, proviska WDukI oeeessarilr have been made fw such exigencies these. But, as God chose to keep tbem constantly depeaient upon hiinsel^ for every necessary of life; ana as thcf had Hoees alone, as their mediator to lodi to, they noFmured against bim when brought into straits and oifficulties, regretted their having left Egypt, and expressed dM strongest desire to letora. This a^ws that thqy bid \A Egypt reluctantly; and as Hoses and Aaron never ■ppMr to nave any reeottrcn, but those which came aiost evi* dently in a tupematural -way, therefore the whole ezodos or departure from Egypt, proves itself to liave been do human oontrivoiwe, but a measure ooncetted by God hi»- aelf.
Verse6. Ivia^audb^breOmtheraypontkendtiM Bbrsft) Tbm rade'^m ha lour. It seems aa if Ood bad directed dw attcntien of Mosea lo a parlimlar taiih whiobbewBswdlaaqtinnlMli for every part of thsnosH^ and its irieinilf,.wMt ha*e iMt well known to
' 7 And he Mfied the nune of the olaee i Mas- Mh, ■nid ■MerOmh, beewme of the chiding of the childrea of Israel, and because they tempted the LoRtt, saying, Ib the Lord among us, or not t
8 ^ ' Then came Anwlek and fought with Israel in Rephidim.,,
9 And Moses said unto ^ Joshua, Choose us mt men, and go oat, fight with Amalek: tomorrow 1 will stand oq the top of the hill, with 4 the rod of God in mine hand.
10 So Jotfhua did as Moses bad said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur, went up to the top of the hill.
11 Ana it came to pass, when Moses 'held
dnrins the time he kevt Jetbre'e floeki in Ihoes quartera. j^. j^isaUey hu Isft Ihs Mlowing MUitals abtamtiotH upon 1^ miracle i
"ThstuBiiaoasabiaii diBCTnbatlof tfasdivitaepreecDce, weald sppav on Ae nek, ma Hord> ww probabk s part of the same mountain wiui Sinai. Thi» wpply.ot water, on Mom only etrikia^ tha rock, where oo water bad been befora, nor haa been fince, was a moat wonderful dis^riay of dte divine power. The water must have been in ^tMt abundance to aupply t^eo mUtimu of person^ which exeluded all poasibili^ of artifice or impoaturft in the case. nn>e miracle roust also ban hasn of acnne opiifteiwme; no doubt, M lon^ as they eontinuod in that neicMitiurtiood, ^idk was more than a year. There are someient traces of dUs extraordinary miracle remaining at this day. This nek has been vimlol, drawn, and described by Dr. Shaw, Dr. Paeodc, and oihm; and hole* and ohutnels appear in die stooe, which could only have been formed by the bunting out and running of the water. No art of naa could have done it, if any motive coofd be suppoaed for ttie uo* dartaking in such a place m this."
file rock mentioiwd above, has been seen and deaonbed by ybrden, p. 144. 8vo. Dr. Shaw, p. 314. 4to. where diere is an aceurate drawing of k; Dr.Pocock, vol. i. p. 14$, &c. wliera the reader may find some fine plates of mount HojA, Koi Sinai, and four different viewv of the wonderful nek of Meribah. It is a <nat block <tf red graoil&^fiAMn fcct long, tap broad, and twelve high.-*^See Dr. maw's account at tlie end of Exodus.
Terse 7. Bt oathd Ae nam* of tlU pISM JMuaaJk, and AfiriioA.] rag iWiMoA, tigninea iMuptation or trial; and Mtrihakf ra^, emtmthn or ItttgaUon. From 1 Cor. s. 4. we loam Oiat this rook was a qrpe of Christ, and dieir drinking of it, is represented as ttieir being made partakers of the grace and mercy of God through Christ Jasns ] and jet many who drank, fell and periahed in the wilderness in the very act of disobedience 1 — ^Reader, be not high-minded, but uorl
On ote smiling of the rook by dw rorfof Mot*. Mr. AinsworUi has tm following pious nols: — '"Riis roea ngtHtfi Qititt, and is therewre railed a tpiriht^ Ro^ 1 Cor. z. 4. He being miffea with JMMa*** rod, mm bearhg the eune of the Law fbr our sins: and by the pteadiing of the Gospel, crucified among his people, €tal. ifl. 1. firom himfloweth die spiritual drmk, wherewith all believing hearts axe refi«^«a." John vii. 37. and Isai. liii. 1^.
Terse 8. Tfun came AmaUle, and fmi^t wUk bnut] fb9 Anakkiies seem to havs attaidnd die isnelitea in die same w^, and through die same motives, that the wandering Aiaba attack the caravan*, which annually pass through the same desert. It does not B^pear diat the lalaetites gnve them any kind of provocatioo; dt^ seem to have attacked them merely through the hopes of plunder. Hie Amalefcites were the posteri^ of Amuek, one of the (hikes at Ehphaz, the son of Esau; and censequendy IsmeFs brother, Oen. xxxvi. 1^ 16.
J^hugfii wUk J9nut\ In die most treacherous and dastardly manner; for thev come at the rear of the camp, moU the hindmott of the pwpt*, even ali Aat vere fetbU MUn4 tf/KR they wre faint aiid weary, see Deut. xxv. 18. lite banage, no doubt, was the object of their avariea: bat fltunng the women, children, aged and infirm persons^ behind with die ba^age, they smote them, and took awajr their spoils.
Terse 9. Moac* »aid unto JbsJkua] Hiia is the fint rtaea in which JoiAma the son of Nun is mentioned: the lOMtrioat part which he took in the Jewish allairs, till the iMOt of his eouotr^men in die promised land, is well L Be ma eaptam-geoefal m dte Hebrews nndbr ■I Hd «D this giMtnaf^sdwOiilM baeaSM hit n»-
ap his hand, that Israel inreTailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses' hands were * heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he eat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stared up his hands, the one on the one eide, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady imtil the going down of the eun.
13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people, with the edge of the erword.
14 If And the Lono said unto Moses, ' Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for " I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
in the government. Joshua was at first called Uaaltm, Numb. xiiL 16. and afterward called JoAua by Moses. Both in the Sepba^nt and Oreek Testament, b« is allied JofUMt the name aignities aaviouTs and be is allowed to have been a very exprcaaive type of ow blessed Lord. He fought widi and conquered the enemiea of his nettle, brought them into the promised l&nd, cmd divided it to them by lot. He parallel between him and the Saviour of the world is too evident to require pointing out.
Top of the hiU\ Probably some port « Horels or Sinai, to which th^ were tb«n near.
Terae HI. 3A«e>, AarBR, and An- tsenl up] Itiswy likely ihat the Hor nwntionod here is the same with that Sar mentioned 1 Chron. ii. 19. who appears, from tha chronology in that chapter, to have been the son of Calet^ the son ot Ezron, the son of Pttaitx, the son of Judah. liie r^ins and Josephns say, he was the braiher-in-lav of Moees, having married his sister Miriam. He was • person in whom Moaes put much eonfidenee; for he left him-conjoint governor of the peoi^e with Aaron, when ha went to confer with God on the mount, Bxod. zxiv. 14. Hii grandson Btzaltel, was the chief director in tho work of the tBhemacle. — See chap, ixxi, 2 — B.
Terse 11. R'han Mo»e$ held up kts hand] We cannot understand this transaction in any literal way; fut the lifting tip or leuing down the haods of Moses, could no^ homanly speaking, infiuence the battle. It is likely diat he held np the rod of God in his hand, ver. 9. as an ensign to die people. We have already teen, that in prayer, the hands were generaUv lifled up and tjrread out, (see tha note on chap. ix. 29.) and dterefore it is likely, that fay thit act, prayer and wuppHeatian are intended. Tbe Jemsalem Taif;um saya,tbat "when Moass held up hia hand* in prayer, the house of Israel prevailedi and when he let down his hands from prayer, the house of Amalek prevailed." We may therefbre conclude that by boldiiw up the hands in this case, these two things were inteodadt 1. l%At beieby a reference was made to God, as the source vriience all help and protection must come, and that on him alone they must dqwnid. 2. That prayer and snp^teatitm to God ware esHniially' necessary to duir prevalenea ever all ditir enemies. It is indisputably tru^ that while the hands are stretched out, that is, while tha soul exerts itself in prayer and supplication to God, we are sure to conquer our spiritual advernries; hwt if our hands become heavy, if we restrain prayer before God. Amalek will prevwl: eve^ spiritual foe, every internal corruption, vriu gain ground. Several of the fkdiers coneider Mooea, with his stretched-out hands, as n figure of Christ on dw cross, sufierinff for mankind, and getting a coniplele victory over sin ana Satan.
Terse 13. Jodiaa diteomJUed Amalek and kU peopU] Amaldc mi^t have been the name of the ruler of thia people, continued down from their ancestor, (see on ver. 8.) as IHiaraok was the name of all succeeding kings in EgvpL If this were the case, then Amalek and his peamean the pn'itce and the amy that fought under him. But if Amalek stand here for the Antalekite; then hi* people must mean the confederates he had employed on this occasion.
Terse 14. WriU Au for a manorial in a book] lliB is the first mention of vrriHng on record; what it mgnified, or \tow it was done, we cannot tell. It is very likely, that the first regular alphabetical writing in IM world, was diat written by die finger of God himself on the two tables of stone. What is said here was probably by way of anticipation, or means some other method « registering events than by alphabetietU ehaneters, if wa allow diM God nve die first meimen of regular writii^ on die (nMes tf mmw; which did not take pTsee dll soma time afker this. ^.
15 And Moses bnilt an altar, and called the name of it ' JEHOVAH-nissi:
16 For be said, * BecauBe ' the Lord hatti ■worn that the Lord vill baee war with Amalek, from i^eneration to generation.
JMro, etHed Iha rutw-Jn-liv of Mohl Iniinx of ihc JHi'cnnu vhkih Gal hud ■mibd (o Iwt. utok Zipporati kit] lirr iwu nDJ, (itrnhDm itnl Elievri mmi BPn^I Ihcjii u> MoH. wben he, wLlh itK Iitim^Iicb, wtn mi Morrh,
9^ He arikk U> MiWB, muHnmcing hia Jiii]vrtl,ft Mew oui lo maci him, T, ulI fiva huH a hbiorr of ljoil'tdHi]liw> v^lh ^'■^ lixvilLm, 8i JrLhro fowrlr Moiqi, ul iHlH urilunf ateemiioni hi tit power iu>l goulomt of linl, 0—1 1, He oOn bunu-oOtrinn tifal funAoA id Jrlir>Tdh, riiiI Aaruit nn] ^1 Ifie *lJeji of IruJ foul «iih turn, U, The ivxt daj, iircliri}, ub«er«iiif brnv nmcbMiubvu fhlifj, beiiu aUiinl to si uJiidKu iml hiitr cuum Inui ■loniiul lo miiiic, ■SiInqaDnwtirbr did Bill. M«Et inawin, uid Munri Uiu He ■ ubiinl IDii>- taWH caoH bKHbi nun matl bu, itfut Ut Hob ihab the HAtuteaujd Jim at Qsd, IS, IS. Jethro llnli fauli. and couwli him to appoiui ivn >^o feiu- God Im Uuth, hue csntoumB, la be tndcii mo- l&uiuaudi, *ii>i<trvita,,^/)iu, ■od ItJU, 10 Judv and J^tenmoe ui aJJ hiMlUi^ nuun, uh) jrefer odj the erealH aadniM ioponut u Wit If. 11— uilriiim ibM iU> plan will bt •Jiw>I»
'I — ui uu inai *<jruu una uone lur moecs, and for Israel his people, and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt;
Rekearte it tn Ou tan JoAaa[ Hun Bhoving flut Jothuft wu to succeed Hoeei^ and Ibu this ehaig^e uioukt be givea to everr luoeeeding governor.
/wW ulteHfy pu^ out m« rvmmi&rance Amalde\ CfareftKDing waa aeeompliibed Saul, 1 Sam. xv. 3| &c. four ham&ed aad twelve years aAer. Judgment is God's »lrang« vrorkj but it must take place, ^en the ■iiu which incenaed it, a/e neither repented of nor formJeml llkia people, by their eaniinutd tram^ressions, proved themaelvea totally unwanhy of a political eziat- •neei and therefore aaid God lo Saul, Go and uiUrly desArvy Uka aDnniB Uu Amal«laUt, 1 Sam. xv. 18. So Iheir eonHnuance in nn was the cause of their.final de- ■tmction.
' Terse 15. Jdxotah-nian\ Jthovah i» my tnsign or tonnvp. The hands and rod of Moses were held up as ioldiere are wont to bold up their wUmdarda in the time battle; and as these staodards bear the arms of the aoontry, the soldiers are said tojtght under thai 6anlur, i. a. under the direction and in the defence of that ffovernment. Thua the Israelites fought under the direction of God, and in the defence of bis truth; aiid therefore the name Jehovah became the annarial biaringf of the whole congreKation. By hia direction they fought, and in his name and strength tbey conquered; each tme feeling himself not his own, but the Lnu's soldier.
Verse 16. "The Ijard haih nMrn, that Qtt Lord will have var teith Amaltk, &c.1 This is no iranalatioa of the words non^s rr> u ^jr i> <3 jtt yad dl lua yah milckamah, which have been variously rendered by diifereat translators and critics: the most rational version of which is the following: Bteaiua the hand of AmaUk ia againat the Armu Ood, tker^re will Ihaee varinta Amalek from gpaeraHon to generation. Tk'u gives a tolerably ooosisteBt sensfc yet still there is considerable obscurity in the passage. Hoabigant, a most judioious, tfaouarh bold oritio, supposes, that as Jthovah-niagi, mm Jehovah my enaign, was s(>oken of iminedia(ely before, that DS kea, a wvne, in this verse, is an error of some transcriber, for tM nea, an enMign, which might be readily occanoned br the gnat nmilari^ between the a eaph and the) nun. He thinks brther, that the two letters rr< yah, which are supposed to be here a contraction of the word Tpm Yduroah, are separated, the i yod from D) nea, which riiould be written nu nieai, and the n A«, from nsnSn mildlamah, whidi should be written nsn'jsn hamilehama, and then the whole verse will run thus: For the hand ehall be upon the eneigna of var unto the Lord, against AvuU^fitr ever, i. e. Qocf makes now a deelanUion of war against the Amalekitesi, which shall continue till theufinal destruction. The conjecture of Mr. JuUue Bate, in his Literal TranaUUian the Pentateuch, deserves attention. He supposes that aa D3 ca« signifies a cup, and a cup is eroblemoueally used for wraith, Uiat on one of the stones of the altar, mentioned in the preceding verse, a hand holding a cap was sculptured, this being a memorial, Mjcording lo the custom of hierK^lyphicol writing, that the Lord would continue the cup of wrath, portending eontinual war, against Amajek for ever. I prater ibufrf miirt expoeition.
3 And her ^two sons; of which the *iiaaK of the one irov Gershom; for he eaidi I hare
4 And the name of the other ipa«, 'Eliezer; for, the God of my father, said he, teas mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh;
5 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at ' the moont
6 And he said unto Mosea, I, thy father-in-law Jethro, am come unto thee, ana thy wife, and her two sons with her.
7 K And Moses ' w«nt out to meet his fatherin-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they tisked each other m their iwelfiue; and they came into the tent.
S And Moses told his fether-io-law, all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh, aod to the Egyptians, for Israel's sake, and all the travail
1. Tma first victory of Israel must have inmred them with a onuideroble measure of confidence in God, and in his eervant Moees. lliough God aloite -could give ifacm the vietorr, yet it was necessary to show thorn, uai it was by the innuMKe of Hoses they got it. Usees omU not deliver Amalek into their hands; yet, if Moses did not c<mtinue.to hold up his hands, i. e. to pray, Amalek must prevaiL God, therefore, wrought this work in such a way, as to instruct the people, promote his own glory, and secure the true honour of his servant. The Divine Being alwKVs performs the greateat number possible of ends tm the ffe\eeat and aimpleat mcane. In every work of GotL there is as much of leiadom and economy, as there is « «op«rM^ uncontrolled power.
2. It is not probable, that the people whom Jodina chose out to leaii against Amalek, were unarmed; and we have already seen, that it is not at all likely that they come armed out of EgypL And as the whUe circum- Monces of this cas^ show, diat those who fought aeainat the Amalekltea were properly equipped lor the fight, we may then safely presume that they got their arms from the Egyptians, whoee bodies were thrown on the shore, afier having l^een overwhelmed in the Rea sea. Thus, what was a judgment in theooe case, was a most gracious pn>- vidence in' the other. Judgment on God's foee, is merry to his friende.
i. Of the efficacy of prayer we have already had the most striking examples. He who has the spirit of prayer, has the highest interest in the court of Heaven; ajid the only way to retain it, is to keep it in consumt employment. Apoetaey hegina in me eloeet: no man ever backslid from the IuIb and power of Chrisiiaoity, who continued eoustaol and fbrvent, especially in private payer. He who praya without etaeatg, is likely to r^oiet eoer^ more.
NOTES ON CHAPTER XVni. Vone 1. When Jethro, the prieat qf Afirfton, Ac] Concerning this person, and his several names, see the notes on ii. 1^ IB, and le. and db. iii. 1. ch. iv. SO, 24. Jethro was probably the son of R«uel, the faiher-in-lav of Moses, and consequently the Iwother-in-lav of Moseai for the word)nn choten, which we trajulate^oZAer-tR-taf^ in this chapter, means simply a relative by marriage.— See the note on chap. iii. 1.
Verse 2. A^Iar he had aent her back] Why Zipporah and her two sons returned to Midian, is not certainly known. From the transaction recorded ch. iv. 20, 24. H seems as If ^ had been alarmed at the danger to which the life of one of her sons hod been exposed; and fearing worse evils, left her husband, and returned u her fiuher. It is, however, possible, that Moses, foreseeing the troubles to whijJi his wife and cluldren were likely to be exposed, had he token them down to Egypt, sent them back to his father-in-law, till it should please God to detiw his people. Jethro now finding trat God had delivcfso ibem, and totally discomfited the Egyptians, ibdr eoenut% thought it proper to bring Zipporsh and her sons le ibmei, while he was in the vioiniw ca Horeb.. _,
thAt had * come upon them by the way, and Aow the Load > delivered them.
9 II And Jethro rejoiced for all the eoodness which Uie Lobd had done to Ina«l, whom he Iwd delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, Bleased be the Lord, who haih delivered you out of the hand of the ^ffyptiane, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who
11 Now I know that the Lord i* "^eater
than all gods: 'for in the thing wherein they dealt P proudly he waa above them.
12 And Jethro, Moses* father-in-law, took a burntMifferiiurandeaorificesibrGod: and Aaron came, and aU the ciders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law, ' before God.
Verae 5. Jethro — came with hit toiu] There are aevenl Tcuoni lo induoe ua lo believe, that the fact related hero is out of ita due chronological order, and that Jeibro did not coms to Hosea till the beginning of Uie second year of die Bxodua, (mo NumU x. 11.) soime time after Oie Ubcmade bad been erected, and the Hebrew commonweallh e«tabli*bed, both to thinga civil and aeeUna^icaL TiiM opinion ia founded on the following reaaona:
1. On ihia verae, where it ii aaid thai Jetliro came to HcMca nhiie lu letu encamptd td Uu mount qf Ood. Now it wmara from ch. xii. L 2. that' thay were not yet come to Hords the mount of God, and that they did not arrive there till the ttird month after dieir departure from Egypt; and the transacttoiu widi which thia account ia connected, •ertainly cook place in the tecond month. — See ch. xvi. 1.
2. Moaea, is Deut. L 6, 9, 10, 12—16. relatea, tltat when tb^ were about to depart from Bbrd>, which waa on the SOtn day of the aeeond month of the aecond year from their leaving Bgypt> that ha then complained, utat he waa not dUa to bear me bordeo ahaie of toe goverament ef a people ao numerous I and that it waa at that time, (hat he ea- UMiihed judges and eaptaiiu over thoiuands, mi kundnd», ana Jtftia, and ttru, which appears to be the very ftaBBBCtien recorded in Ma place i dit measure itself bein^ leeomtaendad by Jethro, and done in consequence of his advice.
3. From Nundk z. 11, 2% dfco. we find that when the doud waa taken and the uraelitea were about to depart ftom Horeb^ Uiai titoaea addreaaed Hobab, who-ia auppoeed to have been the same aa Jtlhro, end who then waa about to return to Hidian, hia own country, entreating him to nay with them aa a guide, while they travelled through the witdemeaa. It Uterefore aeemi iteeeaaan that Uie tnuuaetion recorded in thia chapter should ba inaerted Numb. z. between the 10th and Utb veraea.
4. It baa been remarked, that shortly after they had deputed from Sinai, the diapute took place between Miriam, Aaron, and Mosea, concerning the Ethionian woman, Zipporah, whom he had married, (see Numo. lii. 1, &c.) and thia ia supnosed to have taken place shortly after she had been brougnt beck by Jediro.
6. In tte discourse between Moses and Jethro, mentioned in this chapter, we find that Mosea sneaks of the statutes and IwM ^ the Lord, aa things already revealed, and acknowledged, which necesnmly implies, that theae laws faad already been given, (ver. 16.) which we know did not take place till several months after Aw tniMUStioaB mentaoned in th» preceding chapters.
6. Jethro offers bumt-ofaringa and taerijtcea lo God, apparently in that way in which they were commanded in the tow. Now the law respecting bur7U-<{fferinga was not given till o/ter the transactions mentioned here, unless we refer Ihia chapter to a time potterior to that in which it appears in thia place.— See die note on verse 12.
Prom ell tlieae reasons, but particularly from the tieo Jtnt and the two la*t, it aeems most likely that this chaptar acanda out of its due chronological order, and therefore I have adjaaled the chronology in the margin to tlie time in which, from the reasona above alleged, I suppose theae tranaaetiona to have taken place: but the matter ia not of mttcb importance, and the reader ia at liberty to follow the ooounoD opinion. As Moses had, in the preceding chapter, relaled the war with Amalek, aiid the curse under wtiich ibfly laid, he may be auppoeed to have introduced here the aoeoant eoneaming Jethro the Midianite, to ahow that be was free from Aat curae, althou^ the Hidionites, and tba'Kenilea, the finnily of Jethro, were aa one people, dvellins with (he Amalekites, eee Judges i. 16. 1 Chron. xi. 66. 1 Sam. irv. K For aldiough the Kenitea were eeme of those people whose lenda God had promised to the diweewdanu at Abraham, (see Gen. xv. 18, 19.) yet, in eeeeidwmUon of Jeihn^ the revive of Mosea, all of^ them, wbo wOnitted M the Hebrem, were suffered to live in tteirewaooumry: the real are eoppoeed to have taken rdkgeMmi|jftie BdomUea and Ainalatit»a.~-B%» Col-
Verae 6. And he aaid unto Mbset'] l^at is, by a me^ aenger; in conae<}uence of which, MiMca went out to meet him, as is stated m the next verse; for an interview had not yet taken place. This is aupported by reading ran hinneh, behold, for w oni, /, which is the reading of the Septua^int and Svriac, and several Samaritan MSS. in> Btead, therefore, of /, (hy father, we ehould read, fiAeb^ Ihvfathtr, &c. — KennicotCa Remarka.
Verae 7. And did 6beiaanee'\ inncr^ vayiatathu, ha boioed kitnatif dotm, see on Gen. xvii. 3. and Exod. iv. 3t. Ttiis waa the general taken of respect: aTid kiaaed him — the token of fnendaliip. And Aey aaktd eadi other of their iMWiire— literally, And thay iji^irtd each man hia neighbour ameeming peace or prosperity, the proof of affectionate intercourse. These three things constitute good-breeding and politentsa accompanied with aincerity.
And they eama into th^ tent] Some think that the tobemaele is meant, which it is lilcely had been erected before thia time; see the note on ver. 6. Moaea might have thought proper to take hia relative firat to the house of God, before he brought him to hia own lent.
Verse 9. And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodneaa\ Every part of Jethro's conduct proves him to have been a religious man, and a true believer. Hia thanksgiving to Jehovah, verse 10. ia a striking proof of it: he firat bleaaep God for the preservation of Moaea, and next for the ddiverance of the people from their bondi^.
Verae 11. A'sie I know that the Lordtt greater than all gpda] Sometbi^thatJetbrowaanotrconvertedtothetnia God; but it is very probable that he enjoyed this blesaing before he knew any thing of Moses; for it ia not likely that Moses would have entered into an niliance with ihia fomily, had they been heathens. Jethro, no doubt, had the true patriarchal religion.
Wherein they deait proudly] Acting aa tyrante over the people of God: enslaving Itiem in the most unnriiiei* pled manner, and still purposing more tyrannical acta. He was above them — he showed himself to be infinitely superior to ell their gods by tlie miracles which he wrought. Various iranslotions have been given of tliis clauee; lha above I believe to be the sense.
Verse 12. Jethro— took a bumt-ofcHng] nVjr flidJL Though it be true that in the painarcnBl times, we read of a bumt-ojering; see Gen. xxii. 2, &c. yet we only reed of one in the case of Isaac, and. therefore, thou^ this offering mode by Jeihro is not a uecisive proof diat the law relative to burnt-offerings, Ac had already been given, yet taken witli other Hrcumstancea in this account, it is a fufe- Bumptive evidence that t)» meeting between Hoaea and Jethro took place after the erection of the tabernacle. See the note on ver. 6.
Sacrifices for God\ B^nai zebaiiiim, alain beaata ae the word generally signifies. We liave already seen tiial aacrificea were Inslitaied by God himself, as soon a:B ain entered into the world j and we see that they were continued, and regularly practised, among all the people who had (he knowledge oi the true God, from that time, tmtil they became a divine legal catabliahment. Jethro, who was a priest, chap. ii. 16- had a r^ht to offer these aacrificcs; nor can there be a doubt of his being a worshipper of the true God, for those Kenilca, fi-om whom the Jtedtabilea came, were descended from him, 1 Chron. ii. 65. aee also Jerem. xxxv.
And Aaron came, and aU the eldera of larael, to tat bread\ The bumt-qjTaring waa wholly consumed: every part waa connlderea aa the Lord's portion; and therefore, It waa entirely burnt up. The other sacriticea mentioned here, were such, that oner the blood bad been poured out before God, the officera and assistants might feed on the fleah. "nius, in ancient times, ccmtracts were made, and covenants sealed. See the notes oo Gen. xv. 13, &c. It is veiy likely, therefore, that the aacrificea offered on tbie occasion, were thoae, on the flesh of which Aaron and the elders of Israel feasted with Jethra
Btfort Ood] Before the tabamaeta, where God dweltt for it is autnKMM that the tabernacle waa now erected.
13 IT And it came to pan on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the peopte stood by Moses, Irom the morning unto the evening.
14 And when Moses* father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What i« this thing that thou doeet to the people? why sittest ^ou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee, from morning unto even?
15 And Moses said unto his father-in-law. Because ■'the people come unto me to inquire of God:
16 When they have 'a matter, they come onto me; and I judge betwem > one and another, and I do "make than know the statutes ttiT God, and his laws.
17 And Moses' father-in-law said unto mm. The thing Uiat thou doest ia not good.
IS * TjSou will surely wear amy, both thou, ud this people that is with Uiee: Ibr this thing
See on yer. 6. and aee Deut. xii. 6 — 7. and 1 Chron. xzii. 21) 22. where the suae form of speech^ before the JLord, is used, and plainly refers to his maiuieBted presence in the tabentacle.
Terse 13. 7\> Judge the people] To hear and determioe Mntroversies between tma and man, and to give them in- ■thieticm in things aiiperti^aiiig to Ciod.
JVvm the morning utUe eventnjr] Hoeea vas obUg- •d to sit all day [ am the people were continually coming and gaiog.
Verse 15. The people come unto me to ijiquire of Cocf] To know the mind and will of Ood on ihe subject of their inquiries. Hoses was the mediator between God and the pec^ t (UkI >■ duy believed that all justice and judgment most oome from him; Ihotfore tb^ eame to Hoses to know what God had spoken.
Verse 16. / do maJee them know the ttatules qf God awt hie latoi] 'niese words are so very particular, that th^ leave little room for doubt that the law had been ^veo. Sudi words would scarcely have been used, hod not the ^abUte and laws been then in existence. And this is one of the pioob dial the transaction mentiooed here stands Qut of its due duonological Order. Seeonver.S.
Verse 18. 7%ou wftt eurely wear away] ^an '>» nabat HM, in wearing away, thou wiU wear away; by being thus continually empl<^^, thou wilt soon become fnaUy exhatuted. And Hue people that is with thee: — As if he had maA, '* Uany of them are obliged to wail so long for Ihe deCermination of their suit, that their paiieDoe must be wKrn necesnrily worn out, at there is no one to bear every otuse, but thyself."
Verse 19. / wiU give thee eountel, and Qod AaU be with thae^ Jetbro seems to have been a man of great underatanaing and prudence. His advice to Moses was most l^>propriate and excellent; and it was probably given under tfie unmediate tiupiratton of Ood | for after such ■acrificial rites, end public acknowledgement of God, the prophetic spirit might be well expected to descend and rest upon him. God could have showed Moses the propriety and necessity of adopting such measures before; mit he chose in this case, to help man by man; and in the present instance, a permanent Wis was laid, to consolidate the onion of the two families, and prevent all future misunderstondiiwB.
Verse 20. 7%ou ^talt teaA thm onifnaneet] D>pn c&iiAim, all Bucli precepU as relate to the eeretnoniea qf religion and poKtioal economy. And latpe, n'^inn hatoroth, the instructions relative to the whole ^stem of morality.
Thou ehatt Aow them, the way\ "ptn nn et haderee, THAT very WAV, that oniy way wtueh God himself has revealed, and in which diey should wafi: in order to please him, and get theu- souls everlaatin^y nved.
And the work that they mut do] For it wns not sufficient that they should know their du^ both to Ood and man, but they must do it loo; pwy> yainut d>ey must do it diUgmUy, fervently, e^ectuaUy, fiw du paragogic | nim,deepene and eitende the meanmg of the verb.
wtwt a very comprebeasive form m a preadier's du^ doeathta verse exhibit I 1. He nmst fn*(ntet the petnde in the nature^uie, and importanee of die ordteonese of rdigion. 2. He must lay hehn ibam die irtwle mmU km, ud their otfligatloiia to fkilfll all iti preeepto. 3. He nust
is too heavy for thee; * thou art not able to per^ form it thyself alone.
19 Hearken now onto my voice, I will giyv thee counsel, and ■ God shall be with thee: Be thou ' for the people God-ward, that thou may* est * bring the causes unto God:
20 And thou shalt 'teach thero ordinances Etnd laws, and shalt show them ^ the wav where* in they must walk, and ' the work that they must do.
31 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people <' able men, such as * fear God, ' men of truth, ' hating covetousnese; and place svcA over them, tooe rulers of thousands, and raStarm of hundrras, rulers of fifttes, snd nilav tens:
22 And let them judge the people ' at all seftsons: t and it shall be, that every great matter they duUl bring; noto uee, but every small matter tkey i^aJl judge: so shall it be easier finr
point out to each bis particular duty; end what is ezpeeted of him in his situation, connexions, &c And 4. He must set them all their work, and see that tbey do it. On audi a plan as this, be will nave fiill opportiuiity to show lh» people, 1. Tlteir ein, tgnoranee, and/oUy, 2. lltepRre ana hoiy law which they have broken, and bjr which they are condemned. 3. llwgraes^ Qod tbatDriOgetfa asivation, bywhich they are to be^^iJled and finaUy mnd. And 4. The neceastrf of showing their faith by thair worke; not only denying ungodliness and wordty luMs, but living soberly, rig^itMusly, and godly ia this praent world, looking for di^ Ueeaed hope aad dia glorims appearance of die great Ood, imd of our Saviour Jmm Christ.
judgment, pnidencej and fortitude; fior who can he s mfar without ihue qualifications T
Such aa fear God] Who are truly religions, without which, they will feel little concerned cither for the bodies or souls of the people.
Men qf truth] Honest and true in their own hearts and lives; speaking the trudi, and jsdging accordiDg lo dw truth.
Bating eeveteuMneae] Doing all tmt God's sa^ asd love to man; labouring to promote the general good, new perverting judgment, or suppressing the tesUoKMUes if God, for uie love of money, or through a base man-pleasing qiirit; but expecting meir rewara from the many oS Qod, in the resurrection ot the iusL
Ruler* over thoueande] JftUcnarrea esntunona^ gMte* guagenarieef and decurion*—«ush of tbesCk in all pntebilicy, dependent on that officer imine£ately above hiaS' self. So the decurion, or ruler over ten, if be fimnd * matter too hard for him, brought it to the qmnguagemaeY^ or ruler of fifty; if, in the course of the exercise of htm ftmctions he found a cause too complicated for iun to decide on, he brought it to the eenturum, or ruler over a Amdred. In like meium, the centurion brought his difteult case to the nttUeruiry, or ruler over a thouoandf the case that was too hard for Aim to judge, he brought ta Jlfteca t and the case that was too hard &r JUmw, oe bron^ immediately to God. It is likely that each of these classes had a court composed of iu own members, in which eaaaes -were heard and tried. Some of the rabbins have supposed that there were 600 rulers of thoueande; 6,000 nuers «f hundrede; 12,000 rulers of nflies; and 60000 rulers of ten*, making in die whole 78.600 officers. But Joacfbos says, Antiq. lib. Hi. chop. 4. that Moses, by die advice at Jethro, appointed rulers over myriads, and then ovas thousand* 1 these be divided into^eeAundredc, and agam into Aundred^ and into if/7iw: ud iqipointed ralefs owir each of thesQ, who divided them into Oirtie*, and st laaK into twentteo and tent: that eadi of these oonpaniBs hmd a chief, who took his name from die number of pe**MM who were imder his direction and govemmenL Allowing what Josephus states to be correct, some have siqipseea diat there could not have been less Uian 12^860 offioorm in the Isiaelitish camp. But such computatMns are eidwr fiuieifbl or absurd, lliat the people wm divided teu lAousond^ kmidrod*, J^ftUo, nA tens, we know, fir lha text states itt bat we cannot lell precisely, binr mHBj of such divisionB Ihers wtft t noC) eoonqowttly, th*] — — of offissrs.
23 If thoa shalt do thifl thing, and Ood combhhkI thee «o, then thou shalt be) able to endure, and alt thtB people shall also go to " their place in peace. ^, ^,.
24 So M(»ee hearkened to the voice of his fiither-in-taw, and did all that he had said.
25 And ' Moiea chose able men out or all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and. rulers of tens.
. 28 And they « judged the people at all sea mona: tike ' oara causes they brought unto Jdoses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 1 And Mose* let his mther-m4aw depart j mi «he went his way into his own land.
T«tM 23. if tlum AaU do l&w thing, and God eom wtmd Am] Tbougb the measun «b> obviously of tha utjOAMt importance, mi plainly recommended itaelf by ita •xpodieocy ud oeeeasitr; yei Jethro very modeetly 1mv«8 it to the vtedom of Hosea to choose or rajecc iti and knowing', that id all thiaffs hit relative «tu nov aeting ■nder lae inmediaie direction of God, intimates that no
«aa be aaiely adopted, without a poaitiTe iajane- lion from God bimaeli. A* the couaael waa doubdeai in- ^rired by the Divine Spirit, we find that H was ■aaetiotted Vf the nme; for Mom aeled in every reapect aecordtng to the advice be had received.
Vef>e27. And JIAteaUiiaJathar-vt-lttw depart] But il this be ibe eama tianMetioa with that, mentioned Numb. X> 29^ Ae. we find that it waa with great reluddnee that ICoaaa penaittad ao able a eounsellor to leave him: for bkviag the hijdicat opiskm of his judgment, experimce, and disentkm, M preiaed him to stay with uiem, that he mi^it be insUad qfeye»lol&em ia the deaert. But Jethro tfbosa rather Ce recum to his own country, where, probably, bim fiunily were so setiJed and circumstanced, that th«y floald not be conveniently removed; and it woa more hia duty to stay with them to assist them with his counsel and advice, duui to travel with the Israelites. Uany others mi^t be found that could be oTea to the Hebrews in the desert; but no man could be found capable ofbeingahther tohisfamity,butbimsel£ It ia well to labour for the publie good; but our own families are the &rat el&imants on ow care, atuatioo, and Ume. H« who neglects his own bouaehald, <»i the preteaea of rabouriiw even for dw good •fihe puUie, has surely denisd the fiuta, and is worse than an infidel.
It is strange^ that after this we hear no more of Zippolah I Whv IB ahe forgotten 1 Uerely beeauae she waa the wiT* <^ Sweat for he chose to cimduet himaelf ao, that to the remotest agea, there should be (he utmost prao& ol his duUUtrtiUi^um. While multitudesofthe families of Israel are csieArotcd and digaUUd, his own he writes in die dust. He had no interest but that of Ood and bis people t to promote this, he employed hia whole time and his uncommon talents. His body, hia aoul, bta whole life were a continual offerinc to Ood. They were always on the divine altar t and Cm had, fi«m his cieatnre, all toe praise, Rlory, ■■d hoooiir diat a creature could possibly give. Like his gnu ancitype, he went about doin^ good; and God was with him. The zeal of Ood's house oonaumed him; for in that htm**, in ail its concerns, we have the teatimoiiy of Ood hiraaeli; dial ke vaefaUl\fut: Heb. iii. 2. and a higher ofaaumstar waa never given, nor can be ^ven, of any covamor, sacred or civil. He made no provision even m Eis«WB soN^ Oerriiom and EUew; diey and their &miliM were iacorporatad with dw Leiites, 1 Chran. zxiii. 14. sad had no hiriisr enjoyment than that of takinr oars of the tabemacle and the tent; Numb. iii. 21 — 26. and
Hiiuij on tin ijiinl cIaj^, liiiiiW(n(bviiba.Un,la.lS. Mm
Im iht niMnl.oo jwk af tein| iwiintd, or MwK iWnoih wiib a.Url, 13.13. MiMi torn Aom ua dtnwn dui mc— ft, 14, IS The iblni dnj li nitimil In with Dm ufMnnu of tk* iMrtf'tiuiI npon Ik* muiim, uil u iili UVfidm, UfAininf, ol UHKUBd Blnniviit.' •! whiek ihipcuplcinBmljr wtririal. Is. Uaanbinfi fonb ibt M|il( oat el ikfcarop taaMHwiUi Gdd, 11. MauM Sfanl iaciiiilaptd ■Ui anolB, uil tn, 1& Aba ibc uiugpfi liad mad*! luni ant luuJ, lluia uIh. unload unrsrdhknbraniu, IB. Oolob Hiaaiipmh«BioaBl,ud CimriiniclMirpuUHPKfliuiduilM|niau,lhuUi^i]>nM Hfovt uom Dwtoili«»aat,8l,a HcM>Ua:UwikMk«iiknpo)MUeliir ihanuloneka bMWBtardMbeaaih,SS>liM>>t donn i* Mas v iluai, ud tonn tkrpnla ■OtaiMt<>lsnkil>gi«hdi>kiiaD*,SI. HMBBsgMdm.MdMirtnllfS ■S^n Aftv*tieta,wsniViWatlkMkaidAmiBWMlipt«BMMOadta
IN the thrd month, when the ehil- ^^l^^ dren of Israel were gone forth out - of the land of Egypt, the same day ' came they into the wilderness of SinaL
lly to aerr* at the tabernacle, and lo carry burth^m. Numb. iv. 24—29. No history, sacred or profiune, luu been able to produce a complete parallel to the disinterest- •dnsas of Moses. "Riis one consideration is sufficient to rsAua svary abarge of inpostura brou^t against hiia and hkm laws, niere never was an imposture in the world. Bays Dr. Pwdkavx, iMter to Dtiatt, that bad not the fonowii^ characters: 1. ItBustalwaysbave for iu end someeamaf {ftfsrHt X It ean have none bat wtdbed m«t tat ita audwra. 8. Bodi of diese most nsoessahly «pptar fa wy sowfasfcrs of the iwpesfttrs iiseit 4 lhaiitsaa nsfsr bs so fiams^ diat it will ool son- tain Bom« palpabUfalMiHeM, which will disoovor the fiUsl. ty ofal) tbaresL
1. l^e keenest-eyed adversaiy of Moaes has never been able to fix OB bim any eamal mtereat No gratifieatiMi of seasoal paaaioni( no aeeunmlation of weuih, no aggrandixement of his ftmdiy or relatives,^ no pursuit at worldly honour, has ever been laid to his umr^
2. Hia life waa utupotied, and all fail actions the offspring of the purest benevolenoe.
3. AS his own bands were pure, so were the katuU tf Moss whom he aeeoeiaied with himself in the work.
4. No payable JkUify has ever been detected in bis writings, though they have for their subject the most complicate, abstruse, and difficult topics that ever came nnder the pen of man.
B. No crq/l, iw fraud, not even what one of his owa countrymen thn^it he might lawfiilly use, >nneeeii< gvit*. beeauae be had to do with a people greaUy dqnadc^ >iul grossly stupid, can be laid to nia charge. Hia ctrndnet waa aa open aa die day; and though continually watched by « people who were ever ready to murmur and r^l, and induaOrious to find an exeuae for their repeated aeditioua conduct, yet none could be found eidier m hia qnri^ private life, or public conducL
6. None ever came afier to sw, We have jmned with Hoeea in a jiMt have fetgoea a divine auduHrity and miaaion, we have aueeeeded ia our innocent impoature, and now the mnak may be laid aside. whole work proved itself so fully to be of God, that even the person who might wish to discredit Hoses and his missioit, oould find no grovmd of this kind to stand on. The ten plagues of Egyp% uie passage of the Red aea, the destruction of the king of Egypt and his immense hoirt, the quails, the rock of Hordi^ the Bupematoral supply by die for^ years' manna, die continual miracle of the sabbath, on which the preceding day's manna kept good, though, if thus kept, it became putrid <» any other day, together with the constantly attending supernatural cloud, m its threefold office of a guid* ity day, a Hght by ni|;ht, and a eveering Itom the aidours of the sun, all, all invincibly proclaim that God brou^t out this people from Egypt t that Moaes was tht man ^ Chd. chosen by him, and fiilly accredited in his missiim; ana that the lawa and statutes which he gave, were the offnring of the wisdom and goodness of Him, who is the Father of Lwhls, the Fountain of truth and justice, and the coariBuar and unbouoded BeiteSutor of the humsa race.
TJie tame day] There are thru opinions concerning the meaning of mis place, whi^ are supported by re* poetable anunents. 1. His aanu dan means the same day of die tnird month with that, vis. the IStb, on vrhich (hs Israelites had left Egypt 2. The soma dam stgniAss, here^ a day of lbs same number with tha month to wbiek ittsai^lied, vix. the A<rdday of dwDUrdmondi. 3. By the same daj^ tb^Jh-Hday of themonth is inteided. Tim Jews celebrate the feast of Pentecost days after the poss-ossr: from the dceartore out of E«ypt to the ooming to Sinai, were firtyJlM daysi for oey eame oot dw jmmUh day of the ftrst SMpndi, from wbicb day, to die Jktl or tb» diW noMh, - - - ■
2 For they were departed from ■ Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, eind had pitched in the wilderness: and there Israel encamped before ' the mount.
3 *[ And "Moses went up unto God, and the IiORD * called unto him out of the mountain, eaying. Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacoo, and tell the children of lerael;
4 ' Ye have seen what I aid unto the Egyptians, and how ' I bare you on eagles' wings, and broughLyou unto myself.
5 Now ' therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ■ ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for * all the earth t> mine:
On the 2d day of this third month, Moaea went up into the mountain, when thret dsn were given to the people ta purify themMlves: ituM gives the faurih day of the SUrd mondi, or thaforty-nitUh from the diwture eut <rf Egypt. On the next day, which was th/tfijti£th from the eelebration of the paaaover, the glory of Ood upeared on the mount; in commeraoratLon of which the Jewi celebrate the feaat of Pentecott. This it the opinion of St. Augiutin and of eeveral modems f and ia defended at large hf Hoatngaot. Aa the word nn ehodeA, monih, is put for new moon, which ia with the Jews the jlrsi day of the month, this may be considered an additioiul confumatioD of the above opinion.
The wildn^ieaa of Sinat] Mount Sinai is called by the Arabs Mbtl Hibuaa, pr the mount of Moses; or, by way of eminence, Bt Tar, thb MduTit. It is one hill, with two peaks or summits; one is ealled Bitreb, the other £linat. Horeb was probably its most ancient name, and miAht designate the whole mountain. But as the Lord bad appeared to Moses on this mountain in a bush, n:n ameh, chap. iii. 2. from this circumstance it mi^ht have teosived the name of Sinai, or *)'b -iti liar Sinai, the mount <^ Uie buth, or the mount of iiuAu; for it ia possible, that it was nst in a siiwle buA, but in a thictcei of tames, that the Angel of Oodmade his appearance.
Verse 3. Motes went up unio God] It ia liliely that the cloud which had conducted the Israelitish camp, liad now removed to the top of Sinai, and aa thia was the symbol of the divine presence, Moses went up to the place, there to meet the Lord.
The Lord caUed unto him] This, according to St. Steidieni was the Angel qf tlu Lord, Acts vii. 3B. And from several scriptures, we have seen, that the Itord Jctux was the person intended; see the notes on Oen. xvi. 7. xviii. 13. Exod. iii. 2.
Verse 4. How / bare you on tagla? loinga] Hr. Bruce contends, that the word "yVi neaer, does not mean the biid we term Mgle • but a bird which the Arabs, from Us l^wi and mtrcUvl disposition, call raehama. which is noted for iu care at its young, and its earrriDs them upon its back. See his Travels, vol. vii, p. ^ It is not tinlikely, that from this part of the saored history, the heatliens borrowed their &ble of the eagle being a bird gaered to ihipiitr, and which was employed to carry the souls of departed heroes, kings, &.c. into the celestial regions. The Romans have struck several medals with this device, which may be seen in different cabinets, among which are tlie following: one of i^tufmn, dsu^ier of Antoninus THtM, on the reverse of which ahe is representsd ascending to heaVen on the back qf an eagle; and anodier of Salonia, daughter of the emperor Galienua, on the reverse of which IB repres^Ued on tlie back qf an tagle, with a sceptre in her band, ascending to heaven. Jtipiter himself is •ometimes represented on the back an eajT^ alsoi with his ^vauier in his hand, as on a medal of LtanvM. This brings us nearer to the letter of the text, where it appears, tibat the heathens confounded the f^re made use of by the aaered petuitan, / bort you on eaglea" wing*, with the msniiftstminn of Ood in raundsr and lightain^ Sinai. And it might be in reference to ^1 Boduuui tocdt the eogls fiir their anngp. JUuMUius,&e.
Brought you unt9 mydf] In this, and the two following verses, we see the design of Qod in selecting a people for himself. 1. They were taob«yAic votes, ver. 6. to reoeive a revelaiioa from htm, and to act aceoiiling to that revelation, and not according to their reason or fimcy, in 0|^o>ition to bis deelarations, 2. They were to obey hia voue <niiied^ r/ovn mov AimoA Hakmht, in heanng SS3
6 And ye vhall be unto me a *■ knedom of
priests, and a * holy nation. These are tne words which ihou ehalt speak qnto the children of IsraeL
7 H And Moees came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces aH ttaes* words which the Lord commanded him.
8 And '' all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people tmto the Lord.
9 And the Lord eaid imto Mosee, Lo, I coma unte thee * in a thick cloud, ' that the people may hear when I epeak with thee, and ' helievo thee for ever. And Moses told the words of tlw people uato the Lord.
they ahould hear; they should consult hia lestimoaie^ hear them whenever read or proclaimed, and obej them aa soon as heard, sffeetionately and atMdUy. 3. Thgf must keep thit covenonf — Not Mily copy in mSr lives ifaa ten caminandiMnU, but they must receive and preaens the grand agreement made between God and man W tacnfi<x, in reference to the incarnation and death of Christ; for, from the fimndation of the world, the nant of Ood, ratified by sacrifices, referred to ih^ - and now the sacrificial nstem was to be more fiilly {^wnec^ by the giving of the law. 4. Hey should then be God's peculiar treasure, rftJO teruUah, his own patrimmy, a people in whom he should nave alt ri^t, and over wboni he should have exclusive authority alxtve all the people of the earth i for though all the inltabitanta of the world were his, bv his right of creation and providence, yet these should be peculiarly his, as receiving his revelatian, and entering into hia covenant. 6. I^iey ahould be « kingdom ^ prieHt, ver. 6. Their stato should be a theorraey, and as God should be the sole Governor, being King in Jcshurun, so all his subjects should be pritttm, all wor^ippera, all «arK)!cers, every individual offeriBC up the victim Jor hinuclj. A beautiful representation of the Gospel dispensation, to whi^ the apMtlea Peter asd^ John apply it, 1 PcL ii. 5. 9. Rev. i. 6. v. 10. and xx. 6. Under wnicli dispensation, every believing soul offers up for himself, 4hat Lamb of God which was slain far, ana which takes away the sin of the world; and thiou^ which aloiM a man can have access to Ood.
Verse 6. And a holy Jtalim] They shoold be a notion, one people: firmly united among themselves, Uvinc under their own laws i and powerfal, MeauseuniteiLaiia acting under the direction and blening of Ood. lliey ehoiiHi be a holy nation, saved frora their sins, righteous in their conduct, holy in their hearts) every external rite being not only a significant ceremony, but also a means of conveying liji^t and life, grace ana peace lo every pv son who eonwaentioualy used it. Thus they sboiud In both a kingdom, having God for their Governor; and s nofton, a multitude of peoples connected together; not a scattered, disordered, aai disorganized people, but a nq/mi nation, using their own riles, living under their own laws, subject, in retigiou* matters, mly to God; and im things civil, to every ordinance of man, for God's soke.
Thia was the spirit and design <rf this woadeiCal iim&- tution, which could not receive its perfection bat imdcr A* Gospel I and has its fiill accomplisnmsat in every ™>™*in of the mntical body of Chi-ist.
Verse 7. The elder* qf the people] The head of each tribe, and the chief trf each fnndy, I7 whose minHOy diii gracious purpose of God was speedily oomnuniesled ta d» whole eamp.
Verse 8. And all the people anmered, &c.] The people haviiw such gracious advantages laid before them, most cheernilly consented to take God for dieir portion; aa hs had graciously promised to take them for his people. Tlius a covenant woa made; tlie parties being mutually bound to each other.
Moeea returned the loortU] When the people bad, on their part, cimaentad to the covmant, Moaea appean is have gooe immediately np-to the mDuuain, and related to God the success of his mission 1 for be was now on tfaa moimt, as appears from ver. 14.
Verse 9. A thick cloud] Thia ia interpreted by ver. 1&. And mmint Sinai was altogether on a anon— an J the BMOu Aeroqf OMeended ae the smoki q/* afimiaeet his usual qtpeanmeewaa in thedoudypillart which, w« atMiy ai^oKi was generally dear and temsnow.
10 Y And the Lord said onto Moses, Go unto the people, and * sanctiiy them to-day and tomorrow, and let them < wash their clothes,
11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord ^ will come down, in the sight of fdl the people, upon mount Sinai.
12 And tbou Bhalt set boands unto the people round about, saying. Take heed to yourselveB, tJuU ye go not up into the mount, or toach the border ol' it: ■ whosoever toacheth the mount •hall be surety nut to death j
13 There shall not a hand touch it, but he shall ■urely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the ~ trumpet " Eoundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
14 And Moses went down from the mount onto the people, and " sanctified people; and they washed their clothes.
15 And he said unto the people, ' Be ready BfauiBt the third day: ^ eome not at your wives.
The Jewi eonader diie as fbllest endenee tbair ftibers had of the divine miuion of Moaei i theniMlves were permitted to lee this awfully gloriouB sight, and to bear God himself speak out of the wick darkness: for, before thi% as Rabbi Mtymm remarkB, they mij^t have tbou^t that Hoses wrought hie miracles by sorcsry or enehantvunt; Irat now hearing the voiee of Qod himself they could no longer disbelieve nor even doubt.
LM Hum waah Ouir elcOua] And consequently bathe their bodies; for aeeofding to the testimony of the Jews, ttiese riways vetU together. It was necMsuv, that as Ihey were about to ^ipear in the presence of Ood, eveiy AiofrAoald be clean Mtd pore about them; that they might beadmonished by this of tne necessity of inward purity, of trbtdi the outwnd washing was the emblem.
From these institutiona the heathens appear to have borrowed their preeepU reUtive to washings and jpiri/leafions pteviOHsly to uieir offering sacrifice to dwir nd% ezamplM of which abound in the Qnsk sad Latin wnters. Iltey washed their hands and clothes, and bathed their tedies in pure water, before they performed any act of relieiotts worship: sad in a variety of cases, abstmence from •n matrtraoniu connexieu was positively required, before « person was permitted to perftirm any religioui rite, or «ssist at the performance.
Tern 12. TtumthaUtttbounda] Whether this was b Uiu marked out on the ground, b^ond which tt»y wm Dot to go; or whether ttjenee was aetuallT made to keep diem (mT, we cannot tell; or whedier tUrwiice was made •1) round die mountain, «r only at that part to iriiicii one 'Wing at die camp extended, is not evident.
This verse strictly forbMs the people from coming near and loQchintf mount 9inai, which was burning with nax: the words, therefore, in w. IS. »nt ^ wm ^ al tiggniku. •f MoA, coma not at your wives, seem rather U mean, ^ma not aw unto the nasi ei^eeially as the other phrase is not at all probable; but the Ars is, on this occasion, spoken of so emphatically, see DeuL V. 4, 2»-26. that we are naturally led to consider rwK isAoA here, as wtm hoi-uk transposed, at to say with Simon in bis Lexicon, nsw fmm. idem quod nuise. VM {gnis. So among other faMtsoees we have ■ok and man a -aingt iw and mm Hghii roMandnnMafr«iif^;and-mKMdmDHaqMM^ Buxt. See Kumicorr's Remarka.
WhotoeOer toueheth the flurunf ahali be mreijf put to death] Uteplaee was awfullv saored, beoatise the dreadfal majesty of Ood was displayea on it. And this taosht them ibai Ood is a conauminE m, and that it is a feaiwl thing to fall into the hands or he Irving God.
Terse 13. TTtere tkall not a hand touch rr] ^3b«,alM, not the mountain, but the manvho bad pesumed to touch die mountain. He should be coosidereo altomthsr as an unclean and scenrsed thin|^ not to be touched for fear at eonyeying defilement; but shouM be immediately stoned or pierced through with a dart, Heb. xii. 20.
vam 16. TwRtfers, and Kx'JUiunM and a Aidt dmtd ' — and th4 9oict of ih* Irum^] TbemunJsrs, iightaxa^s, Ae. annoonoed tne eoning, as thtry proclaimed the msjeMy a( Ood. Of the thunders and hghtoiag^ and the OMfh dtenl; (Ksmol sfartrfs etoud^ from wfaidt tbe duindws and Hjhlrti^ praeasded, we Ma tem a tpImMs qipnhto- <tM| hot iba 1h4 twy wMnJiiy tnmri*^ va ean
16 If And it came to pass on the third day ia the morning, that there were ■* thunders and lightnings, and a * thick cloitd upon the mount, and the *■ voice of the trumpet ezceedfaig loud: so that all the people that xdu* in the eamp, " trembled.
17 And * Moses bronght forth the people out of Uie camp to meet with God; and they stood the nether part of the mount.
18 And * mount Sinai was altosether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it ' in fire: ^ and the smoke thereof ascended, as the smoke of a furnace, and >the whole mount quaked greaUy.
19 And ^when the voice of the trumpet sounded lone, and waxed louder and louder, ^ Moses spake, and ■ God answered him by a voice.
20 And the Lord came down upcHi mount Simd, on the top of the mount: ana the Lwo
scarcely form a coniocture. Such were the appearanoea and the noise, that oil the people in the camp trembled, ud Hoses himself was oonstrained to say, I exceedingly fear and qoake," Heb. xii. 21. Probably the sound iA tba (rumpef was aomethiog similar to that whidi dmil bs blown by die angeL when he sweareth by him that Hvetb for ever, Ourt $haU be Hvu no longtrt
Verse 17. And Mow broughtjSrlh the people—to meet with Ood] For though they might not touch the mount till they Had permission, yet when the trumpet sounded long, it appears they mi^t eome up to the nether part of the mount; see ver. 13. and Deuu iv. 11. and when tha trumpet had ceasef to saund, they mi^ then go op onto the mountain, as to any other plaoe.
It was absolutely necessary that Ood should give tba people at luge some particular evidence of his bdng and power, that Oiey might be saved from idolatry, to which they were most deplorably prone; and that thev might tbe more readily oredit Hoses, who was to be tne constant mediator between God and them. Ood, therefore, in bis inrtosmbahlti amfegtr, deseended on the moont; and by the thick dark etoxut, oie Txolent thunder; the vivid lightningt, the long and laud btaete qf the trump^ tbesmois encompassing the whole mountain, and the excessive cot^ quake, oroclaimed bis power, his gUrry, and his hetineett so that tbe people, however unfaithful luid disobedient aftervrard, never once doubted the divine interference, or sus-
CM Mosea of any ebeat ot impoatore. Iideed, so absosndonequivooa] were the proofs of supenabtral agency, diat it was impossible dwse ajf^eanuooes could be attnbutea to any cause but the unlimited power of the Authw of nature.
It is worthy of remark, that the people were informed Arte daye before, ver. 9 — 1 1. that such an appearance was to take place; and this answered two excellent purposely 1. They had lime to aanc/f/y and prepare tbemsMves for this soiemn transaction; and 2. Imse who migfat ba eeepHetd, had auffieieni opportuniqr to make use of every precaution to prevent ana detect an im^ostere; so this previous warning strongly serves tbe cause of divine revelation.
Tbetr being at first prohibited from touching the mount, on the most awAil penalties, and secondly, being permitted (o see manifestations of the divine majuty, and hear tlw words of Ood. subserved the same great purposes. 'Hieir beinfr prohibited, in tbe first ins&ince, would naturallT whet their curiosity, make ihem cautious of being deceive^ and ultimately impress them with a due sense of God's justice, and uieir own sinfulness. And their being per* mitt^ afterward to go up to tba mount, must have deep* ened the conviction that all was Ibir and real, that thers could be no imposture in the case; and that Ibou^ the justica and purity of God forbad them to draw nt^ for a lime, yet his mercy, which had prescribed the means of purification, had permitted an access to his presence. The oireettons given from ver. 10 to IB inclusive, show not only tbe hauneee of Ood, but the purity he reqires in bis WOTsliippers.
Besides, the whole scope and design of the chapter prove, that no soul can possibly amroaeh this holy and terrible Being, but through a mediaar: and this is the use made
I irf this whole transaction by tha author of the Epistta to the Hebrews, chap. xiL 18—24.
adled Moms tv> <o the top of the mount; and Hoses went up. «,
21 And the Lord said unto Mosea, Go down, ^charge the people, lest they break through onto the Lord * to gaze, and many of them perish.
22 And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord ' sanctify themselves, lest the Lobd < break forth upon them.
23 And Moses said unto the Lord, the people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, ^ Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
24 And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou and Aaron vrith thee; but let not the priests and the vecqrie break through, to come up unto the Lord, lest be break ^rth upon them.
«dty done in a vUtbU manner, that the people mi^t "wit- □eu the awfiil appeamace. We may suppose, that every diin^ was arranged thus: the glory of the Lord oceupiea the top of the mountain, and near to thii Maaea was per- BuKM to approach, ^oron and the levenly eldera were permitted to advance mow way up Uu motmiam; while ate jMOfrfe were only penaittM to cone up to its bate, Hoaea, as the lawgiver, was to receive the atatutes and judgments from God's mouth. Aaron and the elders to nceive them from McwM, and deliver them to the people; •ad the people were to act according to the direction reeoived. Nodiing can be imagined more glonous, tenible) miqeatie, and unprearive, than the whole of this transaction t but it was chiefly cakutoted lo impreaa dam fsmtanea, reUgiima fear, and aaertd awai and he who attempts to worship God uninfluenced by these, has neither & proper aenae of the divine majesty, nor of the sinfulness m sin. Zt seenu in reference to this, that the apostle aays, LU Ks koM graca wlureby w vtay aerva Ood aceaptably, wiih asvcuMCS mtd oodlt rmtj/gr our God ia a ooimnuira nmm, Beb. xii. 28, 29. Who then shall dare to a^raaefa him in bia own nsmo^ and without a madjo-
Verse 22. Lei Vie priaata aJao—aandify tkemadvaa] "ThaX there were priaata amoiig the Hebrews, b^ore the oonsecration of Aatuo and his aona, cannot be doubted; though their ftnM^ions might be, in a considerable measure, atupended, while under peraeeution in Kgypt; yet the peraoos existed, whose n^t and duty it was to oner sacrifices to God. Hosee re<iuesled liberty from Pharaoh, to into the wildemeaa to aaerplee: and had there not been among the people both aaerykta and prieaU, die request itself must have appeared nugatory and ahsiud. jSocrt- Jkea, from the bannning, had constituted an esawitial part of the worahip of God; and there cwtainly were prieata, wboae fauaineas it was to offer diem to CKk^ before (be giving of the law; thourti this, for especial twson^ was restricted lo Aaron ana his sons, after the law had been given. As sacrifices had not been offered Ibr a ooneiderable time, the prieau themselves were conndered in a state of impuri^; and therefore Ood requires that they a]so should be purified fof the purpose of uiproaidiiiig tM mountain, and hearing their Maker pronnilgalB hit wwa. See the note oh chap, xzviii. 1.
Verse 23. TlupeapU cannot amamt} Either because they had been so solemnly forbidden that they would not dare, with the penalty of ustant death before ueir eyes, to transgress the divine command] or the bonnda whiofa were set about the moant were such, aa rendered their passing them physictdly impoaaible.
And aattet^ it] mvnfn vt-kidoehlo. Here the word w^p kadaak, is taken in ita proper, literal sense, aignifyuig the aeparating of a thine, param, or plaea from all pro- &ne or common uses, and uevoting it to aaered purpows.
Verse 24. Ltt not the prieata and the paepU oraak ihnmgh\ God knew that tliey were heedlnas, criminally eorioits, and stupidly obstinate, and dterefne hia mercy ■aw it ri^t to give them line npon line, (hat they might not transgress to ihetr own destruction.
Pbok tne very solenm and awful manner, in which the LAW was introduced, wo may behold it as the ministration of terror and death, 2 Cor. iii. 7. appearing nuher to exclude men from God, than to bring them ntgfa; and from thia we may learn, that ao approach to God would have been for ever impoesibl& had not infinite mercy found out the Gospel scheme of salvation. By this, and (bis alooe, we dntw aigh to God j f<rr im hav on siUroiies
25 £to Moses went down unto the people, and
AND God spake 'all these words, **^Ki^*- saying, ' 2*1 am the Lohd thy God, which have brought thee out of the laml of Bgypt, * out of ib» House of ■ bondage.
irUo the BoHeatbv the blood qf Jeaiu,Heb.x.l^ "Pot," says the apostle, " ye are not come unto the moant that might be touched, end that burned wiih fire; nor unto blackness, and darknea^ and tempest, and to the aoond tt a trumpet, and the vtHce of words; which voic^ thsy that heard, entreated that the jvord should not be ^polna to them any more: (fur th^ could not endure that whitk was commanded. And if so much aa a beast touch the mountain, it shall be atone^ or thrust, throuj^h with a dart; and so terrible was the si^^t, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake,) but ye are come vato mount Sion, and unto the air of tne living God, the heareoiy Jerusalem, and lo an innumerable company ef angela, to the general assembly and ohurch of the fint-bom* wbuch are wntten in heavenj and to God, ibe Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jeous the BIBOUTOR die NEW COVENANT, and to du blood of aprinlding, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." Heb. xii. 18-24.
Reader, art thou still under the influence and condeauking power of that fiery law, wliich ra-oceeded from hta ri^t hand 1 Art thou yet qfar tffj Remember, tbou canst only come nigh by the blood of sprinkling; and tiQ nutified by his blood, thou art under toe curse. Cooaider the terrible majesty of Godl If thou have hia.favour, thou hast l^et if his/rotm, daaSh. Be inatantly x«oooeiled toOoOfforlbou^ftouhastde^lyaiimM^ aad hs is faat, yet he ia the juatifia- of him that believeth to Christ Jesus. Believe on him, receive his solvation^ oaxr his voice indeed, and keep his eotenant, and THKK ahall tiuM be a king, and a priaat, unto Ood and iha Xiomb, and be finally saved widi all the power of an endless life. Amtn.
with great plausibili^ of reason, that the ckutse ■» m rfjtm amsin ei aol ka-d^rim ka-alUA, "all tfaeee words," belong to the latter part of the otHWiludi^ verse of chap. xix. which, he thinks, riioukl be read Uuia;.And Moaea laenf down lo Iha paopta, and spabs laato tham ALL TRBBB woBDB; i. e. delivered the aolemn eharg^ relative to their not attempdng to come up to that vmx\ at the mountain, on which €iod manifested himselt in hia ^orious majesty, lest he shouM break forth upOn them, and consume them. For how could divine jusctre and purity suffer a people so defiled, to stand in his iminediaia presence 1 When Hose^ tfaoefore^ had gone down and moken att thaaa mrda, and he and Aaron nad nsseeodad the mount, then the Divine Being, as supreme l^alator, is nuqestiodly introduced tbiu; And Ood apate, oaytng. This gives a dignity to the conuneneemeot of this chapiar, of wmch the clanse above mentioned, if not referred to the speeidi of Moses, deprives iL Tha Angto-Saxmt &voun this emendadon, Lob rpnaio &ur, God apoka -moa, which ia th« whole of the first verse, as it sunds in (hat version.
Some learned men are of opinion, that the ten coat- MAMDMKinv were delivered on May 31), being then the daj of Penieeoat.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. T^e laws delivered on Mount Sinai, have been varioiuly named. In DeuL iv. 13. they are called tsmsm mmt taaraOi Ao-fMorim, ths tbm wosds. In the preeediag chapter, ver. E God calls ^em, Ti*^ m at baritt, J% covBifART, i. e. the agreement be entered into witb A* pBOlde of lamL M take ttteiB tat bis paoidiar peojala. tf BwytookhhD for dMir CM md partioD. Ivytuwobip
4 * Thoa afaalf not make unto thee any graven ima^i or any likeneee <^ ang thing mat is inheaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, Of that is in the water under ihe earth;
my VMM indeed, sod KEEP my covenant, thek AaU ye &« a pecuHar irtasurt unto mt. And the word eoteaant harsi •vitteatly raftn to the low given in this dwpier, ai ir ervideBt from DevL iv. 13. And ha dtda^ed ttnto you hi* oovMjJA.TT, wAtcA &e commanded you to ptrform, even TMn coMBiAifDMBMTa. They have been alio termed the norxU taw, because they contain and lay down niJea for the rcKuUuioa (rf* the matuun or amduU t(f nun. Sotne- Hmea Uwy have been termed Tht law, rrvinn Aa-teroA, W wsy of eminence, ea containing the grand ayatem of ■mriOuU itulruetion, direeHon, guidamx, See on the word Law, chap. zii. 49. Ana frequenil^ the dbcalogcs, AiiBhiytc, whiui ia a literal tranalaticHi into Greek, of the ir^ain n-ufy taereth, ha-debarim, or -m wobob of Mosee.
Among divine% they are generally divided into what dkey term die Jlrtt and seeoitd table*. The nasr table, eoatainingthej(r#f, teamd, Aird. vid Jburth oommandmen ta, and comprehending the whole Bystem of theotogy, the true notiona we should form of the Divine Nature, the re- Terence we owe, and the reli^ous service we aboutd render to him. Tlie SECOND, contoiaisg the tix fast commandments, and comprehending a complete evstem of tihics, or v^araldiUia, which man owes to fait feUowa; and on the doa pwfiiriiianee of wbicb, the order, peao^ and him^- DBM of aoeiety depend. By Ihia diTin<a^ the ruwr lule cODtains our duly to God; the beconO, our duly to our imoHBouK. "niia division, i^icb ia natural enough, refera u« to the grand principle, love to God, and love toman, tfarou^ which, bout taUea are obaerved. i. Thou ahalt love the Lord thy Chid with all thy heart, acul, mind, and ■trength. 2. Thou sholt love thy Deigfabour as ihyaeUl On these two hang all the taw ami the Ihrophets. See Ibtt. xxii. 37—40.
«loA«»feo. On the word Jbuovah, which we here tranakte Loan, see the notes on Clen. ii. 4. and Ezod. vi. 9. And on the word Elohin, here translated God, see on Gml i. I. It ia worthy of remark, that each indirAdual is addreaaed here, and not the peopk collectively t though they are all necessarily includM, mat each might feel that h« was bound for lUmteif, to bear and du all these words. Moses laboured to impress tlua pertonal intoreet on the people's minds, when be aud, Deuu v. 3. "Hie ZiWd made this covenant with ue, even u*, who ore all of tw here alive this day.'*
Brought the4 out qf the ^tid tff Egypt, &c] And by diU very thiog, have proved myself to he superior to all cod^ onlimjted in power, and most gracious, as well as fearful in operation. This is the preface or introduction, but should not be separated from the oonunandtneot.— There-
''varw 3. T^ou ahaU have no othor godo b^ore me] D*^mi o*TttH elahitn oAajrim — No otrange gods — none that thou art not 'acquainted with — none who has not given thee such proofa of his power and godhead as I have done, in delivering thee from the Egyptians, dividing the B*d sea, bringing water out of the rock, quails into the deMft, atanna from heaven to Csed Ihe^ and the pillar of cli)iidlodiraet,aal^leii,anddueld.lheeb Bythewmiraeki^ God had rendered bimaeU /aniliur to them; the^ were intimately ac^uatntscf with the operation of his bands: and therefore with great propriety be says, thou shall bave no etrange god* before me; -3b &l ptmoi, bo- Jaro, or io Che placf of thoee manifetlation* wbuch I have made of myaell.
Ihia commandment prohihiti evoy species of m*ntal Ueiaujf and all inordinate attachment to earthly and wn- «iUs things. As God is the /ouatojn o/' Aamriness, and DO intelligent creature can be nappy faut through him, whoever seeks happiness in the creature is oecessarily an idotr ater; as he puts the ctm^iu-s in the place.of the Creator: expecting diat from the natification of bis passions, in the use or auuc of earthly inings, which is to be found in Ood alone. The very first commandment of the whole seriea, ia divioely calculaled to prevent nan's misery, and promote bis hawiness, by taking bim off from all frdssdopeDdBBca^anillwriiiig him teCkid bimaali^ tfaa^buiifafo
5 ' Tbou Bhalt not how down thyself to them, nor serve theiD: for I the Lord thy God am jealous Qod, ■ visiting the iniquity of the &thera upon the children, unto the third and fburth ge-